The NASA SoCal Region closed its season with high-octane action on the newly adopted Buttonwillow Circuit course in October. The weekend drew a significant field for the competitive 944 Spec class, which saw a thrilling convergence of talent.
For the first time ever, three past 944 Spec National Champions — Marcelo Vine, Josh Cleye, and Charlie Buzzetti — raced together, creating anticipation for a legendary weekend of door-to-door racing. The new track layout immediately challenged drivers, but the class’s signature camaraderie was evident, with teams helping each other make significant on-the-fly repairs.
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Ride along with Niv Amar during the first lap of the 944 Spec race at Buttonwillow’s new Circuit course.
Pole Position and a Late-Entry Advantage
Saturday’s qualifying session for the 944 Spec field was incredibly tight, with the fastest lap separating the top two by less than .2 seconds. Marcelo Vine secured pole position with a best time of 2:02.611. However, the real surprise was Josh Cleye, the 2024 national champion, who qualified surprisingly low in ninth. Cleye attributed the struggle to a lack of familiarity with the new configuration. “I’ll blame the tires, but I think it was mostly me,” Cleye said, noting it was his first time on the circuit track. Vine’s pole time was later overshadowed on Sunday, when qualifying paces were blisteringly fast.
Saturday: A Hectic Start and a Ninth-to-Second Charge
Race one on Saturday saw Vine initially lose the lead by Turn 2 after mistakenly taking the inside line at the start. “I learned my lesson, but I went on the inside at the start, and by Turn 2, I was already in third place,” Vine explained. He spent the next three to four laps battling back, eventually retaking the lead.
Meanwhile, from his ninth-place starting spot, Josh Cleye executed a brilliant comeback. He capitalized on the “hectic” start and the battles happening ahead, quickly slicing through the field with an advantage of fresh tires. Cleye ultimately climbed to a second-place finish, just 0.440 seconds behind Vine. The battle for the third podium spot was equally intense, with Kevin Fry holding off Charlie Buzzetti by just 0.764 seconds.
Drivers noted that the new circuit layout, unlike Buttonwillow’s main track, offers unique passing zones, particularly at the long first turn. Vine, Cleye, and others realized that taking the outside line on the start, though counterintuitive, sets up a better inside line for the entry to Turn 2, providing a clear advantage.
Sunday: A Record-Setting and Pressure-Filled Finale
The intensity ramped up Sunday for the main money race. Early in the day, the championship rivalry took a dramatic turn during the qualifying race: Cleye ran a blazing lap of 2:02.457, officially breaking the track record set by Vine earlier that weekend. “He’s a fast learner,” Vine conceded about Cleye’s record-setting pace.
In Sunday’s main race, Vine applied the lessons learned, taking the outside line to secure the lead into Turn 2. Though he kept the lead, Vine was under relentless pressure from Cleye for more than half the race. “He patiently waited to start, you know, see if he could make a move,” Vine said, commending Cleye’s restraint from making an early, risky move.
The turning point came when Cleye got a little loose and “drifted the entire way” through Turn 4 before the back straight, losing critical time. This allowed Vine to create a gap, ultimately cruising to victory with a four-second lead. Kevin Fry again finished on the podium in third, proving his consistency.
Spirit of Competition: Class Camaraderie
Beyond the rivalry at the front, the 944 Spec class lived up to its reputation for close, clean racing and unparalleled camaraderie. The mid-pack saw several exceptional battles, including a tight finish between Timothy Comeau and Ezra Schoeplein, with Schoeplein edging out Comeau by less than a second.
The spirit of the class was on full display when Niv Amar suffered a head gasket failure on Saturday. Rather than sending him home, a group of drivers, including Charles Buzzetti and Randy Begin, swarmed the car and successfully changed the cylinder head in just four and a half hours, getting Amar back on track for Sunday. “It’s special in just that attitude. Get everybody on the grid that we can,” said Comeau, highlighting the long-standing culture of the class.
Final Standings and What’s Next
Marcelo Vine swept the weekend, taking both 944 Spec races, followed by Josh Cleye in second and Kevin Fry in third. The sheer competitiveness of the field was highlighted by the new circuit track record set by Cleye. While the official points standings have yet to be calculated, the weekend’s results will be pivotal. Regardless of the final outcome, this weekend’s battles between the champions have raised the bar for the competition and proved that the NASA SoCal 944 Spec class remains one of the strongest and most supportive communities in road racing.
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Ride along with NASA SoCal 944 Spec racer Gian Bowles in the first 944 Spec race at Buttonwillow Raceway’s new track.
Great 944 Spec racing. We’ll have 20 car fields next year.