Thunderhill 25 Hours: Rob Huff helps Rotek Racing to emphatic 25 Hours of Thunderhill victory

Rob Huff Press Release

Rob Huff drove impeccably to help Rotek Racing to a commanding win in the 2013 United States Air Force (USAF) National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill in Willows, California (7-8 December).

The 25-hour ‘super-enduro’ – held at Thunderhill Park Raceway, just north of Sacramento – is regarded by many as one of the sternest challenges in North American motorsport, but Rotek Racing faced the task with vim and vigour to seal Audi’s maiden 25-hour race victory.

Huff was first to venture out onto the 4.83km-long Thunderhill Park Raceway in crisp, cold conditions – the Mercury hovered around the zero mark – on Thursday (5 December), quickly acquainting himself with the Californian venue and lapping consistently in the 1m43s bracket.

Both Kevin Gleason and Jeff Altenburg also ran solidly until the stunning Oakley Racewear and OCC LASIK-liveried TTRS succumbed to an electrical gremlin that was later cured with assistance from Audi Customer Racing.

ECU issues curtailed Rotek’s running on Friday (6 December) but, having worked through initial teething problems, the team felt set for the start of the 25-hour endurance race on Saturday (7 December).

With an eclectic entry of more than 80 cars all vying for space around Thunderhill’s high-speed confines – the track combines three blind crests and boasts an average speed of over 100mph – and an 80 per cent chance of snow on Saturday, traffic and the weather dominated conversation.

However, the predicted winter storms failed to materialise and Huff – the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Champion – completed the initial stint under clear blue skies, recording a best lap time of 1m45.491s on lap three and battling his way from ninth to first during the opening laps.

A straight-line deficiency was negated through the corners although exceptional fuel consumption was the TTRS’s best asset and allowed Rotek to run considerably longer between stops than its main rivals.

During his initial two-hour run, Huff was embroiled in a frenetic five-way fight with the Barrett Racing and TruSpeed Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries, the Factory 48/Crowdstrike Radical SR3 and Team Quick Racing Products’ Superlite SLC, while carefully negotiating slower-moving traffic.

Gleason picked up the baton from Huff, with American tin-top stars Robb Holland, Jeff Altenburg and Roland Pritzker all completing remarkably consistent stints in sub-zero night time temperatures.

The going was tough and the competition gradually faltered; 57 competitors remained at the halfway mark.

Rotek Racing held second place for much of the night, until Team Quick Racing Products surrendered the lead with terminal steering problems during the 18th hour.

As the prototype contenders – originally regarded as Rotek’s stiffest opposition – fell out of contention, the GMG Racing 1 Audi R8 LMS emerged as a strong threat in the latter stages after a determined and persistent charge up the order.

But flawless performances from all five of Rotek’s top-line drivers helped the Nurburgring and Sonoma-based team draw out a 30-lap lead with three hours to run.

Huff completed a nail-biting final double stint and had the honour of bringing the dependable Audi TTRS across the finish line after 705 tours of Thunderhill Park Raceway.

Upon returning to jubilant scenes in pit lane, Huff said: “To win the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill in such fine style with a massive margin over the competition is just a phenomenal achievement that can’t be underestimated. It’s a real honour to have been involved in this remarkable feat, especially with such a great bunch of guys. While we had a few teething problems during practice and qualifying, the race ran like clockwork and the Audi TTRS was a dream to drive. It was a textbook endurance race and I loved every second of it! We don’t have to do anymore California dreamin’ now, because the victory is a reality!”

For more information on the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, please visit the official www.nasa25hour.com website.

And for more on Rob Huff's racing activities, please visit the official www.robhuff.com website, 'like' his Facebook page or follow @Huffsport on Twitter.

Photo credit: BAM Motorsports Group

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Rotek Racing seals Audi’s maiden 25-hour race win at Thunderhill

Rotek Racing Press Release

Rotek Racing sensationally sealed Audi’s first ever 25-hour race victory, taking a commanding and faultless win in the 2013 United States Air Force (USAF) National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill in Willows, California (7-8 December). 

The ‘super-enduro’ – held at Thunderhill Park Raceway, just north of Sacramento – is regarded by many as one of the sternest challenges in North American motorsport, but Rotek had an encouraging start to its weekend on Thursday (5 December).

