E0 - Don Van Nortwick pedaled his tiger-striped Ford Mustang to earn the E0 class win. This class is being taken over by Mustangs. BMWs used to reign supreme.

The weekend of February 15-16, 2014, kicked off a great start to the racing season at Sonoma Raceway, where NASA NorCal hosted sprint races and round one of the 2014 Western Endurance Racing Championship. Between the sprints and enduros, HPDE groups had lots of track time to enjoy during some California winter weather — which means sunny and 70 degrees for you folks on the East Coast. The combination event was a great opportunity for teams to see how the 2014 WERC season would unfold.

The Western Endurance Racing Championship round one event kicked off late Sunday afternoon, with the usual suspects from NASA’s endurance racing ranks competing in six classes (ESR, ES, E0, E1, E2, E3). Team Davidson Racing in the beautiful, red-and-white No. 17 Norma sports racer took the overall win in the 20 car field and also the ESR win. Finishing in second place overall and on the same lap, earning the ES class win, was team Prototype Development Group in their American flag-themed V-8 powered monster. Finishing third overall and second in ES was Jeffrey Stammer in the green-wheeled BMW.

The E0 class was all Ford Mustang, with the orange-and-black tiger-striped ‘Stang of Don Van Nortwick taking the win. The E1 class podium was filled with Skyactiv Mazda 6s, with Jeremy Barnes finishing in first, Nathan Edmonds in second and Mike Allen in third. The E2 class was won by another Mazda, this one a Miata with Team Silver Fern in their white No. 52 Miata. The E3 class was also won by a Miata, driven by Bruce Pendleton, after he bested two BMW E30s, which finished second and third.

ESR

Team Davidson Racing won the ESR class and the overall event at Sonoma during WERC Round 1.
Team Davidson Racing won the ESR class and the overall event at Sonoma during WERC Round 1.

ES

Team Prototype Development Group earned the ES class win and finished second overall at Sonoma.
Team Prototype Development Group earned the ES class win and finished second overall at Sonoma.

E1

There were three of these burgundy Skyactiv Mazda 6 race cars at WERC Round 1 in Sonoma. Jeremy Barnes took the E1 class win in the No. 55 car.
There were three of these burgundy Skyactiv Mazda 6 race cars at WERC Round 1 in Sonoma. Jeremy Barnes took the E1 class win in the No. 55 car.

E2

Team Silver Fern won the E2 class by five laps over the second-place car.
Team Silver Fern won the E2 class by five laps over the second-place car.

E3

The E3 class was won by this red-and-white Mazda Miata driven by Bruce Pendleton after he fought off two hungry BMW E30s.
The E3 class was won by this red-and-white Mazda Miata driven by Bruce Pendleton after he fought off two hungry BMW E30s.
Image courtesy of headonphotos.net

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