National Auto Sport News

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."

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.

More information can be found on the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill website, http://nasa25hour.com/.

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.

About Hawk Performance

Hawk Performance is a leading supplier of severe duty and high-performance friction products manufactured in ISO-certified facilities for the motorsports

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 www.hawkperformance.com.

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.

NASA Membership

NASA members are entitled to enter and participate in any NASA event across the country, and membership includes an array of benefits, including vendor discounts and a subscription to the organizations online newsletter the NASA Speed News. Members will also receive a colorful membership hard card that will identify them as part of the organization and a welcome packet that includes more information on the many benefits and programs available to NASA members. While participating at events, all NASA members are covered by an extensive insurance policy, which includes General Liability, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Excess Medical coverage. Best of all, membership is only $45. Refer to www.nasaproracing.com for member information.

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA would like to thank its National sponsors for their continued support: Toyo Tires, Mazda, Hawk Performance, Winding Road Racing, Millers Oils, and GoPro. We also want to thank MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan, and Ford Motor Company for supporting our members. We greatly appreciate those companies that offer our racers contingency support, including Toyo Tires, AIM Sports, AST Suspension, BFGoodrich, Ford Racing, Maxxis Tires, Traqmate, Hawk Performance, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Hoosier Racing Tire, Injector Pulse, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Frozen Rotors, Rossini Race Engines, Spec Clutches, Sampson Racing Communications, Winding Road Racing, and Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Millers Oils, Mazda, Honda Performance Development, FR.Sport, Jongbloed Racing Wheels, Promotive, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School, Tire Stickers, Fuel Safe, Avis, Konig, Winding Road Racing.

NASA at a Glance

* NASA was founded in 1991 on the premise of providing motorsport competition programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full-performance capabilities of their cars in a safe and controlled environment.

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* Key events include the Eastern States Championships at Watkins Glen International Sept. 23-25; NASA Western States Championships at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Oct. 13-16, 2016 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 3-4 presented by Hawk Performance.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaracing

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.

More information can be found on the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill web site http://nasa25hour.com/.

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.

About Hawk Performance

Hawk Performance is a leading supplier of severe duty and high-performance friction products manufactured in ISO-certified facilities for the motorsports

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaracing

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 -

IRVINE, Calif. (November 18, 2016) – After two days of intense competition at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, Matt Cresci from Los Gatos, California won the 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. The $100,000 scholarship that came with the victory is the largest prize in grassroots motorsports. Launched in 2006, the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout has promoted ten talented grassroots racers into the professional ranks.

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 cars: Long Road Racing, the builders of the Mazda MX-5 Cup race car, prepared four 2016 Mazda Global MX-5 Cup racecars for the finalists to drive. BFGoodrich Tires provided their g-Force tires for the competition.

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

Mazdaspeed@mazdausa.com

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

More information can be found on the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill web site http://nasa25hour.com/.

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.

About Hawk Performance

Hawk Performance is a leading supplier of severe duty and high-performance friction products manufactured in ISO-certified facilities for the motorsports

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

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.

https://nasachampionships.com/west-event/

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.

"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.

"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.

About Toyo Tires

Toyo offers a complete selection of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including light trucks, SUVs, high performance cars, and luxury vehicles, as well as commercial trucks. Many of these tires are built here in the United States at our state-of-the-art factory in Bartow County, Georgia.

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

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!

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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.

"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.

"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.

About Toyo Tires

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

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

"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.

"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.

"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:

https://nasachampionships.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/WestChampsSched2016.pdf

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.

About Toyo Tires

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

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."

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.

About Toyo Tires

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager, Will Faules, National Event Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

NASA Prototype Series Champions to be Featured at Performance Racing Industry Trade Show

Published on September 07, 2016 18:04

NAPA VALLEY, CA (September 7, 2016) The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) announced today that the series champions of its Inaugural Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coast NASA Prototype series will be provided the opportunity of showcasing their vehicles during the 29th Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. The trade show will be taking place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 8–10, 2016, in Indianapolis. PRI 2016 is the centerpiece of Race Industry Week, where dozens of conferences, seminars, training sessions, social gatherings and other special events take place each year, offering unprecedented access and value for motorsports professionals. The PRI Trade Show is attended by motorsports entrepreneurs from all 50 states, and 72 countries.

