NOVEMBER/DECEMBER UPDATE: FINAL RACES IN GERMANY & FLIGHT HOME
Matt’s final monthly update from Germany in 2020 sharing stories success and failures in racing, life under partial lockdown in Europe, and reflecting on a truly memorable experience. This is a long one (sorry)!
This update begins during the second leg the flight back to San Diego. The day started early in Berlin, transitioning to Frankfurt a few hours ago and I’m currently over the Atlantic on Lufthansa due to land in Washington, D.C. before rushing myself through customs and onto my domestic flight home.
A quick catch-up; my name is Matt Million, I’m a 20 year old racing driver and college student from San Marcos, California. I’ve been competing since the age of five where I spent eight years in karts. I transitioned to race cars in the Spec Miata category at age 14, developing and finding success in the Mazda Motorsports grassroots program up to Spec MX-5 Challenge in 2018. In 2019, I became a class winner of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.
From back to karting days, I’ve been obsessed with European touring and sports car racing. The dream was Germany and all goals led racing there. But not coming from wealth or a racing family dynasty, I knew the financial hurdles of that leap might be impossible. In late 2019, I came across a competitive, cost-effective spec touring car cup there. I had to make this work. Just one team actually took my inquiry seriously, and my family and I weighted the variables and commitment. Before I knew it I was off to test at Hockenheim in February. The pandemic happened, pushed the season from March to July and I finally got clearance to fly in September. My college work now virtual, I deciding to live there for about three months and finish the season with JAS Rennsport. I returned to California late November and here we are today.
Some quick feelings; It’s mindboggling I was able to enter Germany at all. So much energy went into researching clauses, exemptions, and the most current news on international travel. Forced to miss the opening two rounds of the championship before my incredible team boss Lars was able to get Lufthansa clearance for me. I made a promise to race for them this year and a promise to myself to not give up on my first chance to race here. Well, I made it. Of the three remaining BMW 318ti Cup races we planned to do, only one event went forward. Luckily, we got to do three additional club races of which the latter two are in this report. Wild times and immensely grateful.
Obviously, there’s many more takeaways I could give but in an effort to not have this be a thousand pages I’ll jump into the final race reflections from Germany.
And now I sit under a dim light with a cup of coffee, choosing to write these stories before finishing my final term papers. Hope you enjoy!
Where We Left Off
The last update I shared was Saturday, October 24th. I hit ‘send’ on that report from the attic of (my teammate) Luca Alpert’s village near Börßum. That evening we drove to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, a superb highly regarded circuit in the Saxony-Anhalt region near center of the country.
Welcome to NATC Oschersleben 1 - October 25th, 2020
After BMW 318ti Cup Round 4 at Nürburgring was cancelled, an opportunity came up to race the following weekend. With cases low in the area, the NATC (North German ADAC Touring Car Cup) was holding their next event at Oschersleben on October 25th. With the BMW 318ti Cup finale (originally planned) at the same circuit in 3 weeks, it attracted 15 fellow 318ti Cup cars to the 2-hour endurance race. Great competition.
As far as race track commutes go, driving to Oschersleben is unrivaled. From Luca’s home, it’s a one hour drive across gorgeous country roads, quaint villages, and the expansive landscape of farmland and wind turbines. The NATC typically holds one-day events on Sunday so the paddock arrives Saturday evening to unload into their garage spots and cook-out with plenty of meats and beers.
Luca and I surveyed the track and I received a hefty earful of information! This is his and JAS Rennsport’s home circuit, having done triple as many laps here than anywhere else. Did my best to absorb all his knowledge of the grip levels, cambers, kerb profiles, lines, cones, pit entry and exit tips. Videos and racing simulators are good tools, but walking it reshaped my perspective of the place!
The practice session was short but straightforward with quite the 27-car traffic jam to navigate in the first lap. I stopped for a routine tire check, performed a mock standing start from a designated area of the pits (that was a first) and got in four laps before swapping to Luca for the final 10 minutes.
During our 20 minute qualifier we realized something was wrong. While my times kept lowering as my track knowledge grew, there was a feeling of power loss. Luca finished off the session falling short of my best by a number of tenths. P7/16. Our times were over a second slower than Luca’s best lap here. He gave a rightfully displeased debrief to our team and we searched for answers but couldn’t yet determine the issue. The car wasn’t healthy so we just had to race our own race, drive clean, and learn along the way.
Race time! The NATC uses European-style standing starts. Since I’ve never experienced one, I would drive the first hour and hand off to Luca for the second. The red lights went off and I made two positions into T1, entering four-wide. Cars everywhere jostling for position, what a moment!
