Grand-Am
Eric Curran raced in Thunderhill 25H event
Eric Curran 3rd in Class at 25 Hours of Thunderhill SPEED World Challenge and GrandAm winner joins factory MER Mazda MX-5 program for the 25hr event, takes 3rd in class. Easthampton, MA - The versatile Eric Curran added another tough event to his ...
Published: Dec 15, 2007, 8:54 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Eric Curran 3rd in Class at 25 Hours of Thunderhill
SPEED World Challenge and GrandAm winner joins factory MER Mazda MX-5 program for the 25hr event, takes 3rd in class.
Easthampton, MA - The versatile Eric Curran added another tough event to his packed calendar, joining the 5-car factory MER Mazda MX-5 program for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance event held in Northern California.
A winner of six professional sports car races in 2007, Curran carried the momentum of his strong World Challenge GT and Koni Challenge ST seasons into the 25 hours race. Joining good friends in the #89 MER MX-5, Curran knew the event held promise. "SPEED GT racer Dane Moxlow and I had spoken about racing in the 13 hour race at VIR a few weeks earlier but I had a scheduling conflict. Then we got talking about the 25hr at Thunderhill. Dane connected me with Jason Saini from MER and we put all of us together for a great chance for a class win.
With MER and Saini winning the SCCA Mazda MX-5 Cup in 2007, Curran knew he was with the right team. "MER has a great reputation with MX-5's and has won many championships, so it was a great opportunity. My first time at Thunderhill was also a blast."
"We had a great race, but had a few minor mechanical issues, would have been in contention with our sister car, the #92 MER MX-5, that won our class. We consumed tires quicker than some of the other cars because of how loose we ran the setup. We had minor shifter problem that set us back a little, and I got stuck in the pit lane out of fuel during a yellow. We lost a few laps because NASA rules say you can't fuel during a yellow. Other than the usual tire wear and brake pad replacement the MER Mazda MX5 ran beautifully. I had a great time sharing driving duties with Rob Huffmaster, Richie Hearn and Dane Moxlow."
For a driver so accustomed to delivering wins for his team, Curran is trying to embrace being anywhere other than the top step of the podium. "If I do the 25hr again, I'll be looking for a win next time out. Third place is only OK every once and a while!"
While he's focused on winning in the World Challenge sprint race format and the short endurance racing format in GrandAm, Curran is by no means new to long distance competition; he counts a Rolex 6hr win and 3rd place at the Rolex 24hr in 2000 as his proudest endurance racing achievements. An opportunity to return to the Rolex 24 is something he'd look forward to.
"I've done enough endurance racing to understand what it takes to succeed. A 25hr race is never easy, but with a good group of drivers and a car with the MX-5's reliability, all you have to focus on is getting to the finish. Endurance racing takes a different mentality vs. a sprint race. You have to be very consistent, easy on the car and still be quick. This strategy a lot of drivers have difficulty with. I really enjoy these races almost as much as sprint racing."
Sharing a car with multiple drivers is also a challenge. "It can be tough sometimes. It can get competitive, and it can get upsetting. As drivers on the same team we have to remember, we are all on the same team. Also an endurance race can't be won running full speed all the time. We each have to be consistent, respectful to the car and the other drivers. This is a team effort, and working as a great team will always give the best results."
Stay tuned for Eric Curran's 2008 racing plans to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Credit: EricCurran.com
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article VIRginia Int'l Raceway on 2008 DP schedule
Next article Krohn Racing, Proto-Lola test notes 2007-12-13
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Eric Curran
Sebring 12 Hours: Nasr holds off Taylor to win for AXR
IMSA
IMSA
Sebring
Sebring 12 Hours: Nasr holds off Taylor to win for AXR
“They knew we were here” – dignified response from defeated AXR
IMSA
IMSA
Daytona 24
“They knew we were here” – dignified response from defeated AXR
Detroit IMSA: Nasr/Curran beat Acuras, MSR 1-2 in GTD
IMSA
IMSA
Detroit
Detroit IMSA: Nasr/Curran beat Acuras, MSR 1-2 in GTD
Latest news
Barcelona set to host IndyCar race in 2027 under multi-year deal
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 8 h
Barcelona set to host IndyCar race in 2027 under multi-year deal
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
10 h
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
Heart of Racing rules Valkyrie GTP step next year ‘too soon’ for IMSA standout Barrichello
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 10 h
Heart of Racing rules Valkyrie GTP step next year ‘too soon’ for IMSA standout Barrichello
Sergio Perez: Debut Cadillac season "without a doubt one of my best years"
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
10 h
Sergio Perez: Debut Cadillac season "without a doubt one of my best years"
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe