No Passing At COTA? You’re Doing Something Wrong.

Features, Racing I By Winding Road Staff I October 10, 2018

Here we ride with Winding Road Racing team driver Tom Martin III for the first few laps of a recent Spec MX-5 Challenge race at Circuit of The Americas. Martin, along with fellow drivers Noah Grey (07 white) and Harry Voigt (09 blue), demonstrate that there are multiple pass and re-pass points around the F1 track. In particular, T1, T11, T12, T15, T19 and T20 offer passing opportunities in many cars. Passing in the esses is trickier, but if you are significantly faster it can be done, especially in T5/T6.

The other thing that may be apparent from this video is that the pass and then re-pass scenario happens often, especially in momentum cars. This means you have to think about when you want to make your passes and when being passed is okay. With the timing line for finishes being right after T20, being the passer in T15 or T19 is often critical.

2019 Spec MX-5 Challenge Season Information

We have received many enquiries about the 2019 season. We are accepting applications while we put the finishing touches on our plans.

Winding Road Racing will offer test sessions for drivers interested in trying the Spec MX-5 car. These will happen near Austin, TX on a weekly basis, starting November 12. Please contact Jeff Sexton: [email protected] for pricing and to reserve a spot.

Atlanta Speedwerks will hold a test session for drivers interested in trying the Spec MX-5 car. These will be held near Atlanta, GA on November 21, 2018. Please contact Todd Lamb: [email protected] for pricing and to reserve a spot.

To help prospective drivers learn more about the 2019 series and possibly submit a preliminary application, the series provides the following materials:

2019 FAQ

Spec MX-5 Videos: