It was unseasonably cool for NASA Southeast’s May race event at Carolina Motorsports Park. Rather than the typical South Carolina heat, racers arrived to find cooler temps coupled with rain clouds in the sky, making the technical layout of Carolina Motorsports Park a test of car control and tire strategy.
Qualifying
Rain covered the paddock Saturday morning as 21 Miatas took to the track for qualifying. The session became a showcase for the Hoosier wet tires, with the Spec Miata class locking down the top eight overall times in the Lightning field. Sporting a fresh engine and new rubber, Jeremy Barnes mastered the slippery conditions to claim the pole with a time of 2:00.337. Teen Mazda Challenge drivers Dean Dybdahl and Julian Pollard trailed closely, creating a “Rock of Ages” for the front grid.
Race One
Race one presented a classic wet vs. dry tire dilemma. It rained all morning, but stopped about 10 minutes before race time. Because the track was still soaked and time was limited, most competitors went out on wet tires. However, a few rolled the dice on dry tires in hopes of a quickly drying surface and a fast “qualifying” time for race two.
It took no time for drama to unfold at the start. Barnes lost traction in Turn 1, allowing Dybdahl and Pollard to capitalize and sweep past. Behind them, Cameron Brown spun in Turn 14, but avoided contact by locking it down and staying to the inside of the corner. As the laps ticked by, the front four, consisting of Dybdahl, Barnes, Pollard, and Agustin Garcia Flores, distanced themselves from the pack. A relatively dry line developed late in the race, but dry tires never seemed to find more speed than the wets. Dybdahl and Barnes pushed each other hard, swapping positions and keeping each other honest. When it mattered most, Dean Dybdahl crossed the finish line just .238 seconds ahead of Barnes in P2.
The wet surface and mix of wet/dry tires provided some great action throughout the field, such as the battle with Rod Walker, John Palazzolo, and Keith Williamson who had a spirited battle for P15. Walker edged out his competitors by just .013 seconds of separation at the finish line.
The final top five consisted of Dybdahl in P1, Barnes in P2, Pollard in P3, Garcia Flores in P4, and Laurnaga in P5.
Race Two
Race two had Barnes back on pole, with Dybdahl prowling on the outside. Barnes got clean and solid start this time, defending his lead through the opening lap. The pack experienced a curveball in T8 when Luis Romero and Pollard had slight contact. Pollard lost a few spots as he regained control, and some drivers took evasive action to avoid a bigger incident. At the same time, several were able to keep momentum and slingshot past those who checked up. This made for some great mid-pack battles as the race progressed.
The standout performance came from Garcia Flores. After battling clutch issues in race one, he went on the offensive early, slicing from P6 to the lead in less than two laps. Laurnaga was another man on the move, pushing his way up to P2 by lap five and hunting for the lead. However, Garcia Flores had already created a gap that proved insurmountable.
Meanwhile, Barnes in P3 was unknowingly venting oil and smoke from his tailpipe. An overfilled crankcase turned the racing surface slick for those in pursuit. On several occasions, Romero in P4 fought with traction, eventually going off-track in T12.
Behind them, Clay Bowman was the undeniable hard charger, starting dead last in P21 and moving all the way up to finish P9.
Garcia Flores accomplished his mission, finishing an impressive 10.135 seconds ahead of second place Laurnaga. Despite the mechanical hiccup, Barnes held on for P3, followed by Dybdahl in P4 and Dia in P5.
Race Three
The weekend finale saw Garcia Flores and Laurnaga break away from the field early, leaving a fierce multi-car battle for the final podium spot. Cars in positions three through nine stayed within striking distance of one another for most of the race. Brown, Dia, Pollard, and Dybdahl each took turns leading that pack, but none were able to dominate.
Grip was challenging as the race continued with the finishing order being decided on the final corner of the final lap. Rounding the last turn, Dia got a better launch out of T14 to secure third place. This left Pollard and Brown in a door-to-door drag race to the line, with Pollard taking P4 by a mere .053 second margin.
Garcia Flores had another impressive run, finding his second win of the weekend. The remaining top five were Laurnaga in P2, Dia in P3, Pollard in P4, and Brown in P5.
