What a race!

Ok so many of you read about the part failures we had through the night. Even though we did not win I am very proud of our performance. The MX 5 was fast and the drivers were awesome ! We were way faster than any other car in our class and the crew fixed the car in record time. All of the breakdowns occured within a few hours of each other in the early morning hours. When the last broken shock was fixed we were about 30 laps down. By the end of the race we had made up many of those laps. I can't say enough about the positive attitude everyone had. We all worked great together and did better than any other team would have under the same conditions. I will look back at this race with a smile. I got to work with the best teammates a guy could ever ask for and work through some great challenges!

A word from the Team Owner...

First I would just like to say thanks to the five drivers that allowed me to challenge myself to such a great event, Andrew, Sammy, Mark, Jonny and Matt. It takes a great driver line up and crew to make this race happen. Thank you.

First, I only had two weeks to prepare and test the car for haly a test day before going to the race. Which meant securing drivers, money, half test day, money, rebuilding the car and oh that other thing money. Ultimately we took a set up with changes that I was happy with to the track.

I must say that Brain, Jonny and I all have the same mind set and goals when it came to working together and setting a race pace the car could survive on and hopefully win with. Twelve hours in to have are first mechanical problem was unbelievable. Right front wheel hub, done. Mind you that this car got new front hubs, brake pads, rotors, rear pads and rotors, plus all the fluids changed again before the start of the race. We weren't taking any chances. Any way 12 hours and no trannies and diff changes.

- Jason Hoover

Hi all...

Hi all,
I made it back to Bend, OR around 7:30 last night, record time. I guess I was still in race mode and the roads were dry. This morning the adrenaline has worn off and I’m stiff, sore and still tired.

Ditto what Johnny said, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire team of co-drivers and crew, what a great group! I look forward to racing together again some day.

I’ve said this before to many friends, but I will say it again here – If you race, run the 25 Hours of Thunderhill at least once. It is an absolute blast and a great adventure, I'm already looking forward to next year.

Best, Mark P.

the finish....

Ok, back home and running on about 40 hour of no sleep.


After we fixed the car and sent Matt out, he reported that the car was the best it has been and it showed in his lap times. Andrew took over after Matt and ran a great stint having some fun playing/racing with Charles Espenlaub in the #91 MX-5. Andrew caught Charles after chasing him for a bit and eventually passed him. I was on the radio with Andrew and at one point he comes on to say "He bumped me!", with a laugh... it was fun to watch.

Sammy and Mark follwed Andrew with a couple really nice stints with Mark bringing the thing home in 6th place. Considering all that happened over the 25 hours, we were very proud to have finished. We were about 9 laps down at the end.

I just want to thank Jason Hoover, Tony Silva, Brian Mezger, and the entire crew for working their butts off in the pits. The team was truly a machine out there.
To my co-drivers: It was a pleasure to drive with all of you and I thought the chemistry was great between us. This was a GREAT team for sure! Personal thanks to Marshall Pruett for everything and BIG thanks to team MER/Mazdaspeed for sharing parts, LOTS of them.

Ok, so tired now I can barely type. I'll post some pics tomorrow after I recoop.

- johnny k

5:39... and things are WAY different

Well, I (Johnny) just got off my double stint from hell. Within the first 40 minutes of my stint, I radioed in to report a vibration from the right rear in left hand corners. About 3 laps later, the exact same thing that heppened to Matt on the left side of the car, happened to me on the right (sheared hub). After finding some more parts (thanks Mr. Buck), we got the thing back together. As I headed back on track I immediately noticed another vibration that became progressively worse. I came into the pits and the guys discovered a broken left rear shock. Ok, fix it and also address the no-ABS issue (which require complete disassembly and reassembly of the right rear corner), I was back on track. So, we finish up the first half of my stints and head back on track. Then, I receive word that we had a fuel spill and had to report to the pits for a 5-min penalty stop. Ok, back on track. Nearing the end of my stint, all of a sudden, at the exit of turn-6, the right rear drops and I think I have a flat tire. NOPE.... I nursed it back to the pits to find a shock that was broken in half, this time the right side. SO, we scrounge some more parts, fix some more things, put Matt in the car and are back on track. Matt is scheduled for a double, so we'll see how that goes. We are something like 30 laps down now, but still plugging away...

- johnny k

Hey Nightowls.. 1:30am

We made a few changes to the driver line up - Sammy and I (Mark) did single stints, Johnny is in the car now for a double.

We moved up nicely. I was in the car and we were on the same lap as the second place E2 car and gaining about 7 seconds a lap. We were two laps down from the lead and also closing at about the same rate him.

Two thirds of the way into my stint the brake pedal went nearly to the floor going into turn 3. I had just enough pedal to get the car turned in. In the pits for a brake bleed - no obvious problems so I went back on track. Same thing, back in and the crew discovered the right front bearing was toast.