Rob Huff was first to venture out onto the 4.83km-long Thunderhill Park Raceway in crisp, cold conditions – the Mercury hovered around the zero mark – quickly acquainting himself with the Californian venue and lapping consistently in the 1m43s bracket.

Both Kevin Gleason and Jeff Altenburg – the 2013 Dominican Republic Touring Car Champion – also ran solidly until the striking Oakley Racewear and OCC LASIK-liveried TTRS came to a halt with an electrical gremlin that was later cured with assistance from Audi Customer Racing.

ECU issues curtailed Rotek’s running on Friday (6 December) but, having ironed out initial teething problems, the outfit felt set for the start of the 25-hour enduro at 11.00 local time on Saturday (7 December).

With an eclectic entry of more than 80 cars all vying for space around Thunderhill’s high-speed confines – the track combines three blind crests and boasts an average speed of over 100mph – and an 80 per cent chance of snow on Saturday, traffic and the weather dominated conversation.

However, the predicted winter storms failed to materialise and Huff – the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Champion – completed the initial stint under clear blue skies, recording a best time of 1m45.491s on lap three and battling his way from ninth to first during the opening laps.

A straight-line deficiency was negated through the corners although exceptional fuel consumption was the TTRS’s best asset and allowed Rotek to run considerably longer between stops than its nearest competitors.

Huff spent his initial two-hour stint embroiled in a frenetic fight with the Barrett Racing and TruSpeed Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries, the Factory 48/Crowdstrike Radical SR3 and Team Quick Racing Products’ Superlite SLC, while carefully negotiating slower-moving traffic.

Gleason picked up the baton and ran consistently during two double stints, while American tin-top star Altenburg admirably fought illness and sub-zero night time temperatures during his outings.

Roland Pritzker, meanwhile, faced the perilous task of piloting the TTRS as day merged into night and night into day, but proved to be a master of adaptation and lapped competitively as light fluctuated despite a notable lack of practice time.

Finally, a valiant effort from Robb Holland ensured Rotek Racing held second place for much of the night, until Team Quick Racing Products surrendered the lead with terminal steering problems during the 18th hour.

As the prototype contingent – originally regarded as Rotek’s stiffest opposition – fell out of contention, the GMG Racing 1 Audi R8 LMS emerged as a strong threat in the latter stages after a determined and persistent charge up the order.

However, faultless drives during elongated stints from all five of Rotek’s top-line drivers helped the Nurburgring and Sonoma-based team draw out a 30-lap lead with three hours to run.

Huff completed a nail-biting final double stint and therefore had the honour of bringing the fast and dependable Rotek Racing Audi TTRS across the finish line after 705 tours of Thunderhill Park Raceway.

"It’s a remarkable achievement and to win the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill with such a huge margin is just unbelievable,” said an ecstatic Holland. I must thank the German and American crews and all of our drivers for their amazing work throughout the weekend – it’s such a relief to finally get the job done after so many years of trying and it’s particularly satisfying to give Audi its first ever 25-hour race win!

“It was a struggle on Friday. We had an ECU problem, the car didn’t run all day and we missed qualifying. It affected our seat time, so we came into the race with a real conservative strategy. We just wanted to go out and run fast laps. We knew we would be consistent and that some of the other teams would have problems.  The Audi TTRS ran great throughout, the drivers all drove faultlessly and we ran a textbook endurance race.”

For more information on the USAF NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, please visit the official www.nasa25hour.com website.

And more for on Rotek Racing, visit the official www.rotekracing.com website, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @rotekracing on Twitter.

Photo credit: BAM Motorsports Group

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Overall victory for Rotek Racing Audi TT RS

By Johan Laubscher

The Thunderhill 25 Hours took place at Thunderhill Raceway this weekend. Two Audi Sport customer racing teams were entered for the event, which saw ups and downs for both teams during the very cold and eventful twenty-five hours.

GMG Racing entered their #08 Audi R8 LMS. This was the team’s only entry despite two cars from GMG Racing being listed on the original entry list. Rotek Racing was the second Audi Sport customer racing team to enter the event. They entered their #24 Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T), the same car that the team used for the 2013 VLN Endurance Series in Germany.

A seven and a half hour testing session got proceedings underway on Thursday. This was followed by another test session of equal length on Friday and a practice/qualifying session later in the evening.

