NASA 25 Hour Historical Archives

Televised Coverage of 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2009-12-01T22:09:42Z

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.

]]> There are currently two slots still open to become a featured team. NASA is looking for interesting stories to cover, as well as for a team that is willing to help with a little funding to offset production costs. "If no teams come forward with offers to help fund the production costs, the show will be subsidized from the event's budget," said Kunzman. "This gives assurances to all the teams, the production and airing will go on as planned, no matter what. With this in mind, private teams should be able to more easily obtain sponsorship for the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill."

Teams interested in being a featured team on the TV show, should send their team information to jerry@drivenasa.com. Incomplete and/ or informal proposals will be accepted at this point.

For more information email Jerry Kunzman at jerry@drivenasa.com or call 510-232-6272

See how NITTO won the 25 Hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race

2009-04-20T05:17:56Z

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.

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

2009-01-26T16:14:14Z

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 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

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Nitto Tire Wins 25 Hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race

2009-01-01T00:55:32Z

Nitto Tire teamed up with Achilles Motorsports from Fresno, Calif., for the world's longest endurance race: the 2008 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. After an extremely close race, 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 company to hold consecutive wins.

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As night fell on the track, so did a thick fog. The fog became so dense that the series officials stopped the race until it cleared. After a 7.5-hour delay, the team restarted the race second in class and once again found themselves battling the Honda team. The two teams swapped the lead at every pit stop. With 20 minutes on the clock Achilles Motorsports regained the lead and held it to finish the race in first place, 9 seconds ahead of second place. The team also set down the fastest class lap at 1:57:2 and finished first amongst all teams with a 2.0-liter or larger engine. This is Nitto's second consecutive win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The team was rewarded with two trophies: a 7-foot tall class trophy and an additional trophy for the 2.0-liter win.

"It was a really close race," explained Terrence Ng with Nitto's marketing department. "After the morning re-start everyone's attention was focused on our race for first place. We were able to regain the lead with only 20 minutes left on the clock. With a bit more time, I think we could have taken the overall win."

When asked about his victory, driver Marc Ghafouri attributed much of the success to the tires: "We were battling against a Honda factory team equipped with Hoosiers. Thankfully, we were running on Nitto's NT01s and were extremely competitive. Tires win races so it's no accident that Nitto has back-to-back wins in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The NT01s are fast, durable and economically priced." The NT01 is designed to provide the best balance of traction, consistency, heat cycle performance and longevity.

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.

Achilles Motorsport and Nitto at the 2008 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2008-12-22T17:03:05Z

For the third year in a row Nitto Tire attended the 25 Hours of Thunderhill race, presented by the United States Air force at Thunderhill race way in Willows, California. On December 6th Nitto Tire made history by becoming the first Tire Manufacturer to win this prestigious race two years in a row. Nitto sponsored team Achilles Motorsport from Fresno, California. Equipped with a BMW M3, Nitto's D.O.T approved road race radial NT01 tires and ROTORA brakes Achilles Motorsport won their class and finished 2nd over all 14 seconds behind the overall winning team on the lead lap. The team also takes home the over two liter trophy. Achilles Motorsport competed in E0 class, which is the fastest class that requires D.O.T. tires.

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This year the race started under a clear blue California sky. With the wave of the green flag the 68 car field stormed through turn one. Starting from the middle of the pack it was a chaotic start for Achilles Motorsport, however after a few laps the BMW M3 settled into a comfortable low 02:00:00 minute lap times steadily moving up the field. Team driver VJ Mirzayan attributed their success to the dependability of BMW motor cars, Nitto Tire's road race radial NT01 and unsurpassed stopping power of ROTORA brakes. Team owner and driver Marc Ghafouri added: "with the amazing grip of NT01s under me and ROTORA brakes to slow me down, I had complete confidence in the car to pass any where I wanted on the track and move up the field."

As one would expect the competition was extremely strong in a race of this caliber. In fact Achilles Motorsport battled the Honda team Dreams Motorports virtually from the start of the race, trading positions with every fuel stop. After 25 hours of racing Achilles Motorsport BMW M3 passed the 2009 Honda Civic with 20 minutes remaining on the clock to finish 9 seconds ahead of Dreams Motorsports and 14 seconds behind the over all winning team. Achilles Motorport driver Billy Johnson, from the GrandAm series, set the fastest E0 class lap of 01:57:203 for the race.

Team Achilles Motorsport is extremely pleased to bring back the championship to Nitto Tire company. We could not have competed at the level we did in such a challenging race with out the hard work of our team led by chief Mechanic Mino Monrovian , steady hand of car chief Robert Rayburn and drivers Boris Nizon, Ara Malkassian, Gil Caravantes, and Billy Johnson. In addition to Nitto Tire www.nittotire.com and ROTORA brakes www.rotora.com; Piloti Shoes www.piloti.com , KW Suspension www.kw-suspension.com , PIAA lights www.piaa.com , the law firm of Davis Wright LLP www.dwt.com , BMWCCA Los Angeles chapter were additional sponsors who made this historic win possible.

Team Achilles Motorport also thanks Jerry Kunzman from NASA www.nasaproracing.com for putting on another fantastic race and Thunderhill raceway www.thunderhill.com for hosting the race. Thunderhill raceway just completed a multi million dollar capital investment on the track which made the over-two second faster lap times from last year possible.

TC Motorsports 2008 25 Hours of Thunderhill race notes

2008-12-18T18:04:15Z

TC Motorsports finished in the top ten at the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Presented by the U.S. Air Force, on December 6-7 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA.

With support from Ford Racing, TC Motorsports started the Friday test day with a well sorted car, well prepared team, and lap times competitive with the rest of the ES class and overall entries. TC Motorsports was the team to beat and was poised to have a great finishing result for the overnight race event. Unfortunately, the race did not go entirely to plan. During the pace lap prior to the start of the race, a problem occurred with Ford Racing development power plant on the #8 FR500S and the team was forced to make a pit stop for repairs on the first green flag lap.
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The team did not have a spare engine, but they did have a spare racecar in the transporter. With a never give up spirit, the team removed the spare car from the transporter, removed the engines from both the racecar and spare car, and installed the engine from the spare car into the racecar. The team worked incredibly hard. Every crew person had a specific job and was practiced in the procedure, which accounts for the fact that the operation only took four hours to complete. While it was quick work, it still gave the entire race field a four hour head start.

Once the engine replacement was complete, the car was off and running and the team had no other option but to run as hard as possible and try to chase down the rest of the pack, already well over 100 laps ahead. The team just needed time on track to make the chase work, as it had one of the fastest cars on track.

Time is something that the race would be a little short on because a little before 7:00 PM the race was red flagged, and racing came to a stop due to heavy fog. The race was started again at 5:00 AM the next morning, cutting ten hours from the total race time of 25 hours.

Back on track, drivers Carlo Sparacio, Rick Edwards, Steve Miller, Jeff Van Lierop, and Ted Anthony, Jr. made good time and fast, consistent laps, moving closer to the front with every lap. At the checkered flag, the #8 TC Motorsports/Ford Racing Mustang FR500S was solidly mid pack, 10th place in class, and 45th overall.

"Our crew is phenomenal! The engine swap was fast and efficient, pit stops for tires, fuel, and brake pads went exactly as practiced, were lightning fast, and error free. I would put our guys up against the best in the world when it comes to getting the job done before, during, and after a race. I am lucky to be surrounded by such a talented team. While we did not have the best on-track result, we showed everyone what we are made of when it comes to teamwork, technical knowledge, practical skills, and execution of a professional endurance racing operation. Thanks to Jeff Feit at Ford Racing for his engineering support, Lynda Randall and Candice Bailey for the excellent hospitality chalet at the track, and Ford Racing Mustang Challenge and BF Goodrich for providing parts and tire support at the track. Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is the place to race and we are really looking forward to returning to the scheduled season in 2009," commented Sparacio.

TC Motorsports updated a live blog during the event at www.tcm25thunderhill2008.blogspot.com/ and you can log in to see images and stories about the race event and get more information about the team of crew and drivers.

TC Motorsports, LLC is a client-based motorsports company that provides racecar preparation, maintenance, and transportation, as well as full arrive and drive support, driver coaching, and racecar rentals for amateur and professional racing series. To find out more about opportunities to drive with TC Motorsports please visit the company website at www.tcmotorsports.net.

Source: TC Motorsports press release

The 2008 25 Hours of Thunderhill can't stop the toughest Scion tC on the planet

2008-12-15T19:44:19Z

They went into the race weekend hoping for a solid finish and came out of it with a tale to tell for the rest of their lives.

It should have been the end of the weekend for the Team MPME/Scion/GST Motorsports Scion tC. Late Thursday - at 4:30 pm, the sole entry from Marshall Pruett Motorsports Engineering had the wildest and most frightening ride of its short life. (Watch Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H48cXV35gw)

Read the full story right here!

The 2008 Official Results

2008-12-12T05:00:39Z

Update: Our post-event page now has the winners circle photos!

To see the standings, please visit our MyLaps.com page. Stay tuned for more updates to celebrate the conclusion of the 2008 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

For full practice results and all timing data, view our results details page.

We also have our post-event page with additional information.

