The third stop of the Tire Rack SCCA Time Attack Challenge found itself in the midst of a wild event at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, TX, during the May 3-4, 2025, weekend. While the Time Attack Challenge was in full force, it was sharing the track with the final leg of Targa Texasland, with those competitors vying for their final points in Targa competition while also competing in the Time Attack Challenge. Boy howdy, the excitement was palpable.
Throughout the field there were personal bests set, track records broken, overall lap times destroyed, and smiles galore on the 2.7-mile road course that packs more than 200 feet of elevation change and a back straight long enough to land a small private jet.
The cherry on top came in the form of perfect weather conditions. The beautiful Texas clouds that rolled through were matched by T-shirt temps that kept the track surface in prime condition for speed.
Tops in Texas
Let’s start with this: who won? The answer to that is every participant, because who isn’t a winner for two days of Time Attack Challenge? But some won more than others.
Mike DuSold topped the charts with his utterly wild 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which was a full 15 seconds quicker than anyone else in the field after totaling the top time from both days. The previous Eagles Canyon Time Attack Challenge fastest lap time was Larry Waterman’s 2:02.979 back in 2022 in a Max 1 Corvette. DuSold’s best? An earth-shattering 1:52.774.
The second amazing stat came from second and third place overall, which was the lead of the Max 1 class. Consider this: first – this particular Time Attack Challenge ran the track clockwise on Saturday, then counterclockwise on Sunday. Brian Phillips and his Chevrolet Corvette was three tenths quicker than Jason Hyde’s Porsche 911 on Saturday, but Hyde was three tenths quicker on Sunday. When totaled, Phillips won Max 1 by just 0.075sec
Other class winners were:
- Max 2: Daniel Moore, Honda Civic
- Max 3: Ryan Harness, Ford Mustang
- Max 4: Mat Beck, Nissan 240SX
- Max 5: Amy Fair, BMW M3
- Sport 1: Tom Bergeron, Chevrolet Corvette
- Sport 2: Timothy Mason, Ford Mustang
- Sport 3: Raghvan Madawela, Hyundai Elantra
- Sport 4: James Lopez, Subaru BRZ
- Sport 5: Tim Havelka, Mazda MX-5
- Sport 6: Brian Buchanan, Mazda Miata
- Tuner 1: Chris Weelock, Chevrolet Corvette
- Tuner 2: Jon Fountain, Porsche Cayman
- Tuner 3: Silvio Zucchet, Porsche Cayman
- Tuner 4: Bill Denheyer, Mazda Miata
- Tuner 5: Darryl Paul, Mazda Miata
- Unlimited 2: Adam Romack, Mazda Miata
- Club Spec MX-5: Philip Royle, Mazda MX-5
- GA: Justice Woodall, BMW 328i
While not class competition, the Time Attack Challenge also celebrates the fastest of each drive type. To that end:
- Fastest Front-Wheel Drive, Daniel Moore, 1990 Honda Civic,
- Fastest Rear-Wheel Drive: Mike DuSold, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
- Fastest All-Wheel Drive: Damen Hattori, 2005 Saab 9-2x
Superlatives
Not all awards are time based, which is where the Tire Rack SCCA Time Attack Challenge superlative awards enter the picture.
Sporting an autocross background with multiple trips to the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships, Raghvan Madawela showed speed and skill in his Sport 3 class 2023 Hyundai Elantra, earning him the event’s Crossover Award, which celebrates drivers who come from another motorsports program and shine in Time Attack competition.
The Time Attack Top Novice award celebrates a driver new to Time Attack competition who shows impressive speed, awareness, and/or skill throughout the weekend. While sporting a number of trophies from past Solo National Championships events, Eagles Canyon was not only Langlee King Clark’s first Time Attack Challenge event, but it was only her fourth time in on-track competition – her first coming the Wednesday prior during Targa Texasland. She finished a close second in CSX competition.
The Spirit of Time Trials award is presented to someone at an event who embodies what Time Trials and Time Attack is all about. Enthusiasm, inclusivity, and accessibility is part and parcel of someone who receives this award. But at Eagles Canyon, this award didn’t go to an individual – instead, it was presented to Sport 2 drivers Ivy Chang and Tim Mason for their indelible commitment to having #funwithcars.
Up Next
The Tire Rack SCCA Time Attack Challenge keeps on rolling across the country, and up next is a biggie at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, KY, on May 17-18. This, of course, is the only chance to compete at NCM this year, and its Time Attack Challenge history means a big field turning out.
Enter that event by clicking here.
Otherwise, check out the entire 2025 Tire Rack SCCA Time Attack Challenge calendar to find an event near you!
Time Attack Challenge Calendar
Photo by Philip Royle