Rotek Racing was able to show very good pace with their TT RS during testing and they backed that up with a 1:49.152 lap during qualifying. They overcame a damaged ECU on Thursday and worked through the night to repair the unit for Friday. Their qualifying lap was enough for a ninth place overall starting position, the highest of the two Audis on the grid. The #24 Audi TT RS was driven by Robb Holland, Roland Pritzker, Jeff Altenburg, Rob Huff and Kevin Gleason. Rotek Racing was supported by 034 Motorsport, the team who entered this very same car at this event in 2012.

The GMG Racing team showed good pace during the first testing session on Thursday, but Friday was not their day. GMG Racing had an accident during the Friday morning testing session. Drew Regitz was behind the wheel and the #08 R8 LMS suffered damage to its left side and rear corner, fortunately the driver was unharmed. The team missed qualifying later on Friday evening and they worked very hard to repair the car for the race. The team’s entered drivers for the #08 Audi R8 LMS included James Sofronas, Alex Welch, Alexandra Sabados, Michael McGrath and Drew Regitz.

The race itself began at 11:00 am (local time) in very cold conditions on Saturday morning. 2012 WTCC champion, Rob Huff, was behind the wheel of the Rotek Racing Audi TT RS and he quickly moved through the field. The TT RS and its good fuel consumption saw it moving from ninth into the lead during the first pitstop cycles. GMG Racing started from the back of the field and quickly progressed into the top twenty and later into the top ten. The race continued with the GMG Racing continuing to move forward and Rotek Racing remained in the lead battle.

GMG Racing unfortunately encountered a long penalty and battery related charging issues, which cost them quite a bit of time during the opening hours. The GMG Racing R8 LMS then began a very good recovery drive and they were inside of the top ten by the half-way mark and soon moved up into the top five. Rotek Racing had steadily remained in the lead battle and moved up to and maintained second position by half way.

The early morning hours saw the Rotek Racing TT RS moving between second and third as the rhythm of the race was playing out between the front runners. The TT RS was up against competitors with fuel consumption and pace advantages, but despite this the TT RS remained within the top three battle. Behind the top three the GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS squad had revered up to fourth position, but they were many laps behind third place. 

With eight hours to go one of the top three runners, the very fast Wolf vehicle, dropped back and this meant that the Rotek Racing TT RS moved into a more comfortable second position. A confusing period then arose with seven hours remaining. Rotek Racing received a time penalty at the same time that the race leading #03 Superlite SLC vehicle retired with damaged steering. Rotek Racing then moved into the lead of the race. At the same time the GMG Racing R8 LMS lost a lot of time and dropped from fourth to sixth.

The race then saw the Rotek Racing TT RS leading, whilst the second placed Wolf prototype was hunting them down at a much faster pace, with a sixteen lap gap between them. Unfortunately the Wolf vehicle retired with engine failure just before sunrise and Rotek Racing had a twenty-four lap advantage over the third placed #83 Porsche. Some time later the #83 Porsche also suffered problems and the order behind the leading Rotek Racing TT RS then became the #38 Radical SR3 in second ahead of the #83 Porsche and the GMG Racing R8 LMS, both of whom were hunting down the Radical. 

James Sofronas was behind the wheel of the GMG Racing R8 LMS and he was flying on track. A tremendous battle for second position developed between the #08 R8 LMS and the #83 Porsche, after they both had gotten past the Radical. The R8 LMS moved into second position for an Audi 1-2, but unfortunately they lost the position and dropped to third during the final two hours.

The Rotek Racing crew maintained their lead and consistent pace and this was enough to ensure overall victory with a twenty-eight lap advantage. This was the first victory for an Audi at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. GMG Racing continued to circulate, but lady luck deserted them during the final twenty minutes and they lost third position overall with a gearbox problem in the pits. They ultimately retired from the race and were classified fourth overall, third within the ES class. The GMG Racing team worked together and pushed their Audi R8 LMS across the line in pitlane at the finish of the race.

It was a great showing from the two Audi Sport customer racing teams this weekend. Rotek Racing took the race win and avenged the race from 2012, when 034 Motorsport was running this very same car and unfortunately retired, whilst leading the race during the night last year. GMG Racing also had a terrific showing as the team never gave up, repairing the car overnight on Friday and soldiering through the race on Saturday and Sunday, narrowly missing a podium finish in the end. 

