The NASA Rocky Mountain Region delivered a weekend of intense Time Trial action at High Plains Raceway June 21-22, 2025, where scorching temperatures and tight competition tested every driver. With the mercury soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, competitors battled one another and a blistering hot track that made finding grip a challenge.
The event showcased the depth of talent in the region, particularly in the packed TT5 class. Drivers pushed for raw pace, but the weekend also highlighted the immense skill required for consistency, with several standout performances in Time Trial Target competition. Morning sessions on cooler pavement proved critical for setting the fastest laps. For some, it was a story of veteran consistency. For others, it was a breakout performance in their very first event.
Mike Martinez
For Mike Martinez, victory in Saturday’s TTT competition was a welcome, if unexpected, result. Piloting his classic 1991 BMW E30, Martinez laid down four laps with a delta of just 0.677 seconds to claim the top spot in TTT. His performance was a masterclass in consistency, as he clicked off lap after lap in the 2:09-second range all day.
Martinez attributed his success not to a specific focus on the TTT prize, but to a disciplined approach honed over years behind the wheel. “I’ve always strived for consistency, right? Just being able to get to the limit and stay there, lap after lap,” Martinez said. He ensures his car is meticulously prepared before arriving at the track, allowing him to focus solely on driving. “I don’t typically work on the car at the track. I don’t like doing that,” he explained. Despite his vintage machine lacking the “firepower” of newer cars in TT5, Martinez proved that precision is a powerful equalizer. He wasn’t even aware of his win until the announcement. “To win Target is still pretty damn cool to me,” he admitted, viewing it as a significant achievement in a highly competitive class.
Matt Johnson finished in second in TTT on Saturday with a delta of .735 seconds among his fastest laps. Coming in third was Robert Butler.
Robert Butler
Robert Butler arrived at High Plains Raceway with a clear goal: to chase down his rivals in the fiercely contested TT5 class. While he narrowly missed the top spot, his relentless pace in his Toyota GR86 earned him a well-deserved third place in Saturday’s Time Trial Target. It’s a competition Butler has paid more attention to this year, given the high level of talent in the Rocky Mountain region. “It is a very, very, very tough class,” Butler noted, mentioning national champions who compete locally.
Despite a greater focus on consistency, Butler’s approach is anything but conservative. “I go out full send every lap,” he said. This commitment is fueled by a friendly rivalry with fellow competitors like Mike Martinez. “I’m trying to be like Mike. You know, it’s my goal in life,” he joked.
A relative newcomer who started competing just last year after being introduced to the sport through the Toyota GR Experience program, Butler credits NASA’s coaching for his rapid development. “It’s a testament to the NASA coaches,” he said, emphasizing their focus on fundamentals. “I go out there and just try to exercise the fundamentals that these guys have coached me on. And it seems to be working.”
Jeff Grant
In what can only be described as a storybook debut, Jeff Grant dominated Sunday’s Time Trial Target competition in his very first Time Trial event. After spending six weeks rebuilding the engine in his E46 BMW 330i, Grant’s main goal was simply to shake down the car. He did more than that, delivering an astonishingly consistent performance with his four fastest laps on Sunday separated by a mere 0.310 seconds. His times — 2:08.051, 2:08.077, 2:08.180, and 2:08.206 — were a display of machine-like precision.
The weekend was fraught with uncertainty for Grant. “I just started that engine for the first time in the car the Monday before this TT event,” he revealed. “I was expecting the thing to just explode.”
Despite being a couple of seconds off his personal best from his HPDE days, his consistency was undeniable. He credits his background in autocross for honing the discipline required for such precision. The result was a surprise, born from simply pushing to find the car’s rhythm. “I was just pushing the car and not trying to vary lines and my technique too much,” Grant said, underscoring a performance that turned a shakedown run into a winning one.
Christina Werley came in second in TTT on Sunday with a delta of .780. Garrett Walz was third at .817.
Garrett Walz
After a 10-year hiatus from racing and a season-ending crash last year, Garrett Walz returned to capture first place in TT3 and third in Time Trial Target on Sunday. Walz pilots a Porsche Carrera S, a car he bought as a “pandemic purchase” and never intended to take on a track.
His journey back to the driver’s seat has been a study in adaptation, moving from a balanced E46 M3 in his German Touring Series days to the notoriously tricky rear-engine Porsche. “I have a lot of old habits and muscle memory tied to driving a BMW at the limit. And that is different, let’s say,” Walz admitted.
He approaches each session with a sharp mental focus, using an in-car ritual to prepare. For Walz, consistency is key, especially as he contemplates a full return to wheel-to-wheel racing. “If you’re not just raw fast, at least you can be consistently fast, right?” he reasoned. He sees Time Trial Target as an excellent way to hone that skill. His Sunday performance was a clear signal that he is learning the characteristics of his new machine, turning a car destined for mountain roads into a formidable track weapon.
A Weekend of Progress
The weekend at High Plains Raceway was a resounding success, highlighting the supportive yet competitive spirit of the NASA Rocky Mountain region. As drivers packed up, the focus shifted to the next event on the calendar at Ozarks International Raceway with NASA MidAmerica. The event was a powerful reminder that in Time Trial, speed is only part of the equation. The relentless pursuit of precision is what truly separates the best from the rest.
