National Auto Sport News
Published on February 13, 2016 00:27
NAPA
VALLEY, CA (February 12, 2016) – The
National Auto Sport Association (NASA)
is pleased to announce the continued support of the BF
Goodrich Tires
Contingency Program for NASA competitors in 2016. 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, ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2 and E3 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.
Published on February 12, 2016 22:56
Napa Valley, CA (February 12, 2016) – The National Auto
Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce the official 2016 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 2016 season openers.
For complete details on the 2016 Hoosiers contingency program, please visit: https://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies
Published on February 12, 2016 19:07
Napa Valley, CA - (February 5, 2016)
NASA competitor and Regional Director Dave
Balingit, has been appointed as the National Series Leader for NASA's Prototype
series. Balingit will concentrate on
growing the series from the twenty-three cars currently purchased to several
hundred, and will assist Jeremy Croiset, NASA director of Business Development, with management of the NASA Prototype series.
"My first task to ensure a smooth and
growing program is to keep gathering feedback from competitors.” Balingit said.
“I’ve always had good relationships with fellow racers and I look forward to
being the main line of communication between the teams and the NASA National
Leadership."
The NASA Prototype is a new classification to NASA,
expanding their history of affordable local racing into purpose built prototype
style race cars. The NASA Prototype class is built around the new Élan NP01
designed from the ground up to be quick and great looking - but more
importantly, safe, reliable and inexpensive to race. Beginning in 2016, the
NASA Prototype Series will visit many of the country’s greatest racing venues
with an innovative rules package focused on affordability, equal competition,
and driving ability.
As with the other NASA Series Leaders,
Balingit will be an active racer in the class. Balingit and his wife Revkah
purchased a new Élan NP01 last September after test driving the Élan NP01
demonstration car. They took delivery of the kit in mid January and opted to go
the route of building the car from the ground up to gain a deep understanding
of the vehicle. They are nearly complete with the build and plan to race it at
NASA Texas in mid March.
Balingit has been
involved in road racing his entire life and joined NASA in 1994. He has raced
and also has been an HPDE instructor and a Race Director for the blossoming
organization. After moving from California to Colorado, Balingit and his wife
launched the Rocky Mountain Region in 2005 and have grown the program from 40
cars on its first competition weekend to several hundred at current events.
Balingit also served as the Event Director for the NASA National Championships
in 2009 and 2010 when the event was held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Many
in the Texas area may also recognize Balingit as the interim Regional Director
for Texas from 2011 to 2014.
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 NASA
Prototype Élan NP01
The Élan
NP01 is unlike anything currently available in motor racing. With a complete
kit price of just $72,500, the affordable new racecar features a closed cockpit
design for increased driver protection. The Élan
NP01 has an estimated dry weight of just 1,450 lbs. and boasts an estimated top
track speed of 155 mph. The Élan NP01 is
powered by a sealed 185-horsepower, two-liter Mazda power plant mated to a
six-speed Sadev sequential gearbox. More information about NASA's new NASA
Prototype Series and the Élan NP01 is
available at www.NasaPrototype.com
and ElanMotorsports.com.
Published on December 06, 2015 22:36
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Flying Lizard Audi Wins NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance
Audi R8 races to 35 lap win
WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 6, 2015) - The 13th running
of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance was
won by the Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS in dominant fashion. When the
checkered flag dropped on the twice around the clock plus one hour race
at Thunderhill Raceway the Audi had won by 35 laps.
The dominant Flying Lizard team took the overall lead seven hours in to the race Saturday
evening and never looked back. When the defending race champions from
Davidson Racing had issues with their Norma, the Lizards took over the
lead and were never challenged for the remaining 18 hours. Soldering
through on and off mist and rain through the night and a more serious
weather front in the morning, the Audi R8 LMS with its traction control,
ABS brakes and choice of two different Toyo tire rain compounds won the
13th running
of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk performance by 35
laps over the second place car of Quick Racing and their No. 3
SuperLIte SLC. The winning entry was driven by Darren Law, Johannes van
Overbeek, Guy Cosmo, Tomonobu Fujii and Thomas Sadler.
"Excellent
run by the team," Darren Law said. "The team is so good with this car
and these long races. The Toyo tires were just phenomenal. We went from
dry tires to wets, to intermediates and they performed great across the
spectrum. We did what we set out to accomplish, winning in dominating
fashion. Almost half of the race was run in the rain. The Toyo rain tire
had us just hooked up. Their rain tire has a lot of grip which made it
really fun to drive in those conditions."
In ESR the No. 69 Gryphon Racing Praga took the victory with the all
carbon Renault engine powered car driven by Joseph Barone, Danny van
Dongen, Paul Blickman and Ari Straus.
"The
last 20 minutes of the race was our biggest drama, we lost a few
seconds to position number four," Dusan Maly, team manager said.
"Endurance racing is a full team effort with the crew and the drivers
all performing. Whenever I see the rain it makes me happy. The Gryphon
Praga is very good in the rain."
In E0 the No. 30 El Diablo BMW took the victory with drivers James
Clay, Lance Boicelli, Cameron Evans, Dale Sievwrig, James Colborn,
Charles Postins.
"Last
Sunday the El Diablo guys were ready to throw in the towel on this
effort," Cameron Evans said. "With the help of the team and everyone
they got a car together that hadn't run in over 10 years to come out to
the 25 hours and win. All of our guys at Red Line Oil and the rest of
our sponsors, crew and volunteers did a great job. We knew we could have
brought more power, but that wasn't the equation to win. We brought the
right amount of car combined with fuel mileage and six drivers who knew
what they were doing to win."
In the E1 Class it was the No. 0 BMW of Grip Racing that took the win
with drivers Tristan Littlehale, Joseph DePillo, Mark Mitchell, Harold
Petit and David DePillo.
"I
had my friends in the 0 car and it was fun to watch them win," Jason
Vein, team owner said. "We had some contact with the winning Flying
Lizard car in the by-pass that resulted in breaking a couple of wheels
and a tie rod. We made it back in and the crew did a great job to fix
the car and get it back in the race. We had to serve a penalty for
changing two wheels, but we were able to overcome that as well and get
the win."
In the E2 Class the RDR No. 34 Mazda RX-8 won the class with drivers
Joel Miller, Lee Pappageorge, Dennis Holloway and Jeremy Barnes.
"A
repeat for our lovely RX-8 Kermit for the win," Joel Miller said.
"Dennis Holloway put in the last stint and brought it to the checker. To
get another victory for this great effort is special. Also really cool
what the team did with getting the Mazda MX-5s all across the finish
line in their first ever on track competition. Great effort all the way
around by the RDR team with its all-volunteer crew."
In E3 the No. 40 Mazda Miata of RAmotorsports40 won the class from the
pole position with drivers Dion Johnson, Richard Lucquet, David Geringer
and Doug Clark.
"I
have to thank all of my crew," Ron Gayman, team owner said. "I provided
the car and along with the drivers they did the rest. I think the car
was all four wheels off one time in 12 hours of rain. We ran 10 hours on
one set of Hoosier wet tires. We did our best to run a consistent pace.
We knew if we kept to our plan we would slowly, but surely pull away.
We did not have any penalties between our two cars."
The No. 6 CLP Motorsports NP01 posted the first win in its competition
debut with the NASA developed NP01 Prototype. The driving team consisted
of Tyler McQuarie, Jeremy Croiset, Tom Dyer, Marc Miller and Pat
O'Keefe.
"This
is a dream come true," Jeremy Croiset said. "We survived the 25 with a
brand new car. I am in awe of the car and the team. It has surpassed
everyone's expectations. When we clicked off the 500th lap
the whole team celebrated. The NP01 was super predictable all race. The
CLP crew did a great job with set-up and keeping up with the car
mechanically all race. I am just elated."
Top Finishers by Class:
ES
No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi R8, 690 laps *overall winner
No. 3 Quick Racing Products, SuperLite SLC, 655 laps
No. 4 Prototype Development Group Factory Five GTM, 631 laps
ESR
No. 69 Gryphon Racing Praga, 626 laps
No. 10 CRE/Jackson Racing Wolf, 554 laps
No. 52 JFC Racing Wolf, 479 laps
E0
No. 30 El Diablo Motorsports BMW, 617 laps
No. 03 Edgle Last Minute Motorworks BMW, 607 laps
No. 61 RoadShagger BMW, 603 laps
E1
No. 0 Grip Racing 0 BMW, 615 laps
No. 95 Grip Racing 95, 607 laps
No. 42 THRW/Honda Racing 1, 601 laps
E2
No. 34 RDR Mazda RX-8, 570 laps
No. 32 Team Gone Racing, Mazda Miata, 535 laps
No. 12 HPD Honda Racing 1, Honda Fit, 157 laps
E3
No. 40 RAmotorsports40, Mazda Miata, 593 laps
No. 7 Augersmiles.com/New Rock Exchange, Acura Integra, 588 laps
No. 23 RJ Racing, Mazda Miata, 581 laps
NP01
No. 6 CLP Racing, NP01, 514 laps
No. 99 11/10ths, NP01, 30 laps
Race Notes:
- Winning Flying Lizard Audi covered 690 laps and 1,973 miles
- Fastest race lap was by the No. 67 One Motorsports Radical, 1:41.410 on lap 202
- Mazda had two overall winners in the E3 and E2 Class
- BMW had two class overall winners in E0 and E1
- All four of the all-new Mazda MX-5 Cup cars finished their first competitive race
- The all-new NASA developed NP01 Prototype finished its first competitive race
- The 14th running of NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill will run Dec. 3-4, 2016
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke,
Mike Skeen, Colin Braun, Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo,
Darren Law, Joel Miller, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarie, Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on December 06, 2015 16:41
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Flying Lizard Audi Still Leads NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance at 19 Hours
Sun coming up in Willows
WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 6, 2015) - The 13th
running of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk
Performance has six hours remaining with the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi
still leading the race overall.
The expected rain arrived at 2 a.m.
with mixed results from the teams. The cars leading their class
welcomed the challenge and increased their on track positions. The No.
45 Flying Lizard Audi, on the strength of two choices of Toyo rain
tires, along with ABS brakes and taction control lead the race over
second place by 23 laps.
"This
is quite an event," Guy Cosmo said. "We brought a serious effort this
year. We are gathering a lot of great data on the Toyo tires, both in
the dry, the wet and the intermediate weather. It is fun to drive this
Audi out there in these conditions. Everyone has gotten into more of a
rhythm. The other drivers know where we will be passing and there is
just a better flow to the race. My stints have been great. We are on
cruise control, we have a good lead so we are not taking any unnecessary
chances. The conditions are stable, the tires are working great and we
are just hitting our marks."
In ESR the No. 69 Gryphon Racing Praga continues to lead the class. The
all carbon Renault engine powered car is performing at the top of the
class and runs fourth overall.
"We
are leading the class and running fourth overall," Danny Vandongen,
factory driver, said. "So far so good. We have to keep it on the track
and keep turning laps. There is still six hours to go in the race. I
haven't had any real issues with my time in the car. The rain came and
we handled it well. We overtake a lot of cars, but everyone is behaving.
