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.