May Velocity Magazine - Issue 23-05

Note from the Editor:

Arrgh...Joe said to look out for turn 13! Next time, listen! ‘nuf said. Charleston Peak was otherwise a hoot, except for a few flag station issues which threw our schedule off a bit. The weather? Couldn’t beat it! The track? Brand new! The competition? As always, awesome!

Check it out here, where Andrew Weyman and Steve Eisler join forces to bring us the action along with Luis Vivar’s photos which always bring our weekend events back to life!

Also, see what Porsche is doing with young prospects and training them into becoming professional racers.

VELOCITY Staff

Editor / Art Director

Don Matz

Contributing Writers

Andrew Weyman

Steve Eisler

Contributing Photographers

Luis Vivar

Andrew Weyman

Ana Predescu

Karen Robinson

Don Matz

POC Board of Directors

John Momeyer President

Scott Craig Treasurer

Nathan Johnson Secretary

Joe Wiederholt VP Motorsports

Dwain Dement Chief Driving Instructor

Eben Benabe Time Trial Director

Steve Town Sponsorship

Jim Salzer PDS Director

Cover Image: Luis Vivar /Don Matz

A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB

https://www.gmgracing.com

714.432.1582

Instagram: @gmgracing / Twitter: @gmgracing / Facebook: TeamGMG

Spring Mountain

Charleston

Charleston Peak

Photo: Don Matz

Peak Performance

Great track. Great event.

Strategies and schemes. Full-tilt-boogie dreams.

Charleston Peak Full Course CW offers 18 corners including two hairpins, negative camber and blind elevation changes that add up to enough challenges for even the most seasoned of drivers.

3.23 miles of F.U.N. fun!

Friday

Friday practice was optional but just like the best way to get to Carnegie Hall, practice is the best (and fastest) way to the podium. Sessions were informative to say the least. We had to refresh our techniques in the sectors we’d driven before and learn the new T11-12-13-14 combo culminating in T15’s in-your-face challenge to make it through without spreading red marbles all over the track; the gift that keeps on giving to drivers spinning and shrinking in your rear-view mirror. There were a good number of offs. There were delays clearing the track and towing a car-or-two back to the paddock. I asked our esteemed Editor, Don Matz, how his day went. “The very first session on Friday I took the car off at turn 13, went straight and bottomed out. There was minimal damage to the front splitter but the impact cracked the bell housing on our transmission. Out for the weekend! (Son) Scott and I became spectators.” Thankfully, others survived.

Photo: Luis Vivar

Saturday – Orange Races

Saturday morning got off to a standing start due to a corner worker dispute. Joe Wiederholt and John Momeyer employed their problem-solving skills and got us back on track as soon as it was safe to do so. I qualified .001 second behind Mark Boschert. I’d be more upset if Mark wasn’t such a good guy. Todd Trimble of Trophy Performance eagerly pitched in with gridding and splitting duties. Both Orange races were shortened from 10 to 8 to 7 laps once actual lap times were determined in practice and qualifying. In Orange Race #1 Trophy Performance drivers Chris Bason and Nick Khilnani led the BSR pack with Anders Hainer finishing 3rd. Khilnani earned fastest lap with a 2:38.896. Kudos to BSR driver Chris MacDuff for an impressive performance, finishing 4th in his class. Aspasia Zouras thoughtfully strategized her game and finished 1st in GT5, soaring through the BSR flock to gain 14 places. Don Kravig and Neal Rouzier finished 2nd and 3rd in GT5. Bob Thacker finished 1st in Carrera Spec followed by Kip Waterhouse. Doug Volder did not run. Randy Bergum was the solo GT7 entry. Herb Cunitz squeaked by me in T3 and went on to pick up another 2 places. Ryder Liu, Aaron Guttman, Dallas Carroll and Marc Kolbe suffered car trouble.

