Next Event

Gateway (w/Central) • March 29-30

Comp Schools
Add to Calendar

2014 Comp School Schedule
	July 11, 2013 • Gateway
	April 25, 2013 • Mid-Ohio
	July 25, 2013 • Mid-Ohio
	August 22, 2013 • Mid-Ohio
(click here for the Comp School page)

2014 Instructor Clinic Schedule
Schedule not available at this time.
(click here for the Instructor Clinic page)

2014 HyperDrive Schedule
Schedule not available at this time.
(click here for the HyperDrive page)

2014 Midwest Enduro Schedule
Schedule not available at this time.
(click here for the Midwest Enduro page)

Go to "Season Schedule" above to add events to your calendar.

March 29-30

Gateway

April 26-27

Autobahn

June 21-22

Gingerman

July 12-13

Blackhawk Farms

August 1-3

Road America

August 29-31

Championships

September 6-7

Autobahn

October 3-5

Mid-Ohio

National News

Rotek Racing Audi TT RS Wins USAF 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Top three Audi TT RS, Porsche 997 Cup, Radical

WILLOWS, Calif. (Dec. 8, 2013) - The No. 24 Rotek Racing Audi TT RS won the eleventh running of the United States Air Force (USAF) 25 Hours of Thunderhill today. Following the Rotek Audi to fill out the overall podium was the No.83 Barrett Racing Porsche GT3 Cup in second and the No. 38 Radical West Radical in third.

A field of 57 cars took the green flag at 11 a.m. Saturday morning for 25 hours of racing around the 2.58-mile, 15-turn Thunderhill Raceway. The race witnessed several leaders throughout the running including an ESR Class Wolf, ES Class Superlite and the winning ES Class Rotek Racing Audi TT RS. The Rotek team took over the lead at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning and never looked back. The stout team was being pressured throughout the early hours by a speedy No. 38 Radical West Racing Radical. At 8:00 a.m. the Audi began stretch its legs and had a 30 lap lead with three hours remaining. The eventual winning margin to the second place was 28 laps. The Rotek Audi TT RS was driven by Robb Holland, Kevin Gleason, Jeff Altenburg, Roland Pritzker and Rob Huff.

"It was a blast today racing here this weekend," Pritzker said. "We had a couple of little issues with contact that took a couple of kunards off in the front in the middle of the night, but we replaced them and kept going. It was smooth sailing. Really we didn't have any big issues. We kept it on the track and out of the pits and all of the drivers ran nice and clean laps. My stints in the car were really fun, I just had a blast driving this Audi TT RS here at Thunderhill."

Top Three ES Class:

No. 24 Rotek Racing Audi TT RS, 705 laps run, 1,819 racing miles

No. 83 Barrett Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 667 laps

No. 8 GMG Motorsports Audi R8, 662 laps

The No. 38 Radical West Radical perservered in the ESR Class to take the category win. The No. 38 was driven by Randy Carpenter, Ryan Carpenter, Todd Slusher, Anthony Bullock and Scott Atchison.

"We started off with a great base car," Carpenter said. "The car handled great, we had the balance just right and the team did a great job preparing the car. We had a little damage on the front, we threw some tape on it and kept going. The team just worked through the small issues and kept grinding, that is how you win this race. It is a first for us, we won the ESR Class and getting third overall is pretty spectacular with three of the four drivers being rookies."

Top Three ESR Class:

No. 38 Radical West Racing Radical

No. 48 Factory 48 Radical

No. 49 CSR Performance Spec Racer

The No. 18 Luxury Racing Don't Crash Mustang won the E0 Class with a faultless run. The Mustang, with support from Winding Road, was driven by Tom Martin Sr., Tom Martin Jr., Tom Brown and Brian Zander.

"We started the race pretty well," Martin Sr. said. "We fell back a little at the beginning and we just a kept a steady pace. The car was so well prepared by the team that we were able to run just a flawless race. Our competitors had a little trouble and here we are winners of our class. The only problem we had was a broken stud on one wheel. We were worried we would lose the others, so we replaced and kept going."

Top Three E0 Class:

No. 18 Luxury Don't Crash Racing Mustang

No. 67 Pure Performance BMW

No. 31 Hankook/El Diablo Motorsports BMW

In E1 the No. 27 Team Honda Research West Acura held on to take the class win. The Acura ILX was driven by Lee Niffenegger, Matthew Staal, Sage Marie, Scott Nicol and Michael Tsay.

