Velocity
October 2023 / Issue 23-10
A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB
The
TRIBUTE 1
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PAT R I C K D E M P S E Y
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© 2023 | Porsche Design of America, Inc.
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Velocity
A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB
October 2023 / Issue 23-10
Note from the Editor:
VELOCITY Staff Editor / Art Director Don Matz
It was a bit warm but, what a great weekend at Willow for this year’s running of our Tribute to Le Mans. Although the race was only two and a half hours long, there was plenty of wheel-to-wheel action and lots of time left in the day for revelry, POC-style. Read (and see) about it in Chet Kolley’s article along with Andrew Weyman’s interesting Iron man interview. And, Brett Gaviglio’s article proves how patience and persistence finally pays off.
Contributing Writers Andrew Weyman Chet Kolley Steve Eisler Steve Town Brett Gaviglio
Contributing Photographers
Don
Luis Vivar Andrew Weyman Karen Robinson Steve Eisler Chet Kolley Don Matz
In This Issue:
POC Board of Directors
Steve Eisler reports from Rennsport Reunion 7 and also covers TIme Trials while our other Steve (Town) Interviews driver & POC sponsor, Darin Moore of Sunset Mortgage. All this and more in your October ‘23 issue of Velocity.
Tribute to Le Mans weekend.......................... 6 2 Cars 5 Years Later...................................... 14 Willow Time Trial........................................... 40 Crazed Iron Man........................................... 46 Sunset Mortgage, Sponsor............................ 52 Rennsport VI................................................. 58 What’s New from Porsche............................. 68 POC Store..................................................... 70 SIM Racing................................................... 72 Upcoming Events.......................................... 78
John Momeyer Scott Craig Jim Salzer Joe Wiederholt Dwain Dement Eben Benabe Steve Town
The new 911 GT3 R rennsport
President Treasurer Secretary / PDS Director VP Motorsports Chief Driving Instructor Time Trial Director Sponsorship
Cover photo: Luis Vivar
www.PorscheClub.com 3
https://www.gmgracing.com 714.432.1582 Instagram: @gmgracing / Twitter: @gmgracing / Facebook: TeamGMG
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
g n i g n i r B t a e H e th Image: Don Matz
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by: CHET KOLLEY
It’s become quite the running joke about Joe Wiederholt, our Motorsports Director, bringing a heat wave to the track, but it happened again with a nearly 30 degree increase over the prior weekend at Willow Springs, making it seem more like some August weekend at ACS than Oktoberfest at Willow! By Friday afternoon, the temps were pushing mid-90s as a sign of things to come for the weekend. It wouldn’t be so hot though, that track records weren’t challenged or broken, but more about that later... However, a combination of heat, hard racing, and perhaps not enough cure time on the new surface created a few worsening rough patches on the track throughout the weekend. Some people had issues with the bumps into Turn 1, but generally, the rough patches at the turn in for Turn 3 and on the entry line for Turn 5 seemed more problematic and appeared to worsen a bit with each session. 7
2023 Tribute to Le Mans Saturday Cup Races This being Tribute to Le Mans weekend, the Orange and Red Cup Races were held earlier in the day, but that meant the Tribute itself would get the green flag pretty much at peak heat. Shortly after the drivers’ meeting we were treated to Dwain Dement taking off into the infield with Beck on his cart to chase away a pack of wild dogs. Fortunately, the dogs cooperated and left us to our fun without any delay. On to the race action... In the Red Cup qualifying, Duane Selby set a new GT3 class track record with a blazing lap of 1:21.789! Mike Monsalve took the overall win as well as the top step of GT1 by 0.904s ahead of Eric Olberz who set the fast lap of the race at 1:19.501. Jimmy Lorimer took third place in GT1. Razvan Sporea won GT2 followed by Travis McElvaney and Tom Mueller. The growing GT3 class, now just second in number behind the massive BSR class, was typically competitive with battles across the field of ten. Eban Benade nipped Duane Selby for the win with Brett Gaviglio taking third. Darin Moore won the battle of the Club Sports at seventh in class. In GT4, Jim Salzer took the win with Jim Steadman in second and me, Chet Kolley, in third. In the Orange Cup Race, the incredibly competitive BSR class did not disappoint once again. The top two of Mark Polunin and Chris MacDuff took the checker just as they qualified with Ryan Moore taking the third spot on the podium. Riley Giacomazzi moved up an incredible 16 places to just miss the podium in fourth. At the finish there were 18 BSR’s still on the lead lap. What a class! Aspasia Zouras took the win in GT5 followed by Don Kravig and Neal Rouzier. Ted Frech took the checker in GT7 followed by Randy Bergum.
