Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Grand Am
25HR: Thunderhill Live Race Blog
Relive the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with SPEEDtv.com’s blog updates from John Dagys.
John Dagys  |  Posted December 05, 2009   Willows, CA
Mercer Motorsports appears to be on their way to the overall victory here at Thunderhill. (John Dagys)
Relive the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with SPEEDtv.com’s live blog updates from John Dagys

The Finish

Mercer Motorsports scored a dominant victory in the seventh annual 25 Hours at Thunderhill. The Mercer Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Johannes van Overbeek, Jon Fogarty, Tommy Sadler, Rich Walton and Todd Grantham completed 761 laps in the world’s longest endurance race.

The No. 7 Ehret Winery Racing Porsche of Wolf Henzler, Pierre Ehret, Vic Rice, Robert Orcutt and Anthony Ward finished second, 22 laps behind the winning, similarly prepared Patron GT3 Challenge machine. The two Porsches, plus the overall pole-sitting BMC Tool Racing Panoz DP-02, were the only leaders throughout the 25 hours.

Other class winners include the No. 95 Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance BMW M3 (E0), the Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazdaspeed 2 Mazda Miata (E1) and the Gorilla Racing/Driven Performance/Racer Motors Mazda Miata (E2).

Mazda’s “24 in 24” entry made it home 6th in the E2 category.

A full report from this weekend’s action will be published on Monday.

Hour 24 Update

Twenty-four hours are now complete, the traditional completion point for twice-around-the-clock enduros. But not at Thunderhill. One hour remains in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, but the results are unlikely to change.

The No. 75 Mercer Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car expanded its lead to over 18 laps following a lengthy stop-and-hold penalty for the second place No. 7 Ehret Winery Porsche in the 23rd hour. A number of cars have been hit with penalties, mainly for passing under a local yellow on track.

Nonetheless, the Ehret machine has a uncatchable 40-lap margin over the third-placed Beachman-McClure Racing Caterham Super 7. The Players Racing Porsche is two further laps back in fourth, being one of the only entries able to improve its position in the final hour.

The E0-class leading Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance BMW M3 has moved up to sixth overall, while Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazdaspeed 2’s Mazda Miata has stayed in control of E1. However, there’s a new class leader in E2, as the No. 24 Gorilla Racing Mazda has taken over the point from the Miatacage.com machine.

Mazda’s “25 in 25” is on track for a historic finish. John Doonan, the automaker’s U.S. manager of motorsports team development, climbed behind the wheel to take the MX-5 home to the checkered flag. It was an emotional moment in the team’s pit as the car pulled away for the final time.

One hour to go.

Hour 21 Update

Four hours remain in the world’s longest endurance race, and nothing has changed up front. The No. 75 Mercer Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car enjoys a 15-lap lead over the Dennis Chizma-run No. 7 Ehret Winery Racing machine in second. The Beachman-McClure Racing Caterham Super 7 now runs in third, but is 56 laps adrift from the overall leader.
John Doonan climbs aboard the "25 in 25" Mazda MX-5 Miata for the car's final stint. (John Dagys)

The Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance BMW M3 continues to pace E0 class, and has moved up to seventh overall. E1 class leader Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazdaspeed 2 runs in 10th overall.

With only a handful of hours left, the objective on nearly every surviving teams’ minds is getting to the checkered flag, even if could come with some sacrifice. MPME Team Scion was one of the causalities during the night time hours. After overcoming early race electrical issues, the Marshall Pruett-owned squad ran into transmission problems around midnight. The Scion tC lost fourth gear, then fifth gear shortly after. The team elected to park the ES-class machine to preserve it and will attempt to get it to the finish at noon.

Hour 18 Update

It’s 5 a.m.; do you know where your favorite team is running in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill? We last left you with the Mercer Motorsports Porsche up front, and it’s remained that way through the night time hours. Following a second scheduled front brake pad change at around 4:20 a.m., the No. 75 machine of Johannes van Overbeek, Jon Fogarty, Tommy Sadler, Todd Grantham and Rich Walton is still out front.