"It was a great run by the team," Marie said. "We had a little bit of drama here and there, but overall our pace was really good. The BFGoodrich tires had a lot of grip. They helped to make our pace and our pit cycles very predictable. The Acura ILX is a great race car. The THRW team did an awesome job all weekend. The only real problem we had was a slight over heating problems under the yellows and there were a lot cautions."

Top Three E1 Class:

No. 27 Team Honda Research West Acura

No. 5 Fantasy Junction Acura

No. 55 Mazdaspeed Mazda 6 Dealers A

The E2 Class was won by is the No. 78 Sector Purple Racing Mazda Miata, driven by Kyle Watkins, Dan Williams, Glen Conser and Robert W. Ames.

"The plan was to come out stay incident free and not be off the track," Conser said. "We got good gas mileage, saved the tires and we put together a solid effort. We had some contact in the middle of the night when Dan was driving, but that was about it for our trouble. We had very smooth pit stops and overall just ran a great race."

Top Three E2 Class:

No. 78 Sector Purple Racing Mazda Miata

No. 74 AAF BMW

No. 95 Team Spoon Honda CR-Z

In the E3 Class the No. 23 RJ Racing Mazda Miata driven by John Gibson, Rob Gibson, Jamie Florence, Roger Eagleton, Gary Browne won the class.

"It was a really great run," said team representative Chris Hillebrandt. "Last year we blew a motor 12 hours in after winning in 2011. We had some mixed emotions coming in this year. We raced our race and we won it again. We really did not have a lot of issues. We had some small issue with our dash giving us a funny fuel reading. It would give us a number than go out. Sometimes we had to wait until it coughed to come in an fuel the car. The drivers and team did a great job."

Top Three E3 Class:

No. 23 RJ Racing

No. 05 949 Racing Mazda Miata

No. 60 A+ Racing 2 Mazda Miata

Race Statistics:

705 laps covered by leader (laps x 2.86-track miles = 1,819 total racing miles covered)

13 caution periods

57 cars started, 40 finished

Fast lap of the race was set by Al Unser Jr. in the No. 52 JFC Racing Wolf, time of 1:37.789

Final and hourly timing reports are posted at http://timingscoring.drivenasa.com/NASA_California-Northern_Region/25%20Hours%20of%20Thunderhill/.

* Great mix of cars including Audi R8 LMS, Audi TT RS, Norma Sports Racer, Seat Leon, Lexus IS300, Mazda 6 Diesel, Miata MX-5 and RX-8, Acura ILX, Honda Civic, Honda CR-Z, Factory Five Racing, Chevrolet Silverado, Porsche 997, etc.

* Six classes of race cars E0, E1, E2, E3, ES, ESR

* 60+ entries in E0 7, E1 10, E2 7, E3 11, ES 17, ESR 9; 16 Mazda entries, 12 BMW, 4 Porsche, 4 Honda, 4 Acura

The USAF 25 Hours of Thunderhill 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. To view the USAF 25 Hours of Thunderhill media guide go to www.nasa25hour.com/Thunderhill%20Media%20Guide_r3.pdf

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 NASA

The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) was formed in 1991 with the premise of delivering high-quality motorsports events to enthusiasts at major racing venues throughout the nation. NASA has created programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full performance capabilities of their cars in a controlled professionally managed environment. NASA offers many different programs that will allow you to enjoy motorsports on a number of different levels, including our High Performance Driving Events (HPDE), Rally Sport, Time Trial, NASA-X and Competition Racing programs.

NASA Membership

NASA members are entitled to enter and participate in any NASA event across the country, and membership includes an array of benefits, including vendor discounts and a subscription to the organizations online newsletter the NASA Speed News. Members will also receive a colorful membership hard card that will identify them as part of the organization and a welcome packet that includes more information on the many benefits and programs available to NASA members. While participating at events, all NASA members are covered by an extensive insurance policy, which includes General Liability, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Excess Medical coverage. Best of all, membership is only $45. Refer to www.nasaproracing.com for member information.

NASA Thanks Our Partners

NASA would like to thank its National sponsors for their continued support: Toyo Tires, Royal Purple, Hawk Performance, OG Racing, Ford Racing School, and GoPro. We also want to thank MAZDASPEED, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan, and Ford Motor Company for supporting our members. We greatly appreciate those companies that offer our racers contingency support, including Toyo Tires, AST Suspension, BFGoodrich, Ford Racing, Goodyear, Hawk Performance, Honda Performance Development (HPD), Hoosier Racing Tire, MAZDASPEED, Nissan, Sampson Racing Communications and Yokohama. NASA competitors can also get discounts from Fuel Safe, Vehiport, APR Performance, the Ford Racing School, Avis, Cruise America, Eibach Springs, Exedy, Fastbrakes, Konig, The Mid-Ohio School, Hobie Polarized, Konig, Molecule, Motel 6, OG Racing, Torco, TPIS, Porterfield, Joegblood Wheels, Yavay, and Monster Clutch.