Photos: Luis Vivar
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Tribute to Le Mans By the time cars were gridding up for the start of the Tribute to Le Mans, the air temperature was in the low 90s. Nine teams and three ‘iron men’ were entered in this year’s endurance classic. Teams of three drivers who are driving their own cars compete over 2.5 hours in a handicapped race in which teams are assessed a hold time depending upon the class of the cars in the team. The higher the class, the longer the hold time between stints. This Tribute race was interesting and fun to watch as the low handicap team of Alex and Paul FIlsinger and Chris MacDuff (Filsinger/Filsinger/MacDuff) had the lead for a
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans good part of the race with high handicap teams of John Momeyer, Chris Walsh, and Duane Selby (Momeyer/Walsh/Selby) and Dwain Dement, Jim Salzer, and Eben Benade (Dement/Salzer/Benade) chasing. As the clock ticked down, the drama increased as the handicap system brought the top several teams into tight competition. An interesting twist was that Jim Salzer’s car suffered from a leak in its PDK cooler that caused him to retire early, which forced Eben Benade to start the team’s final stint early. Jim got flagged for fluid coming from his car. He radioed to the crew who verified that something was leaking. When a BSR trailing Jim into Turn 1 almost lost it in the slippery surface, Jim had to come in. He couldn’t have stayed out much longer due to rapidly elevating temps. So Eben went out early, and he was able to chase down Chris MacDuff and take first for Dement/Salzer/Benade with a little over a third of the race left. But would he have enough fuel to finish, and what about the handicap now that Eben in a GT3 car was effectively taking Jim’s GT4 place? And could Duane Selby catch up with him before he also ran low on fuel or simply ran out of time? As the laps clicked by Eban slowed down to conserve fuel, since a stop would put them out of the race for the win and possibly off the podium. Duane was catching Eban, but at some point, he too had to conserve fuel. At the timed end of the race, Eban was just over a half a lap ahead of Duane, but a correction to the hold time due to Eban’s extended stint put Duane ahead by 36 seconds! Everyone seemed comfortable with a fair decision that was within the spirit of the rules and sportsmanship of our Club. What an exciting finish to another great Tribute. The final results were Momeyer/Walsh/Selby in first, Dement/Salzer/Benade in second, and Filsinger/Filsinger/MacDuff in third. Another part of Tribute story is the ‘ironmen’ who drive the Tribute solo. This year we had 3 racers take this unique challenge with Andrew Weyman coming out on top. This was Andrew’s sixth Tribute with two prior podium finishes. This year he ‘just decided to try it’ solo. His primary preparation was mental – envisioning himself taking the checker, and not giving up until that happened. The solo drivers are required to take a pit stop and to fuel. He also needed to bleed some air from his tires to reduce the pressure. The fueling took longer than the required hold time, and that was Andrew’s only stop. The only hitch along the way was that the mouthpiece came disconnected from his drink tube during the race, and for a few laps until he was able to gather it up, the disconnected tube would spray water + electrolytes all over him and the car whenever he broke hard or turned. All in all, a hugely rewarding experience as he completed that drive to the checker that he had visualized! 10
Photos: Luis Vivar11
2023 Tribute to Le Mans Sunday Cup Races Sunday brought a bunch of happy but tired faces to the grid. The Tribute was a blast, but that on top of the normal races took a lot out of cars and people, and an extended party into Saturday night at Dwain’s place and then the paddock put the finishing touches on long, hard, fabulous day. Loren Beggs took the overall win in the Red Cup Race in his fabulous 992 as well as the GT1 top step and the fastest race lap of the weekend at 1:19.326. Loren started on pole alongside Mike Monsalve, who took the lead on the first lap and held it thru three laps. Loren got past Mike on the fourth lap and held the lead for the duration. Mike finished second and Eric Olberz took the third spot. All three turned times ~1:20 throughout the race. Razvan Sporea had a repeat win in GT2 with Travis McElvany second and John Heldman in third. The GT4 guys had quite a competitive race; they were close throughout the race while mixing with GT2 and GT3 cars and finished within 2.177s first to third with Jim Salzer taking another win followed by Jim Steadman and Chet Kolley. Jim and Chet passed each other 3 times on the last two hard fought laps Once again, the Orange Cup Race was a hard-fought battle with 13 cars on the lead lap at the checker and the top 3 separated by 3 seconds. As on Saturday, Mark Polunin took the top step on the podium with Ryan Moore and Chris MacDuff switching places with Ryan second and Chris third, who also had fastest lap at 1:33.308. GT5 was a repeat of Saturday with Aspasia Zouras, Don Kravig, and Neal Rouzier finishing first thru third respectively. In GT7, Ted Frech took the win followed by Randy Bergum in second and Glenwood Gum in third. Looking forward to our next race in the desert of Chuckwalla Valley. I wonder what the weather will bring...
Photos: Luis Vivar 12
r a e W lue: B r e b m e m e R o t Run
STEVE TOWN
In the last two Velocity editions we highlighted Wear Blue Run to honor the organization with articles about it’s founder, it’s mission, and also those involved helping Wear Blue to expand it’s reach. Chris Walsh, founder and race car driver drove at our Tribute weekend. Chris drove one sprint race (unfortunately having car trouble in the first lap) and was a member of the winning relay team along with John Momeyer and Duane Selby. Also over the weekend, Melynda Weaver, Director of Wear Blue Development was available to meet and chat with in the paddock. The POC will also host Wear Blue at our annual banquet with a fundraiser chriswalsh.racing@gmail.com melynda.weaver@wearblueruntoremember.org Director of Development
in support of the Wear Blue programs for families of fallen soldiers. Founded over 10 years ago, Wear Blue fundraises money to support family members of fallen soldiers (called Gold Star families) through 6 programs. The nationwide reach of Wear Blue is based on running programs that best provide emotional and physical support for all family members of fallen soldiers. More information will be provided in Velocity next month and is also available at the Wear Blue website: wearblueruntoremember.org. Your Board of Directors hopes you’ll join us by looking into Wear Blue and supporting it’s efforts. Wear Blue: Run to Remember PO Box 65254 University Place, WA.
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
2 CARS, 5 YEARS LA BRETT GAVIGLIO
After watching two of the GT3 competition go lap record status on Saturday (into the 1:21s!) and drive perfect races. It was a bit of a stretch to think something that has never happened was going to happen Sunday. I’ve always been a good half second or more off the leaders pace at this track. As Dumb and Dumber character Lloyd Christmas said…”so you’re telling me there is a chance!” Sunday being a new day qual in the 1:22s head down bummed. Not good enough. Crew chief Bobby Lee Litchfield casually says you are qualified 2nd front of Selby as I get out of the car. Perhaps it was all that champagne and jumping around Saturday night… Only took 2 cars and 5 years of trying to win exactly one GT3 race at WSIR! These guys are really really really good. Eben got the jump but held the inside of T1... I crept #70 up the inside in T2. As I pull in front exiting turn 2, at over 110, my mirrors are blasted with the high beams of both guys. Nice. It was an adjustment to not stare at the lights back there. Managed well until we caught traffic by lap 7 and Selby pounced and took the lead but had cooked his tires by lap 9. There we three were: Red, White and Blue Vision cars all different running inside one second of each other for 15 laps with James Buck, Alex Filsinger and Darin Moore close behind as we wove thru that ribbon of 9 turns. Selby pushed it a bit hard into 3 on lap 9, bobbled and gave up the lead to collect the car. Eben swapped into 2nd. Eben was close enough to fill my mirror and finished under 1 second back at the checker, with Selby and those damned high beams filling Ebens mirrors. It was a Sunday to remember. And i cherish the effort it took to do it just once.
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LATER Photo: Karen Robinson
Photo: Luis Vivar 15
2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
Through my lens LUIS V I VAR
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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E G N A R O R
D E R & E S
R E C A R
Image: Luis Vivar / Don Matz
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
Time Trial Results
Photos: Luis Vivar
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STEVE EISLER
The Tribute to Le Mans weekend at Big Willow came just 4 days after we returned from Rennsport. If I was going to Test and Tune on Friday, that would give us just 2 days to unpack, repack, load the trailer and leave. Sometimes, you just can’t do all the things you really want to do! As it turned out, not registering was a good decision because Kathy got a terrible cough at Rennsport and is still recovering. Fortunately, John Momeyer still sent me the list of the results and I can share them with all active and prospective Time Trial drivers. October 7 an 8 was a busy weekend featuring the Tribute to Le Mans Enduro, two Orange Cup races, 2 Red Cup races, and 8 sessions for Open and Point by Time Trials. On Saturday there were 13 Open Passing drivers and 8 in the Point By group. The fastest times in the Open Passing group were Mike Avitt, Modified 2, 1:25.146, Jack Apelbaum, Modified 3, 1:28.904, and Roberto Spadaro, GT1, 1:28.940. the only other Open Passing time under 1:30 was done by Nathan Apelbaum in Modified 2 who did a 1:29.640.
SATURDAY 1
Mick Yanoschak Jr
Boxter Spec
01:36.919
2
Kirk Fertitta
Boxter Spec
01:37.438
3
William Kolbe
Boxter Spec
01:39.771
1
Roberto Spadaro
GT1
01:28.940
1
Kelly Tribolet
GT3
01:27.546
2
Reegan Filsinger
GT3
01:32.817
1
Roy Stone
GT4
01:34.479
2
Mike Quigley
GT4
01:37.696
1
Carolyn Rouzier
GT5
01:36.122
1
Mike Avitt
Modified 2
01:25.146
2
Nathan Apelbaum
Modified 2
01:29.640
1
Jack Apelbaum
Modified 3
01:28.904
2
Noah Kramer
Modified 3
01:34.256
3
Steve Nollau
Modified 3
01:39.855
1
Vivek Hazari
Modified 4
01:35.528
2
Dave Bent
Modified 4
01:41.921
3
Steve Hearst
Modified 4
01:47.980
1
Bruce Blockus
Prototype
01:32.536
1
Blancy Adams
Stock 3
01:41.635
SUNDAY 1
Kirk Fertitta
Boxter Spec
01:37.181
2
Mick Yanoschak Jr
Boxter Spec
01:37.268
3
Georgio Adams
Boxter Spec
01:38.099
1
Roberto Spadaro
GT1
01:27.958
1
Kelly Tribolet
GT3
01:30.105
On Sunday, the number of entries was lower, and the times were generally slower. TTOD was Mike Avitt in the Open Passing group with a time of 1:25.239. He was followed by Jim Hall II, Modified 2, 1:27.565, Roberto Spadaro, 1:27.958, and Jack Aplebaum, 1:29.647. Kelly Tribolet was first in Point By Passing, 1:30.105, second was Mathew Welch, Modified 2, 1:36.852, followed by Kirk Fertitta, 1:37.181, and Mike Quigley, GT4, 1:37.368.
1
Mike Quigley
GT4
01:37.368
2
Roy Stone
GT4
01:39.534
1
Carolyn Rouzier
GT5
01:33.642
1
Mike Avitt
Modified 2
01:25.239
2 3
Jim Hall II Nathan Apelbaum
Modified 2 Modified 2
01:27.565 01:31.209
1
Jack Apelbaum
Modified 3
01:29.647
2
Steve Nollau
Modified 3
01:38.063
1
Vivek Hazari
Modified 4
01:33.681
In the charts to the right are the top three finishers in each Class for Saturday and Sunday:
2
Dave Bent
Modified 4
01:40.771
1
Arnulf Graf
Stock 5
01:44.841
Kelly Tribolet, GT3, again led the Point by Passing group with a 1:27.546 The second fastest time of the day. Reegan Filsinger, GT3, 1:32.817 and Kirk Fertitta, Boxster Spec, 1:37.438 rounded out the top three.
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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Photos: Luis Vivar
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2023 Tribute to Le Mans
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Photos: Luis Vivar
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CRAZED DRIVER IRON MANS TRIBUTE RACE by: ANDREW WEYMAN
I had to get to the bottom of it. Why would a seemingly sane, mild-mannered man of a certain age decide to compete in the Tribute to LeMans enduro by himself? No teammates. Simply solo. I caught up with him right after the race and tried to understand the reasoning behind his decision. Here’s what he had to say. That is, here’s what the crazed driver part of me had to say:
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ANDREW WEYMAN: You drove the enduro solo. Why? THE CRAZED DRIVER PART OF ME: Why do people rob banks? Because the money is there. AW: That doesn’t exactly answer my question. TCDPOM: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? AW: What’s your point? TCDPOM: Look, none of us are getting any younger. If I didn’t do it now, when? AW: So, you’re feeling your mortality? TCDPOM: Emotionally, I feel like a teenager. Physically… AW: You feel old? TCDPOM: No. Just older. AW: So, what was it like? Was there ever a moment when you thought about ending the race early? TCDPOM: I checked my dash to see what lap I was on but that was it. I was determined to complete the race. My mental image was me crossing the finish line at the checkered flag and my wife kissing me passionately at impound. AW: You finished in 8th place. Just 6 laps down from first place. That’s impressive. TCDPOM: Not too shabby. Mike Monsalve congratulated me after the race and Jim Steedman told me I was his hero. Best of all my wife was at impound with a bottle of water and laid one on me that I’ll never forget. Oh, and Karen Robinson massaged my shoulders and neck. AW: Wow. Was there a moment when you felt fatigued or lost focus during the race? TCDPOM: Nope. I drank a lot of water mixed with electrolytes during the race. I was in the zone. AW: Your lap times were pretty consistent. TCDPOM: That’s what I was going for. I tried my best to manage my tires and brakes. It was a long stint. AW: You had to refuel I take it.
Photo: Luis Vivar
TCDPOM: Yeah. The Vali Motorsports crew helped me out. I had to serve a two-minute penalty. They refueled, adjusted tire pressures and had me back on the track in record time. AW: Any incidents along the way? 47
TCDPOM: Late in the race, I lost it in T2 and spun off. I got right back on the track. Several laps later I went off on the exit of T1. I got right back on again and back into the zone. AW: Why’d you go off? TCDPOM: I ran out of asphalt. Duh. AW: Seriously. TCDPOM: I had no grip. I pushed it a bit too hard. My tires gave out. Lesson learned. No other mistakes. AW: So, looking ahead, what’s your next challenge? TCDPOM: Making sure to always be crazy enough to do crazy things. AW: Anything you want to add? TCDPOM: Yes. Congrats to all the racers who drove Tribute and always stay hydrated. AW: Good advice. TCDPOM: We’re done? AW: Yes. TCDPOM: Great, ‘cause I really need to pee. AW: That’s weird. I do, too!
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Photos: Luis Vivar
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Thanks to all our friends at POC for a terrific year of club racing, friendship, and memories. We look forward to a fun, fast future together. 22681 Granite Way, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
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The advent of the POC SIM league in the last two years provided new and old club members a whole new track racing experience. As technology improved, costs lowered, and SIM track design improved dramatically, causing SIM leagues to explode. Through Matt Hollander’s early efforts, along with John Momeyer, the Board moved forward with the POC SIM league. One of the first sponsors to jump at the opportunity to support our SIM effort was POC member and GT3 class racer (2016 Clubsport) Darin Moore and his company, Sunset Mortgage.
The Porsche Owners Club Recognizes
SUNSET Mortgage as a Valued Sponsor Steve Town / Sponsorship Director
Racing and motorsports are deeply rooted in Darin’s life and family. His father spent many years participating in road rallies back east in New Jersey and the surrounding states, where Darin grew up. His dad drove a Jaguar XK150. Those 1950’s and 60’s rallies were as Darin said, “as much a logistics and geographic challenge as driving and timing. Point-to-point checkpoint based rallies, in those years, were such a mapping ordeal! Looking back, it’s surprising anyone made it work.” It was through this foundation that Darin started drag racing when he was 18, at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. “I was certainly nervous in the days leading up to the race, but I won my first race.” Speed and cars definitely were in the blood! And Darin has passed that along to son Ryan Moore. Ryan has been racing his Boxster Spec for a few years now and has worked his way up to become a regular top runner, as well as podium finisher in the POC BSR class. After moving west, in 1991, Darin founded Sunset Mortgage in Torrance, which is now headquartered in Mission Viejo. He describes the business this way, “Sunset Mortgage offers private investor funded real estate loans and investments, catering to borrowers
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looking for quick, no hassle funding for their real estate or business purpose borrowing needs. We offer substantial returns for investors looking for an alternative, or a diversified approach, investment vehicle.” He describes his start in the real estate funding industry like this, “It was my very first job after I graduated college, and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Over the last few years, a number of POC members have become clients of Sunset, and Darin stated his aim is to continue growing Sunset and expanding it’s POC client base. In 2013, Darin began racing in events with Speed Ventures and PCA autocross. Eventually, in 2016, he wound up in the POC. Darin said, “with Ryan’s encouragement we started doing more events so I bought a 996 Turbo to run in time trials. We made some modifications to it as I gained more experience. Then at the 2016 Festival of Speed Ryan and I found the POC booth. We were immediately drawn to the culture of club and the POC schedule offered us more track time.” Darin’s first race was in 2019, he continues, “it was at Buttonwillow, and I had bought a 2003 Turbo race car. I had reasonable success as a time trial driver, but I was not prepared for the skill level of drivers in the GT3 class at the POC. I got crushed, lol!” I asked Darin what his best track memory was, and he said, “I won the amateur drag racing division championship at Raceway Park. In the last event of the year they pitted the top pros against the top amateurs. As the #1 amateur I raced against the #1 pro, “Dollar Bill” Doczi. It was a photo finish, so close I did not know who had won. When you drove back to the pits after the race you stopped at a booth and got a slip of paper that listed your elapsed time, your mph, 54
and if you won, they checked a box called “win”. That box was checked on my slip. Best feeling ever! After I got my slip, “Dollar Bill” motioned for me to pull over, then came up to me and shook my hand, and congratulated me for the win.” As we talked about track experiences I asked Darin what keeps him coming back to the track and POC events. He said “The fun, the thrills, the friends I’ve made, but mostly that I get to race with Ryan.” There are a few father/son POC participant’s and I think it’s always inspiring to see the generational joy in the paddock and sharing such a unique experience together. Darin lives in Laguna Beach,CA with wife Kari, and he said “we have 3 adult children, Ryan, Lexi and Taylor. Ryan races every month, Lexi is a very regular visitor to the track, but Taylor and Kari seem to only attend the “luxury” events like Laguna Seca and Sonoma . Taylor lives in the Bay area, so she gets a hall pass.” When he told me about Kari and Taylor’s track visit “strategy” I thought, hmmm, Kari and Taylor have the right idea of where and when to visit! He adds, “We have recently added a Moore to the family, Ryan’s wife Katie. Katie is at every POC event with Ryan and is a huge Formula 1 fan, too. They included the Singapore GP as part of their recent honeymoon!!” Now that’s a race fan! In addition to POC motorsports, Darin operates an F1 fantasy league for about 50 F1 nuts, is an avid golfer, loves skiing, traveling, and his dog Luke. Thank you Darin for spending time with me and for providing POC members with a closer look at Sunset and your life on and off the track.