The NASA Prototype series is a new classification to NASA in 2016, expanding their history of affordable local racing into purpose built prototype style cars. The NASA Prototype series was built around the new Élan NP01 chassis designed from the ground up to be quick and great looking but more importantly, safe, reliable and inexpensive to operate. “Last year for the PRI show, we had the very first NASA Prototype Élan NP01 serial number 000 displayed in the NASA booth. Now, just a year later, we have over two dozen cars delivered to customers,” said Jeremy Croiset, Director of Business Development for NASA. Croiset added, “We look forward to showcasing the winners of our new premiere series and rewarding them for an outstanding inaugural season.”

The 2016 NASA Prototype series consists of two individual championships, the Atlantic Series Championship and the Pacific Series Championship. The Atlantic Championship includes nine points races held over three event weekends. The Pacific Championship includes nine points races held over six event weekends. The premier series races will be the NASA Eastern States Championship at Watkins Glen International Raceway where three of the nine series races will take place and the NASA Western States Championship at Buttonwillow Raceway Park where the main feature Championship race will count as a double points race finish.

For more information on the NASA Prototype Élan NP01 or the series itself, please visit www.NASAPrototype.com

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.

About the PRI Trade Show

The worldwide racing industry gathers in Indianapolis, December 8 – 10, 2016, for the 29th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. 1,200 companies will display the latest advances in racing products and race engineering. Engine parts, suspension components, data acquisition, safety gear, new metal alloys and coatings, machining equipment, race electronics—it’s all part of the world’s largest racing trade show. Arriving from 70+ countries and all 50 states, buyers will scour the displays to source the new technology that will be winning races next year. It’s all hardcore racing. No fuzzy dice. No neon windshield wipers. Attendees are pre-qualified and admission is complimentary, but they must all prove they own, manage or are employed by a racing business. Buyers for tens of thousands of racing retail stores, warehouse distribution centers, professional race engine builders, race car production companies, are making 2016 inventory decisions in each exhibit. They represent the all-important distribution pipeline for racing products. In the US alone, there are more than 400,000 racers, the vast majority of whom are at the grassroots level, purchasing products from their local race store or race engine builder.

NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Heading to The Glen

Published on August 29, 2016 16:56

NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Heading to The Glen

Watkins Glen full course to host 325+ racers

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Aug. 27, 2016) - The third annual NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires will run at Watkins Glen International September 23-25. The historic circuit is proving to be a racer favorite.

Not only east coast NASA racers, but many from across the country are preparing for the big event at The Glen. The newly repaved 3.4-mile, 11-turn track located in upstate New York will test the more than 325+ NASA racers over three days in September.

Mark Drennan, one the most decorated Spec Miata drivers, is making the cross country trek to compete at Watkins Glen to go for his third NASA crown in the class.

"I've competed in the NASA Championships three times making appearances in 2008, 2014 and 2015 and have won three championships, all of them in 2015

(NASA Eastern Champs, Spec Miata; NASA Western Champs, Spec Miata and one in Spec E46)," Drennan said. "Watkins Glen is an amazing, bucket-list track that perfectly fits my driving style. I raced for the first time at The Glen earlier this year in the MX-5 Cup series where I secured my first professional win. To qualify for the Championships, I raced at my local tracks in the NASA Northern California region at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway and Thunderhill Raceway Park. The competition will be stacked this year with a bunch of super talented drivers in the (so far) 54 car field. My picks to come in second (lol) are Tyler Kicera, Blake Clements, Danny Steyn, Todd Buras, and my favorite old and a very fast driver Tom Fowler."

Another one of those team's traveling across country is California based Davidson Racing. The NASA stalwarts are bringing their BMW Norma to run in Super Unlimited and driven by seasoned pro driver Brian Frisselle.

"I can't wait to race Watkins Glen," Frisselle said. "It is without a doubt one of the best tracks in North America and I think it may be my overall favorite. I love how many fast corners it has and the overall rhythm of the track. I can't wait to drive it with the new surface because I have heard it is even faster now! The team hasn't confirmed their plans for the 25 yet but if they do decide to run the Norma at the 25 then the track time at the Glen will be even more valuable."

Brian Casella will be running his Acura Integra Type R in the HPD Honda Challenge 2 Class.