Engaged in a tight battle with two competitors made the first 40 minutes a blur. Did my best outdrive the power deficit and maintain position, but losing a second or more per lap adds up. Proud of the performance I gave, the most ‘in it’ I’ve felt in these few European races so far. The knowledge was accumulating! No mistakes, better pace. As with all of these weekends, the race session itself doubled or tripled my seat time at each circuit. I became more in-touch with Oschersleben’s rhythm. Here’s some notes:
Utilize the slight ‘banking’ of each corner. Don’t run too wide in the fast sweepers, let the curving ‘bowl’ of the track hook you.
Maximize the green patches of runoff. Done correctly, you can extend the track width an additional half-car length in most exits. That adds up during the lap.
Keep the speed up. Might seem obvious, but especially important here. Each corner has a similar maximum and minimum speed, no major philosophy change from corner to corner. Engage the rhythm of Oschersleben, stay in it!
First of two mandatory pit stops completed clean and on time. I noticed afterwards that sections of the circuit could be held flat out when they couldn’t before. More power loss. Reported it to the team and we decided turning on the engine fan might help. Immediately back on the radio, “it feels like I gained 10 horsepower!” Later we discovered the reasons for this; a broken thermostat and broken catalytic converter (mandated on European race cars). My 1:52 laps became 1:50’s again and the fastest laps of our day came soon after. Click here to watch my onboard from those laps!
With 50 minutes left, a Code 60 was deployed for a stricken car. For Americans unfamiliar with this procedure, imagine a full-course yellow but without a pace car. In theory it keeps the gaps between cars equal as the field slows to 60kph until the flags are retracted. NATC regulations permit pit stops during Code 60, so I was called to box immediately and driver changed. Luca got settled as the Code 60 continued for a few laps. He wasn’t so fortunate with the power issue though, as the car became hardly capable of 1:52’s again. Races like this make you truly appreciate the ones where everything runs smooth. Have to believe it builds a better driver able to deal with these situations!
We finished P6, better than expected. Managed the race well all things considered. Completed the 2 hours, maintained position, and had some good battles without a scratch. Frustrating but character building.
Little did we realize our result arriving at the podium ceremony. “Matt and Luca, you guys got third.” Third? How?
During the Code 60 when we driver swapped, a number of 318ti Cup’s ahead failed to meet the minimum lap time while traveling at 60kph. Basically they were deemed to have gained an advantage under the slow laps and got penalized for it; 1 or 2 laps deleted. No penalty for us, we leaped to 3rd! Didn’t expect it nor even consider the chances. Strange podiums are still podiums and we were happy to take it today! Some consolation for what very well could’ve been a better result. Luca and I reentered the JAS Rennsport garage stall holding our hardware up high ensuring happy confusion from the team. It felt nice to see our group smiling after a tough day. Turns out following the rules in motorsport pays off at times!
One or two days following, the German government announced a partial lockdown for the month of November. Schools remained open, but restaurants and shops became take-out only. On the sports front, professional racing like the DTM could continue but pro-am competitions could not. The remainder of the BMW 318ti Cup was cancelled.
The next NATC race was back at Oschersleben one week later, taking place on the Sunday before lockdown. Our last chance to race in 2020, we duly signed up.
Back to Oschersleben: NATC Endurance 11/1
For the second consecutive weekend, we headed back to Oschersleben to compete in effectively the same race. We made a swift decision to enter and ensure we’d close the year together knowing that this was it. With the final two championship races in November were cancelled, this is all we had!
On our drive there, Luca and I became distracted by a landmark on the route. October 31st is a German holiday called ‘Reformation Day’. It commemorates Martin Luther’s efforts toward religious and social reform during the 16th century. People spend the day traveling or visiting family and friends. We came upon on the former east-west border town of Hötensleben to find a local club of classic DDR vehicles like the Trabant, Barkas, and Wartburg. The meeting point was inside the former Inner German Border and part of the old wall and a guard tower still standing. Neat!
Oschersleben’s paddock opened earlier this week so we got to complete a track walk in daylight. A piece in Ross Bentley’s ‘Speed Secrets’ book makes more sense now. The benefit of walking a circuit after you’ve already driven it helps a lot more. Easier to focus on the bits you know are important and learn why they are.
To save words on this email report, click here to read the rest of this reflection! Slight spoiler alert, our power issue resurfaced to plague us worse but we did eventually solve it and the race help put in perspective how much this entire German endeavor has meant to me.
November’s ‘Partial Lockdown’ in Germany
The month of November was quiet as the weather became chilly and shops closed. Still, I had plenty of coursework as a global business student to catch up on dived up by long runs on the countryside trails in my city of Brunswick. On the weekends, I’d see Luca and his family in their small village and enjoy more cultural immersion (and practice my German)!
I took the opportunity to travel nearby. Hopped on a short train ride to the forested, hilly center of Goslar an hour south. The next week I took it the opposite direction to see Hannover. Very cool! The ‘Deutsche Bahn’ (German train network) is awesome; clean, fast, and on-time where you can buy tickets through an app and commute to anywhere as fast or faster than you could with a car.