Photo credit: 
Audi Sport Communication / Media

GMG Racing on Facebook

034 Motorsport on Facebook

BAM Motorsports Group on Facebook
Rob Huff on Facebook

Follow the 25 Hours of Thunderhill LIVE

The 25 Hours of Thunderhill is taking place this weekend. Two Audi Sport customer racing teams are taking part. Rotek Racing will be fielding their #24 Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T) and GMG Racing has entered their #08 R8 LMS. Rotek Racing will be lining up ninth on the grid and GMG Racing did not take part in qualifying after a crash during testing on Friday.

It should be a very exciting race and we have included a list of links below with which you will be able to follow the race live.

The event is taking place in California, which is nine hours behind Central European Time (CET). The race is scheduled to start at 11:00 am local time, which is 20:00 pm CET on December 7. The race will finish at 12:00 am on December 8, 21:00 pm CET.

As was the case last year, there is no live stream of the race itself, but various live onboard video streams from various teams are available, as well as updates via social media.

Live Onboard Video 
034 Motorsport - Rotek Racing TT RS - Live onboard video stream

Live Radio
Endurance Radio link

Live Timing
Live Timing link

Entry List:
Teams entry list
Drivers entry list

Facebook
GMG Racing
034 Motorsport
Thunderhill Raceway
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
National Auto Sport Association (NASA)

Twitter
GMG Racing
034 Motorsport
Thunderhill Raceway
National Auto Sport Association (NASA)
Audi Motorsport Blog

Websites
GMG Racing
034 Motorsport
NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Photo credit: 034 Motorsport

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Mixed qualifying for the Audi teams at Thunderhill

By Johan Laubscher

The Thunderhill 25 Hours is taking place at Thunderhill Raceway this weekend. Two Audi Sport customer racing teams are taking part. The event has had both ups and downs for the two teams so far during the two initial testing sessions and qualifying on Thursday and Friday.

A seven and a half hour testing session got proceedings underway on Thursday. This was followed by another test session of equal length on Friday and a practice/qualifying session later in the evening.

Rotek Racing was able to show very good pace with their TT RS during testing and backed that up with a 1:49.152 lap during qualifying. They overcame a damaged ECU on Thursday and worked through the night to repair the unit for Friday. Their qualifying lap was enough for a ninth place overall starting position, the highest of the two Audis on the grid. The #24 Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T) will be driven by Robb Holland, Roland Pritzker, Jeff Altenburg, Rob Huffand and Kevin Gleason. Rotek Racing is being supported by 034 Motorsport, the team who entered this very same car at the event in 2012.

The GMG Racing team showed good pace during the first testing session on Thursday, but Friday was not their day. GMG Racing suffered an accident during the Friday morning testing session. Drew Regitz was behind the wheel and the #08 R8 LMS suffered damage to its left side and rear corner, fortunately the driver was unharmed. The team missed qualifying later on Friday evening and they are working very hard to repair the car for the race. The team’s entered drivers for the #08 Audi R8 LMS includes James Sofronas, Alex Welch, Alexandra Sabados, Michael McGrath and Drew Regitz.

GMG Racing Facebook page: “We did have a bit of an off today during NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill practice, luckily Drew is OK and we're working hard to make the race.”

The race itself is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am (local time) on Saturday morning. We wish the best of luck to both Audi teams, especially for GMG Racing, who are currently racing against time to repair their R8 LMS.

Update:GMG Racing worked very hard and was able to repair their Audi R8 LMS during the night. The #08 machine will be on the grid for the race on Saturday morning. Well done to the team! 

Photo credit: 

034 Motorsport

GMG Racing

Thunderhill Raceway on Facebook

Thunderhill 25 Hours: GMG ready for 25 hour challenge at Thunderhill

GMG Racing Press Release

Following a successful season that saw the team take runner-up honors in the Pirelli World Challenge, as well as both team and driver’s championships in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series sportsman category, Global Motorsports Group (GMG) will cap a successful 2013 season with a run at this weekend’s NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

“In all of our years of professional competition, we’ve never actually been to the 25 Hour as a team,” stated GMG team owner James Sofronas. “The race has earned a unique distinction and character over the years, and as the longest endurance race in North America, I’m really looking forward to coming out. We have a great car for this in the Audi R8 LMS, obviously the best crew in the business, and Alex has done a great job assembling a driving team. It should be fun, but ask me again on Sunday afternoon.”

Joining Sofronas will be a strong contingent of Colorado-based drivers. Taking the wheel in the No. 08 Spyder Audi R8 LMS in the race’s premier ES category will be Alex Welch, Alexandra Sabados, Michael McGrath, and Drew Regitz.

