Team Sahlen, presented by honeybeeBase.com, continues to remain as the top of the All-Time OVERALL Victories in the Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing Series. This total of 20 OVERALL Victories started in 2015. This marker is all the more remarkable considering that Team Sahlen did not compete in the series at all in 2023. Yet for 9 straight seasons Team Sahlen secured a victory in the series. This feat was accomplished in a wide variety of racer cars. This included Team Sahlen’s Porsche Cayman 2.9L equipped racer cars that the team had previously raced in the IMSA Continental Tire Challenge Series.
Joe Nonnamaker recalled the 1st year running in the Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing Series – “We took our Caymans straight from the IMSA series to AER. The only thing we changed was putting on a set of 200W rated tires. The set up needed dramatically altered to suit these type of tires. And our cars were lacking in downforce, considerably overweight and lacking in horsepower. But the team persevered and secured OVERALL Victories by sheer force of dedication, consistent driving and pit strategy.”
Next Team Sahlen campaigned and successfully won with their 2 Porsche Caymans equipped with 3.8L engines and PDK Automatic Transmissions. This achievement was remarkable as this was the 1st Endurance Victory for Porsches PDK Automatic Transmissions. Waye Nonnamaker remembers this incredible win – “No one was quite sure what would happen over the course of a long endurance race with Porsche’s PDK. It worked quite well on the street. Racers had put them to the test in Track Day Events. But to ask the PDK to perform flawlessly for hour after hour without stop was not a certainty. And when we did accomplish the milestone, we were able to do it in style securing 1st and 2nd OVERALL on the day at the Sahlen’s Springfest at the Glen.”
Then the most significant racer of all, the Team’s Audi R8 GT3 Ultra was the class of Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing Series. Not only did the Audi secure OVERALL Victories in the series, but the R8 set lap records that still stand in the series to this day. Joe Sahlen shared his favorite memory of the Audi – “The R8 was just amazing to drive. And in this wonderful GT3 machine was one of my best racing memories. It was at the 2021 event at the Glen, and we were sitting in 1st place with 10 minutes to go under full race caution. In 2nd was Random Vandal Racing’s BMW. The track was damp, and it was all that any of us could do to keep the racers on track. And miraculously, when the checkered flag flew, we were in 1st Place.”
In 2022, the team secured their last OVERALL Victories at the Sahlen’s Sports Car Springfest at the Glen. In this event, Team Sahlen had entered their Porsche Cayman 3.4L to fit into the series new Class 4 category.
In total, From the team’s 90 series entries, the 20 OVERALL Victories were secured in 5 different race cars in 5 different versions of configurations. The drivers for these victories were Joe Sahlen, Joe Nonnamaker, Wayne Nonnamaker and Will Nonnamaker. The team also secured 4 additional victories for a grand total of 24 series victories. Additionally, the team has amassed 55 podiums, 11 pole positions and 19 fastest race laps.
2024 Team Sahlen Campaign Partners
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