I really like this track with the hills and blind corners."
In E0 the No. 30 El Diablo BMW has taken over the lead. The team was on pole in class and raced to the front overnight.
"It
is pretty good stuff," James Clay said. "In the beginning we didn't
have our pit stops right we were using a little too much fuel and we
then got a rhythm going. We knew we would be good at night and in the
rain and that has come true. The rain was a good thing for us. It is
tough for me to be patient. We stayed out on dry tires, which we thought
may have been the wrong call. The track began to dry and we made up
time and then the rain came back, we cycled to wets and are leading. It
couldn't have worked out any better."
In the E1 Class, the No. 66 BMW of Bullet Motorsports continues to lead.
"Our
E1 car is really running well," Scott Lang, team manager said. "Our
drivers have been very consistent and fast in the rain. Tristan
Littlehale did a great job, he was doing 2:12s and 14s while everyone
else was doing 25s. The rain was the best thing to happen to us so far."
No. 34 Mazda RX-8 of RDR Racing continues to lead the E2 Class.
"The
car ran really good in the rain," Joel Miller said. "We had a couple
hours of mist, mixed with some really heavy rain. We've had a few issues
along the way, but the RDR guys have handled those very well. Lee
Pappageorge just got in the car and we are waiting for the sun to come
up."
In E3 it is the pole sitting No. 60 Mazda Miata of A+ Racing leads.
"The
car has been doing great," Richard Lucquet said. "I did a double stint.
I had about 10 minutes of yellow during stint with the rest all green. I
am getting ready to get back in and will be able to see the sun rise. I
don't think I will be blinded, but looking forward to the daylight. The
car has been great, somehow the steering wheel is at 10 o'clock instead of 12."
CLP Motorsports continues to soldier on with the all-new NP01 Prototype.
"They
are great cars with a ton of potential, they are just brand new," Tim
Barber, team manager said. "We couldn't be any meaner to them by putting
it through its first race in a 25 hour event. We are getting some
teething things that can happen with any car. In the wet we were one of
the faster cars on the track, so we welcome some more rain."
25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance information:
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke,
Mike Skeen, Colin Braun, Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo,
Darren Law, Joel Miller, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarie, Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
The
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a
field of 63 cars racing in seven classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3, NP01)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on December 06, 2015 08:46
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Flying Lizard Audi Leads NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance at 12 Hours
Rain expected through the night
WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2015) - The 13th
running of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk
Performance has reached the 12 hour mark with the No. 45 Flying Lizard
Audi leading the race overall.
As
teams have one eye on the 2.86-mile, 15-turn track and the other the
weather radar with rain heading toward the area sometime around 1 a.m. they are plotting their driver and team strategies.
The
No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi became the overall leader at the seven hour
mark. The team currently is circulating with a 10 lap lead over second
place.
"We
are in the lead and the car is really running well," Darren Law said.
"The car, the team and the Toyo tires are all in sync. We are really
just trying to run a pace and keep out of trouble. With the different
speed differentials you really have to pay attention. We know the rain
is coming. Good for us, we ran on Thursday
in the wet. Toyo has an intermediate and a full rain tire, so we are
ready. We actually are hoping for rain. Our Audi has ABS and traction
control, which our competition does not."
A new leader has emerged in the ESR Class. The No. 69 Gryphon Racing Praga entry has taken over at the front of ESR.
"We
are running first in the ESR class and I am getting ready for my second
stint," Ari Straus said. "I had a few issues here and there in my first
stint. Gryphon Racing has put together a great Praga race car for us. I
may see some rain during my run. We are ready for those conditions, we
just have to keep speed coming over the wing."
In E0 the No. 61 RoadShagger Racing BMW leads the class.
"Good
news we are still in the lead in E0," John Morley said. "The car is not
extremely fast right now, but it is reliable. The car owner Gavin
Ernstone is in the car and doing a great job. No real drama during my
run. The car's handling is all over the place at the moment. When the
rain comes we will find out what we have. We have rain tires and a plan,
hopefully it goes according to that plan."
In the E1 Class, the No. 66 BMW of Bullet Motorsports has taken over the lead.
"The
car is working really well," Tristan Littlehale said. "I just did a
double stint. I was right behind the Award Motorsport Porsche when it
went into the wall with the Miata. I escaped that drama, so pretty good.
Our plan for the rain is to keep it on the track and get to the
morning."
No. 34 Mazda RX-8 of RDR Racing continues to lead the E2 Class.
"We
are just turning laps in the lead of the E2 Class," Dennis Holloway
said. "We had some contact coming over the hill earlier and bent a
tie-rod but we got that fixed. Everything seems to be good right now. I
think the rain is going to skirt a little bit to the north. No, I think
right when I get in it is going to start rain and I will have to go from
slicks to wets, so that will be fun."
In E3 it is the pole sitting No. 40 RAmotorsport Mazda Miata has taken over the lead.
"We
have had some challenges, but we are in the lead right now," Scott
Miller, team manager said. "We have had some parts come loose, tire wear
that we didn't expect, fuel economy that hasn't quite worked out, the
usual stuff. A long way to go. It is going to rain, it is coming. The
rain is not going to fall within our tire cycle right now, so we have to
figure that out.
CLP Motorsports remains the leader in the all-new NP01 class.
"It
is going pretty well for us with this new car," Jeremy Croiset said.
"We expected some teething issues with a new car and its first time in
competition. This is a race that eats even the most seasoned race cars
for breakfast. We have rain tires mounted and we are going to do some
shock adjustments and see what the 25 has in store for us in the wet."
25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance information:
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke,
Mike Skeen, Colin Braun, Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo,
Darren Law, Joel Miller, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarie, Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
The
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a
field of 63 cars racing in seven classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3, NP01)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on December 06, 2015 08:42
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Davidson Racing Leads NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance at Six Hour Mark
Rain is in the forecast
WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2015) - Officially 58 cars took the green flag for the start of the 13th running of the 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance today at 11 a.m.
The
No. 17 Davidson Racing Norma, last year's overall winner, has led the
race from the start. They nearly gave up the lead four hours in when the
NASA officials called them to pit lane to serve a 10-minute penalty for
passing under yellow. This allowed the second place runner, ES Class
No. 45 Audi of Flying Lizards, to make up four laps and get on the same
lap as the 17. At six-hours it is the 17 out front with rain expected by
2 a.m.
"I
had a good start to the race," said Brian Frisselle. "It opened up for
me and I was able to take the lead. I then settled into a pace and was
able run pretty comfortably upfront. We had to take a 10-minute penalty
when Kyle Marcelli passed under yellow, which erased the few laps lead
we had, but we are back to running upfront. Everything is going great
with 17 car."
In ES the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi is one lap behind the leading Davidson Norma.
"I
did a double stint, I was second in the car," said Tomonobu Fuji.
"There were three caution periods during my stint, so it was a little
crazy. The Toyo Tire is really good here. My stint was very consistent
thanks to a good car, good tire and good crew. There is always traffic
out there, so you have to really pay attention. We ran in the rain on Thursday and the car was good on the Toyo rain tire so we are ready."
In E0 the No. 61 RoadShagger Racing BMW leads the class.
"It
is going very well we are leading our class," Gavin Ernstone said. "We
had some issues yesterday. We were a little disappointed qualifying
fourth, but we have progressively moved into the lead. We have had good
driving and good pit work and everything is going according to plan. The
rain will add some excitement and bring out a different level of
driving talent."
In the E1 Class, the No. 14 Technik HQ Autosport/Active PDF BMW is at the front.
"The
start was really, really good," said Peter Hopelain. "We picked up four
positions by Turn 1 on the first lap. We then settled into a pace and
were running good. On lap 10 I had a prototype come up on me and I had
to go off the track and that put us back about 30-seconds. We changed up
our strategy a little. We fell back to fifth, went back into the lead
and we are strategically placing our car forward. I want to thank our
sponsors Active PDF and Ocean Side Motorsports. They have done a stellar
job giving us a great driving car. Without those two companies we would
not be here."
The E2 Class is being led by the No. 34 Mazda RX8 of RDR Racing.
"So
far so good, we really haven't had much drama," Robert Davis, team
owner said. "We are leading with the RX8 and the new Mazda Miata MX-5
Cup cars are a little over classed. We are fighting amongst ourselves
with those. This race is a whole season of the MX-5 Cup series. We have
about 900 miles on the cars so far with no issues. The rain keeps
getting pushed back, so we will see how it goes."
In E3 it is the No. 13 SP Racing Miata in the lead.
"The
first stint was challenging with all of the traffic out there," Hernan
Palermo said. "I had a little issue and had to come in and do a fast
front end alignment. I hope to see some rain that can only help us."
In the new NP01 car, CLP Motorsports continues to lead.
"The start of the race was good," Tyler McQuarie said. "We didn't get
involved in anyone's mistakes. We have struggled with axles a little,
but I think we have it figured it out. The car is running pretty good
right now. We did a few laps in the rain during the test day. We made
some set-up changes anticipating the rain and I think they will put me
in to slide it around when it gets wet."
25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance information:
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke,
Mike Skeen, Colin Braun, Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo,
Darren Law, Joel Miller, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler
McQuarie, Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
The
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a
field of 63 cars racing in seven classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3, NP01)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on December 05, 2015 20:16
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One Motorsports Radical on Pole for NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance
Rayhall posts pole time
WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec.
4, 2015) - Sean Rayhall will lead the 63 car field to the green in the
No. 67 One Motorsports Radical for the 13th running of the 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance for tomorrow's 11 a.m. start.
Under near perfect weather conditions of 50 degrees, the 63 car field took to the track at 5:15 p.m. PT
for a 30-minute qualifying session. Throughout the half-hour the battle
for the overall pole position was between the Radical No. 67 of One
Motorsport and the Ryno Racing No. 8 Ginetta LMP3 car. Knocking on the
door of the event pole in third was last year's overall winner the No.
17 Davidson Racing Norma. When the checkered dropped on qualifying it
was the ESR Class Radical of One Motorsports taking the pole with sports
car ace Sean Rayhall at the wheel. He will lead the 63 car field to
the green for the 13th running of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance with a time of 1:40.275.
"It
is awesome to get the pole for One Motorsports this year," Rayhall
said. "They haven't had one for a few years. We came up short in the
rain last year. It is hectic as usual there, just a ton of traffic. You
have to pick your spots to pass and get a good exit off the turns. It is
tough this year, you don't know who is in the cars. You see one Miata
and then the next one has more horsepower so you really don't know
sometimes. This race is about survival, not fast lap times. The pole
means nothing for the long run. We need to keep the fenders on the car
and go the distance. The team has done a lot of work on the endurance aspects of the car for this year."
In the ES Class Burt Frisselle drove the No. 16 Davidson Eagle to the class pole with a time of 1:43.501.
