The hills of Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia played host to a spectacular display of racing Sept. 20–21, 2025, as NASA Mid-Atlantic and NASA Northeast united for the “Summit Point Sitdown,” also known as the Fall Brawl. The highlight of the weekend was Honda Challenge 2, which assembled one the largest single-class field at the event.
The event had 21 cars on Saturday and 20 on Sunday in H2 alone, a massive turnout that NASA Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Chris Cobetto noted was the largest for a single class in recent memory, and the biggest overall turnout for the region at Summit Point since Hyperfest in 2014. The crossover weekend, featuring the best of both regions, reinforced the strong community spirit of the Honda Challenge paddock. Driver Anthony Robison described the atmosphere: “Everybody was a big community type of thing … the racing, you never had any free time. There was always something going on around you with all those Hondas there.”
Saturday’s Thrilling Race One
Saturday’s race one set the tone for the weekend’s competition. While Jonathan Baker secured the H2 win, his margin of victory over Holden Metzner was just 2.626 seconds after 13 laps. The competition for the final podium spot was even tighter. Brent Bauer drove his Acura Integra to a third-place finish, beating Alex Herman by a mere 0.178 seconds.
Bauer, who started sixth, recounted the intense, nose-to-tail fight with Yevgeniy Noak — known as “Jay” in the paddock — and Herman.
“It was the hardest, most fun race I think I’ve ever had,” Bauer said. “Anytime I’d get a run on Jay and make a move, Alex was there to try and take the other spot behind me.”
This constant pressure led to a dramatic finish. Bauer’s strategy was to push Noak until his tires gave up. On the second-to-last lap, “I saw him start missing apexes,” Bauer recalled, which allowed him to make a decisive move into Turn 1. Even then, the battle wasn’t over. “I look, Alex is right there behind me still,” Bauer said. Herman confirmed the clean, hard racing, adding a unique perspective on the close finish: “I think Jay actually was like so tired he like saw the waving white flag and thought it was the checkers and backed off on the front straight.” Herman finished fourth in his Acura Integra.
Sunday Showdowns and Technical Troubles
Sunday saw two more H2 races, with Jonathan Baker winning race two in the morning and race three in the afternoon. The afternoon race three was a masterclass in tight competition, with the top four drivers finishing within 1.921 seconds of the winner after 15 laps. Baker claimed his third win with a best lap of 1:24.465, holding off Wamboldt by a slim 0.318 seconds, followed by Herman and Noak.
Kaan Canturk had a standout performance on Sunday, moving from a P21 grid spot in the weekend’s first race, due to mechanical issues, to finish seventh in the afternoon race. Canturk, who runs a Honda Civic Si, was still learning a new setup. “I got to knock some rust off,” Canturk said, explaining he was only able to complete his first 20 to 30 laps of the year in the race.
The paddock buzz was dominated by the difficulty of the standing starts and the growing trend of K-series engine swaps for more torque. Rookie Ian Carrillo struggled with his first-ever standing starts after moving from the NASA Southeast Region: “I just could not get the car in the second for like 5 or 6 seconds.” Carrillo later dropped out of the final race due to a toasted inner CV, summarizing his weekend with a chuckle: “So, I lost a gearbox and an axle in one weekend.”
Other drivers also were contemplating an engine upgrade. Otto Munoz and Chris Vera, who finished 14th and 13th respectively in race three, noted the torque disadvantage of their B-series engines on the Summit Point straightaways. “The GSR just doesn’t have that torque. I get pulled on the straightaway,” Munoz said. “Most likely I’m going to be on that same boat and going K for next year.” Steven Brown was also looking at the K-swap, having been fighting car issues all weekend that he believes are either a bad head gasket or a cracked head.
Community and Camaraderie
Beyond the on-track excitement, the event was a testament to the community-driven nature of NASA Honda Challenge racing. Anthony Robison and others highlighted the welcoming spirit between Mid-Atlantic and Northeast teams, noting the paddock’s willingness to help with mechanical issues. “The Honda challenge paddock is amazing,” Herman said. “Like everyone brings so many spares … people they’ve got your back.” The weekend even included an impromptu Italian night Saturday with over 138 homemade pizzas cooked by drivers and crew.
Conclusion and the Road Ahead
The Summit Point Fall Brawl delivered on its promise of thrilling, hard-fought racing. Jonathan Baker emerged as the weekend’s dominant winner, securing three of the three H2 victories, but the tight gaps and constant battles confirmed the health and competitive nature of the series. Lealand Wamboldt and the Northeast contingent, led by Alex Herman and his P3 finish in the final race, proved that the crossover event brought formidable talent.
With the Mid-Atlantic’s final event two weeks away at VIR, and the Northeast closing out its season at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the rivalries established at Summit Point will surely spill over. The success of the “Summit Point Sitdown” has Cobetto optimistic about future collaborations: “I think it’s going to happen more often, and I think it’s good. I think a lot of people want to have other people to run with … and a full paddock brings a whole lot of energy.”
