Matt's February Update: The 2022 Challenge with Palomar Racing Begins on the Top Podium Step
San Marcos, CA | March 2nd, 2022
This month is one I will look back fondly on as the beginning of a special racing project I get to call home this year.
Together with Palomar Racing, we’ve taken a flying start to our 2022 challenge. We left Willow Springs winning the season-opening NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship round in E2 as well as sweeping the NASA SoCal ST5 sprint races. The program is built on contending for both championships this season with the addition of the national NASA Championships at Laguna Seca and NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill later this year. The first chapter toward these four goals has been written in the record books!
‘Luck is when preparation meets opportunity’. This could be reference to how my performances at the end of last season caught the attention of Palomar Racing to the tune of offering this opportunity. Very serendipitous to meet them last October as my current program was winding down and theirs just beginning. This could also be reference to how we managed to narrowly win the 3.5-hour night race by virtue of all three fundamental components the project is built on; developing the strongest crew, drivers, and car. While it was by no means a perfect race, we needed every one of the factors to pull through on Saturday night!
Grateful only begins to describe my feelings for Palomar Racing’s faith to bring me into their expansive NASA-focused challenge for 2022. We’re off to a strong start and I’d want nothing else but to keep the momentum going! Before we get going, a big thank you to team leader Andy and my teammate Nik for everything thus far.
MY STORY
A quick catch-up; my name is Matt Million, I’m a 21-year-old aspiring professional racing driver and full-time university student from San Marcos, California. I’ve been racing since the age of five spending the next eight years karting across the southwest. In 2014, I transitioned to sports cars in Spec Miata developing and succeeding in the Mazda Motorsports ladder through Teen Mazda Challenge up to winning in Spec MX-5 Challenge in 2018. In 2019, I became a 25 Hours of Thunderhill class winner and in 2020 a long-held aspiration of racing touring cars in Germany was finally achieved. In 2021, the main highlight was becoming E2 class champion in NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship where I drove for GOneppo Racing in a BMW Spec E46. I’m in my final year of studying Global Business at CSU San Marcos with a goal to use these skills to enter professional motorsport given the right opportunity and support.
I love sharing my racing career experiences with hopes that those who read them can find value in following my journey. Thank you for reading!
BACKGROUND
For additional context on my season with Palomar Racing, the ‘challenge’ is in reference to the team’s mission. The E2/ST5 Challenge is a project designed to compete and succeed in the competitive E2 endurance class of NASA WERC as well as the NASA ST5 sprint championship with the same platform; the BMW E36. The team decided on the E36 for its durability, performance potential, and link to the team’s historic racing background. The ruleset is the same for both sprint and endurance allowing us to contest with the same car.
While we are racing our #25 BMW E36 325i chassis currently, there is an E36 M3 chassis in development which will run as the #24 with hopes for its debut by the middle of 2022. The four targets: the season-long NASA SoCal ST5 sprint championship and 6-round NASA WERC endurance series in E2, the national NASA Championships at Laguna Seca in September, and the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill in December.
Palomar Racing’s three-part philosophy for the project: develop the best car for the class, build the most well-rounded and quickest crew, and run the best drivers for the task. It’s flattering to be included in that last piece alongside Nik Romano! It’s extremely unique to be located only a 10-minute drive from their base in Escondido, California as well.
WELCOME TO WILLOW SPRINGS
Rosamond, CA | February 11-13, 2022
I’ve never been quite so relieved to see a race car as I was pulling into the paddock on the sunny Friday morning. After multiple delays in trying to receive essential parts we needed, and generally being pressed on time through January, the Palomar crew pulled together in the 11th hour.
She was ready! The buzz radiated off our core crew of Andy, Mike, and Kevin. Not only was the #25 finally in one piece with all the necessary parts, it was performing above expectation. Without divulging too deep into the class regulations, the horsepower and torque numbers were balanced quite close to where we needed it with our current aero and modifiers. If we had more time to tune, we could’ve run about 100lbs lighter per the regulations but we’d work around it. I was ecstatic to feel the difference about 25 horsepower and 50 torque made with the new S52 M3 powerplant compared to the prior original engine.
