Rain, Fog, and Lakes

from March Velocity Magazine - Issue 23-03

by Porsche Owners Club

Pets in the Paddock

Buttonwillow

Photo: Luis Vivar

February ‘23

Rain, Fog, and Lakes

by Steve Town

Welcome to Buttonwillow POC in 2023! The 2-year gap to running Buttonwillow clockwise (CW) meant that many drivers planned on Friday practice, and it was going to be well attended. Was going to be, until Mother Nature with her wet, cool winter of 2023 reminded us that she’s still present. The rain Friday in the greater Bakersfield area started early and kept up until mid day, so given the Friday conditions and expectation of a dry Saturday and Sunday, most drivers either stayed off the track or put in just a few laps in the afternoon.

Have you ever had that sinking feeling at a race track? No, I’m not referring to a rough session, a car or a tire(s) problem. I’m referring to Lake(s) Buttonwillow. I can’t recall ever seeing a track with “lakes” (ok ponds) on the edge of a race track, but let’s just say, Buttonwillow was not designed with rain drainage in mind. It holds water like we’d like all SoCal reservoirs to. And a multi-day Buttonwillow rain will hold your few-inches-off-the-ground race car or street car too.

In the driver’s meeting, Joe Wiederholt made it a point to address the conditions just off the track surface. In short, if you go off, you’re very very likely not coming back on the track until the tow arrives. This was definitely a “you better have a tow hook on your car” weekend. And nobody wanted to shut down a session or race going off into the Buttonwillow swamps and invoke a 4x4 mudders session.

GT1 front runners, Mike Monsalve and Alexandra Hainer

Back in the paddock, I noticed some big RV’s. Having RV’d to Buttonwillow numerous times I was wondering how some of the class A’s were doing over in the camp sections without concrete pads. It turns out all was fine by Sunday but Friday evening and Saturday morning I was starting to wonder just how big a tow would be needed to get a 35,000 lb motorhome out of the bog. Thankfully, Sunday sun showed up, while not hot in temperature, that good old desert “heat” was felt by all.

One of the things over time you look for on race weekends is track records, and whether anyone really puts down a special qualifying or race lap. This year at CW BWR, the track records were safe in the Orange and Red racers groups. The combination of the weekend factors left the Orange and Red racers looking to the future for track record attempts. A rain-out Friday and so little or no practice after not being on the CW circuit for 2 years made record breaking impossible. Saturday morning fog left the track slippery for the balance of the morning. In the afternoon BSR race, mid-race rain slowed the field, and by Sunday afternoon with good conditions, tires had been used up by all the prior qualifying and race(s). However, we don’t need track records for good wheel-to-wheel racing, and that we had.

Lets start with the BSR Orange group, and another big field. Thirty-three Boxster specs lined up Saturday, just shy of the POC field record from a recent Willow Springs event. I have a feeling we’re going to have a 35-car field soon, and break 40 at some point with the momentum of the BSR car class. That will definitely set the bar out of reach for any spec Boxster race on the west coast. Only a huge Watkins Glen or Road America PCA field would come close or measure up.

For the weekend, Anders Hainer ran the table of all 3 races, which isn’t too surprising, frankly. Well done Anders. While there were racers nipping at Anders’ bumper through the weekend, not in race 1 Saturday. Anders ran away with this one, while Dallas Carroll slipped by Chris MacDuff for 2nd, with Chris holding off

Photo: Luis Vivar

Riley Giacomazzi just at the line, and Satakal Khalsa rounding out the top 5.

Saturday race 2 was cut short by spins off the track, thankfully no significant damage, but given the conditions just off the track surface, cars were quickly disabled and could not move in the water or mud. This led to a too-slowly executed double yellow, then a black flag. On the restart Riley Giacomazzi, who started P5, kept close to Anders Hainer’s bumper, but Ander’s took the win, and Chris MacDuff again nabbed a podium. Dallas Carroll ran a close 4th, with Joe Wiederholt 5th. Sunday race 3...

Anders Hainer and Satakal Khalsa were the class of the field in qualifying and then in a close race, Anders took the win by 1.2 seconds. Chris MacDuff knocked off his triple crown of podiums in all 3 races with a 3rd place in this race. Dallas Carroll and Joe Wiederholt rounded out the top 5.

