Nitto Tire sweeps podium at the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.
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."
When the flag dropped, the team ran consistent laps and they soon found themselves battling a Honda-backed team for first place. In the middle of the night, the team faced its first serious challenge. A cracked header sent the team in for repairs. The repair cost the team a total of three pit stops and 38 minutes. Even with the setback, the team rallied, submitted consistently fast laps and worked their way from third to first place before dawn.
After 25 hours of racing and 682 laps completed, Bullet Performance took first place. In addition to winning first place, the team set a class record for the most laps completed. Rounding out the podium was Andiamo Racing/Bullet Performance 2, who completed 675 laps, and Team The BMW Store 2, who completed 668 laps. All three teams ran Nitto's NT01 D.O.T.-compliant road race radial.
In addition to sweeping the podium at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Nitto took home an additional win in the Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC), which holds a six-hour endurance race concurrently with the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Team Project Scion competed in the E1 class with Nitto NT01s. Along with the class win, the team took home the series championship. Footage of the races will air on the Versus channel in early 2010. For more information and a schedule of air times, visit http://www.versus.com/schedule.
"We are extremely happy with the performance of the NT01," said Harry Kong, from Nitto's marketing department. "Winning first-, second- and third-place finishes is a great testament to the NT01's durability and performance."
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 of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.
