Matt’s October Update: First Championship Clinched with Late Winning Pass
BUTTONWILLOW, CA - Well, this was it. The final race with GOneppo Racing and teammate Peter Oneppo in the 2021 NASA WERC season. Bittersweet to conclude such a fun, rewarding season that pushed me to seek new heights and connected me with fantastic people.
Million, GOneppo Racing take 1st place in the E2 class in Round 5 of NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship with a pass in the final five minutes. With an overtake on our championship rival in the final half hour, Matt Million and Peter Oneppo also clinched the E2 championship title.
Million qualified and took pole position in the E2 class with a time of 1:59:74. This set the them 1st in the class of 8 entries and 11th of 33 overall. In the race, they also took a remarkable 7th overall through strong pace, consistency, and strategy.
This month’s update covers the story of this weekend. Also included is a reflection from my World Racing League debut at VIRginia International Raceway’s 8 + 8 Hour event in September. Driving for RKMotorsports in a GP2 class BMW Spec E46, Matt and teammates incredibly won the back-to-back races against all odds. An engine failure early in testing nearly left the team without options. Matt’s first visit to the famed VIR is a story you won’t want to miss!
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 in the Mazda Motorsports ladder through Teen Mazda Challenge up to successes 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 first realized. For 2021, my season is NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship where I drive for GOneppo Racing in a BMW Spec E46. We’ve now clinched the E2 championship title with two wins and five podiums. I’m in my final year of studying global business at CSU San Marcos with a goal to enter professional motorsport given the right sponsorship funding and opportunity.
I love sharing these experiences with hopes that those who read them can find value in following my journey. Thank you for the support!
EVENT BACKGROUND
To learn more about how the season has gone thus far, I encourage a visit to mattmillionracing.com and scroll through the ‘News’ or ‘Photos’ sections.
We came into Buttonwillow completely equal on points with our title rival; Bitteracing. Sitting at an even 365 points occurred from both of us having one win, two second places, and one third place each. Championships don’t get much closer! And there’s reason for it. The #88 Bitteracing Spec E46 is nearly identical to our #45 since the team owners race against one another in the NASA SoCal Spec E46 series. Their drivers Ryan Bittner and Ryan Keeley are quick and ran a great program this season.
While there is one more round of NASA WERC in November, both of our teams chose to forfeit the event due to a clash with the Spec E46 sprint finale at Chuckwalla Raceway. With nobody else in contention to take the title, we agreed to make this the ‘winner take all’ showdown. Game on!
Life, in the form of college and work, got in the way of Peter and I after our first win together in the Utah 6 Hour in July. We’ve remained active however; In September, I joined Ryan Keeley’s RKMotorsports team to make our World Racing League debut in Virginia (which we incredibly won, story below) and Peter got to lap Washington’s finest road racing circuits since he moved to Seattle.
But this race was a chance to clinch a first ever championship for us both. Our #45 was maintained by BIMMERSPEED, we enlisted the help of Palomar Racing to conduct our pit stop with the support of crew chief Blair, and had the advice of HQ Autosport on our side. The pieces in place to knock this out of the park, but racing can be an unpredictable mistress!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15TH - RACE DAY
The weather was a tad chilly. Perfect conditions. Testing commenced in the morning and ran until evening. Then, it was time for the qualifying at 5:00pm and the race from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The first hour as the sun set below the horizon and the final two in darkness.
I woke up energized and motivated. Lovely to again pilot the #45 for the first time in two months. The blue-and-orange livery with our names on the quarter window with tidy EnduroBright illuminated number panels made our small operation feel professional.
This season has been driven by my desire to get closer to ‘professional’. Being included in an incredible driver search opportunity this February shaped this approach greatly. Since then, I’ve been coming to races better prepared, equipped, and with a clear mission. Always be ready for the step into professional ranks because you never know when it shows up. Much appreciation to Peter Oneppo for allowing me to shape this program in this manner.
Testing was drama-free. The car felt as flexible and manageable as it always had, even on worn out tires. The #45 setup runs softer than other Spec E46’s I’ve driven which helped it’s ability to deal with Buttonwillow’s many fierce kerbs and quick elevation changes. Love these touring cars.