26381 Crown Valley Parkway Suite 200 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 800.585.7575 www.sunsetcash.net darin@sunsetcash.net
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RENNSPORT
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REUNION VII
STEVE EISLER 59
STEVE EISLER
Kathy and I just returned from our third Rennsport Reunion. The word ‘renn’, in German, means racing so this was a reunion of significant Porsche race cars, racing legends who drove these cars, and thousands of Porsche owners and enthusiasts. The first Rennsport Reunion was held in 2001 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Reunions II and III were held at Daytona International Speedway in 2004 and 2007. In 2011 Rennsport Reunion IV moved west to Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California, which has become the permanent RR home. We attended RR V in 2015 and RR VI in 2018 and were amazed by the number of rare and historic racing cars, flown from the factory museum, that were on display. In addition, private collectors brought their treasured racing cars to be seen and raced. That is right, there are 7 classes of legendary Porsche race cars spanning seven decades that practice and race on the famous Laguna Seca track during this 4-day Porsche extravaganza! We left Escondido Wednesday morning and passed several Porsches on I-5. We stopped for lunch at the Black Bear Diner, at the Arvin exit, as we always do on our way to Buttonwillow. There was a GT-3 and a very nice yellow Cayenne in the parking lot. We heard the people at the next table talking about RR 7 so we struck up a conversation about Porsche experiences. One of the ladies looked familiar. She said she was a PCA certified driving instructor trainer, and that she had raced Porsches, Ferraris, and many other makes all over the world. She introduced herself as Lisa Taylor, owner of Flying Lizard Racing Team and the largest collection of ‘paint to sample’ Porsches in the world. Her 2020 Cayenne in the parking lot was the only Speed Yellow example of that model in existence. We were only 4 hours into our 5-day trip and had already met one of the most noted Porsche owners in the world. As we drove up the 101, we fell in behind a Cayenne and an olive green 964. We soon were joined by 3 more Porsches, including a GT-4 RS. Two more cars joined our informal convoy. When we pulled over for a pit stop, the group had grown to ten! We arrived at our motel in Carmel in time for Happy Hour, and met 3 couples that had flown in from Wisconsin for the party. Two of them had been region PCA Board Presidents, so we shared some ideas on how to get more members to participate in club activities. This was just a taste of the size and scope of this epic event.
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We arrived at the track early Thursday morning to get to the gift shops before the crowds. It appears that everyone else had the same idea. The line for the track souvenir shop was 30 minutes long. They had two RR t-shirts, one polo shirt and everything else was Laguna Seca/WeatherTech merchandise. The line to the Porsche store was three times the length of the souvenir shops, and people said it was like the shops at the local dealerships, so we 60
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Photo: Steve Eisler
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abandoned the queue. There were many more vendors than at RR VI, but the crowds were spread out, and it was easy to get information on how to spend money on the latest must have innovations. Friday morning, we arrived at the track at about 8:30, but had no problems getting to our assigned Porsche corral. Corral 6 was, mainly, for Boxsters. We parked in a special row for Spyders and were the only red Spyder in the Corral! We were near the Hagerty Marketplace which had a nice bar/food service area with couches and large screen TV’s showing the live feed for the event. We were close to the display of privately owned, unique Porsches that were selected by the PCA to participate. The perimeter of the marketplace was lined with hundreds of vendors selling clothing, jewelry, posters, toys, internet apps, and every type of automotive accessory, performance enhancement, and car care product imaginable. In the middle of the vendor row was a large footbridge to cross the track into the Paddock area. All the cars in the 8 race groups were pitted here for everyone to view. I found Frank Powell’s 1986 911 in the pits, as he prepared for his practice session. Frank is a long time PCA-SDR time trial driver and auto crosser who has been competing in the PCA Club Racing division for 6 years and was a POC class champion in 2017. As he transitioned from Time Trial to Club Racing, he asked if I would be interested in taking his position as Time Trial Equipment Chairman. I took his offer and have been following his racing exploits ever since. Frank qualified 3rd for his first race on Thursday but missed a shift on the 4th lap which caused a belt failure and a DNF. On Friday the belt came off again during qualifying, so he started the race at the back of the pack. He moved up from 20th to 4th with just four laps remaining when the belt failed again. Although the results were disappointing, Frank said he, “had a ball passing all of the Boxsters to get to the front.” Nick Khilnani and Dallas Carroll were also entered in Frank’s group. On Friday, I also had the pleasure of meeting Don Anderson. He has been campaigning a beautiful Bobsy ‘Wide Engine Bay’ SR-3 in vintage races for many years. This very light (1296 pounds with driver), aluminum tube framed car has a 1965 Porsche 901 engine with ~ 230 horsepower. This year he was moved up to a race group including 917’s, 908’s, 906’s and a 910. Despite his smaller engine he managed to place 8th in his group and improved his best Laguan Seca time by 1.5 seconds. Don and his wife, Karen, keep the Bobsy in immaculate condition and are very welcoming to anyone stopping by their compound to ask questions or take pictures. Several people commented on the large number of Tech Stickers on Don’s windscreen which indicate the number of events he has participated in. He replied that this is the THIRD windscreen, the other two are covered with tech stickers and there was no room for anymore.
