National Auto Sport News
NASA 2017 Ford Performance Contingency Program
Published on March 29, 2017 16:43
NASA 2017 Ford Performance Contingency Program
NAPA VALLEY, CA (March 29, 2017) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the Ford Performance Contingency Program for NASA competitors in 2017. The program will provide fantastic cash awards to NASA racers competing regionally and at either NASA Championship event. The program provides awards to competitors in the American Iron Series, Spec Iron, Super Touring, Performance Touring, and Super Unlimited classes.
Spec Iron competitors are eligible for up to $1,000 in cash awards for regional championship top 3 finishes! Additionally, Spec Iron along with the other classes in the American Iron Series, Performance Touring, Super Touring, and Super Unlimited classes are eligible for $2,250 in cash awards for top 3 finishes in their respective regional championships. To sweeten the pot even further, Ford Performance will offer NASA competitors at both Eastern and Western States Championships the chance to collect $4,250 in additional cash awards!
The contingency program is available beginning immediately to all NASA competitors in these respective classes at each NASA regional and Championship event. For complete information on the contingency program, please visit http://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.
NASA 2017 MAXXIS Tires Contingency Program
Published on March 16, 2017 17:39
NASA 2017 MAXXIS Tires Contingency Program
Napa Valley, CA (March 16, 2017) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the 2017 Maxxis contingency program for NASA competitors. This program is available to all NASA competitors including the newly added Western Endurance Racing Championship series beginning immediately. Additionally added for 2017, Maxxis is extending their contingency program to all NASA Rally Sport competitors competing on the Maxxis Victra R19 rally tire. For complete details on the new 2017 Maxxis Tire contingency program, please visit: https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies
Revised 2017 Hawk Performance Contingency Program
Published on March 15, 2017 17:50
Napa Valley, CA (March 15, 2017) — The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the revised 2017, Hawk Performance Contingency Program. Although it may look like the same program, there are some drastic change this year that should come as a welcomed change within the NASA community. For the first time, NASA competitors finishing 1st through 5th are eligible for Hawk Bucks’ Not only will Hawk Performance provide more NASA competitors with more awards, they have also made a new for 2017 program for NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill competitors.
“This new program from Hawk Performance continues to demonstrate how important NASA competitors are to the Hawk family” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. “This new program makes more awards available to more NASA competitors making it easier than ever to save money on your racing endeavors. My hats off to our Official Brake Supplier.”
Not only are competitors eligible to win up to $100 per weekend toward the purchase of Hawk Performance products, they can also combine those rewards toward their purchase. The program program is available to all NASA competitors beginning immediately. Hawk is also graciously including any events that preceded this announcement for the 2017 season openers. For complete details on the 2017 Hawk Performance contingency program, please visit: https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies
NASA 2017 AST Suspension Contingency Program
Published on March 14, 2017 17:02
Napa Valley, CA (March 14, 2017) – NASA is pleased to announce that the AST Suspension contingency program has been renewed for 2017. While otherwise similar to last year's arrangement, Time Trial drivers can now claim AST contingency for regional events as well.
NASA Eastern and Western States Championships participants will have the opportunity to win a generous $1,000 credit in any of the 31 eligible classes. Second place will be able to claim $500 in AST credit, while 3rd place can claim $250 in credit.
AST Suspension North America credit may be redeemed toward the purchase of any new AST 4100, 5100, 5200 or 5300 series dampers, or Moton Club Sport, 3-Way, 4-Way dampers. Alternatively, the credit can also go towards the rebuild of current AST/Moton dampers.
The program will be made available immediately to all NASA competitors across all classes listed. For complete details on the new contingency program, please visit http://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.
NASA 2017 BF Goodrich Tires Contingency Program
Published on March 13, 2017 17:46
NASA 2017 BF Goodrich Tires Contingency Program
NAPA VALLEY, CA (March 13, 2017) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the continued support of the BF Goodrich Tires Contingency Program for NASA competitors in 2017. The program will provide tires to NASA competitors competing both regionally and at either NASA Championship event. The program provides tire awards to American Iron Extreme, German Touring Series, Performance Touring, Super Touring, Super Unlimited, as well as all Endurance Racing classes.
The contingency program is available beginning immediately to all NASA competitors in these respective classes at each NASA regional and Championship event. For complete information on the contingency program, please visit http://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.
NASA 2017 Hoosier Contingency Program
Published on March 11, 2017 03:04
NASA 2017 Hoosier Contingency Program
Napa Valley, CA (March 10, 2017) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the official 2017 Hoosier contingency program for NASA competitors. The program is available to all NASA competitors beginning immediately. Hoosier is also graciously including any events that preceded this announcement for the 2017 season openers. For complete details on the 2017 Hoosiers contingency program, please visit: https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies
2017 Toyo Tires NASA Contingency Programs
Published on February 09, 2017 00:43
Napa Valley, CA – (February 8, 2017) The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the official 2017 Toyo Tires Contingency Support Program. Whatever class you run in be it Racing, Enduro or Time Trials, Toyo Tires is offering you the chance to win “Toyo Bucks”. Competitors in our American Iron, Spec Iron, and CMC classes will be eligible for nearly $5,000 in awards per weekend. Participants in the NASA Prototype NP01, Spec E46 and Factory Five classes will be eligible for up to nearly $4,000 per weekend while the smaller tired classes of Spec Miata, Spec E30, and 944 Spec will be eligible for up to nearly $2200 in awards per weekend.
Toyo is also bringing back their extremely lucrative NASA Championships contingency program making up to $10,750 in cash awards available to each NASA class that specifies the use of Toyo Tires. In total, Toyo Tires is making over $300,000 in cash awards available to NASA competitors at our two Championship events in 2017!
“The Toyo Tires contingency program is the best in the industry” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA’s Director of Business Development. “Their program allows our competitors the opportunity to stretch their racing dollars further and get more out of their year because of choosing NASA and Toyo Tires. Their contingency program really is second to none in the industry. Toyo continues to demonstrate their commitment to amateur motorsports continually giving back to their customer and we’re proud to have them onboard as the Official Tire of NASA.”
"We continue to enjoy a wonderful relationship with NASA and the fantastic membership that races with them” said Marc Sanzenbacher, Senior Manager of Motorsports at Toyo Tires. “The competitors that choose Toyo as their brand of choice are very important to us and we’re thrilled to be in a position that allows us to give back to every single one of them.”
These programs are available immediately for NASA competitors to take advantage of and Toyo Tires will retroactively honor any awards submitted for 2017 within the next 30 days. For complete details on the new 2017 Toyo Tires Contingency Program, please visit https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.
Details on the NASA 2017 MAZDA Motorsports Contingency Program
Published on January 10, 2017 22:57
NAPA VALLEY, CA (January 10, 2017) – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the 2017 Mazda Motorsports Contingency Program for NASA competitors in 2017. This newly revised program will provide fantastic cash awards to NASA racers competing in Rally Sport, 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Regional Champions, Western Endurance Racing Championships (WERC) and at both NASA Championships events.
Mazda made many Adjustments for the 2017 Season Based on Customer Feedback they collected.
In an effort to continuously improve, we surveyed and spoke with our customers
to learn what adjustments we could make to provide more value to them as a
whole. The overwhelming feedback was to pay deeper into the field and to better
reward those who beat more competitors.
Here is a highlight of some of the program improvements:
• For 2017, Mazda will often pay for fourth place finishes
and sometimes as deep as fifth.
• To earn full contingency, our racers will have to beat four
competitors, among other requirements (e.g., Mazda 22” decals have replaced the
MAZDASPEED 26” decals).
• Based on paying deeper (i.e. paying more competitors and
many more total submissions) along with other Mazda requirements, we need to
receive the contingency documents timely (within 45 days of the race).
With many adjustments to the contingency program, our racers will need to
closely read the document (first PDF link below). You’re encouraged to call our
competition parts department (800-435-2508) for any questions you have before
your season begins.
Spec Miata competitors are eligible for up to $3,350 in cash awards for regional championship and a $250 bonus if they competed in either NASA Championships. Mazda is awarding up to $6,600 in cash awards for the top 5 finishes in their respective championship races. To sweeten the pot even further, Mazda Motorsports will offer Time Trial competitors at both Western and Eastern Championships a chance to win up to $1000 for the top 3!