Once again Jason and the crew worked quickly and we were back on track in about 19 minutes including driver change and fuel.

We're now 7 laps down on second and 12 down on first, but we're running again 7-10 seconds a lap faster than they are. Provided no more mechanical issues we should be able to close the gap - 10+ hours to go.

The other MX-5's are out of the race with engine failures.

13 hours in...

Alright. So, Andrew is now out after a double and sammy is now in. We just did a right side tire rotation before sending Valafar out. Brakes and tire change is coming up soon. stay tuned.

We are about 9 laps down, but are making up good time.

- johnny k

8 hours

Well, I (Johnny) just got out of the car about 45 mins ago. Brought the car in with a 5 lap lead on 2nd place. We had one full course yellow for some cars that were off. Our tires were toast and the car was all over the place. We still were able to run 2:06's with the ill handling car. Matt got in the car after me with a new set of tires. Not 15 minutes in, he lost the left rear wheel. A hub had sheered off the car! After we eventuallly got him back to the pits, we went to work on the car. We replaced the left half shaft, upright, brake caliper and rotor. Bleed the brakes, make a small chasis adjustment and we were back off in 15 minutes. Unfortunatley that put us 16 laps down and in 7th place. Matt is still running and fast. We are trying to make up a bit of time. Andrew is getting ready to step in for what will be the first rounds of double-stints. We are currently in 6th place.

Pics to come shortly, super busy, gotta run.
- johnny

-------------------

update: 7:34

matt is out of the car now and ran a stellar stint. Andrew is in the car for his first double stint....
we are on our way back to the front

Ouch!

Six laps into Matt's first stint the left rear wheel hub broke, shattered the rotor and the wheel fell off. We were 5 laps up at the time. With the tow in and repairs we lost 51 minutes of track time - Jason Hoover and his crew guys are amazing!!

Matt went back out 16 laps down to the class leaders and around 33rd overall. Matt promptly threw down our fastest lap of the race - a 2:04.6 in the dark! He is running consistent 2:06-7 laps, faster than anyone else in E1. We are moving up, now 6th in class, 30th overall.

Andrew and Sammy on fresh(er) tires were running around 2:06-7's, Mark & Johnny on old(er) tires were around 2:10's.
Matt is out on fresh tires now and Andrew is getting ready to go in for his first double stint. We will double stint each driver through this cycle.

Weather is nice, the wind has died down some and it is warmer than the last few years. Thanks all for your comments, i will pass them on to the team.

Mark P.

5 Hours In, 20 to Go

We're leading the E1 class and in 8th overall, only 4 laps out of 3rd! 56 cars started the race. The car lost it's push as the tires wore in. Everything is going great. Two of the other MX-5 Miatas have had deferential problems and went in to the paddock for a swap (we had the lead before they went in). We've backed off a bit to keep from spinning the tires thru some corners and saving the diff.

Johnnny K. is in for his first stint, Matt goes in around 5pm.

Post a comment if you’re checking the blog, we’d love to know you’re out there.

Mark P.

Underway!

Andrew's is in, halfway through the first stint, 3rd in class. He is reporting that the car is pushing some exiting corners which restricts his ability to get on the gas early. We're running 1-2 seconds a lap slower than the cars ahead of us. Adjustments will be made at the first stop.

US Air Force and NASA (National Auto Sport Association) put on some great pre race activities. No internet access in our paddock, only in the tower building. Updates when we can.


Mark P.

Hi all,
Sorry for the late post – all day at the track followed by a team dinner at Casa Ramos in Willows.

We had a good day of testing, making some more set-up adjustments and fresh tires made a huge difference (the ABS brakes actually work!!). Matt took the wheel for the standard after dark qualifying and put us outside on the front row in the E1 class. He had a faster lap earlier in the day, but it was a crowded track for qualifying.

We went through several cycles of practice pit stops and driver changes. Everyone felt good with the systems and the whole team is excited and optimistic. As promised it is nice and sunny, but the typical Thunderhill wind is making it feel cooler than the thermometer says. The dry weather is still forecast to hold through the weekend.

Tomorrow we have a team drivers meeting at 7:30 am followed be car prep, pre griding the cars, pre race activities and the green flag at 11:00 am. Andrew will be our first driver then Sammy, me, Johnny and Matt. Stints should be about 1 hour 15 minutes, so if all goes as planned Matt will be getting in the car just around dark. We will probably double stint over night.

Thunderhill is abuzz with energy, a 25 hour enduro with mostly amateur teams is truly one of life’s great adventures!

Mark P.

PS - I forgot to mention - the weather in the mountains warmed up just enough that both the

Caddell's and I had pretty good roads coming down.

The Trek to the Track

You have to wonder why the world’s longest road race is held the first weekend in December. With the early December dates we can expect nearly 15 hours of racing in the dark, and it’s REALLY dark at Thunderhill, nothing like the simulated daylight at the 24 Hours of Daytona. And the weather can be an issue, but right now the forecast is for dry weather, low 60’s during the daylight and down in the 30’s at night.