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I also noticed a gentleman with a very high-end video camera filming Don’s compound. After a few moments, I recognized Shaun Styles, San Diego’s Channel 8 newscaster and weatherman. Shaun was doing a documentary on Don and told me that he had a 356 and that his wife wanted to learn to drive her 912 the way it was built to be driven. We had a nice conversation about the different driving school options, and I encouraged them to join our club. I spent the rest of the day looking at the many cars from the Porsche factory museum that had been shipped over for the 75th Anniversary Event and all the other displays of new and historic Porsches.
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The main stage in the factory display area had two huge screens that showed the races and close-ups of the many famous Porsche drivers that were there for interviews and autograph sessions. San Diegan Margie Smith-Haas was at the autograph table signing programs and her famous Porsche pillows. Margie is the first American woman to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and has presented one of her pillows to Peter Porsche. She also had pillows autographed by all the drivers. One of these pillows will be auctioned at the Petitte Le Mans event. This was also the area where Porsche displayed the new concept cars, the Mission X, the 911 S/T, and the Vision 357 Speedster that were just released for this event.
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Friday evening, we traversed around the outside of the track to a motorhome parking lot high above turn 10. Bruce Wing and his wife Cindy hosted a wonderful bar-b-que and party, with a raffle, at their motorhome. About 50 people made their way to this prime viewing location with the help of Angela Avitt. Bruce cooked burgers, brats and hot dogs, and there were a variety of libations. The tables were set so that you could watch the late afternoon track session as you enjoyed your dinner.
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As the sun was setting, a group of Porsche exhibition cars, featuring the Cayman GT4 ePerformance car, took the track. As the electric car came down the corkscrew with the other cars, its high-pitched whine that sounded like a spaceship. The rear had wraparound neon-blue lights, and as it accelerated out of Turn 12, it made the other cars look like they were standing still! Seeing this car in action was one of the highlights of the weekend.
Saturday dawned cool and grey. Kathy was not feeling well and decided to stay at the hotel. I loaded the Spyder, which was parked in the best parking place in the lot and left early, since I was volunteering to work at the PCA hospitality area. I was assigned, with a university professor from Washington, to monitor the entrance road to the Bar-b-que Island, where all hospitality events were held. By 8:30 it had begun to sprinkle and by nine it was raining steadily. Soon my water-resistant jacket was soaked. I returned to my car, changed into the rain gear that I had in the trunk, and returned to my post. We stood across from the exit of turn 2, which now had a puddle at the apex point. In addition, the track entry road from the pits was also flooded, as you can see from the picture. The rain eventually stopped, but it remained cool and cloudy the rest of the day. 63
After texting each other since Friday, on Saturday afternoon, I finally caught up with Mike Rozenblatt and Mark Woolridge, time trial drivers and participants in several of the Porsches and Parks tours. We contacted our friend, Connie Sommers, whose Speed Yellow 911 was in the Porsche display area and had a nice visit. Connie owns the 906 that was built for the Ford vs. Ferrari movie as a part of her collection. I watched a few more race sessions and called it a day. The sun was out on Sunday morning, as I took my post at the Porsche Owners Club information desk. My job was to hand out brochures and explain the POC program to southern Californian drivers. I was next to the 356 Registry Club with PCA club sign-ups at the other end of the table. We met a nice mix of Porsche enthusiasts from all over the world. I met a young couple that had flown from London for this event. When the NFL released its schedule, they found that their favorite team, the 49ers, would be playing Monday night. They got tickets and made their trip even more awesome. I returned to the hotel Sunday afternoon and took Kathy to an Urgent Care facility where she tested negative for Covid and got some cough medicine that helped her sleep Sunday night. We had an uneventful drive home on Monday. Rennsport attendance was announced at over 91,000 – a new record. WeatherTech Raceway was sold out on Saturday and Sunday. The first time it has ever been sold out. If you are a Porsche owner, race car driver or a vintage sports car racing fan you need to put Rennsport on your bucket list. The event is held every 3 to five years and gets more popular every time. When you see the dates announced, make hotel reservations one year in advance to ensure that you get a room. When tickets go on sale make your order right away. Corrals, Parade laps, and other activities sell out soon. And don’t forget to volunteer and help make this event even more successful than it has been!
