Matt Million's Summer Update: Delivering on a Promise
San Marcos, CA | July 2022
A busy stretch it has been from late May to late June! Racing at Willow Springs, Auto Club Speedway and Sonoma Raceway for Palomar Racing in a month’s span has delivered personal stories of victory, loss, and learning.
We’re settling into a productive flow at Palomar Racing as we enter summer. What started the year as a small vintage racing group wanting to make waves in the Southern California club racing scene has become something rare and special. A group committed to succeeding in the biggest club racing prizes on the West Coast and establishing us as a notable entity for professional series’ yet to come. The ‘Palomar Racing E2/ST5 Challenge’ is in full song and I’m immensely grateful to play a role in it, and become part of the family. I’m in the midst of delivering a promise. Again, thank you Andy Anderson, Nik Romano, and the rest of our crew.
It’s incredibly neat to represent a local business and racing team just 15 minutes from my home in San Marcos. Being so integrated in the team has allowed my understanding of race team management, finances, and performance considerations to grow significantly. With discussions about our future, I know this group wants to move into professional motorsport. While I must keep my options open, it would be unbelievably fitting to make the transition with Palomar. But first, we have two championships, a national title, and a 25-hour race to win!
MY STORY
A quick bio; my name is Matt Million, I’m a 22-year-old professional racing driver and recent college graduate 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 highlight was becoming E2 class champion in NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship for GOneppo Racing in a BMW Spec E46. For 2022, I am a professional driver for Palomar Racing in their ‘NASA E2/ST5 Challenge’ which you can read about on my website. Having now finished my global business degree at CSU San Marcos, I continue to make strides toward professional motorsport seeking the right opportunities 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
In an effort to keep this month’s update short, I encourage a visit to mattmillionracing.com to learn about my 2022 schedule and commitments.
college graduation atop the podium at willow springs
Rosamond, CA | May 22nd, 2022
Shortly after my Spring Update, I was back competing for Palomar Racing at the Willow Springs circuit for the second time this year. The 9th and 10th rounds for NASA SoCal ST5 Championship with the team’s #25 BMW E36 E2/ST5-class competitor. My teammate Nik Romano would race Saturday and I’d be racing Sunday. We had a championship lead to extend for our entry.
Notably, it would be my first race as a college graduate. Four years pursuing a global business degree at California State University San Marcos has concluded. I’d left my ‘senior experience business trade show’ on the Thursday evening to drive straight to the circuit. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the College of Business Administration program, and don’t expect to feel graduated until at least this fall! I transition into a full commitment to Palomar Racing as their driver and on the backend development. I’ll be continuing to coach for personal clients as well as work for companies like Allen Berg Racing Schools. Ready to use my time now toward becoming a true professional in the sport.
Multi-class touring car racing never fails to excite. The ST5 grid would start directly behind the ST4 grid while taking the same green flag this weekend. The top ST5 runners were faster than about half of the nine ST4 class entries. My ‘strategy’ is to put those cars behind me as a buffer!
The NASA SoCal region runs 20-minute qualifying races on Sunday rather than traditional qualifying. I started pole but quickly shuffled to second as the inside lane into T1 didn’t move quite like the outside! I pushed my way through a traffic jam from T2 to T5, made the move back into first for ST5, then set my sights on two ST4 cars to pass in order to create a buffer. Nearly made a pass in every corner Willow has to offer! A full-course yellow came out for a stalled car and the restart bunched up the field for an excited dash. Ultimately, we took the class win to start pole for the main race. Kevin and the team’s car prep helped make the difference!
Strong winds came for the 4:00pm race, resulting in slower times and brake zone instability. I maintained the lead after lap one while passing three ST4 cars although with my closest competition directly behind. An electrical issue we’ve dealt with on the #25 has been intermittent ABS which decided to fail a few laps into the race. The car is drivable without ABS, but braking instability occurs stronger than other cars I’ve raced and I had to give up a few seconds in order to remedy it. I recycled the ignition down T4 which put me behind the #721 car I was battling. Knowing I had the better long run pace, I remained patient for about two laps before making the move into T1. Two corners later, I made an outside move on two ST4 cars in T3 which sealed my lead. Checkered flag. Palomar Racing wins both days (after Nik won on Saturday) and extend the championship lead.
TRIPLE WIN FOR PALOMAR RACING AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Fontana, CA | June 11-12th, 2022
A short few weeks following Willow Springs, we arrived at the next stop on our 2022 calendar. Auto Club Speedway’s ‘roval' in Fontana, California would play host to NASA SoCal’s June event. Both of our major championships were in action; the sprint ST5 championship and NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship in the E2 class.
Our garage was a sight to behold entering the paddock Saturday morning. Both the current #25 and new #24 together at a track for the first time! For the #25, sustaining the points lead in E2 and ST5 was priority. The #24 was a different story. To even be race-ready this weekend was a huge achievement as it was a bare E36 M3 shell only three weeks prior. Our lead mechanic Kevin had help from the rest of us but he deserves a massive applause for the grueling hours he put in to make the debut feasible.
