May Velocity Magazine - Issue 24-05

TRIBUTE to Le Mans MAY 2024

From the Editor:

This month features event coverage by Darin Moore and Steve Eisler, Karen Robinson’s showcase of her new livery and association with Racing to End Alzheimer’s, Matt Steele’s journey through a corner, my interview with Don Kravig, Dr. Dyno’s wisdom, the latest from Porsche and Luis Vivar’s outstanding images. Enjoy the ride!

Questions? Comments? Thinking about contributing an article? Email me at: POCVelocityEditor@gmail.com

VELOCITY Staff

Art

Contributing Writers

Andrew

Karen

Darin

Matt

Steve Eisler

Don Matz

Contributing Photographers

Luis Vivar

John Armstrong

Karen Robinson

Don Kravig

POC Board of

John Momeyer President

Karen Robinson Secretary

Jim Salzer Treasurer / PDS Director

Joe Wiederholt VP Motorsports

Dwain Dement Chief Driving Instructor

Eben Benade Time Trial Director

Steve Town Sponsorship

First 911 with Hybrid Drive

Cover photo: Luis Vivar

Illustration: Don Matz

30th TRIBUTE to Le Mans

Darin Moore

TRIBUTE to Le Mans

Before I cover our annual Tribute to Le Mans event, I thought it would be fun and informative to host a Q and A session about the event to which we’ve paid tribute every year since 1995… the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Q: Where is the 24 Hours of Le Mans held?

A: Le Mans, France.

Q: When was this race first run?

A: 1923.

Q: Ho w long is the 24 Hours of Le Mans race?

A: You’re kidding, right?

Q: Ho w many cars will enter the race this year?

A: A pproximately 60.

Q: When is the race held?

A: Typically, the second weekend in June.

Q: My friend told me Dan Gurney was the first televised racer to spray champa gne instead of drinking it, and he did it after winning 24 Hours of Le Mans. True or False?

A: True!

Q: Is this race part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport? Has an yone ever won the Triple Crown?

A: Tha t’s two questions, but I’ll indulge you. The Triple Crown of Motorsport is comprised of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Monaco Grand Prix, and the Indiana polis 500. Graham Hill is the only one to win all three races in his career.

Q: Which manufacturer has the most wins?

A: Porsche, of course! 19 wins and counting.

Q: I see those films where they start the race by running across the grid and jumping into their cars. Do they still start the race tha t way?

A: No. That was judged a safety risk, and was discontinued after the 1969 race.

Q: A Porsche salesmen told me Porsche put the ignition key s witch on the left side of the steering column so racers a t Le Mans could start the car with their left hand, while putting the car into gear with the right hand, to save time. Was he right, or was he just tr ying to sell me a car?

A: Both.

Q: If I decide to go to the race this year, is there an y chance I could run into a POC BSR or GT3 class racer while there?

A: You’re in luck. Karen Robinson and Brett Ga viglio will be there!

Photo: Luis Vivar

Now that we’re up to speed on the 24 Hour, let’s talk about our race, the 30th running of the Tribute to Le Mans...

This year’s Tribute to Le Mans was held on May 25th, at Willow Springs Raceway. Those familiar with Willow Springs are also familiar with its three most common weather elements as well… heat, cold and wind. Rarely does a visitor to Willow Springs encounter less than two of those elements, usually to some extreme degree.

Friday practice was extremely windy, while Tribute day was a little more calm, with an emphasis on the word little. It’s all relative at Big Willow, the Fastest Track in the West.

Tribute started at 2:30 pm, and this year was a two-and-a-half-hour endurance race. Endurance races showcase not only the speed and handling ability of the cars, but also the reliability required to finish the race. In this regard, Porsches are a great fit for this format, and very successful, as we saw in the Q and A earlier. True to form, most cars performed flawlessly in the event, except for one team, which we will learn more about in a minute.