The Mercer squad holds a steady 14-lap gap on the Ehret Winery Racing Porsche of Wolf Henzler, Pierre Ehret, Vic Rice, Robert Orcutt and Anthony Ward, which continues to run in second.

There were no major overnight dramas too report by either team, other than mainly routine stops. Mercer team strategist Thomas Blam told me they just completed their car’s second front brake pad change and should be good to go to the finish, barring a possible rear pad change. But with a comfortable margin over their rivals, there isn’t any reason for concern at this stage of the race.
The Ehret Winery Porsche Cup car rockets through the night time hours at Thunderhill. (John Dagys)

Running third in ES, and making it a Porsche 1-2-3 is the No. 22 Players Racing Cup car of Philip Collin, Mark Jurczyk, Tonis Kasemets and Jan-Dirk Lueders, albeit 47 laps behind the leading Mercer machine. Fourth belongs to one of the remaining spyders in the race, a Caterham Super 7 run by Beachman-McClure Racing.

Mazda’s “25 in 25” car has been making steady progress through the night, with Modified Magazine’s David Pratte taking over over driving duties from 2008 MX-5 Cup Shootout winner Justin Piscitell at the 5 a.m. mark.

With no less than five “super subs” drafted in at various times this weekend to take the places of the original drivers listed, it’s been an interesting time juggling driver rotations for the “25 in 25” effort. The latest addition to the squad is Brad Rampelberg, a 2008 MX-5 Cup ladder driver, who’s filling in for the injured Charles Espenlaub, who was scheduled to sub for Frankie Muniz.

All of this, coupled with a few drivers missing their scheduled stint, has made for an interesting, and rather unpredictable driver rotation. It’s proven the biggest challenge is trying to find out not just who, but when everyone is driving. Team manager Rick Weldon said, “It’s definitely not set in stone!” as he showed me the original driver rotation paper now scratched out beyond recognition.

With the “25 in 25” MX-5 now up to 24th overall and a very respectable sixth in the E1 class, everyone at Mazda can be proud of what has been accomplished thus far. Just seven hours remain, or in Mazda speak, seven drivers to go!

Other class leaders: Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance (E0), Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazdaspeed 2 (E1), Miatacage.com (E2) and CSR Performance (ESR).

On a side note, it appears power has now been restored to most of the track. That's a good thing, as the ambient temperature is currently a sizzling 26 degrees Fahrenheit!

Hour 13 Update

We’re past the halfway mark at Thunderhill, and the Mercer Motorsports Porsche continues to lead the way, now with an 11-lap lead over the Ehret Winery Racing 911 GT3 Cup car in second.
Mercer Motorsports undergoes a front brake pad change. (John Dagys)

But the big news of the night is that the track has suffered a massive power outage. Backup generators are currently powering spot beam lights, as well as crucial elements such as timing and scoring. Temperatures continue to drop outside, now below freezing, and no power means no heat. Many teams have their own generators, yet it provides another challenge to this already grueling endurance race.

With limited internet service (using my spotty cell phone connection), we’ve been forced to scale back our overnight coverage. However, stay tuned for any breaking developments as they happen.

Class leaders at 13 hours: Mercer Motorsports (ES), Honda Resarch West (E0), Atlanta Motorsports Group/Mazdaspeed1 (E1), Miatacage.com (E2), CSR Performance (ESR).

Hour 10 Update

Mercer Motorsports is still out in front at Thunderhill, with 300 laps now complete in the 25 Hour marathon. The No. 75 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Johannes van Overbeek, Jon Fogarty, Tommy Sadler, Todd Grantham and Rich Walton now holds a five-lap margin over the similarly prepared Ehret Winery Racing machine in second overall.