With no buffer time between installation and race weekend, I had cautious expectations everything would hold up during testing. Full confidence in Palomar Racing’s work but you can’t be certain until the data is collected! And after dozens and dozens of laps testing everything from qualifying runs, endurance fuel calculating runs, and setup adjustments, I found myself more tired than the car itself! It drove fantastically well all things considered, albeit with some quirks still, with each positive step made in the workshop noticeable.
It was a massive difference. A revitalized machine from the one I put through its paces testing at Buttonwillow three weeks prior. The torque curve was super strong and power was impressively smooth. The added MSW Kinematic shifter setup made rowing gears much more precise and nimble. Small changes to driver ergonomics and switch placement meant she was beginning to feel like a more developed prospect. We had a strong understeer issue which worried us on tire wear but as 85% of everything ran better than expected, it was a factor we could manage.
We spent the evening practicing the refueling and tire change procedures, adjusting headlight direction, and enjoying incredible steak around a fire. I’d be pulling double-duty tomorrow running both the ST5 sprint qualifying and race as well as the final two stints of the 3.5-hour. Excited to get started!
SATURDAY
As I use these updates to document my journey with accuracy, it means being honest at times. Excited to finally get our program started, I was quite tired. Running around in the sun for five days straight between work and here caught up to me and I’d have to manage my energy wisely. Though, a renewed sense of confidence knowing the success of the day relied on everyone. If the car performed, the crew executed on their objectives, and the group energy flowed positively, the Palomar Racing team would get what they deserved regardless of how I felt. Yes, the racing driver is a crucial component and I was going to provide the best performance possible. But overall success in these endurance races especially relies on everyone. That reenergized me a bit. And it turns out your fatigue goes away when you strap into a race car. Who knew?
The plan for Saturday was as follows: Nik to run warm-up, I would qualify and race in ST5, Nik would qualify for WERC, and he would run the first fuel stint of the 3.5-hour while I raced the final two.
Something extraordinary was realized during my ST5 qualifying. While there was lots of traffic to navigate hampering my ability to set a quick lap until late in the session, the car felt… a whole lot better. New Toyo RR’s made a large difference but the dynamics of how the #25 now rotated through T2, T3-T5, and T9 was extraordinary. The difference? Switching to our primary APEX EC-7R Forged rims. Slightly wider and a whole lot more rigid than our testing rim set. Shocking can only begin to describe the difference. On average 1+ second per lap faster the rest of the weekend. An unexpected learning moment!
I qualified at a 1:30:5 which broke the previous NASA ST5 record and subsequently put us pole. I knew immediately there was a couple tenths left on the table for Nik to find in WERC qualifying if he had less traffic than me. I relayed the exciting news and we broke down where to find that pace. Getting out in front early was key for Nik who found the difference and put it on pole for E2 with another record!
By midafternoon it was time for the ST5 sprint. The series broke up the field into two packs and I sat pole for the second group. Having not started pole in a competitive sprint for a few years (and underestimated the potency of our torque), my getaway was fantastic… too good. My leap off the line was judged a false start and we saw the restart flags. My mind had gone back to ultra-competitive Spec Miata mode. Whoops, my bad! After some confusion by the first group, we eventually got underway and not much changed. I was averaging heaps of time over the 13-car ST5 field per lap setting the race lap record and taking the checkered by a sizable margin. I felt great about my performance and consistency to run within two tenths each lap even with a small ABS issue. It all clicked. The first sprint victory of this project is a testament to every improvement Palomar Racing made in the last few weeks. But now my focus was squarely on the primary challenge; the 3.5-hour WERC opener. Although I don’t cover it in this update, Nik went on to win the Sunday ST5 sprint with an excellent performance as well to complete the weekend!
NASA WERC Round 1
The Palomar Racing group was swiftly finalizing car preparations and setting up our pit stall as I sat in the motorhome resting with Nik and his partner Kristen a half hour before the race. I realized how foreign it felt to just be the ‘racing driver’ for once and Nik felt similarly. The value of having a motivated, trusted group who handle the many auxiliary duties of racing cannot be overstated. Although this was our first true test as combined Palomar Racing, what I’d witnessed in the build-up to the season told me this wasn’t an ordinary club racing program. They wanted to ensure success at any sacrifice this year. The atmosphere was right.
