AZPCA AUTOCROSS

Season EVENT #5

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

AUTOCROSS 2022-2023

SEASON EVENT #5

The fifth autocross event of the 2022-2023 AZPCA Region Autocross Season was held at Arizona Motorsports Park (AMP) in Litchfield Park, on Saturday, February 4, 2023. The weather was nearly perfect all day except for the early cool crisp morning hours. AZPCA Region must have been blessed to have mid-upper 70s degree weather for this event.

Despite the little fuzzy furry woolly rodent with a lot of extra poundage from back East predicting six more weeks of winter, the AZPCA Region enjoyed great weather. The only reason that this writer can think of why we were weather blessed, must have been for the upcoming Super Bowl Football event because the little furry guy is from Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Eagles must be his home team and he wanted his team to enjoy good weather while visiting AZPCA Region Land.

Forty-three drivers enjoyed another course designed by the AZPCA Region Autocross Course Design Team that consisted of the Autocross Co-Chair Kim K. and the Assistant Chief Course Designer William P. The course featured a clockwise direction with a series of slaloms and gates that included three right-hand sweepers, one left-hand sweeper, and two right-hand turns inner-mixed amongst the series of slaloms and gates.

The right-hand turn that preceded the start-finish was technical whereas, you must make your turn-in late and give up your speed upon entry, so you did not exit too wide and be forced to drive around the next slalom element. Speed Maintenance was your friend with this corner.

The forty-three drivers were given three individually timed consecutive laps each in both the morning and afternoon sessions. The drivers and the “Taste of Autocrossers” were also treated to a BBQ Pulled Pork Lunch provided by AZPCA Region.

Two new AZPCA Region members joined in on the fun. Logan K. became an AZPCA Region last December and he drives a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo. This event was Logan’s first autocross event but not his first AZPCA Region competitive driving event. Last November, Logan joined us for the AZPCA Region Track Autocross event on Veterans Day.

STORY BY Kenneth Mitchell PHOTOS BY Jennifer Reinhardt

At this event, Logan’s best lap time was 61.743 seconds.

The other new member and first time autocrosser was Zachary G., driving his 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo. Zachary joined our Region in January of this year. Zachary’s best laptime was 58.580 seconds. Zachary was not intimidated by all the orange cylindrical objects on course for his first timed lap. Unfortunately, he was up close and personal and met with one of those objects. Zachary was added to a long list of distinguished Cone Killers on his first try. At least, Zachary got his first cone kill out of the way real quick. As the ol’ saying goes, if you’re not hitting or rubbing cones, your driving line is probably way too wide.

This event had a couple of regular Group “X” AZ PCA Region members driving their P-Cars in Group “P”. Only one of the regular stalwart Group “P” Driver was able to get close to the best time of one of the regular Group “X” drivers. Kim K., in his 2016 Porsche GT3 RS, was the closest with his best laptime of 51.249 for taking third place for the Carrera contingent. Eric S., in his 2006 Porsche 997 “Outlaw”, managed to squeeze out a 52.542 second laptime from his second morning lap run, for this event.

The fastest Group “P” driver was Jonathan B., driving his 2017 Porsche Carrera “S”. Jonathan’s best laptime was 50.219 seconds that he achieved on his second afternoon session lap. Actually, Jonathan best morning session laptime of 50.800 would still have been the money run for him. Jonathan was clean on all his lap runs.

The second-best Group “P” driver was Ealing J., in his 2012 Porsche Carrera2 “S”, and his best laptime was 51.165 seconds that he drove on his first afternoon session lap. Ealing also did not hit any cones.

For the Cayman Boxster Contingent of the Group “P” cars, Martin and Jennifer R. were unable to attend this event so that left Kenny M., Eric T., and Eric K. and Scott K., father and son respectively, shooting it out for the Cayman Boxster Contingent. Kenny M., in his 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS drove his best lap on his second morning session lap with 52.471 seconds. Eric T., in his 2014 Cayman S, drove his best lap on his third lap in the morning session with 54.956 seconds.

Following Eric T. was Eric K., in his 2009 Porsche Cayman “S”, and his best laptime was 55.889 seconds and Scott K., drove a 56.586 second laptime in his dad’s P-Car.