So, let the trek to the track begin.

Andrew’s grandfather left the Seattle area yesterday afternoon with their motorhome. Roger, Ruth (Dad & Mom) and Andrew will be leaving early this afternoon for the 10 - 12 hour drive. Weather and road conditions in Western Washington have been horrendous with record rain fall, snow and freezing rain. We wish them a safe drive – and that they arrive in time for practice Friday.

Johnny K., John K. Sr. and Brian Mezger will be flying in from Orange County, CA to Sacramento. Then, overloading the rental car with gear for the 80 mile cruise up I-5 to the track.

Jason, Tony, Matt, Kevin, Mark (the other Mark) the rest of the crew from the Central California region will be heading to the track for move in today. It, as always, will be a hectic process. It’s always amazing how a huge blank boring piece of asphalt can turn into a small town in a matter of hours. There is a book in my head somewhere titled “Paddock City” – not sure what it’s about, but I like the title.

I haven’t heard Sammy V’s plans, but I think he is flying in from Las Vegas today.

I’m in Bend, Oregon this morning finishing up packing and getting ready to hit the road. I’m faced with about 200 miles of packed snow and ice between here and Redding, CA. Taking commercial flights from here to there takes about as long as driving, so it’s not worth it. But, there is a slight chance I will get a call from a buddy who will fly me down in his plane.

So, it’s off to the track. More updates soon.

Mark P.

Only 2 days left

So I get a phone call from Jason at 2 in the afternoon, Tuesday. Jason is in charge of the car. He is pretty self contained and I only hear from him when a problem occurs. So when I saw his name on the caller ID I was ready for bad news. I answer the phone and we talk about the weather and all sorts of boring stuff. I asked him what he was doing and he replies "nothing" So we talk some more about the weather and finally he asks me if I am going to ask him why he is doning nothing. So I ask. He replies BECAUSE I HAVE NO PARTS!! So Fed EX has not showed up with our parts from Mazdaspeed. We are missing the driveline, shifter, and some electronic parts to make our ABS behave. Back to the phone to track down the parts!

Kevin sent me the communications plan today. Looks like we will have a hard wired radio in the car, so no worries about batteries. Two hand held radios in the pit with extra batteries and chargers. Timing and scoring with be monitored on a laptop with connection via Wi-Fi. Another laptop with a radio modem will be used as a back-up to Timing and scoring. We will have web access in the pit to monitor weather and to add to this blog.

Jason reported that two sponsors came through with tires and lights. I will post who and what when I have more info.

Getting ready

Ok so here it is, the monday before the race. It's been quit an adventure just getting to this point.

We started last month, The car was in Michigan and the project was headed up by Marshall Pruitt. The plan was to have Marshall oversee the team and have myself provide logistical help. Jason Hoover motorsports was to provide car set-up and race support.
During a phone conversation between Jason and the car owner, Larry Webster, a deal was struck and Jason ended up purchasing the car. Now with just weeks before the race, Jason owns the car and needs to put a team together. Matt and Johnny were onboard from the original team but in order to have enough funding to run the car we needed a few more drivers. Luckily word got out and Mark then Andrew and now Sammy joined.
Ok so we take the car out to see what might need to be done before the race, First thing that is found, rear shock is blown out! So we decide "no problem" we can get another one from mazda. When we call mazdaspeed they tell us that the cup cars are getting new shocks for next year and the shock we need is no longer available. Jason takes the shock to Ground Control where it is determined that the shock can be repaired. Over the next few days the team members make phone calls and cash in favors all over the country. Soon spare parts start arriving at Jasons shop. Jason in the mean time is pulling his hair out getting the car ready. The list seems endless. Lights, light bar, top, transmission, driveline, brakes, tires, wheels OH NO we need 4 sets of wheels! Jason has had to deal with so many things in such a short time.
We take the car out again on the 22nd, we discover that a few of our used wheels are bent! We only had one set of tires with us and early in the afternoon the ABS system decides to have a mind of its own and flat spots the front tires. The day was cut short but many things are noted about car set-up and a few problems are noticed, like an exhaust system that likes to fall off.
So that brings us to taday, Monday before the race. Things are coming together. We have all of our drivers and most spare parts are here. We still need a few things, like a driveline. We have our lists that we are working on with such things as fuel, heaters, food, radio, flashlights and so on.

I will put out another post before we leave for the track

Tony Silva

Welcome...

Hello and welcome to the live blog site for the 2006 25-Hours of Thunderhill. This site will follow the progress of the Hoover Motorsports Mazda MX-5 Team (class E1). Drivers are Matt Cross, Johnny Kanavas, Mark Powell, and Andrew Caddell. Drivers and crew from the team will do their best to keep the site updated through this Severe Endurance Race.

Thanks for visiting and please check back beginning December 1, 2006.