Equipe Rapide Autocross Series: 2023

by Mark Schnoerr, Region Autocross

Equipe Rapide Sports Car Club (www.autocross.com) is Maverick Region’s Autocross connection! The first Autocross event of 2023 was a Pro-Solo style dual course layout. This uses a drag race-style simultaneous twocar start where reaction time and 60-foot times really matter. Each competitor got six runs on each side and the single best clean time from each side was added together to determine the results. With over 125 drivers and 12 runs each, there were more than 750 exciting side-by-side races starting just 20 seconds apart. There were 15 Porsche drivers entered in the Porsche and SCCA classes consisting of 914s, air and water cooled 911s, a 944, a Boxster, and a bunch of Caymans.

Fastest combined time of the day was a battle between Todd Briley in his new-to-him 2.5 liter Turbo 718 Cayman GTS and a C8 Corvette, both with PDK-type transmissions. These two cars accelerate out of autocross turns so hard you can physically see their incredible acceleration. The combined difference came down to just 0.032 seconds.

Our annual Autocross School March 18 is sold out again! We do instruct and coach at all events. Full results, schedules, and details of the next nine events can be found at www.autocross.com. Contact me for questions, classing information or details at AX@MAVPCA.ORG

Each year, we review, and update if needed, the Equipe Rapide autocross classes for Porsches. Since many of our participants also run some of the other 40 autocross events in North Texas, we try to keep our preparation and groupings consistent with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) groupings and Performance Index (PAX), the handicapping system that is updated annually based on results from all over the country. This PAX INDEX also makes it possible to compare results across all classes.

For 2023, we still have our own Porsche Classes, built into the SCCA model used by our autocross host, Equipe Rapide Sports Car Club (https://autocross.com). This year’s classes are very similar to 2022, except the big Porsche Taycan remains in P3 and the Panamera has moved to P-0. The first 7 classes below are limited to Street Tires with a Treadwear Rating of 200 or higher.

PV is the Vintage Porsche class for all street-legal 356 and 912 Porsches.

PH is the Heritage Classic Street class, parallel to the SCCA HCS class. All street legal 914 and all 911 to 1973 and 2.4 liters, both with up to 7-inch wide wheels fit here.

P0 is unchanged and is for all our four-door SUV and Panamera models.

P1 is for all the front-engine transaxle cars and 1974 – 1989 911 all, All 924, 944, 968, and 928’s.

P2 is for the 1990 – 2012 911 all, 1990-2009 911 Turbo, 19972016 Boxster and Cayman all.

P3 is for the 2017 – 2023 Boxster and Cayman 718 all, 20042012 GT3, 2012-2023 991/992 (not including S or GTS), and 2005-2012 911 S, GTS, and 911 Speedster. The Taycan has been moved here for 2023 also.

P4 is for 2010-2023 911 Turbo, 2013-2023 991/992 S and GTS.

P5 is for modified or not-otherwise-classified (NOC) street legal cars, any DOT Tires, current street registration, race seats, coil overs, other performance mods, also e 20132023 911 Speedster, 911 R, GT3, GT3 RS, GT2, GT2 RS, and Carrera GT, 918 Spyder, etc.

P6 is for all race cars or non-street legal Porsches. We get some club race cars and Spec Boxster race cars that fit here.