Matt’s April Update: Pole, 2nd Place Through Dust and Darkness At Buttonwillow 3-Hour
April 17th, 2021 - Buttonwillow, CA
Hello! This month’s update reflects on a wild and dusty 2nd place finish in Round 2 of NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship at Buttonwillow Raceway, where GOneppo Racing with Matt Million and Peter Oneppo took the second podium spot in a competitive 13-car field in E2.
A quick catch-up; my name is Matt Million, I’m a 21-year-old aspiring professional racing driver and college student from San Marcos, California. I’ve been competing since the age of five where I spent eight years racing in karts. In 2014, I transitioned to cars in Spec Miata at age 14 finding success in the Mazda Motorsports ladder through Teen Mazda Challenge up to semi-pro Spec MX-5 Challenge in 2018. In 2019, I became a 25 Hours of Thunderhill class winner and in 2020 I achieved a long-held goal of racing touring cars in Germany. For 2021, my racing plans primarily involve the NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC) as I continue full-time university studies hoping to move into professional sports car racing events in the future.
I love sharing my experiences as a young racer through these reports with hopes that those who read it can take away value or enjoyment from following. Thank you for the support!
SETTING THE STAGE
Interestingly enough, my preparation for this second round of NASA WERC started before realizing I’d compete in the first round at Sonoma Raceway! Now after two rounds, I'm in contention for a championship in E2 which is both awesome and rather unexpected!
I’ve decided to focus on this championship in 2021 for a few reasons; it has a great schedule on the West Coast offering good opportunity to compete at a high level, spend hours in the seat, and has a competitive-yet-friendly paddock. While the budget to move into professional racing isn’t available right now, this is a fantastic ‘stepping stone’ for my situation. Two 3-hour events at Buttonwillow, two 6-hour races at Utah Motorsports Campus and Thunderhill Raceway, and the upcoming 4-hour at Willow Springs this month to complement the season opening 2.5h at Sonoma Raceway.
I reached out to my former 25h Thunderhill-winning crew chief and SoCal Spec E46 race director Peter Oneppo to put together a program for the April and May events at Buttonwillow and Willow Springs, respectively. We had the right alignment of objectives and here we are competing together!
I’ve also developed a fondness for the Spec E46 platform; a balance between sports car and touring car where aggression must be controlled in a way that manages its weight and preserves tires. Though, the steep torque and overall ‘playfulness’ makes it a fantastic car to do battle with over long runs. Would love to keep learning these cars and possibly other touring car platforms someday!
FRIDAY TESTING
Friday testing was rather uneventful in a good way, so I’ll spare the word count here. Busy weekend it was as I got the feeling racers couldn’t wait to be back competing. Each sprint class was 15+ cars and our 3-hour would have 38!
Compared to the Technik Competition BMW E46 I raced here last June, there are a few subtle differences. The GOneppo machine runs Toyo RR’s which are mandatory to compete in Spec E46 sprint racing whereas the former Technik car used a slightly grippier Hankook rubber designed for endurance. The Toyo’s are consistent and long-lasting but lack an initially grippier edge you’ll feel on the Hankook’s. Also different was dampers; GOneppo running Spec E46 mandated 1-Way single adjustable while the Technik car ran 2-Way again designed better for endurance racing. Still, the similarities outweighed the differences.
The GOneppo car feels more lively on limit and reaches the limit sooner. I would’ve liked a bit more initial ‘bite’ for cornering however the Toyo’s can handle a good amount of tire slippage and stay within competitive range. So all in all, minor adjustments but the same philosophy.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Qualifying had to be sharp; the session immediately after was the ST5 race group that Peter was racing in which meant I needed to get my lap done to get him on grid!
Typically, it’s best to complete your fastest lap in as few laps possible anyway. After the third or fourth, tire pressures have risen to the point where improvement is difficult. But this is motorsport and plans can get thrown out of windows.
I got to grid early ready to rock with a clear mission of putting Peter on the front row for the race (since he would be the starting driver). I knew the task was achievable given my experience and results in similar situations here at Buttonwillow.
The intensity of qualifying is a challenge I love; it comes down to a calm focus, raising your confidence, and forgetting about the world. Many drivers can set fast laps, but doing it when the pressure is on consistently time after time is a skill I’ve worked to develop. While variables of a race might fall outside your control at times, the variables in one qualifying lap is much more controllable. It’s often a game of your mind!