"The
car ran really good," Frisselle said. "It is always interesting
qualifying here for the 25 because it is in the dark. The whole field is
out there at one time. Less stressful than last year without the rain
so it was good. We had to keep it clean. We decided to go with a softer
tire compound. I may have run it too hard before qualifying, but we got
the job done. I can't wait until 11 a.m. to roll around tomorrow."
In E0 it was the No. 30 El Diablo BMW driven by James Clay who took the top spot with a time of 1:54.296.
"It
is always a little hairy out there qualifying at night," Clay said.
"There are a lot of cars on track and there are a lot of quick ones. My
car was cold so my first couple of laps I was just praying to stay
clean. I was able to get a good lap and didn't get held up and put one
together. We are not going to run that pace in the race. We have an old
world challenge car we resurrected so we are good. We have six guys
driving all good guys and we are going to have some fun."
The
No. 0 BMW driven by Mark Drennan, double 2015 NASA Spec Miata Champion,
put the red and white car on the E1 pole with a lap of 2:00.314.
"It was great, we got a fantastic result," Drennan said. "I haven't
driven in the dark in a while so it was a little disconcerting for a lap
or two. They have changed the light rules this year, so it was a little
tough to pick up my points. I ended up just barely on pole. I have been
racing a Spec E46 all last year, so compared to a Miata it is a lot
different. Our strategy is to keep the car on the track all of the time
and finish."
Joel Miller drove "Kermit" the green No. 34 Mazda RX8 to the pole position in the E2 Class with a time of 2:05.396.
"I
started where we finished last year," Miller said. "My spotter was able
to get me a gap on the track and I got a fairly clean run. We are just
doing our thing here at Mazda. Kermit has one win, so we are trying to
get RDR and Mother's another win. I usually drive the Mazda P2 car in IMSA and I tell everyone that this event is a lot of fun!"
The No. 40 of RAmotorsports40 Mazda Miata was driven by Darren Polsley to the E3 Class pole positon with a time of 2:06.635.
"I
didn't really get a clean lap with all of the traffic," Polsley said.
"The car is so good, I guess it was good enough for the pole. Our
strategy is to survive until the rain Sunday morning and then survive the rain. It is a balance between pace and longevity, we need to strike the right balance."
Marking its first on track competitive appearance is the all-new NASA developed NP01 Prototype. Tyler McQuarie drove the No. 6 NP01 of CLP Motorsports to the class pole with a time of 1:52.079.
"It
is the first time getting the NP01 on track in competition," McQuarie
said. "There is not a lot of open track out there with all of the cars.
You really need to keep the momentum going with the NP01 as it doesn't
have a lot of torque. I think our time put us in the top 10 overall, so
not a bad start to the weekend. We are first in class, so we will take
it. We are going to focus on just keeping the car together. The car is
brand new, so we just need to be mistake free and make it to the end."
25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance information:
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle, Dion von Moltke,
Mike Skeen, Colin Braun, Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo,
Darren Law, Tommy Sadler, Sean Rayhall, Darren Law, Tyler McQuarie,
Kelly Collins, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
The
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a
field of 63 cars racing in seven classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3, NP01)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on December 03, 2015 03:57
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Thirteenth NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
presented by Hawk Performance Ready for Green
New Mazda MX-5s, Pobst ready, Honda back
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2015) - The 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will run this weekend at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, Calif. The 13th running of the now 25 hour classic will take the green flag at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
After
two years, with the score tied between the dealers and employees, this
year is about the bigger picture of teamwork and debuting the new 2016
Mazda MX-5 Cup race car.
"While
we joke about the rivalry between the factory guys and our dealers, the
truth is that our success is directly linked," said Robert Davis,
Mazda's senior vice president of U.S. Operations, of the company's
official four-car 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup entry. "For 2015, we are allowing a
very select group of dealers AND employees to race alongside each other
in the new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup car.
While the development testing by Long Road Racing has been superb,
nothing compares to a bunch of club racers beating on each other for 25
hours to really test the hardware."
The
team will race four brand new 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup spec
cars, with the only changes being the installation of additional lights
for the very dark Northern California track. One of the 15 drivers that
will be piloting the recently introduced Miata MX-5 is Mazda dealer and
seasoned sports car driver Taz Harvey (Dublin Mazda, Tracy Mazda,
Dublin/Tracy, CA).
"I
have run a dozen or more 24 hour races over the years, but the NASA 25
hours is always special," Harvey said. "Thunderhill has become my home
track, I love that place! My last win was in 2010 in a MX-5. My most
memorable was when Roger Foo and I won the NASA Timex 12 hour race in a
120 horsepower Civic thanks to the rain and cold. The new MX-5 should be
faster than the previous generation as it is lighter and has about the
same power. The BMW's will have horsepower on the MX-5 so we have to
beat them with fuel economy, better handling and skill. Thunderhill is a
fun race with a great mix of cars and drivers from all over the world.
The night time running and harsh conditions make it tough and
memorable."
Randy Pobst was a part of the overall Davidson Racing winning team last year and is returning with the same goal this year.
"I
am thrilled to be back in the Davidson Norma to defend our overall win
last year," Pobst said. "To win again will take brains, we've got the
speed. If we push the Davidson Norma too hard, we'll tangle with slower
cars and invite mechanical trouble. Racing smart is keeping risk low
and having lots of patience. On the driving side we will have to have a
lot of discipline finding a pace that's quick enough with low risk, and
the patience to stick to it. Our unintentional secret last year was
shifter problems early. That issue led us to a minimal-shifting
strategy, which I believe was a big part of our mechanical survival,
along with terrific prep by team Davidson. Our competitors kept waiting
for the sports racer to break, which truthfully, they often do, but our
well-built car kept right on rolling. It was great to have team owner
Bob Davidson take the checkered in the last stint."
The group at Team Honda Research is back this year with a three-car effort.
"This
year we have rebuilt our tried-and-true Honda Civic," John Whiteman,
team leader said. "We will race one Civic along with the two Acura ILX's
that we have raced for the last two years. This is an in-house effort
comprised of Honda associates from around the world. We work on the cars
in our spare time and on weekends. It is great to take a street car and
make it race ready to take on 25 hours of great competition. Our team
is made up of crew chief Mike Aylward and our driver line-up includes
Doug Chan, Kevin Boehm, Kazuo Omura and Calvin Tam."
Jerry Kunzman, NASA executive director, is ready for the 13
th running of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance.
"The teams are starting to file in and park, which means our 13th
running of the 25 is upon us," Kunzman said. "The Mazda grudge match is
back with the all-new Mazda MX-5 and there are great cars and teams in
each of the seven classes. We have added a seventh class this year with
our new NP01 prototype competing. The car is getting rave reviews in the
press and I am very interested to see how it performs over 25 hours
this weekend."
Professional
drivers listed on the entry include: Al Unser Jr., Ryan Eversley, Kyle
Marcelli, Randy Pobst, Bert Frisselle, Dion von Moltke, Colin Braun,
Kurt Busch, Johannes van Overbeek, Guy Cosmo, Darren Law, Tommy Sadler,
Sean Rayhall, Taz Harvey, Jeremy Croiset, Will Faules, etc.
25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance information:
The
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a
field of 63 cars racing in seven classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3, NP01)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on November 24, 2015 20:36
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2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance Ready with Fast Entries
Wolf ready, One Motorsport ready, NP01 Auditioning
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Nov. 24, 2015)
- The 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance
is drawing some fast entries in all six classes. The 13th running of the
now 25 hour classic will take the green flag December 5.
In the ES class, Wolf Cars and One Motorsports are sure to be at the front of the field throughout the weekend.
Wolf Cars North
America is coming back with their GB08MJ. Driving the car will be team
owner, Miles Jackson, IndyCar Champion Al Unser Jr., Pro Drive Racing
School owner Todd Harris and Factory Honda Driver Ryan Eversley. The
team has made extensive changes to the Wolf and are ready for the 25.
"The
car we are racing this year is the same Wolf GB08MJ chassis that we ran
last year, but with Honda power," Brian Roberts, director of
operations, Wolf Cars N.A. said. "The Wolf GB08MJ is a single seat
sports racer built in Italy, with a full tunnel floor for aerodynamic
down force. The engine is a Honda Racing, HPD Formula Atlantic built
K20, 2-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder."
The
Wolf GB08MJ has been very competitive the last two years at
Thunderhill. "We evaluated the issues from the last two years and put a
different overall formula together," Roberts continued. "More like the
story of the tortoise and the hare, we just replaced the tortoise with a
Wolf. We are happy now to be working with Honda Racing. We have a
reliable Honda power plant. The K20 has been used in many of the CN cars
from Europe and has powered those cars with great reliability. We are
focused on reliability and fuel consumption. We have a lot of planning,
preparation and testing of all the systems and components for many types
of conditions to be ready for December. Talented, smart drivers and
crew keeps everyone on task. You can't win if you don't finish. The
biggest obstacle for most teams at the 25, including ourselves, is
getting to the finish and keeping the car out of any on-track incidents.
You can't work on going faster if you are fixing damage on the car."
Another formidable contender every year is One Motorsports with their ultra-nimble Radical.
"We
are running one car this year in the 25 hours with drivers John Falb,
Todd Slusher, Sean Rayhall and myself," said Jeff Shafer, team owner.
"We have prepared this year by running the car more in testing than we
ever have before. As in past years, we are planning for the best but
preparing for the worst. Our biggest obstacle will be the unknown, you
never seem to know until it's happening. It could be the wet or the cold
or our car or other cars. We are just trying to be prepared for any
situation."
There
are two of the all new NASA/Elan developed NP01 race cars entered for
the 25. The team at NASA/Elán NP01 Prototype Team No. 01 is taking a
unique approach to developing their driver line-up for the twice around the clock plus one hour event next month.
"We will be holding an open test on Wednesday, November 25
at The Thermal Club to test drivers for the race," Drake Kemper, team
manager said. "We are going to be basing the test on four main aspects,
consistency, smart decision making, overall speed, and attitude. We are
documenting the complete event, from building the car to the test and
through the race weekend."
Jerry Kunzman, NASA executive director, is pleased with the quality and quantity of entries.
"I
think this grid will be the strongest we have seen in the 13 years of
running the the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk
Performance," Kunzman said. "We have the defending champions Davidson
Racing coming back. The Flying Lizard team members with Toyo Tires
support this year have a lot of experience running the 25 and there are
great cars and teams in in each of the six classes."
The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see
a field of 63 cars racing in six classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3)
going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn
track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.
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 available at hawkperformance.com.
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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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports,
Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT
Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe,
Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy,
Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil,
Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
Facebook: National Auto Sport Association
Twitter: nasaproracing
Instagram: nasaproracing
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Published on November 14, 2015 03:51
Napa Valley, CA – (November 13, 2015) NASA and Elan
Motorsports unveiled the first production version of the new class
of purpose built race cars, the NASA Prototype (NP) series at the
2015 SEMA show. The
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) is
regarded worldwide as the leading trade show for customization and sports
tuning. The products presented at SEMA to trade experts influence the entire
scene and set trends.
The 2015 SEMA show which ran November 3rd to 6th
proved to be the perfect venue for the NASA Prototypes debut. NASA had the
opportunity to work with our good friends at Toyo Tires & HAWK Performance
this year, to introduce industry insiders and show attendees to the new purpose
built race cars. The HAWK Performance booth was buzzing with activity as show attendees’
walked around examining this new class of cars built by Elan Technologies. NASA
representatives’ on hand to support their partners eagerly spoke to dozens of folks
interested in what the NP01 had to offer.
Attendees’ were very impressed by the design and the cost
effectiveness for running a vehicle that can be entered into several classes; Time
Trials, Sprint, & Endurance Road Races. A point of key interest was the fact
that 18 NP01’s have already been sold to date and they are already set to start
racing in 2016 with the NASA NP Championship Series.
“80 people jumped in the driver’s seat, proving that even
big drivers could fit. The largest was
6’5” at 325Lbs and with the pedals out at its furthest adjustment point, he
fit. We even saw a former F1, CART, IRL, GrandAM, NASCAR driver stop by
and comment how much he loved the car. He giggled when he was told the price
and said he wanted to be involved with the project in some way.” said John
Mueller NASA Strategic Marketing & Project Manager. Everyone was very impressed with the final
product and asked when the next track test day would be.
The NP Series will offer something unique in all of
motorsports - the opportunity to race a prototype style vehicle designed from
the ground up to be fast, fun, safe, and most importantly affordable. This new
series is exclusive to NASA. Drivers will be able to compete at any of the over
150 NASA sanctioned events nationwide. However, the main series will feature just 18
race weekends split into 3 areas across the country making it much easier for
competitors to contend for a championship. The series will visit many of the country's greatest
racing venues. The NP series will feature an innovative rules package focused
on performance, affordability, cost containment, and showcasing driver ability.
Lots of excitement in the crowd to get on track and race these new machines in
the NASA 2016 season.
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 go to: https://www.nasaproracing.com/ or http://nasaprototype.com/
Published on November 05, 2015 01:24
Five NASA Finalists Selected for 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout
Napa Valley, CA
– (November 4, 2015) – National Auto Sport Association (NASA) drivers continue
to dominate the field of racers of finalist selected for this year’s 2015 Mazda
Road to 24 Shootout. Five racers from NASA will be competing for the $100,000 scholarship
package that supports a drive in the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda Global MX-5
Cup car.
John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports, noted: ‘The nine finalists in
this shootout are all highly competitive. The fact that the judges identified
nine outstanding racers, from the 23 eligible, shows the tremendous depth of
talent we are working with today. Mazda is so proud to offer this prize to our
grassroots racers and customers; there is simply nothing like it in the
world.”
NASA drivers
dominated the competition securing 5 of the 9 coveted finalist positions
in the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. NASA will be represented in the
competition by:
Racer
Hometown
Club/Series
Joshua Allan
La Verne,
California NASA PTD
Western States Champion
Bruno Carneiro
Riverton,
Utah NASA Utah Region
Mark Drennan
San Jose,
California NASA
Spec Miata Champion (East & West)
Mason Filippi Alamo,
California NASA
Nor-Cal West Coast Teen Mazda Challenge Champion
Eric
Powell Orlando,
Florida NASA
Florida Region
Joshua Allan began his career in motorsports securing a position as an
engineer for Ferrari’s F1 team. He got his first taste of racing jumping into
the Italian Formula Ford Championship eventually moving into a vehicle
development role for Maserati. His immediate goal is to win the shootout and
jump start his career in pro racing to attract sponsors and move up the Mazda
ladder in the road to 24 Shootout.
“The NASA racer development ladder is fundamental to building the skills
of track fanatics and aspiring racers", said Joshua Allen. "Even with
my experience, I chose to start in HPDE 1 and move up through each level
because I knew that I would learn new concepts from experienced instructors and
develop the knowledge and skills to share the track with etiquette while
continuing to develop my driving skills. I subsequently became an instructor
myself, which further informed and aided my development. After running Time
Trials for a season I moved into racing in Performance Touring. Thanks to
NASA's driver development system, I found myself racing with highly competitive
and highly respectful drivers with strong awareness to race door-door while not
giving an inch more ground than needed. That's the best kind of racing
there is."
At just 16 years old, Bruno
Carneiro is the youngest finalist in the field. He's from Riverton,
Utah where he started racing karts at the age of 4. After gaining 11
years of experience amassing multiple wins and championships, he decided
to make the move up to racing cars. His choice; Formula Mazda. “The natural
choice was to start racing with the NASA Utah Region at my home track Miller
Motorsports Park," said Bruno Carneiro. "What impressed me the most
is how welcomed I was by NASA Utah. I was fortunate enough to
win the championship on my rookie year and that opened a whole lot of new
opportunities for me."
Mark Drennan, a native of Northern California got his
start in racing cars with NASA in 2007 at Thunderhill Raceway.
His current focus before next week's event is all about
preparation and promotion.
“Every step in my progression - from driving a computer simulator, to karts,
and now to cars - allowed me to be immediately competitive at the next level
and has been crucial to my development as a championship caliber driver,” said
Mark Drennan. "I'm speaking with former shootout participants, series
champions, driver coaches, and race engineers to gain their insights and
advice. I'm also getting the word out to promote the Mazda Road to 24
program and my participation as a finalist."
Mason Filippi began
automobile racing with NASA in 2014. The most important thing to him
this year was good consistent finishes. Mason had 4 wins and several
podiums. Being only one week out from the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout,
his current focus is studying the track, refining interview
skills and promoting himself as well as Mazda through press
releases. “NASA has a great field with talented and dedicated drivers.
Mazda including the Teen Mazda Challenge champions in the Mazda Road to 24
shootout gave me the opportunity to compete for this amazing prize,” said
Mason Filippi.
Eric Powell began his racing
career like many others honing his skills in karting before moving into stock
car racing for several years. Later deciding there were more opportunities in
Road Racing, he moved into NASA. “Currently I am 100% focused on winning
the shootout and building my brand. NASA has been a great place to race
for the past few years. Classes such as Performance Touring really allow
someone with creativity and ingenuity like myself to shine,” said
Eric Powell.
The shootout
will take place at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, on November 8-10. The criteria for the shootout is to
identify the aspiring professional racer who has the best range of skills
required to succeed. These skills include speed, consistency, race craft,
technical feedback and off-track business, marketing and PR skills.
Additional
information about the Mazda Road to 24 shootout, and 2016 MX-5 Cup race car,
can be found at www.mazdamotorsports.com Mazda Motorsports will be
providing live social updates from the Carolina Motorsports Park event on
Twitter at @mazdaracing and with hashtag #MRT24.
Published on November 03, 2015 01:29
NASA Alum Ryan Ellis set
for NASCAR SPRINT CUP Series Debut
Napa Valley, CA - (November 2, 2015) NASA competitor Ryan Ellis, 25,
will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 33 for Circle
Sport Racing on Nov. 15 at the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix
International Raceway.
Ryan started his driving career racing quarter midgets
at the young age of 4 eventually moving into INEX Legends cars. Now just 25
with over two decades of racing experience under his belt, he has arrived at
the pinnacle of stock car racing. In 2006, Ryan entered
the world of National Auto Sport Association (NASA) competition to begin the road
racing portion of his career. He did exceptionally well winning a majority of
the events he entered during the last 10 years of his NASA competition.
“NASA was an integral part of my racing
development. I learned so much battling with the Spec Miata crowd out of the
East that helped me get to where I am today. I made many friends racing with
NASA that I still speak to quite a bit today. Winning the 2011 NASA Super
Unlimited Championship with Superlite Cars was also one of the biggest
highlights of my career.” – Ryan Ellis
In 2007
and into the 2008 season, Ryan campaigned a Mazda Spec Miata in NASA’s Mid Atlantic region. He finished 2nd in the inaugural Mazda Teen
Challenge program, and was voted “Driver of the Year” by the NASA Mid Atlantic
region. In 2009, Ryan moved to the West
Coast and competed in the Southern California region of NASA, capturing the
2009 West Coast Teen Mazda Championship which secured an invitation to the
finals of the Mazda
Road to the 24 Shootout. Moving on, he continued to build on his racing resume
showing well in various pro classes while also securing rookie of the year in the
2011 Continental Sports Car Series ST class. Ryan moved to NASCAR in 2012 amassing
49 combined starts in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Camping World Truck series’ with 21
of them in this the 2015 season.
“Ryan Ellis is a true testament to the NASA
model.” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development. “Ryan was
able to utilize the NASA system to hone his skills building upon his obvious talents
in our very competitive environment along his quest toward a career in professional
motorsports. If you look into NASA’s past, you’ll find a well-established
history of new generation professional drivers getting their road racing start
in the NASA system. We couldn’t be more proud to add Ryan Ellis to our growing
list of drivers that have made their dreams come true and everyone in the NASA
family wishes him continued success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”
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.
Published on October 30, 2015 20:08
2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance
Entries Rolling In
Flying Lizards and Skullcandy Team Nissan getting ready for 25
NAPA VALLEY, Calif.
(Oct. 29, 2015) - The 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk
Performance is receiving strong entries for all six classes. The 13th running
of the now 25 hour classic will take the green flag December 5.
In the ES class, IMSA
and World Challenge regulars Flying Lizards are bringing their Toyo tire shod
Audi R8 LMS to Thunderhill.
"We are basically running our Audi R8 from this past
season, but it is in full GT3 trim, meaning all of the proper aero, ABS and
traction control systems are in place," said Darren Law, team manager.
"The main adjustments we have made are really in set-up changes to
optimize the handling characteristics of the Audi with the Toyo tire.
When asked about the
competition Law said, "for sure we have to consider last year's winners
from Davidson Racing. They have competed in this event several times and
bring in some great drivers. There are several other good team and driver
combinations, but honestly it is hard to say as the complete entry roster is
not out yet so we are waiting to see. Our goal for this event is not only to
win our class but we feel we can win overall. It is a unique race with
multiple types of cars so it will be exciting."
For the team used to running endurance races at Daytona and
Sebring, the 25 poses some unique challenges.
"Thunderhill is
an interesting event, there will be far less 'pro' drivers here so you have
to take a different mindset and be extremely cautious," he continued.
"There are also different levels of cars and a very large differential
of speed. Of course weather is always a factor and from what I have heard its
cold, probably rainy and I have also been told there has even been snow in the
past. I can honestly say I haven't raced in conditions like that before. We
are still doing a lot of development work with Toyo, they have produced a
great product, but we are entering this event without the time of a 24 hour
race together so it is a great opportunity for both of us but as always there
will be unknowns. It will be a great event and just like any of the other
long endurance races, the key will be not only to have good pace but to stay
out of trouble!"
Another potent entry
in the NASA Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance was filed by Skullcandy
Team Nissan.
"We are going to run two 370Zs in the E0 class," said
Lara Tallman, Skullcandy Team Nissan, team manager. "Last year we
finished second in class with our BMW M3 and third in class with our Nissan
370Z, both ran in the E0 class. Before that the last time we ran was
2008 and we won our class with a Mustang. For Thunderhill, we do some small
additions to the cars which include window defrosters, and additional lights.
Finishing is always the primary goal, however, we are going for first and
second in E0."
Jerry Kunzman, NASA
executive director, is pleased with the quality and quantity of entries.
"The 13th edition
of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is drawing some
great teams and drivers," Kunzman said. "The top class is always
exciting, but some of the best racing happens in E1, E2 and E3. There are
great teams up and down the entry list and I expect the field will be
complete with 63 cars come December 5."
The NASA 25 Hours of
Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a field of 63 cars racing
in six classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3) going twice around the clock plus an
hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn track located 90-minutes north of
Sacramento.
For additional
information, please contact NASA Media Director, Kyle Chura at kyle@kcapr.com
or (248) 821-0468. More detail on NASA and the
Thunderhill 25 Hour can be found at nasaproracing.com or nasa25hour.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 available at hawkperformance.com.
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Published on October 15, 2015 15:00

15 NASA Racers Selected as Semi-Finalists for 2015 Mazda Road to 24
Shootout
Napa Valley, CA – (October 15, 2015) – National Auto Sport
Association (NASA) drivers dominate the field of racers selected to compete in
the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. One talented club racer will be promoted to the
professional ranks and receive the $100,000 dollar Mazda Scholarship
package. 15 NASA Racers represent the
majority of the total number of drivers selected for the Mazda Road to 24
Shootout (MRT24).
“These fifteen drivers exemplify the best of what the NASA HPDE
ladder system produces,” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business
Development. “We are pleased to see so many NASA drivers eligible for the Mazda
Road to 24 Shootout this year. NASA drivers have done exceptionally well in the
shootout winning the competition the last two years in a row. These 15 drivers
will be representing eight of our 15 NASA Regions around the country. The Mazda
Road to the 24 is a tremendous opportunity for all road racers selected and
with over half of the field of 23 drivers being from NASA, chances are high
that we’ll see a NASA driver yet again move up the Mazda ladder.”
The 15 NASA semi-finalists are:
NASA PTD West Champion (So-Cal Region)
Joshua Allan
NASA PTE West Champion
(Central)
Ben Anderson
NASA Teen Mazda Challenge (Nor-Cal
Region)
Mason
Filippi
NASA Spec Miata East & West Champion (Nor-Cal)
Mark
Drennen
NASA PTE East Champion (Great Lakes Region)
Jason Kohler
NASA Teen Mazda Challenge (Rocky Mountain Region) Ethan Loree
NASA Teen Mazda Challenge (Texas Region)
Deriann Taylor
NASA Super Unlimited Champion (So-Cal Region)
Jon Van
Canegham
NASA (Utah Region)
Bruno Carneiro
NASA (Florida Region)
Eric Powell
NASA Race of Champions (Nor-Cal Region)
Matthew Powers
NASA Formula Car Challenge (Nor-Cal Region)
Tazio Ottis
NASA Formula Car Challenge (Nor-Cal Region)
Hunter Pickett
NASA Formula Car Challenge (Nor-Cal Region)
Michael Avansino
NASA (So-Cal
Region)
Will Rodgers
The criteria for the shootout is to identify the aspiring professional
racer who has the best range of skills required to succeed. These skills include speed, consistency, race
craft, technical feedback and off-track business, marketing and PR skills.
John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports, noted: “Our annual
shootout has become a signature event for Mazda Motorsports. This year, faced
with dozens of worthy candidates, we worked with our key partners at the NASA,
iRacing, SCCA and other industry experts to identify those racers with the
greatest potential to succeed on the professional level. This promises to be
our best-ever shootout, as none of the eligible racers have raced a
fourth-generation MX-5. Only a handful of racers have even tested it. That will
quickly change as we have more than 70 deposits from racers ready to compete
with us in the 2016 MX-5 cup.”
The Mazda Road to 24 Shootout is the single largest prize in
grassroots motorsports. The $100,000 scholarship package supports a drive in
the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup. For 2016, this will be in the all-new
Global MX-5 Cup car, which officially went on sale on October 1.
Additional
information about the Mazda Road to 24 shootout, and 2016 MX-5 Cup race car,
can be found at www.mazdamotorsports.com Mazda
Motorsports will be providing live social updates from the Carolina Motorsports
Park event on Twitter at @mazdaracing and with hashtag #MRT24.
Mazda North American Operations is
headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and
customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico
through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda
Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles,
including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at
www.mazdausamedia.com
Published on October 12, 2015 20:46
Toyo Tires® Returns as Official Tire of NASA
through 2020
Napa Valley,
CA – The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce that
Toyo Tires® will return next season as the Official Tire of NASA. The recently signed agreement names Toyo
Tires the Official Tire of NASA through the 2020 season and also ensures NASA
competitors will benefit from the industry leading contingency program pioneered
in NASA during this next 5-year term. Toyo Tires has been the Official Tire of NASA since 2002, a
13-year tradition of supporting NASA Competitors and their teams with its
Proxes® line of competition tires.
The Toyo
Proxes® RR two-groove DOT competition tire is the spec tire for
several classes in NASA, including: Spec Miata, Spec Iron, Honda Challenge,
Spec E30, the recently added Spec E46, and the revolutionary new NASA Prototype
(NP01). The NP01 represents the pinnacle of the NASA Pro Racing classes;
featuring identical 2-liter Mazda powered prototype race cars which weigh in at
only 1,450 lbs. Toyo Tires has also added
the successful Spec Z class for Nissan 350Zs to the list of spec classes.
As a part of
the contract renewal, Toyo Tires continues its support as presenting sponsor
for the NASA Championships -- both the Western States Championships, and the
Eastern States Championships. The
company also supports the 25-Hours of
Thunderhill™, the longest endurance road race in North America, with its
fully stocked hospitality rig which provides complimentary tire mounting and
balancing services and catered meals to competitors using Toyo tires.
"NASA
and Toyo Tires have enjoyed an illustrious and lasting relationship together
and we couldn't be more thrilled to extend that relationship for another five
years," said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Business Development.
"NASA members have benefited greatly from the fantastic partnership
program through millions of dollars in contingency offers paid out and the
creation of the best Spec Tire the industry has seen in over two decades. We
look forward to a bright future together with Toyo Tires."
“Toyo Tires
is proud of our longtime partnership with the National Auto Sport Association,”
said Marc Sanzenbacher, senior manager, Motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A.
Corp. “At Toyo Tires grassroots
motorsports is a key part of our DNA, and NASA racing provides an opportunity
to showcase the performance of our Proxes tires on a broad variety of road
racing cars. It also provides a test bed
to further develop and improve upon our technology.”
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 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
nearly 70 years.
The company 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. Consumer product lines include
the popular Open Country® tires for light trucks and SUVs; Proxes®
ultra-high performance tires; Versado® tires for luxury passenger cars; and the
value line of Extensa® passenger car tires. Many of the tires are
built in the United States at their state-of-the-art factory in Bartow County,
Georgia.
Published on September 30, 2015 15:36

September 30,
2015
Toyo Tires® Supports NASA Road Racers during the 25-Hours of Thunderhill™
With Industry-Leading On-Site Hospitality
CYPRESS, CA
– Toyo Tires®, the Official Tire of NASA, returns with
its support of the 25-Hours of
Thunderhill™ December 5-6 at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern
California. Celebrating its 13th
year at the Official Tire of NASA, Toyo Tires will once again provide an
industry-leading on-site hospitality program for qualified competitors using Toyo®
Proxes® tires.
The 25-Hours of Thunderhill is held annually
by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) and is considered the longest
endurance road race in North America. Racers
travel from around the continent to compete in this prestigious event.
This will be
the fourth consecutive year that Toyo Tires will have its VIP rig on-site to
provide free meals at the track on Friday through Sunday. 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 4-6.
"The support Toyo Tires
gives competitors at the NASA 25 hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk
Performance is unmatched," said Jeremy Croiset, NASA's Director of
Business Development. "The race has quickly grown to become the preeminent
pro-am endurance race in North America.
It is fantastic to have Toyo on board again this year to support
competitors who choose the Toyo Tires brand, as they seem to really appreciate
it."
“We are
proud to offer a VIP support program for competitors using Toyo tires,” said
Marc Sanzenbacher, senior manager, motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “We recognize the extraordinary effort that
goes into “Surviving the 25” and Toyo Tires is committed to helping make the 25-Hours of Thunderhill one of the most
memorable and enjoyable road racing events each year.”
The program
applies to racers using the Toyo Proxes® RS1™ full-slick, the Proxes®
RR DOT competition, and the Proxes® R888™ tire in dry conditions;
while the Proxes® R1R™ and Proxes® RA1™ are approved for
wet use.
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 27.
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
nearly 70 years.
The company 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 the M-Line for commercial trucks. Consumer product lines include the popular Open Country® tires for
light trucks and SUVs; Proxes®
ultra-high performance tires; Versado®
tires for luxury passenger cars; Celsius® variable
conditions tires; and the value line of Extensa®
passenger car tires. Many of the tires are built in the United States at their
state-of-the-art factory in Bartow County, Georgia.
For more information log onto www.toyotires.com
and connect with the community at Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter and Google+.
Media
Contact: Jay Jones, TMC
949-851-6313,
jay.jones@tmcauto.com
Toyo Media
Site: http://media.toyotires.com/
Published on September 24, 2015 18:03
Napa Valley, CA (September 24, 2015) - The National Auto Sport Association
(NASA) is pleased to announce that the 2016 Western States Championships
presented by Toyo Tires will take place at the challenging Buttonwillow Raceway
Park on October 13-16, 2016. NASA competitors from all over the western region
of the country will converge on this Southern California circuit situated just
22 miles outside of Bakersfield, CA to challenge for top step on the podium to
claim a NASA Championship.
“Buttonwillow Raceway Park requires precision to put
together a perfect lap, but also offers ample room for 3 wide racing making it
a great choice for our Championship event,” said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National
Chairman. “New drivers to this track always leave with a great experience and
can’t wait to return. Best of all, it is located almost half way between SoCal
and NorCal, so we look forward to a record number of entries. NASA racers
always enjoy this track and I am confident that it will
be a great venue for
our Championship event. This event will provide competitors from all over the
western states the opportunity to see if they really have what it takes to be a
NASA Champion while still providing a exciting and enjoyable weekend experience
which is what the Championships is all about.”
“We look
forward to welcoming all NASA competitors to Southern California for what
should be an amazing event in 2016!" Buttonwillow Raceway President, Les
Phillips said. “NASA has been hosting top notch regional racing at our track
for more than 18 years. It will be a privilege to host their Championships and
everyone here will work hard to ensure NASA drivers, crew, and family have a
memorable event experience.”
2016 will mark the 25th anniversary for
NASA and the 11th anniversary for our NASA Championship events. We
expect to welcome over 600 competitors to our Championship events in 2016
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 2016 NASA
Championship events in the future.
Published on September 22, 2015 05:21
Click here to watch the video from the 2015 NASA Eastern States Championships Presented by Toyo TiresSee what you missed from the 2015 NASA Eastern States Championships Presented by Toyo Tires.
Racers share their stories of what it means to race at the biggest NASA event on the East Coast, and why they want to become a NASA Champion. With amazing footage captured from the event, watch as you see just what makes the NASA Championships "the" place to race for real Champions.
Click here to watch 2015 Eastern States Championships HPD Honda Challenge Series VideoA very special thanks to HPD (Honda Performance Development) for bringing us this coverage and being the presenting sponsor of the Honda Challenge Series from the 2015 NASA Eastern States Championship Presented by Toyo Tires.
With epic on-board, aerial and track-side footage, you'll not want to miss the action as some of the best in the nation battle to become the first ever NASA Eastern States HPD Honda Challenge Champion. You will also gain insights as to why they love racing Hondas, with these people, in this Championship. Honda Challenge is a series only available to members of the National Auto Sport Association.
Click here to watch 2015 Eastern States Championships Spec Miata Series VideoA very special thanks to Mazda for bringing us this coverage and being the presenting sponsor of the Spec Miata class from the 2015 NASA Eastern States Championship Presented by Toyo Tires.
Arguably the toughest class in all of motor racing, NASA Spec Miata will treat you to the kind of action for which you love watching motorsports. Watch as forty two Spec Miatas take the green at the Inaugural NASA Eastern States Championship. Learn what makes this particular race special to the drivers of Mazda's finest roadster.
Published on September 17, 2015 16:09
Napa Valley, CA (September 17, 2015) - The National Auto Sport Association
(NASA) is pleased to announce that the 2016 Eastern States Championships
presented by Toyo Tires will take place at the historic Watkins Glen International
Circuit. The circuit, which is located in beautiful Watkins Glen, NY has played
host to many of the world’s greatest motor races and on September 22 through
25, NASA competitors will battle it out to see who earns their place in NASA
history.
"The historic nature of the Glen carries with it
a special allure for so many competitors and we couldn’t be more excited to bring
one of NASA’s biggest events of the year to this world-renowned facility",
said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "The NASA Championships has
proven to be one of the most competitive places in the country to test your
skills while still also remaining an absolutely stellar experience for all
involved. We look forward to welcoming all NASA competitors at what should
prove to be an amazing event in 2016!"
2016 will mark the 25th anniversary for
NASA and the 11th anniversary for our NASA Championship events. We
expect to welcome over 600 competitors to our Championship events in 2016
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 2016 Western
States Championships event in the coming weeks.
Published on September 08, 2015 20:02
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires
Crowns Champions
Qualifying races in the books
ALTON, Va. (Sept.
6, 2015) - The second annual NASA Eastern States Championships presented
by Toyo Tires crowned it class winners today at VIRginia International
Raceway.
Under perfect
80-degree and sunny conditions the 300+ NASA competitors took to the 3.27
mile, 17-turn VIR circuit to settle who would be 2015 NASA Eastern States
Champions.
Spec Miata
The opening event
of NASA Championship Sunday at VIR was the 42 car Spec Miata race. Double
qualifying race winner and pole sitter Blake Clements, No. 6 Miata, led
the field to the green. A first turn, first lap melee cost top runner
Danny Steyn, No. 39 Miata, as he retired with car damage. The race went
immediately yellow. On the restart on lap three, Clements continued to
lead until another caution flew on lap five. On lap seven the race went
green with No. 0 Marc Cefalo driving his Miata to the front. On lap nine
Clements went back to the point with Hernan Palermo, No. 13 Miata, taking
the lead one lap later. On lap 11, NASA Western States Spec Miata
Champion, Mark Drennan took the lead in his No. 10 Miata. One lap later
it was Clements, Palermo and Drennan. On the last a final lap, Clements
got pushed wide in the last turn as a three Miata racers came to the
checker side-by-side for the win. It was Hernan Palermo taking the
Championship, followed by Mark Drennan and Jonathan Davis squeaking into
third in his No. 161 Miata. Brian Henderson, No. 97 Miata, was awarded
Hard Charger going from 36 starting position to finish fifth. Upon
post-race review, Palermo was disqualified for contact. The final results
are Mark Drennan first, Jonathan Davis second and Blake Clements third.
With the win, Mark
Drennan does the double, winning both the Eastern States and Western
States Spec Miata NASA Championships for 2015. The win also makes Drennan
eligible for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout and the $100,000 prize toward
driving in the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich
Tires.
"The start was crazy, we were three or four wide going
into Turn 3," Drennan said. "Things were really bunched up,
there was a lot of contact throughout the race. On the first restart I
made up a spot. We tried going three wide through five, which is too
many, I went up on the curb. On the second restart I was able to get by a
few more cars. I had a good run for the lead and I out broke myself and
went back to fifth. It was a drafting battle between Blake, Hernan and
myself we swapped the lead a number of times. I ended up with a good run
on Hernan off the last turn and I ended up second."
"I was able
to get good restarts and kept up with the front runners," Davis
said. "On the last lap, Blake got knocked off the track and I saw
him come back on, so I moved over in case he was coming over. I had a run
on Mark and Hernan as they were banging wheels down the front stretch. I
was drafting them and I popped at the last minute and ended up third. I
will take third today."
944 Spec
Pole sitter Neal
Agran, No. 76 Porsche 944, lead the field to the green. On lap two Agran and No. 119 John Torgeson went off in Turn 1 handing
the overall lead to Dan Pina in his blue and white No. 149 Porsche 944
who went on to win.
"I started
from third," Pina said. "I was really just hoping to be on the
podium. The guys in front of me were racing hard. I was able to get to
the front when they went off. I had some contact which affected my
alignment, so I was just holding on. We had a few passes for the lead. I
wanted to keep control, stay strong and be assertive. This was a last
minute deal for me. My friends talked me into coming, I wasn't even registered.
I loaded up, drove 18 hours and I am glad I did."
Spec E30
Larry Fraser, No.
112 BMW, brought the 30 car Spec E30 field to the green. Fraser, Sean Curran, No. 77 BMW and Sandro Espinosa, No. 32
BMW, were starting to pull away from the rest of the pack. The trio were
joined on lap four by No. 40 Ryan Whitinger.
"It was a
hard battle," Espinosa said. "I was careful with Larry Fraser.
I wanted to try and force him into a mistake. He missed a shift on the
back straight and I went by him. I really didn't want him behind me. I
tried to stay in front of him as best as I could. Unfortunately in Turn 1
we went through there side-by-side, like so many times before. There is
plenty of room on the left and he went off. It is not the way I wanted it
to go, but that is racing. Ryan did a good job to make a run at me at the
line and finish second. Thank you to Toyo Tires."
Spec 3
In Spec 3 it was
the No. 07 BMW driven by Jon McAvoy taking the win. By lap 10 McAvoy had established a 10 second lead over second place
finisher Justin Taylor, No. 36 BMW.
"It was a
hell of a race," McAvoy said. "I got a bad start. I got passed
by three cars at the start. It took about three laps to catch back up and
take the lead. It was a great day at VIR. No yellow flags, everyone was
really running clean. A huge thanks to Toyo, my tires were under me the
entire time. Also Hawk brakes. Most importantly my wife, bless her heart
for letting me do this on Labor Day weekend."
SU
In SU, Ray
Cocoziello took the lead at the green in his No. 72 Crawford Daytona Prototype over Jeff Hinkle's No. 9 Dodge Challenger. On lap
two the race was black flagged to due to two cars blocking the track
between turns three and four. Following the black flag, Cocoziello
couldn't restart his car. Dan Raver in the No. 7 Superlite assumed the
lead. A few laps later after Raver had an issue, Robert Iversen took the
lead in his No. 1 Radical and the SU win.
"The yellow
and the black flag did not help my effort at all," Iversen said.
"We knew we had to take the long view of the race and manage our
tires. We needed to be there at the end. We knew we could run within a
couple of seconds of these 800 and 900 horsepower cars, we only have 440.
I think as it showed at the end that no one can out brake us. Thanks to
everyone at Wisco and NASA Southeast."
ST1
In ST1 Joe Moholland navigated the caution and race stoppage
to post the win in his No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette.
"It wasn't as
crazy at the beginning as they often are," Moholland said. "I
had a tough day yesterday. I tore half of my splitter off on the first
lap. So today I was going to be a little more conservative and little
more patient on the start. I didn't want to get mixed up with the SU cars
too early. My patience paid off today."
ST2
The ST2 winner was Kevin Harvey in his No. 01 Chevrolet
Corvette.
"The yellow
and black was interesting," Harvey said. "Cars were going
everywhere at the start. When the Mustangs got together over there
between three and four it was nice that they reset the order so we could
go back to racing fairly. Later when the Lotus went into the wall in the
esses, the race went yellow and went green really fast. I had my wife and
friend calling flags for me that really helped."
AI
Terry Mathis drove his No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro to the AI
win.
"I had a
great run," Mathis said. "Yesterday the car was good, but I was
a little loose today. Every second we had red in front of us. I didn't
want to be cautious and give up the lead. Maybe I was a little too
cautious I was being pushed the whole time. One more check off my bucket
list, winning a NASA Championship. I really enjoyed it."
CMC
In CMC, Russ
Carter drove his No. 720 Ford Mustang the class win.
"I got a lousy
start," Carter said. "I think I won the burnout contest. We do
standing starts, so when the green flew I did a big burnout. I was able
to stay with the pack. The yellow and black bunched us up. I slowly
picked through our small field to the front. It is tough to run in the
back of the thunder group, a lot happens in front of us. We are used to
dealing with adverse track conditions. It was an absolute blast. All of
the competitors know each other and that makes it really fun."
SI
Robert Miller was
the SI Class winner in his No. 20 Ford Mustang.
"I ran
great," Miller said. Once we got in front after the caution I was
able to stay in front and bring it home. I didn't want to see the yellow
or the black. That let everyone get up to me again. I had a good restart
and was able to bring it home for the win."
HPD Honda
Challenge 1
In HPD Honda
Challenge 1 it was an early race battle between Kevin Helms in his No. 05
Civic, Brian Shanfeld in the No. 17 Acura and the No. 75 Honda S2000 of
John Oldt. The trio circulated most of the race together with Helms and
Shanfeld exchanging the lead early. Oldt fell back with an engine issue
at three quarter distance just about the same time that Helms began to
open up a two second gap to Shanfeld. Helms went onto win his first NASA Eastern
States Championship. He was followed to the line by Shanfeld and Matthew
Briddell in the No. 108 Honda S2000.
"At the end I
was able to get a little gap," Helms said. "I knew it would be
dicey at the beginning, that Acura TLX has a lot of horsepower. I tried
to get a good gap in the small parts so he couldn't catch me. He passed
me once and he started to make a few mistakes, I think his tires were
going off. I saw that and I said it was time to get going."