The 2008 25 Hours of Thunderhill Post Event Write-up

2008-12-12T04:57:17Z

The United States Air Force 25, uh, 17 Hours, well, actually 28 Hours of Thunderhill 2008

by Rob Krider, NASA Staff Writer

As Americans, we like our stuff big. We like our SUVs big, our hamburgers big and we like our automobile races big. This is where the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) gives us what we like: The 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the United States Air Force. This is the longest automotive endurance race in North America. Yup, it's that big.

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The tag line for the event is "Survive the 25" which is simply, yet, very eloquently put. Survival is the name of the game. The pole position, or a gnarly testicular pass into turn one will not win anyone the esteemed 25 Hours of Thunderhill trophy (yes, it's big, 7 feet tall big). Endurance, perseverance, and more specifically, "keeping your nose clean" will give you a shot at the giant trophy. Facts are facts; you can't win the race sitting in the pits with a snapped tie rod, a crumpled fender and a drooling radiator.

That's where this big story here takes us, to the pits. At the beginning of the race, at 11 a.m. on December 6, 2008, the weather in Willows, California couldn't have been better. The sun was out, but the temperature was still cool enough to keep the tires from disintegrating after only one of the 25 long hours. When the green flag dropped six different classes of cars barreled into Thunderhill Raceway Park's left hand turn one. But not all of the 70 plus cars were actually on the track. There were a few unfortunate cars and teams that didn't even survive qualifying or practice.

In the pits, some crews worked feverishly to get their whips running, while others scratched their heads and just stared dumbfounded at non running engines. I've tried that method of automotive repair myself, staring at the car hoping it will fix itself; it has never worked for me either. I talked with a crew member from one of the teams which had a car sitting motionless in the pits as the first precious laps of the race clicked by. The crew member said the car had an oil leak, but he didn't appear to be in any panic or hurry to get to fixing it. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's a long race, we'll get the car out there." True, 25 hours is a long race, but while he and I shot the breeze about the complexities of the modern internal combustion engine, the rest of the cars were making laps while his team's car continued to make a larger oil puddle. I'll save you the suspense, these guys didn't win.

    Races are all about being first and winning. Team GTI Racing, in their #07 EO classed BMW, was the first team to take the green flag and then come right into the pits. The car was overheating after one single lap. That one glorious lap was all they completed for the entire weekend. For doing that, they actually did win something. They won the title of being the first team out of the race. Hey, it has to be somebody.

    Outside of the world of the pits (where cars came to die), there was an actual automobile race going on. Cars were blazing around the hills of Willows at unbelievable speeds for the amount of cars on the track and the length of the race. Some call that ludicrous speed. After his first stint, I spoke with Dean Thomas, driver of the #65 Evil Genius Racing E2 classed Mazda Miata, who described the start of the race as "hectic." He said it was obvious some of the drivers were unfamiliar with the 15 turn course that comprises Thunderhill and that some teams were driving way too hard for a long endurance race. Thomas's assessment was proven accurate by the number of cars I witnessed going off in the dirt early in the race (specifically a wonderful lawn job done by the Prototype Development Group GTM-R #4 ES classed car coming out of turn 10) and by the number of cars already on the hook. The #94 E2 classed red RX-7 of Team B.A.M.F. Racing was being towed out of turn 11 before the first hour was up. The #85 E0 classed Factory Five Cobra, from Team Racing 4 A Reason, found itself spending time with a hooker as well after a broken throttle cable left it abandoned on the track near the chute.

    The #65 car was leading E2 early in the race when the motor suddenly ran out of oil. This minor set back of not having oil led to an inevitable engine failure, which thus led to an inevitable engine swap. The impressive part was the Evil Genius Racing crew was able to pull it off in an hour and forty minutes. Truly amazing. What's curious is the fact that when a shop charges by the hour for an engine swap it takes 12 hours, but at the race track they can somehow do it in less than two. I guess motivation is a fantastic thing.

    As the race continued on, drivers and teams began to get their groove and the pace on track seemed to settle down to a reasonable endurance racing level, which is somewhere around 7.5 to 8 tenths. That equals about 500 revs below redline, maybe a foot of track on the outside exit of each corner, ten feet shallower braking zones and a little less tire squeal. For the teams that didn't heed this new pace and continued at ludicrous speed, attrition embraced them one by one.

    One of the more interesting cars competing in the event was the #1 ES classed Volkswagen Beetle of Team Fun-Cup. As the car motored around the track at speed it looked like the world's fastest Volkswagen Bug (don't get jealous Herbie). After it ate a flywheel, I got a chance to look at the car up close in the pits while the team feverishly tried to swap in a new part. Writers for Car & Driver magazine were drivers on the team and explained that the only part of the car that is vintage Beetle is the windshield wiper arms. The car is a tube frame spec race car from Europe with a mid-engine water cooled VW Gulf motor which runs on E85 (Friday night the team endured a 400 mile all night road trip through the Bay Area frantically searching for a 24 hour E85 pump with a credit card reader). From the guys who make a living writing about cars and racing, the only quote I could get from Car & Driver as their racecar sat in several pieces was, "First few hours were great. Now, not so much." Cut, go to print.

    The real beauty of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill is at sunset. Teams try to adjust their pit schedule just right to do a driver change, add fuel and then strap on some five gazillion candle power lights to the hood of their cars so drivers can see in the vast darkness. As the sky goes purple, the lights on the race machines start to come on. And as the light in the sky continues to dissipate, you begin to see the red glow of the brake rotors as the cars dive deep into each corner. It is a really cool thing to observe as the race transcends into the night.

    When the sun set on day one the leader board read as follows: Leading overall and class ESR was #06 Team Cytosport driving a Pontiac Riley sponsored by Muscle Milk with a solid three lap lead over the #87 Honda powered Team Green Alternative Motorsports Norma. In ES the #70 Team Trimtex/Fall Line Motorsports BMW had the class lead. In EO the #16 Team Dreams Motorsports Honda Civic Si was leading its class. E1 showed the #29 Team MazdaSpeed/Team MER 2 new generation Mazda Miata winning. E2 class had the #2 Mazda Miata of Team Miatacage.com on top, with the #23 RJ Racing Mazda Miata in second and in third the all ladies team of Diva Speed driving their #5 Acura Integra. It would be only one of these class leaders that could hold on from their sunset standings to finish as a winner.

    The great weather at the beginning of the race ended up actually being a curse for the event. The warm weather during the day combining with rapidly dropping temperatures in the evening was a recipe for thick fog. As the fog settled low with over 17 hours of racing to go, officials threw the red light on the tower and brought the teams in. Good news for the support staff: everyone could get some sleep. Bad news for the teams: nobody can work on their cars during the red flag. Instead of getting a chance to fix a leaking hose or re-align the steering, crew chiefs laid in their motor homes trying to sleep, but instead tossed and turned, obsessing about when they could touch the cars and how quickly they could fix any problems and get back on track.

    One crew that had a very busy weekend was that of the ES class #27 car of Team MPME/Team Scion/Modified Mag in a white Scion TC. It turns out TC is the acronym for Traffic Collision as the Scion rolled during practice. The car was thrown back together and a new door was sourced from somewhere (it's possible that I saw a white rental car with its passenger door missing in the parking lot). After getting the car back on track for the race start, the crew later had to swap out a transmission prior to the race starting over after the fog lifted.

    After an eleven hour delay due to the fog, at 5:00 a.m. on December 7, 2008, the green flag was waving again at Thunderhill Raceway Park. Teams were rested, tires were cold and the road to the finish was in the driver's sights (well, almost anyway). Due to the weather delay, the end of the race was postponed to 3:00 p.m. (as opposed to the scheduled 12:00 p.m.) thus making the race 28 hours in length as opposed to 25, with around 17 hours of actual racing. As the race got back underway the overall leader, Team Cytosport in their #06 ESR Riley, was looking like the team to beat. Just one little corner changed all that.

    Collisions in motorsports always have two versions regarding how the crash happened, and this collision was no different. But regardless of whose story you hear, some facts are irrefutable. Fact #1: The #06 ESR Team Cytosport (overall leader) and the #24 EO Acura RSX driven by Team Honda Research West 1 made some type of contact going into Turn 8. Fact #2: The overall leader suffered a cracked bell housing and was unable to continue thus losing the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The car never came back out onto the track, while the Acura RSX was repaired and back in action. That takes us to Fact #3: There are more Acura spare parts lying around in Willows, CA than there are Riley parts.

    That collision was an all important lesson in the crutch of Surviving the 25. Racing in the 25 is all about traffic. With six different classes, there was a span of differential speeds ranging from the pole position time of 1:45 at 102 miles per hour, to the DFL qualifying position time of the #83 E2 class Team Goodsport Racing 2 in a Mazda RX-7 2:21 at 76 miles an hour. With different speeds comes passing, lots of it, all day and all night. With passing comes the possibility of conflict. With the possibility of conflict drivers have to be on their A game not to take chances. Like the type of chances that will put their team on the trailer as opposed to on the podium. At the 25, risky drivers were punished and careful drivers were rewarded.