The contingency program is available beginning immediately to all NASA competitors in these respective classes at each NASA event. For complete information on the contingency program, please visit 2017 Mazda Contingency Awards Program
NASA Announces Details for the 2017 NASA Championships Presented by Toyo Tires
Published on January 06, 2017 03:47
NASA Announces Details for the 2017 NASA Championships Presented by Toyo Tires
Napa Valley,
CA (January 5,2017) - The National
Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce that the 2017 NASA Western
States Championships presented by Toyo Tires will take place at the challenging
Northern California circuit, Thunderhill Raceway Park
on October 5-8, 2017. NASA competitors from all over the western half of the
country will converge on this competitor favorite situated in Willows,
California, to challenge for top step on the podium to claim a NASA
Championship. 
Turning our attention toward the East, the 2017 NASA Eastern States Championships presented by
Toyo Tires will move to the fantastic Sebring International Raceway Circuit.
The historic circuit located in beautiful Sebring, Florida has played host to
many of the world’s greatest motor races and on October 19 through 22, NASA
competitors will battle it out to see who earns their place in NASA history.
“We are really excited about the 2017 Championship schedule,” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. “These two tracks will provide NASA competitors with a challenging backdrop to decide who reigns supreme in 2017! Ideally situated to provide the best weather possible for the events, we expect full fields of NASA competitors at our two marque events.”
2017 will mark the 26th anniversary for NASA and the 12th anniversary for our NASA Championship events. We expect to welcome over 600 competitors to our Championship events in 2017 providing competitors with the same fantastic benefits they have come to expect from the event. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, the NASA Championships has truly become “the” place to race.
Look for additional announcements regarding the 2017 NASA Championship events in the future.
Ike Talks Race Cars With John Lindsey
Published on December 08, 2016 01:08
Ike talks race cars with John Lindsey, General Counsel of NASA Pro Racing. They talk about how John got into cars long before he was licensed, his car history, how he got started in racing, losing his rookie stripes, and taking a shower in cheap beer. John tells us about helping to start the USC Car Club, running the only autocross ever held at the LA Colisseum, and hooning in the streets during the LA riots when the police had more pressing issues. John then got involved with NASA, and talks about how his start in southern California turned into national involvement, why to choose NASA over competitors such as SCCA, and how NASA goes out of their way to make newcomers welcome with events such as Hyperfest. John has also volunteered at rallies, pinch hitting as heavy sweep in a rental – an experience I’m quite familiar with. He also tells us about the hilarious Irish rally drivers we have on the east coast, which I can also confirm is absolutely true. Finally, we hear about his favorite events, NASA and otherwise, the joyts of how-to DIY internet videos for the most obscure things, comparing notes on eating KFC with a spork, and how the National Auto Sport Association almost had to change their name because of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Listen here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/untitledcarshow/episodes/2016-12-06T22_34_30-08_00.
Listen on Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/untitled-car-shows-podcast/id806574884?mt=2&i=378679593
Link to article: http://www.rightfootdown.com/untitledcarshow/john-lindsey-nasa-pro-racing/
Flying Lizard Audi Wins NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance
Published on December 07, 2016 04:23
Flying Lizard Audi Wins NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance
Ryno Ginetta second
WILLOWS,
Calif., (Dec. 4, 2016) - The 14th edition of the NASA 25 Hours of
Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance has been won for the second
year in a row by the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi R8.
In
a dramatic late race twist the dominate No. 57 Ginetta of Ryno Racing
came to the pits with a right rear suspension problem at 9:15 a.m.
(21+ hours into the race of which it led to that point). The No. 45
Audi R8, run by the Flying Lizard team, lurked in the top three all race
just waiting for the 57 to have a problem. It was time for the
defending race champions to take the overall lead. Darren Law was behind
the wheel of the 45 when he took the lead with three hours remaining.
It was not clear sailing from that point. NASA officials parked the 45
for 15-minutes at 10:20 a.m. for on track contact. The deficit to the second place 57 Ginetta was just six laps at the checkered flag.
The 45 Audi R8 with Toyo Tires was driven by Darren Law, Mike Hedlund,
Johannes van Overbeek and Dion von Moltke and covered 751 laps,
approximately 2,103-miles."Two
in a row," exclaimed Darren Law. "We had some adversity this weekend. I
didn't think we would have gotten the prototype, but they had problems
this morning and it worked out. We had that late penalty this morning.
We had enough of a lead that it really didn't matter, but it was an
anxious moment. The car ran flawlessly, the Toyo Tires were great and
the crew was right on all day. Everything came together. It was also
nice to bookend the overall podium with our No. 74 Porsche coming in
third place. Unbelievable!"
The No. 57 Ryno Racing Ginetta was able to hold on and take second overall and first in the ESR 
Class. The 57 was driven by Ryan Carpenter, Colin Braun, Parker Chase, Bryan Herta and Colton Herta. The team covered 745 laps.
Class. The 57 was driven by Ryan Carpenter, Colin Braun, Parker Chase, Bryan Herta and Colton Herta. The team covered 745 laps."It's
a great day for us," Braun said. "The Ryno Racing guys did great all
day. We had a stub axle break on the right rear of both cars this
morning. Other than that we ran flawless for the whole race, just tires,
gas, oil and a fresh driver. All of the drivers did a great job staying
out of trouble. That is the cruelness of this sport. You have to have
all of the pieces together. We just didn't have everything locked down.
Both parts broke within 20-minutes of each other. We showed we had a
superfast car. The Ginetta guys build a solid car. We showed it can go
25 hours of grueling racing. An impressive testament to the team and the
car maker."
The E0 Class was won by the pole sitting No. 11 Nissan 350Z of Valkyrie Autosport. The car was 
driven by Andy Lee, Brian Lock, Anan Sharma and Giles Powell and covered 677 laps.
driven by Andy Lee, Brian Lock, Anan Sharma and Giles Powell and covered 677 laps."It went basically according to plan, except for one thing," Brian Lock said. "We busted a seal in the steering rack around midnight.
After leading pretty solidly for the first half of the race the doubts
started to creep in. Was the part going to hold out? We were waiting for
a catastrophic failure, but it never happened. We must have pumped
10-quarts of oil through that thing. The 350Z is bullet-proof. For our
first 25 hour win we are just ecstatic."
In E1 it was the No. 95 BMW of Grip Racing that pulled off the win over the No. 46 BMW of Art 
Racing that finished on the same lap. Drivers Mason Filippi, Chuck
Hurley, Mark Drennan, Eric Sidebotham and Andrew Newell covered 677
laps.
Racing that finished on the same lap. Drivers Mason Filippi, Chuck
Hurley, Mark Drennan, Eric Sidebotham and Andrew Newell covered 677
laps."It
is awesome," Andrew Newell said. "This is my eighth year running the
25. I have placed before, but this is my first win. Everyone seemed to
race me really clean. At the end it came down to us and the No. 46 car.
We both had to pit with 10-minutes remaining for a splash and go. We
were running out of gas with two laps to go, but brought it home. The
car ran like a top all race."
The No. 29 BMW of KD Motorsports came home as the E2 Class winner covering 645 laps. The 29 
was driven by Matt Lowell, Corey Peters and Kevin Doyle.
was driven by Matt Lowell, Corey Peters and Kevin Doyle."Nothing
went wrong, just flawless," Kevin Doyle said. "The car held together.
All three drivers ran clean the entire 25 hours. Our biggest issue was
we had to change front brake pads. We planned for it and we made a nice
clean stop to change the pads and other than gas and oil that was it."
The
No. 38 Mazda Miata of RA Motorsports won the E3 Class for the second
year in a row covering 604 laps. The Miata was driven by Ron Gaymon, Ray
Meister, Duke Zander and Todd Tagget.
Meister, Duke Zander and Todd Tagget. "It's
amazing," Ray Meister said. "It was totally unexpected. If you stay on
the track and the car holds up it will work out. We really didn't
expect to win. With this car we had no real drama all race. That was our
secret. Our 40 team had some drama, but we ran a nice clean race with
no mechanical issues."
In
the ENP Class the No. 71 Diamond Level Motorsports NASA elan NP01
Prototype powered by Mazda won the class and was sixth overall covering
701 laps. The prototype was driven by Jeremy Croiset, Thomas Woods,
Aaron Meyer, Jason Ricker 
and Jaime Florence.
and Jaime Florence."Wow,"
Jeremy Croiset said. "I am almost speechless. The NASA elan Prototype
NP01 powered by Mazda ran flawlessly. For me personally this is a total
vindication of the program. I knew this car was capable of what we
achieved today. We had zero mechanical issues. Not a single complication
the entire 25 hours. If that isn't a seal of approval on the NASA
prototype project I don't what is. We finished the most grueling race in
the world without a single mechanical flaw. A huge thanks to Toyo
Tires, Vet Sports, Bylight, Fisher House and of course Diamond Level
Motorsports who prepared the car. It was an amazing effort. A massive
thanks to everyone at Elan Motorsports."