The team will also feature sponsorship from Spyder, a long-time supporter of both Alex Welch and GMG. Supplying technology-driven apparel designed for handling cold weather conditions, the insulated clothing line normally used in the snow, will serve well in the notoriously cold conditions of Thunderhill.

GMG veteran Alex Welch is no stranger to sportscar and endurance success. So far in 2013, Welch not only garnered multiple top-five finishes in his Spyder Audi R8 running in the Pirelli World Challenge Series, but also took two victories in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series.  Welch was not only a competitor in last year’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill, but also has endurance experience in some of the country’s endurance classics such as the 12 Hours of Sebring in the American Le Mans Series. Looking for redemption following a disappointing 2012 campaign at Thunderhill, the Cherry Hills, Colorado resident is prepared.

“We had a difficult race last year with a different team, and unfortunately the results weren’t what we wanted,” stated Welch. “This year, with GMG and our own car, our primary goal is to finish. Porsche has won this race the last several years, and the Audi should be a great challenger with a proven endurance platform. I’ve raced with every one of my co-drivers for several years, and it’s a great assembly of talent.  Everyone drives very clean, very smart, and that sort of patience will be key in being there at the end.”

Alexandra Sabados, from Castle Rock, Colorado is no stranger to speed. Starting her racing career in downhill skiing, Sabados has risen through the various ranks with her vintage 1974 Porsche RSR, and most recently took the 2010 NASA GTS4 title. This will be her first 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Michael McGrath, also from Cherry Hills, will be making his Thunderhill debut. Also no stranger to speed, McGrath grew up as an avid karter before recently moving up to Porsche where he took his class championship with the Porsche Club of America (PCA).

Finally, joining the group will be Denver-based Drew Regitz. Though new to endurance racing, Regitz has plenty of miles under his belt, most recently competing in the GTS category of the Pirelli World Challenge.

Being joined by James Sofronas, who himself has driven numerous times at The 12 Hours of Sebring as well as The Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team’s Audi campaign promises to be a strong one.

For those interested in following the race, live coverage will be provided on endurance-radio.com along with on-going posts on GMG’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Photo credit: GMG Racing

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Two Audi Sport customer racing teams gearing up for the endurance challenge

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 edition of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill is coming up this weekend. Three Audi Sport customer racing built Audi race cars from two different teams will be taking part.

GMG Racing were the first Audi entrants for the race this year, with a two-car entry having been included on the entry list since its first version was published in September. They will be entering two Audi R8 LMS cars (cars #08 and #14), both entered in the ES class. This will be the race debut for the Audi R8 LMS in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and also the R16’s first twenty-five hour race event. The team was seen testing at Thunderhill two weeks ago.

The second Audi team, who were confirmed and added to the entry list much later, is Rotek Racing. Rotek Racing will be using their SP4T specification Audi TT RS race car from the VLN. The car will also be entered in the ES class, joining the two R8 LMS cars from GMG Racing. They had fielded this TT RS in the 2013 VLN Endurance Series in Germany this year, the very same car that was fielded by 034 Motorsport at the 2012 25 Hours of Thunderhill, where it was leading the race before a gearbox failure ended in retirement last year. 034 Motorsport will be part of and supporting the Rotek Racing entry at the race this year.

The latest update of the 2013 entry list has included more information about the drivers who will be taking part.

Audi Sport customer racing entries (as of 3 December):

GMG Racing:

Team 28 - GMG Racing 1

#08 Audi R8 LMS

Drivers: 

Alex Welch, James Sofronas, Alexandra Sabados, Drew Regitz, Michael McGrath

Team 29 - GMG Racing 2
#14 Audi R8 LMS

Drivers:
TBA

Rotek Racing:

Team 47 - Rotek Racing

#24 Audi TT RS

Drivers: 

Robb Holland, Roland Pritzker, Jeff Altenburg, Rob Huff*, Kevin Gleason**

*The 2012 WTCC champion, Rob Huff, is not yet listed on the entry list, but a press release via Huff’s website has confirmed his participation. That press release can be seen HERE.

**Kevin Gleason is also not listed on the entry list, but he has been confirmed for the Rotek Racing entry via his press release which can be seen HERE.

The entry list for the entered teams can be seen HERE, and the list of entered drivers can be seen HERE.

The track action kicks off on Thursday with a testing session from 09:00 - 16:30 local time. Friday will again include a testing session from 09:00 - 16:30. This will be followed by an open practice/qualifying session from 16:45 - 17:45, wherein qualifying will be taking place from 17:15 - 17:45.

The race itself will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday. The race will begin at 11:00 local time on Saturday and run through the day and night concluding twenty-five hours later at 12:00 noon local time on Sunday.

A very exciting race is lined up for the weekend and the Audi teams are well poised to aim for victory. We wish the best of luck to the Audi teams and drivers this coming weekend.

Update: The entry list for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill may include two Audi R8 LMS entries from GMG Racing, but the team’s official pre-event press release, which was released last night, only mentions one Audi R8 LMS, the #08 machine. This would be consistent with the fact that GMG Racing only tested this one vehicle at Thunderhill Raceway two weeks ago. Thus this means that the Audi count for the race is two cars, with the #08 R8 LMS from GMG Racing and the #24 TT RS from Rotek Racing. The GMG Racing press release can be seen HERE. 

Photo credit: 
GMG Racing

Audi Sport Communication / Media

Rotek Racing
034 Motorsport

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Rob Huff takes on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 'The Golden State'

Rob Huff Press Release

Rob Huff will contest the 2013 United States Air Force (USAF) National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race in Willows, California with a Rotek Racing Audi TTRS Special (7-8 December).

Located just north of Sacramento, the 4.83km-long Thunderhill Park Raceway comprises of 15 corners and minor elevation changes and annually plays host to the USA’s longest race in the first week of December.

The 25 Hour super-enduro is regarded as one of the sternest tests in North American motorsport and an extreme proving ground for both teams and drivers, particularly given that it’s usually held in cool temperatures and has so far attracted a varied entry of over 80 cars spread over six classes.

Huff – the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Champion – began his career in endurance Go Karting. He started out in the Le Mans 24 Hours kart race, but has more recently piloted a Volvo silhouette in the Spa 12 Hours, contested the Britcar 24 Hours at Silverstone and took on the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia with an Audi R8 LMS.

The 33-year old Briton - an official ambassador for OCC LASIK and Newmarket Racecourses - continues to be a full-time campaigner at the pinnacle of international touring car racing in the WTCC, but enjoys returning to his roots in endurance racing.

A somewhat truncated outing in the German VLN Endurance Championship on the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife in October provided Huff with a chance to familiarise himself with Rotek Racing’s Oakley-liveried Audi TTRS he will drive in the ES Class at Thunderhill.

Having done the ground work, Huff is now ‘California dreamin’’ of big things, but is reluctant to underestimate the challenge posed by the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

“The 25 Hours of Thunderhill is a tough challenge for a multitude of reasons, but we will have to endure,” said Huff. “The size of the field and the variety of entrants will no doubt create a lot of traffic and, while having a reliable car is always one of the chief objectives, an ability to maintain high levels of concentration over a prolonged period is essential.

“I was impressed with Rotek Racing and its Audi TTRS during my first outing at the Nurburgring in October and that experience should allow me to get off to a flying start in California. I felt really comfortable in the car after a short time behind the wheel and it’s quick too, so it should be pretty potent at Thunderhill. Whatever happens, it’s going to be a pleasure competing in this event with Rotek. My career started with endurance racing and I thrive on these opportunities.”

Rotek Racing driver, Robb Holland, who piloted the Audi TTRS with 034 Motorsport during last year's 25 Hours of Thunderhill, added: "I have a lot of experience of the 25 Hours of Thunderhill so I'm well versed in the sort of challenges it poses. Having a driver of Rob Huff's calibre as part of Rotek's driver line-up is a real statement of intent. I know he can handle it and believe we can do great things in the race, especially as have a combination of speed and reliability with the Audi TTRS."

For more information on the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, please visit the official www.nasa25hour.com website.

And for more on Rob Huff's racing activities, please visit the official www.robhuff.com website, 'like' his Facebook page or follow @Huffsport on Twitter.

Photo credit: Rotek Racing

Thunderhill 25 Hours: GMG Racing testing Audi R8 LMS at Thunderhill Raceway

By Johan Laubscher

GMG Racing took part in testing with one of their Audi R8 LMS cars at Thunderhill Raceway this week.

GMG Racing has entered two Audi R8 LMS cars for the 2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill, which will take place from 7-8 December.