"I have come close, but actually never won a NASA championship," Casella said. "In 2007 I was running second at Mid-Ohio to have a brake line rupture with five minutes remaining in the race. I would like to add a NASA championship to my two regional championships. Racing at Watkins Glen is like driving at the mecca of road racing. The track is the most pure race track I have driven. I have very little time there this year and with the new surface I cannot wait to attend the Championships next month.

Brian will be competing against his brother Robert, adding an extra dimension to the weekend.

"Robert is my brother and we have been racing together now in the same class for five years," he continued. "Competing against him is like adding another level of competition to the race besides the standard podium positions we all strive for. We will do whatever it takes to beat each other even if it is for last place in class. It's all about those family bragging rights."

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.

About Toyo Tires

About NASA

NASA Membership

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA at a Glance

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 15 regions.

* The NASA National Championships will run 31 race classes and nine Time-Trial classes during the event.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan and Ford Racing.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

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Registration Announcement for NASA 25hrs of Thunderhill - Presented by Hawk Performance

Published on August 16, 2016 20:00

NAPA VALLEY, CA (August 16, 2016) Registration for the longest endurance road race in North America will open on Friday August 19 at 9am PST. Be part of 14th annual running of the NASA 25hrs of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance on December 3-4, 2016.

Will the Flying Lizard Audi sponsored by Toyo Tires be back to defend the title or will we have a new champion for 2016? If you missed the 2015 NASA 25hrs please check out a documentary entitled “Survive the 25” which originally premiered on the Mav TV network. It chronicles the experiences of 4 race teams competing in the longest endurance race in North America held each December at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. You can watch the show in its entirety by going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT10whEAuIs .

Sign up for the hardest race you will ever run. Just finishing this race is a victory by itself. The 25hrs will challenge you, teach you, make you better, make your team better, and most of all give you some amazing memories of a unique accomplishment.

For more information on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance, please visit www.nasa25hour.com

Breaking News Re: NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires

Published on June 21, 2016 21:51

NAPA VALLEY, CA (June 21, 2016) “Breaking news regarding the NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires:” On Wednesday June 22, 2016 at noon Eastern Time we will be opening up registration for Garages, RV Parking, Priority Check-In & Earliest Paddock Entry, Electricity Access Pass and Crew Passes. Quantities are limited. Please visit the registration page https://www.nasaproracing.com/events/2377 after noon 6/22 for more information and to sign up for all above before everything sells out!

Also don't forget - if you have not signed up for these Eastern States Championships yet, entry fees are discounted only until August 21!

Garages
A limited number of garages are available for this event and will fit one (1) car each with room to work and space for a reasonable amount of gear. Garages also include adjacent preferred paddock parking. Guarantee an indoor spot in the best part of the paddock!

RV Parking
A limited number of RV spots with power are available for this event. Two locations & sizes are available: upper lot/big rigs only (full size coaches or 35+ foot motorhomes), and lower lot/smaller rigs only (less than 35 foot motorhomes.) RV spots do not include space for cars, trailers, or general paddocking.

Priority Check-In & Earliest Paddock Entry
A limited number of priority entries are available. This means less waiting for credentials and gate entry before anyone else. Do you like to fly first class? Here's your entry option for the event. Get in and get your preferred spot in the paddock. Make sure to also purchase your electricity access pass if you intend to park near a power location.

Electricity Access Pass
Limited number available. Required if you plan to plug into power anywhere in the non-reserved paddock.

Crew Passes
Because this is not a "spectator" event a crew pass is required for all entrants who are not drivers or officials. Two (2) complimentary crew passes are included with each driver's entry.

For more information contact: Jon Felton - jfelton@drivenasa.com

2016 NASA Western States Championship Course Configuration

Published on June 16, 2016 21:02

NAPA, CA (June 16, 2016) - The NASA Championship format has 2 qualifying races, which will set your starting position for the Championship race on Sunday. With this great facility, we have the unique opportunity to give our drivers a variation and additional challenge during this pinnacle event. Thus, Friday qualifying races will feature 2 additional turns as we begin the competition portion of the event with race course configuration #1 that includes the section of track known as “bus stop.” For the subsequent days and Championship finale race, we will switch to the more open race course configuration #25 which will give competitors more passing opportunities in this longer and extremely competitive event. This will likely come as great news to any out of region competitors planning on attending the event because this is not a configuration the usual NASA SoCal competitors typically uses.