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Bryan Herta, Colton Herta, Ryan
Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Sean Rayhall, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun,
Johannes van Overbeek, Darren Law, Tommy Sadler, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarrie, Kelly Collins and Taz Harvey with more expected.
Final results can be viewed at: http://timingscoring.drivenasa.com/NASA_California-Northern_Region/2016%2025%20Hours%20of%20Thunderhill/25%20Hrs%20Final%20Results.pdf
Media guide can be found at https://nasa25hour.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Thunderhill-Media-Guide-2016.pdf
Teams, cars and classes, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-teams-cars-and-classes/
Driver line-up, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-driver-line-up/
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
and performance automotive aftermarket. Hawk Performance products are
engineered to allow users to control, command, and conquer the terrain
for which their vehicles are designed. Decades of experience in
developing friction materials for aerospace, industrial, military,
automotive and motorsports applications give Hawk Performance an
advantage over the competition. In the past decade, Hawk Performance
friction products have won more motorsports championships than any other
friction manufacturer. More information at NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance at 20 Hours
Published on December 04, 2016 17:56
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance at 20 HoursRyno Ginettaleads with five to go
NAPA
VALLEY, Calif., (Dec. 3, 2016) - The 14th edition of the NASA 25 Hours
of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance has five hours remaining
and the pole sitting No. 57 Ryno Racing Ginetta still heads the field.
As
the sun begins to rise over the 2.8-mile, 15-turn Thunderhill Raceway
circuit the field is still full with 58 of 62 starters still running.
The No. 57 Ryno Racing Ginetta remains the overall leader. In hot
pursuit is the No. 45 Audi R8 of the 2015 overall winning Flying Lizard
team. IndyCar team owner Bryan Herta likes the way the Ginetta is
running and the way the team is working. The 57 has covered 625 laps so
far in the race.
"I
am knocking the rust off after being out of a race car for a few
years," Herta said. "The car is running great. We have cycled all of the
drivers through from both cars. My son Colton has driven both cars a
lot and he looks fresh, oh to be 16 again. We are waiting for the sun to
come up and see what the last five hours brings to the finish.
Hopefully we can keep it together to the checker."
The No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi R8 remains just seven laps down to the faster 
Ginetta and leads the ES Class. Faster competition at the 25 is no
stranger to the team. They rely on consistency from the drivers and
excellent pit work and strategy to stay at the front.
Ginetta and leads the ES Class. Faster competition at the 25 is no
stranger to the team. They rely on consistency from the drivers and
excellent pit work and strategy to stay at the front. "The
Toyo Audi is running great," driver, Darren Law said. "We are just
focusing on clean pit stops and keeping the car on the track. The 57 car
is fast and so far has held up. We don't have the pace to go and race
them, we just have to hope they have a problem. We are running our
program and the car is great on the Toyo tires."
The E0 pole sitter No. 11 Nissan 350Z leads the class.
"We
have a few issues with the Nissan 350Z right now," driver, Andy Lee
said. "My last stint was about maintaining. I couldn't push as hard as I
wanted to. We are having some power steering problems, so not on the
pace we would like. I had some contact with one of the Radicals coming
inside of me into Turn 14 and we made contact. It didn't seem major,
other than I had a flat tire."
In E1 the No. 95 BMW of Grip Racing leads.
"The
drivers have been keeping themselves out of trouble," crew chief, Brian
Marsteller said. "We just want to keep it out of the pits and doing
laps. That is kind of our motto, it has worked for us in the past. We
are just going to keep on truckin' along. The drivers are keeping the
car out of trouble. There have been a few scary moments, but all of the
drivers talked and agreed to keep themselves out of trouble. You can't
win it in the first 24 hours, but you certainly can lose it."
The No. 29 BMW of KD Motorsports leads the E2 Class.
"The
race is going pretty smooth so far," crew chief, Andrew Wymore said.
"We are maintaining our strategy of staying out the pits and keeping
everyone calm and focused. We are a pit stop ahead of second place, so
we are about a lap and half up on them. We really haven't had any big
drama, just some light contact. The suns up and we are all happy and
ready to go."
The No. 38 Mazda Miata of RAM Motorsports leads the E3 Class.
"The
race is going pretty good and I am having a good time," driver, Ward
Rose said. "We are anxious for sun rise as our headlights have dimmed a
little. I had some side-to-side contact with one guy during my stint,
he deserved it. The 38 Miata is running great. We are not the fastest in
our class, I got passed by a few cars in our category, but they are
probably having more problems than we are at the moment."
In the ENP Class the No. 71 Diamond Level Motorsports NASA elan NP01 
Prototype powered by Mazda continues to lead the class and running in the top six overall.
Prototype powered by Mazda continues to lead the class and running in the top six overall."We
are looking forward to the sun coming here in a few minutes," driver,
Jeremy Croiset said. "The team put me out in the NASA elan Prototype
NP01 powered by Mazda for a double stint during the night. I was able to
turn some quick laps and show the pace of this great car. This is
really a proving ground for this great little platform. I was able to
turn the fastest lap of our race in that stint at like 4 a.m. We are plugging away in hopes of an overall podium."
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Bryan Herta, Colton Herta, Ryan
Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Sean Rayhall, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun,
Johannes van Overbeek, Darren Law, Tommy Sadler, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarrie, Kelly Collins and Taz Harvey with more expected.
Live race timing, https://racehero.io/orgs/nasa-norcal
Media guide can be found at https://nasa25hour.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Thunderhill-Media-Guide-2016.pdf
Teams, cars and classes, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-teams-cars-and-classes/
Driver line-up, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-driver-line-up/
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is Ready for Green on Saturday
Published on December 01, 2016 21:12
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is Ready for Green on Saturday
Mazda dealers, van Overbeek for five, Grip Racing and NP01 with veterans
NAPA VALLEY, Calif., (Dec. 1, 2016)
- The 14th edition of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by
Hawk Performance is ready to take the green flag for
twice-around-the-clock plus one-hour of racing December 3-4.
Robert
Davis, Senior Vice-President, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO),
said, "No one visits Thunderhill in December for the weather. This race
separates the racers from the posers. It is 25 hours of decision making
behind the wheel and 
behind pit wall. We started this four years ago as a fun factory guy
versus dealer challenge, and now it has evolved into an amazing team
effort with some of our greatest ambassadors, testing our latest
production-based racecars, with Mazda employees behind the pit wall.
We're pleased to have Scott Clark, the COO from Michelin, joining us
this year, further supporting the long and deep Mazda Michelin/BFG
relationship. The goal this weekend is to go fast, have fun, and not
freeze to death."
behind pit wall. We started this four years ago as a fun factory guy
versus dealer challenge, and now it has evolved into an amazing team
effort with some of our greatest ambassadors, testing our latest
production-based racecars, with Mazda employees behind the pit wall.
We're pleased to have Scott Clark, the COO from Michelin, joining us
this year, further supporting the long and deep Mazda Michelin/BFG
relationship. The goal this weekend is to go fast, have fun, and not
freeze to death." The Thunderhill team will consist of three Mazda MX-5 Cup racecars, the exact cars that debuted at Thunderhill last year.
The
Mazda driver line-up is as follows: Taz Harvey, Dublin Mazda (Dublin,
Calif.); Richard Fisher, Autobarn Mazda (Chicago, Ill.); Spencer
Brockman, Mazda of Milford (Milford, Mass.); Michael Brockman, Mazda of
Milford (Milford, Mass.); Mark Abouzeid, Chico Mazda (Chico, Calif.);
Ben Robertaccio, Morrie's Mazda (Minnetonka, Minn.); CJ Wilson, CJ
Wilson Mazda (Chicago, Ill.); Camden Jones, Velocity Mazda (Tyler,
Texas); Tom Bogar, Autex Mazda (Keene, N.H.); Scott Clark, Michelin/BFG;
Liam Dwyer and Stevan McAleer of the Freedom Autosport racing team.
Johannes
van Overbeek has won the 25 overall four times. Normally you would find
him in the ESM Prototype racing at Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans or Fuji.
He will be competing in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi R8 with teammates
Darren Law, Dion von Moltke and Mike Hedlund.
"The 25 hour is a throwback race which makes it unique," van Overbeek
said. "For anyone who has worked their way up the racing ladder, as I
did, the 25 Hour is a great reminder of the passion, competition and
dedication at the club level. I've been lucky to win the race four times
overall and I'll be striving for my fifth, which nobody has ever
accomplished. The task will be made easier by working with Flying
Lizard, Toyo Tires and Audi. The 25 hour is really a race against
yourself. You make thousands of passes, mostly at night and in all kinds
of weather. No matter how fast your car is, if you make one mistake
you're finished. Every year I've won the race, save one, our car didn't
have a mark on it. As the saying goes, 'clean cars win races.' Having
said that, there are some quick drivers and prototype class cars that
will be crewed by pros. This year might be the most competitive year
yet. I can't wait to get to work with Darren, Dion and Mike."
The
2015 E1 Class champions Grip Racing are coming back with two BMW's.
Team owner Jason Vein takes a unique approach to filing the seats in his
BMWs by inviting competitors that he competes against the rest of the
year to drive his cars at the 25.
"For the 25 we team up and work together with drivers we normally
compete against," said Jason Vein, team owner. "We learn from each
other, so we can all be stronger during the race and the next season. We
have a great group of drivers including: Chuck Hurley, Andrew Newell,
Mason Filippi, Eric Sidebotham, Mark Drennan, C. Jason Vein, Bruce
Trenery, Andrew Wait, Dean Mansour, Andrei Kisel and Jeff McGunniss.
Completing the race with as little time on pit lane as we can is always
the goal. Racing the clock for as many laps as we can get. There are a
lot of great teams in the class and we look forward to giving it all we
can. We are replacing most of the moving parts on the car so it is as
fresh as we can get it so we are ready for this weekend."Coming
off ts first full year of competition, the NASA Prototype élan NP01with
Mazda power is coming full circle. Last year the car raced by NASA's
own Jeremy Croiset, won its class at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill.
The new team is making a special veteran's racing effort this year. A
number of the crew will be made up of veterans that will come together
for the first time to work as a team toward the overall goal of tackling
this grueling race.
"The
car has received a few upgrades since last year," Croiset said. "We
have upgraded uprights, rear lower wishbones, a stronger front splitter
and upgraded axles. The car now has a full season of hard racing under
its belt and we learned a ton of tremendously valuable information in
last year's NASA 25. Driving this year will be Jason Ricker, Tomas
Woods, Aaron Meyer, Jaime Florence, and myself. First goal is finishing
the race. You can't do anything in this event without finishing. We want
to win the NASA Prototype class, but would also love to shoot for an
overall podium. The competition is really stout this year and they will
make it tough for us."
"My
Toyo Tires NASA Prototype élan NP01 is being stabled under Diamond
Level Motorsports who has prepped and will manage the car for the race,"
Croiset continued. "Something special one of our drivers is
spearheading this year revolves around a veteran's initiative. Tom Woods
is a veteran himself that also works with veterans returning from
combat. The ideal is to promote healing and rehabilitation through
teamwork and there isn't a better race in the world to use as a
backdrop."
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Bryan Herta, Colton Herta, Ryan
Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Sean Rayhall, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun,
Johannes van Overbeek, Darren Law, Tommy Sadler, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarrie, Kelly Collins and Taz Harvey with more expected.
Media guide can be found at https://nasa25hour.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Thunderhill-Media-Guide-2016.pdf
Teams, cars and classes, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-teams-cars-and-classes/
Driver line-up, https://nasa25hour.com/2016-driver-line-up/
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance Getting Lamborghini, Honda and Wolf
Published on November 23, 2016 18:08
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance Getting Lamborghini, Honda and Wolf
Foust, Miller, Eversley in the field
NAPA VALLEY, Calif., (Nov. 23, 2016)
- The 14th edition of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by
Hawk Performance is shaping up to be the most competitive ever. The
twice-around-the-clock plus one-hour race to run December 3-4.
The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is getting heavy entries at the sharp end the grid.
Drifting
and IMSA competitor Tyler McQuarrie is anchoring a strong line-up
drivers that will be running a new Lamborghini Gallardo. McQuarrie is
being joined by Le Mans and IMSA driver Marc Miller as well as drifting
and rallycross ace Tanner Foust along with accomplished sports car
drivers Tom Dyer and Pat O'Keefe.
"Every year the competition gets stronger and stronger, but this year
seems to be even more so," McQuarrie said. "I think the Lamborghini will
be very competitive especially since it is all wheel drive. We
typically see some wet conditions during this race and that will put us
at a huge advantage. I think our main competition will be the Flying
Lizard Audi R8. They have a great car, drivers, and team. We can't make
any mistakes if we want a shot at them. I love the 25 because it is a
complete team effort. The track is dark at night, weather is typically
very bad, tons of traffic on track, so it is a true test for the entire
team. Simply just finishing is a massive accomplishment, but we are
going there to get the win!"Team
Honda Research is coming back to the 25, this year with two turbo
charged Honda Civics. This is the first year for turbo engines in the
Civic and the all Honda associate team is looking forward seeing how the
cars will perform under the rigors of a day and an hour of racing.
"We
are running two newly built 2016 Honda Civic Coupes," John Whiteman,
race strategist and team co-manager said. "Because the Civics were
developed in North America, they are truly an example of our mantra 'we
race what we develop and develop what we race.' We have 10 drivers
currently assigned to drive, five per car. All drivers are Honda
associates from the U.S. and Canada. They driver lineup is Matt Staal,
Lawrence Hwang, Derek Ferretti, Scot Nicol, Sage Marie, Mike Tsay, Doug
Chan, Calvin Tam, Chad Gilsinger and, Brian Shanfeld."
"This
is the first year for OEM turbo charged engines in the Honda Civic," he
continued. "As such, we have had to learn about the new engines in
terms of race conditions durability and how to optimize fuel economy
versus performance. Team Honda Research is a 100% Honda Associate team
that is the official race team of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. The team
is supported by Honda Performance Development and American Honda Motor
Co, Inc. While the race cars, transporters and equipment is owned by
Honda all the associate hours for building and racing the cars is
entirely voluntary and unpaid."
Sports car ace Ryan Eversley will be in the JFC Racing MJ-V8 Wolf with teammates Al Unser Jr., Mike Jackson and Todd Harris.
"The
Wolf is an extremely capable machine," Eversley said. "The amount of
aero generated from the massive wings and also the tunnels under the car
makes it incredibly fun to drive. We were one of the fastest cars
entered last year and now we'll have twice the power and more aero so
I'm excited to see what it can do! There are some very strong cars
entered and if I had to choose I'd say that the Flying Lizard Audi will
be tough to beat. We'll have the pace, but they've got the proven
reliability. There's a few other prototypes entered as well that could
be considered favorites as well. Ryno Racing, etc. Should be fun as
usual!"
Eversley likes the back to basics racing that the 25 provides.
"I
enjoy the 25 hour because it's an event that's more about the
experience and less about the modern day racing politics," he continued.
"You don't hear about driver rankings or B.O.P. (Balance of
Performance). You hear about race car drivers in race cars, racing and
it's just a ton of fun. Prototypes with Indy 500 winners share the track
with Spec Miata drivers that have rookies driving them. What's not to
love?"
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Bryan Herta, Colton Herta, Ryan
Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Kyle Marcelli, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun,
Johannes van Overbeek, Darren Law, Sean Rayhall, Tyler McQuarrie, Kelly
Collins, Taz Harvey with more expected.
For
additional information, or for editorial and electronic media wishing
to cover the 25 please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle
Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
NASA Racer - Matt Cresci Wins 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout
Published on November 21, 2016 21:14
Matt
Cresci Wins 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout
- California
Racer Scores $100,000 Scholarship for 2017 Battery
Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup -
By winning the shootout, Cresci has earned the resources to compete in the 2017 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. The 2017 MX-5 Cup season will begin the weekend of April 20-23 at the Barber Motorsports Park, near Birmingham, Alabama, during the Verizon IndyCar weekend.
Cresci earned his way into the shootout by being among the fastest Miata racers in the country, having competed in the Teen Mazda Challenge and NASA Spec Miata. Cresci is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a business degree.
The Quotes:
Matt
Cresci: "It is an indescribable feeling to achieve a
goal that I have had for over fifteen years, it
really is a dream come true. I look forward to my
role as a Mazda Scholarship driver, and can't thank
Mazda enough for the opportunity to prove myself
among such an outstanding field of competitors.
Onwards and upwards!"
John
Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North
American Operations: “For our 11th annual
shootout, we raised the bar again with an intense
competition among eight great racers. The NOLA
facility was perfect for our testing as it made for
a level field, since none of the eight had raced
there. This has become a signature event for Mazda
and demonstrates our long-term commitment to
supporting grassroots motorsports.”
Scott
Goodyear, judge: "My first time as a judge for
the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout was an eye-opening
experience. All eight competitors were very strong
and have the raw talent to succeed. It was a very
tough process to select just one, and a thrill to be a
part of the next generation of Mazda road-racers.”
The criteria: Given that each of the finalists had proven themselves on the track with race wins and championships, the criteria to move up needed to be more encompassing. To succeed on the professional level requires a balance of both on-track and off-track skills including the following:
· Driving ability – Fast laps/consistent laps
· Technical skills – Understanding of vehicle dynamics and suspension, ability to evaluate vehicle handling, and ability to analyze data
· The business of motorsports – Business proposal and presentation
The judges: The judges brought a wealth of both on-track and off-track expertise. The panel consisted of:
· Peter Calhoun –
Motorsport Marketing Manager, BFGoodrich Tires.
Among his duties, Calhoun oversees the longtime
Mazda/BFG partnership.
· Andrew Carbonell – One
of the leading Mazda racers competing in the
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Carbonell was
also one of the lead test drivers in the development
of the new MX-5 Cup race car.
· Robby Foley – A 2015
Mazda Road to 24 Scholarship winner, Foley scored
two wins in the 2016 MX-5 Cup season.
· Scott Goodyear – The
retired IndyCar race winner and current ESPN/ABC TV
IndyCar and Indy 500 on-air analyst also competed as
a factory sports car racer for Porsche (Le Mans 24
Hours), Jaguar (Rolex 24 at Daytona) and Audi.
· Spencer Pigot – The
2015 Indy Lights powered by Mazda champion competed
in his first Indy 500 in 2016. Spencer has earned
multiple Mazda Road to Indy scholarships, and also
joins the factory driver line-up in the Mazda
Prototype in the long-distance endurance races.
· Marcus Shen – The
engineering director for the Mazda factory IMSA
Prototype program. Shen is a Formula SAE alum from
the University of Florida.
The Runner-ups for the 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout were a strong group of racers from the SCCA, NASA, and iRacing.
· Michael Carter,
Savannah, Georgia – At-Large Nominee – SCCA Spec
Miata
· Julian Garfield, Mount
Airy, Maryland – At-Large Nominee – SCCA SOLO
· Justin Hille,
Ypsilanti, Michigan – SCCA Runoffs Spec Miata
Champion
· Tyler Kicera, Mount
Gretna, Pennsylvania – NASA East Spec Miata Champion
· Daniel Langon, Alamo,
California – Teen Mazda Challenge Western Region
Champion
· Matthew Machiko,
Wexford, Pennsylvania – SCCA Runoffs Formula Mazda
Champion
· Pablo Lopez Padin, A
Coruña, Spain – iRacing Global Mazda MX-5 Combine
Cup Champion
About
Mazda Motorsports
Mazda
Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto
racing development ladder system of any auto
manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24
program offers a number of scholarships to advance
drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning
with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with
the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is
a similar program that includes Mazda-powered
categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In
grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any
given weekend in North America than any other
manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the
renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey,
Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on
Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and
Facebook.
Dean
Case
Communications
Officer
Mazda
Motorsports
Mazda
North American Operations
(310)
318-4582
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is Attracting Top Entries and Drivers
Published on November 08, 2016 16:56
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is Attracting Top Entries and Drivers
Herta, Unser Jr., Braun, van Overbeek, Law, von Moltke, McQuarrie will race
NAPA VALLEY, Calif., (Nov. 8, 2016)
- The 14th edition of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by
Hawk Performance is getting top entries and drivers for the
twice-around-the-clock plus one-hour race to run December 3-4.
With
the race a month away the field for the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance is filling with a variety of top entries
in each class and a who's who of drivers from IndyCar to IMSA.
Flying
Lizard Motorsports is returning to defend its overall win in 2015 with
their Audi R8 LMS Ultra on Toyo tires with drivers Darren Law, Johannes
van Overbeek, 
Dion von Moltke and Mike Hedlund.
Dion von Moltke and Mike Hedlund. "The
25 is just a really fun event," Darren Law said. "It's is low pressure,
kind of old school racing. We are in one of the fastest cars so you are
constantly just flying by other drivers. It takes a lot of patience and
race craft to pick the right time to go or not go when passing the
other cars, sometimes 20 a lap. It is really a blast out there, but you
have to be extra careful because of the large difference in the closing
speeds and skill levels of the drivers. It also has a huge range of
changing conditions from warm to cold from wet to dry, light to dark,
you never know what you are going to get and you will probably get all
of those conditions and more."
The Lizard team uses the 25 as a testing ground for Toyo tires.
"The
25 hour is an important year-long wrap up for us after a season of
development with Toyo," Law continued. "We have been working on
different constructions, different compounds as well as testing through
different temperature ranges and track conditions. This event will
provide the critical data in a variety of race conditions over an
extended period of time. Race conditions are always different than
testing and we hope to prove that the work we have done all season has
paid off and going in the right direction."
Ryno
Racing is returning to the 25 with their Ginetta G57, the same LMP3 car
the team ran last year, but with added Chevrolet horsepower, LMP2 aero
and traction control. Team owner Ryan Carpenter will be driving with
IndyCar team owner Bryan 
Herta and his son Colton Herta along with IMSA WeatherTech Series competitors Colin Braun and Parker Chase.
Herta and his son Colton Herta along with IMSA WeatherTech Series competitors Colin Braun and Parker Chase."Last
year's race was a tough one," Braun said. "Ryno Racing did a fantastic
job with all the preparation and we showed we had a fast car.
Unfortunately Ryan had a little incident in the last corner and spun
across the track into the inside wall and the car was fairly damaged. It
was a bummer because there are many places you can get away with a
little mistake at Thunderhill, but the one place you really cannot is
that corner. It was just such a big consequence for a tiny mistake. But
we showed we had a fast car. I really enjoy the race because it reminds
you of what this sport is all about. Very passionate people all out
racing to just race, very bare and raw, which is so cool. I feel it
refreshes me on why racing and sports car racing is such an amazing
sport! Looking around the paddock and pit lane at 2 a.m. is just amazing!"
Braun
started his racing career in the NASA Formula Renault series and is
looking forward to driving with Carpenter and the Herta's.
"Very
excited about our driver line-up this year," he continued. "Having Ryan
with us again is going to be great, we all learned a lot from 2015 to
put towards this year so that experience will be great. And to have
Bryan and Colton join us will be awesome. Bryan's experience and
knowledge will be invaluable. Colton looks to be on the path to stardom,
so it will be neat to get to race alongside both of them. I have a huge
respect and understanding of how cool it is to work with your father as
well, since my dad has been engineering my IMSA car at CORE for the
past year. I am glad those guys will be able to race as a father/son
duo. Really excited!"
Fantasy
Junction with Winding Road Racing is bringing the Riley built Daytona
Prototype to Thunder Hill. Driving the DP car will be Spencer Trenery
who has 
IMSA experience as well as multi-time Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona starter
Rob Gewirtz, Mazda MX-5 Cup champion driver Mark Drennan and Darrell
Anderson who was second overall at the 25 in 2015.
IMSA experience as well as multi-time Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona starter
Rob Gewirtz, Mazda MX-5 Cup champion driver Mark Drennan and Darrell
Anderson who was second overall at the 25 in 2015. "We
have fielded teams in nearly every 12 and 25 hour NASA races since
their inception," Trenery said. "Generally in E1 and E3 and ESR, and we
have been on the podium many times. In 2014, I finished second overall
and first in ES with the Award Racing Porsche. We are running a Daytona
Prototype that we have converted from 5.0L to 6.2L, added a sixth gear,
and some significant downforce. We are looking forward to a very
competitive race next month."
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Bryan Herta, Colton Herta, Ryan
Eversley, Al Unser Jr., Kyle Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle,
Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun, Johannes van Overbeek,
Darren Law, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler McQuarrie,
Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, with more expected.
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Toyo Tires® Continues On-Site Hospitality and Support of the 25-Hours of Thunderhill™
Published on October 20, 2016 16:41
October 20, 2016
Toyo Tires® Continues On-Site Hospitality and Support of the 25-Hours of Thunderhill™
The Longest Endurance Road Race in North America
CYPRESS, CA – Toyo Tires® continues its support of amateur road racing with VIP track services and an on-site hospitality area at the 25-Hours of Thunderhill™, the longest endurance road race in North America. This year’s race will take place December 3-4 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in the rolling Northern California foothills. Competitors using Toyo® Proxes® tires will enjoy access to the Toyo Tires hospitality area including meals on Friday (lunch and dinner), Saturday (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight snack), and Sunday (breakfast and lunch).
Registered participants will also receive free mounting and balancing services from Thunderhill AIM Tire on all preorders and via trackside service at Thunderhill Raceway Park from December 2-4. The program applies to racers using the Toyo Proxes® RS1™ full-slick, the Proxes® RR DOT competition, the Proxes® R888™ and the new Proxes® R888R™ tires in dry conditions; while the Proxes® R1R™ and Proxes® RA1™ are approved for wet use.
“Toyo Tires continues to demonstrate the importance they place on the road racing community", said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. "This VIP program has quickly become a staple at the biggest pro-am endurance race in North America drawing interest from nearly every team in the paddock and we're thrilled Toyo Tires is hosting it again this year."
This is the 14th year Toyo Tires has been the Official Tire of NASA and the fifth year the company has provided VIP track services to support racers in the 25-Hours of Thunderhill.
“We continue to be ‘all in’ with our unrivaled support of the 25-Hours,” said Marc Sanzenbacher, senior manager, motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “Amateur road racing represents the heart and soul of our Proxes competition line of tires. We are proud to support our loyal race teams in their quest to ‘Survive the 25’.”
Space for this special program is limited. Racers must register for the VIP hospitality at toyotires.com/races-and-places/racer-direct-program and tire purchases must be made through one of the following dealers by November 21.
AIM Tire.
Ron Cortez
(707) 938-9193
aimtires@aol.com
Thunderhill
AIM Tire
Jim Thompson
(530) 519-2201
jim@thunderhill.com
To learn more about the 25-Hours of
Thunderhill, check out http://nasa25hour.com/. For more information about the Toyo Tires
contingency offered for NASA competitors, go to https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.
About Toyo Tires®
Established in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered worldwide for 70 years. The company offers a full line of premium tires for nearly every vehicle including light trucks, SUVs, crossovers, sports cars, luxury cars and hybrids as well as commercial trucks. Many of the tires are built in the United States at their state-of-the-art factory in White, Georgia. To find the right tire for your vehicle as well as an authorized dealer, visit www.toyotires.com. Be sure to join the Toyo Tires community on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
# # #
EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos of the 25-Hours of Thunderhill are available at:
http://media.toyotires.com/image-gallery?view=category&mode=gallery&cat=2760
Media Contact: Jay Jones, TMC
949-851-6313, jay.jones@tmcauto.com
Toyo Media Site: http://media.toyotires.com/
Live Coverage of the 2016 NASA Western States Championships Presented by Toyo Tires
Published on October 16, 2016 02:06
Catch all the exciting action from the 2016 NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires live from Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Coverage will begin tomorrow at 9:25am PST when each main race will decide who we crown as Champions concluding at 4:10pm.
Be sure to catch all the exciting action by visiting where you'll find our live stream and live timing allowing you to follow along.
For a complete schedule of today's races, please visit:
https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WestChampsSched2016.pdf
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Ready for Green
Published on October 11, 2016 23:06
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Ready for Green
250+ racers ready to compete
NAPA, Calif., (October 11, 2016)
- The third annual NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo
Tires is ready to go green this weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway October 14-16.
The
Buttonwillow track is proving to be a great draw for competitors from
across the country, with the added intrigue of running two different
layouts on the weekend.
Charles Buzzetti is competing in one of the largest fields of the three-day weekend, 
the 30 car Spec E30 Class in his No. 7 BMW.
the 30 car Spec E30 Class in his No. 7 BMW."I've
been racing at Buttonwillow for almost 20 years and have thousands of
laps there," Buzzetti said. "I think the two configuration format helps
some and hurts others, but I like it. There are a lot of potential
winners for this event in the Spec E30 Class. I certainly consider
myself in that group. In no certain order I am looking for Steve
Stepanian, Andrew Clark, Larry Fraser, Michael Shahawn and Ray Zanotto
to all be tough. I am racing in two classes PTD and E30. I always plan
to win."
David Schotz is coming off of his 12th NASA Championship win at Watkins Glen 
and looking to add to his trophy case this weekend at Buttonwillow. He
is bringing his familiar yellow Pontiac Firebird as well as his black
Corvette.
and looking to add to his trophy case this weekend at Buttonwillow. He
is bringing his familiar yellow Pontiac Firebird as well as his black
Corvette."I'll
be running both of my cars this coming weekend. However, it just looks
as though for PT, I'm only able to race one or the other, since PTB and
PTC are in the same run group," Schotz said. "So at this time, I'll be
running the Firebird in PTB and TTB. And I'll be running the Corvette in
TTC only. Running the two configurations is a nice twist, but really Saturday and Sunday
are what matter and will be the same track layout. I've been racing
there on and off since the mid-2000's, great track, lots of fun and
challenging corners. My original goals were to win all four registered
classes. However, it looks like I'll now go for winning the three
classes that I'm able to run."
Tristan
Littlehale is coming into the NASA Western States Championships with no
knowledge of the two configurations that will be run, but is still one
of the favorites in the Spec Miata Class.
"I
have done one race with my ST3 BMW M3 at Buttonwillow, but not on any
of the configurations we'll be racing this weekend," Littlehale said. "I
like that NASA is limiting the advantage of people who have run
Buttonwillow with lots of seat time because it's usually run in CW No.
13. Adding to that, switching layouts in the middle of the weekend may
be confusing to some, but will bring out the true racers that have the
talent to make it happen in both configs. I'm racing in two classes this
weekend, ST3 and Spec Miata. This will be my second race weekend in
Spec Miata. With what is a new car, class and competitors for me. My
competition could be myself. I have only raced with the Spec Miata guys
one other weekend and it was good tight racing. If I had to say, my one
race at Sonoma Raceway was a preview of what champs has to bring. I
foresee Matt Cresci, Nick Sommers, Justin Casey and myself will all be
duking it out for the top step on Sunday.
I may have a disadvantage because of seat time with the new car/class
and my primary focus is ST3, but I'm going to be bringing it all for two
class wins."
NASA Western States Championships schedule: https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WestChampsSched2016.pdf
Buttonwillow Raceway track configurations, https://nasachampionships.com/west-event/
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
To
qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires,
NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races
around the country.
Established
in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality,
performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered
worldwide for more than 70 years.
|
||
|
|
||
|
NASA Selects RACEHERO as Exclusive Live Timing & Results Service
Published on October 11, 2016 20:31
NASA Valley, CA: The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) has selected RaceHero as the exclusive provider for live timing and race results for all 15 NASA regions and NASA Championship races moving into next season. RaceHero provides a "weekend in your pocket" experience featuring real-time entry lists, schedules, live timing and race results. Racers can now track over 150 annual NASA events using RaceHero on phones, tablets and desktop computers making their NASA experience easier to manage during the weekend activities.
It's not a race without results and there are no results without timing and scoring. What once was tracked with a stopwatch is today completely orchestrated by computers. RaceHero allows us to provide an automated live stream from our existing timing systems to anyone in the world on any device, enabling us to grow our reach with no additional effort. It also simplifies the process of posting results and getting information out to competitors and fans alike.
“NASA Timing and scoring operators are typically volunteers working under tight schedules” said Roman Vaisman, NASA Chief Technology Officer. "Just like the racecars on track, speed and accuracy are critical for our Timing and Scoring staff. RaceHero automatically publishes accurate provisional results and lets us easily distribute official results with penalties and corrections without adding more work for our staff."
"While we can't do everything in-house, we look for partnerships where we aren't just directing our members to a third-party", said NASA Director of Business Development Jeremy Croiset. "We embed RaceHero's live timing and results in our websites where we can drive traffic, promote our sponsors and provide value to our members through the latest and greatest technology. Software entrepreneur and racer Brian Ghidinelli created RaceHero based on his passion for endurance sports car racing which is a core event offering from NASA and we’re thrilled to be working with him on this new program.”
