NASA Southeast was at Road Atlanta in December for its final event of the 2024 season. It was the 17th annual running of Santa’s Toy Run, where helping kids in need is just as rewarding as the racing.
Weather was exceptionally cold, with temperatures dropping down in the mid 20s overnight. These aren’t the typical conditions in the Southeast. But cold tracks generally mean fast times and this weekend was no different. Two Spec Miata racers broke below the 1:45 mark on their Toyo Tires. Dean Dybdahl secured the pole with a lap time of 1:44.345 and Javier Laurnaga was second fastest with a time of 1:44.542.
Saturday’s championship race counted for double points and determined the final 2024 season standings. While Dybdahl was locked in for first place, the remaining positions were still to be decided. From the start, Dybdahl set the pace with fast lap times, building a comfortable lead as the race progressed. He never backed down, pushing harder with each lap toward the end, setting his fastest time on lap nine.
For the most part, this was an unusual Spec Miata race where most of the field became spread out, not leaving a lot of close action to be seen. The exception was the battle for second place where Laurnaga and Jeremy Barnes battled hard on every lap. Each took turns leading the other, each pushing and scheming how to conquer the other. It came down to the last lap where Barnes took P2 as they crossed the finish line. In the end, Dybdahl grabbed his 17th win of the season with Barnes in P2, Laurnaga in P3, Peter Rigg in P4, and Yan Dia in P5. Not only did Dybdahl win by more than 14 seconds ahead of second place, but he also set a new track record with a time of 1:43.427. The previous track record was 1:43.548 set by Connor Zilisch in March 2021.
Later that evening, the final season championship awards were given out. Dybdahl was crowned season champion for Spec Miata, Don Elvington was awarded second place and Dia third place. Not to be overlooked for his efforts, Charles Lankford, who finished fourth overall in the season, was presented with the “Less Brake, More Gas” award.