On the 21st, I drove three hours east to the outskirt towns near Berlin where my team owner Lars Winkler lives. I enjoyed a final dinner with him and his wonderful wife Andrea, both of whom have served effectively as my parents! Afterwards, they gave me a small present containing a trophy engraved with ‘Matt, thank you for the 2020 season’. I struggle for words to describe their generosity. Believing in me, helping me settle in here, and providing so much to the overall experience. More than I could’ve imagined. We set off to the airport the following morning.
From Berlin, I transferred flights and stamped the passport in Frankfurt, setting off to Washington D.C. I miraculously made my transfer there by speeding through customs and running across the airport and onto my plane to San Diego. On the final approach, the pilot aborted landing due to fog and came to Los Angeles. We attempted to fly back, but aborted again and made L.A. our final destination. After 28 hours of travelling, I was back breathing California air. What a journey.
Final Reflections
Probably the closest I’ve come to a life-altering experience in my 20 years. Upon arrival, I faced a steep wall of learning with a new country, culture, and racing environment. Since departing, the most valuable takeaway has been understanding more about myself; as a driver and a person.
Although I came to Germany for 72 hours in February, I entered the country this time with fresh eyes. I’d always dreamt to live here at some point. But right now? Nope, no way I could’ve predicted that!
It was the longest I’d ever been away from home and the first time I could integrate into a new world, one I’ve always wanted to try. All the German cultural elements that I’d only ever read about was surreal. Even small things like getting groceries. “Wait, I can hardly read anything. How do I pay? What are the expectations here?” So many small things become a challenge.
The rationale to chase life as a racing driver is often emotion driven. Sure, it’s the only way of life I’ve ever known. But can I realistically continue it?
The further I go, the more I realize how each step has shaped me more certain, more resilient, and into a more complete driver. It’s difficult to think how different my life would look if I hadn’t been in a kart at five. So many competitive traits paired to a mentality and skillset only motorsport could teach. Seeing my maturity develop. Understanding how to have a better Sunday race compared to the Saturday, and then a better weekend, and a better next season and so on.
There were times in Germany that I felt the weight of my overall goals. 6,000 miles from home, problems can feel heavy sometimes.
Jumping across the pond into a new car, a new team of people that speak a different language, new regulations and standards, compete against serious teams and drivers who’ve invested lots into their programs, and race on tracks they’ve been on for years ahead of you. I mean really, how am I going to do this?
But these are just thoughts that run through your head in situations that mean a lot to you. Do I truly belong here? Can I turn this into more? What comes after this? These feelings were especially strong in the first race weekend, but soon my confidence grew alongside my knowledge of this alien place.
Of course I want to be here. Of course I can do it. This leap was suppose to be a challenge, as beginning anything usually is. Managing all the expectations I’ve had making this European transition.
In full honesty, I surprise myself sometimes with how far I’ve come as a driver and how impressed I am at my own abilities. As well as how I can put pieces together outside of the cockpit to keep going.
No racing driver, despite what they might portray, ever goes absent without doubt. But the more I overcome these milestones, the more I trust I’m headed in the right direction.
Thank You
The list of people that deserve a genuine ‘thank you’ grows every year. First and foremost, my parents. Without Pete and Tamara deciding to put little Matt in a kart and do everything in their power to support me, chasing life as a racer would never have been possible.
I surely wouldn’t have made the leap this year without Lars Winkler and Luca Alpert. The only team in the series to take me in, they got me the clearance I needed to fly, provide me with transportation and temporary accommodation, and were unbelievably excited to have me join their racing family. We had a productive, fun time together with so much learned about a championship new to all of us. Luca is an impressive young driver, fast and full of passion for the sport. We’ll race together again someday!
To the rest of my family, you’ve made these stories worth telling! To everyone at Technik Competition and those I’ve met around it, those who I’ve met through my Spec Miata and karting, and everyone else who continues to follow and wish the best, sincere thanks.
What’s Next?
With the difficulties to plan anything concrete, especially overseas, there’s still uncertainty for my racing in 2021. I would love to compete in more DMV BMW 318ti Cup with JAS Rennsport given the travel situation becomes better, my coursework won’t interfere, and I can secure the personal sponsorship needed. It would be fantastic to keep the momentum going and continue the progress of my aspirations in Germany. The 24 Hours of Nürburgring is the ultimate goal, as well as supporting domestic championships. Looking forward to each step, but pieces need to be put together. Please reach out if you’re considering how to help!
In January, I’ll be racing with my awesome friends at Technik Competition. This time is a different challenge; we’ll be giving the team’s new Porsche Boxster its race debut at Laguna Seca for the Lucky Dog Racing League season opening 14-hour race. Love working with this rad, dedicated group of endurance fanatics.
The next time you’ll hear from me over email will likely be a January update. Until then please get in touch with me over email, phone, or social media!
Cheers, Matt Million
San Marcos, CA - 12/13/2020