USTCC Round 3 - MX5 Hooked Up and Driving Through the Field

Race Report June 24 2025 - Andy Chittum - Mad Man Motorsports 

The June 20somethingith NASA weekend event has long been a staple of fabulous conditions and a legendary track coming together bringing the most epic racing action of the year.  United States Touring Car rejoined NASA Norcal the Weekend of June 21st for Round 3 of the 2025 season, and the teams came ready to bring every ounce of speed to reach the top step of the podium. 

Mad Man Motors, fresh off their victory in Round 2 at Laguna Seca 3 weeks earlier lined up for qualifying with the rest of the teams Saturday morning with hopes of setting a PR at the twisty 2.52 mile course, but it would be a challenge given that USTCC would running a combined qualifying session with the NASA C group, sharing the track in a mixed class session would make it harder to find room for a clean lap. 

Chittum managed the traffic masterfully though, and after diving to the pits was able to find a clean bit of track and on his second hot lap set a 1.50.4 lap time, his personal best in the Hankook-equipped Mazda SMX MX5, .2 seconds from USTCC Sportsman lap record of all time, and legitimately fast for any non-aero 2 liter NC MX5. 

Sunday afternoon, Chittum lined up on pole position surrounded by k24 equipped Hondas, BMWs, and the other Sportsman competitors and with the drop of the green flag, the typical USTCC standing start launched 15 cars up the hill into turn 2, two wide all the way through to turn 6.  Chittum managed a good start, and was initially overtaken by the more powerful cars, but once the field was up to speed, he was able to pass several faster class TC cars on the inside of T3 and outside of T6.  Finally, he passed the GogoGear FK8 Civic going into T11, and came into clear air with the top two TC cars well down the road.  

Chittum then settled into long term speed mode pushing for the fastest speed possible while keeping the Mazda in its temperature performance limits, dropping into steady low 1.51s and high 1.50s while working to reel in the faster TC and GT cars ahead.  Six laps later, the powerful yet heavy TC cars were slowly coming into view, and finally by lap 9, Chittum had caught them and drove on toward the front of the field.  Finally, the sole GT car still leading the race came into view.  

While BMW M4 had earlier in the race been much faster, it appeared to be having some tire issues late in the race, and had slowed significantly allowing Chittum to catch up just as the white flag flew.  Even though Chittum was able to poke the nose of the MX5 around the M4, its driver was able to take advantage of its 2.5x power advantage and steam head 1.6 seconds ahead of the MX5 to the checkered flag.  

Race Highlights Video: 

https://youtu.be/PiVFQHdzz9g

Join Andy Chittum and Mad Man Motorsports for Round 4 of the United States Touring Car Championship August 31st at Thunderhill Raceway, where the team once again will race a 2.5 hour endurance contest for victory!