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