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Photos: Brett Gaviglio
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Porsche News The new 911 GT3 Dreams have defined us, but sport has made us. Because sport is a mindset that pushes us forward. It takes our dreams and makes real change out of it. The new 911 GT3 R Rennsport embodies this mindset like no other: unrivalled by any Porsche 911 that has come before yet drawing its essence from the very elements that have always set it apart. It is a celebration of the pure joy of racing.
Built for Performance Built for Enthusiasts
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R rennsport Built for performance The 911 GT3 R rennsport was designed to be enjoyed, not to meet racing series’ regulatory frameworks. It boasts a sensationally low target power-to-weight ratio of 1,240 kg to 456 kW (620 hp) – that’s a remarkable 2 kg per horsepower. This places it beyond the homologation restrictions encountered in racing series, so anyone who gets to drive it can fully concentrate on its pure performance, aided by its heritage-inspired retro spoiler, which draws on the legacy of the vehicle’s legendary predecessors.
Built for enthusiasts The 911 GT3 R rennsport is built for those who can truly appreciate its legacy. Limited to just 77 units, it will be a rare sight on the racetrack – and every single one will be unique. Unlike other limitededition vehicles, the 911 GT3 R rennsport offers a palette of customisation options. Choose, for example, from seven distinct colours, opt for one of the three exclusive paint designs or go with the most flawless colour Rennsport has to offer: pure carbon.
Get the full story
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Now you can order your favorite POC garments and other specialty items “Online” simply by clicking on any one of the above photos! 71
SIM G Results N I C A R
2023 Season 2
June 19 Montreal
1st 2nd 3rd
Andrew Chinnici Sagar Dhawan Tom Layton
4th AJ Roper 5th Michael Oest 6th Mark Rondeau
July 10 Redbull Ring
1st 2nd 3rd
Tom Layton AJ Roper Andrew Chinnici
4th Jad Duncan 5th Mark Rondeau 6th Matt Hollander
July 24 Oschersleben
1st 2nd 3rd
Tom Layton Sagar Dhawan AJ Roper
4th Michael Johnson 5th Andrew Chinnici 6th Gabe Zamora
August 7
Zandvoort
1st 2nd 3rd
Chris Walsh Sagar Dhawan Tom Layton
4th BJ Fulton 5th Jad Duncan 6th Michael Johnson
August 21
Sonoma
1st 2nd 3rd
Chris Walsh BJ Fulton Andrew Chinnici
4th Jad Dunca 5th Matt Hollander 6th Michael Bolten
Sept 11 Willow Springs
1st 2nd 3rd
Sagar Dhawan Tom Layton Andrew Chinnici
4th Chris Walsh 5th Mark Rondeau 6th Michael Bolten
Sept 25 Laguna Seca
1st 2nd 3rd
Chris Walsh Sagar Dhawan Michael Bolten
4th Mark Rondeau 5th Gabe Zamora 6th AJ Roper
Mount Panorama 1st
2nd 3rd
Chris Walsh Sagar Dhawan Gabe Zamora
4th Michael Johnson 5th Jad Duncan 6th AJ Roper
Oct 23 COTA
1st 2nd 3rd
Chris Walsh Andrew Chinnici BJ Fulton
4th Jad Duncan 5th AJ Roper 6th Gabe Zamora
Nov 6
1st 2nd 3rd
4th 5th 6th
Nov 20 VIR
1st 2nd 3rd
4th 5th 6th
Dec 4
Daytona
1st 2nd 3rd
4th 5th 6th
Dec 18 Road Atlanta
1st 2nd 3rd
4th 5th 6th
(90 Minutes)
Oct 9
(90 Minutes)
Interlagos
(90 Minutes / 2X Points)
C L I C K H E R E f o r Yo u Tu b e S I M R A C E S 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.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Chuckwalla
Willow Springs
We missed going there last year... the track was being resurfaced. Now it’s ready!! Get in on the fun early... Gonna be a lot of cars!
Our season finale. Your final chance of the year to get your “Speed On.” Don’t miss out on this chance to hit the track one more time before the year ends
November 4-5, 2023
Your time is running out... Register Now!
And, don’t miss the Official POC Facebook Page with photos, videos and comments from our members.
E-Velocity designed by Don Matz Graphics
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December 2-3
Registration Opens Soon!
Be sure to check out the POC website for our 2023 schedule of events and to stay current on PDS, Time Trial and Cup Racing standings.
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