NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS (Saturday Group F)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 2010 National Championships presented by Toyo Tires.
Sponsored by: Toyo Tires, Hawk Brakes, Mothers Polishes, OG Racing, Sampson Racing Communications, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, Honda Performance Development
Group F National Championship Race, 4:10 p.m. (45 minute race)
Spec Miata
Spec Miata
Spec Miata was the largest field, with 41 competitors in evenly matched MX-5 Mazda Miatas, at the 2010 NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires and MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development. Drivers who win a National Championship in Spec Miata are eligible for the MAZDASPEED Club Racing Shootout which can earn them a ride in the Playboy MX-5 cup pro series. Additionally there was over $8,000 in cash available to the winner between Mazda and Toyo tires. This gave every Mazda driver plenty of incentive to run hard. The field was filled with heavy hitters in the Spec Miata world including Randy Evans (Spec Miata Champ), Dean Thomas (who just won the Ford Racing Mustang Driver Shootout at Miller Motorsports Park a few weeks prior to the NASA Nationals at Miller) and newly 16 year old (by just a few days) Tyler Vance. In the qualifying races for the grid positions for the Spec Miata National Championship race Dan McKeever lost an engine so he had to start in the 26th position. Sammy Valafar started on the pole.
When the green flag dropped Sammy Valafar ran away with the race, but a National Championship was not to be. Due to some impound issues with the struts on Valafar’s Mazda he was disqualified after the race. At the start, Dean Thomas, on the front row, was alone in the airflow, allowing a train of Miatas to his left to bump draft passed him. Sixteen year old Tyler Vance was in the hunt for the first third of the race but then fell back to finish tenth. The success story in Spec Miata was Dan McKeever in his black and orange number 10 Mazda Miata sponsored by Falcon Graphics and Reynolds Racing. McKeever moved up though the tight field from 26th position all the way to the front to win the 2010 NASA Spec Miata National Championship. In second place was Darin Polsley in his blue and silver number 51 Miata sponsored by Evil Genius Racing. The final podium spot went to Tyler Dahl sponsored by Race Engineering and MiataCage.com.
