GREENVILLE, S.C. - Gas-electric hybrid technology. A battle of the B-cars. The ultimate test of engineering. A battle of production-based racing machines in one of the longest, most grueling on-track competitions in the world - the 2010 NASA (National Auto Sport Association) 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Mothers® Polishes & bull Waxes & Cleaners taking place this weekend, Dec. 3-5, 2010, at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif. Many of the teams and drivers who will be taking on this challenge will only do so on one tire, the BFGoodrich® g-Force® R1£ tire.
The BFGoodrich g-ForceR1 tire is a DOT-legal tire derived from decades of motorsports innovation, engineering and domination, designed to be competition-ready with superior grip and sharp steering response, outlasting the competition without "dropping off" in grip level during a race stint. Additionally, teams who have selected the g-ForceR1 tire have the benefit of BFGoodrich Tires' professional technical engineering and the tire-fitting support that BFGoodrich has supplied to Thunderhill competitors for years.
"BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tires will help propel our teams with ultimate grip and performance through every lap of the day-long-plus-one race, making it the perfect choice for race teams during the 25 Hours of Thunderhill," said Tom Jupena, marketing communications manager, BFGoodrich Tires. "We will be there to support our teams in this test of endurance and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments on the podium on Sunday."
Teams running BFGoodrich tires will be fielding a wide array of vehicles including two gas-hybrid Honda Performance Development (HPD) Honda CR-Zs - only the second time that hybrid vehicles have raced in organized competition in the U.S. - and the first-ever "battle of the B cars" featuring Honda Research-West's Honda Fit lining up against Mazda's MAZDA2, both racing in the Enduro 3 (E3) class.
BFGoodrich Tires 25 Hours of Thunderhill Teams Include:
Team Honda Research-West and Honda Performance Development are revving up their entries with three vehicles in the E3 class. Team Honda Research-West will showcase the performance of the Honda FIT shod with 205/50-15 g-Force R1tires. This entry, #15, will be piloted by Honda employees Sam Poznanovich, Max Kiert, Brian Shanfeld, Scott Nicol and NASA Sponsorship Manager Jeremy Croiset, as well as journalists Dan Edmunds (Edmunds.com) and Mark Gillies. HPD is fielding the #19 and #93 gas-electric hybrid CR-Zs, fitted with 225/45-17 g-Force R1 tires. The driver line-up for the CR-Zs include ALMS regular Simon Pagenaud, sports car racer PD Cunningham, Lawson Aschenbach, journalist Larry Webster, as well as Honda employees Sage Marie, former SCCA champion Lee Niffenegger, Bryan Johnson and Chad Gilsinger, a 2010 SCCA champion who recently returned from the Baja 1000 co-driving the BFGoodrich Tires-supported Wide Open Challenge buggy, finishing second in class.
MAZDASPEED will be battling the #15 FIT by entering the E3-class #20 MAZDA2, also featuring 205/50-15BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tires. Journalists Dan Edmunds (Edmunds.com) and Mark Gillies will have the chance to compare the two cars in race conditions as they will also be driving the FIT, but in the MAZDA2 they will be joined by Mazda employees Jim Jordan, Nathan Edmonds and Tim Buck.