NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
Subscribe

2009 Post-Event Announcements

The television coverage will be aired on March 22, 2010 at 5pm eastern. It will be shown on Versus, best known for covering the Indy Car series. Visit their site at www.versus.com. Use the "Channel Finder" on the lower right hand side of the web page to find the cable channel in your area.

View the official race results | View our post-event coverage

2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill Forms & Information

Rules & Information

2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill News Wrap Up

2009 Post-Event Announcements

The television coverage will be aired on March 22, 2010 at 5pm eastern. It will be shown on Versus, best known for covering the Indy Car series. Visit their site at www.versus.com. Use the "Channel Finder" on the lower right hand side of the web page to find the cable channel in your area.

View the official race results | View our post-event coverage

Voltphreaks VPR-P6 contingency awarded to Car 95, Team Nitto/Bullet 1

Voltphreaks was a proud contingency sponsor of the 2009 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Mothers. The program offered a completely free VPR-P6 lightweight racing battery system worth $1,900. We are proud to announce that the winner of the contingency award was car #95, Team Nitto/Bullet 1 (Ralph Warren). They will be recieving a VPR-P6 battery, one of the most advanced in the world which can be used to replace just about any battery in any car while only weighing in at a scant 6 pounds! Congratulations to Team Nitto on their performance in the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Televised Coverage of 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill

The Northern California office announced today that there will be significant television coverage for the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill.   Airtime will be purchased on the Versus Channel (formerly Outdoor Life), to air sometime in early 2010.  The show will be at least a one-hour production and focus on the action in the race, as well as feature select race teams.

"The plan is to spread coverage around so that each team will get something," said Event Director, Jerry Kunzman.  "However, we will have interviews and stories with several feature teams.  This will give the production some life to it, and make it more like reality TV."

Check http://www.versus.com/schedule for providers in your local area with the Versus channel.  Chances are you already have it.

The 2009 NASA 25 Hour Post Event Coverage

We will begin adding in coverage of various event writeups from around the world now that the 2009 event is completed.

Post Event Articles

Road & Track's Sam Mitani wrote an entertaining and insightful 3 page article experience racing with the Spoon Team.

Read about the "25 in 25" team in this writeup covering Rick Weldon's historic venture to manage a team of 25 drivers in the world's longest endurance race.

John Dagys from SpeedTV has several articles following the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. A pre-event walkthrough, some live coverage as it happened and a final post event writeup with some great photos.

There was local news coverage from the Oroville Mercury-Register.

Fox40 has a series of segments covering the lead up and the race:

Ronin Automotive writes about the victorious Flying Lizard Motorsports Team

Also about the Flying Lizards, don't miss out on this American Le Mans article or this forum thread discussing the victory.

MotoIQ has a comprehensive summary of the 25 Hours

Read about Spoon Sports and their Civic Type-R and the Spoon post-event writeup.

Team Honda Research West has a great photo gallery of the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

The Garage Blog has a great gallery of the event, and David Leong has posted his own photos.

From the BMW community, bimmerfest.com has a good forum thread on BMWs at the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Miatacage.com has a good writeup, including why they entered the longest endurance race in the world.

Team BMC Tools has a video gallery of their 25 Hour experience. This is an excellent view from a good competitor.

The Grizzly Gazette has an excellent article (with video) detailing the student-made team from Porterville High School going head to head with professional racers.

Team Thunder Valley Racing The 25 Hours in a Factory Five Racing Type 65-R Coupe - The Legend Continues!

Team Thunder Valley Racing, 2009

Not since the legendary days of LeMans racing the 1960's, has a Daytona Coupe replica taken on an endurance race of this magnitude. Following in the footsteps of its racing heritage, Team Thunder Valley Racing campaigned a Factory Five Racing Type 65-R Coupe in this year's 25 Hours of Thunderhill, making it the first ever replica to attempt a 24 hour+ endurance race.

Team Thunder Valley Racing owner/driver Karen Salvaggio, along with co-drivers Paul Kaiser, Rick Anderson, and Troy Lindstrom logged over 1,200 racing miles, and ran a total of seventeen hours during the competition. More than 20 volunteer crewmembers braved the daytime winds and nighttime cold, and supported the Coupe with flawless pitstops and fast, effortless driver changes. The team faced a few mechanical issues along the way, but only one issue occurred during the entire first 12 hours of the race, moving the #28 Type 65-R Coupe into the history books as the longest running Coupe replica to compete in a closed course competition.

Team Thunder Valley Racing Type 65-R Coupe 25 Hours of Thunderhill Video

Nitto Tire sweeps podium at the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.

Nitto Tire 2009 Image

Cypress, CA, December 30, 2009 -- Race teams from around the world gathered in Northern California to compete in the world's longest endurance race, the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The race requires teams to drive throughout the night for 25 hours straight. At the end of 25 hours the team with the most laps in each class is declared the winner. Nitto sponsored team, Bullet Performance, ran in the E0 class, which is the fastest class that requires drivers to use street-legal tires. They won first place running Nitto's NT01 road race radial. The second and third place teams also ran Nitto's NT01s to round out the class podium. This is Nitto's third consecutive class win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

  Team Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance started the race strong, qualifying in the pole position amongst 17 class competitors. When asked about qualifying driver Brett Strom explained, "I qualified on tires that we had been testing hard on for two days. It is a testament to the NT01 that even after numerous heat cycles it can throw down a very fast lap and then go on to last forever during an endurance race."

Track Concierge Racing Scores Top 5 Finish at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Track Concierge Team, 2009

Dublin, CA -- The 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill wasn't easy for the Track Concierge Racing team. After overcoming time consuming repairs and contact from an over ambitious driver, the Track Concierge team finished 5th in class (E0) and 18th overall. The grueling 25 Hours of Thunderhill took its toll on the Track Concierge BMW M3 and held the team from victory. The weekend didn't start off as planned as the engine of the BMW M3 was changed to the back-up motor after testing. After the crew pulled an all-nighter, the car was back and ready to go for the final day of practice.

The team started the race strong, scheduling its first pit stop on Lap 1 to take on additional fuel. The driver lineup of Robbie Montinola, Anthony Zwain, Michael Ramies, Frank Cusack, and Charles Ng proved to be one of the strongest on the field. Each driver drove excellent stints and continued to run consistent laps at a solid pace. Unfortunately time ran out and the Track Concierge team couldn't make up the difference in lost time from the repairs. Finishing is half the battle but the team was hungry for a win and gathered important data from this year's race. One new component to this year's racecar was the BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tires. With excellent support from a team of engineers, the Track Concierge drivers were impressed with its grip level and lifespan. One R1 went the entire race distance, with others changed moderately throughout the race. The drivers praised, "This is the only R-compound we want to race on for the rest of our lives."

7th Annual NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Mothers

RICHMOND, CA - December 9, 2009. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) announced today the successful completion of the 7th annual 25 hours of Thunderhill presented by Mothers® Polishes•Waxes•Cleaners. The race has become a traditional feature event on the NASA calendar and the race is a season highlight for endurance racing teams from all over the world. Nearly 70 teams took the green flag to begin the longest closed course road race in North America on their quest to see if they could "Survive the 25".  The pace of the race was simply staggering this year helped by the uncharacteristically dry and cool weather present for the entire 25 hours of the event. The good weather and lack of full course caution periods helped the overall winning Mercer Motorsports team shatter the previous laps completed record by notching 761 laps and over 2400 miles traveled by the fall of the checkered flag. The event drew the attention of many media outlets including the local Fox television station which offered a great deal of coverage for the event. (FOX40 stories are online here.) Official results from the event have now been posted here.

NASA would like to congratulate not only the class winners, but everyone that competed in the event. "Any team can tell you just how difficult it is competing in a 25 hour long race and each team deserves to be congratulated for taking up that challenge," said Event Director, Jerry Kunzman. 

The 25 Hour event will also be the focus of a one hour long television show which is set to air in early 2010. More complete details regarding the show will be published at a later date.

How C.J. Wilson, an MLB pitcher, saw the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

We're pleased to provide this guest write-up of running the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill by C. J. Wilson.  C. J. Wilson is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers, and raced in a race prepared Mazda MX-5.  Below is C. J.'s own words on successfully completing the longest endurance race, and finishing in 16th place overall:

This past weekend we joined over 70 other cars, and over 250 drivers to compete in the NASA sanctioned "25 Hours of Thunderhill" up north of Sacramento.   Up against the might of factory porsche drivers, various pros from all over the country, and VERY long odds- we managed to gain almost 30 spots from our starting grid spot of 45th to finish 16th overall!

The car we raced was my old Mazda MX5-Cup car prepared by Team MER in Texas.  It's a small and inexpensive but very durable platform, and despite the lack of power can actually turn very impressive lap times due to it's fantastic suspension and high amount of mechanical grip from the tires.   Anyway- How did we get there? 


Track Concierge Racing to go to battle in the E0 class at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Track Concierge

Dublin, CA. (Dec. 2nd, 2009) -- The Track Concierge Racing team will go to battle against tough competition in the E0 class at this year's NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Mothers on December 5th-6th. Team owner, Navid Kahangi, has prepared a previous winning BMW M3 and brought together a talented driver lineup to contest this year's event at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA.

This year brings an exciting driver lineup to the Track Concierge Racing team with diverse backgrounds in formula and sports car racing in championships around the world. Returning to the team are Robbie Montinola and Tony Zwain, who helped pilot the team to a solid finish last year. Montinola has raced professionally for the past 9 years in various series including Star Mazda, Formula BMW USA, and the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Zwain returns to the team after showcasing his driving skills in 2008. His mechanical and driving experience will be a key factor in this year's race. Three new drivers join the team, Michael Ramies, Frank Cusack, and Charles Ng. Ramies won the 2009 Skip Barber Western Championship and enjoyed participating in a driver development program for the USF1 team over the summer. Cusack has competed in several open-wheel series and finished runner-up in the SCCA Formula Enterprise championship in the Golden Gate region. In addition, he has been a podium finisher in the Molecule Formula Mazda Challenge. Ng won the 2009 Skip Barber Mazdaspeed Championship in dominating fashion and has been racing in the Asian Touring Car series this year. He will be competing in various touring car series and the Formula Drift series next season.

Donny Edwards and Team Brimstone Dynasty attempts the Ironman in the world's longest endurance auto race.

Supported by Will Faules, pro driver, and Speed Trapp Racing with up and coming pro driver Christian Harteine, Donny Edwards will attempt the 2009 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Donny Edwards will be driving solo in the highly competitive E2 class in his Brimstone Dynasty Spec E30 BMW.

Most other teams, with 4-6 drivers, will be attempting this grueling feat beginning at 11am Saturday, all through the night, and ending Sunday at noon. Donny Edwards is a past two-time class champion of the Twenty-five hour event with his teammates.

Donny Edwards and Speed Trapp Racing dominated the Spec E30 class this season - except when pro-driver Will Faules showed up to challenge and win.

With Iron-Man Donny Edwards at the wheel and pro-driver Will Faules on standby, Team Brimstone Dynasty will make a run for the title in 2009.

Team Brimstone Dynasties is sponsored by:

  • Durtworks Incorporated
  • Terra Nova Industries
  • Rental Solutions
  • Trout Farm Photography
  • Mother Nature INC.

Get a $2000 Voltphreaks VPR-P6 lightweight battery system for displaying a decal and meeting requirements!

This year, Voltphreaks has stepped onboard with a contingency program giving away a VPR-P6 lithium battery system worth nearly $2000! Team that completes the most laps with a single vehicle while displaying a Voltphreaks decal on their vehicle who also submits the required contingency form will be declared the winner. This means you do not have to be first overall! Decals and contingency forms will be contained in your registration packets.

The Voltphreaks VPR-P6 is a state of the art 6 pound battery system that replaces an Odyssey PC680. Besides the weight difference, battery has 1200 Cranking Amps (can start almost any car), and will last much longer than most batteries of comparable size in terms of runtime when the car's alternator dies, etc. The VPR-P6 is more than just a battery, it's a lightweight battery system. Battery has a built in remote disconnect switch, over-charge prevention, and over-discharge protection. Voltphreaks batteries are currently used by LeMans, NASCAR, drag, rally, and other racers.  More info @ www.voltphreaks.com

Fall-Line Motorsports looks to finish 2009 season on positive note at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Northbrook, IL (Dec. 1, 2009) — On December 5-6, Fall-Line Motorsports looks to conquer a long and grueling 25 hour endurance race that had been known as "The most severe endurance race on the planet," as well as race for a good cause, to once again raise at least $25,000 per car, for a total goal of at least $50,000, in the "Drive for 25" for the Shriners Hospital for Children.

For the second straight year, Fall-Line Motorsports and Shriners Hospital for Children will team up for the "Drive for 25" charity event in NASA's 25 Hours of Thunderhill. This is a lap-for-lap challenge in which the team will raise money for each lap run. For more information, and to donate to the "Drive for 25," please visit www.donate2shc.org/drivefor25.

North Bay's Tiger Racing heads to challenge America's longest and most difficult sports car race

SANTA ROSA, CA — For the sixth year in a row, a North Bay sports car team will challenge America's longest and most difficult sports car race. Tiger Racing/Bavarian Tuning announced that it will compete in the sixth running of the NASA 25 Hours at Thunderhill presented by Mothers® Polishes • Waxes • Cleaners on December 5 and 6, 2008 in Willows, CA.

Competing with 18 other BMW teams and more than 55 other racing teams, Tiger Racing/Bavarian Tuning looks to improve its previous performance in the 2004 BMW M3. New to the team this year is Tony Colicchio, owner of TC Designs in Milpitas, Ca.. Adding to the driver line-up are John Larson, team principal and M3 car owner; and Billy Maher, veteran endurance sports car racer; and owner of Bavarian Tuning, Inc., a Santa Rosa-based BMW repair facility. Returning as Director of Race Operations will be Peter Vinsel.

BiggsB Racing to participate in the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill

BiggsB-Press-Release1_WEB.jpg

BiggsB Racing announced today that they will participate in the 2009 National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Presented by Mothers Polishes, Waxes, and Cleaners, December 5-6 at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA.

BiggsB Racing will field a two-car team this year consisting of the BiggsB Racing / Turn in Concepts '04 Subaru WRX competing in the fast and competitive ES class and the returning BiggsB Racing Miata battling it out in the competitive E2 class.


The C-Note Racing Team returns with their 1970 Datsun 240Z

C-Note 1970 Datsun 270ZThe C-Note Racing Team will contest the 2009 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, in the top ES class. This year's entry marks the team's 5th consecutive run in the ES class, at the world's longest endurance race.

The C-Note Racing team will once again race their trusty steed, a 1970 Datsun 240Z known affectionately by the team as the "War Horse". The team hopes to build on the car's current 2229 lap total at the 25, which may possibly be more than any other car to have ever run the 25.


Team Midnight to once again to tackle the longest endurance race on the planet!

Team_Midnight_1.pngNovember 2nd, 2009 - Sunnyvale, California Team Midnight Performance will campaign its #3 Acura Integra sponsored by Performance Friction Brakes/ROTA Wheels/The Shop/Advanced Clutch Technology in the NASA 25 Hours Of Thunderhill on December 4th, 2009. The Team believes they have found the perfect recipe to win the illusive first place trophy for the team's third appearance at this event.

Ever since completing the 2008 event, the team has been strategically preparing for yet another epic adventure on the 15 turns of Thunderhill Raceway. Utilizing the Acura Integra as their weapon of choice, the team will compete in the ultra-competitive E2 class filled with competitors that are just as motivated to win. "With our combined planning and experience, this is our year to win that trophy!" said driver, Paul Ko.

Carl Chiu, a successful SpecE30 driver will be joining veteran team drivers of Tommy Lo, Paul Ko, and Mario Lento to take on this 25 hour endurance race. "I am excited to drive with such a well organized team!", said driver, Carl Chiu. The four drivers' combined experience in series such as Spec Miata, Spec E30, US Touring Car Championship, and Honda Challenge gives them an advantage in the E2 class. The team will return with the same dedicated and welltrained crew, ensuring success in the pits. "We can't thank our sponsors, families and friends enough. The team is ready and excited to take on the challenge of the 25!" said veteran driver, Tommy Lo.

Team_Midnight_2.pngTeam Midnight Performance is sponsored by Midnight Performance, Performance Friction Brakes, Advanced Clutch Technology, ROTA Wheels, The Shop at San Bruno, Valley Motorwerks and K2RD Engineering. For more information regarding Team Midnight Performance, please visit www.k2rd.com/teammidnight/ or email team.midnightperformance@yahoo.com.

Hawk Contingency program for 25 hours of Thunderhill

The Hawk contingency award program will apply to ALL CLASSES and will award the top five finishers with certificates redeemable toward the purchase of Hawk Performance Brake pads.

26 or more starters 15-25 starters 10-14 starters 5-10 starters
1st-$500 1st-$400 1st-$200 1st-$150
2nd-$300 2nd-$200 2nd-$150 2nd-$100
3rd-$200 3rd-$100 3rd-$75 3rd-$50
4th-$100 4th-$75 4th-$50  
5th-$75 5th-$50 5th-$25  

Competitors must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this contingency. 

  • Display 4 Hawk decals - front, back and each side of the vehicle during the week's event. (Decals will be available at event).
  • No other brake pad company's decals may be displayed on the vehicle.
  • Winning team owner must complete the contingency claim form found HERE and submit it by fax to the number specified within the form. Winning drivers must submit this form by no later than December 30th, 2009 to receive their award.
  • For additional information on contingency programs Hawk Performance is offering this year, please visit the NASA website at www.nasaproracing.com/contingency/hawk.html.

    For more information on Hawk Performance Brake pads, please visit www.hawkperformance.com

The 2009 NASA 25 Hour Commemorative Patch

25_Hour_Patch.jpg

PHS Motorsports prepares for new racing adventure

phs_motorsports.jpgAfter a very successful debut in the Kern County Youth Racing Series, Porterville High School Motorsports program is busy preparing for a new racing endeavor.  A 25hr endurance race.  National Auto Sports Association or NASA will host the longest and most demanding road race in the world (1 hr longer then Le Mans or 24hrs of Daytona) the 25hrs of Thunderhill takes place Dec 5th in Willows California.   A field of approx 70 cars of both professional and amateur teams will make up the field in this annual event.

2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill Event Information

The 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill is being held December 4th-6th, 2009!

This document outlines the entry procedures for the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill Raceway. There are several steps and deadlines, so it is best to read this document carefully. All deadlines are "postmarked by" or "faxed by."

Entry Fee:

The entry fee is $1395. The team will submit a $45 non-refundable fee with the Team Declaration Form. This $45 will be applied to the entry fee, and the balance of $1350 is due November 1st, 2009. The entry fee includes the car and up to four drivers. The submission of the Team Declaration Form, along with payment, will determine the "order of entry."

Additional Drivers:

Each additional (over four) driver is $200. Drivers may be added or subtracted at anytime up to the close of registration, which is 9:00am Saturday, December 5, 2009.

Crewmembers:

Each crewmember must obtain and wear one crew credential during the event, when in the pit lane. If a crewmember is on more than one team, they only need to purchase one crew credential. Crew credentials are $25.

Late Fee:

Entries after November 1st or entries not fully paid (at least $1395 total) will incur a $200 late fee.

Refunds:

All fees are fully refundable, except the $45 team declaration fee and any crew credentials, providing that the car did not go on course any time after 4:30 pm December 4, 2009. Request for refund must be made via email or phone to the NASA office by December 12th, 2009. No refunds after December 12th, 2009.

Step One: Send in the Team Declaration Form (Deadline November 1, 2009)
Step Two: Submit a Vehicle Information Form (Deadline November 10, 2009)
Step Three: Submit Driver Information Forms (Deadline November 17, 2009)
Step Four: Submit Crew Credential Form (Received by November 25, 2009

See how NITTO won the 25 Hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race

Nitto Tire and Team Achilles Motorsports recently competed in the world's longest endurance race: the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The race requires teams to drive throughout the night for 25 hours straight. At the end of 25 hours the team with the most laps is declared the winner. The team campaigned a BMW M3 in the second fastest class overall and the fastest class requiring D.O.T.-compliant tires. The team ran on Nitto's NT01 road race tires. Nitto created a new website that documents the race as it unfolded. 

Despite a shaky start, the race was one of the closest on record. Early in the race the team was forced to pit and make needed repairs, which put them four laps down. Then, as they tried to regain their track position, a dense fog settled over the track, making it difficult to see more than a few car lengths ahead. The fog forced officials to stop the race for over 11 hours. After the restart, the team starts to catch up to the first-place team. But is it enough time?
 
After weeks of preparation and hours of racing, the race came down to a few crucial seconds. The team finished first in their class, with 477 laps completed and a 9-second lead over second place. In fact, the team's laps and times were comparable to faster classes, which have the competitive advantage of using race slicks. When compared to these classes, the team finished second overall, fewer than 15 seconds behind the winner of the fastest class. This is Nitto's second consecutive win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Nitto is the only tire manufacturer to hold back-to-back wins.
 
See how history was made at http://Thunderhill.NittoTire.com.
 
Nitto Tire develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in Japan and the United States, the company strives to provide innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company's web site or contact the company directly. Nitto and Fueled by Enthusiasts are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630. 
 

Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing survive the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing successfully completed the longest race in North America, the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the U.S. Air Force. Team owners Navid Kahangi and Tony Zwain were joined by the Filipino trio of Gaby Dela Merced, Robbie Montinola and Angelo Barretto, who co-drove the Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing BMW M3 to a 6th place finish in class and a 12th place finish overall, out of a large field of 68 racecars

Other Years