The fuel strategy for three hours is tricky. We’re allowed to start with a full tank of about 15 gallons which takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to run dry pushing at a normal pace. Per regulation, we can only refuel two 5-6 gallon jugs meaning 12 gallons to complete the final half at most. It’s possible to one-stop but it requires fuel saving (short-shifting, lift and coast, etc.) which makes it hard to maintain front running pace and no guarantee you’ll make it. With one or two full-course-yellow periods, we could save enough to avoid a second stop. Without any yellow, our plan was to run hard and accept the late splash at the benefit of running a quick pace. With some yellow laps, we’d be avoiding the second stop at any means necessary.
Qualifying went fine. Definitely hit our target although I felt there was more to extract. I got to grid early and worked to build the buffer zone around me. Coming into the first flyer, I was passed by an ESR class entry who sent it off into the dirt ahead. I kept my head and tires cool to reset for another. It took three additional laps but I finally hit a mid-1:59 target time I knew wasn’t being beaten. The conditions were sub-optimal with a hot surface and my tire pressures far exceeding where I preferred them. Mission accomplished, setting Peter Oneppo to start from E2 class pole of 8 entries and 11th overall of 33.
RACE START
Oneppo maintained the lead easily for the opening 20 minutes… because we ran under full course yellow due to a car beached in the dirt from start incident. This worked to our benefit; we began saving plenty of fuel and the E2 pack remained tight. Peter knew his objective. Stay within touching distance (20-30 seconds) of the class leaders and hand the car over clean. If he did that, I’d be in position to close the gap. Having raced here with Peter in the April event getting within 10 seconds of the leader, I knew my own objective as well.
Peter fought amongst the top three but nightfall saw Bitteracing’s plan come to fruition. Ryan Keeley was on full attack to put as much time between us as possible. And it was working. By the time of our fuel window, Keeley was over 40 seconds ahead in the distance in 2nd place while the class leading #46 Lucas Racing Spec E46 another 10 seconds up the road.
Oneppo out, Million in with an hour and a half remaining
Pulling the helmet straps on as our pit stop neared, I channeled the energy required of me. The task of closing such a large gap was immense, but our title couldn’t end like this. This was the most confidence I felt all season. The refueling and driver swap was clean and undramatic. I held a long gaze as the fuel door shut and received signal to launch.
Radio silence in the opening laps. I didn’t want time interval updates for a while. I needed to find my flow and the limits quickly. If I could tap into my potential early enough and sustain it, just maybe it could be enough.
The most unconsciously-aware stint of the season. Within three laps, I set my tempo to a 95% pace I knew was possible to hold strong for an hour. Not yet the time for high risk. But time for clinical laps maximizing the finer details of track limits with a hint of conservation in my shifts. Knowing the times Keeley was setting in the daylight on new tires, seeing my pace was better gave me the confidence I could gain at a consistent rate.
After 40 minutes, I began getting curious. Still not seeing Bitteracing on my horizon was slightly concerning. That’s when the radio call came in. “You’re closing on 2nd. 15 second gap now, at this pace you’ll get to him in 3 or 4 laps”. Two laps later, I became the tail of a 4-car E2 battle. No wasted energy. I passed one entering Grapevine and another exiting Cotton Corners with strategic positioning. Bittneracing was next. Before I could make a decisive move of my own, he pressured himself off Sunset corner and I was through. The championship was in our hands after over two hours on the back foot. But work remained to be done.
I increased pace and found extra tenths through renewed confidence we’d easily make it on fuel now. The radio message came. “30 minutes remaining, you are 26 seconds behind 1st and you’re averaging a second or two faster per lap”. 95% pace became 98%. Time now to push hard for any chance in succeeding.
Kerbs taken with a precise aggression, corner entries squeezed for more speed, cutting down transition time between the pedals. Do all of this while maintain the same level of consistency. Scything through traffic became an artistic dance.
With 10 minutes remaining, it was target acquired. I ran up on the E2 leading #46 Spec E46 with urgency in Phil Hill. Navigating traffic through Riverside helped the gap close to nothing. Through Bus Stop now preparing an optimal entry into Grapevine to match alongside and shuffle into the lead. From there, no looking back.
White flag as I crossed the line. No longer was there headlights in the mirror. The #46 had ran out of fuel a couple corners later. The tactics by Oneppo and I worked. My pace was calculated to make the move and make it across the finish.
Checkered flag. What a stint. I could hardly believe it. Never give up! Sometimes these days end up how you dream them to be. But wow, it seriously took the best version of myself to do it. The most consistent drive of my life.
The grueling humidity in my three hour stints at VIR last month played a massive factor in the belief I could pull this off with relentless consistency. Was there laps I could’ve maximized better? Definitely. But as a complete performance, this might’ve been my best yet. Motivated confidence in myself, my toolset, and the situation.
In summary, I couldn’t justify bringing Peter Oneppo the championship without the race win. So Peter, there you go. Thank you for allowing me into this effort in 2021 and I’m immensely glad it paid off. Enjoy the title and two race wins!
Watch my qualifying lap and full night onboard by clicking here.
September Update Recap: Back-to-Back WRL Wins in Virginia
The following is taken from my September Update. Click the link here to read the full article on mattmillionracing.com!
Saturday Grid: Gomolka, Keeley, Million, Musser
ALTON, Virginia - It’s fair to say the result we achieved at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) wasn’t one we expected, but a monumental story none of us will forget!
RKMotorsports swept the weekend with back-to-back class wins in the 2021 World Racing League 8 + 8 Hour event at VIR with drivers Matt Million, Ryan Keeley, Greg Gomolka, and Jordon Musser.
They took 1st in GP2 from 11 entrants both days in the #87 BMW Spec E46 and finished 15th and 16th in overall standings of over 70 entries. This comes after an engine failure early in Friday testing left the team scrambling for options. This month’s update covers the highlights of this experience.
In July, I was approached by friend Ryan Keeley to drive for his team RKMotorsports in their WRL debut at Virginia. Our car is the #87 BMW Spec E46 prepared and crewed by San Diego-based BIMMERSPEED led by veteran owner Ryan Lindsley. Keeley and I would be accompanied in driver duties by Greg Gomolka, local racer from San Diego, and Texas-based driver Jordon Musser.
Our #87 ahead of a GP3 and two GTO entries
World Racing League (WRL) is quickly becoming a primary U.S. championship for club-style endurance racing with a professional atmosphere. It consists of four classes; GTO is the fastest and most numerous (populated with Cayman GT4’s, M4 GT4’s, Audi RS3 TCR’s, etc.) followed by GP1, GP2, and GP3. One special aspect which makes the series so competitive is how closely matched each class is.
Arriving late on Thursday evening, I was struck by the dense, rainforest-like environment alive with energy and humidity. Stunning atmosphere and welcomed first visit to this storied racing circuit.
I had the privilege of piloting the first warm-up. This marked the first laps of VIR for myself, the team, and the car. My simulator homework hadn’t been far off but some differences shocked me. Despite the grandiose magnitude given off by the scenery, the circuit itself felt narrow and condensed. The rhythm was absolutely thrilling. Unfortunately, the day was short lived. The engine expired around 10am and the team sprung to action locating a new unit and beginning the process of replacing it. The job was finished by dinnertime with our BIMMERSPEED crew ensuring confidence we’d be racing tomorrow!
Ryan completed his stint and Greg was next to go. With an approximate fuel range of 1-hour-30-minutes, I was thrust into the race at the three hour mark.
Quickly I understood what made WRL such a viciously competitive and enjoyable series. A copious amount of cars vying for the same real estate with a surprisingly good driver quality. At one point I became the tail of a multiple car train winding up the world famous esses at full speed thinking to myself “this is incredible”! Sometime in the stint, I set my best lap of the day and the second best of the GP2 class of a 2:10:851. I’d gained lots of confidence through areas like T16 and T17 along with the braking zone of T1 and the patience required for T3.
Crew Chief Ryan Lindsley watches on
The second stint was rather straightforward. Fewer Code 35’s, less traffic, more honed in on a consistent flow. I’d check in with the pit wall every so often to relay fuel numbers and gain affirmation my pace was sufficiently moving us ahead. This was confirmed a few times per hour as I’d gain back a lap from the GP2 leader or those in podium contention. I developed more efficient methods of passing slower cars and managing faster traffic as I became familiar with VIR’s subtleties. It was a long hour-and-a-half stint with the heat, humidity, and lack of airflow but the promise I made to myself was one of persistence through difficulty. It eventually became the most grueling stint of my career. I exited the car and laid flat on the ground for an hour completely drained. We regained over four minutes and now sat on the lead lap. The effort was well worth the pain!