Nik took the green flag from pole out of 6 in E2 and 10th of 25 overall in the receding daylight at 4:30 PM. He was locked in a battle with our main rival; the #72 MooreWood Creative BMW E46. Of the unknowns we had entering the race, knowing this team would be a serious threat was very well understood! They’ve been competing in the category for multiple years and run an extremely competitive car and drivers with lightning pit stops. They would be our main competition not only tonight, but likely at all the major events this season. This was going to be formidable test of our group. Eventually, Nik got the better of the fight and slowly crept away to a lead of 5 to 10 seconds.
Just over an hour into the race Nik reported the fuel light was on. This was concerning. If he only stretched the full 17-gallon tank this far, how far could I stretch the roughly 12-gallons (per regulations) I would have after the stop? We definitely could not make a third stop if we wanted to win. I’d need to channel my inner Scott Dixon to stay in command of the race while saving lots of fuel.
Just past sunset and Nik hit his marks in the pit lane and our driver swap was without issue. The strategy of changing our front-left tire after the refueling finished (per regulation) meant our driver change didn’t need to be perfect in a 30 second window but we acted as clinical as possible. Nik relayed one crucial piece of information as he strapped me in; “the headlights failed, be careful out there”.
I heard him but the it wasn’t comprehendible. Three laps into the stint and I was still in disbelief. Was I about to be tasked with two hours at the darkest circuit in California with only the small apex lights? Cherry on top between managing the #72 car, a fuel deficit and rapid tire degradation!
The use of our new Dry Break fueling system was excellent. A Dry Break system effectively locks the fuel can into the mount providing a much safer and faster system than traditional refueling. While common in most major professional racing series, it was forbidden in the E2 category until this year.
My stints went by in a flash. The #25 Palomar Racing E36 felt much better than anticipated. I had the confidence to push a higher pace for the opening 30 minutes or so. It’s important in my internal strategy to gather a well-informed baseline of the car’s potential early in a long stint. That way I’m able to make efficient decisions in managing laps with dense traffic versus desolate ones in an effort to find pace at times, save the equipment at times, or blend the two into hitting a particular lap time or fuel number given the status of our race. I was being held up by an out-of-class Porsche 911 Cup car until I realized his pace was actually what I needed to be setting… and his headlights allowed me to spot my way around Turn 9!
Eventually, I ran up to the #72 MooreWood Creative BMW. After incessantly asking the team if this pass was for the lead, “this pass will put you back onto the lead lap”. Wait, I am down a lap? It turns out they ran a tire strategy we didn’t think was possible; no planned tire changes even with the same Toyo RR compound. They leapfrogged us during our change and I’d now worked for an hour to claw back around a half-lap. This told us we had work to do on our suspension setup for tire wear. Must’ve been pushing a hefty fuel save by this point as I had no opposition making the move to put us on the same lap.
Soon after the only full-course yellow of the race was displayed for a car off in Turn 1. The pit lane does not close under yellow in NASA WERC and I was adamant now was the time for my one and only fuel stop. The team assured me the strategy would work better by stretching a little longer to burn off more fuel in order to avoid any potential overflow. The green flag was flown soon after and I narrowly scythed my way past multiple cars in the busy restart. Watch this restart onboard with me on YouTube by clicking the link here!
About five laps later and I was called to box as I tailed multiple E1 class cars and passed the #72. The splash-and-go stop was excellent. Kevin and David nailed both fuel cans and I was gone in under a minute. As fate would have it, I reentered directly behind the #72 MooreWood Creative entry with no other cars in sight. Obvious their second driver had taken over as the tendencies and driving style had changed. Clarifying with my team that we still remained one lap behind them shifted my internal game plan.
If it had been for position, the pass would happen quick. But it wasn’t for position. With the #72 holding a strong pace and concerns still surrounding our fuel/tires to make the finish, I held back and pressured from behind. It was an opportunity to keep in the draft and save as much fuel (and save the car) as needed. There wasn’t any benefit to forcing a pass and getting 10 to 20 seconds ahead only to be at risk of an additional fuel stop while still being over a minute from the lead. I doubled down on the rearward pressure and tucked in as close as possible for about 12 laps. His pace was fading.
