How does a season opener full of rain, snow, freezing temperatures, tornado warnings, and car trouble sound? It’s pretty intense and probably a bit much for most. And not the slightest bit unexpected for an event coined, ‘Summer in February.’
That’s the problem with February events in the South. One day, it can be 60 degrees and clear, and the next, the lows are in the teens, with freezing rain and snow. This year was exceptionally brutal, with that extra challenge that real racers love.
New Tires Sponsors for 944 Spec in 2025
First, a side note. For the 2025 season, 944 Spec has dropped Toyo as the tire sponsor. This was done abruptly, and very few knew about the potential change. That is until a little over a month before the season started. It’s not the best way to make such a significant change. More than a handful of racers are left with contingency bucks and take-offs from previous seasons that are now worthless. However, look forward we must.
The series will now run the new Hoosier RCES 225/50/15 in the dry and Continental Extreme Contact Force 225/45/15 in the wet. I will share my initial impressions below while I discuss the races.
Race 1 and Testing the Continental Extreme Contact Wets
Race 1 would take place in the rain, simple as that. Everyone was watching the weather for days leading up to the event, and it became clear that we were racing in the rain. As such, I ordered the new rain tire spec for our series in 2025. I never liked the Toyo RA-1 wet tire in 944 Spec, as they always felt vague. As such, I was excited to test the Continental Extreme Contact replacement.
I qualified first for race one and finished first. The race came down to Michael Morris and me. I was able to control the race for the duration, with the new tires allowing me a great launch on the main straight, lap after lap. What I especially liked about the new wet tire is that even when the front grip would wash, the tires would communicate through small bites as I searched for more grip. Something I never felt with the Toyos, allowing me to apply throttle that much sooner where it mattered.
However, it was evident that my car was not transitioning well in the low-speed infield, so I had to be careful not to make a mistake. (This would be traced to a disconnected front sway bar after race two.) Regardless, on the one mistake I did make, Morris quickly capitalized. He took P1 for a quarter lap before dropping his wheels across the grass on the exit to the straight. With his lost momentum to avoid a spin, I quickly returned the favor and recaptured p1 until the finish.
Race 2 – Drying Conditions
Race 2 occurred Sunday morning after a night of Tornado warnings and plummeting temperatures. The high would be 34, with a chance of snow. Even so, the rain ‘stopped’ before dawn, and dry tires would be in order. Even though the Hoosier is the new dry tire, Toyos are allowed the first two events to help the transition. Having spent my tire budget on the latest rains, I mounted an old set of Toyos and would again start the race in first place.
As you can see in the video, I had quite the start. I am convinced the grid was released early, leaving me to forgo the warmup lap to get to the front of the field. With cold tires, I promptly locked up in turn 2, resulting in a quick change from first to last place. And remember, I haven’t discovered the disconnected sway bar yet, resulting in a car that is one second off the front pace in dryish conditions.
But I still managed to have an excellent race for P4/P5. I would battle with Parker as the front pack slipped away. Incidentally, this gave me a bit of data on the Hoosiers. Toward the end of the race, I noticed that as the Toyos tapered off, the Hoosiers did not, ultimately landing me in P5 overall.
Race 3 – Aussie Pursuit
The final race of the weekend, the Aussie Pursuit, was another that did not go my way. Due to the mixed conditions, someone took a bit too much liberty with handicaps and assigned me a 35-second penalty—in a car that was off the pace the entire weekend, no less. The same thing, but to a lesser degree, happened to Jeremy Pohlman, who had a 24-second handicap. This officially neutralized both of us from a chance at victory.
However, I still managed to find a silver lining in this mix-up. Jeremy and I have battled at the front for years, and we are both returning full-time to 944 Spec for the 2025 season. So, a rekindling of our rivalry is bound to happen. And I just so happened to bring an 11-second gap down to 6 seconds during the 25-lap race. That doesn’t sound spectacular, but when I look at the data and consider the interference I endured from lap traffic, I am starting to find the pace in the car. Something I am looking forward to demonstrating in the next outing.
Conclusion
Talk about a mixed bag of results. The good news is I am starting to get the car dialed back in, and I look forward to making a much more dominant showing at the next event. And for anyone reading who would like to make it on track, check out the DriveNASA page for a listing of events.