Exhausted-yet-jubilant winning crew!
One hour later and one hour to go, Jordon worked himself to 2nd within a minute to the leader and closing. We paced around our pit glued to the timing screen. Jordon made a decisive move into T1 with 15 minutes remaining and sealed our fate as we all watched in awe. Four laps of disbelief later and we hung over the wall cheering and hugging. The emotions hit harder than we expected. It was proof every lap mattered. If I opted to let my times slip one second per lap over the course of an hour, no way this occurs. Same goes for the efforts of the other three drivers and our crew. From no engine to 1st in class and 38 positions gained overall. Tomorrow was another 8-hour race day. Could we pull off a miracle twice?
Ready deliver the opening stints early on Sunday.
The race got underway and I chased down the pole-sitting #525. We sliced through the GP1 field and checked out from the rest of GP2. It was a high pace to match but I needed to stay within range. I worked on more effective traffic management.
it is remarkable what one night of quality sleep can do for comprehension and muscle memory. Each spot of weakness seemed to become my best areas of the circuit. Taking the inside kerb of T10 quicker and more decisive, charging Oak Tree Bend with a softer brake release to make up heaps of time scything through traffic, rotate and commit the car earlier in T3 to match traffic under braking into T4 for a getaway up the esses. Crew Chief Ryan Lindsley decided on a fortuitous time for my splash-and-go.
My second stint was a blur. Lots more open track compared to my first stint. Now having escaped from the slower GP1 traffic, I was unleashed to extract what was available to me in the #87 RKMotorsports Spec E46. There exists a 10-to-15 lap segment in this second part of my 62 opening laps which had just a half-second spread. It’s bizarre how much time there is to cut out being effective in traffic. Not like these laps had no traffic; they had a fair amount. But through hours of studying and unconscious competence from the weekend, the path of least resistance seem to open up and the confidence of car placement and abilities rises. Rising to the point where it doesn’t matter if you run up on two cars or seven cars in a lap; the variables enter the mental computer and spits out a better formula each time.
With 15 minutes remaining, Jordon caught the GP2-leading #525 BMW E46 and made his move on the outside of T5. Cheers erupted and we were pinching ourselves. The competitor made a mistake working to retake the lead and we crossed the line with a sizeable gap. Again? What are the chances we lead no laps outside the final half-hour and win against the odds… two days straight!
What a special event. Without BIMMERSPEED’s expertise and excellent strategy, no way we would’ve made this happen twice. My gratitude for their work is immense.
It was an unexpected showcase of adaptability having never been to VIR, never been in a WRL event, and never driven this Spec E46. To complete a total of 132 laps between the two races at a consistency and window which pushed my own limits higher was motivating.
The decision to accept more mental and physical adversity in the scorching cockpit to perform a higher level uplifting our chances of success meant the world to see it actually mattered. Clichés sometimes ring true. ‘Never give up’. If I did, or anyone else this weekend, the result would definitely not happen. Live by the mantra, ‘how you do anything is how you do everything’. Aim high and surround yourself with others of similar tempo. An honor to contribute in RKMotorsport’s first endurance win - twice!
I highly encourage you to read about the rest of this incredible weekend. Click here to visit the article on mattmillionracing.com!
REFLECTIONS
Race win, E2 champions for GOneppo Racing at Buttonwillow in October
It’s been a remarkable few months. A culmination of potential, determination, and execution. Above all though; people. Without the people who believed I was the right fit for their racing program and gave me a chance this year, these results wouldn’t exist.
Back-to-back 8-hour wins for RKMotorsports and BIMMERSPEED at VIR in September
I thought winning the Utah 6 Hour would be this year’s highlight. Never been so satisfied to be wrong! To debut in WRL in Virginia and deliver on our potential gave me a massive confidence boost. Rolling that energy into our NASA WERC finale made a difficult task feel possible.
Grateful for any opportunities I’ve been fortunate to create or land on where I get to better myself as an aspiring professional driver and become a more ‘complete’ motorsport athlete. I hope the effort is recognized and cannot wait to see what the future holds.
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. And until next time…
Matt Million
San Marcos, CA - 11/03/2021