To my amazement, the game plan of pressure worked. One misjudged line on fading tires in Turn 9 and the #72 was off in the dirt at speed. He’d lost about 15 seconds and I was gone up the road. It didn’t make a difference in our plan since stretching fuel another 20 minutes was the priority. Ultimately, we had to accept coming 2nd to the well-proven #72 crew. They’ve had years of development whereas this was our first race in the series. To be on the same lap to finish was going to be an achievement. Then I received the radio call.
“MooreWood is in the pits!” In the off-track at Turn 9, they cut down the right-front tire and had an emergency stop in the final 15 minutes. I took the lead with full priority on nursing our #25 home as gently as possible. There was a three lap deficit to the next closest E2 competitor and I was finally confident we had enough fuel to last, but the left-front tire was down to nothing once again and my pace fell off a cliff. But it didn’t matter. We managed our variables the best and impressively so for a new team. The drivers, the strategy and fuel/tire crew, and the car’s pace and reliability all worked to give Palomar Racing the first E2 class win in the 2022 NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship season.
“Get on the other doorsill and we’re getting a photo!” It came unbelievably down-to-the-wire with MooreWood and that made it worthwhile. We both finished on lap 118 in the end. Also down to wires was our left-front tire. It wasn’t lasting much longer after taking a closer look. People were coming by to say how they watched the tire ‘spark’ as I came down the straight. In a sprint race, you only have a few variables to manage with pure pace a priority. In an endurance race, it can be 10x. Putting together the arithmetic of all the factors is what delivers results. If I had dropped that tire in off a kerb a couple laps before the end, our win could’ve been lost. Also too if we hadn’t gotten all the fuel in during the last stop. Or if I was unable to drive at speed without the main headlight beams. Those are the margins that make endurance race so intriguing and satisfying.
Reflections
Reiterating much of what I’ve already said, I cannot be thankful enough to the Palomar Racing team. It brings me such joy to watch an idea which started on paper late last year transform into a formidable program with high potential to succeed in our ‘challenge’ together.
First, to Andy Anderson. How serendipitous it was for Mike, Kevin, Blair, and yourself to contribute toward GOneppo Racing’s title-clinching pit stop in October last year. Your guidance and vision for this year’s challenge keeps us all motivated and eager to push ourselves. You’ve been nothing but generous to me and shown a hunger to deliver us the tools we need to be winning. I cannot wait to see what this year develops into!
Next to Nik Romano. Without your push to have me integrated in this mission to share driving duties with you, the results of this weekend wouldn’t have been the same. You’re a fantastic driver whose already taught me plenty about car setup, dynamics, and components and I look forward to furthering our relationship and making our teamwork unbeatable. It ‘takes two to tango’ and your abilities inside and out of the car are pushing me to keep learning!
To the rest of Palomar Racing, your commitment to this challenge will be the reason it works. Kevin, your tireless hours of building the #25 and eventually #24 to the performance potential we seek is paramount to the team’s success. Without the car, we wouldn’t be racing! Mike, your enthusiasm, stories, and expertise has rippled through the atmosphere of our group and made it lots of fun to be included in. Thank you for all your hardwork to make the program function! To Blair, your relaxed personality and sense of humor is similar to mine and developing our relationship has translated into your role as crew chief. I’m always at ease knowing you’re on the other end of the radio and am grateful for your commitment. To everyone else, thank you just the same!
Lastly, this year’s challenge wouldn’t be possible without our partners. Thank you to Palomar Solar and Roofing as our primary sponsor along with partners Toyo Tires, BimmerWorld, Apex Race Parts, Frozen Rotors, FastSideways, Massive Brakes as well as NASA SoCal and the NASA WERC series organizers.
In Closing
Thank you for reading and supporting my motorsport journey. Whether it be through these updates, social channels, or in-person, the small interactions truly make a difference. Using my motorsport path as a means to create value for others is very important for me. If you enjoy these reports or are interested in supporting steps toward professional racing, please get in touch! Stay up-to-date on mattmillionracing.com and my social media. Until next time…
Matt Million
San Marcos, CA - 03/02/2022