03/24/2026
Sunday’s SPEC Corvette race at Buttonwillow Raceway on the 25CW configuration delivered one of the most exciting races of the season. With the group deciding to run a reverse grid for Sunday to mix up the action, the stage was set for a race full of passing, strategy, and hard racing from front to back.
With Josh Carroll and Jim Tway starting from the back of the grid, the start of the race did not disappoint. The field charged into Turn 1 three-wide, but despite the aggressive start, the first lap remained clean. Luis Martinez of Position One Motorsports wasted no time moving forward and quickly broke away from the field, opening up an impressive 10–12 car length gap while running what would become his best race yet.
Josh Carroll, who had set the fastest lap of the entire weekend with a 1:55.9, began carving his way through the field and eventually worked his way into the lead after starting last. However, trouble struck when his ABS system failed heading into Sunset Corner, sending him off track twice and costing him the lead and valuable track position. Right behind him, Jim Tway capitalized on the opportunity and moved into second place after Carroll’s off-track excursions.
Weather conditions were cooler than Saturday, but track temperatures were still around 90 degrees. Jim Tway set his fastest laps late in the race, running a 1:57.22, which is a true testament to the Vitour P1 tires and their ability to manage heat and continue producing fast lap times deep into a race stint. Luis Martinez turned a best lap of 1:58.440, while Greg Nester ran a 1:58.86 on his way to a podium finish.
Further back in the field, Mike Cheney and Patrick Howe were locked in their own battle, with Howe steadily closing the gap. Unfortunately, a mistake in Cotton Corners took Patrick out of contention and ended what was shaping up to be a strong finish.
Greg Nester ran a clean, consistent race and kept the car on track all day, ultimately securing a solid third-place finish.
The final lap provided one of the most exciting finishes of the weekend. Jim Tway closed the gap to Luis Martinez and caught him in the final turn leading to the checkered flag.