The gap between the two Porsches had grown to nine laps just prior to a routine front brake pad change for the Mercer crew in the eighth hour. Both teams have thus far have run like clockwork, aside from a few minor setbacks.
Charles Espenlaub luckily walked away with only burns to his hands following the severe fire in Hour Seven. (Zach Steinkamp)

We have received more details on the scary hour seven fire by the No. 19 Team MER/Mazda 1 MX-5 Miata. Charles Espenlaub was at the wheel of the car when a fuel line ruptured, engulfing the car in flames. The veteran World Challenge driver has been airlifted to a Sacramento hospital with second degree burns to his hands but is expected to be OK.

While it’s game over for the defending race winners, the best news is that Espenlaub walked away from the incident without serious injury. Jason Saini’s race, though, wasn’t yet finished, as the MER driver was also part of Mazda’s “25 in 25” lineup. Saini climbed from the E1-class MX-5 Miata late in the ninth hour after moving it up to seventh in class.

“I think the first couple of laps in this car I almost drove off the track every corner, expecting the grip of the MER car,” Saini said in comparison to the ES-class MER MX-5. “It was unfortunate that we had a mechanical failure and a fire on the MER car. Charles Espenlaub has some burns. He’s going to be OK, but our thoughts are with him right now. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t defend our win, but I can guarantee we will be back next year to do that.”

Saini, though, appeared to have a handful during his one hour stint in the darkness. After completing his driving duties, he handed the wheel over to fellow Mazdapseed development driver Dane Cameron to complete his one hour.

“I had a little contact,” Saini said of his stint. “One of the Hondas came across the bow. The Hondas like hitting us in World Challenge and this! It was a good stint. The car was great; these guys have done a great job. I was doing good lap times and just bringing it home for the next guy. At the very end, I had a little spin. We’re fighting a variable handling problem. The car is good through the whole stint and it gave up on me on the last lap. These guys are going to figure it out and at midnight do a big, long stop.

“I have to give credit to Mazda for putting this all together. It’s such a cool opportunity and I’m glad to be involved in it. I kept the car out of harm’s way for the most part, even with all the perils out there. With night driving, there’s a lot of unique approaches to it. I’m happy with the stint and opportunity and we’ll see how the car finishes out.”
MPME Team Scion pitting for fuel, tires, driver change and oil. (John Dagys)

While the two leading Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars continued to set the fastest laps of the race, there was a very interesting entry that was clocking impressive times in the pitch darkness. The No. 27 MPME Team Scion tC of Gary Sheehan was consistently in the mid 1:56-1:57 lap time range, outpacing nearly the entire field during his stint. Perhaps it was their lucky charm air hose, which team owner Marshall Pruett purchased from Champion Racing last week, that was helping give them some good mojo.

“We just have to pound out consistent laps,” Sheehan said. “It’s not about how fast we’re going that’s going to catch us up. From here on out, we have to be staying out of trouble and out of the pits, and let these other guys smash into each other and hurt their motors and take each other out. If we can stay under two-minute lap times, I think that’s a good target.”

Sheehan pitted late in the ninth hour, handing over to Mark Hotchkis, where the Scion tC took on fuel, tires and oil. But the Grand-Am driver had a near miss of his own as he narrowly avoided the spinning No. 11 BMC Tool Racing Panoz DP-02, which had a rather large off in Turn 1.

“I went down into Turn 1 and there were no yellow flags or anything,” he said. “I’m hauling down the track and there’s a BMW coming out of the pits and I’m thinking I can just squeeze by him and get a nice line through there. So I just get past him and turn in, and I see some dirt on the track. Then I see a car right where I want to go! Whoa! I straightened out the wheel and got on the brakes and went around him. It was a pretty scary moment.”

Leaders in other classes: Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance (E0), Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazdaspeed 2 (E1), Miatacage.com (E2), CSR Performance (ESR).

Hour 7 Update

As the sun set over Northern California, Mercer Motorsports continued to lead the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The team’s No. 75 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car now holds a six lap lead over the No. 7 Ehret Winery Racing machine in second, which hit minor trouble in the last few hours.

