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.