HPD Honda
Challenge 2
Jonathan Baker,
No. 32 Acura, and the No. 36 of Robert Casella were locked in a two-way
battle up to mid race when Baker fell back. Spencer Anderson in the No. 516 Civic took up the challenge in second place, keeping
Casella honest. Soon after Baker fell back, Casella had issues as well.
That left the No. 516 of Spencer Anderson in his Civic as the HPD Honda
Challenge 2 winner. Eric Olson in his No. 10 Civic was second and the No.
31 Accord of Karl Kondor was third.
"I didn't
expect to win," Anderson said. "I came to this weekend with the
wrong engine, hoping for maybe a top five. I didn't expect to win. I got
a good start and was moving up through the field. I hung out in fourth
for a while and then the race started to come to me. A couple of guys had
engine issues, one blew up on the last lap. It kind of fell in my
lap."
GTS4
Randy Mueller made
it a qualifying and championship race win hat-trick today sweeping the GTS4 Class in his No. 0 BMW M3. Mueller won by
20-seconds. The win makes Mueller a five-time NASA Champion.
"It was a
good race weekend for us," Mueller said. "This is a total
package, not just a driver. The equipment that you are in and the people
who put it together are all important. We have MCS Suspension, Hoosier
tires, Bimmerworld, Red Line Oil and Epic Motorsports. It is great to
have that group behind me. We had an anxious moment right when we were
rolling to the grid the ABS stopped working. One of my crew was able to
get it fixed in two minutes. It may have been a different race if he
didn't.
GTS3
In GTS3 Hugh
Stewart took the win his No. 122 BMW.
"It was
absolute insanity," Stewart said. "I got tangled up at the
start, I was third on the grid and went back to fifth. I was able to
catch back up to the front. I was over heating a little bit going off
track to pass, I had some grass in the radiator. But a good run and a
good race."
GTS2
Zach Hillman took home the GTS2 trophy in his No. 158
Porsche 944.
"We got the
start that we wanted," Hillman said. "We just maintained from
there. A lot of guys switched up their tires and tunes. We knew the first
lap would be important and we were able to control the pace. My crew put
in a lot of prep work for this race. All the work paid off and we finally
won it! I want to thank all my guys back at home."
GTS1
The GTS1 winner
was Jason Stanley in his No. 60 Porsche 944.
"It was pretty hot out there," Stanley said.
"I had already done the Spec 944 race this morning and my cool suit
wasn't working. At the start I got swamped. I stayed patient and just
picked them off one-by-one. I got into the lead and just made sure that I
was letting the faster cars by in the right place for them and for me. My
Hoosier tires got a little tight at the end. The Hoosier engineer gave me
some good tips on how run the tires. I would like to thank my sponsor
Fantasy Garage for providing me with an awesome rolling tool cart and
Bluetooth speaker. It kept my tools organized and gave us tunes as we
worked all weekend. I am very pleased with the result."
PTD
In PTD Eric Powell took off to a ten-second lead on the
first lap in his No. 74 Mazda Miata only to drop out on lap seven handing
the overall group lead to Jason Fitzpatrick in the No. 75 VW Passat who
went on to win the class.
"On the first
lap I went through the gas coming up onto the front straight,"
Fitzpatrick said. "It was a shame to win it with Eric going out
early. Once I saw Eric behind the tow truck, I just focused on being
smooth and maintaining the car. It would have been fun to race him, but I
will take it."
PTE
In PTE Jason
Kohler drove his No. 848 Mazda Miata to the class win.
"I was able
to get to the front on the second lap," Kohler said. "The Miata
matches up to the Nissan Sentra pretty well. At most tracks we are within
about a second. The longer tracks seem to favor the Miata on overall
set-up and speed.
PTF
Anthony Zwain drove the Team Edge Motorworks Mini to the PTE
Class win.
"It was
pretty spectacular," Zwain said. "The race was a lot of fun for
me. I was pressured pretty hard. I was racing with some out of class
guys. I think I busted my oil pan, but I was able to get it to the
checker. The car is running as good as it has ever run."
NASA Eastern
Championship presented by Toyo Tires Winners (provisional):
GTS4, Randy
Mueller, No. 0 BMW M3
GTS3, Hugh
Stewart, No. 122 BMW M3
GTS2, Zach
Hillman, No. 158 Porsche 944
GTS1, Jason
Stanley, No. 60 Porsche 944
Spec Miata, Mark
Drennan, No. 10 Mazda Miata
944 Spec, Dan
Pina, No. 149 Porsche 944
Spec E30, Sandro
Espinosa, No. 32 BMW
Spec 3, Jon
McAvoy, No. 07 BMW
SU, Robert
Iversen, No. 1 Radical
ST1, Joe
Moholland, No. 3 Corvette
ST2, Kevin Harvey,
No. 01 Corvette
AI, Terry Mathis,
No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro
SI, Robert Miller,
No. 20 Ford Mustang
CMC, Russ Carter,
No. 720 Ford Mustang
HPD Honda
Challenge 1, Kevin Helms, No. 17 Honda Civic
HPD Honda
Challenge 2, Spencer Anderson, No. 516 Honda Civic
PTD, Jason
Fitzpatrick, No. 75 VW Passat
PTE, Jason Kohler,
No. 848 Mazda Miata
PTF, Anthony
Zwain, No. 1 Mini
Time Trial top VIR
finishers:
TTC, Brian
Barclay, No. 107 Honda S2000
TTD, Marc Cantor,
No. 26 BMW M3
TTE, Jason Kohler,
No. 848 Mazda Miata
TT1, Gil Smith,
No. 70 Chevrolet Corvette
TT2, Donnie
Hylton, No. 626 Chevrolet Corvette
TT3, Eric Wong,
No.121, BMW M3
TTU, Rick
Macpherson, No. 38 Nissan GTR
Official results
will be posted at: http://bit.ly/1LS7Anu
VIRginia
International Raceway's 3.27 miles encompasses nearly every kind of turn.
The fast uphill esses that lead into the signature Oak Tree Turn are
known throughout the racing community. The long laps will reward a good
race car set-up and require the competitors to display their driving
skills as well as race craft.
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.
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About Toyo Tires
Founded in 1945, Toyo Tires has stood for innovation,
quality, performance, and excellent service around the world for over
65 years. The company offers a complete line of premium
replacement tires for nearly all makes and models, including
high-performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well
as commercial trucks.
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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed Racing Wheels,
Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports, Spec
Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT Radial
Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda,
Maxxis Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel
Safe, Vehiport, APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs,
Exedy, Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red
Line Oil, Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster
Clutch.
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 16 regions.
* Key events include the NASA Western Championships at
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships
at Virginia International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
* The NASA National Championships will run 36 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
|
|
|
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Published on September 06, 2015 02:31
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Sets Grids for Finals
Qualifying races in the books
ALTON, Va. (Sept. 5, 2015) – The second annual NASA Eastern States
Championships presented by Toyo Tires has set the grids for its
championship races tomorrow at VIRginia International Raceway.
Under mixed weather conditions alternating between light rain and sun
shine, the over 300 competitors have made it through two days of
practice and qualifying races leading up to tomorrow’s championship
races at the 3.27 mile, 17-turn VIR circuit.
The GTS class
opened Saturday’s round of qualifying races. At the ten minute mark a
full course caution flew erasing Randy Mueller’s, Friday’s winner,
eighth second lead. He would go on to post his second qualifying race
win in his GTS4 BMW M3. In GTS3 Edgar Cabrera was able to hold off Eric
Wong’s BMW to win in his No. 184 BMW.
“It was crazy,” Cabrera
said. “We had some rain sprinkles toward the end during the yellow. When
the race went green I got attacked on both sides. It was crazy and
tight all the way around. I was able to hold them off for the last three
laps of green. It is time to go over the car for the big one tomorrow.”
In Spec Miata it was, once again, Blake Clements taking the win in his
No. 6 Miata. Clements had help from second place runner Chris Haldeman,
bump drafting and creating some separation to third place finisher
Hernan Palermo. Once again the 35 Spec Miata competitors ran a clean
caution qualifying race.
“We had a pretty good race,” Clements
said. “The OPM Autosports guys worked really hard last night and put a
good car under me. We had a good morning warm-up running in the top
three. I started third and I was able to take advantage of the start and
get into second in the first corner. I was able to take the lead on the
backstretch. I had Chris with me the whole time which really helped.
Then it got tricky later in the race, we were coming down the hill and
it started to rain. All-in-all it was a good run for our OPM Autosports,
SPN, CarboTech, Traqmate Spec Miata.”
In the Spec E30 race,
yesterday’s qualifying race winner Sandro Espinosa hooked up with No.
125 Alex Barroso in his BMW 325 and the pair were able to open up a
couple second gap to third. On lap five a full course caution flew,
bunching the all BMW field. The race went green and then another full
caution flew. On the restart, with one lap remaining, Larry Fraser took
the lead into Turn 1 and the race win.
“It was a pretty good
race,” Fraser said. “I started eighth and just went about picking cars
off one at a time. I got lucky with two yellows. They helped bring the
front two cars back to me. On the last restart I passed Sandro going
into Turn 1. I then went all four wheels off up in South Bend, collected
it up and still won.”
Spec 3 also had a new qualifying race winner. Jon McAvoy took the win in his No. 07 BMW.
“The best way to describe the race is mayhem,” McAvoy said. “We had a
good race going with all seven BMW drivers, eat what you kill type
environment. On the second restart I was halfway up the E30 pack. I had
several of those guys spin in front us in turns 5, 7 and 10. Managing
traffic is what helped me get up front today.”
The 944 Spec race
was a great three way battle between Friday’s race winner Neal Agran,
Dan Pina and Jason Walsh. The mid-race full course caution brought the
trio back to the rest of the field. Two laps after the restart a final
caution flew with the officials restarting the race with a green and
white flag. Agran was able to hold off the charging field on the one lap
dash for his second win in two days.
The Super Unlimited cars
were able to hit the track in dry conditions this afternoon. Jeff Hinkle
in his No. 5 Dodge Challenger was the early leader until Ray Cocoziello
drove his No. 17 Crawford Daytona Prototype the front and the overall
group win.
“It was a very competitive race,” Cocoziello said.
“We passed each other twice in the 20-minute race. It was a great
adrenalin rush. We had some suspension and tire issues this morning and
we did a good job to get the car set-up for the race. I anticipate a
tough race tomorrow in the final with Jeff.”
Also in the group
Joe Moholland won ST1 in his Corvette, Kevin Harvey took the ST2 win his
No. 01 Corvette, in In AI it was the No. 77 Mustang of Bruce Byerly and
in SI it was Robert Miller in the No. 20 Mustang.
In HPD Honda
Challenge 1 David Isbell, No. 7 Acura Integra, started from the back of
the grid as a result of being disqualified from his race win yesterday.
Isbell was racing Kevin Helms Civic all race until Helms experienced
some overheating and had to back off. In HPD Honda Challenge 2 Jeremy
Lucas took the win in his Honda S2000, again starting from the back of
the grid.
