I decided to check out the end of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill to see the last dogs standing in what NASA claims was a record length road race. Having competed in (and won in class) in the previous year's 12 hour version, I was morbidly curious to see how battered much of the field would look after a day of nonstop running through rain and darkness.

Frankly, the scene did not dissapoint. I leisurely rolled in at the 23.5 hour mark. Noteably, two GT3 Porsches were still at full song, as was the Caterham Seven of the Car&Driver magazine team. Much of the field seemed to be running at a conservative pace in order to stay alive through the finish.

So lets cut to the chase - here is what you really want to see - the dirt, grime, and massaged bodywork of the waning moments of the 25 hours of Thunderhill.

the pits

Following the end of the event, I headed south, determined to make it to Highway 80 without using I-5. My route took me inland and then south on roads that eventually turned to dirt.

A new development in rural speed deterrents. The moveable "goat-bump"