Krider Racing, a team that drove its way to success in crap-can racing with both the 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar $500 racecar events, graduated to National Auto Sport Association (NASA) races and competed in the Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC). The team applied their tried-and-true formula from racing beaters and went on to earn the 2010 E3 Championship title in the WERC series. Cameras followed the team to NASA's headline-year-ending event, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. With narration by "RacerBoy" Rob Krider and production from GoRacingTV.com this gritty documentary came to life about what it was like to "Survive the 25."

http://www.goracingtv.com/01/24/2011/the-25-speed-rain-darkness-damage-glory/

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The 25: Speed Rain Darkness Damage Glory
GoRacingTV.com's Documentary of NASA's 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Krider Racing, a team that drove its way to success in crap-can racing with both the 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar $500 racecar events, graduated to National Auto Sport Association (NASA) races and competed in the Western Endurance Racing Championship (WERC). The team applied their tried-and-true formula from racing beaters and went on to earn the 2010 E3 Championship title in the WERC series. Cameras followed the team to NASA's headline-year-ending event, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. With narration by "RacerBoy" Rob Krider and production from GoRacingTV.com this gritty documentary came to life about what it was like to "Survive the 25."

WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 8, 2010) - Team MER soldiered through challenging conditions at Thunderhill Raceway Park to claim its third E1 class win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Though the team's three other cars each had mechanical issues during the race, MER's E1 win was complimented by a valiant comeback for the team's ES entry.

 

For 25 hours of racing, mother nature could not make up her mind at Thunderhill. Though the race started under dry conditions, the rain crept in as the sun went down and it would continue on and off throughout the night. The changing weather conditions resulted in an incident-filled race (including one red flag period), as teams found it difficult to make the right tire choice and find grip.

 

While others struggled, the drivers and crew of the No. 36 Hankook/Burger On/MER MX-5 let the race come to them. Two-time E1 Champ Tyler McQuarrie started the race and was soon in a tight battle with the No. 01 AMG car, exchanging the E1 lead several times in the night. The No. 36 ran as high as third overall in the evening, but by morning, the car had fallen to four laps down. Drivers Darin Polsley, David Cheng and Texas Rangers starting pitcher C.J. Wilson maintained their focus and steadily gained positions. When the No. 01 made contact with another car, it was clear sailing for the No. 36 to take the E1 win by a dominating 45 laps.

 

"Winning our E1 class made me realize that not only do racers need luck, skill and good teammates in the car, they need an awesome crew to set up the car and keep it on track when plans go out the window," Wilson said. "David Cheng, Tyler McQuarrie, Darin Polsley and I really want to thank MAZDASPEED for making such a full commitment to racing-from parts to support-as well as Team MER for providing us with a truly affordable club racer's version of a Le Mans win. We're happy to be a part of the Zoom-Zoom tradition."

 

While the No. 36 enjoyed a drama-free race, the other MER cars were not as lucky. This includes the No. 73 Frank's International/PaveCon/Hoosier/ MER/Sparco MX-5 ES entry, driven by Jason Saini, Jeff Mosing and Russell Walker. After enduring an unwarranted penalty early in the race, Saini managed to place the car as high as sixth overall. The team had another set back when a wheel came off just after Walker took over the helm, but the young MX-5 Cup up-and-comer rallied and put the car back to seventh overall.

 

Through the night, the No. 73 struggled with tire choice, seemingly one step behind the weather with each pit stop. Just as Saini had climbed to fourth overall, the engine let go, the result of the Hoosier slicks having too much grip for the oiling system. Team MER rallied, replacing the engine in short order and returning the No. 73 to the track, where, with the determination of Saini, Mosing and Russell (who all ran double stints the entire race), the car crossed the finish line sixth in the ES class.

 

"Thanks to Jules [Pokorny] and all the crew for giving our team a great car all weekend," Mosing said. "We were running really well into the night but the engine let go at about 3 a.m. Darin [George] and the crew got it changed out and we were back underway."

 

The No. 74 Hankook/AE Performance/DRAW Portfolio MX-5 E1 put the MER crew to the test. Through the demanding 25-hour race, the car required a differential and two transmission changes. Competing in his first wheel-to-wheel race, actor Paul Walker, of the Fast and Furious movie franchise, didn't let the mechanical troubles distract him, displaying the quick and consistent speed of a veteran racer. Though Walker and co-drivers Roger Rodas, Jeff Westphal and Carl Rydquist fought hard to overcome the setbacks, their bid for a comeback victory fell short when the engine let go with little more than an hour remaining.

