NASA Southeast Spec Miata returned to Roebling Road for the Firecracker Run, the second post-shutdown race with a 14-car field. Keith Williamson nabbed Pole Position with a 1:25.471, with Don Elvington P2, Yan Dia P3, Connor DeYoung P4 and Scott Carlisle P5. Race time temperatures in the mid 90s promised a greasy track.
At the start, Dia gave Williamson a good push from the starter stand to Turn 1, leaving the order Williamson, Dia, Carlisle, Elvington and DeYoung. By the end of lap two, the leaders started catching the back of the Spec E30 field passing two cars. As they started to pass the next two E30s, a yellow came out in Turn 4 for a Miata in stuck in the sand trap. Lap seven saw the lead group of Spec Miatas catch a five-pack of E30s.
Williamson had trouble getting around the trailing E30 for a couple laps and that bunched up the five leading Spec Miatas. As they finally started working through traffic, Williamson and Dia gapped the other Miatas. Finally, a couple laps later, Yan Dia drafted up to and around Williamson on the inside as they approached Turn 1 for the lead and the win, with Scott Carlisle P3, Don Elvington P4 and Connor DeYoung P5.
On Sunday, Williamson again grabbed pole position with a 1:24.597, with Dia P2, DeYoung P3, Elvington P4 and Carlisle P5. At the start, Dia got a good push from Elvington and the pair beat Williamson to Turn 1 leaving the order, Dia, Elvington, Williamson, Carlisle and DeYoung. DeYoung passed Carlisle on the outside entering Turn 4 and immediately started harassing Williamson and looking to pass.
On the next lap, he made the same pass on Williamson at Turn 4. This began a constant shuffle of the P3 thru P5 positions as Williamson drafted up to him and passed as they exited Turn 9. At the end of lap three, Williamson got to Elvington’s bumper and pushed him past Dia to give the pair P1 and P2 as they entered Turn 1. Next lap Williamson drafted up to Elvington and got beside him entering Turn 1 and completed the pass in Turn 2 for the lead. Next lap an E30 hits the inside wall at Turn 9 and the race gets red flagged.
As the pace car led the Spec Miatas around for the restart, Williamson signaled for Elvington to push on the start. As the green flag flew, Elvington swing to the right with Dia pushing the pair to retake P1 and P2 as they beat Williamson to Turn 1.
On the next lap Williamson drafted up and got beside Dia as Dia started to push Elvington. Williamson tried an outside pass on Dia in Turn 1 but got loose in Turn 2 and couldn’t make the pass stick. Next time around Dia tried to make a pass on Elvington on the inside of Turn 1, but Elvington held him off. Next lap DeYoung stuffed it in on the left of Williamson at Turn 4 and finishes the pass at Turn 5.
Williamson frustrated DeYoung again by drafting back up and around on the front straight. Williamson got to the inside of Elvington at Turn 2 and the pair go side by side thru Turn 3 and Turn 4 with Williamson finally dropping back in behind Elvington at Turn 5. On lap 13, Carlisle pushed DeYoung up the front straight but tried to carry too much speed into Turn 1 and went off.
Next lap Elvington drafted up to Dia and got beside him on the left entering Turn 1 to make the pass on the outside. Dia shows he can do it to and repasses Elvington on the outside of Turn 1 on the next lap. Williamson then got to the outside of Elvington in Turn 4 and as he passed they touched mirrors and then Elvington drops back in behind Williamson.
DeYoung then tried to start a pass on Elvington at Turn 5, but Elvington turned in and as DeYoung tried to back out, they touched, spinning Elvington who dropped to finish seventh. Williamson then drafted up to Dia and passed him on the inside as they approached Turn 1. White flag lap, Dia draftsed up to Williamson while Williamson took a defensive line, got partially beside him but couldn’t make the pass in T1. Williamson hung on for the win with Yan Dia P2, Connor DeYoung P3, Darren Brady P4 and Luis Mario Romero P5.