I had the honor of driving the #24 on track for its first run. Shifting the brain into development mode and being keenly aware of the small details. The car unfortunately suffered a power steering failure, and along with other pieces to solve, we made the decision to park it and remedy its issues at the next test. Still, awesome to start its development so early! It is an extremely well-built car and I’m confident in its potential.
My duties shifted to the #25 for ST5 qualifying. Fresh Toyo RR’s and it felt immediately phenomenal. Air wasn’t hot yet, track temp low. Unfortunately an out-of-class car ran deep into the T9 hairpin and destroyed enough barriers to end the session. I was halfway through my flyer as I approached. The lap would’ve been fantastic to complete!
I took on the ST5 race a few hours later. Starting P3 of 6 in class due to the short qualifying, I knew we had pace and consistency. Starting behind a large ST4 field, I slotted to 2nd on the opening lap. The race was on between myself and championship rival Ryan Bittner in his #88 BMW E46. Our #25 car has a disadvantage here being lower power than the #88 as we use our classification points for aerodynamics and less weight.
Long straights meant I’d lose carlengths although gained the time back under braking. Doing my best to stay tucked tight in his draft, I spotted my chance in traffic as we approached the T12 chicane past halfway. Made the move stick as we ran side-by-side to the oval portion of the lap. Gave Palomar Racing their first weekend win a few laps later!
Next, the 3rd of 6 for the NASA WERC series was a four hour race from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. About 30 cars entered with six in the E2 class. Nik Romano took the opening stint in our #25 and built a lead from the second placed #28 HQ Autosport BMW 135i. After the first complete fuel stint at the 1 hour 30 minute mark, it was Sonny Watanasirisuk’s chance to debut for the team in competition. Sonny is a great driver with years of experience in these types of cars and events. We’re stoked to have him join Nik and I for the endurance races this season!
Sonny ran to a calculated pace which allowed us to complete the race on only one more fuel stop if needed. My stint came at the 2 hour 45 minute mark with another perfectly clean driver change and fuel stop. We had edged about a lap on our nearest competitor through the pace management and excellent stops. My job was straightforward. Hold the pace and bring it home! I did this for a dozen laps saving would’ve been enough fuel to make the finish. Finally I came across a lap without traffic. Decided to go for a quick one and set the fastest race lap of E2 then quickly return back to a conservative pace. I gave an entertaining apology on the radio and got a roar of laughter and ‘no worries, keep going!’ Our lead was enough to warrant a 5-gallon splash-and-dash to ensure we weren’t on fumes. I ran for another 20 minutes out front to take our third consecutive NASA WERC win in E2! We placed 5th overall from 28 entries. Punching above our weight in the 4th fastest class of the 6 total. Speaks to the level we are performing at.
The drivers worked as professionals to deliver what was asked and the pit crew nailed their calls, timing, and cleanliness avoiding any penalties. The overall preparation kept us running strong for all four hours without a single full-course yellow intervention. Team effort!
For brevity sake, I will cover the Sunday ST5 race quickly. While Nik was scheduled to race, an injury had him decide to use me as a stand-in. The race was looking similar to Saturday with a hard fight against the #88 BMW E46 until about the fourth lap. A small error on his part gave me the lead and I wasn’t looking back. From there, I made rapid pace and each every lap within 0.8 of a second until the finish. Easily one of the most consistent runs I’ve put together! I know Nik would’ve rather been in the seat and I hope he heals up quickly, but in the end Palomar Racing continues the charge to lead both the NASA WERC E2 and NASA SoCal ST5 championships.
CRUCIAL LEARNING WEEKEND at SONOMA
Sonoma, CA | June 25-26th, 2022
Two weeks following Fontana, we arrived at Sonoma Raceway. This would be an entirely different set of goals and expectations.
While I’d previously raced in the NASA NorCal region at Sonoma, Palomar Racing had not. Winning is always the main objective, but this trip was entirely focused on the development of our cars and learning a new circuit, region, set of procedures, and so forth. Plus, both of our BMW E36’s, #24 in ST4 and #25 in ST5, would race together for the first time. Priority was to leave Sunday afternoon with both cars intact, develop thick notebooks of data, and gain a grasp on the competition level up north.
The #24 E36 M3 ran laps at speed for the first time only seven days prior at Willow Springs. The car was built nearly all in-house at Palomar Racing, slightly different than the #25 E36 325i we inherited and have steadily improved. My codriver Nik Romano ironed out numerous early race car quirks which enabled the confidence I carried into Friday at Sonoma. I’d handle the majority of testing in the #24 while my endurance teammate Sonny Watanasirisuk got comfortable in the #25 as Nik couldn’t make the event. Immediately apparent the #24 had come a long way since Fontana! The positives; the power was smoother and stronger. The ability to influence direction change into and throughout corners was better than the #25. It finally received a professional alignment job and felt ‘square’. Best of all, it went the entire day with zero major issues (or minor for that matter). All you can truly ask out of a fresh race car!