The #08 Audi R8 LMS of Alex Welch was wheeled out at Thunderhill Raceway for testing yesterday. GMG Racing will be entering their #8 and #14 Audi R8 LMS cars this year. The entry list currently lists the drivers for the #8 as: Alex Welch, James Sofronas, Alexandra Sabados, Drew Regitz and Michael McGrath. No drivers are currently listed for the #14 R8 LMS.

It is interesting to note that the #08 R8 LMS at the test was in the FIA GT3 specification aerodynamic package, which differs from the package required to be used on the Audis in the Pirelli World Challenge during 2012 and 2013. This FIA GT3 specification will be allowed in the Pirelli World Challenge from 2014 onward. 

Three Audi race cars will be lining up on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill grid this year, based on the current entry list. GMG Racing’s pair of R8 LMS cars will be joined by the SP4T VLN Audi TT RS from Rotek Racing, with Robb Holland as the only listed driver so far.

Photo credit: Alex Welch

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Audi count up to three cars as Rotek Racing confirmed with Audi TT RS entry

By Johan Laubscher

The 25 Hours of Thunderhill will be taking place in December. A third Audi entry has been included in the latest update of the provisional entry list.

The first draft of the provisional entry list was revealed on 24 September and that list included two Audi entries. The original two entries were both from GMG Racing, who are entering two Audi R8 LMS cars in the ES class.

At the time Rotek Racing mentioned their intention to compete in the race on their Facebook page, but they were not listed on the entry list as of yet. Rotek Racing has been campaigning an Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T) car in the German VLN Endurance Championship this year, the very same car that was used by 034 Motorsport at the 2012 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The latest update of the provisional entry list was published last night and it now officially includes the Rotek Racing TT RS, also entered in the ES class, thus upping the Audi count to three cars in total.

No driver line-ups have been announced yet, but it is very exciting to see three factory built Audi Sport Customer Racing cars already on the grid. The 2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill is scheduled to take place from 7-8 December.

The provisional entry list can be seen HERE.

Audi teams on the provisional entry list (as of 28/10/2013):

GMG Racing:

#8 Audi R8 LMS - GMG Racing

#14 Audi R8 LMS - GMG Racing

Rotek Racing:

#24 Audi TT RS SP4T - Rotek Racing

Photo credit: 
Roger Mecking

Audi Sport Communication / Media
Rotek Racing

Thunderhill 25 Hours: Two GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS on the provisional entry list

By Johan Laubscher

The last big daylong endurance race of the year has always been the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in North America. Audi R8 LMS entries will be debuting at the event this year.

Last year there was a single Audi on the 25 Hours of Thunderhill grid, the 034 Motorsport Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T). After much build-up the car did not disappoint and was battling for the overall lead during the race. Unfortunately a rare gearbox problem sidelined the Audi last year, whilst it was leading overall.

Looking ahead at the 2013 edition: the provisional entry list with the current registered entrants was released this week. A total of two Audi cars are included thus far. The two cars are Audi R8 LMS vehicles, both entered by GMG Racing in the ES class.

GMG Racing has been campaigning Audi R8 LMS cars in the Pirelli World Challenge during 2012 and 2013. They are currently involved in the GT title fight, as team co-owner and star driver, James Sofronas, is battling for the driver’s title.  

So far three GT3 cars have been entered for Thunderhill, the two Audis and one Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG from Black Swan Racing, also from the Pirelli World Challenge.

Currently no driver line-ups have been included. However, John Watson made an interesting comment during the Blancpain Endurance Series Nürburgring 1000 race broadcast. He mentioned that Bernd Schneider will be taking part in the 25 hour race in North America, behind the wheel of a SLS. This has not yet been confirmed, but it is great news that big names will potentially be taking part and also the addition of GT3 race cars.

Current GT3 entries in the ES class:

#8 Audi R8 LMS - GMG Racing

#14 Audi R8 LMS - GMG Racing

#54 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - Black Swan Racing

The provisional entry list can be seen HERE.

The 2013 25 Hours of Thunderhill is scheduled to take place from 7-8 December.

Update: Rotek Racing have mentioned on their Facebook page that they will be at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this year. Rotek Racing has been campaigning an Audi TT RS (VLN SP4T) car in the German VLN Endurance Championship this year, the very same car that was used by 034 Motorsport at the 2012 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Their Audi TT RS entry is expected to appear on the provisional entry list very soon, thus taking the current Audi count up to three cars.

Photo credit:
Roger Mecking 
Audi Sport Communication / Media