Five teams entered this year’s race, with four teams using a three-driver format, and one team choosing a two-driver format. We’ll pick up the action as the cars headed out for the formation lap.

On the formation lap, the team of brothers, Steve and Phil Town, suffered a mechanical issue near T2. Steve’s car had lost power, and he had to restart his car several times before he could get it back up and running. He lost

power again on the same lap around the top of T4. Realizing he needed to pull into the pits, he never actually got the car across the start/finish line to start his race before pitting. Turned out it was a fuel delivery issue, which took about 20 minutes or so to resolve before Steve was able to re-enter (or enter, in his case) the race. By this time, he was about 12 laps behind the leaders, a deficit that would prove to be too much to overcome. To add insult to injury, Phil’s car suffered a suspension problem during his stint, to be followed by Steve suffering a major engine failure that resulted in Steve having to retire his car and come in under tow truck power. It was an uncharacteristic tough day for the Town/Town team.

The team of Pritt, Pritt and Knoop featured the father and son team of Brian and Tate Pritt, along with their coach, Rick Knoop. A very interesting fact about this team is that Rick Knoop won the ACTUAL 24 Hours of Le Mans, Group 5, in 1978. A great pedigree, to be sure. While the Pritt, Pritt and Knoop team didn’t suffer mechanical issues, a few extra pit stops kept them a bit too far off the pace to contend for the podium.

The all-Boxster team of Mick Yanoschak, Alisha Wray and Keith Hnatiuk ran well all race, and each driver did a very good job of keeping pace, pushing hard, and running problem free. As the winner is determined by number of laps completed during the allotted two and one half hours, the 88 laps completed by this all Boxster team resulted in them placing third overall. It was a great result, and one they can be proud of.

The team of John Momeyer, Don Kravig and Duane Selby ran a Boxster driven by John, Don’s GT5 car and a 991.2 Spec, piloted by Duane. As Duane and John were 2/3rds of the team that won Tribute last year, they were a powerhouse team with a winning pedigree, and top drivers throughout. John was leadoff, and he laid down lap after lap, displaying the consistency and form that keeps him in contention every time he heads out on track. Don followed by driving the second stint, and he also drove an error free session, kept all four wheels on track, and kept his team in second place throughout his time on track. Last up was Duane in his beautiful new (to him) 991.2 Spec car. When Duane took over for the last stint, his team was two laps down to the leaders. Making up two laps, while not mathematically impossible, is an almost unsurmountable

challenge absent a mechanical issue or driver error by the leader, possibly combined with a full course yellow flag. While there was a full course yellow during Duane’s stint, it was not enough to allow Duane and his team to make up the gap to the leaders. That said, Duane ran a great stint, clocking primarily 1:22’s and 1:23’s throughout. This team effort by all three drivers resulted in 92 laps completed, and the silver trophy for second place.

Before I get to the winners, let’s talk about the fire! Just as the race was getting underway, a significant brush fire broke out south of the racetrack. With the ever-present afternoon wind blowing, the hope was that the westerly winds would blow the large flames and heavy smoke to the east of the track, and away from the event. Fire engines and helicopters arrived,

and the aerial and ground attack by the fire fighters was enough to keep the fire at bay, and by the time the first stints were coming to an end, the fire was no longer an issue. I was on the radio with my son, Ryan, who had a bird’s eye view of the flames while he drove his stint. Early in the race he was commenting on the size of the flames, and the density of the smoke. Thank you to the professionals of the fire department for their speed and precision in extinguishing the fire.

