Southern California Region of NASA

NASA SoCal Region Taps Rookie for Spec Miata Series Leader Position

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:16:36 -0800

January 27, 2012 -- National Auto Sport Association Regional Director Ryan Flaherty is pleased to introduce the Spec Miata series leader for the Southern California region. Rookie Brett Becker is taking on the responsibility in his first full season of racing.

"New racers have a passion and perspective that is unmatched. Brett has a solid background in business and marketing and my desire is to keep our drivers happy and grow the business. Brett and I share mutual goals, and I believe he will be an asset to the SoCal NASA team, said Flaherty."

Becker has been a NASA SoCal member since the 2007 season when he began in HPDE1. He advanced through HPDE4 and attended two racing schools, one with NASA via Driving Concepts and the second with Alpha Romeo club before earning his provisional license in December 2011.

"Truth be told, I'm probably out of my mind for taking on the challenge of being Spec Miata series leader in my first season, but I have a great affinity for the car, the class and Mazdaspeed's support program," Becker said. "Most important, it has been great to hang out with and learn from Spec Miata racers. As I was coming up through the HPDE program, they were generous and encouraging, and I hope to represent the group well."

A lifelong car guy, Becker built his car to the spec of the class as he progressed up the HPDE ladder, doing everything but installing the cage. He holds an undgraduate degree in journalism and a master's in mass communication from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He lives in Ventura, Calif., with his wife and two children. Active in his community, Becker said he looks forward to the challenges of being series leader and playing a greater role in the Spec Miata family.

"I have been involved in local politics and volunteer committees with the city of Ventura, but to be honest, some of the subject matter can be pretty dry," he said. "Helping Spec Miata drivers get the most out of their racing experience, and helping NASA attract full fields, to me, is a whole lot more exciting than arguing about parking meters or ballot initiatives. Should be fun."

2012 SoCal Schedule

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:17:43 -0800

Warmup Event- Feb 4/5- Chuckwalla Raceway- *No SoCal Points* http://www.nasaaz.com/schedule/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
March 3/4- -Auto Club Speedway (NASA AZ Crossover)
April 21/22- Buttonwillow
May- 26/27- Willow Springs
June 23/24- Buttonwillow
July- 28/29th- Auto Club Speedway
Sept 6-9th- Mid Ohio *National Championship*
Oct 13/14- Buttonwillow
Nov- 10/11- Buttonwillow

To register please visit: http://www.nasaproracing.com/event

Please note that all events will award season points unless noted otherwise by class rules. All race groups will be able to drop the 3 lowest scores (including "0's"), which allows a competitor to skip a weekend without penalty. Individual race series such as AI, CMC, HC, etc my have class rules that supersede this format.

*Note- National Championship does not award SoCal Regional Points.

** Competition License School hosted by http://www.drivingconcepts.com
Dates - TBD

Western Endurance Regional Championship
March 11- Infineon (4hr Day)
April 21- Buttonwillow (3hr day/night)
May 20- Thunderhill (4hr Day)
June 23- Buttonwillow (3hr day/night)
Sept 30- Infineon (3hr Day)
Oct 13- Buttonwillow (3hr day/night)

2012 TENTATIVE NOR CAL CALENDAR

February 11-12, Infineon Raceway
March 10-11, Infineon Raceway
April 14-15, Thunderhill Raceway
May 19-20, Thunderhill Raceway
June 16-17, Infineon Raceway
August 18-19, Thunderhill Raceway
September 29-30, Infineon Raceway
October 27-28, Infineon Raceway
November 9-11, Infineon Raceway
December 8-9, Thunderhill Raceway

Spec E30 Finale at Buttonwillow

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:48:05 -0800

Round 7 and the season finale at Buttonwillow where a Spec E30
Champion would be crowned for the 2011 SoCal season.

Something new to the mix, Spec E30 Series director Shawn Meze led the
way friday after the track closed to do a course walk with a handful
of drives. Very few drivers have actually laid foot to the asphalt and
a better understanding of the track was had by many. I know one driver
would walk the course again on saturday and figure out something in
sundays race to move up in the pack. Could this be the next ritual for
the E30 drivers for the 2012 season? We will see!

13 drivers showed up to a soggy track as the rains returned to add to
the mix. No matter, the morning sun dried out the track and the
morning warm up would be a dry session, as would the entire day. The
sun gods would shine upon us all day and clear sunny skies would rule
the day.

Spec E30 and Round 6 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:46:45 -0800

The weather in October at Buttonwillow is always difficult to predict. It can either provide the blazing heat of summer, or it can be full-on winter cold. For the Spec E30 races the weather would be nice and cool with sun filled skies and a light breeze all weekend. A new record number of drivers showed up for this event - 14! Yes 14 drivers showed up to battle it out on the track.

Two cars and three drivers from NASA's NorCal region couldn't stay away so joined us for the weekend of racing. All but one regular SoCal driver was able to return and we saw 19 drivers in 14 cars including the "Enduro". We were also joined by two new drivers for their first ever races, Mitch Pepper and Erik Strong. The new guys would put the rubber to the asphalt for their first green flag starts and are both a great addition to the SPEC E30 group!