Course Configuration Schedule

Wednesday Test Day- #1 CCW

Thursday Test Day- # 25 CCW

Friday - #1 CCW

Saturday/ Sunday - #25 CCW

Track Maps

Configuration #1

Configuration #25

Survive the 25 is now on YouTube!

Published on June 14, 2016 23:58

NAPA VALLEY, CA (June 14, 2016) – “Survive the 25” is now available online on the NASA YouTube channel. Race fans can get up close and personal as we follow four race teams that competed last December in the 13th running of the National Auto Sport Association’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill , presented by Hawk Performance. The documentary entitled “Survive the 25”, which originally premiered last month on the MavTV network chronicles the experiences of 4 race teams competing in the longest endurance race in North America held each December at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Television viewers got a behind the scenes look at all the action and drama that unfolded at last years 25 Hour event and if you missed the multiple airings last month, have no fear.

You can now watch the show in its entirety by going to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT10whEAuIs

NASA’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance has become a staple of endurance racing, drawing top competitors and teams from all around the world. The changing weather, deep field of competitors, and taxing track layout make the event especially exciting for teams, drivers and fans alike. This one race is the equivalent of an entire race season all rolled into one.

For more information on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance, please visit www.nasa25hour.com

2016 NASA Championships Spec Z Enhancement Program

Published on June 03, 2016 17:54

NAPA VALLEY, CA (June 3, 2016) NASA (National Auto Sport Association) is pleased to announce an exciting new enhancement to the already generous benefit program being offered by Nissan Motorsports to Spec Z competitors attending the 2016 NASA Championships. In addition to the generous contingency program (available here), the newly announced enhancement program will provide the first 10 registrants at the 2016 NASA Eastern States Championships and the first 10 registrants at the 2016 Western States Championships with a cash benefit totaling half their registration fee up to $500 dollars. Simply be one of the first 10 competitors to register for the Spec Z class at either Championship event by July 1 and start the final race during the event and you’ll be awarded $500 cash following your respective event. This is in addition to the $3,500 cash Nissan Motorsports makes available to Spec Z competitors at the 2016 NASA Championships. Competitors must provide entry proof and file a claim. You must also be a registered member of the Nissan Motorsports program prior to the event.

“NASA Spec Z competition is the place to be if you have a 350Z and we want to support those competitors as best we can with a generous awards package,” said Richard Kulach, Nissan North America, Motorsports Manager “We look forward to seeing great fields of Spec Z cars at the two premier NASA Championships events this season and to the continued growth of the class. We’re honored to be able to continue our support of it.”

“Nissan is making available a fantastic awards program for our Spec Z competitors in 2016,” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. “Having campaigned a Spec Z myself early on in the series development, I know first hand how great of a class this is and believe the Spec Z competitors will benefit greatly from this new offering from Nissan Motorsports.”

For complete details on the newly announced program or the Spec Z class in general, please visit the NASA Contingency "Prize Money" page.

New Speed News Site Launched - nasaspeed.news

Published on May 04, 2016 22:58

Napa Valley, CA (May 4, 2016) The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to present its membership with a brand new format to browse through your Speed News Magazine. This new format will bring you all the wonderful content you have come to love and expect in a very useful package. Now you can find and share an article you remember reading through with our powerful search feature or spend hours simply browsing through the featured, columns, tech, cool rides, toolshed engineer, race coverage, and much more. Users can comment on each article and chat with other members simply by signing up on the website.

"We expect this new format to be very well received by the NASA membership," said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. "We will continue to deliver the monthly publication to those that still enjoy reading through a traditional magazine, but expect that this new format will make it much easier to digest each issue at your own pace. The new search feature makes it so much easier to locate information important to you and that should become a very valuable tool for folks interested in motorsports in general. We're proud that we continue bringing top notch information to our NASA membership!"

To check out the new site, please visit nasaspeed.news

"Survive the 25" Documentary Premiers May 3 on MavTV

Published on May 02, 2016 21:58

NAPA VALLEY, CA (May 2, 2016) – Race fans will soon be able to get up close and personal as we follow four race teams competing at the 2015 running of the National Auto Sport Association’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill, presented by Hawk Performance. The documentary titled “Survive the 25” chronicles the experience of competing in the longest endurance race in the United States, which is held each December at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Television viewers will get behind the scenes views of all the action and drama that the 25 Hours brings. This one race is the equivalent of an entire race season all rolled into one.

