Awesome Spec Miata March Double @ Willowsprings
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Returning from where we left off back in February, 20+ Spec Miatas returned to Willowsprings for the March Double Regional. Weather for the weekend was almost perfect, though quite a bit warmer than the previous month. All the SM pilots were eager to begin battle on this high speed 9
turn venue.
 

As qualifying rolled around, cars began to line up with their running mates. A pair of red Rush Motorsport cars and a trio of yellow CERT cars quickly topped the time sheets. Clement Lee stole the pole from his teammate Don
Thibaut by 1/100th of a second. Just a couple tenths behind were the Christian brothers of Jonathan, William and Austin. The anticipation for a great battle between the red cars and yellow cars were quickly brewing.

Spec Miata was the last run group of the day but those who were there to watch were treated to some magnificent racing. The qualifying times gave us a hint that the race would be a battle between the red cars and yellow cars
but no one would dare to predict the outcome.

Although the front was lined up nicely, the first lap was a no start and the field went around in formation once more. The time around, the green flag waved and William Christian came around the outside and took the lead
followed by Don Thibaut. Clement Lee who started from the pole, fell back to 3rd and was barely staying even with Chuck Matthews who also had a great start. Jonathan Christian who also fell back at the start made his way past
Matthews before turn 9. At the end of lap 1, the order was W.Christian, Thibaut, Lee, J.Christian or in car color, yellow car, red car, red car, yellow car. As these 4 cars ran nose to tail, you'd have to pay attention
to see who went where. Next time around, it was red, yellow, yellow, red as Thibaut drafted past W.Christian and J.Christian drafted past Lee down the front straight. But they were not just content going around in a train.
You could see them pook their nose in around the corners. At the end of lap 3, J.Christian got a magnificent draft and zoomed into the lead going into turn 1 but Thibaut fought back and regained the lead going into turn 3 up
the Omega. They were driving hard as W.Christian went 2 wheels off coming around turn 5 at the bottom of the Omega. As a result Lee quietly jumped into 3rd. But W.Christian was quick to recover and tucked in right behind
Lee.

At the end of lap 4, it was red, yellow and a blur of red and yellow as Thibaut stayed in the lead with J.Christian right on his bumper. The blur of red and yellow were Lee and W.Christian duking it out as they went side
by side down the line, around turn 1 and then turn 2. Finally Lee got the line going into turn 3 and up the Omega. As the 4 car freight train came around turn 8, J.Christian pulled out of the draft and made his way into the
lead. At the end of lap 5, it was yellow, red, red, yellow, with J.Christian in the lead, with Thibaut, Lee and W.Christian riding on each others bumper. The 4 must have decided to take a breather at the same time
as their positions remained status quo for another lap.

But they went back at it right away as Thibaut took a peek inside J.Christian going into turn 3, while W.Christian was not content to stay at the back of that train and made his way past Lee around turn 8. At the end
of lap 7, it was J.Christian, Thibaut, W.Christian and Lee. And W.Christian had his foot down as he also made his way past Thibaut at the end of the straight. Now 2 yellow cars were in front of 2 red cars, but that didn't
last long as J.Christian went wide 4 wheels off at turn 1 to rejoin several car lengths behind. As hard as they were running, their tires must be going off as they slipped and slided around the corners. Down the line they came
once more and it was W.Christian, Thibaut, Lee with J.Christian just a few car lengths further back.

Now Lee got the run down the straight and made his way past his Teammate going into turn 1. Lee definitely wanted get up front as he looked deep inside turn 3, but W.Christian still managed to stayed ahead. Lee was
practically glued to W.Christian's bumper as they made their way down the hill, around turn 8, then 9 and down the straight. So it was W.Christian, Lee, Thibaut and J.Christian at the end of lap 10.

Lee was definitely hounding W.Christian as you could hardly see any daylight between those cars. Around turn 1 and 2 they went, then Lee made his move going into turn 3 and this time he succeeded and moved into the lead.
W.Christian went slightly wide at the bottom of the Omega in turn 5 which was enough for Thibaut to slip through. Meanwhile J.Christian had caught back up to the train as Lee opened up a gap of a couple car lengths. Now
the 2 red cars were in front with the 2 yellow cars right behind. The Christian brothers now working together as W.Christian pulled even and went side by side with Thibaut at 100 mph around turn 9. They made it out of the
turn 9 and down the straight they came. It was Lee up front with the 2 Christian cars splitting Thibaut at the line. Those 3 cars were about to get into turn 1 side by side.

Lee continued through turn 1 in the lead as the Thibaut wisely backed off as the 2 yellow cars slipped into 2nd and 3rd and began to run down Lee. At the end of lap 12, the yellow cars caught up to Lee and the order was Lee,
J.Christian, W.Christian then Thiabut. If Lee had looked into the mirror, it would be full of yellow. The yellow cars looked deep and hard at turn 1, then turn 2 and turn 3 but could not find an opening. So the Christian
brothers waited and waited and finally they pulled out of Lee's draft going around turn 8. Lee was not about to give up his position so quickly, stayed on the inside and it was Lee's turn to go side by side with Christians
around turn 9. Once again they made it through and at the end of lap 13, it was J.Christian back in the lead with W.Christian, Lee and Thibaut right behind. And around they went in that order for another lap and down the
line they came.