Buttonwillow has many different configurations and for this event the track configuration would be Clockwise number 13 a familiar configuration for Spec E30!

Buttonwillow and NASA hosted a Friday test and tune session. These aren't usually an eventful occasion and mechanical issues are pretty rare and when they do pop up, they are normally uncomplicated such as "teething problems". This would not be a normal Friday test and tune.

Buttonwillow 3 Hour Enduro: October 8, 2011

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:43:41 -0800

Congratulations and big thanks to all of the teams that competed at Buttonwillow Raceway last weekend! The on-track performance of the Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) drivers was amazing, and the pit support for each of the teams was simply flawless. The combined talent of these individuals resulted in virtually no pit penalties or on-track incidents in a 3 hour day/night enduro: A true testimony of skillfull driving and outstanding work in the pits. The conditions were amazingly tough on track, and all of our drivers did a great job!

Andy Salvaggio Memorial (3 Hour) Enduro Results:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=2108932
WERC Season Points:
http://www.nasanorcal.com/WERC2011/WERC2011.htm

Next up is the 6-Hour enduro event to be held in conjunction with the 25 Hours of Thunderhill on December 3-4. The battles are very close across the classes, and the season finale is setting up to be one of the closest season points finishes in the history of the WERC.

On behalf of the entire Salvaggio family, and Team Thunder Valley Racing, I want to send along my deepest appreciation to the NASA family for your kindness and generosity in our time of loss. We may compete with great passion on track, but we also share a common bond of friendship with one another that extends far beyond pit lane.....Andy was a racer's racer, competing on legendary tracks such as Riverside, Ontario, Sears Point, Las Vegas, Pikes Peak and many more in his forty year racing career...The friendships we shared and the memories we made within the NASA racing community will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thank you....Karen

Spec E30 Lemans Start

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:08:02 -0800

Words can not describe so watch for yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWYNDzlgDFY

944Spec Battle Continues To The Final Race

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:05:41 -0800

October 11, 2011

944 Spec racing was exciting again this past weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway. While entry numbers were down somewhat from recent events, the group that did show up kept it lively and continued a tight battle for season points. Coming into the weekend, we all were looking forward to giving our own 17-year-old sensation Tyler Palmer, and his hard-working crew chief/dad Greg, a big CONGRATULATIONS for winning the 944 Spec National Championship in September (in the rain on a course he had never run!). And although he had never run Buttonwillow in the clockwise direction, it was quickly evident that Tyler was going to be driving the (bright green) car to beat. Jim Richmond, Tom Atteberry, Chris Allen and I did our best to get the track down pat. Unfortunately, Tom's car developed an electrical gremlin; luckily, Chris had a second 944 and was kind enough to let Tom run it. At the drop of the green flag on Saturday, Tyler took off like a rabbit, leaving the rest of us as the dogs chasing him. I spent the whole race on Jim's bumper, almost passing him on a couple occasions but Jim did an excellent job making sure my attempts didn't stick. Meanwhile, Tom reported some hesitation as he passed Chris, worrying that an incident there could take out both of Chris's cars. Sunday I was able to pick up my times somewhat, but because of an incident on-track during qualifying, we were only able to get one good lap. Somehow I bested Jim's qualifying time by only 2/10 of a second, putting me beside Tyler on the front row for the start of the race. And the start was certainly exciting, with me on the outside into the first turn and Tom barreling up between Tyler and me. Somehow I held onto second place and then stayed with Tyler for the first few laps, eventually recording a fast lap in the race only 3/10 of a second slower than the fastest lap of the National Champion. All in all, it was a fun weekend, and a good event leading into the final weekend of the year in November, where four drivers have the potential to finish with top season points.
- Submitted by Everett Delano

944 Spec Racing Video @ Auto Club Speedway

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 13:10:38 -0800

Get an insiders perspective of how close the action is in 944 Spec!!

http://vimeo.com/29529497

Thanks to GoPro for incar and external camera placements.

Many thanks to Bentley Atteberry at DOS Media for producing this great coverage.

Pony Cars Battle at Auto Club Speedway

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:43:14 -0800

RaceRecapAug2011CMC.pdf

We had a total of 14 racers at this event. If we make another 14 at the October BW event, the drivers who attend all three events (June BW, July CS, and October BW) will receive a check for $150 from NASA, to use anyway that you like.

We would also like to thank Agent 47 Racing, Stop Tech Brakes, and Maximum Motorsports for generously donating the giveaway items for this event. We are working with other manufacturers to do the same for the October event.

Enjoy a well deserved 2 month break! The next NASA event will be the Nationals at Mid-Ohio, 8-11 September 2011. For those planning to attend the Nationals, please let me know.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the 8/9 October Buttonwillow event. Several racers will be back racing with us after experiencing some trouble this year (the Klamecki's, Nick Steel), as well as a few soon-to-be licensed drivers (Randy Wright, Bryan Rogers, Brian Gust), and it's already shaping up to be our largest event this season.

Spec E30 Round 5, July 30/31- Auto Club Speedway

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:39:22 -0800

SE30 returned to California Speedway with nine drivers, many of them
had the track record in their sites once again, but the hot weather
would control how fast they could run.