Though, the overall balance needed work. A suboptimal differential made putting power down a big challenge along with suboptimal gear ratios for the circuit. We also found the car to be lacking a sizable amount of power from its potential for ST4 meaning we’d be fighting an uphill battle. However, neither of those items could be fixed here so we focused on platform! Checking off a laundry list of items like ride height, rebound and compression, sway bar configuration, and even different rear springs. Ultimately, each small change contributed to the car becoming more stable and consistent lap-after-lap by the end of the weekend. Mission success there!
The races were quite challenging. Competing in the #24 in ST4 on Saturday, I’d contend the 22-car class as best as it gave me. Qualifying 11th without an full clean lap with traffic felt fantastic given the drawbacks. With the 30-minute racing four hours later, I took pride in setting a lap within hundredths of my qualifying time on a much hotter circuit with more fuel. We maintained the same pace while most others dropped seconds. Still, lacking sufficient drive off the corners made it a game of maintaining position instead of gaining. I was drenched in sweat by the end trying to wrestle every drop of pace. We now had our baseline of the car in competition and can begin the path forward for the ST4 challenger! Sonny would race the #24 on Sunday and continue to positively influence the car’s development.
On Sunday, Sonny and I swapped in order to provide the team with a variety of feedback. I was back in the #25 for ST5 which felt like home after the season we’d run so far. The 20-minute qualifying race was overcast and perfect for flying laps. Starting 2nd in class (based on Saturday’s results) behind the very quick #72 Moorewood Creative BMW 46, I made an early jump to the lead and didn’t look back. Efficient use of passing traffic meant I had buffer to set quick laps; the best times recorded during the weekend in ST5 altogether! For the main race, I started pole but fell to 2nd. Turns out the inside lane entering turns one and two isn’t the best place to be! Circumstances being as they were, the #72 was quick on its new tires and I could only maintain the distance. The car behind made a late dive on me as I managed a lack of high-speed corner understeer. We battled a hard back-and-forth for the remainder of the race and ultimately I could only pull off the bottom podium step.
It was a shame. I was frustrated but took it as a learning moment. There was circumstances out of my control that contributed and some which might have. I drove a clean, consistent race but couldn’t maximize the car’s pace behind a few extremely defensive (but clean) competitors. Wouldn’t have the result any other way, as the tools learned for my toolbox come September for NASA Nationals will be stronger.
And that was the reason we came to Sonoma in the first place! Each team member was faced with new challenges being forced out of their comfort zone. Tall order for a young team of eight crew to operate two cars with professional-guided expectations. Super proud of how we came together. Sonny and I facing new on-track challenges, the crew facing double the maintenance and new setup challenges, team management dealing with new faces in the series and venue.
Overall, the weekend was an eye-opening experience for our team with development, competition levels, and organized cohesiveness across Palomar Racing with the two cars. Massive learning moments which will better prepare us for NASA Nationals at Laguna Seca in September!
ONBOARD: HOTLAP OF THUNDERHILL IN AN ‘81 SPEC 911
Thunderhill Raceway | September 2021
Here is a neat onboard hotlap of myself at Thunderhill Raceway last year in the #46 1981 Porsche 911 configured to race in PCA Spec 911. Click here for the link.
I spend six weekends last year coaching my friend Sean Neel contend for (and win) the PCA West Coast Series title in Spec 911. Having the privilege to set data reference laps during the year taught me so much about driving old race cars, and specifically old 911’s. With 240 horsepower and about 2400lbs, it requires the fundamentals of a momentum car while also reminding you of the rear engine pendulum bite if not careful!
Thunderhill can be tricky in a ‘point-and-shoot’ Porsche such as this one. Once you apply throttle, all the weight shifts rearward and the front becomes extremely light. This circuit requires very early throttle in most corners, which means you’re managing the front axle quite a bit on a hotlap as you’ll see in the video. Again, such a fun and rewarding car that’s taught me a ton about platform dynamics. Thank you Sean and Marco Gerace at TLG Auto for their enthusiasm to have me assisting them last year! Hope we can get the band back together soon.
UP NEXT
All focus is on the next Palomar Racing ‘E2/ST5 Challenge’ event at beautiful Utah Motorsports Campus for Rd.4 of 6 in NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship. The NASA Utah 6 Hour will see our #25 E36 in E1 and the #24 E36 in E2. The race starts at 6:00pm MST on Saturday, July 30th and will be livestreamed via Sentinel to YouTube from onboard the #24. Follow my social media to be notified!
This year’s season wouldn’t be possible without our partners. Thank you Andy and the rest of Palomar Solar and Roofing as our primary support. Partners in FastSideways, Toyo Tires, Motion Control Suspension, Swift Springs, DG Spec, BimmerWorld, Apex Race Parts, Hawk Performance, Frozen Rotors, and others help make the 2022 season possible.
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 - 07/12/2022