Team Sahlen set out for 2009 to become one of Mazda's top teams in the Street Tuner class.  The first step to that goal was achieved at the KONI Challenge Series opener at Daytona by finishing the race as the Top Mazda in the race.

After a rather chaotic test days and practice sessions, Team Sahlen was working hard to battle the competition as well as the new 2009 RX-8 Transmission.  This struggle with the transmission went all the way up to the Qualifying session, where Will Nonnamaker was given the charge to run without 6^th gear.

"It's never an ideal situation to try an qualify a race car without top gear.  And this is never more necessary than at a track like Daytona.  I knew I would have to wring every last little bit out of the Mazda just to be respectable.  But I knew also that even if we placed ahead of just a few ST cars, we would farther ahead on race day.   I had to lift in 5^th gear, and just watch as other competitors flew away in the distance." - states Will Nonnamaker

Despite this handicap, Will found himself qualifying with a 2:12.00 and placed in 19^th position.  Amazingly, this placed the #43 RX-8 ahead of 12 competitors. 

The Team Sahlen crew dedicated themselves to solving the Transmission problem.  And at the start of the race,  Nonnamaker found himself on equal footing with the competition with a full 6 speeds to choose from.  Despite several early yellow flags, Will kept the #43 out of trouble and on lap 20, at the 55 minute mark, handed the Mazda over to Joe Sahlen.

Joe handly took over the controls of the RX-8 and drove steadly into the 2^nd hour of the race.  At the 1 hour and 55 minute mark, a fortunate yellow arrived, al