After the morning warm-up, cars were prepped for the qualifying
session. With clear skies with nary a breeze meant that the day was to
be a hot one. Hauser would post the top time putting him on the pole,
Dave Reed was close behind. Four seconds would cover the entire field
in qualifying, a standing start on this tricky banked front stretch
will have a say on who gets to turn-3 first though!

Saturdays Qualifying:

NASA SoCal Summer Special

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:33:09 -0800

NASA SoCal is pleased to announce a special discount program for our race classes.

NASASoCalSummerSizzle2011.htm

944 Spec Battle At Willow Springs

Fri, 27 May 2011 20:16:58 -0800

NASA Southern California 944 Spec

May 21-22, 2011 Willow Springs International Motorsports Park "The Fastest Road in the West"

Two of our regulars were sidelined on "injured reserve" and had to sit out this round 944 action. We expect to see Chris Allen and Tyler Palmer to return very soon after a brief tune-in the body shop!

Between the injuries and all those commitments associate with family only three of us made it to Willow Springs this past weekend. While small in number the Porsche 944 class put on a first class show for the crowd. Qualifying for Saturday had Tom Atteberry on the pole with Jim Richmond .049 seconds behind and Everett DeLano only 1.5 seconds behind Jim.

Given there were only three of us we were mixed in with the PT class for the grid. At the start Tom went left and passed two cars on the green flag. Everett smartly tucked in right behind Tom and all looked good. Then Tom forgot where 4^th gear was and by turn one the two passed cars were back ahead and Jim was in the lead. For the next 8 laps Jim build a small lead only to watch it vanish in the last 6 laps. His wide car was able to hold off Tom and Jim won by .23 seconds. Everett had difficulty shaking the PT cars and finished third. Between his battling with the PT cars and Tom and Jims battle the less than capacity crowd saw a very good race.

944 Spec Leader Announcement

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:19:24 -0800

NASA SoCal is pleased to announce that Everett DeLano has agreed to serve as the new Class Leader for the 944 Spec race series. Everett takes over the reins from the very capable leadership of Tim Comeau, who will continue to race, build race cars, and introduce new participants to the thrill of driving an affordable Porsche 944 around the racetrack. Everett won the SoCal series his first year in it, but continues to acknowledge his relative rookie status in the sport. "I may be the new series leader, but I am sure with the quality of the racing in this SoCal 944 group, I'll be 'directing' from the back of the pack," said Everett, adding that such a position will be "all the better to watch them from."

While Everett still considers himself a relative novice, his racing pedigree goes back to his childhood. While his father worked for many years as an official for the SCCA, Everett traveled to racetracks around the country, meeting famous drivers like Jackie Stewart, George Folmer and Sam Posey. Everett, a former ski instructor, has pursued his racing interests in a variety of sports, including downhill skiing and mountain biking. In addition to practicing law as a land use and environmental attorney in Escondido, California, Everett enjoys riding horses and spending time with his wife and children.

We all welcome Everett to the position and wish him and the rest of the 944 Spec group a good year!

Upcoming SoCal Special Events

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:31:21 -0800

Happy after Thanksgiving and I hope all if you had a plentiful and relaxing holiday. I hope that nobody is going though racing withdrawals just yet but for those that are suffering, I have a solution to experience some fun on the track! First, I wanted to announce some important dates to be aware of.

First, our 2010 Awards Banquet is Jan 22nd at the Queen Mary. You can register here:
http://www.nasaproracing.com/event/1152

Season points are posted here: http://socal.drivenasa.com/points/

Second, we are hosting a Go Kart Endurance Race on Dec 15th and you are invited to form a team and come enjoy sliding the karts around next to your NASA buddies. Please see details here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/event/1154

Lastly, next season is still a few months out but I have finalized our schedule and posted it here: http://socal.drivenasa.com/2010/11/2011-socal-schedule.html

Have a safe and enjoyable Holiday Season

Kind regards,

Ryan Flaherty
Regional Director

2011 SoCal Schedule

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:04:58 -0800

March 4/5/6- Auto Club Speedway***
April 9/10- Buttonwillow Raceway
May 21/22- Willow Springs Raceway
June 25/26- Buttonwillow Raceway
July 30/31- Auto Club Speedway
Sept 8-11- Mid Ohio *National Championship*
Oct 8/9- Buttonwillow Raceway
Nov 5/6- Buttonwillow Raceway

Please note that all events will award season points unless noted otherwise by class rules. All race groups will be able to drop the 3 lowest scores (including "0's"), which allows a competitior to skip a weekend without penalty. Individual race series such as AI, CMC, HC, etc my have class rules that supercede this format.

*Note- National Championship does not award SoCal Regional Points.
* Competition License School hosted by http://www.drivingconcepts.com

Western Endurance Regional Championship
April 9th- Buttonwillow
May 14th- Thunderhill
June 25th- Buttonwillow
Aug 13th- Thunderhill
Oct 8th- Buttonwillow
Dec 3rd- Thunderhill (25hr race as well)

2011 West Coast AI/CMC/FFR schedule:
>TBD