 

"It was a difficult race, but there is no way to learn more about the challenges of endurance racing," Rydquist said. "Also, I'd like to extend my appreciation to National Auto Sport Association, race directors, Thunderhill track staff and rescue crews for putting on a great and safe race."

 

Even more frustrating than a mechanical failure, is a mechanical failure so rare, that parts cannot be sourced at the track. That is exactly what befell the No. 80 MER/Hoosier RX-8 entered in the E0 class. Early in the race, the power plant frame, which connects the engine and gearbox to the differential, broke. Unable to find a spare in the paddock (even amongst the street cars), the team attempted to weld the frame at a nearby shop. It proved to be only a quick fix. When it broke a second time, the No. 80, driven by Eric Curran, Shannon McMasters, Dan Watkins and Ward Herst was unable to continue. It was a real disappointment for a car that showed tremendous promise.

 

"It's the most fun I've had in a race car all year long!" Curran exclaimed on the radio.

 

"Thunderhill was especially grueling this year," Team MER co-owner Saini said. "The weather kept everyone guessing and with four cars, sometimes we guessed right and sometimes we guessed wrong. It's disappointing that all the cars couldn't share in the success of the No. 36, but that's just how endurance racing goes. I'm proud of our team for giving it all they had and coming away with our third E1 class win. We'll take what we learned this year and be back in 2011 looking for the overall win.

 

Team MER thanks its 25 Hours of Thunderhill sponsors for their support:

 

No. 36 Mazda MX-5: Hankook, Burger On

No. 73 Mazda MX-5: Sparco, Hoosier, 949 Racing, Frank's International, PaveCon, Safecraft, Moto-East

No. 74 Mazda MX-5: Hankook, AE performance, Reachout Worldwide, the DRAW portfolio

No. 80 Mazda RX-8: Sparco, Hoosier, 949 Racing, ProParts

 

 

About Team MER (Motorsports Enterprises Racing)

Based at the MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, Team MER is a leader in Mazda performance, consistently developing the best SCCA, GRAND-AM and NASA cars for purchase, rental or testing. By combining a Championship-winning race team, modification and enhancement shop, research and development facilities and full PR/media services, Team MER is uniquely suited to serve every level of customer, from weekend enthusiast to amateur and pro-level racers. Led by one of Spec Miata's founding fathers, Shannon McMasters, and professional driver Jason Saini, Team MER employs some of the best and brightest talent available in all disciplines of motorsports. The combination of technical expertise and driving talent is unique in the industry and a proven recipe for success. To learn more visit www.goteammer.com.

Portland, Oregon - December 7, 2010 - Team MiataCage.com won the prestigious 2010 NASA 25-Hour of Thunderhill sports car race last Sunday. When the checkered flag fell, the 1992 MiataCage.com # 2 Mazda Miata not only finished 1st in the ultra-competitive E3 class but found themselves finishing 8th overall in an impressive field of 72 starters.

What makes this victory even more impressive for this Northwest team is they placed ahead of the eventual E2 class winner, which is for much faster cars. But not stopping with that, this team even would have been on the podium in the even faster class of E1. These results had competitors scratching their heads at this outstanding performance of the team.

The MiataCage.com entry, owned by Sean Hedrick, completed a total of 590 laps on the 3.2 mile road course for a total of 1,888 miles. The drivers were Ken Sutherland of Sherwood, OR, Will Schrader of Happy Valley, OR, Jonny Davies of Hood River, OR and Bruce Wilson of West Linn, OR.

With rain falling during the majority of the race, it was a combination of great drivers, flawless pit stops and creative pit strategy. The Mazda Miata also enjoyed the advantage of superior fuel economy compared to their closest competitors. The ultra-competitive class of E3 brought out many different types of manufactures to run for the title. It also included two new 2011 Hybrid entries from an import manufacturer representing the latest technology available on the market today. But the factory effort was reminded how powerful grassroots racing, a strong passion, and a commitment to winning can produce.

Quotes:
Sean Hedrick, President of MiataCage.com: "I am so proud of the team we put together. The effort put forth to win two trophies in the longest endurance racing event in North America is staggering and it took 100% from each and every member of our team. We brought a knife to a gun fight and were able to execute our fuel and tire plans and stay out of trouble. Our crew chief Bryan Clemmons had fuel calculated perfectly with a track that had constantly changing conditions. The Toyo Tires and Carbotech brakes were outstanding and provided a consistent and manageable platform that allowed us to focus on driving. I also have to thank the team at MazdaSpeed Motorsports Development. I can't say enough about how committed they are to helping the club racer. Without their help and support we would not be racing at all. It took us three years to accomplish our goal of winning, but it was certainly well worth all the blood, sweat and tears."

Team Info:
MiataCage.com specializes in parts, car builds and services to the SpecMiata racing community. Sponsors of the MiataCage.Com # 2 Mazda Miata include: Northwest Superfinish, Inspired Salts, Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development, Toyo Tires, Wyatt Fire Protection, Midas Auto Service, E & L Machine Shop, Maz/Toy Auto Recycling, Fast Undercar, Factory Wheel Outlet, Fat Cat Motorsports, Mac's Radiator, Ed Pavone, SMI Motorsports, and Hood River Coffee Company.

For more on the team, check out the team race blog - www.meettheroad.wordpress.com More on the company that made the victory happen can be found at www.miatacage.com

Portland, Oregon - December 7, 2010 - Team MiataCage.com won the prestigious 2010 NASA 25-Hour of Thunderhill sports car race last Sunday. When the checkered flag fell, the 1992 MiataCage.com # 2 Mazda Miata not only finished 1st in the ultra-competitive E3 class but found themselves finishing 8th overall in an impressive field of 72 starters.

What makes this victory even more impressive for this Northwest team is they placed ahead of the eventual E2 class winner, which is for much faster cars. But not stopping with that, this team even would have been on the podium in the even faster class of E1. These results had competitors scratching their heads at this outstanding performance of the team.

The MiataCage.com entry, owned by Sean Hedrick, completed a total of 590 laps on the 3.2 mile road course for a total of 1,888 miles. The drivers were Ken Sutherland of Sherwood, OR, Will Schrader of Happy Valley, OR, Jonny Davies of Hood River, OR and Bruce Wilson of West Linn, OR.

With rain falling during the majority of the race, it was a combination of great drivers, flawless pit stops and creative pit strategy. The Mazda Miata also enjoyed the advantage of superior fuel economy compared to their closest competitors. The ultra-competitive class of E3 brought out many different types of manufactures to run for the title. It also included two new 2011 Hybrid entries from an import manufacturer representing the latest technology available on the market today. But the factory effort was reminded how powerful grassroots racing, a strong passion, and a commitment to winning can produce.

Quotes:
Sean Hedrick, President of MiataCage.com: "I am so proud of the team we put together. The effort put forth to win two trophies in the longest endurance racing event in North America is staggering and it took 100% from each and every member of our team. We brought a knife to a gun fight and were able to execute our fuel and tire plans and stay out of trouble. Our crew chief Bryan Clemmons had fuel calculated perfectly with a track that had constantly changing conditions. The Toyo Tires and Carbotech brakes were outstanding and provided a consistent and manageable platform that allowed us to focus on driving. I also have to thank the team at MazdaSpeed Motorsports Development. I can't say enough about how committed they are to helping the club racer. Without their help and support we would not be racing at all. It took us three years to accomplish our goal of winning, but it was certainly well worth all the blood, sweat and tears."

Team Info:
MiataCage.com specializes in parts, car builds and services to the SpecMiata racing community. Sponsors of the MiataCage.Com # 2 Mazda Miata include: Northwest Superfinish, Inspired Salts, Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development, Toyo Tires, Wyatt Fire Protection, Midas Auto Service, E & L Machine Shop, Maz/Toy Auto Recycling, Fast Undercar, Factory Wheel Outlet, Fat Cat Motorsports, Mac's Radiator, Ed Pavone, SMI Motorsports, and Hood River Coffee Company.

For more on the team, check out the team race blog - www.meettheroad.wordpress.com More on the company that made the victory happen can be found at www.miatacage.com

Willows, CA - 12.05.10: For the newly formed team of Grip Racing/Wilson Motorsports, finishing this year's 25 Hours of Thunderhill was an especially emotional accomplishment.

The #21 Lexus IS300 Campaign was in honor of the late Tim Nickel, a fellow racer and friend who recently lost his battle with cancer. Nickel was the owner of the white Lexus and made it very clear before he passed away that he wanted the car in the 25-hour this year. Grip Racing, in partnership with Wilson Motorsports, took the honor of entering the IS300 in the longest sports car race in the world.

Signing a roster of experienced/pro drivers was one of the most important items on the list. "The 25 is a brutal race and we wanted the car to finish, while hopefully getting a solid result," said Team Principal Mark McManus. "So we wanted guys with strong experience that would take care of the car and run as consistent laps as possible." Veteran 25-Hour drivers Johnny Kanavas, Scott Webb, Kai Goddard, Beau Borders, and John Klusendorf would pilot the #21 entry through 25 hours virtually unscathed.

The car arrived at Thunderhill with an entirely new setup for the race, untested on the 3-mile road course. After some testing and very few changes, all the drivers agreed that they had a good car on their hands.

Testing led into a messy qualifying session with lots of traffic and a few full-course caution periods. The team ended up seventh of 10 in the E1 class after qualifying, not able to show the true speed of their Lexus but knowing they had a good endurance car.

Kanavas would take the first stint in the IS300, driving clean and consistent, moving the car through the field and up to third in the E1 class. "We had a clean start and stayed out of trouble," he said. "Many were racing hard right away, resulting in contact and off track excursions. Our car was good and we wanted to keep it that way."

Scott Webb followed and not long into his stint an Acura came in contact with the Lexus resulting in a broken right-front wheel and flat tire, forcing the #21 to pit for repairs. Webb would get back to the job at hand and run the Lexus through another consistent stint, handing the car over to Kai Goddard in fourth place. Like the two before him, Goddard would turn in very consistent lap times while keeping the car out of trouble.

After analyzing their tire wear, the crew called Goddard into the pits under a full-course yellow for a back-paddock stop where the crew of Bob Wilson, Brian Mezger, Justin Betesfandiar, Mark McManus and Shane Donley would change the brakes and adjust the front camber, gaining better tire wear over the long run. Borders took over for Goddard, followed by Klusendorf, who faced a short red flag period with about 15 hours to go.  

Kanavas started the first rounds of double stints around 9:30pm on a wet and slippery racetrack followed again by Webb, Goddard, Borders, and Klusendorf.
"It was a delicate balance out there in the dark.  Cars were going off everywhere," Kai Goddard said. Finally able to switch back to dry weather tires, Borders hopped in and was able to pick up the pace again.

The Lexus IS300 kept on track and turning laps, until a front hub failure at the 23-hour mark with Klusendorf on board. The crew jumped on the right front hub repair, putting the car back on track with just under 1.5 hours to go.

The #21 took the checkered flag at 12 pm Sunday, sitting fifth in the E1 class and 34th overall (of 69), about 15 laps down from third and fourth place.  

When the car rolled into pit lane after the race there wasn't a dry eye on the team. The emotions of finishing a 25-hour race while honoring Tim Nickel, a great friend of the racing community, were overwhelming. Not only did the Lexus finish, but minus the late hub failure, the IS300 didn't skip a beat for 25 hours.

"We are very proud of our result," said McManus. "Our new team worked hard while thinking outside the box and our drivers drove smart and clean. We managed to run for all 25 hours, making many pit stops, without one penalty! I know Tim was watching over us through the entire thing."

The effort would not have been possible without the support of sponsors: PIAA, Motul, Fresno Tap Recycling, Car Quest, Slicart Custom Apparel, Ground Control Suspension, South Bay Driveline, CRU-DataPort, SportTruckRV.com, the Jeff Andretti Coaching Group, and eprodius-media development.

Team Principal Mark McManus and his drivers conducted multiple interviews with RevItUpRadio.net before, during and after the race. The interviews will be broadcast throughout December at: www.RevItUpRadio.net

For Official Team Photos see >
> http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?fid=5d0dcdfeaea4aa1e&startIndex=0&sid=8AcNmLJm4bN3eA

> http://www.flickr.com/photos/diaphanous999/sets/72157625553975274/

For official results see >
http://www.nasaproracing.com/results/norcal.html?mylaps=type,run,runid,1760018