NASA at a Glance

* NASA was founded in 1991 on the premise of providing motorsport competition programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full-performance capabilities of their cars in a safe and controlled environment.

* NASA has over 14,000 members in 16 regions.

* Key events include the NASA Championships and the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Dec. 6-7, 2014. NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on Aug. 29 - 31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on Nov. 7 - 9, 2014.

* NASA runs over 150 events each year encompassing over 250 races, including the association's Rally Sport and Time-Trial program.

* Manufacturer partners include Honda Performance Development (HPD), Nissan, Ford Racing, and MAZDASPEED.

* NASA Management: Jerry Kunzman, Executive Director; Ryan Flaherty, National Chairman; Dave Royce, Chief Divisional Director; Jeremy Croiset, Director of Sponsorship; Dave Ho, Business Operations Manager, Will Faules, National Event Manager.

Follow NASA

Internet: nasaproracing.com

Facebook: National Auto Sport Association

Twitter: nasaproracing

Instagram: nasaproracing

Follow NASA

Internet ww.nasaproracing.com

Facebook National Auto Sport Association

Twitter nasaproracing

December Issue of NASA's Speed News Magazine available

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Volume 2, issue 11 of NASA's Speed News Magazine is available here.

Grassroots racers get huge support from Hawk Performance at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Monday, December 02, 2013

PARK CITY, UTAH - At this year’s longest endurance race, one race class, E3 is being recognized and supported to epic proportions by Hawk Performance. The company will be rewarding the winning team of the class a title sponsorship for their 2014 NASA racing season.

The sponsorship being rewarded by Hawk Performance can be a program changer for the winning team of the E3 class. The sponsorship includes a $3500 cash payday, full access to the Hawk Performance catalog including the recently released Race Calipers and Race Rotors throughout the year, in-depth technical assistance, a graphics package for their race car and a box full of goodies like clothing and gear.

In addition to the sponsorship, Hawk Performance will also be on site at the legendary race providing technical support and free food, drink, entertainment and hospitality during the entire race weekend.

“We are using the 25 Hour of Thunderhill to kick off 2014 where our company will be supporting grassroots racers across the country in a much more aggressive way. This is just the beginning, there are a lot of big things coming” stated Mike DeFord, VP of Marketing at Hawk Performance.

For additional information visit www.hawkperformance.com

Hawk Performance - Race Proven, Street Legal

#whatsstoppingyou

NASA Announces RR Transition Plans for Remaining Spec Toyo Classes

Monday, December 02, 2013

NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce that beginning February 1st of the 2014 season, the American Iron, Camaro Mustang Challenge, Honda Challenge, Factory Five Challenge, and 986 Spec classes will transition over to running on the Toyo� Proxes� RR tire during dry weather competition.

Last season, the Spec Miata, 944 Spec, and Spec E30 classes all transitioned over to using the Proxes RR with great success and now the size line-up has been expanded to support these additional classes.

Over three years ago, Toyo Tires� began working with NASA to develop a new two-groove competition D.O.T. radial tire to meet the specific demands of an excellent “spec” tire. The Proxes RR is the culmination of extensive testing on competition vehicles running in NASA classes currently using the Toyo� Proxes� RA1. The tire was developed specifically for NASA’s classes that specify the Proxes RA1 with the intention of bringing a new tire to market that would no longer require shaving while still providing the consistent lap times, predictable handling, and the long life of the Proxes RA1. This new competition tire is molded to a 4/32nd inch tread depth with additional wear inspection holes on the void areas. This race-ready design eliminates the need for tire shaving and provides ultimate traction with superior cornering force. In addition to matching the longevity and predictability of the Proxes RA1, the Proxes RR is also able to achieve faster lap times. Beginning in February of 2014, NASA will allow the new Proxes RR for dry weather competition use in the American Iron, Camaro Mustang Challenge, Honda Challenge, Factory Five Challenge, and 986 Spec classes. These classes will still be permitted to use the Proxes RA1 tire for the first two events of the 2014 season in each NASA region for dry weather competition and may use the Proxes RA1 at any time during the 2014 season for wet weather competition.??To assist competitors with the transition period, Toyo Tires is making a significant concession and allowing any Toyo Bucks issued from this point forward to be used toward the purchase of Proxes RR tires along with extending the expiration date on all Toyo Bucks until April 1, 2014. This allows competitors collecting Toyo Bucks from now until the end of the year the opportunity to spend their Toyo Bucks on the Proxes RR tires for next season. ??

