Category: Speed News

The fourth annual NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires is attracting past champions looking to add to their trophy shelves.
This year’s event takes place October 6-8 at Thunderhill Raceway.
In 944 Spec, last year’s champion John Pentelei Molnar is hoping to repeat the Championship he earned last year at Buttonwillow Raceway. He has been dialing in his Porsche 944 and staying on top of maintenance and repairs. To prepare himself, Pentelei Molnar flew up to Thunderhill, a track he had never turned a wheel on, to drive the track in a borrowed car.
John Pentelei Molnar
“I spent the day orienting myself to the track, certainly not at racing speed, but to get the technical side of things, understand where things are,” Pentelei Molnar said. “You can only learn so much from watching a video. You’ve got to get out there and actually drive around.”
He said he’s looking forward to the

NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires Is on Pace for Deep Fields and Stiff Competition
The fourth annual NASA Eastern States Championships presented by Toyo Tires is racking up entries from across the Eastern Seaboard that will ensure strong competition October 20-22 at Sebring International Raceway.
In American Iron, a double-digit car count is the order of the day and NASA Northeast’s AJ Hartman is taking it all in stride. Hartman is running through his usual checklist to ready his car, which has been dead-on reliable for going on two seasons. After he competes in a regional event at Watkins Glen International Sept. 22-23, he’ll return home to New Jersey to get ready for Sebring.
AJ Hartman
“I will watch some videos, preferably videos from people with data and maybe jot down some notes that might speed up the learning curve a little bit,” Hartman said. “Other than that, car prep, I’m

Top amateur racers are ready for action on Thunderhill Raceway

The fourth annual NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires is racking up entries from across the country that will ensure strong competition October 6-8 at Thunderhill Raceway.
In Spec Miata, Teen Mazda Challenge racer Nick Sommers won last year’s Championships event at Buttonwillow Raceway. Obviously, Sommers is looking for a repeat. His performances this year certainly indicate that he can get it done again. His first-generation 1.6-liter Mazda Miata is well prepped and as competitive as any car in the field.
Nick Sommers
“At Thunderhill, you can be competitive in a 1.8 or a 1.6. I think the 1.6 is a little bit more competitive on the first half of the track because you’ve got to be able to carry a little bit more speed, and the 1.6 allows you to do that,” Sommers said. “But the 1.8 helps you down the