About NASA: The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) was formed in 1991 with the premise of delivering high-quality motorsports events to enthusiasts at major racing venues throughout the nation. NASA has created programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full performance capabilities of their cars in a controlled professionally managed environment. NASA offers many different programs that will allow you to enjoy motorsports on a number of different levels, including our High Performance Driving Events (HPDE), Rally Sport, Time Trial, NASA-X and Competition Racing programs. For more information, log onto www.nasaproracing.com and connect with the community at Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
About RaceHero: RaceHero brings everything about race day to your pocket in a fun, social way. By looking beyond simple finishing position, RaceHero highlights big passes, personal bests and epic battles. Access entry lists, schedules, live timing and results from smartphones, tablets and laptops all driven automatically from existing timing and scoring systems. RaceHero is free to event organizers, promoters and racetracks and is available today at http://racehero.io and in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores.
View a sample race result from NASA's recent race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: Click Here!
###
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Garnering Strong Competitors
Published on October 10, 2016 20:18
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Garnering Strong Competitors
Top amateur racers ready to converge on Buttonwillow
NAPA,
Calif., (Oct. 7, 2016) - The third annual NASA Western States
Championships presented by Toyo Tires is receiving entries from across
the country that will assure strong competition October14-16 at Buttonwillow Raceway.
NASA
Western States Championships event director Ryan Flaherty will be using
two different track configurations over the three-day event. The
Buttonwillow track layout options, known as CCW (counter clockwise),
will be a great test of speed and handling over the Championship
weekend.
"On
Friday we are using configuration No. 1 CCW," Flaherty said.
"Configuration No. 1 is 3-miles, which includes the Star Mazda Turn and
the Bus Stop. These two sections are challenging and require a precise
touch along with a good handling race car. On Saturday and Sunday we
will use configuration No. 25 that measures 2.92-miles, which removes
the technical Bus Stop and provides another passing opportunity and
higher speeds. Using the combination of tracks is a perfect blend of
technique and speed, providing a unique opportunity for NASA racers to
demonstrate their skills."
Justin
Casey (No. 51 Mazda Miata) is heading to Buttonwillow with two goals,
win the Spec Miata race overall, which will make him the NASA Western
States 
Champion on Sunday as well as win the Teen Mazda Challenge (TMC) championship that will be decided Friday and Saturday.
Champion on Sunday as well as win the Teen Mazda Challenge (TMC) championship that will be decided Friday and Saturday."I
have raced at Buttonwillow Raceway Park many times, the first time
being several years ago when I was racing with the Northern California
Karters," Casey said. "My biggest competition will be, that is if Mark
Drennan is not racing, Matt Cresci. Matt is a good friend of mine and he
always performs really well under high-stress situations, so I am
looking for him to give me a good run. My goals are the same as everyone else who is entered, to win this race. Simple."
Casey is also in the hunt for the Teen Mazda Challenge Championship.
"The
Teen Mazda Challenge is a series within NASA that consists of drivers
who are between the ages of 13 and 22 that race within the Spec Miata
Class. The drivers race against the entire Spec Miata field, follow the
same rules that NASA has created, and usually each region will have
four-to-six race weekends per season. TMC competitors are scored based
on their position compared to the rest of the TMC drivers. So for
example if someone finished second overall within the Spec Miata field,
but first overall amongst TMC drivers then that driver will be awarded
first place points for the TMC championship. The overall concept of the
Teen Mazda Challenge is to allow younger drivers to begin racing cars at
a younger age in order to allow more time to improve their race craft.
We are racing to be eligible to be invited to the Mazda Road to 24
Shootout. If the driver is invited and wins the shootout, then they win a
$100,000 scholarship to compete in The Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup
for one year. So overall, this series provides an extraordinary
opportunity from Mazda for younger drivers to further develop their
racing career."
Manny Coats is a previous Honda Challenge Champion, winning at Mid-Ohio in 
2008 and 2011. He is bringing his No. 72 Acura Integra to Buttonwillow to go for a third Championship title.
2008 and 2011. He is bringing his No. 72 Acura Integra to Buttonwillow to go for a third Championship title."I
have a lot of laps around Buttonwillow in both configurations and it is
my favorite track in our region," Coats said. "Buttonwillow has a great
mix of technical turns, with some of them blind. I had a great battle
with Carlos (Valenzuela) last year at the Championships before I had a
mechanical failure that took me out of the race. I know he is bringing
an even better car this year, so I expect he may be the guy to beat.
There's also last year's H4 Champion, Steve Peterson, with a newer,
faster power plant than he had at last year's Championships."
NASA Western States Championships schedule: https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WestChampsSched2016.pdf
Buttonwillow Raceway track configurations, https://nasachampionships.com/west-event/
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
To
qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires,
NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races
around the country.
Established
in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality,
performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered
worldwide for more than 70 years.
|
||
|
|
||
|
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Garnering Strong Competitors
Published on October 02, 2016 18:25
NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Garnering Strong Competitors
Top regional racers ready to converge on Buttonwillow
NAPA,
Calif., (Oct. 1, 2016) - The third annual NASA Western States
Championships presented by Toyo Tires is receiving entries from across
the country that will assure strong competition October14-16 at Buttonwillow.
Buttonwillow Raceway Park, with its 3.1-mile and 12-turns, will play host to the NASA Championship competitors in two weeks.
The track is a favorite among the local racers and will be challenging
to those traveling from across the country. NASA is adding a unique
flair to the event by using two different track configurations over the
three-day event.Chad Plavan is running his first NASA Championships in the all-new NASA NP01 
powered by Mazda.
powered by Mazda."Since
I live in Clovis, California, Buttonwillow is considered my home track
being under two hours from my house," Plavan said. "I have been racing
at Buttonwillow since 1997. In fact, I received my racing license there.
The Championships configurations are a little different. I have raced
my vintage Porsche 911 there. However, that is a totally different beast
from the NP01. I'm still adjusting/learning the set-up of the NP01. I
believe Tom Hope and Andy Lee will have the advantage at Buttonwillow.
They are great drivers, and Tom has been great in helping me understand
the NP01's set-up."
Thomas Atteberry will compete with his No. 19 Porsche 944 Spec at Buttonwillow, 
a track he knows well.
a track he knows well."I
have been racing at Buttonwillow since 2008 when I started in club
racing," Atteberry said. "Each year one to three racers show up that
prove to be challenging competition. Of the southern California racers,
six come to mind who are great competitors: Chuck Sharp, Everett DeLano,
Simon Peck, Marcelo Vine, John Niedernhofer, and Jim Hicks. Each of
them has the potential to win the event. Buttonwillow is a great track
for a momentum race car like a Porsche 944. It is not a horsepower
track, so any error in car placement can be costly. Several turns like
Phil Hill and the Bus Stop are turns that require speed and accuracy if
you want a great lap time. This is the perfect track for the 944
Championship because it lets the balance and handling of the car shine."
Adrian
Wlostowski is doing the bi-coastal NASA Championships coming off of the
Watkins Glen Eastern States Championships and heading right to
Buttonwillow. He 
will be running his No. 619 Corvette in the ST2 Class.
will be running his No. 619 Corvette in the ST2 Class."Watkins
Glen was a very tough weekend for us, we had a spindle break on the
last lap during the championship race causing me to go into the wall at
slow speed at the very end," Wlostowski said. "We finished P3. We are
repairing it now to head west. I am happy for John George winning our
class at the east. We have always been in tight competition. We seem to
always have bad luck at the Championships. Last year, the clutch blew in
Saturday's qualifying race. This year, I had problems with spindles and
the front right went due to stress on the last lap. The curbs are
brutal at The Glen and I love going over the curbs! We are going to
Buttonwillow with all new parts all around which we think we're due,
hopefully we have better luck!
A first time visitor to the southern California track, Wlostowski is in student mode.
"We
are going out there to have fun," he continued. "We want to experience
the west coast and the competition. For now, we will have our practice
day Thursday,
study videos, and walk the track. This will also be our test for
logistics and new parts for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill race later this
year."
NASA Western States Championships schedule:
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
To
qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires,
NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races
around the country.
Established
in 1966, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. represents the innovation, quality,
performance, and excellent service that Toyo Tires has delivered
worldwide for more than 70 years.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Live coverage of the 2016 NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires
Published on September 25, 2016 15:37
Catch all the exciting action from the 2016 NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires live from Watkins Glen International today. Coverage begins at 9am EST. and will conclude at 4:30pm EST. You can catch all the exciting action at https://nasachampionships.com/east-event/
For a complete schedule of today's races, please visit https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/East_2016_Schedule_1.7.pdf.