“The Toyo Proxes RR is the tire for competitors who are serious about winning,” said Marc Sanzenbacher, Senior Manager of Performance Products Division, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “It has proven itself to be the best single tire on the market for fast, consistent laps, just like you’ll find with the Proxes RS1 and legendary Proxes RA1. We made the program changes effective immediately to ease the transition period for the racers looking to purchase and test the Proxes RR tire now.”

??“Our competitors who were able to move onto the Proxes RR this season really enjoyed driving on the new tire” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA’s Director of Sponsorship. “Because of the extensive testing we did all season on vehicles from each class, we expect these additional classes to enjoy the same positive experience that our Spec Miata, 944 Spec, and Spec E30 classes did during the 2013 season. I know many of our American Iron, Honda Challenge, and Factory Five competitors are eager to get a chance to run on the new tire and we are excited to see how each class enjoys the new found performance of the Proxes RR.”

??For further information on the Toyo Proxes RR, please visit www.toyotires.com/proxes. ?For a complete list of dealers where you can purchase the Toyo Proxes RR, please visit here.

Ford Racing School Sets 2014 Schedule

Friday, November 22, 2013

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (November 20, 2013) — The Ford Racing School, based at Miller Motorsports Park, has released its schedule for the 2014 season.

For 2014, the Ford Racing School, the Official Driving School of the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), will offer nine two-day schools

The two-day Ford Racing School is ideal for those who want to sharpen their high-performance driving skills or take the first step towards competitive racing. Highly-focused classroom sessions are combined with behind-the-wheel exercises to give you the basics of driving quickly and safely. Training subjects include basic vehicle dynamics, proper posture, heel/toe braking technique, proper racing line identification and driving in traffic. Students will drive a track-prepped Mustang GT and receive personalized instruction from our staff of professional instructors, all of whom have extensive racing experience in such diverse racing series as the FIA World Endurance Championship, American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, SCCA Pro Racing Pirelli World Challenge, IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, NASCAR and NHRA, as well as legendary events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Baja 1000.

In conjunction with the announcement of the 2014 schedule, the Ford Racing School is also launching a new, dedicated, state-of-the-art website, www.FordRacingSchool.com. Previously housed within Miller Motorsports Park’s website, the new site utilizes “Responsive Web Design Technology,” which delivers an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktop computers. An elegant, minimalist style and clean typeface not only makes information easier to find and read, but allows web pages to load faster on mobile devices.

“We are very excited to announce our 2014 dates for the Ford Racing School,” said Cindi Lux, director of the Ford Racing School. “We have trained hundreds of drivers since the school began in 2007, many of whom are now professional racing drivers and all of whom are putting their new high-performance driving skills to use on public roads and racetracks around the country. Whether you own a high-performance car and want to maximize your driving skills, if you want to start a racing career or you’re an experienced racer who wants to brush up on your technique, we can help you realize your goals. Our new website makes it easy for anyone to get information or sign up for one of our programs.”

The dates for 2014 are as follows:

March 20-21

April 24-25

May 22-23

June 26-27

July 16-17

August 14-15

September 9-10

September 25-26

October 16-17

For further information about the Ford Racing School, call 435-27SPEED (435-277-7333) or visit the new website at www.FordRacingSchool.com. For information about Miller Motorsports Park, call 435-277-RACE (7223) or visit the track’s website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com.

About Miller Motorsports Park:

Miller Motorsports Park is part of Miller Sports Properties, which includes the NBA Utah Jazz; MiLB Triple-A Salt Lake Bees; Miller Performance, consisting of Miller Motorsports Park, Ford Racing School and Oneiro, an event management company; EnergySolutions Arena, which seats nearly 20,000 fans; KJZZ-14 Television; 1280 The Zone Sports Network; Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, men’s professional cycling race; and All-Star Catering.

Media Contact:

John Gardner, Marketing Communications Manager, Miller Performance, (435) 277-8101; jgardner@MillerPerformanceUSA.com

Royal Purple's Offers Big Prize to top E3 team at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Friday, November 22, 2013

NASA is pleased to announce that Royal Purple, the Official Motor Oil of NASA, will provide a fantastic contingency-support program at the 2013 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by the USAF

...coming up in on December 7-8 in Willows, CA. Royal Purple will award each currently-registered driver that competes in the top-finishing E3 team car displaying the required Royal Purple decals, a free custom Royal Purple-branded, Sparco driving suit valued at $2,000!??

To ensure your E3 team is eligible for this award, your team's vehicle must prominently display the required Royal Purple decals on each side along with the front and rear. The award will be presented to the highest-finishing E3 team properly displaying the required Royal Purple decals. Decals will be available trackside from tech during the event.??

"We offered a similar program to top finishing E3 team at the 2012 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill with great success", said Randy Fisher, Royal Purple Marketing Director. "The 25 Hours of Thunderhill is the longest endurance event in North America and is the perfect environment for Royal Purple products to show their true superior performance capabilities. We are proud to align ourselves with the competitors at the event by providing this opportunity for them to take advantage of and hope they enjoy the added protection Royal Purple lubricants can offer them during the event".

??"The winning E3 class team from last year was simply thrilled with their awarded suits", said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Director of Sponsorship. "They used Royal Purple XPR in their class winning Mazda Miata to ensure it was running at the end, so it was very fitting for them to be the team that took home the big prize from Royal Purple. Royal Purple has been a fantastic partner for the NASA competitors to benefit from and they have again knocked it out of the park offering this fantastic contingency program for the E3 class competitors at the 11th running of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill".

Team Honda Research, Spoon and TruSpeed Ready for 25 at Thunderhill

Monday, November 18, 2013

USAF 25 Hours of Thunderhill entry list at 73

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2013) - The 2013 United States Air Force (USAF) National Auto Sport Association (NASA) 25 Hours of Thunderhill race is less than a month away. Seventy-three teams have entered the race to take place at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif., Dec. 7-8.

Team Honda Research will field two Acura ILX race cars in the E1 Class at Thunderhill next month.

This will be the eleventh year that Team Honda Research West has run the 25 Hours of Thunderhill," Matthew Staal, Honda R&D Americas, said. "The 25 represents a big challenge for our team to test vehicle performance, team work and strategy. We keep coming back year-after-year for the camaraderie and the sheer joy of racing. Drivers for our two-car team will consist exclusively of associates from five different Honda companies. Car No. 27 will be driven by Sage Marie (Honda North American Services), Lee Niffenegger (Honda Performance Development), Scott Nicols (Honda Canada Manufacturing) and Matt Staal (Honda R&D Americas, Inc.). Car No. 25 will be piloted by Calvin Liu, Lawrence Hwang and Michael Tsay (Honda R&D Americas, Inc) and Corey Taguchi (American Honda Motor Company). We are hoping that both cars can podium in the E1 class. Soichiro Honda is quoted as saying, 'Without racing, there is no Honda.' We strive to live up to Mr. Honda's racing passion in our program and see the 25 as a great opportunity to test our planning, engineering and team work skills. We strongly believe that the lessons and skills we learn at the 25 translate directly to our jobs of creating exciting, fun and durable Acura and Honda products."

Japanese Honda tuning company Spoon is bringing their No. 95 Spoon Sports CR-Z to the 25. The company known throughout south-east Asia and around the world for Honda tuning parts is ready to be a factor in the E2 Class next month.

"We have participated in the Thunderhill 25 hours since 2002," Yuki Imamura, Spoon director of research and development said. We really like the long race format. This race is very useful for our product development. We can test the endurance of our designs and prove them under real race conditions. Thunderhill also offers a great variety of competition with the various car models that all run at the same time."

TruSpeed Autosport has entered their potent ES Class 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

"Our drivers really like competing in the endurance races," Alex Comee of TruSpeed said. "In a sprint race, you only have so much time to make things happen. In an endurance race, literally anything can happen and there is a greater chance the race can come to you. Our team really enjoys racing in these conditions. The ebb and flow of a long endurance race is something we thrive on, and it really suits our drivers and our team overall. Our drivers, so far, are Tom Haacker, Phil Fogg Jr., and Tomy Drissi. We've always enjoyed good luck when we approach the race from a conservative perspective. With that being said, we're entering the race with the intention of finishing."

With a list of 73 cars entered Jerry Kunzman, NASA Executive Director, likes the level of competition in the field.

"We are getting entries from as far away as Japan and New Zealand," Kunzman said. "The entries are very strong and there will be great racing in each of the six classes. Some strong cars are still yet to make their public debut, but rest assured, the competition will be the strongest it has been in the 11-year history of the race."

The live race web broadcast can be heard online at enduranceradio.net.

The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill will see a field of over 85 cars racing in six classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3) going twice around the clock plus an hour over the three-mile, 15-turn track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento. To view the USAF NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill media guide go to www.nasa25hour.com/Thunderhill%20Media%20Guide_r3.pdf.

November Issue of NASA's Speed News Magazine available

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Volume 2, issue 9 of NASA's Speed News Magazine is available here.

Mazda Offers NASA Champions Chance To Turn Pro

Monday, November 04, 2013

Napa Valley, CA - The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) recently announced that NASA’s Championship race program now includes two dates with one on each coast. In a further enhancement of the program, Mazda Motorsports has now agreed to partner with NASA and is excited to present the Mazda Race of NASA Champions.

This will be a Grand Finale race held as a supporting series race in conjunction with other professional racing series and will be the definitive answer to who is the best from the grassroots racing ranks.

This new opportunity is a tailor-made ladder program specifically designed to bridge the gap from amateur racing to professional competition. Best of all, NASA drivers can achieve this status by distinguishing themselves by winning their class at one of the new Championship events.

Beginning in 2014, NASA Champions from both the Eastern and Western States Championships will earn an invitation to attend the Mazda Race of NASA Champions. The Mazda Race of NASA Champions will use identically prepared Mazda MX-5 race cars and be a featured series on a professional race weekend. The winner of the race will be crowned the NASA Grand Champion.

The newly crowned NASA Grand Champion will then be automatically invited to attend the annual Mazda club racer shootout where they are eligible to win more than $75,000 in prizes and the opportunity to compete in the professional MX-5 Cup the following year. This is the pinnacle opportunity for club racers to prove themselves and turn pro.

"Mazda is an amazing partner and a company that identifies racing as an important part of their brand. NASA and Mazda are both very focused on creating new opportunities in motorsports and this program could help identify and develop the next great driver in our sport," said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "Never before has a system been put into place to provide a NASA competitor with such an amazing opportunity to advance their racing career and jump right into a pro racing environment with such little investment outside of their normal racing activities. We look forward to seeing a current or future NASA competitor use this new opportunity to catapult themselves into the world of professional racing."

John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations, noted that; “NASA offers top-flight competition across a wide variety of classes and brands. Mazda is excited about this new program where their champions will have a chance to race head-to-head in Mazda MX-5s to crown a single champion. We look forward to working out the details with NASA in the weeks ahead.”

Champions from every NASA class, are eligible to compete in this unique new program designed to give competitors the chance to advance their driving careers without a single change to their regular racing plans. The program will begin in 2014 and the Mazda Race of NASA Champions will take place after both Western and Eastern States Championships have concluded.

NASA Expands Championships To Both Coasts

Monday, November 04, 2013

Napa Valley, CA - The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce an exciting new change to the 2014 NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires. Beginning in 2014, NASA will transition what has traditionally been...
a single championship event format to that of a dual championship event format hosting its NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on August 29 - 31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on November 7 - 9, 2014.

This move will lessen the time required for competitors to attend the NASA Championships as long tows to reach an event on the other side of the country will no longer be necessary. Additionally, NASA will revamp the weekend schedule to provide competitors with a condensed Friday through Sunday format in place of the previous Thursday to Sunday schedule. This change will make the event much easier for a larger number of competitors to attend as it will greatly lessen the time commitment required to compete at the event.

"This new format is designed to provide more NASA competitors the opportunity to participate in a Championship level event", said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "We received a great deal of input from our members and considered numerous options available to us and concluded that a dual Championship format would best serve our competitors. A significant number of our members are not able to take a week off work and travel thousands of miles to attend, so it is clear that we needed to do something that provides them with the opportunity to compete in a NASA Championship event each year much closer to their home base. We look forward to hosting the big fields we expect to see at our events on both coasts in 2014."

The new dual Championship format will work much like the current traditional event with the exception that there will now be an event on the West coast and on the East coast in the same year instead of alternating between both coasts. Moreover, NASA will move the Championship event to different tracks on a yearly basis, which will add to the excitement and give drivers a chance to try out new tracks each year. Competitors can expect many of the same fantastic benefits available to them in previous years at the new format events next season. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, both events will live up to the NASA Championships name.

Look for additional announcements regarding the 2014 NASA Championships events in the coming weeks.