Congratulations and welcome Satakal to the top of the 2023 POC BSR group. He is immediately taking it to the field and pushing the top 5 racers hard. Given the Sunday afternoon results a race win may not be far off, as with several of these guys. Although I think Anders will have an opinion on that!

In the Orange race, the GT5 and GT7 fields were small, but ran competitively. In GT5, the 3-cars that are battling each race, charged through the BSR field. Aspasia Zouras had a big weekend, winning all three races. Congrats

Aspasia who, along with husband

Chris, took home podiums in all their races over the weekend! Hambis

Charalambous took 2nd in race 1, with Don Kravig 3rd. Hambis and Don changed finishing positions in the 2nd race, with Don running very close to Aspasia...less than a second at the finish line. In race 3 on Sunday, Don ran 2nd, while Hambis had car problems and did not start.

Photos: Luis Vivar

In GT7, a two car field of John Adams and Randy Bergum raced hard, with Randy winning race 1, and John taking race 2 and 3.

In the GT fields, there were also close races. Black pavement brake zones (into Star Mazda), and an attempt at challenging the physics of running 2 GT3 cars flat out through the esses just didn’t work.

The GT1 cars had some very fast and close racing. In race one the top 2, again, were Mike Monsalve and Alexandra Hainer, with Dan Aspesi 3rd. This top driving trio of long-time POC racers finished 1.6 seconds first through third, racing hard and pushing each other as they often do. It’s always an impressive sight seeing late model Cup Cars running a tight race, with passing being a supreme challenge for all. In the second GT1 race, Mike pulled away from Alexandra, this time by 8.5 seconds, with Dan running 3rd.

In GT2 race 1, Ana Predescu ran away with it after Razvan Sporea had an issue exiting the last turn and made the save of the weekend, catching a spin that looked like potential serious damage – great catch Raz! Roland Schmidt was 2nd and Paul Barnes 3rd. In the second GT2 race, Ana and Razvan went wire-to-wire, with Ana just barely taking it by half a second. Roland took 3rd, for a good double-podium weekend. Congrats, Roland.

In the GT3 series, again the largest of the GT fields, Duane Selby continued his last 3-race weekend dominance, winning both races comfortably. Congrats Duane on this 6-race run! In race 1, Eben Benade just held off James Buck by three tenths to finish 2nd with James in 3rd. In race 2 Brad Keegan ran a strong 2nd place, with James Buck 3rd.

In the GT4 races, Jim Salzer, Jim Steedman and Tom Stone again worked a competitive race weekend between the 3 of them. On Saturday, Jim Salzer got

Photos: Luis Vivar

the win, Tom 2nd and Jim Steedman running 3rd with some car issues. In the Sunday afternoon race Jim Steedman came back and pulled off the win in a close and well-raced competition. Tom ran 2nd and Jim Salzer 3rd. All three drivers ran very similar lap times and again showed how close the podium places are in GT4 with these 3 drivers.

In the Blue Time Trial group, Point-by Passing, a track record was set by Stephen McClure in the Stock 4 classification. His 2:13.28 bested the old record of 2:17.77. Congrats Stephen.

In the Green Time Trial group, Open Passing, there was another fine lap set, and a record for Modified 3 at Buttonwillow CW, by Roth Desko. Roth ran a 2:04.027. That’s not all. In the “tough luck run” of the TT group, Gerrit Wesseling also set what was a record for Modified 3 at 2:04.2, only for Roth to be slightly quicker. What is remarkable is that these times were both set in the same session, Sunday morning in the “warmup.” Both drivers went on to beat the original record again later on Sunday, but just 10ths off of their morning record times. Well done gentlemen. Craig Booth held the prior record at 2:04.353...Very close TT’s in Modified 3.

It never ceases to amaze me how much happens during race weekend, on and off the track. It’s a wonderful spectacle of race and street cars with drivers all pushing themselves to win, get a top placing, improve, set personal bests, or just get started in this remarkable “hobby.” It would surprise me if anyone drives home Sunday evening thinking anything but: how time flies, surprises happen (good and bad), game plan has to change, goals revised...and yet feel thrilled about it all. It’s a helluva ride, so to speak, for all of us.

Lastly, join me in sending Danna Van Noy well wishes as she recovers from an unfortunate accident in the paddock. All our best Danna for a speedy and healthy recovery, and that you and Bryan are back soon.

See you at the track!

Steve