The drivers knew they were starting to run out of laps. They pulled 3 wide going into turn 1 with Lee and W.Christian emerging side by side with Thibaut and J.Christian right behind. Lee and W.Christian were again side
by side around turn 2 and finally Lee conceeded the corner at turn 3 as both W.Christian and Thibaut slipped through. W.Christian almost lost it at turn 5 at the bottom of the Omega, but somehow managed to keep it together.
Thibaut pulled even but W.Christian recovered quickly. The other 2 cars behind jinxed, putting the "wrong" teammate's car behind each other as W.Christian and Thibaut went side by side around turn 9 at 100 mph once
more. Both J.Christian and Lee wisely tucked behind in single file to get a perfect line around turn 9 and to sling shot them into the front. At the end of lap 15, J.Christian, W.Christian and C.Lee was practically dead even
at the line as the 3 cars once again headed into turn 1 at the same time.

This time, Lee emerged in the lead with W.Christian, Thibaut and J.Christian following right behind. Apparently they touched in turn 2 causing W.Christian to spin and almost collecting his brother. J.Christian drove
off track to take evasive measures but otherwise was unscathed. Lee drove a final lap unchallenged as Thibaut slowed to give back a position.

Clement Lee finished the race in 1st, Jonathan Christian came in 2nd, Don Thibaut in 3rd, William Christian recovered to finish in 4th and Robert Edmison finsihed in 5th.

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Like Saturday's qualifying, qualifying was a battle between the red Rush Motorsport cars and the yellow Christian Enterprise cars. Don Thibaut captured pole, with Jonathan Christian next door. William Christian and Clement Lee filled the 2nd row. These top 4 seperated by less than 3/10th. Grant Westmorland in 5th was just a tad further back.

If Saturday's race was an indication, one would stay around for the final race of the day to see a rematch between the red and yellow cars. Unlike Saturday, the field got the green the first time around. Thibaut got through turn 1 in the lead with W.Christian, J.Christian, Lee, and Westmorland in tow. Westmorland went wide and 4 wheels off coming down Omega in turn 5. Kicking up a big cloud of dust he fell backwards immediately. Rounding the first lap, it was Thibaut, the Christian brothers and Lee in nose to tail formation. They seemed to be content running in
formation as their positions remained unchanged for a several laps and eventually Weaver and Matthews caught up to the train as well.

Then all of a sudden, at the end of lap 5, it was time to do battle as the Christian brothers charged to the front going into turn 1, dropping Thibaut to 3rd with Lee, Weaver and Matthews right behind. Then they stayed in  formation once again for another lap before Thibaut looked and found a way around J.Christian going up into turn 3. But J.Christian responded and got his spot back going around turn 8. As the train crossed the line at the end
of lap 8, the order was still W.Christian, J.Christian, Thibaut, Lee, Weaver and Matthews. Lee thought it was his turn to make headway as he took over the chase of the yellow cars and slipped into 3rd as J.Christian took over
the lead from his brother. Thibaut's car must not be handling well as he was under pressure from Weaver.

W.Christian car went wide on turn 9 as Lee took the opportunity to move into 2nd. At the end of lap 10, it was J.Christian, Lee, W.Christian, Thibaut, Weaver. Lee was definitely on a charge as the other Christian went slightly
wide going into turn 1 and Lee took over the lead. Meanwhile, Thibaut took the opportunity to close up and got back past W.Christian. But Lee's lead did not last long as J.Christian was about to put the power down and make
his way past Lee just before turn 9. At the same time W.Christian tried the same maneauver on Thibaut and once again they went side by side around turn 9. So the order remained unchanged as they crossed the line on lap 11.

Then W.Christian had a big sideways moment coming down the Omega at turn 5 but recovered without loosing too much time. So now it was 2 groups of 2 car battle with J.Christian and Lee running together a couple seconds ahead of W.Christian and Thibaut. Lee looked and looked but found no way to get around J.Christian. The top 4 continue to circulate status quo.

Coming around turn 9 on lap 14, Lee's car snapped sideways and almost lost it but caught it just in time to keep in pointing down the track. But the other yellow car of W.Christian and Thibaut were closing in fast. Lee just
had enough momentum left to stay ahead of them in turn 1 as J.Christian took the opportunity to run away. W. Christian made his way past Lee around turn 8 as Thibaut dropped back. But Lee continued to hound W.Christian and on the following lap, W.Christian could not hold his line at the top of the Omega in turn 4 and went wide 4 wheels off. Lee said thank you and slipped through. Meanwhile, Weaver had caught up and found his way past Thibaut.

In the final couple laps, they circulated status quo. Jonathan Christian finished 1st, Clement Lee came in 2nd several seconds behind, Tim Weaver in 3rd, Don Thibaut in 4th and William Christian recovered to finish in 5th.

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With the almost perfect weather and close racing, it was an awesome Spec Miata weekend at Willowsprings for both drivers and spectators alike. One win for the red car and one for the yellow car. Thank you to all the
flaggers and workers, the group can't wait to get back to Buttonwillow for more racing action.

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