MC Racing Completes Double-Header Weekend with Strong Finish

September 13, 2020 (Buttonwillow, CA) – Michael McColligan, driving the #36 MC Racing Mazda RX8

drove through the field to finish second in Round 5 of the Hankook Tires United States Touring Car

Championship at Buttonwillow Raceway.

Fortunately the MC Mazda RX8 finished the first race of the double header in good shape so the team

did not have too much work overnight. The track configuration and course direction changed requiring

team driver Michael McColligan to adapt their approach. McColligan used the two practice sessions to

gradually reduce his lap times and qualified the Mazda RX8 in P4 for the feature race. “Once again the

team gave me a fast and predictable car that gave me confidence that allowed me to really push”,

stated McColligan. McColligan timed the standing start to perfection and had the nose of the RX8 in

first position leading into turn 1 but was on the outside and had to yield, slotting into third before

heading into the tricky esses. McColligan settled into his race pace on the back of the lead two. A few

laps in, the second place Acura had an off-track excursion creating a big dust cloud obscuring

McColligan’s vision. “I could not see a thing and lost sight of the edge of the track. Unfortunately I

dropped two wheels in the dirt and lost the car”, mentioned McCollgan. This put McColligan at the rear

of the field but he put his head down and went into attack mode running faster and faster laps as he

regained lost positions, making the pass for second place with 1 ½ laps to go. “My crew chief kept giving

me the gap to the cars ahead and it was hammer-time all the way to the checkered flag. I was on the

limit and had a few edgy moments but am really happy with the recovery”, smiled McColligan. The

team is now in second place in the Sportsman points and is looking forward to the season finale at

Sonoma Raceway in a few weeks.

About MC Racing

MC Racing competes in the Hankook Tires United States Touring Car Championship aboard a Mazda RX8

with support from Idemitsu, Raybestos, Mazda USA, Mazdatrix, Racing Beat, Konig Wheels, Orafol,

Eibach Springs, and Napier Outdoors. For more information, visit www.mcspeedracer.com.