While Jonathan and Ealing were playing in Group “P”, Mathias A. was all by his lonesome in Group “X”only to beat himself. Mathias best laptime was 54.656 seconds which he drove on his third lap run in the morning session. At this time, it is unknown if Jonathan and Ealing will run in Group “P” or Group “X” in the next event.

The Top “Guy Cone Killer” for this event was Garry J. Garry managed to accumulate 5 Cone Kills all on one lap run. The AZPCA Region Autocross Archives were checked to ascertain if anyone has ever managed to earn the event top cone killer title from a one lap run. The archives reveal that no one has ever accomplish that title “Top Cone Killer”, from a one lap run. This is an AZPCA Region first and very well could go down in history for a Region Record for a very long time. We shall see.

Joel S., Brad K., and Eric T., each had two cone kills and each driver hit their cones on separate lap runs.

Everyone kept the pointed end pointing downstream for this event. As the season winds down, this writer will be dropping hints as to what will be awarded and the name of this award, to the driver(s) this season that were unable to keep the pointed end pointing in the appropriate direction of travel. As of this writing, there are three candidates for this award/ honor and the season is drawing to an end with only two events remaining.

The logistics in hosting events of this magnitude are enormous and sometimes more than most people can manage and endure without burning themselves out before the end of the season. Volunteer help is so imperative and valuable for these events to prosper season after season. Volunteer help is always welcome not only for setup but, for teardown.

If it wasn’t for a core of dedicated people of devoting their precious time in managing the series with registration, developing the Grid Positions/Worker Assignments, coordinating Speedwaiver, working with the Site Manager, ensuring the equipment is maintained, obtaining the food service provider for each event, designing the courses, obtaining the Event Insurance, maintaining the MSR Registration system, conducting the mandatory Driver’s Safety Meeting, answering important event questions, providing driving instruction to new members, ensuring the courses are safely set up, coordinating a group of volunteers that set up and tear down the courses, we appreciate the efforts of AZPCA Region Autocross Co-Chairs, Rick A. and Kim K., for making these events possible for the enjoyment of all AZPCA Region members.

Additionally, the Autocross Chairs would like wholeheartedly to thank the dedicated core volunteers that also help making these events possible and the best of all PCA and these volunteers are William P. (Assistant Course Designer and Course Setup) and the Setup volunteers Kenny M., Dane T and Jim E.

The Autocross Chair would like to thank the members that help out event after event with the teardown. Those members are Jonathan B., Ealing J., Marc C., Eric S.,

Dave M., and Kenny M. If it wasn’t for the help of all the aforementioned members, the AZPCA Region Autocross Program would not be what it is for the members enjoyment and being the best Autocross Program in PCA second to none.

The Autocross Chair also would like to thank all the members that have come out and supported the AZPCA Region Autocross Program. It is the members that make the program successful.

There was a second event in February that occurred on Saturday, February 25, 2023 and the write up for that event will appear in the April Going Places

The March autocross event is scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2023, at AMP in Litchfield Park, AZ. As of this writing, there are several spots left, do not procrastinate, or you will end up being waitlisted. The deadline to register is Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 6PM (1800 Hours) Arizona Standard Time (AST).

In addition, members are allowed to invite guest(s) to come out and watch you drive your P-Car. You must register your guest(s) with your MSR account. You will need to forward your guest(s) the speedwaiver link for them to complete online prior to the registration deadline.

AZPCA Region members are also eligible to sign up as a volunteer to help with the event. There is no signup fee for being an event volunteer.

AZPCA drivers can also sign up a friend or family member for the “Taste of Autocross” program for a nominal fee of $15.00 and this fee will include a BBQ Lunch provided by the AZ PCA Region. The “Taste of Autocross” will allow them you to get up close to all the action as a passenger.

The Autocross Chairs are available to answer any questions you may have regarding the Autocross Program, rather if it is for being a driver, volunteer, or the “Taste of Autocross” program. They can be contacted by email at autocross@az.pca.org

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, 2023. Do the Germans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Deutschland? “O’ Yes, they do.” The Germans have the largest celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with a parade and festivities of the European continent. They turn Munich “Green” by adorning the streets with green decorations and illuminate the Olympic Tower “Green”, and of course having green colored beverages. If you indulge in the “Green” beverages, please drink responsibly, and don’t drive.