I had built a sizeable gap around me as I entered onto the first flyer. All is well for ten seconds until a pack of slower cars leaves the pit lane late directly ahead. Abort!
Trying my best to pass them before the next lap, it wasn’t going to happen. Keeping the tires cool and fuel burn low, I dove into hot pits in an attempt rejoin in clear track. Crew chief Sean Neel timed me out to perfection but I’d only have the chance to set one lap. While tire pressures had risen, one lap was all that mattered. It wasn’t perfect but a 1:59:79 was enough to put GOneppo Racing on E2 class pole by a few tenths. Peter would start ahead of the ravaging E2 field and that made me the happiest teammate!
THE RACE
The two-or-so hours preceding an endurance race is when a small, spirited crew shines. Setting up the pit box and moving equipment, changing to our enduro tire set, refueling the car and jugs, cooking (and finding the time for) dinner, last minute strategizing of the plan. It’s all occurring simultaneously and literally it can’t happen without teamwork!
Peter felt confident and our encouragement worked to keep him in the mindset. The time was 6:15pm. Green flag for the 38-car field across five classes. Our grid spot paid dividends as us and the second place car separated from the rest which locked into a massive battle. Being the second driver in rotation is nearly as difficult as starting. It takes experience in accepting that whatever happens on track before the driver change is out of your control. All you can do is control your performance! While I had the usual pre-stint jitters, the genuine confidence I had in Peter and our operation outweighed that feeling.
A notable highlight was having crew chief Sean Neel at my side. He’s great communicator who understands the anticipation. Calm, methodical, reassuring. A demeanor that reverberates through a team. Because even though we’d have to refuel, change drivers, and repair part of the car in an unknown state, our focus was higher than our the heart rates.
His stint lasts until the sun dips behind the mountains, spending approximately 1-hour-40-minutes in the car. Peter kept up a fantastic consistency to pit from the top five and on the same lap as the leader. Our original plan had him boxing about 20 minutes earlier, but a full-course yellow to retrieve a stricken car late in the first hour pushed out our fuel window far enough to give confidence we could make it on a single stop. But ‘could’ was the magic word as I’d have to keep a close eye on our fuel and attack only when necessary to catch and pass in-class cars. A three hour race starting with approximately 16 gallons and only being allowed to refuel 10 gallons (if you do the math, it’s a close call).
Peter stops on cue. The driver change is complete in less than a minute and we wait on the fuel. No spills, no mistakes. I’m sent on my way ready to apply my first performance goal in the quickly fading daylight.
The first goal was to acclimate quicker on the out-lap. Jumping onto a dark circuit with an unknown surface condition in the middle of traffic takes practice to execute! Ready yourself as much as possible to reach that high level mentality then slow down the mind and rely on natural inputs. The human brain can process far more sensory information when it reaches the flow state, so practice reaching it quickly!
Settling into the flow with a great feeling; tires felt right, radio communication was precise, and I honed in on the top few cars from 5th. However it was soon realized this wasn’t to be an ordinary night stint. For whatever reason, the Buttonwillow silky dust was in full effect. If a car dropped a wheel onto it, an impossibly thick cloud hung over that section for multiple laps. It took bravery (and a faint glimpse of taillights ahead) to drive through them at speed!
Though, myself and most others managed them well. 15 minutes into my stint and I’d slipped past two in-class cars to put us 3rd chasing the leaders. It was an incredibly fun and rewarding stint. Judging the best route through traffic, managing conditions, then settling into a lonely set of laps of you versus lap time targets.
The second performance goal I set was quicker passes against in-class cars. I wanted to catch and make a decisive move before they’ve realized what’s happening. Wait too long to make a move and it’s easier for them to adapt for counteracting! My favorite of these moments was the pass for 2nd. Team Bittneracing was about three corners up when I began closing. One lap later it became two corners and the opportunity began to unfold. After ‘Bus Stop' corner, a small dust cloud slowed him up as I used the taillights to guide me through at a higher speed. Carrying extra momentum through ‘Riverside’ corner, I tapered my closing rate enough to dive underneath and match him under braking into ‘Phil Hill’. We went side-by-side through to the exit as another dust cloud helped me solidify the position (skip to 20:55 in my ‘Driver’s Eye’ video to watch the move). Afterwards, it’s about leaving no doubt and setting off down the road!