During Orange Race #2, Chris Bason started out front but found himself on an offtrack excursion and never recovered. In later laps, Daniel Rozenblatt went off after T13 sending gravel everywhere. I was behind him along with Justin Daily as my windshield got smashed and a new sheet of dirt was spread on the track. It was a good test of my car handing skills. Joe Wiederholt limped home with 3 inflated tires and one very deflated result. Khilnani finished 1st in BSR with a fastest lap of 2:38.244, followed by Anders Hainer and Riley Giacomazzi. Don Kravig led GT5 with Neal Rouzier and Bill Durant behind. Kip Waterhouse finished 1st in Carrera Spec. Randy Bergum ran solo again in GT7. Ryder Liu (BSR) and Bob Thacker (Carrera Spec) only completed 3 laps due to mechanical miseries.

Photos: Don Matz

Photo: Chet Kolley

Saturday – Red Race

Mike Monsalve in GT1 qualified for the first Red Race with a fastest lap of 2:15.248. The Race was a fast and furious 9 laps. Loren Beggs finished 1st in GT1 with an impressive fastest lap time of 2:14.340. Monsalve finished 2nd followed by Eric Olberz in his number zero GT1 rocket. In GT2, Ana Predescu edged out Razvan Sporea and Bryan Van Noy. Brett Gaviglio took 1st in GT3, with Eben Benade hot on his bumper. James Buck finished 3rd. Phil Town led GT4 followed by Lenny Loftin and PDS Director Jim Salzer.

The Saturday night dinner was all about great food and even better friends. Scott Craig and John Momeyer awarded raffle items from the POC store via the POC Wheel of Fortune. I went home with two POC beer glasses. Chicane racing shoes and Alpine Stars gloves for men and women were donated by Racers Safety Source’s Chris Emory, one of our loyal sponsors. POC jackets and 500 POC bucks were part of the grand prizes. Jim McLaughlin, Katie Shorthill and Aspasia Zouras were the biggest winners. Steve Town thanked each of our sponsors and announced that we raised $3,500 for the Shine-a-Light Foundation in association with Gaudin Porsche, Las Vegas. It was a great evening.

Sunday

A special morning meeting was called for the start of the day for a surprise birthday celebration for photographer Luis Vivar. He was very surprised and very appreciative. Sunday morning sessions were slightly delayed, but we got back on schedule quickly. The schedule was created with an “early out” in mind. Driving home after a racing weekend can be a challenge and not having to navigate through Las Vegas weekend traffic later in the day was a super idea. I got home in time to soak in our hot tub, enjoy a beer in my new POC glass, and have dinner with Terry. Home sweet home.

Photo: Karen Robinson

Photos: Luis Vivar

Sunday – Red Race

Red Race #2 was defined by lots of action. Sporea gave it his best shot to get past Predescu (unsuccessful), and Benade carved his way through heavy traffic. Beggs hard charged 12 places with a fastest lap time of 2:14.363 to finish 7th overall. GT1 podium winners were Monsalve, Jimmy Lorimer, and Olberz. Predescu took 1st in GT2, followed by Sporea and Van Noy, a carbon copy of Saturday’s match-up. In GT3, Gaviglio scored 1st with Benade close behind. Bayan Salehi finished 3rd. It’s always great to see Bayan and his dad, Behr, at the track. GT4 pilots Town, Loftin and Salzer repeated their Saturday performances. Benade had a huge smile on that handsome face of his at impound and was enjoying multiple high-fives from competitors and spectators alike.

Sunday – Orange Race

Orange Race #3 was 7 laps of intense competition. It got off to an odd start for BSR driver Adam Abrahms when a giant moth flew into his cockpit and dive bombed his face multiple times. He swerved. He slowed. From where I was, it looked like he was having car trouble and I appreciated the opportunity to overtake. In Boxster Spec, Hainer beat hometown boys Khilnani and Bason although Bason turned a fastest lap of 2:38.408. They’re all outstanding drivers. Congrats to Hainer for a hard-fought battle. GT5 pilot Zouras finished first in her class (moving up 13 spots), followed by Rouzier and William (Bill) Durant. Carrera Spec driver Waterhouse ran solo, as did Bergum in GT7. I had a great time trying to get by Karen Robinson but she made me work super hard and ultimately stayed out in front. Kravig (GT5) and MacDuff (BSR) both suffered transmission failures and had to retire early.