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Ready for Green
Published on September 23, 2016 17:32
NP01 first championships, Calderon Miata and Schotz going for 13
NAPA
VALLEY, Calif. (Sept. 20, 2016) - The third annual NASA Eastern States
Championships presented by Toyo Tires will run at Watkins Glen
International September 23-25 is ready for the green flag.
The
350+ NASA competitors are making their way to upstate New York to take
on the competition and the newly repaved 3.4-mile, 11-turn historic
race.
What
was only a display piece at last year's NASA Championships, the all-new
NASA Prototype élan NP01 will have its inaugural Championship race
weekend at The Glen. Jeremy Croiset, NASA director of business
development, father of the NASA Prototype series and a competitor in the
new category is happy with the car and competition so far.
"Things
have been going very well with the NP01 program," Croiset said.
"Everyone that has purchased a car and begun racing it has been blown
away by the performance of the car and are truly happy to see that all
the hype around the program was justified. For me, it's very satisfying
to see so many folks enjoying the class. So far, 26 cars have been sold
and the 25th is scheduled to be delivered in 
two weeks."
two weeks."Croiset has been campaigning a car since December.
"Personally,
the car has been a dream come true for me," he continued. "I've always
dreamed of driving a close cockpit prototype and this car truly lives up
to what I always hoped it would be. It's cheaper to operate than
anything else in this speed category, has been very reliable, and is the
easiest car I've ever worked on. The racing is super close and I
thoroughly enjoy knowing that I'm not getting beat because someone has a
better car. It's all down to the set-up and how well the car is driven!
"I've
been looking forward to racing in the NASA Prototype series at The Glen
since I knew we would be taking the event to upstate New York last
year. April of this year was the first time I'd ever driven at the
circuit and it easily elevated the track to one of my personal favorites
in the country. The super-fast high speed layout will truly reward the
NP01 because of the downforce that the car generates. This just elevates
the challenge as a driver to do well at the event. To top it all off,
this will be a NASA Championship event and it's more than I could even
ask for. I'm so excited about competing in the category at this
fantastic circuit! I don't personally know all the drivers that will be
attending the NASA Eastern States Championships in the NASA Prototype
series, so it's a bit of a toss-up for me if I'm honest. The racing I've
enjoyed this season so far has been hard fought and very close, so I'm
preparing for the same at Watkins Glen. I'll definitely be bringing my
A-game to the show and we'll know where the chips fall after that first
qualifying session on Fri. morning."
Xavier
Calderon from Virginia is an active NASA Official and will drive in the
ultra-competitive Spec Miata Class at The Glen this weekend.
"Running
the NASA championships is a culmination of all the hard work, data,
time and effort I've put into the car so far," Calderon said. "While I
am a NASA Official I'm still a driver and competitor at heart. The Spec
Miata race this weekend is going to be crazy. The talent pool is
absolutely astounding. If you're in the top 10 of this group you can,
without a doubt, consider yourself a true driver. It's humbling to even
be competing against some of these folks as I look up to some of them as
their driving ability continually pushes me to better myself. I hear
it's beautiful out at The Glen around this time of year, so I am looking
forward to fun weekend of racing and camaraderie.
Calderon appreciates the support that Mazda provides to its racers.
"Mazda's
support to the grassroots community is phenomenal," he continued. "The
customer service rocks, website is refined, and even the email they send
is useful. But in all seriousness, the fact that they even give us the
special pricing plan to buy a Mazda vehicle for our "off-track" life is
just unheard icing on the cake."
David Schotz is hauling to The Glen from Arizona. Schotz is an 11 time NASA Championships winner.
"I've
been racing with NASA since 2008 and have been fortunate enough to
collect 11 in total so far," Schotz said. "I am really looking forward
to the track, the competition and fun times! We're just bringing one
car to The Glenn, and have chosen to bring the G-LOC Brakes, Pontiac
Firebird Formula to run in PTB/TTB. Both The PTB and TTB classes look to
have a very talented field with plenty of fast drivers. I'd say Jeff
Ricca will definitely be a great competitor in PTB and Allan Page and I
were very close at Road Atlanta in 2014 for TTB. I have spent some
extended time on Forza learning the track. Watkins Glen is a first for
me this year. I am looking forward to experiencing great racing on a
legendary track."
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
Link for NASA Eastern States Championships Entry: https://www.nasaproracing.com/events/2377/entry_list?direction=asc&sort=class
Link for NASA Eastern States Championships Schedule: https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/East_2016_Schedule_1.7.pdf
Live timing for NASA Eastern States Championships: https://nasachampionships.com/east-event/
Live coverage link for NASA Eastern States Championships: https://nasachampionships.com/east-event/
To
qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires,
NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races
around the country
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Getting Top Entries
Published on September 15, 2016 15:31
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Getting Top Entries
Watkins Glen full course to host over 350+ racers
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2016) - The third annual NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires will run at Watkins Glen International September 23-25. The event is attracting top entries.
The
newly repaved 3.4-mile, 11-turn track located in upstate New York is
proving to be a great draw as 350 NASA racers are expected to compete
over three days in eight days.
Ray
Sweers is preparing his Indiana based Dodge Viper Competition Coupe to
compete in the ultra-competitive Super Unlimited Class, typically the
fastest group on the NASA Championships schedule.
"This
will be my fourth NASA Championship weekend," Sweers said. "Watkins
Glen is a great venue for the Championships. It is a beautiful location
and facility. Having qualified for the Championships at Gingerman,
Mid-Ohio and Road America, I am looking forward to running The Glen's
challenging and fast layout, especially with the repaving. The Super
Unlimited Class attracts some crazy fast cars. I am looking forward to
competing against and meeting some new people at the Championships this
year."
David Greenman will be towing his Corvette Z06 from New Jersey to The Glen to compete for top honors in the ST1 Class.
"I
will be running my first NASA Championships weekend," Greenman said.
"Watkins Glen is in my top three of favorite tracks. To qualify for the
Championships, I ran races at New Jersey Motorsports Park, both layouts,
and at Virginia International Raceway. I have a lot of miles around The
Glen. I've probably had over 40 races at the upstate New York track. It
is a world class track with as much or more history as virtually any
U.S. road course and obviously a former F1 track."
Chris Cobetto is a seasoned NASA Championships competitor from Virginia and should be a favorite in the Spec E30 Class.
"This year will represent my 10th NASA Championship weekend," Cobetto
said. "The very first time I raced at Watkins Glen was in 1998 and my
first words when I came off the track were 'this is a big boy track.'
The track is fast with sections that look slower than they really are
and some that look faster than they really are. The blind apexes force
the driver to rely heavily on visual cues for turn in and throttle
timing. Watkins Glen demands a mistake free drive. At best a small
mistake keeps you from being out front. At worst a small mistake can
destroy your car. Anyone that wants to run up front at The Glen needs
to have an extra helping of pancakes for breakfast."Cobetto
likes the competition in E30. "Spec E30 is FUN! However there are many
ingredients to the Spec E30 cocktail that make drivers belly up to the
bar. The E30 platform was great fun from BMW out of the box and adding
the performance goodies made them even more fun. The cars are very
reliable. It is not unheard of for a driver to build a car and race it
for years doing no more than regular maintenance. Consumables won't
break the bank and for those that run out front, Toyo and Hawk have
great contingency programs. In the end, it is about the racing and with
whom you are racing. There is a special camaraderie and respect that
exists in the Spec E30 paddock. Spec E30 drivers race to win, but will
be right there to help a competitor fix a car or drink a beer."
Cobetto
thinks the race will be wide open to a number of competitors. "Spec E30
is incredibly competitive with incredibly good drivers. If a pro team
were looking for talent, they would need only look to the top 10 Sunday
finishers for a list of some of the United States' finest wheelmen.
Past champions like Robert Grace and Sandro Espinosa pose a distinct
challenge, but drivers like Stephen Harper, Chris Allen, Anthony
Magagnoli, Sean Curran, Ryan Whitinger, Carter Hunt and Jason Griscavage
can get it done as well. The driver's standing on the podium on Sunday will have earned the right to be there for sure."
For additional information, please contact NASA Championships Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468. More detail can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasachampionships.com.
To
qualify for the NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires,
NASA competitors must compete in and score points in five regional races
around the country.
|
||
|
|
||
|
