2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill - The last hour matters

My Life at Speed

Twenty Four hours is a long race. And every endurance team in the world understands that to get through it takes everything you have, and then some. Teams account for everything and realize that just the slightest, minor issue overlooked could be the difference between finishing, and the horrible and defeating feel that comes with putting your stuff on the trailer before the checkers fly. Knowing this, the teams look at every detail, and plan for every contingency, so that if anything does come up, it can be remedied easily, and without much consternation. So, surely adding one more hour couldn’t make that big of a difference…or could it?

More than one team at this years 25 found out the hard way that, yes indeed, that sixty extra minutes could be the worst thing to happen to their program. Parts damaged. Pride dented. Victory lost. All in less than an hour.

Here are my favorite photos from the 2013 running of the NASA 25 hours of Thunderhill.

Robb Holland getting ready to Qualify

Rotek racing Audi coming over the bypass

Qualifying runs late into the evening

Acura moving quickly.

Porsche over the crest.

The GMG Audi team had a rough weekend and it began well before they hit the track when an accident damaged one of their entries on it’s way up from Southern California. The remaining entry was nearly destroyed during practice, and completely rebuilt before the start. Incredible.

Evening colors fading

The Achilles Motorsport team had their share of trouble, as well. Their original entry and e46 had engine trouble, so their back up car, this e36 was pressed into service. It would struggle to maintain pace and would retire early with engine trouble.

Rotek Racing technician and long time NASA racer, Lars Wolfe watching the pre-race festivities.

Not how you want to start a 25 hour race, or any other, for that matter. This car burned to the ground on the first lap. It would be hauled back to the pits, completely rebuilt, and make it’s way back into the race well after midnight.

GMG Audi moving quickly over the bypass.

Radical

This Honda gets the bakes toasty going into nine.

Daylight disappears and the bright lights begin to blaze.

Nascar trucks definitely have a place in endurance racing. This truck actually led for several hours in 2012.

For sale…and only minor tire scrubs on the door.

Tis winged warrior would set a quick pace for the first several hours of the race.

Yellow lights light the way down the hill towards turn nine.

The Ehret family winery entry is always a contender. After a strong finish in 2012, they were looking to take the overall.

2AM pit stop. The team is cold and tired. Temps dropped into the low 20’s. At least it wasn’t raining…

The morning sun begins to peek through.

It was not the fastest car on the grid, but this classic Mazda was really fun to watch.

Hoping for more warmth than we had the night before.

The morning brings bright sunshine and hopes for a good finish.

Pick your favorite flavor…as long as it’s Audi.

Rob Huff making steady progress as Rotek looks to take the lead.

Focus.

BMW still going strong more than 22 hours in.

This classic Mazda was a ton of fun to watch, and was a pleasant change of pace in the field.

Destroyed, rebuilt, and run through the finish.

That last hour…does matter. Less than an hour from victory. a gearbox issue would stand in the way.

Classic Mazda at sunrise.

The GMG Audi was fast for more than 24 hours. Just a handful of minutes short of victory.

Thanks to NASA for another great year at Thunderhill!

Ken Stouffer

I've been around some form of racing since I was a kid. First hanging around Ascot in Southern California. Then, after moving to Texas as a teen, I got hooked on drag racing and did that for almost fifteen years. In between I have raced Dirt bikes and Quads. 2011 Marked my 8th and final year racing up Pikes Peak: Five in the Pro Quad division and three in Time Attack. Future racing plans are in the works, but until then I'm at the track shooting for My Life at Speed as much as I possibly can.