The 2025 United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) West region season came to a dramatic conclusion at Sonoma Raceway for Round 6, bringing high-octane action and championship-deciding battles to the legendary California circuit. Under the October sun, drivers across the GT, Touring Car, and Sportsman classes fought for the final podium spots of the year, with several titles coming down to the very last laps.

GT Class: Camaro Power vs. BMW Consistency In the GT class, the weekend belonged to Ehsan Farkhondeh. Piloting his powerful Chevy Camaro GT4-R, Farkhondeh was the man to beat from the moment the cars hit the tarmac. He stormed to pole position, setting a blistering pace that the rest of the field struggled to match. When the green flag dropped, Farkhondeh converted his pole advantage into a commanding lead, driving a flawless race to take the top step of the podium and setting a new lap record in the process.

However, the championship story was written by the second-place finisher. The Rose Construction/Ecoblox team of Doug Makishima and Daniel Rose brought their BMW M4 GTS home in second. Despite qualifying second and not having the pace to challenge Farkhondeh for the race win on the day, their consistent performance throughout the season, capped by this podium finish, was enough to secure the GT Class Championship for Doug Makishima. The podium was rounded out in spirit by Sam Stowell, whose BAF Racing Corvette qualified third but was unfortunately unable to start due to damage, leaving the fight largely between the Camaro and the BMW.

Touring Car: The Father-Son Showdown The most emotionally charged battle of the weekend unfolded in the Touring Car (TC) class, which featured a literal family feud for the title. Going into the finale, Ali Arsham held a razor-thin 5 point lead over his son, Reza Arsham. Both were driving nearly identical Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis Coupes, setting the stage for a pure driver's duel.

In qualifying, experience edged out youth as Ali took pole position by a mere 0.2 seconds. But when the race began, Reza drove aggressively, making a bold move at Turn 2 to snatch the lead from his father. For two laps, it appeared the younger Arsham might upset the order, but disaster struck in the form of an electronics hiccup. The technical glitch forced Reza to slow, handing the lead back to Ali.

Ali Arsham never looked back, powering his way to the checkered flag to win both the race and the 2025 Touring Car Championship. It was a bittersweet end for Reza, but a triumph for the team. Behind the Arsham dominance, Larry Bani drove a solid race in the AFE Power BMW M3 to finish second, while Enrique Ferreira claimed the final podium spot in third aboard the ARG Motorsport/Ecoblox BMW 330i.

Sportsman Class: Chittum Remains Unstoppable In the Sportsman class, the narrative was one of continued dominance. Andy Chittum, driving the Mad Man Motorsport Mazda MX5, capped off a stellar season with yet another victory. Chittum was in a league of his own, leaving the rest of the field to fight for the remaining hardware.

The battle for the runner-up spots was fierce. Veteran racer Tom Lepper brought his GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Honda Civic home in second place. Meanwhile, Marion Engelke fought hard in the GAS/ACS BMW 328i to secure third place, fending off challengers to close out the season on the podium.

A Season to Remember As the engines silenced at Sonoma, the paddock celebrated the new champions: Doug Makishima in GT and Ali Arsham in Touring Car. Round 6 delivered everything fans could ask for, blistering speed, mechanical drama, and family rivalries all serving as a fitting finale to the 2025 USTCC West campaign.