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Jason Nelson entered the final round at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA, holding a points lead that left rival Ryan Shu needing a win and Nelson to finish sixth or lower to take the title. A crash in a morning support race threatened that advantage, but a rapid bike swap and a dramatic last-lap pass secured the championship.
Championship scenario before the finale
Nelson (#333) carried the points lead into the weekend, while Shu (#2) arrived with the simplest path to the crown: win the race and hope Nelson finished outside the top five. The stakes were clear for every lap at the season-closing meeting.
Morning mishap forces a hurried repair
During a morning race intended for extra laps and setup, Nelson lost the front end after a close moment with Shu around turn 5. The incident happened at relatively low speed, but it left Nelson’s primary machine damaged beyond immediate repair for the Formula Pacific round.
Team preparation proved decisive. Nelson’s crew had an older 1000cc bike in the van. Mechanics removed rims, mounted tires, fitted warmers and finished safety wiring while preparing the spare for competition. A prior entry allowed Nelson a short shakedown on the substitute bike and confirmed it was race-ready, even if its pace was slightly down on the primary machine.
The race that decided the title
The Formula Pacific grid formed with Mat Cunha (12x) on pole, followed by Nelson and Shu on the front row. Eugene McMahel was listed as DNS. Greg Olson (11) and Stephen Rue (14) lined up on the second row and were considered potential spoilers to Nelson’s campaign.
At the start, Cunha and Shu quickly opened a gap on the chasing trio of Nelson, Olson and Rue. Olson produced a strong outside pass exiting turn 2 and maintained momentum through turn 3, forcing Nelson wide and inviting Rue into close contact behind him.
As laps unfolded, Olson stretched his advantage to about a second before fading back toward the pair. Rue then swept past Olson, with Nelson following through. That kicked off a sequence of exchanges: Nelson and Olson traded positions while Rue extended his lead to more than a second.
Nelson regained the lead entering turn 14. Olson immediately challenged on the outside, but Nelson held the line onto the front straight. He then closed on Rue in third with two laps remaining.
Last-lap drama and the title clincher
Nelson pressed repeatedly on the final lap and Rue matched every attempt. Exiting the last corner, Nelson found a strong drive and, aided by the slipstream, slipped past Rue to take third place at the line by a mere 0.0016 seconds.
That tiniest of margins was enough. Nelson’s third-place finish sealed the Formula Pacific championship and earned him the race club’s number 1 plate.
Podium and acknowledgements
Mat Cunha took the victory, with Ryan Shu finishing second and Nelson completing the podium. Nelson is now the AFM’s 2026 Formula Pacific Champion and the holder of the 2027 number 1 plate.
Nelson publicly thanked CT Racing/Pirelli tires, Daredevil Motorsports, PCP Motorsports, Eric Kondo Racing, Maui Racing, Carter’s at the Track, AFM, family and friends for their support. Eric Kondo Racing also expressed pride in Nelson and acknowledged support from CT Racing Pirelli‑Metzler tires, RTM, Bay Area Riders Forum, MotionPro, Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, Fuzimoto and other backers.