The Dennis Chizma-run team lost four laps after Vic Rice made contact with a slow prototype in the fifth hour. Repairs were made to the front-end of the Porsche Cup car. A pass made under a local yellow resulted in the car serving a one-minute stop-and-hold penalty.

Nonetheless, Ehret has been pleased with the team’s progress, especially considering how quickly the whole program came together.

“We always wanted to run the 25 Hours but didn’t have the material,” Ehret said. “I have a Ferrari GT2 which is too expensive to run, and I also have a little spec Boxer, and thought it wouldn’t be too much fun to drive that. So we decided to buy this car and use it in the future for putting around in. I found a person who had a good GT3 and we got it going in a very short time frame. Dennis was thankfully available and did a fabulous job in getting the car together on a two week turnaround time. And here we are.”
Pierre Ehret is competing in his first 25 Hours of Thunderhill. (John Dagys)

The team features a mix of White Lighting crew, as well as handful of TRG team members from Grand-Am and other veteran sportscar mechanics.

The seventh hour came to a dramatic end with the No. 19 Team MER/Mazda 1 MX-5 erupting into flames on track, bringing out the race’s first full-course caution. The defending overall winners of the event first hit trouble in the fifth hour with transmission failure after making its way up to 11th overall. Now, it appears the race could be over for the Jason Saini, Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman-driven machine.

MPME Team Scion also had a rough start to their 25 Hours, as the Marshall Pruett-run machine suffered boost problems in the first hour. Initially thought as a mechanical issue, it turned out to be an electric waste gate controller malfunction that wasn’t limiting the boost to its map. This resulted in a lengthy stop for repairs, but all is now good with the Scion tC.

One of the unique aspects of this project is the car’s front-end aerodynamic treatment. A pair of front winglets from a 2000 Reynard Champ Car is fixed on the hood of the tC, in efforts to generate more downforce for the front-wheel drive car. Robb Holland, who recently completed a double-stint in the car, explains the benefits and drawbacks of the radical design.

“It’s funny. I remember when I first got into one of the Trans-Am cars that had the bars to support the windshield in the middle,” Holland said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to hate this because it’s right in the middle of my vision.’ After one lap into it, you completely forget it’s there.

“These wings aren’t quite that easy, but you learn to drive around it. It’s a little bit tougher at night because it’s so dark and you have the box-stop reflectors on the corners. The problem is that at night, you’ll pick them up on the side window and see where where you’re shooting for, and as soon as you turn the car in, the wing switches across it and you lose it. Then you’re moving around the seat trying to pick it up again.

“It definitely helps the front end of the car grip a lot, so there’s a trade-off. That front-end is a lot more planted than a World Challenge car that doesn’t have quite that aero grip. Definitely on entry it feels really, really solid. Also getting off the corners, you don’t get quite the same wheel spin as a World Challenge car. The toughest thing about a front-wheel drive car is getting the car off the corners, so it definitely helps a lot.”

Holland and co-drivers Gary Sheehan, Mark Hotchkis and Dave McEntee currently run in 47th overall and 14th in ES class.

Finally, the sixth hour marked the completion of NASA’s Northern California region championship. Winners in the season-ending Western Enduro (WERC) are Team Pro Truck (ES), Driven to The Track (E2), Scion Racing (E1) and Motivation Motorsport (E0).

Hour 4 Update

With only four hours in the books, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill has turned into a two-horse race. The No. 75 Mercer Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Jon Fogarty enjoys a one-lap lead over the similarly prepared Ehret Winery machine in second. The two squads have built up a seven-lap lead on the rest of the field thanks to quickly executed pit stops and a bit of early race attrition.