Finally let’s talk about the team of Ryan Moore, Jim Salzer and Eben Benade, your 2024 Tribute to Le Mans winners! Ryan, driving his Gulf livery Boxster, took to the track first. He ran fast and consistent laps, and due to the GT cars, both having to pit during the first stint, he handed a 24 second race lead to Jim, in

his track record holding GT4 car. Jim put the hammer down from lap 1 to lap 30 and ran his fastest lap on the final lap of his stint! Jim kept up a blistering pace, and increased the team’s lead first to one lap, and then to two laps. As mentioned earlier, while two laps is a huge lead, anything can happen in racing, as we all know. The last driver to jump in his car was Eben Benade, in his 991.2 Spec car. Eben is fast in everything he drives, but with the large lead, he wisely employed a strategy designed to stay on track, be consistent, drive hard and drive smart. Eben managed his tires, his fuel, and his race perfectly, and he easily brought his car, and his team, into the Winner’s Circle. Congratulations to Ryan, Jim and Eben, all first-time winners of the Tribute to Le Mans!

Photo: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Windy Willow Springs Race Recap

Darin Moore

Photo: Luis Vivar

If you’ve had a chance to glance at my Tribute to Le Mans report, you know all about the Earth, Wind and Fire we experienced on the last weekend of May at Willow Springs. I’ll bet no veteran of Big Willow events was all that shocked when those elements decided to collide in near proximity to the track during our most recent event.

Due to the Saturday Tribute to Le Mans race, our regular slate of activities was shortened to accommodate the 2:30-5:00 pm time slot allocated for the Tribute race. As a result, the Orange group had only one race, as opposed to the regular two, and the Red group had one practice, instead of the normal two. As a Red group racer, I can say it certainly felt strange to be done with my driving for the day on Saturday before noon!

While Friday was exceptionally windy, Saturday brought calmer weather, and much cooler temperatures than we would normally expect on a late May day at Willow Springs. Being that this weekend happened to be Memorial Day weekend, the fields for both the Red and the Orange groups were a little smaller than usual. Luckily, the on-track battles were no less intense, as both days featured some serious wheel to wheel action, including at the very front of the several of the races. At the end of the day, the on-track battles are what we really look forward to, whether they occur at the front, in the middle or in the back of the pack. These on track battles are what sets the Red and Orange groups apart from PDS and Time Trials, and a large part of what motivates folks to “graduate” into the race groups.

On Saturday the Orange group took to the track first, as Ryan Moore took pole in BSR, with Branimir Kovac just 18/100th of a second behind. BSR is the largest race class in POC, so battles routinely occur everywhere in the field, with these very evenly matched cars. This race was no exception, as some notable battles that emerged included Keith Hnatiuk and Andrew Weyman, Matt Juarez and John Momeyer, and in the first half of the race, Branimir Kovac and Ryan Moore. In the second half of the race Ryan began gapping the field, and he brought home the win by a comfortable nine second margin. In GT5, which starts behind the Boxster field, Don Kravig worked all the way through the BSR field, failing only to catch the BSR race winner. Guenter Lennarz took 2nd in the GT5 race, as the only other car entered. GT7 was a two car field as well, with Randy Bergum besting Glenwood Gum somewhat comfortably.

