My Perspective on an Improbable Victory
Million, Technik Competition Take Victory at NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill
Willows, CA - In what will turn out to be a story told in the grassroots endurance racing community for years to come, Technik Competition took their first ever E2 class victory at the 2019 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill last weekend.
The small team sent magnitudes of energy through the paddock Sunday afternoon after managing a seemingly impossible comeback from P7 in class and P38 overall, to P1 and P6 respectively.
This marks the first win in the event for the entire drivers crew of Peter Hopelain, Sean Neel, Matt Kehoe, Will Rodgers, and Matt Million.
More to come…
September Shakedown with Technik Competition
WILLOWS, CA
With 3 months remaining until the 2019 25 Hours of Thunderhill in December, Matt and the Technik Competition team completed their final pre-race testing weekend at the circuit. Primary objectives for this final test included team procedure practice, shakedown of new driver comforts and in-car technology, and data collection.
Matt tested alongside team owner/drivers Peter Hopelain, Matt Kehoe, and Sean Neel. This weekend also marked the reveal of Technik Competition’s new livery and branding.
After the car arrived at the circuit from Hi-Tech Automotive on Friday, it was all hands on deck getting the teams’ freshly revised E2-class endurance car ready. Most notable new features include the PodiumConnect live data telemetry system, RaceTech 4100 Series seat, and a 100th anniversary Bauhaus-styled livery by Stoller Barakat Design. The weekend ran smoothly, with no major issues concerning the car. Between 2-3h of running occured between multiple 15-20 minute sessions during the PCA Golden Gate Region event.
“The progress we’ve had as a group has been fantastic. I’ve only been apart of this group since June, and the level of passion, preparation, and energy being put into the program by everyone is really special. The testing went well, we collected a good amount of tire, fuel, and telemetry data and the car feels solid and consistent. The renovations that this car has seen since June is awesome, the interior feels organized and clean! Hopelain’s done a good job tuning the shocks, Kehoe has put magic into the live telemetry and data recording, and Sean has been the positive motivator we all need! Not to mention Spencer, Mark, and Koko who make this car and program complete! Being a small part of the equation with this group has been quite rewarding, and putting it all together in December will be a truly special event that’ll propel this team onto the next level!” - Matt Million
Sweltering Midsummer Endurance Test with Technik Competition
WILLOWS, CA
With temperatures well in excess of 90 degrees, the Technik Competition team and Matt headed to Thunderhill Raceway in the middle of June for an extended endurance test in preparation for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.
The primary objective of the two day test was to gather technical tire data through extended stints, as well as collect AiM driving data from each driver for analysis.
Matt tested alongside team owner and driver Sean Neel, as well as team co-principle Matt Kehoe.
Overall, mostly every objective was met in over 7 hours of on-track testing time. The team gained as much tire data as possible, driving three sets of Hoosiers and BFGoodrich Tires to the cords. In between sessions, the team made large strides in understanding AiM driver data, ultimately leading to a sharpened idea on how to drive Thunderhill faster while in an endurance mindset.
Successful First Test with Technik Competition Ahead of 25 Hours of Thunderhill
BUTTONWILLOW, CA
Matt completed a successful first test with the West Coast based endurance racing team Technik Competition on Friday, June 7th. The team competes regularly in NASA’s Western Endurance Racing Championship, so far capturing 3 in-class podium finishes out of 3 races in 2019. Technik Competition’s primary focus is the annual NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill in December. In 2018, the team finished 3rd in class with their BMW 330 CL.
Matt joins Technik Competition in June 2019 after a successful driver evaluation and development day in Buttonwillow Raceway. Matt was able to demonstrate clean consistency and pace on track while also beginning to understand Technik’s expectations of endurance fuel and tire management. Matt also got his first taste of the team’s off track expectations such as feedback and data knowledge, understanding the roles within the team, and an introduction to how Matt can positively contribute to Technik Competition outside of race weekends.
Technik Competition and Matt are next on track for an extended test at Thunderhill Raceway from June 19-20th.