After driving the Mansell Course at Spring Mountain for several years we got to enjoy the challenges of Charleston Peak for a second time. Although facilities have yet to be completed, it’s a great place to race. Many thanks to Joe Wiederholt, John Momeyer, Scott Craig, the entire Board and band of volunteers for another outstanding POC event.

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photo: Luis Vivar

SimplyAna

ANDREW WEYMAN

Some people refer to her as ‘Little Ana’ because her mom shares the same name and she’s a bit less than tall in stature but there’s nothing little about Ana Predescu. As an Aeroelasticity Engineer working on structural dynamics, spaceships and the dual-fuselage mothership with Virgin Galactic, Ana does not shy away from huge challenges in her career. She’s the same on the race track.

Ana, 25, started karting when she was nine and earned her POC Race License in 2017, at age 19. Ana has literally grown up with the POC having been attending events since she was 6 or 7 years old. She’s seen the club evolve as she’s grown. Her dad, Vali, owner of Vali Motorsports, is an accomplished racer and successful businessman. Ana has always felt his support along with that of her mom, ‘Big Ana,’ who refers to her daughter as ‘the little one.’ To me, she’s simply Ana. She told me that she’s also had the support of many POC members who are active in avionics, especially mentioning Jim Steedman as a generous, knowledgeable mentor. “I’ve watched her grow up, mature and blossom into a confident, personable, supersmart and fun-to-be-with young woman.”

I asked Ana about piloting her GT2 starship at Charleston Peak. “Let’s see, it was a great weekend. We had some issues with the compressor for the gearbox. It was overheating so my dad invented a little cooling system which split the hoses from my cool shirt and wrapped one around the compressor to keep it cool. This ensured that it wouldn’t overheat and allowed me to not have the same shifting issue I had at Arizona.” A nod to Vali for his mad scientist abilities.

Photo: Ana Predescu

It was her first time on the Charleston Peak circuit and Kevin Roush instructed her on Friday. She didn’t get much seat time but rather focused on reviewing data with Kevin and that helped a lot. “It was crazy to be in the passenger seat and see things from that perspective. When Kevin was driving I was like ‘there’s no way I can be this fast’ but… I was by the end of Sunday.” Ana got her fastest lap times with fully corded tires, so “I’m confident I can go even faster next time.”

Ana told me that the race was a lot of fun. “Bryan Van Noy, Razvan Sporea, (both GT2) and the entirety of the Red Group are all great competitors. It’s quite fun when we’re all very close together. Raz and I were on different tire compounds so I always have the advantage early on in the race and he gets the upper hand towards the end. Always a similar battle but makes for a very close race that comes down to the last lap.”

Ana qualified and finished 1st both days. “I came into the weekend a little skeptical on how I would perform. In the end, I just remembered to have fun and enjoy doing what I love and I think that made all the difference.”

Ana finished our talk by saying, “Everyone is so caring. I’ve never felt anything but support from members in the club.” I agree. The POC is chock-full of people from all walks of life who are caring, eager to share their knowledge, and support one another. I‘ve seen the Predescu family in action and they’re a shining example of what we’re all about. Go Ana!

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photo: Luis Vivar

TIME TRIAL AND PERFORMANCE DRIVING SERIES

This was POC’s second visit to the new Charleston Peak track. It was the first time we had run the full 2.32-mile course including the very challenging Turn 12, hairpin. “The track has several significant elevation changes throughout, producing fast blind sweeping sections, and some more technical, fast-changing elevation complexes. This mix of styles, as well as four main straights ranging in length from 1.00 feet to 1,240 feet, produces a unique and challenging course.” The addition of turn 12 made 3 low-speed, second gear turns at the end of a high speed straight on each lap of the track. Many drivers took advantage of a Test and Tune Day on Friday to learn the new track configuration and to adjust their setups.

