Chicago — Mick Blue and his Bad Dragon BMW triumphed as the 2023 NASA SOCAL SPEC E30 Champion this past weekend as the season came to a thrilling close at the ‘Track or Treat’ event held at the Chuckwalla Valley Raceway.

Blue’s triumphant journey to the championship saw him compete in a series of nine races throughout the year, ultimately culminating in his clinching of the title with an impressive 108-point lead over the second-place contender, Jerick Javier, and a commanding 114-point lead over third-place finisher Ryan Walton.

He expressed his gratitude to sponsor Bad Dragon for its unwavering support throughout the season, saying, “This was a long, tough season, and everything was made possible thanks to my sponsor BAD DRAGON!!! They are absolutely amazing.”

Spec E30, a fiercely competitive racing class featuring 1987-91 BMW 325i cars, is celebrated as the third-largest spec-series class in the nation. The class places a premium on driver skill rather than extensive car modifications, resulting in close and highly competitive races where as many as ten cars often qualify within a mere two seconds of the pole position.

The final showdown at Chuckwalla Raceway was a nail-biter, with the championship still up for grabs among six drivers who theoretically had a shot at victory. Blue entered the weekend with a 98-point advantage over Jerick, the closest rival in the standings.

The weekend began on a perfect note as Blue secured a commanding pole position during qualifying, clocking in with an impressive lap time of 2 minutes and 3.431 seconds. This pole position set the stage for a victorious main race on Saturday, with Blue crossing the finish line in first place.

Sunday brought its own set of challenges as Blue started from pole position in race 2. Despite losing a few positions during the race, he managed to secure a respectable fifth-place finish. However, the key objective for the last two races was to navigate them without any unnecessary risks, avoiding contact or penalties.

The strategy paid off as Blue secured a remarkable second-place finish in the third and final race of the season, capping off a sensational year with the title of the 2023 NASA SOCAL SPEC E30 CHAMPION.

In 2023, Blue’s racing endeavors yielded an impressive list of achievements:

NASA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TT6 2nd
NASA SOCAL SPEC E30 CHAMPION
NASA SOCAL TT6 2nd
NASA SOCAL ST6 CHAMPION