This month "Ask the Experts" caught up with SPEEDTV.com Automotive Editor Marshall Pruett to talk about his passion for racing, his new project for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and why he chose BFGoodrich^® Tires’ new g-Force™ R1™ tires to run the longest endurance road race in the world.

Tell us about your project, and how you got involved in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

“We are going to be running a factory supported turbocharged Scion tC with additional help from Modified magazine at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The project started out with a friend of mine who works with Toyota TRD, and we talked about a few ideas for using a Scion tC to do the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. We came to this conclusion because Scion already has a strong following in drag racing and the import tuner lifestyle, but professional road racing is something that Scion has yet to attempt. They noticed that road racing and endurance racing were an interesting way to reach out to new fans and a new audience while trying something that hasn’t been associated with Scion before. I’m also good friends with a few editors at Modified magazine, who are prominent in the import and tuner scene, so this was a good fit for us to be associated with Scion with support from Modified.”

“In regards to the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, it’s run by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), and they promote it as the longest endurance road race in the world, which is actually true. Sure, you have the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans but this is the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, which is one more hour and thusly the longest endurance road race in the world. It’s unlike any type of racing you could possibly imagine. It’s held in Northern California in the beginning of December, which is usually brutally cold and rainy. Not only are the drivers trying to survive 25 Hours on track behind the wheel, but you also have crews and all the other support people doing their best trying to survive on pit lane in these conditions. This is one of those events that when it’s over, and you get to go to sleep, you hope that you have at least a week because you are just exhausted.”

Why did you decide to use the BFGoodrich^® g-Force™ R™ tire on the car?

“That was probably the easiest decision I’ve had to make while putting together this program.The g-Force R1 tires are extremely fast and extremely durable; they have everything we need to perform at our best. What’s even more important to us is that they’ve already been tested and well received in the import tuner world at various time attack events. Many cars like the Scion tC have run the g-Force R1 tires and the drivers have done everything they can to demolish them and extract speed out of them but they keep performing. I’ve seen just about everything done to these tires to abuse them and they continue to provide great results. So when you’re looking for a tire to give 25 Hours of performance, something that you can treat as harshly as you need to, or as softly as you need to, and know that it will always be giving you great results, the BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tire is the perfect combination for success.”

For somebody who is not familiar with the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, how many classes are there?

“There are seven different classes that range from the unlimited class that we are running in - to classes that are not too far beyond stock, but still have the various mandatory safety equipment. The grid is filled with about half professional cars, to very high-level club racing cars and privateers. There is everything from American Le Mans and Grand Am cars to Porsche and Hondas, Acuras, sports cars and other prototypes. Basically, the race is every type of closed top car and a few sports car prototype cars. In short, it really is a widely varied field with just about every type of car that someone would want to watch or own.”

Would you say that the 25 Hours of Thunderhill is a good event for enthusiasts to learn more about racing, the companies involved and their products?

“Absolutely, that’s one of the big attractions for a company like mine to want to work with a company like BFGoodrich Tires. Many don’t realize that BFGoodrich once had a predominant involvement in road racing and while BFGoodrich took another direction into off-road racing for many years, they still have a very capable tire with the g-Force R1 tire in road racing. While others begin to consider other tires for road racing, we want to prove that the g-Force R1 tire is a tire for consumers to seriously consider and we want to deliver the right results so the consumer can make an informed decision the next time they go race. For us, this isn’t just wanting the best tire to go run with, it’s our goal to show and prove to those that don’t know about BFGoodrich, that the g-Force R1 tire is something to consider, not just a viable option but a highly competitive tire for people who want to compete and succeed on a road course.”

How confident are you going into the race?

“There will be about 50 to 60 cars in the race making up all the classes. We are looking at about 10 to 15 cars in our class and if we can finish the race that will leave us within the top three or four in our class. Now, for a car that has a price point of about $15,000 to $16,000 going up against a $250,000 racecar, we know that we will not bridge that gap. What we do know is that through our partners, the right parts, people, components, consumables our drivers and our strategy, we think we can be the team with the smarter mousetrap. We are by no means the most expensive or exotic, but we are here to prove that you do not have to spend a fortune to be able to succeed.To win would be fantastic, but for us, success is measured in many ways. This Scion tC outfitted with BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tires is going to show people that if you can get the right car, tires, driver, and crew you can do things that most people could not believe you could do for such a reasonable price point.”