NASA Southeast racers finished out their 2025 season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in December with the 18th Annual running of Santa’s Toy Run — where not only great racing happens, but also great charity by providing funds and toys to children in need.
With temps in the 40s and cloudy skies above, it was no surprise the track was fast. Twenty-one Miatas took to the track for qualifying Saturday morning, with Teen Mazda Challenge driver Dean Dybdahl crushing the session by clinching pole with a sub-record time of 1:43.116. Javier Laurnaga had the second fastest time of 1:43.972.
In Saturday’s race, Dybdahl controlled the lead from start to finish. He was smooth, fast, and consistent, gaining over a second each lap on his competitors. With no immediate threat from behind, Dybdahl became “one” with his car, breaking a new track record on lap nine with a time of 1:42.753, beating his own record time from last year of 1:43.427.
Behind him, there was some close racing for the podium between Ben Maier, Agustin Garcia Flores, Laurnaga, and James Newell. Each had the speed, and it was just a matter of whose race craft would put them out front at the finish line. Laurnaga finished in P2 just .158 seconds ahead of third place Maier.
Another great battle was happening with Jeremy Barnes, Carson Neel, and TMC driver Julian Pollard. They swapped positions several times throughout an intense race, with Pollard eventually getting the best of that group and finishing P6.
The top five results were Dybdahl P1, Laurnaga P2, Maier P3, Garcia Flores P4, and J. Newell P5.
After a record-breaking Saturday, the momentum halted temporarily Sunday morning as a dense fog set in, delaying the race to the afternoon. Anxious racers finally took to the track, with Dybdahl and Maier on the front row leading the pack to the green flag.
Garcia Flores had early troubles, starting in P5, but then losing his brakes and sailing off into the gravel at Turn 10a on the first lap. This also sent Laurnaga off course as he avoided disaster. The double-yellow flags came out to remove Garcia Flores’ car and as caution laps always do, it bunched the E30s right up to the SMs where things got exciting as the two groups mixed it up.
Racing resumed quickly, with Dybdahl commanding the lead right away. Maier, J. Newell, Barnes, and Scott Phillips were pushing hard for second through fifth places. As Barnes and J. Newell mixed it up on lap four, Phillips was able to make a momentum move past them and into second place.
As the race progressed, Laurnaga was moving back toward the front. With just a few laps to go, it was “slingshot engaged” as he drafted with another car down the back straight, setting up the perfect pass around them all, moving him up to the second position.
Barnes and Neel continued duking it out, with Barnes making a last lap pass in the final turns to finish ahead of Neel by just .244 seconds.
Another battle was decided in the final chicane. Luis Romero held a comfortable lead over Yan Dia and Pollard until he caught a pack of three Spec E30s fighting for position. As the two classes merged, Romero was boxed in, allowing Dia to sweep past for a dramatic P8 finish.
In the end, Dybdahl ran away with the win again, finishing more than fourteen seconds ahead of his second place contender. It was a dominating performance from a talented driver.
Top five results: Dybdahl P1, Laurnaga P2, Phillips P3, J. Newell P4, and Maier P5.
With the final race of the year complete, Laurnaga finalized his position in the top spot of NASA Southeast’s points championship, followed by Pollard in second place and Dia in third. To sum it up from Laurnaga’s Facebook page “Love, passion, determination, dedication, sacrifice, perseverance, all words that have accompanied me for over a year now to accomplish this personal goal of mine.”