Passing in endurance racing are not passive, like a track day, however they cannot be purely aggressive either like a sprint race. They must be studied, calculated, and executed to be as clean and as “time efficient” as possible. The artform requires plenty practice and application!
I encourage anyone interested to view my ‘driver’s eye’ video of the complete stint. Easily one of the most action-filled 40 minutes I’ve spent in a race car. If you’re even remotely a fan of endurance racing, you’ll appreciate watching it! Click here to watch or at the thumbnail above.
With a half-hour left to run, the race met an unfortunate early end. A collision at Bus Stop due to poor dust visibility left three cars damaged and unable to return to the pits. I happened to be exiting Grapevine when I received a radio message to enter with caution and came through the accident scene not long after. Thankfully the drivers came away fine, but it was immediately clear the race would end under yellow. A number of pace laps and the checkered was thrown.
We finished 2nd with only two cars separating us from the class leader. I understood the severity of the situation, but it’s frustrating as a racer to see the win right in front of you slip away under slow, monotonous pace lap! Allow the final 30 minutes to run and it would’ve been tough to deny us. But that’s the magic, and despair, of endurance racing. It’s why we’re drawn to it!
WEEKEND REFLECTIONS
Overall, it’s hard not to be satisfied with our day. The variables in our control were accomplished with planning, intent, and purpose. We didn’t suffer any obvious mistakes or setback and the race came down to both fortunate and unfortunate timing. On a day where our car ran in 7 separate sessions between us, the constant motion of driving allowed us to do just that; flow!
On a slightly different note, jumping into these events as the ‘endurance’ driver has taught me more than on-track performance recently. Establishing great relationships has provided an opportunity to help manage and guide these endurance programs with growing autonomy. Graduating from university next year with a degree in global business management, these weekends have increasingly relevant toward the skillset I want to build. It’s also fantastic way to keep active in my racing career of course! While I’d love to move into professional motorsport or continue racing in Germany given the budget, I’m having more fun with my racing than ever right now.
But if you walk away from a race weekend thinking you did everything right, you’re missing out! Learning comes through reflection and there’s been a couple points of improvement we’ll make as a team for the next event. Some aspects to organize in team structuring, some in elevating my own performance potential, some in general car setup. Applying what you’ve learned can be the most rewarding parts of a race weekend, regardless of result.
WHAT’S NEXT
It’s a nice feeling to plan on competing for a full championship again! Next up is Round 3 of 6 for NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship which will take place at “the fastest road in the West” for 4 Hours of Willow Springs in the evening of Friday, May 21st. Consistency will be beneficial as I’ll team up once more with GOneppo Racing in search of the top podium step this time. This event will also begin in daylight and finish under the stars which adds to the endurance challenge and atmosphere I love about this series and type of motorsport. I’ll be nighttime proven before tackling 24h Daytona or Nurburgring… one day! I will also have a small update from a fun ‘Lucky Dog Racing League’ weekend next month.
Like Buttonwillow, our race will be livestreamed onboard the #45 BMW Spec E46 at GOneppo Racing on YouTube. Click this link to visit the page and subscribe so you don’t miss it. If you can’t tune in live, subscribe to Matt Million Racing by clicking here and you’ll get notified once I post the race. Be sure to download the Racehero.io app for your device to follow live timing during the race.
IN CLOSING
A few specific ‘thank you’s’ this month. First and foremost, thanks to Peter Oneppo for the chance to team up as your endurance driver while allowing me to help manage the endurance component of a busy weekend. Second thank you is for Sean Neel, a righteous friend and driver stepping up as our crew chief and delivering! Truly makes me appreciate the importance of the role when its performed well. Thank you Andrew and Zack for fueling an efficient pit stop, and a special thanks to my family for cooking a wonderful dinner for our crew.
Finally, thank you to everyone who follows my journey. Whether it be through reports, my social channels, or reaching out to say hello! Every interaction means so much, truly. Stay up-to-date on mattmillionracing.com and the social media links below, and until next month… cheers!
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan
Matt Million
San Marcos, CA - 5/04/21