presented by All-Fit Automotive
Team Sahlen, presented by honeybeeBase.com, will be returning to Pitt Race one last time. The much beloved track will be closing at the end of 2025. And the very last race to be held will be the Lucky Dog Racing League “Lucky Beaver Fever 500” dual 8 & 7 Hour Enduro on October 25-26. At last year’s Lucky Dog event, Team Sahlen had secured the OVERALL Victory in Sunday’s 8 Hour Enduro.
The very 1st time that Team Sahlen drove on Pitt Race was in June of 2013. The team brought their Daytona Prototype race cars to the track to test out before that year’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. At the time, the track configuration was the original condensed course. And at this test, the team even brought out their “Charcoal” Mazda RX7 ChampCar to get some extra test and tune in.
The 1st race for Team Sahlen occurred 2 years later at the Fall ChampCar Endurance Series National Championship event. This 2 day event was a 14 hour event with 7 hours run on Saturday and Sunday each. Team Sahlen had built 2 brand new untested Mazda RX7s to join the trusted “Charcoal” rotary racer. 5th, 9th & 13th out of 51 competitors was a very fine result over the long 2 day event.
From that initial year of 2015, the Team has continued to enter ChampCar events at Pitt Race. Along the way the team secured many overall victories, including the 2018 event. In that race, the team battled for the last hour of the race with a BMW 325 for the Overall Victory. Lap after lap, the lead changed. But then as the checkered flag flew, Team Sahlen’s “Dijon” crossed the line 4 feet in front, securing one of the most thrilling victories. And at the recent ChampCar event, Team Sahlen was able to secure the Sunday 7 hour victory to become the last team to win in the series at Pitt Race.
The team has also competed in the American Endurance Racing series at Pitt. The team was able to secure overall victory with their “Pepper” Porsche Cayman. As well the team campaigned their Audi R8 GT3 Ultra at Pitt Race. Wayne Nonnamaker shares that experience – “Pitt Race is a very challenging track. But throw in the high horsepower and mega downforce of the R8 and you had quite a ride around the track. I would compare it to trying to ride a wild bronco at a rodeo. It certainly was a thrill that I will never forget.“
The Team’s racing action at Pitt Race has not just been contained to the road circuit, but as well on the Kart Track. The team had entered 3 of the Endurance Karting 6 Hour events at Pitt Race. All three times the team had super big fun as well as securing Top finishes of 7th, 9th and 6th. Young Ian Nonnamaker enjoyed his 1st wheel to wheel racing action in the 2022 event – “That event was so much fun. I had just graduated High School – and right away I got to race with my Dad and Uncle Wayne. I remember finishing the race, holding onto 7th place for the last 20 minutes of the race. That Kart track is just so much fun to drive. I will remember it fondly.”
This event will mark the team’s 3rd event of the year at Pitt Race. The 1st event was at the July NASA Team Racing Endurance Challenge 4 Hour event. In that race, Team Sahlen persevered over a wide ranging of competition to secure the Overall Victory. This win brought Team Sahlen’s tally to 4 endurance series that an Overall Victory was achieved.
The Lucky Dog Racing League “Lucky Beaver Fever 500” event starts on Saturday, October 25th with practice and qualifying in the morning – followed up with a 7 hour enduro. Then on Sunday the action resumes with a 8 hour enduro.
2025 Team Sahlen Campaign Partners:
honeybeeBase.com, Malco Products, Porsche Beachwood, Discovery Parts, ECS Tuning, Tarett Engineering, Guard Transmission, HubstandsPRO, Maxima Racing Oil, Pagid Brakes, NGK Spark Plugs, CM Racing Products, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Design Engineering Inc., OMP Racing, Bell Racing, Forgeline Wheels, Optima Batteries, All-Fit Automotive, Capri Tools, Fabspeed Motorsport, Eibach, Rennline & Valco Cincinnati with Big Wrench Racing