    And this year the 25 did just that. The blistering qualifying speed of a Daytona Prototype car was trounced for the overall win by that of a Mazda Miata. The #19 ES class Mazda Miata of Team Mazdaspeed/Team MER 1 (which qualified with a 2:00 lap time at 89 miles per hour) covered 477 laps for the overall win. Doing some quick math, the pole position was 15 seconds faster than that of the winning Miata, which means that 477 laps should have given the pole setter a near two hour lead. Of course, this was not the case in 2008; when the checkered flag flew over the #19 ES class Miata, the ESR class pole sitter sat motionless in the pits with that pesky cracked bell housing.

    The #19 overall winning Mazda Miata and class ES winner was driven by Charles Espenlaub, Jason Sani and Charles Putnam. Taking honors in E0 and second overall (on the same lap) was #44 Team Achilles in their BMW driven by Ara Malkhassian, Boris Nizon, Billy and Gil Cervantes. The ESR class win (and fourth overall, one lap down) went to the ethanol race fuel machine of the #87 Norma of Team Green Alternative Motorsports driven by Dennis Pavlina, Steve Zadig and Michael Kantor. The class win in E1 (and fifth overall two laps down) went to the #29 Mazda Miata of Team Mazdaspeed/Team MER 2 driven by Ken Dobson, Mike Harvison, Nick Mancusa and Tyler McQuarrie.

    One of the most entertaining races of the weekend was that of the heavily competitive E2 class. John Pagel of Evil Genius Racing was campaigning two yellow and green Mazda Miatas painted in the British Racing green and yellow Lotus colors. His two cars, the #64 car named "Scrappy" and the #65 car named "Oren" were built specifically for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. I had a conversation with Pagel after a NASA Spec Miata race at Infineon earlier in the year. He told me back then that he was "absolutely going to win E2 at the 25 this year." I thought that was pretty big talk for a sunny day in July, months away from the actual race. Pagel teamed up with Miller Motorsports and Kumho Tires and put together a fantastic effort, including an army of support crew. You couldn't go anywhere around Thunderhill without seeing somebody wearing an Evil Genius Racing t-shirt. "Scrappy" was driven by Doug Clark, Juan Pineda, Jeremy Pike, Laura Thomas and Dan Gehringer. The car had zero major mechanical issues and all of the drivers kept the car on the pavement and out of trouble with a little help from Dennis Clark (Doug's Dad), spotting from the top of the hill. They stayed out of the pits, drove steady and got Evil Genius Racing the E2 class win (19th overall) with 447 laps. John Pagel said he would win back in July and he did it. Apparently, he can see into the future. Now if I could just have him give me some stock tips.

    The NASA 2008 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the United States Air Force is in the history books. When it was over everyone looked elated while at the same time absolutely beat. Twenty-eight hours of drama and suspense and that's not counting any of the set up, practice (repairing) or qualifying. The 25 Hour is an incredible experience. If you have never enjoyed the adventure of Surviving the 25 I would definitely recommend it. There's only one phrase that can sum the whole thing up: it's big.

Close, But Not Quite, for Miller Motorsports Park Team in Thunderhill 25-Hour Enduro

2008-12-09T23:06:37Z

With 35 minutes remaining in last weekend's National Auto Sports Association (NASA) 25-hour endurance race at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif., the No. 98 Ford Mustang representing Miller Motorsports Park was in the lead with a two-lap advantage over the field of 68 cars.

However, as is so often the case in endurance racing, you never count your chickens before you see one walking around with the checkered flag.

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Entered under the Larry Miller Racing banner and sporting sponsorship from Miller Motorsports Park, the Miller Performance Training Center and BFGoodrich Tires, the car was one of the Mustang Challenge cars normally used in the MPTC's Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, modified for endurance racing with a fuel cell, different shock absorbers and auxiliary lighting. The driving chores were shared by MMP Director of Racing Mitch Wright, MPTC Director Dan McKeever and MPTC instructors Cindi Lux and James Burke.

The race, the seventh annual edition of North America's longest endurance event, was red-flagged for 10.5 hours for fog, but the finish time was extended by three hours, which resulted in a 17.5-hour race around Thunderhill's 3.0-mile, 15-turn circuit.

The competition included a wide variety of machinery, ranging from a Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype to a highly-modified Volkswagen Beetle, with almost everything imaginable in between, and a field of 271 drivers ranging from rank amateurs to seasoned professionals.

The all-volunteer crew, led by MMP Shop Manager for Competition Vehicles Mike Morley, included Doug Graham, Logan Ewell, Dale Mead, Bo Leyva, Dan Giles, Clark Hill, Fred Lux and Scott Crossley. Hospitality and support services were provided by the staff of the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup, including Series Director Lynda Randall, Series Administrator Candice Bailey and MMP Assistant Director of Racing Jill Giles.

