4 replies to this topic

[True North]

A hugh congrats go out to Steve Powers for the Saturdays win and Dakota Dickerson for the Main Event on Sunday!

Some of the best racing I have ever been around in Spec Miata. Clement Lee broke the his own track record on Saturday by a half second which is crazy fast...1:36 1 Got to say the draft is fast but  I guess it's worth mentioning that it doesn't hurt to know the track, Clement is one heck of a racer!

Steve Powers didn't even practice the day before due to work, just came out and qualified 8th on Saturday morning and drove to 3rd place by turn 1... Now that's talent!

Sure was fun for me to be racing with some really talent drivers, door to door in many of the corners and not a bit of paint transferred from any car. 

Dakota was hooked on Sunday thanks to Luis at RUSH mortorsports, drove from 5th place to 2nd by the 4th lap or so...what a talented young driver coming up through the Spec Miata ranks, and what a nice young man,I hope to see him in many more races.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Daniel Langon. Very soft spoken talented 21 year old that will do very well in the years to come. If you see his name on any entry list, reachout and say hello to Daniel, his crew chief and his dad,,,great folks.

Almost forgot to thank Rich Powers for keeping Steve and I setup and fast all weekend.

Also want to say thank you to the Cal Club folks for putting on a great event, ran it like they have been doing it for years!

Continue to race hard my friends,

[Jim Drago]

Congrats Steve! Awesome job!

[Johnny D]

http://mazdamotorspo...gId=-1&button=y

 

Mazda Racers Break Records & Claim Wins

Mazda racers broke more track records on their way to compiling even more wins during rounds three and four of the SCCA Western Conference U.S. Majors Tour at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, CA.

Three Mazda racers broke track records during Saturday's races. Formula Mazda competitor Austen Charles, Touring 3 and Touring 4 (2009 RX-8) competitor Tom Wickersham, and Spec Miata racer Clement Lee all set track records.

In addition to breaking records, there was plenty of racing action throughout Saturday’s seven races. In Group 3, which consisted of seven different car classes, Joe Huffaker in his F Production MG Midget and Brian Linn in a GT-Lite MG Midget ran one and two early on. But before the race’s halfway point, Wayne Graham in an E Production Mazda RX3 got a fantastic run out of Turn 9 and blew by Huffaker and Linn. Soon after, Andrie Hortanto’s Super Touring Lite Acura Integra and Oscar Jackson’s Super Touring Lite Honda CRX Si were in hot pursuit. Graham, Hortanto and Jackson put on a great show the last half of the race. With Graham emerging as the overall Group 3 victor, all three drivers slid from their cars with giant smiles.

“I got a good holeshot coming out of Turn 9 and just blew by people,” Graham said after the race. “But then they came after me in the corners.”

As predicted, the Spec Miata class put on a pretty great show, too. Dean Busk, Steven Powers and Clement Lee put a gap on the rest of the field early on. And then the three swapped positions for a dozen laps. It was Powers that came through a cloud of dust in Turn 9, resulting for another competitor’s off-course excursion, to cross the finish line first.

“This feels great. It’s incredible,” Powers said. “Eighth to third on the first lap made me real happy.”

Saturday, four Mazda competitors took class wins, but all put on a great show:

E Production: Wayne Graham, Santa Barbara, Calif., Mazda RX3

Formula Mazda: Austen Charles, Newhall, Calif., Formula Mazda

Spec Miata: Steven Powers, Mesa, Ariz., Mazda Miata

Touring 4: Tom Wickersham, Piedmont, Calif., Mazda RX-8

A blazingly bright sun clawed its way free of the Mojave Desert early Sunday morning and climbed above snow-capped mountains southeast of Rosamond, California, to begin day two, round four at the 9-turn, 2.5-mile Willow Springs International Raceway.

Other than the sun, something else hot all weekend was driver Tom Wickersham, of Piedmont, California. The Touring 3 and Touring 4 driver earned victories in both classes on Saturday during Round Three and Sunday during Round Four of the SCCA Western Conference U.S. Majors Tour. And if that wasn’t enough, Wickersham set track records for Touring 3 in his Ford Mustang and Touring 4 in a Mazda RX-8 on Saturday, and then bested his own track record Sunday in Touring 3. The secret to his success? A little bit of tape.

“Right there on the dashboard, I have a blue piece of tape with the current track record,” Wickersham pointed out. “I put that there so I keep pushing myself to be better. I like challenging myself.”

Sunday’s race winners:

Formula Mazda: Austen Charles, Newhall, Calif., Formula Mazda

Spec Miata: Dakota Dickerson, San Diego, Calif., Mazda Miata

Touring 4: Tom Wickersham, Piedmont, Calif., Mazda RX-8

Next, the Western Conference series heads north for an April 8-April 10 event at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif.; followed by racing April 29-May 1 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, Calif. More information can be found at SCCA.com/majors.Photo: Clement Lee (#33), Dean Busk (#7) and Steven Powers (#145) fought hard for the Spec Miata win Saturday during Round Three of the SCCA Western Conference U.S. Majors Tour taking place at Willow Springs International Raceway. Powers emerged the victor.


 

[True North]

Congrats Steve! Awesome job!

 

Jim, thanks for the sealed powered plants for both our cars. Those East Street engines definitely compete and that's all we can ask of you!

I know Steve, Rich and I are looking forward to seeing you at Mid Ohio this year.

[powerss]

Congrats Steve! Awesome job!

Thanks Jim. GOOD Luck at NOLA.

Also big thanks to Dean TOO for the nice write up and the help at and on the track this weekend.