Rookies Dazzle in the Rain at Mid-Ohio for Round 4 of Spec MX-5 Challenge

NASA Great Lakes welcomed the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series Presented by Toyo Tires to Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course this past weekend for Round 4 of the 2023 season.  A total of 17 racers registered for the event, with 7 of them jumping behind the wheel of a Spec MX-5 to experience their first taste of SMX competition.   If fighting for position in the 60-car run group wasn’t enough, cool & damp temperatures would only add to the challenge of tackling the 2.25-mile Pro Course.

A chill was in the air as Saturday’s qualifying session got underway under clear skies, but a damp track.  As temperatures hovered in the mid-forties, Alex Bertagnoli would claim pole position with the session’s fastest time of 1:44.940, with Championship challenger Nathan Nicholson just .03 seconds behind in P2.  Cam Ebben was a further half-second behind to claim P3, with Series Veteran Michael Borden in P4, and Will Robusto rounding out the top-5.

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Bigelow: Downshift Images

Read more about Round 4 of the 2023 Spec MX-5 Challenge here.