"It was a heart-breaker," said Wright. "The car ran like a train all day and all night, and to have victory snatched from our grasp with 35 minutes to go is tough to take. But the crew did an outstanding job, both before and during the race, and the hospitality provided by the Mustang Challenge crew made all of our jobs a lot easier.

"So we have mixed emotions, having run so well but coming up short. That's endurance racing, though, and we'll be back next year to take another shot at it."

For tickets or information regarding Miller Motorsports Park, call 435-277-RACE (7223) or visit the track's website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com. For more information on the Miller Performance Training Center, call 435-277-8790 or visit their website at www.MMPSchools.com.

Photo Caption: The No. 98 Larry Miller Racing/Miller Motorsports Park/Miller Performance Training Center Ford Mustang finished 13th overall and third in the ES class in the NASA Thunderhill 25-hour endurance race after leading the race with 35 minutes remaining. (Photo by Daron Shade)

25 Hour Race Shortened to 17 by fog at Thunderhill Park...

2008-12-09T04:32:45Z

The seventh running of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, a non-stop automobile race held at Thunderhill Park in Willows California each year, was cut down to just over seventeen hours as a result of dense fog that rolled over the raceway Saturday evening just after 6pm. The seventy car field of exotic road racing machines was halted on the front straightaway when it became impossible to safely continue to race on the three-mile, fifteen turn road course. Race officials, headed by National Auto Sport Association Director - Jerry Kunzman, held the cars at bay until 5 am Sunday morning when the announcement was made for the drivers to re-start their engines and resume the grueling race. Because of the delay, the race was extended three hours past the original finishing time of noon. It ended at 3pm Sunday. When the checkered flag was waved the Mazdaspeed Team of Jason Sani, Charles Espenlaub and Charles Putman were the overall winners in their Mazda Miata MX5. The team completed 477 laps and took first place overall as well as the ES Class win. Jason Sani from Lutz, Florida spoke for the team when he said how good it was to win this prestigious race for Mazda and to beat the high powered GT Prototype cars that were not around at the finish.

Second overall and first in the EO class was the BMW M-3 of Team Achilles Motorsport. Drivers included: Ara Malkhassian of Sonoma, Boris Nizon of Beverly Hills, Billy Johnson of San Clemente, and Gil Cervantes of Sacramento. The team completed 477 laps as the battle for the overall win came down to less than a lap after twenty eight hours since the drop of the green flag.

Team Dream Motorsports came home third on the grid and finished second in the EO class after a spirited battle right down to the wire with Team Achilles. Driver John Tecce of Ormand Beach, Florida had the teams Honda Civic on the rear bumper of Team Achilles at the line completing the same 477 laps. Other drivers on the team included: John Schmitt of Sunbury Ohio, Bob Endicott of San Pedro, and Larry Hwang of Torrance.

Fourth at the finish line and first place in the ESR class was Team Green driven by Steve Zadig of Palo Alto, Michael Kantor of Venice, and Dennis Pavlina of Camas, Washington. The ESR class features specialty built sports racers. The team completed 476 laps using an ethanol based race fuel.

Fifth place overall and first place in the E1 class went to another Mazda Miata, MX5. The sporty little Playboy sponsored series entry was driven by Mike Harvison of Colleville, Texas, Ken Dobson of Sonoma, Tyler McQuarrie of San Ramon, and Nick Mancusa of Metawa. Illinois. The team completed 475 laps.

Other class winners included Team Evil Genius 2 driven by Laura Thomas of San Anselmo, Juan Pineda of San Francisco, Jeremy Pike of Redding and Daniel Gehringer of Sacramento. The team drove a 1992 Mazda Miata to a nineteenth place finish overall and first place in the E2 class. The team completed 447 laps.

The EC class was won by the Butte College team of David Vodden of Willows, Brad Dressen of Orland, Ali Arsham of American Canyon, Craig Evans of Wiltom, and Rod Powell of Olympia Washington. The student prepared and supported entry completed 385 laps in their 2004 Honda S2000 and earned a forty third place finish in the final results. The team led by student Gabe Mainz suffered a suspension failure mid afternoon on Saturday that resulted in a major repair by the Butte College automotive training students. Their efforts proved successful as their car proceeded to the finish following the lengthy replacement of most of the right rear suspension components.

Well known NASCAR commentator and ALMS road racer Boris Said of Huntington Beach, Ca. finished sixteenth overall in the ACS Express Racing Ford Mustang after mechanical woes sidelined his team for several laps near the end of the race.

The all-female team known as Divaspeed Racing completed 426 laps and was scored thirty-first overall and sixth in the E2 class. Driver Donna Gilio of Carson City, Nevada led the team that also included: Karen Salvaggio of Lake Mathews, Shea Holbook of Groveland, Florida and Glorymar Fernandez of Puerto Rico. The ladies piloted a Honda Integra. Their all female effort was plagued by an oil leak that required a lengthy pit stop early in the race.

Two hundred and seventy one drivers took turns behind the wheel in the 17 hour race at Thunderhill Park that spanned a 28 hour period starting at 11 am on Saturday and ending at 3pm on Sunday. The event paused for eleven hours because of ground fog.

The annual event held in Willows, Ca., is the longest automobile race in North America.

The 2009 edition of the event is scheduled for December 5^th and 6^th.

MEDIA CONTACT:

David B. Vodden

President and CEO

Thunderhill Raceway Park

530-934-5588 X-101

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Additional coverage and photos at Autoblog.com of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2008-12-07T01:02:20Z

The staff at Autoblog has eyes and ears on the ground here at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, with photo galleries and write-ups of their time here. We will update this space as they update theirs:

We have our live timing feed up for the latest standings.

Live Scoring for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2008-12-06T17:39:08Z

We hope everybody can come and watch the race first hand, but for those who can't we've setup a live timing page that automatically refreshes and shows the latest race statistics.

View the Live Timing page now!

Team MiataCage.com to take on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2008-12-05T19:32:40Z

Team MiataCage.com announced today that they will participate in the 2008 National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Presented by the U.S. Air Force, December 6-7 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA.

With support from MiataCage.com, Wyatt Fire Protection, E&L Auto Parts, Clackamas Midas, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development and Ed Pavone, Team MiataCage.com will campaign a Mazda Miata in the E2 class. The E2 class is hotly contested, with more than 17 teams competing, and it is also the class where many of the best drivers from the very competitive Spec Miata class will run. The E2 class requires a fine balance of driver ability, reliability, and teamwork.

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The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill is a 25 hour endurance race, which takes place at the famed road course in Northern California, and has as many as 70 teams competing.

With the car and parts donated by Sean Hedrick of MiataCage.com, a talented driver lineup, and a crew with many endurance wins, the MiataCage.com team is poised to make a dominant showing in the 25 hour battle.

Evil Genius Racing & Kumho Tires to take on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

2008-12-04T22:14:25Z

John Pagel, owner of Evil Genius Racing, has his mind set on taking the first two podium spots in the E2 class in this year's 25-hour Endurance held at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California on December 6th and 7th.

John's shop, already an icon in the Mazda community, has started from scratch this year, building two ITA Miatas from the ground up. With two fresh chassis, and completely fresh components, E.G.R. has delivered two incredibly well-built cars worthy of the class win.

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Both EGR and Miller Motorsports rely only on the best of the best equipment for the 25-hour. With the team goal only being to win this year's 25, John and his team are relying on Kumho's tried and tested V710 tire to maintain the fast pace that it takes to lead the E2 class, and its longevity that it takes to win.

If you have ever been to a Nor-Cal NASA event, chances are you know who Evil Genius is.

John Pagel grew up in northern California, and by the age of 17 found himself autocrossing. The cone racing wasn't enough for John, and soon he found himself regularly attending NASA races in his first gen RX-7. John became well known in the large Pro-7 community, and began fabricating parts and roll cages for his car as well as some friends'. It was 2004 when John started his shop named Evil Genius Racing in Davis, California. The name had stuck after someone had commented on how John reminded them of an evil genius, with his thick lens glasses and unkempt hair. Now in 2008, the Evil Genius shop has grown to a much larger operation, with two locations including the original shop and a new 4000 sq ft. shop in West Sacramento. John now offers complete track support, including racecar transportation and storage, and has become one of the most reputable shops on the west coast.

John has been racing NASA's ever-growing enduros since the beginning, back in 2005 when the race was a mere 12-hours. With much success in his RX-7s, John is looking to build his success in a Miata, or three. This year he decided to join forces with the Miller Motorsports team, founded by Marcus Miller, and his brother Scott. While John focuses on building killer ITA Spec Miatas for the race, he turns all the logistics and planning over to Miller Motorsports. The Miller Motorsports Team also grew from the Pro-7 community, but became a real threat to the racing community with their domination in the WERC series in 2007. The Miller Motorsports/Kumho Tires Team finished on the podium at every round of the WERC, finishing 1st and 2nd in the championship with a 1-2 finish at the year's end 12-hour race. The Millers are no slouches at the 25 either, and have finished on the podium two years in a row at the 25. One thing is clear, the guys at Miller Motorsports are masters of Enduros.

This year, team manager Marcus Miller stepped down from the driving duties, and hand picked drivers for the two primary teams.

Team one is made up of four drivers, all looking for that E2 win in 2008.

Dean Thomas played a major role in the Miller Motorsports/Kumho Tires championship winning effort in the 2007 WERC season as well as the past two 25-hour races (both ending on the podium). In 2008, Dean concentrated on sprint races and finished on the podium fourteen times, including four wins five poles, and set the fastest lap three times.

Dave Vodden is probably the most experienced driver on the team, having raced midgets, sprint cars, TQ's and mini sprints before even beginning his road-racing career in 1990. Dave has several road racing season championships under his belt, including SSA, ITC, RX7, T3, and PT. In 2008, Dave was the Spec Miata Challenge Champ, and also took wins in NASA SM, SCCA SM, ITA, and T3.
Equally as impressive, Dave was hired in 1988 to construct and operate what is now known as Thunderhill Raceway Park, of which he is now the President and CEO.

Jeff Smith began his racing career in shifter karts, winning several events before eventually moving on to full-size cars. After attending Jim Russell Racing School at Infineon Raceway, Jeff competed in SM in both NASA and SCCA simultaneously. Over the next two years, Jeff secured one win and several other podium finishes. In 2007 Jeff raced on the Evil Genius Team during the 25-hour, and raced in three other four-hour enduros finishing atop the podium at one.

Dan Piña is the fourth and final driver on the EGR/Kumho Team #1. Although Dan has less experience than most of his counterparts, Dan has managed to pick the right teams for the 25. Dan finished 1st in class during the 2005 25-hour, and finished 2nd in 2006 and 2007. Dan started with auto-crossing at 17, which quickly was replaced by road racing, and later Pro Rally. More recently, Dan has dedicated his time (and money) to professional drifting. Dan hooked up with the Miller Motorsports team in 2006 for the 25-hour, and has been driving with them ever since. Dan owes several podium finishes and a championship to Miller Motorsports, Co-Driver Dean Thomas, and of course, Kumho Tires.

For team #2, Marcus filled the spots with well-known Nor-Cal Spec Miata regulars. The team is made up of five drivers.

Laura Thomas has been driving competitively for the past seven years, beginning with autocross. Autocross was replaced by time trials, which was later replaced by wheel-to-wheel road racing, which Laura has been doing (well) for the past four years in both NASA and SCCA. Laura earned several wins in all three disciplines, but most recently earned the title of NorCal Class Champion in PTE. While primarily focused on sprint racing, Laura has plenty of experience with enduros, including the 25-hour. When she's not racing, Laura enjoys providing driving coaching for NASA, and the Porsche Racing Club of America.   It should be of note that Laura and Dean are purposely scheduled to drive at separate times during this year's 25-hour!

Juan Pineda is the gentleman racer of the team. Although a formidable force on track, Juan is eager to enjoy the company of his friends and competitors at the barbeques following the race. Juan finished ninth in the San Francisco Regions SCCA Spec Miata championship, during his fifth year of racing. Juans best finish to date has been sixth place, to which he'd eagerly share his in-car video footage.

Dan Gheringer began his racing career in the water, racing jet skis with the IJSBA while in high school. The next stepping-stone for Dan was shifter karts, which he raced with the IKF and finished on the podium several times. Now in his third season of Spec Miata, Dan has received eleven podium finishes (two of which were in the rain), and two pole positions. Dan is eagerly awaiting his second try at the the 25-hour.

Doug Clark began racing Spec Miatas in 2007 after attending the SCCA driving school held at Thunderhill Park. Doug built his own Spec Miata from the ground up. Using that experience, Doug put together a car and team that won the E2 class in the 2007 25-hour.

Jeremy Pike, living by the mantra, "You only live once," is 38 and getting younger every day. In the past 10 years, Jeremy has done a few track days with various street cars and has raced karts for a few years. At the end of '07 Jeremy purchased Spec Miata which he used in 2008 for his first year of racing. After meeting John Pagel of Evil Genius Racing, at the SCCA driver's school in February, Jeremy raced with an Evil Genius built transmission, differential, and track support throughout the year. Jeremy ran both SCCA and NASA events, and had an 11th place finish out of 50+ cars at the final SCCA race and three podium finishes with NASA. Jeremy is looking forward to driving in the 25 Hour with the Evil Genius/Miller Motorsports team driving in the car called "Scrappy", and in his first ever 25- hour, is eager to come out on top.

Evil Genius has prepped two incredible cars. Miller Motorsports has once again outdone themselves with their preparation and planning. It's now up to the drivers to do their jobs, keep out of trouble, and keep luck on their sides. Look for the Evil Genius/Kumho Tires team in the winners circle at the conclusion of this year's 25.