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
The Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing M3 qualified 3rd place in class by driver Robbie Montinola. The team started the race off strong and developed a solid pace to keep the car intact for the 25-hour race. After a few hours, Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing took the lead in the E0 class and continued to stay in the Top 3. Driver changes went flawless, pit stops were excellent and the Team Castrol-STR strategy was working well. Only one unscheduled pit stop was made during the first half of the race and all the drivers drove great stints. As the race reached darkness, thick fog began to roll in and the race was stopped due to the dangerous conditions. Not till 5AM did the race resume and it became an all out sprint to the finish.
"The fog was unfortunate, we had a strong car at night with very capable drivers and I felt we would pull away during the dark," said Montinola. "Overall, the car was great and the Team Castrol-STR crew did an amazing job. It was a close race to the finish and I believe we can win next year!"
During the morning stints, a few unscheduled pit stops had to be made due to a flat tire and a change of brake pads. After, the drivers were given the go-ahead to run flat out until the finish. Running a very fast pace, the Team Castrol-STR M3 was making up time and gaining positions but fell short in time and crossed the line in 6th place. "Just finishing is an amazing feat and a Top 10 finish is a great place to build off of for next year," said Montinola. "We know what we need to do for 2009 and have a whole year to prepare for this race. We'll go for the win!"
"I couldn't have been more pleased with the way we ran the race. The Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing M3 never missed a beat. We had no mechanical failures and the car was as strong after 18 hours of racing as it was at the beginning. The Speed Trapp Racing crew showed great capability and poise throughout the race, completing very quick pit stops and incurring no penalties. All five drivers were very consistent and doing lap times in the target range that we set at the beginning of the race. After the stoppage, we showed that we also had the pace to compete for the win. Unfortunately, setting a pace for 25 hours and having the race shortened to 18 hours due to weather conditions did not play into our strategy," said car owner and co-driver Navid Kahangi.
"I was particularly impressed with the dynamic of the Team," Barretto stressed. "They shared their knowledge and resources openly with us and gave us a great opportunity to go for a win out there."
"STR's ability to build and support a "competitive" car on a limited budget that had no mechanic issues, posted the 2nd best lap time in class, finished 6th in class and 12th overall in our debut at the 25hr proves that STR's passion and precision does equal performance," added Speed Trapp Racing owner Sean Trapp.
Team Castrol-STR is sponsored by Castrol Philippines, Speed Trapp Racing, Edge Motorworks, Sennheiser, Skip Barber Racing School, Puma, Tag Heuer Sportvision, TPR Magazine and Xenon Bulbs.
About the 25 Hours of Thunderhill The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the U.S. Air Force is the longest endurance race in the United States. Sanctioned by NASA, the National Auto Sport Association, The 25 Hours of Thunderhill features a large field nonstop action and prestige of the event attract top teams and drivers from across the country to compete in this race. The 25 Hours of Thunderhill takes place at Thunderhill Raceway Park, a few hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area.
For more information, please visit:
"The fog was unfortunate, we had a strong car at night with very capable drivers and I felt we would pull away during the dark," said Montinola. "Overall, the car was great and the Team Castrol-STR crew did an amazing job. It was a close race to the finish and I believe we can win next year!"
During the morning stints, a few unscheduled pit stops had to be made due to a flat tire and a change of brake pads. After, the drivers were given the go-ahead to run flat out until the finish. Running a very fast pace, the Team Castrol-STR M3 was making up time and gaining positions but fell short in time and crossed the line in 6th place. "Just finishing is an amazing feat and a Top 10 finish is a great place to build off of for next year," said Montinola. "We know what we need to do for 2009 and have a whole year to prepare for this race. We'll go for the win!"
"I couldn't have been more pleased with the way we ran the race. The Team Castrol-Speed Trapp Racing M3 never missed a beat. We had no mechanical failures and the car was as strong after 18 hours of racing as it was at the beginning. The Speed Trapp Racing crew showed great capability and poise throughout the race, completing very quick pit stops and incurring no penalties. All five drivers were very consistent and doing lap times in the target range that we set at the beginning of the race. After the stoppage, we showed that we also had the pace to compete for the win. Unfortunately, setting a pace for 25 hours and having the race shortened to 18 hours due to weather conditions did not play into our strategy," said car owner and co-driver Navid Kahangi.
"I was particularly impressed with the dynamic of the Team," Barretto stressed. "They shared their knowledge and resources openly with us and gave us a great opportunity to go for a win out there."
"STR's ability to build and support a "competitive" car on a limited budget that had no mechanic issues, posted the 2nd best lap time in class, finished 6th in class and 12th overall in our debut at the 25hr proves that STR's passion and precision does equal performance," added Speed Trapp Racing owner Sean Trapp.
Team Castrol-STR is sponsored by Castrol Philippines, Speed Trapp Racing, Edge Motorworks, Sennheiser, Skip Barber Racing School, Puma, Tag Heuer Sportvision, TPR Magazine and Xenon Bulbs.
About the 25 Hours of Thunderhill The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the U.S. Air Force is the longest endurance race in the United States. Sanctioned by NASA, the National Auto Sport Association, The 25 Hours of Thunderhill features a large field nonstop action and prestige of the event attract top teams and drivers from across the country to compete in this race. The 25 Hours of Thunderhill takes place at Thunderhill Raceway Park, a few hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area.
For more information, please visit:
www.montinola.com
www.gabydelamerced.ph
www.speedtrappracing.net
www.edgemotorworks.com