“I had a good race,” Isbell said. “I had to start from
the back. I made good progress up through the field and got up to David
Helms and had a good race. Toward the end my car starting to mess up. I
think I got some water in the fuel from all the rain yesterday. My Toyo
tires held up the whole time. A pretty good day.”
“It was quite a
run from last to first,” Lucas said. “I got a good start, I was able to
pass a couple of cars before Turn 1. The fastest car out there today
had a mechanical problem. I didn’t give up, I just kept driving. I
didn’t think a win was possible today. I start last again tomorrow, so
let’s see if I can do it two days in a row.”
In PTD-F Eric Powell
took the early lead until he pulled his Mazda Miata into pit lane.
Jason Fitzpatrick inherited the lead in his No. 74 VW Passat. Jason
Kohler, No. 848 Mazda Miata, was the winner in PTE and the Team Edge
Motorworks No. 1 Mini won in PTF.
“My race went pretty well,”
Fitzpatrick said. “It is a shame that Eric pulled in. I was looking
forward to catching him and battling it out. There is a few more things
to pull out of the bag to see if we can give him run in the final. I am
going to start second. Strategy for tomorrow is to go like hell. My
advantage is the horsepower. I keep joking that I have the weight of a
Miata on my front two wheels. If I get it off the corner the VW will
really go.”
Follow the NASA Championship action:
Live stream: https://livestream.com/nasa/
Timing and scoring: http://bit.ly/1JFszqG
Schedule: http://bit.ly/1Jh0RAC
Entry: http://bit.ly/1K2bBbL
VIRginia International Raceway’s 3.27 miles encompasses nearly every
kind of turn. The fast uphill esses that lead into the signature Oak
Tree Turn are known throughout the racing community. The long laps will
reward a good race car set-up and require the competitors to display
their driving skills as well as race craft.
Published on September 05, 2015 17:44
NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Takes the Green
Flag at VIR
Qualifying races underway
ALTON, Va. (Sept. 4, 2015) – The second annual NASA Eastern States
Championships presented by Toyo Tires is underway at VIRginia International Raceway
(VIR).
Over 300 competitors have filled the paddock and are busy setting up their
cars and running qualifying races around the 3.27 mile, 17-turn VIR circuit.
In the first qualifying race of the day, Randy Mueller drove his No. 0 Epic
BMW M3 to the GTS class overall win. Mueller a four-time NASA Champion is
poised for a fifth.
“It was a good run for us,” Mueller said. “I started from the pole. I was
able to get a nice clean start. Then I just put my head down and focused on
running some clean laps. Once I opened up the gap I focused on keeping the BMW
off of the curbs. It’s all about having a car ready for Sunday.”
HPD Honda Challenge witnessed some tight racing. David Isbell drove his No.
7 Acura Integra from the back of the field to post an impressive qualifying
race win.
“I had a pretty good race,” Isbell said. “I had to start at the back of the
grid because we had a problem with the car this morning. I got a good start. I
came up to the Oak Tree Turn and a couple of cars went off so that helped. From
there I went from seventh to third. I was driving a clean race then a couple
more cars slid off and I assumed the lead. My Toyo tires helped me get to the
checker. A good start.”
As the high-horsepower car hit the track the clouds opened up and rain came,
catching the competitors on dry tires in a downpour of rain. After lap one a
full course caution flew and then the NASA officials black flagged the race.
Soon after the officials put out the checker with No. 9 Dodge Challenger driven
by Jeff Hinkle listed as the top finisher based upon his fast qualifying time
from the morning.
As the rain continued, 39 Spec Miata race cars took to the track. From the
drop of the green flag the No. 39 of Danny Steyn was the early class leader. On
lap a sudden downpour in Turn 1 sent the top two cars off the track resulting
in a black flag. The No. 6 Blake Clements declared the winner of qualifying
race one.
“It was pretty wild,” Clements said. “I originally started in seventh. I
didn’t have a great qualifying effort. We put the Toyo rain tires on and went
out for the qualifying race. I was able to get a couple of positions in the
first lap. I was in third on the second lap and was biding my time, I knew I
was in a good spot. On the fifth lap when we crossed the start finish line it
really began to pour. I could barely see going into Turn 1. I let out of it and
rolled into one. The two cars in front of me were off in the grass. I then went
off a little into Turn 3, brought it back on and then the race went yellow and
ended. I want to be consistent the rest of the weekend and see what happens on
Sunday.”
The 30 car Spec E30 class took to the track with the rain still coming down.
As a testament to the driving ability of the one the largest fields of the
weekend, the race went caution free with Sandro Espinosa driving his No. 32 BMW
to the win.
“It was a lot of fun out there in the rain,” Espinosa said. “I started from
sixth place, which is tough in the rain. Everyone behaved at the start. We are
all friends, so we know and take care of each other. I was passing one car, by
one car very safely. Sean Curran and I were able to pull away a little. I
figured out that at the Oak Tree Turn I could get a pull from him and was able
to overtake for the lead. There was surprising grip out there in the rain.
Thanks to Toyo Tires and Bimmerworld for the help this weekend.”
In 944 Spec Neal Agran drove his No. 84 Porsche 944 to the win over Dan
Pina. The two exchanged the lead in the rain early until Agran took the lead
for good and the win.
“Fantastic,” Agran said. “Dan Pina and I race all of the time together in
the mid-west and he is a great competitor. I’ve never raced with Dan Williams
in the wet. Being from Colorado where it doesn’t rain much, I didn’t think he
would have anything for me. He was all over me like a cheap suit. I really won
through consistency. I was just clicking laps off at the same pace, one after
the other. That is what it took today.”
In Spec 3 Justin Taylor took the qualifying race win in his No. 36 BMW.
Taylor took the lead from the second position on the grid and never looked
back.
“I qualified second,” Taylor said. “Starting in the front row helped, I was
able to jump out the lead and get a good pace going in the rain. I was able to
build up a little gap and just focused on being consistent, not slide around
too much and finish the race.”
In PTD-F it was Brett Westcott in his No. 58 Nissan that was the class of
the field. He was able to overtake the No. 47 Mazda Miata of Kopitski for the
class win.
“It was really wet out there,” Westcottl said. “This is my first time at
VIR. I am surprised I did as well. My BFGoodrich tires were hooked-up, the KDWR
shocks were working great. My car was handling good in the rain. The only
problem was a fogged up windshield. Everything else was great.”
Follow the NASA Championship action:
Live stream: https://livestream.com/nasa/
Timing and scoring: http://bit.ly/1JFszqG
Schedule: http://bit.ly/1Jh0RAC
Entry: http://bit.ly/1K2bBbL
VIRginia International Raceway’s 3.27 miles encompasses nearly every kind of
turn. The fast uphill esses that lead into the signature Oak Tree Turn are
known throughout the racing community. The long laps will reward a good race
car set-up and require the competitors to display their driving skills as well
as race craft.
About Toyo Tires
Founded in 1945, Toyo Tires has stood
for innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service around the world
for over 65 years. The company offers a complete line of premium
replacement tires for nearly all makes and models, including high-performance
cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as commercial trucks.
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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan,
Jongbloed Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo
Motorsports, Spec Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension,
GT Radial Tire, Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and
Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis
Tires, Racing Fire Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe, Vehiport,
APR Performance, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy, Fastbrakes,
Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil, Winding Road Racing,
Torco, TPIS, Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16
regions.
Key events include the NASA Western
Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2;
the Eastern Championships at Virginia International Raceway Sept.
4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 5-6.
The NASA National Championships will
run 36 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
Published on September 03, 2015 19:22
NASA
Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Ready for Green Flag
300+
NASA competitors ready to race
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Sept. 2, 2015)
- The second annual NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo
Tires to run at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) is ready to take the green
flag this weekend, Sept. 3-6.
The 3.27 mile, 17-turn VIR circuit
will be home to the 300+ drivers who will compete for the title of NASA Eastern
Champion.
Two-time NASA Champion Eric Kuhns
will be debuting his new "Franken44" Porsche at the championships.
Coming from the 944 Spec Class, Kuhns is ready to make his mark on the Super
Touring 2 Class this weekend.
"The Franken44 has a 5.7-liter
LS1 Corvette motor," Kuhns said. "I have just three race weekends on
the car. It's been great. The Franken44 is powerful, reliable, and oh man does
it sound great! I ran my qualifying races at Mid-Ohio, Road America, and
Gingerman. I see David Farmer and Greg Vannucci as the main competition in ST2.
I am sure there will be some fast guys I don't know about. My goals are to
first, race clean, second, have a good time - that's why we do this - and third
develop the new car at a high level of competition and lastly push hard to get
on the podium." 
Zephyr Belski is a two time Honda
Challenge 5 NASA National Champion from 2006 and 2007.

"I have a new car this season
so my goals at VIR this weekend are modest. I hope to finish in a position
higher than I start," Belski said. "I ran at VIR this year, so I have
a pretty good idea of how to set-up my Acura for this weekend. I hope that will
give me a slight advantage. I have been attending races at VIR since 2003
starting in HPDE, it is an amazing track."
NASA event director, Jon Felton, is
ready to welcome a great grid of competitors.
"Everyone I talk to is excited
about the NASA Eastern States Championship event this weekend," Felton
said. "The plans are made, the competitors are putting the final touches
on their cars and we will be ready to welcome them to VIR. By the looks of the
300+ entries we are going to have a great weekend of racing and
camaraderie."
VIRginia
International Raceway's 3.27 miles encompasses nearly every kind of turn. The
fast uphill esses that lead into the signature Oak Tree Turn are known
throughout the racing community. The long laps will reward a good race car
set-up and require the competitors to display their driving skills as well as
race craft. 
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 races for entry into the NASA Eastern States
Championships.
About Toyo Tires
Founded in 1945, Toyo Tires has stood
for innovation, quality, performance, and excellent service around the world
for over 65 years. The company offers a complete line of premium
replacement tires for nearly all makes and models, including high-performance
cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as commercial trucks.
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, 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, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Jongbloed
Racing Wheels, Bimmerworld, Frozen Rotors, Optic Armor, Neo Motorsports, Spec
Clutches, Driven Racing Oil, Altronics Inc., ANZE Suspension, GT Radial Tire,
Tilton, Racefab Inc., Sampson Racing Communications and Yokohama. NASA
competitors can also get discounts from Mazda, Maxxis Tires, Racing Fire
Systems, Ford Performance Racing School,Fuel Safe, Vehiport, APR Performance,
Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy, Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio
School, Konig, Molecule, Red Line Oil, Winding Road Racing, Torco, TPIS,
Porterfield and Monster Clutch.
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 16
regions.
Key events include the NASA Western
Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 31 - Aug. 2; the Eastern Championships at Virginia
International Raceway Sept. 4-6 and the season culminating NASA 25 Hours of
Thunderhill, Dec.
5-6.
The NASA National Championships will
run 36 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
Published on August 25, 2015 00:23
'Survive the 25,' originally aired on the MavTV network, highlights the triumphs and struggles of four teams vying for victory at the 2014 NASA 25 hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance. This episode is presented by Mazda.
Watch Video