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Flying Lizard Audi Still Leading NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance at 19 Hours

Author: NASA-GL/Sunday, December 6, 2015/Categories: National News

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PRESS RELEASE

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.

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 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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