Autocross Update
Steve Kidd, Autocross Chair
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any of you who follow GCR’s AutoX program are as disappointed as I was about having to cancel our April AX at BBT. We had patiently waited over 2 years for a return, networking every few months and hoping for break. We were able to navigate thru several obstacles including a significant price increase. However, one challenge that could not be overcome was BBT’s revision to the contract that provided for a security deposit equal to the lot rental and unilateral call as to damage with no cap for things as minor as skid marks. We left with a positive outlook that hopefully things might revert to the contract we used for many years. This brings us back to the quest of finding 1 or 2 reasonably priced, centrally located AutoX sites. We have several new leads provided by members and hoping that at least one pans out. Good news for our Miami members....one site is in Central Dade and the other in North Dade. Please keep the site referrals coming and always provide a point of contact and hopefully an IN to someone who is understanding of what we do. In the mean time, we still partner with Suncoast Region when they do DE’s at Sebring and hope to again utilize FAU when the site is no longer utilized as a COVID testing location. Another timely AutoX topic is the Autocross at this year’s parade in French Lick, Indiana. As some of you know, this is the Super Bowl of Porsche club autocross, where in past years the best of the best compete for great trophies and bragging rights. The Stock Classes seem to have the most entries, while the fastest times are in the improved and modified classes. The Parade AutoX will again be held at the French Lick airport and promises to be easier to navigate than the last AutoX at French Lick in 2015. If you plan to go to Parade in 2021 and want more info on the AutoX, please feel free to give me a call and hopefully I’ll be able to answer your questions. If you are going to parade, please make sure you class your car correctly as protests are quite common. Even if you make an honest mistake, a protest could strip you of a potential trophy if it is upheld. When you check in/register on the 1st day of parade, please feel free to ask the autoX folks for help as this will be the last opportunity to make a class change. Also you will be encouraged to visit the AX site on Tuesday before the competition starts for a guided course walk.. Another thing about Parade AutoX... Make sure your car is in tip top condition because the tech inspection is very thorough...but don’t worry. They give you a copy of what they will be looking at in advance so you can properly prepare your car. Last time PCA had a Parade it was the 2019 Parade in Boca Raton. GCR did quite well in the AutoX and took home lots of trophies, including Fastest Time of the Day (FTD), by our very own Rad Delgado in his modified GT3RS. This is not the 1st time a GCR member has grabbed Men’s or Ladies FTD at a Porsche Parade, and certainly not the 1st time GCR has taken a good number of AutoX trophies. If a miracle were to happen, we would love to have an AutoX in late June at an airport like Buckingham to help prepare for the parade, however the likelihood of that happening is remote. Tentative AX schedule for the remainder of 2021 AX school for 1st time autocrossers May 22 . Event #3 5/22/2021 @Sebring: Very similar to event #1. Summer break Event #4 9/11/2021 @ Sebring or ??? Event #5 10/09/2021 @ Sebring or ??? Event #6 Tentative Mid November. Location TBA Event #7 Tentative early December possibly FAU or ??? Most of the above dates & sites are subject to change due to weather, availability and factors beyond our control. News, reminders and 2021 updates: Everyone is now required to pre-register for any AutoX on Clubregistration.net. Please consult the GCR website and Kassette for all Autocross photos & results. Porsche classes are loosely based on the PCR’s for medium size regions, with minor regional adjustments. The major difference will be the addition of SN (stock car/novice driver) for men and ladies. These classes are strictly for newcomers only. Please see Steve for any car class questions or if you wish to run as a novice. We reserve the right to make additional class/rule changes as needed. Our 2021 series is planned to be 5-7 events, depending on site eligibility. To be eligible for an end of the year award, competitors must run in over half the events in the same class. Each competitor’s top finishes will be calculated and an end of the year class champion and possibly runner-up (depending on class size) will be chosen. In case of a tie, additional events will be added until the tie is broken. Year-end class champion awards may be presented. No passengers except for an approved AX instructor driving or in the car instructing. Again, please remember to be Covid-19 conscious ie, waivers, social distancing, masks and sanitizing, etc. Questions? call Steve or Dottie Kidd 954-946-3196
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Die Porsche
Kassette | Jun 2021
