Congratulations Jason on finishing 3rd in the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series Presented by Toyo Tires. 
Thank you to every on who made this season possible. 
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Rennkraft Motorworks, Formidable Racing Development, Advanced Autosports

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There are few things more enjoyable then spending Fathers day weekend at the SCCA June Sprints at Road America.  Unlike last year this weekend was more relaxed but still there was important work to be done getting Jason and the car ready for Cat Majors in a few weeks.  Jason,  managed to do quite well running his under powered car in the Super Touring Light class finishing 6th on Saturday and 5th on Sunday.  We celebrated and remembered Grandpa Joe with Grandma Mary and Mom.  We all had a blast watching all the racing at the incredible race track. 

Some real progress was made the following weekend, June 25-26, at Firecracker Bonneau Bbl Divisional at Blackhawk Farms.  This is the ideal track for Jason to become one with his car.  He has a few thousand laps on this track in a few different vehicles and really knows the track.  In addition to running the with the more powerful STL(Race Group 4) class he also raced in the SMX(Race Group 2) class by himself but with T3 and T4 cars that could potentially be faster.  

His performance on Saturday was amazing. It did start on rain tires and some humble pie. In group 2 qualifying in 5th having been beat out by significantly less powerful but more manageable B-spec cars.  B-Spec cars are based on small front wheel drive cars and handle well in the rain while Jason was still getting his feet wet. In group 4 he qualified 2nd and was building confidence in driving in the wet.   For race 2 the B-spec guys elected to start from the back and Jason started in P2 on slicks with a light rain.  On the green he jumped out to the lead by turn one and carefully pulled away from the field as the track dried.  By the time he took the checked he was 72 second ahead of 2nd place and had lapped all but 3 cars in the field.  The group 4 race started on slicks in a light rain.  He again jumped to the lead but had a very competitive spec miata on his tail.  As the race progressed the rain increased and Jason remained in the lead gingerly defending his position.  Toward the end it was a matter of which driver was going to make a mistake.  In the closing of the last lap the spec miata dropped a wheel and spun off the track, while Jason remained steady to the checker earning his second over all win of the day. 

Sunday’s racing was much different as the previous days rains had dried and a new found confidence in his car and ability.  He qualified in group 2 on the pole,  At the start he pulled away and didn’t look back finished first, 25 second ahead of 2nd place.    In group 4 only made 4 laps before he experienced brake failure but still qualified 2nd.  At the start he again jump ahead and again was pursed closely by an potentially faster STL car.  Jason initially pulled away but a few laps later the faster car caught.  However, by that time they both had started to work through lapped traffic.  Jason had spent the previous three races passing cars and now put that skill to work timing many passes perfectly to stymie the chasing car behind the slower car he just passed.  The chase continued this way till the end last lap of the race when the STL car spun and Jason drove his way to his forth victory of the weekend.  Jason and his car received may cheers and ovations as he made his victory lap. 

The new team is starting to come together just in time for the SCCA Cat Nationals at Road America.  This will be Jason’s second Spec MX-5 Challenge race.  The work we have been putting in since April to build the car, the team to support it and Jason is starting to pay off.  Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going bring home more success.  

Racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been a Father’s Day tradition for the team, ever since Jason started racing there as a 12 year old.  He knows where the bump is in the carousel they talk about on TV, he knows the line through the key hole, and some secrets you only find when running 1 inch off the ground in a kart.  But we won’t be there for Father’s Day this year – more to come on that later – so we went for Memorial Day weekend instead.

This trip was to shake down the new Rennkraft Motorworks Spec MX-5.  The Spec MX-5 Series Challenge is a feeder series for sports car racing like Mazda MX-5 Cup, IMSA, and Le Mans.  The car was built by Formidable Racing Development who was also the support team for the weekend.  The Spec Miata races so far this season have been in preparation for the transition to this more powerful and MX-5.

The weekend started with the crew putting the finishing touches on the car so Jason could take it out.  Being a new car, Jason needed to break in the motor and set the the brake pads.  With only a braking session and one short practice he qualified the car in 11th.  During the first race, he took the car up to the battle for 8th and 9th before having a moment and falling back to 15th.  He spent the remainder of the race catching and passing cars, moving up to 12th.  He started the second race in 12th and worked on moving up until a mechanical issue slowed him down, but was still able to finish 12th.  The last race of the weekend was a club race and many of the cars chose not to join.  Jason, needing the seat time, started 5th and finished 5th.

Thanks to Chris Nunes for the great coaching and to the Rennkraft and Formidable Racing Development for the awesome car.   The car started off good and it got better every session.

Jason, Chris Nunes, and Alex Searle

In few weeks it will be Father’s Day but this year we will be at Road America running the SCCA June Sprints in the Spec MX-5 in the STL class.  It is a practice race for the SCCA Cat Nationals and Challenge Series race a few weeks later.  This will be Jason’s second Sprints as a car driver but he has entered the club kart race on Saturday night on several occasions.

Jason was back in a Spec Miata the weekend of May 14th at the historic Milwaukee Mile.  The track started as a horse track in 1876 and has been the center of the Wisconsin State Fair since 1891.  It also happens to be the 4th new track and the 4th car he has raced this season.   

It was a great weekend of racing and fun at the track.  Once again he, drove an Advanced Autosports rental car but this time it was the #39 car.  He started the weekend on Friday learning the track and the car with the help of this weekend’s coach Michael Borden.  Jason picked the track up very quickly and spent the day getting comfortable in the car.

Saturday’s qualifying run went well.  He qualified 3rd against a tough field, setting his fastest laps without being able to draft from any other cars.  Due to a technical DQ of another driver, he started on the front row in second position.  He got off to rough start ending up in 5th and staying there for the 22 lap race.  On Sunday he announced that he was going to set his qualifying time within 5 laps and come in to save tires for the race.  He did exactly that, setting the third fastest time.  Again he got shuffled back – this time to 6th place – and finished there.  All in all it was a great weekend.  Jason showed some great speed and with some more practice, started up front and stayed there.

We had another ‘this is why we race’ moment that weekend with some drivers from Badger Kart Club and Road America racing along with Jason.  These gentlemen are part of the new generation of racing talent.
Next up is a race with National Auto Sports Association at Mid-Ohio Sports car course, this time in a Mazda Spec MX-5 and the 3rd round of the Northern Region Spec MX-5 Challenge presented by Toyo Tires.  The remaining schedule will be announced in the coming days but this race will be the beginning of the new 2022 season. 

We’re back at the race track and racing at Blackhawk Farms with the SCCA.   Jason has been on track much earlier this year, but has not actually raced yes.  The goal for the weekend wasn’t necessarily to win races, frankly, we didn’t have the car or the driver.  The goal was to get back in a race car and see what he can do and set him up better for the next race.

There was a day of testing and two days of racing.  Testing went very well, and Advanced Autosports provided great support.  Jason quickly adjusted to the car and then asked for some setup changes and improved his time.   Saturday’s race got of to a great start with him qualifying 9th in the rain.  Unfortunately, a few laps in he went off in turn 7 and broke the front passenger lower ball joint ending his race.  Sunday’s race went much better.  He started 17th of 18, because of the previous days DNF, but that means he could spend the race practicing passing and racing build his race craft.  He did just that he finished the race in 9th, completing a successful weekend of racing. 

Next weekend Jason will be racing at the historic Milwaukee Mile again in an Advance Autosports spec miata but this time in the number 39 car and with additional coaching. We are still working the car schedule and are looking forward to the first kart race at Mid-Ohio in mid June.