Twenty-five drivers registered for the Open Passing Time Trials. Many of them were Orange or Red Group drivers getting extra track time to prepare for their races. The Point By Passing, Blue group, had 14 entries which created many opportunities for clear, open laps. The PDS students enjoyed great traffic conditions with only 6 drivers registered.

Photos: Luis Vivar

At the Driver’s Meeting on Friday morning, we were warned about turns 14 and 15 and the possibility of going off track in this area. You approach turn 14 going uphill and believe that the track is continuing straight when, in fact, as you crest the hill, it is turning left. This is complicated by the fact that the following turn was covered with red gravel for the entire weekend. There was a single lane through the turn that was relatively clear, but still caused the car to get loose if you were slightly offline, accelerating, or making steering input. My only spin of the weekend was in this turn. The other challenging corners for me were the three fast entry, low speed turns. I had to work on downshifting to second more smoothly without using the engine to help slow the car, and I was going too slowly through the turn, so I usually lost ground on other cars as we exited the turn. On Friday I started painfully slow, improved in each of 5 sessions and finished the day moderately slow. My goal for Saturday was to break 3 minutes. In the second and third sessions, I was close. In the last session of the day, at 5:00 pm, one of the PDS drivers passed me after turn 15. I decided to follow him, and he pulled me to my best time of the day, 2:58.

Best Point by Passing times for Saturday were: Terry Van Noy, Modified 2, 2:33.893; Angela Avitt, Modified 2, 2:34.859; Kelly Tribolet, GT3, 2:35.772; Colin Benade, Stock 2, 2:38.952; Brian Swift, Stock 4, 2:42.511; Mark Barry, Modified 3, 2:47.022; and Curt Richardson, Modified 3, 2:48.306. The rest of the group recorded times in the 2:50’s and low 3 minutes with significant improvements as the day progressed.

Saturday’s top times for the Open Passing group were: Rennick Palley, GT2, 2:22.548; Mike Avitt, M2, 2:24.868; Jack Apelbaum, M3, 2:28.217; Reuben Raveendran, GT2, 2:28.521; Bob Gartland, GT3, 2:29.361; Brett Lamm, S2, 2:29.613; and Thomas Beyer, M3, 2:30.740.

Sunday was an unusual day. The first two sessions were Split Qualifying for the Red and Orange race groups. There were problems with the schedule and with corner workers. The time for my practice session was changed and then changed back to the original time, so I missed my practice session. Some of the Green group drivers had the same problem. Both the Red and Orange groups had races in the morning and were done by 11:45. As the paddock area began to clear, only the TT and the PDS groups were left to keep the track active after lunch. Groups were combined on the fly and in the Results on Race Hero showed just 4 run groups instead of the 7 groups on the schedule. It seemed that you could run just about any time you wanted to! I went out at 1:00 pm for my first session of the day and was pleased with a nice time drop to 2:55.267.

Other improvements on Sunday were posted by: Terry Van Noy, 2:33.743; Kelly Tribolet, 2:35.343; Mark Barry, 2:37.614; Brian Swift, 2:40.192; Curt Richardson; and CR Dutch in a GT3 who recorded his best time of 2:29.593. I tried to run in the last group of the day which started shortly after my previous run, but I was tired and started making mistakes, so I called it a day and came in early. The Race Hero results show just 4 drivers recording times in the last run group. Since Official results were not available yet, I did not get results based upon class. If I missed anyone with a faster time than those listed or didn’t show your best time, please accept my apology.

In conclusion, I drove 11 sessions, over 200 miles, and gained a lot of confidence on a new track. It was well worth the 500-mile drive to the track. The Holiday Inn Express is a great place to stay, but the casinos leave much to be desired. A tip for your next trip to Spring Mountain, if you take the Lenwood exit in Barstow, there is an excellent Oggi’s Pizza restaurant where you can get lunch or a pizza to take to Pahrump for dinner!

