NASA Texas wrapped up its 2025 season with a competitive event at the challenging Eagles Canyon Raceway in November. While the event saw a slight dip in car count, the charitable Toy Run at Eagles Canyon was successful, with attendees stepping up their donations. Spec E46 was incredibly tight, competing on the full 2.7-mile course known for its elevation change, making it one of the most technical and challenging tracks in Texas.
Championship Pace and Consistency
Dave Finkelstein, established his pace early in the weekend, ultimately securing the NASA Texas Spec E46 season championship. Finkelstein put his car on pole for race one on Saturday with a qualifying time that was a “miracle” considering the Miata traffic he had to contend with. Competitor Pat Welch noted Finkelstein was “a second a lap faster than all of us.” In race one and two on Saturday, Finkelstein drove away from the field, leading wire-to-wire. His speed in race two was a 2:10.971, while race one saw a best time of 2:10.233. Race two was shortened due to a full-course double-yellow.
Finkelstein’s season-long performance was stellar, allowing him a nearly 200-point buffer heading into the finale. The race three double-points event on Sunday saw Finkelstein finish P1 with a best lap of 2:08.911. His consistency and speed clinched the title, with Pat Welch summing up the champion’s weekend best: “I think Dave finished the race, then went and had lunch, got a massage, and you know, prepped his car for the next session, and then we finished.” Finkelstein’s season proved him to be “the class of the field.”
The Fight for Second
The weekend hosted a fierce battle for second place in the season championship between Pat Welch and John Major, separated by only 40 points. Pat Welch qualified second for race one. In race one, he secured P2, as he led a tight “freight train” that included Major, Jason Rikke, Audrey Wiseman, and Greg Hartman. In race two, Welch again secured P2, narrowly holding off a hard-charging Audrey Wiseman. Welch’s consistency was key, and his Sunday double-points race three P2 finish. His best time of 2:10.535 was enough to lock up the second-place spot in the season championship.
John Major was part of the lead pack in race one, employing aggressive tactics against Rikke. Major finished race one in P3. He finished P5 in race two and, despite a consistent P3 finish in the Sunday race three, he ultimately finished third in the season championship. Major’s progress was a highlight, with Finkelstein noting his “remarkable improvement” from the start of the previous year.
Standout Performances and Rookie Challenges
Close racing throughout the field led to standout drives and difficult moments for the newcomers. Audrey Wiseman put on a masterful display of car control in race one, avoiding a wreck with a spinning rookie in an out-of-class car. She was noted for “avoiding getting hit and taken out by the rookie when he pulled back on track when he shouldn’t have,” which required her to drive off track. Wiseman had a breakthrough in the shortened race two, finishing P3 on the podium with a quick lap time of 2:11.324 , and finished P4 in Sunday’s Race 3.
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For Greg Hartman, who was racing at Eagle’s Canyon for the first time, the weekend was a steep learning curve. The E46 group provided tips and even reviewed video in Dave Finkelstein’s motorhome. However, Hartman’s weekend culminated in a nasty hit during the Sunday double-points race when he was rear-ended by another rookie that damaged his battery box and knocked off his bumper. Despite the chaos, Hartman finished race three in P5.
Jason Rikke finished P4 in races one and two. Rikke emphasized the technical aspect of the track, noting that passing requires “planning ahead, and if you get it right, it rewards you.” His Sunday was hampered when the rookie driver who hit Hartman “parked it right there in the turn,” resulting in Rikke hitting the car and going off track. He finished P6 in race three. Despite the tough weekend, Rikke finished fourth overall in the championship, narrowly missing the podium by 95 points.
Looking Ahead
The Eagles Canyon event solidified the 2025 Spec E46 season championship standings: Dave Finkelstein took the title, followed by Pat Welch in second, and John Major in third. The closeness of the field, with many cars separated by less than a half-second on pace, promises more thrilling action next season.
The class credits Jason Rikke for the series’ continued growth, noting that the supportive environment is key to attracting new racers. The long, double-points races on Sunday were a highlight, proving that, as Rikke said, “It’s not over until the checkered flag. And it’s literally anybody’s race until that checkered flag is thrown.”
