Ozarks International Raceway in Gravois Mills, Mo., played host to a weekend of intense Super Touring action in July. Competitors from NASA MidAmerica tackled the challenging course, known for its significant elevation changes and high-speed corners. The event also attracted a strong field of drivers from other NASA regions looking to get some seat time in advance of the 2025 NASA Championships.
Several drivers experienced early setbacks, from mechanical issues to the sheer difficulty of mastering the circuit. As racer Jeff Arnold noted, “It’s a lot of high-speed blind corners that really just take some familiarity and getting used to before you’re comfortable taking them at the speeds at which you can carry through a lot of corners.” The close proximity of competitors suggested a fierce fight for every position, with strategic planning and car setup proving crucial.
Super Touring 1
NASA Great Lakes‘ Joe Kellerman showcased an impressive performance in ST1, securing first place in race one and race two before opting out of race three to preserve his car. Kellerman’s journey to the front was particularly notable given his limited prior experience at Ozarks International Raceway, having last raced there in November 2023.
“I went there and realized that I had a long way to go,” Kellerman said. “How am I ever going to get first place and stay on top with a track like this and everything to learn. It was an experience back then.”
Despite the challenge, Kellerman quickly found his rhythm, pushing his ST1 C5 Corvette Z06 to impressive lap times, including a 2:29.206 in race two that set a new track record for ST1. He expressed the intense focus required on the high-speed circuit.
“That track is all the high-speed turns. I’m not sure if I want to go any faster,” he Kellerman said. “I mean, you got to go through those high-speed turns at 115, 120 miles an hour. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I want to go any faster than that.”
Jason Perry faced a challenging weekend in ST1, with mechanical setbacks unfortunately cutting short his on-track time. This event marked Perry’sfirst time at Ozarks International Raceway, making Friday a crucial learning day. He candidly described his Saturday qualifying as “horrible,” attributing it to his limited experience on the demanding circuit. Race one brought further frustration when a coolant hose cracked, sprayed water onto his rear tire and caused a spin. He then discovered a leaking shock, exacerbating the difficulties caused by the track’s significant compression.
“There’s so much compression when you’re going up those hills in ST1. We’re doing like 130 mph, full compression on the car and it was a lot on the shock,” Perry explained. These issues forced him to withdraw from further competition for the weekend. Despite the challenges, Perry remained optimistic, recognizing the steep learning curve of the track. He plans to return for a track day event before the Championships race to gain more crucial seat time.
Super Touring 2
A name and Corvette we are all familiar with, Ben Grambau in his University of Michigan-themed C5 Corvette, took the wins in all three races over the weekend. Grambau was not available for the interview.
Originally slated to compete in ST2, Robert Burdiss, made a last-minute switch to TT2 because his car was not race-ready. Burdiss highlighted key areas where drivers can gain time on the technical course.
“You can find time in Turn 4,” he noted, emphasizing its trickiness, “If you master it, it really helps you down 5, 6 and 7.” He also pointed to the high-speed sections, including the Roller Coaster and turns 9 and 10, as crucial for carrying speed.
Super Touring 4
Jeff Arnold, a seasoned competitor from Kansas City, demonstrated his extensive knowledge of Ozarks International Raceway in ST4, securing first place in race one and race two. Having frequented the track since its opening day with NASA, Arnold possesses a deep understanding of its intricacies. He described the circuit as a high-commitment track, with time to be gained everywhere.
“The beautiful thing about that track is it’s just like the roads all around that area,” Arnold said. “My wife and I have been driving those roads since we had a driver’s license and that track is exactly the way the rest of the roads around the area are. It’s hills and it’s compression. It’s blind corners. It’s got it all.”
He noted that many of his competitors were less familiar with the track, which played to his advantage. Arnold also pointed out the importance of confidence on the intimidating circuit: “If you haven’t built up the confidence to know where that track’s going to know how much speed you can carry there, it’s an intimidating track with some big consequences in a number of different spots.”
Super Touring 5
Driving his Mazda Spec MX-5 in Super Touring 5, Bryan Heitman had a rollercoaster weekend at Ozarks International Raceway. After a promising second-place start in race one, a blip module issue caused a sudden loss of power, dropping him to sixth. Justin Mason took the win in race one.
“I lost power and so I kind of went up the ramp there to pit lane trying to get the car back because I thought my race was done,” Heitman recounted.
A quick restart, a technique he remembered from a previous occurrence, brought power back, but not before the entire field had passed him. Race two, however, was a significant turnaround, with Heitman taking the win. He acknowledged a bit of luck, as a leading BMW suffered a mechanical issue, but also credited the strategic decision with his teammate, Justin Mason. “We’re kind of teammates and we had radios actually communicating with one another and so we kind of said, ‘Hey, let’s not battle until the very end,'” Heitman explained.
Race three saw Mason take the win by a 13.015-second margin, with Heitman humorously admitting, “I think the heat was getting to me, and I’ve told Justin, every time I get in the race car, I really have no idea mentally if I’m going to go push or if I’m just going to go Sunday drive.”
Mason of 515 Motorsports demonstrated consistent speed and strategic prowess in ST5, culminating in a win in races one and three, and a second-place finish in race two. Mason expressed a strong affinity for Ozarks International Raceway, saying “I just really like the track. I like how difficult and challenging it is.”
Having competed in an endurance race there previously, he leveraged his experience to navigate the demanding layout. Mason identified key areas for making passes and finding time, particularly emphasizing the high-speed sections.
“Going into Turn 2 is a good place,” he noted, adding “the exit of the Roller Coaster is a good place if somebody over-slows there. There’s a lot of track to make a pass there.” He further elaborated on maximizing speed through the challenging turns: “All those high-speed corners, that’s the biggest place to find time. From my experience, it’s just being able to not brake quite as much or not brake, at least in our cars.”
The NASA MidAmerica Region event at Ozarks International Raceway delivered an unforgettable weekend of Super Touring action. Joe Kellerman’s dominant performance in ST1 and Jeff Arnold’s mastery of ST4 were clear highlights, showcasing their skill on the demanding circuit. In ST5, the friendly rivalry and strategic teamwork between Bryan Heitman and Justin Mason provided compelling racing.
