NASA Texas and NASA MidAmerica descended upon Hallett Motor Racing Circuit June 6–7 for a weekend of unpredictable weather, mechanical heroism and fierce Spec E46 competition. Changing track conditions forced drivers to make high-stakes tire gambles, leading to triumph, heartbreak and a new track record.
The narrative of the weekend began well before the green flag waved. Competitor Clay Pearce spent two days under his car after installing a clutch disc backward, which welded it to the guide tube. In a display of paddock camaraderie, 15 different people from multiple classes, including Spec E46 rivals and Honda Challenge crews, pitched in using a come-along winch to pry the transmission free and get him on the grid.
Race 1: Smith Triumphs in Changing Conditions
Unpredictable skies defined the first race of the weekend. While most of the grid qualified on wet tires, Greg Smith made a late gamble, switching to sticker slick tires 20 minutes before the start. The risk paid off massively. Despite a brief challenge from Pat Welch, who passed Smith on lap three, Smith retook the lead a few turns later. As the racing surface dried, Smith checked out, ultimately driving away to a commanding victory.
Behind him, the battle for position was intense. Welch looked solid in second until a spinning Spec Miata forced him to check up, allowing Greg Hartman to secure second place. Welch finished third.
Meanwhile, David Finkelstein and Dan Parmelee engaged in a spectacular nose-to-tail fight, with Finkelstein edging out Parmelee by a mere 0.03 seconds at the line. For Parmelee, it was a steep learning curve on rain tires. “That was my first ever time running a true Hoosier wet tire,” Parmelee said. “You actually have to hit some of the water patches and try to keep them cool. They start getting real noisy and boy do they get weird when they are in the dry.”
Not everyone found success in the tricky environment. Jason Rikke experienced a spin on dry tires and chose to self-retire. “I went out on the wrong tire and after that first turn, I just lost all focus,” Rikke said.
Race Two
Race two saw more drivers transition to slick tires as the track continued to dry, but Smith remained unstoppable, capturing his second consecutive win of the day. John Major jumped out to an early lead on wets, but Smith executed a clean pass on lap two into Turn 7 to reclaim the top spot.
Finkelstein demonstrated veteran patience on sticker dry tires to secure second place on the podium. Greg Hartman, making his first career appearance at Hallett, drove a masterful defensive race on wet tires to secure third, holding off a hard-charging Rikke. “I wanted to gamble and go with wets thinking the weather might turn, but that was the wrong call,” Hartman said. “Plus, I didn’t want to have to change 20 minutes before the race and screw something up.”
Sunday: Smoke, Chaos and a New Standard
Sunday brought heavy drama and abbreviated racing. Rikke started P2 on the grid and executed a perfect launch to storm past Smith into the lead. The triumph was short-lived, however, as his oil cooler line separated, instantly pumping seven quarts of oil onto the hot manifolds.
“The inside of my car started just filling with smoke,” Rikke said. “It was just heavily blue and I was like, that’s oil. It was scary as hell. I think I took care of every mosquito within a 400 mile radius.” Rikke managed to guide his blinded vehicle safely off the track without collecting any other drivers.
Moments later, a massive multi-car incident involving a flipping Spec Miata brought out a full-course yellow and a subsequent black flag. The race resumed under yellow for a single lap to take the checkered flag, leaving Finkelstein with the victory and Smith in second.
Confusion during the bizarre finish caused Welch to accelerate prematurely, resulting in an automated penalty that dropped him to eighth. John Major finished third in race three.
Race 4
With most of the paddock packing up early, Parmelee and the newly repaired car of Clay took to a perfectly dry track for a final showdown. Free from traffic and capitalizing on cool track temperatures, Parmelee blasted down the pavement to set a blazing new Spec E46 Hallett track record with a time of 1:25.092, defeating Clay by 0.685 seconds.
“We decided to go out and have fun,” Parmelee said. “I knew that it was dry and it’s like, okay, I’m going to get some practice and I’m probably going to be able to set the record here. We paid to be there, so why not?”
Conclusion
The action-packed weekend at Hallett highlighted the sheer unpredictability of the NASA Texas Spec E46 field. Greg Smith proved he has the tactical mind to dominate in mixed weather, David Finkelstein showed his trademark consistency on Sunday and Dan Parmelee walked away with the ultimate bragging rights by rewriting the track history books. As the region looks forward to the heat of the summer stretch, the tightening rivalries and escalating mechanical development promise even closer battles at the next event.