“Survive the 25” is a documentary that chronicles the struggles and triumphs of four teams as they battle through the 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance. The show will premier on the MavTV network Tuesday, May 3rd at 6pm ET. The show features 4 teams, CLP Motorsports, Flying Lizard (Team Toyo), Ryno Racing, and the factory Mazda effort.

For a quick glimpse of what you can expect to see in this years "Survive the 25", watch the official teaser trailer here.

https://youtu.be/thmLXovB6r8

For more information on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance, please visit www.nasa25hour.com

For TV Schedule: Show premiers May 3, 6pm ET. The show re-airs each Tuesday at 6pm ET. for the remainder of the month.

2016 NASA Championships Registration Now Open

Published on April 25, 2016 15:51

NAPA VALLEY, CA (April 25, 2016) Registration for the 11th annual NASA Championships is now open and includes a new registration option many may find appealing! The Championship tour will first visit historic Watkins Glen International Raceway in beautiful upstate New York, site of the 2016 Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires. The event will kick off September 22-25, 2016. This prestigious track will challenge competitors as they vie for their championship title. NASA then heads west to Buttonwillow Raceway Park in central California; Home of the 2016 Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires. The event is scheduled for October 13-16, 2016 at the locally loved challenging race track that will test the skills of the best NASA competitors in the west as they battle their way toward victory circle. If you’re ready to be a part of these historic events, then we encourage you to head over to www.nasachampionships.com on April 25, 2016 and get yourself registered for the NASA Championships.

You will find the registration pages for each event here.
Eastern States Championships Registration - www.nasaproracing.com/events/2377
Western States Championships Registration - www.nasaproracing.com/events/2378

Toyo Tires Offers Free Tires to Early Spec Miata Entrants

Published on April 23, 2016 18:42

NAPA VALLEY, CA (April 23, 2016) NASA is pleased to announce an exciting new Toyo Tires program available this season to the Spec Miata community. This new program will provide early registrants for either NASA Championship event the opportunity to collect up to four free Toyo Proxes RR tires for use at either event. Register early, buy a set of Toyo Tires and get free tires courtesy of Toyo Tires. Complete program details below.

“The Spec Miata community is one of the most highly contested classes in amateur racing today,” said Marc Sanzenbacher, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. sr. manager of motorsports. “We wanted to provide NASA Spec Miata competitors with a program this year that would clearly demonstrate how committed we are to the Spec Miata community and how important we believe the NASA Championships is to their eventual success. We hope this program assists in helping more Spec Miata competitors find their way to the NASA Championships in 2016.”

“Toyo Tires continues to demonstrate their commitment to the amateur racing community as a whole,” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. “This new program delivers a clear message that they are serious about ensuring the NASA Championships remains “the” place to compete for a Spec Miata Championship”.

Program Rules: The first 20 competitors that register for each NASA Championship event (opening April 25, 2016 at Noon EST.) and buy a set of Toyo Tires will be eligible for 4 free 205/50ZR15 Proxes RR tires. The next 10 competitors that register for each Championship event and buy a set of Toyo Tires will be eligible for 2 free 205/50ZR15 Proxes RR tires. To be eligible to collect your tire awards at either event, you’ll be required to submit to NASA a proof of purchase on or before Sept 5th, 2016 demonstrating you purchased a set of four Proxes RR tires through an authorized Toyo Tires Motorsports vendor. The proof of purchase must be dated between April 25, 2016 and Sept 5th, 2016. Competitors that comply with these program requirements will have their free tires provided to them at their respective NASA Championship event. You must participate in either Championship event and provide proof of purchase to receive your tires. In the event an early Spec Miata registrant cancels their Championship entry, the reward will be made available to the next Spec Miata registrant in succession.

2016 NASA Eastern and Western States Championships Update!

Published on April 21, 2016 22:36

It’s Championship Time! Who is going to be in the Winners Circle?

Registration for our 2016 NASA Eastern & Western States Championships Presented by Toyo Tires will open Monday, April 25, 2016 at 9am PST. from nasachampionships.com.

Spec Miata Racers should pay particularly close attention in the next 48hrs as an exciting announcement from Toyo Tires is imminent!

#3003: Feb 23rd - 24th, 2019

#2968: Feb 23rd - 24th, 2019

#3002: Mar 1st, 2019

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