POC will be at the Streets of Willow track on June 4th and 5th, our last event before the summer break. There will not be any Red or Orange race groups so the TT and PDS drivers will get a lot of track time. Streets is a great place for new Porsche owners to learn car control and how to safely handle your car at speed. Sign up for the PDS group which provides a trained instructor in your car for the entire 2 days.

On Saturday, May 13, I had a conversation with long time POC racer, former PDS Chairman, and Current Velocity Editor, Don Matz. He related a personal racing experience with a lesson that every race car driver, competitive athlete, or person in a high stress position should hear.

About 15 years ago I was sitting in an early morning drivers meeting at Willow Springs. I was scheduled to go out with the Orange run group in the first run session and was anxious to get onto the track. When the meeting ended I ran to my car, put on my helmet, got in, buckled up and was about to pull out when I realized I hadn’t checked my tire pressures. In frustration, I unbuckled myself and crawled out of the car. I had just purchased new tires and the wahoo who mounted them put 40 lbs in each tire. With my Mickey Mouse gauge, letting air out seemed to take forever. I heard the cars in my run group going out onto the track (more anxious, now). Finally, I got the pressures to where I wanted them. I jumped back in the car and began buckling and driving at the same time toward the starter. When I finally got there, I was given the go-ahead. I wanted to get up to speed quickly so I decided to begin scrubbing my tires and immediately did a 270 degree spin into the wall before I even made it out onto the track. The track was cold. My tires were new. Rushing got me a split rear bumper. It was December and the Racers Clinic was taking place in the upper room. I made the decision to go up there and report my idiotic move before someone else did. Basically, I told the class always to expect the unexpected and “Never rush onto the track without being prepared.” I left that crack in my bumper for 10 years as a reminder.

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

At Vali Motorsports in Corona California we offer everything needed to get to the track, be competitive and win races. We cater to anyone from entry level drivers starting out in PDS all the way to experienced club racers. Our focus is to provide the best possible outcome for our customers with safety, affordability, and reliance being of high priority. We make certain our drivers are able to compete to the best of their ability by providing full track support, storage, race prep and maintenance programs. We are in the business of making sure our customers can focus on what the pros do, be at every race and win championships!!

“Master Tech Tyson Schmidt with Over 25 Years of Porsche Experience”

Porsche News

PORSCHE Motorsport

The future of motorsports begins with our talented youngsters. A principle Porsche has adhered to since 1997.

Training talented youngsters to become professional racing drivers

The Junior Team rapidly developed into an important young talent school for Porsche works drivers. Or, more precisely: for credible brand ambassadors of one of the world’s most successful sports car builders.

Motorsport Junior Programme

With names such as Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Patrick Long, Michael Christensen, Earl Bamber, Matt Campbell or Thomas Preining. All of them onetime Porsche Junior alums who made it to works driver status. Even the all-time greats of motorsport Dirk Müller, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller started their careers in the Junior Team.

The Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme follows a single goal: training talented youngsters to become professional racing drivers. Click the photos below to see for yourself.

Now you can order your favorite POC garments and other specialty items “Online” simply by clicking on any one of the above photos!

A

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genuine adventure committed to the betterment of the Race Car Drivers safety. Since 1970 Stand 21 has continuously delivered advanced technical innovations and safety improvements in products that are exceptionally efficient and comfortable.

SIMRACING 5Season Results

Jan 2 Magny-Cours

Jan 16 Hockenheim

Jan 30 Rudskogen

Feb 13 Road America

Feb 27 Sebring

Mar 13 SPA

(90 Minutes / 2X Points)

Mar 27 Mid-Ohio

Apr 10 Watkins Glen

(90 Minutes)

Apr 24 Long Beach

May 8 Fuji

May 22 Suzuka

(2X Points)

Jun 5 Motegi

All club members with track experience or online sim racing experience are invited to participate – however, you will need an iRacing Membership and a simulator.

Fuji

Suzuka

SIMRACING

Start getting your team together...more to come!