Fogarty bridged the gap after an early stop for the Ehret Porsche dropped out of the lead, and went a lap down, after pitting just 20 minutes after its previous stop in the third hour. It’s given the Mercer team a comfortable advantage heading into the afternoon.
Mercer Motorsports have been quick straight from the start. (John Dagys)

The two-time Rolex Series DP champion was a late addition to the Mercer squad, but is enjoying being back with many familiar faces from his Flying Lizard days in 2005-06. It’s also Fogarty’s first time driving a car other than his GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley in over three years.

“I tested here at Thunderhill with Flying Lizard back in 2006, I think,” Fogarty said. “It’s been a long time. It’s been a little while since Grand-Am ended and we’re not going to get back in the car until the January Test Days before the 24, so it’s great to get some seat time and get back with these guys and see some old friends. I don’t get to see Johannes very often because he’s over in ALMS and I’m over in Grand-Am.”

The pole-sitting No. 11 BMC Tool Racing Panoz DP-02 IMSA Lites entry has fallen further down the running order following a series of unscheduled pit stops. ES-class cars now occupy the top 10 positions overall, with the Team Prototype Development Group Factory Five GTM-R moving up to third.

Team Nitto Tire/Bullet Performance’s BMW M3 leads the way in E0, running 11th overall, while the Robert Davis Racing Mazda RX-8 has taken over the top spot in E1. Mazda’s “25 in 25” is holding steady, with Richard Fisher completing his stint and Dan Edmunds now behind the wheel, running 10th in class.

The race has continued to run caution-free, but chilly temperatures coupled with gusting winds have made Willows, CA feel like the Arctic! Lows tonight will dip below 29 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hour 2 Update

Following a spectacular fly-over by two F-15s, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill was officially underway. Despite the 72-car field not taking the green flag until 11:10 a.m., the clock started at 11 a.m. sharp with two pace laps.

The pole-sitting No. 11 BMC Tool Racing Panoz DP-02 led from the start but quickly came under attack by Wolf Henzler’s No. 7 Ehret Winery Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and the similarly prepared No. 75 Mercer Motorsports Porsche of Johannes van Overbeek.
Follow the 25 Hours of Thunderhill live on SPEEDtv.com. (John Dagys)

Henzler was able to muscle his way around the IMSA Lites prototype for the lead on Lap 19, but the ESR-class machine retook the top spot four laps later. The trio continued to run nose-to-tail until both the Panoz and van Overbeek pitted at the one-hour and 20-minute mark. Van Overbeek’s Porsche took fuel-only, while the Panoz lost three laps with suspected mechanical problems.

Following the stops by the No. 11 Panoz and No. 75 Porsche, Henzler retook the lead. The German managed to stretch his fuel mileage 12 minutes further than the other two, pitting at the one-hour and 32-minute mark. Due to a slower stop by the Dennis Chizma-led Ehret crew, van Overbeek ended up in front, with a hefty 50-second lead at the end of the second hour.

The BMC Tool Racing Panoz has moved back up to third overall and continues to lead the ESR class. Attrition has already taken its toll in the top-tier category, with the next closest sports prototype marred back in 58th overall.

Fourth overall, and third in ES, currently belongs to a Ford Pro (pickup) truck, but the entry is only slated to compete to the six-hour mark for the regional championship points.

Other class leaders include Team Honda Research (E0), Team Atlanta Motorsport Group/Mazda 1(E1) and Gorilla Racing (E2). Notably, the E2 class leader, Steven Gorriaran, is attempting to complete the entire 25 hours as the only driver in his 1999 Mazda Miata.

Mazda’s “25 in 25” has gotten off to a strong start, with the two drivers already rotating through the MX-5 Miata. Car & Driver’s Aaron Robinson started the race and handed over to SPEED World Challenge Touring Car driver Eric Foss shortly before Hour 1. Two-time NHRA drag racing champion Ed Bergenholtz is now in control of the car, running 10th in the E1 class.

Of note, Patrick Dempsey was unable to make it to Thunderhill today and has been replaced by JG Pasterjak from Grassroots Motorsports Magazine in the "25 in 25" machine.
john_dagys's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Dagys

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.