Team Sahlen, presented by honeybeeBase.com, was able to achieve their 100th Fastest Race Lap milestone in 2023 at Watkins Glen in May. This was achieved by Wayne Nonnamaker driving the #943 “Mustard” Porsche Boxster. Poignantly, this occurred at the Sahlen’s Champyard DOG at the Glen. The event sponsored by the Sahlen’s and the sight of many, many of the team’s fastest race laps through the years.
Wayne shared his astonishment of the milestone – “Wow, I didn’t even know we had reached 100 Fastest Race Laps until it was shared with me after the race. It never really as been my goal or the team’s goal to get fastest race lap. We are always focused on the task at hand of trying to cross the finish line 1st. Sometimes though the stars align and you find yourself with the perfect track conditions, with low fuel and fresh tires while you are hunting down the competition, and poof there you are with the fastest race lap.”
The Team’s 1st Fastest Race Lap came 5 decades ago in the 80s when the team was racing their fleet of Volkswagen Rabbits, Golfs, GTI, Sciroccos and Corrados. In the 90’s the team secured a 18 Fastest Race Laps, primarily in their Mazda MX6 racers. This racer was most fleet on fast sweeping tracks where its strong V6 motor could really stretch its legs.
One of the most concentrated periods of seasons for the team in setting Fastest Race Laps came in a 5 year stretch form 2000-2004. In this period of time, the team secured 25 Fastest Race Laps in their Acura Integras and Porsche 911s. This performance was also backed up at the end of the races and in the season’s final standings. All together the team secured 4 consecutive Grand-Am Cup Titles (i.e. current Michelin Pilot Challenge Series). Joe Nonnamaker reflects back on this 5 year period in pro racing – “Those were an amazing 5 years of racing. To have won 4 consecutive championships was an accomplishment that I will never forget. And to think now that we secured 25 Fastest Race Laps makes it even more remarkable.”
Starting in 2015, Team Sahlen has been competing within the Tire Rack – ChampCar Endurance Series, Summit Racing – American Endurance Racing series and World Racing League presented by Hagerty. In these very competitive series, the team has been able to amazing 60 Fastest Race Laps. Beyond competing in 3 different series with different rules sets, the team has had to adjust to an array of race cars. This has included racing 10 different race cars from 5 different styles of models.
Will Nonnamaker reflects back on reaching 100 Fastest Race Laps – “Although I am astonished, we reached the Century mark, I think that looking at this record in relation to our total number of victories of 125 puts in perspective that somehow are team has been able to get to victory circle even though we have not had the fastest racer on track. Hopefully we will have many more years of racing to come to have more fun on track, and just perhaps secure add onto our total of 106 with a few more fastest race laps.”
2024 Team Sahlen Campaign Partners
honeybeeBase.com, Porsche Beachwood, Malco Automotive, ECS Tuning, Tarett Engineering, Guard Transmission, HubstandsPRO, Maxima Racing Oil, Pagid Brakes, NGK Spark Plugs, CM Racing Products, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Design Engineering Inc., Hard Brakes, Forgeline Wheels, Optima Batteries, All-Fit Automotive, Winding Road Racing, & Capri Tools.