Tribute to Le Mans

The Saturday Red group race had an epic battle in GT3, which we will get to in a minute. In the 991.2 Spec class, Eben Benade took pole, with Mike Monsalve joining Eben in the front row. Mike was able to take over the lead early in the race, a lead that he would never relinquish. This class was a bit more spread out, with most cars separated from the cars in front and behind by a few seconds. Reigning Driver of the Year Duane Selby had an off-track incident near turn 6 and ended up retiring very early in the race. Paul Barnes ran solo in GT2. The real action was in GT3, where Brett Gaviglio and Ana Predescu continued their monthly front row contest for GT3 supremacy. Saturday’s race was yet another chapter in what has become one the best and closest competitions I’ve seen in our club in a while. Two great drivers driving their hearts out, each pushing the other, and bringing out the best in one another. Brett took pole in style, setting a new GT3 track record in the process, an incredible 1:21.54. Once the green flag dropped, it was game on. Ana was “On his booty” (her words!) all race, and Brett had his hands full every lap, knowing that one small driving miscalculation and Ana would seize the moment, and the lead. Brett didn’t crack under pressure, and he held off hard charging Ana all race, to win by 0.4 seconds. A great show to be sure! Sunday’s Orange group race featured a battle much in the same vein as Saturday’s GT3 race, this time in BSR. Ryan Moore captured pole, with Steven Paterson joining him on the front row. Once the flag dropped, the battle began. In the early laps it was a 3-way battle in the front between Ryan, Steven and then Ryder Liu joining the fray. A great race developed between Steven and Ryder, which allowed just a touch of breathing room for Ryan. Several laps into the race, Steven went four wheels off in turn two, and lost track position in the process. Ryder then proceeded to hunt down Ryan, and the two engaged in a dogfight that I only wish I would see in Formula One occasionally! Ryder was able to wrestle the lead from Ryan, only to see Ryan regain the lead later in the lap. Not willing to settle for second place, Ryder continued to keep the pressure on Ryan, all the way to the checkered flag. Rarely were these cars more than a car length apart, and Ryan’s margin of victory was a razor thin 0.148 sec onds. The spectators got their money’s worth on that one! Don Kravig ran uncontested for the win in GT5, and Randy Bergum again took first place in GT7, with Glenwood Gum coming in second. It was a stellar weekend for Ryan Moore, winning the Saturday race, then along with his teammates winning the Tribute to Le Mans, then winning the Sunday race. I know I had a great weekend just being on his radio for all three races. In the Red group, Duane Selby took pole in the 991.2 spec race, with Mike Monsalve taking P2. Duane is one of the racers always found at or very near the top of every race

leaderboard. After an off-track excursion at turn 9, Duane retired, leaving the battle to Mike and Eben Benade. Eben began closing the gap to Mike, at which time Mike put his head down and began pushing with renewed effort. At the end it was Mike on the top step of the podium, with Eben second and Eric Olberz third. In the GT3 race, it was Brett and Ana who qualified 1st and 2nd (no surprise there). This race was different, as Ana beat Brett off the line, took over the lead, and was never in serious jeopardy. Ana ran a very strategic and controlled race and was able to take home the win by almost three seconds. Brett finished 2nd, with Jack Ehrman finishing 3rd. In the GT4 race, Jim Salzer and Phil Town were the entrants. Phil spent a little time off track during the race, and Jim took the checkered flag as the winner. As the weekend’s racing came to a close, we loaded up our rigs and headed home, already thinking about Sonoma, and the upcoming events. Best wishes for a fun and safe summer.

Luis Vivar/Don Matz

Three-peat

Ryan Moore took it upon himself to not only finish with his team mates in first place in the TRIBUTE, but also to finish first in both Orange Cup races that took place on Saturday and Sunday.

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Three-peat, Larry?

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: John Armstrong

Tribute Weekend PDS and Time Trials

Steve Eisler

I have been to Willow Springs International Raceway more than 20 times since 2015 and every visit has been an adventure. One year the forecasted temperature was in the low 20’s so I brought a kerosene heater to the track. Saturday night I removed one of the rear wheels and placed the heater in the wheel well to keep the block from freezing. At Streets once, there was snow on the ground. It did not stick on the track but there were several locations where water was running across the track surface, and we drove anyway. I have also seen it over 110 degrees, and the wind is always a factor. I had a very heavy, lined, waterproof cape like the ones used by professional football teams in Green Bay and Cleveland disappear in the wind at Streets of Willow.

During the Tribute to Le Mans Enduro on Saturday afternoon a large cloud of smoke arose from what appeared to be a structure fire southwest of the track. Fortunately, the wind was not blowing the smoke over the track and the race continued. As the smoke thickened it became apparent that we had a brush fire moving east, toward the track. Flames could be seen a few hundred yards south of Rosemond Road. As we left the track after a POC dinner at Dwain and Martina’s we saw Kern County Fire truck leaving the 400-acre fire scene. Just another chapter to add to the book of Willow Springs adventures.

There were just three Time Trial sessions on Saturday. The Yellow group PDS students were combined with the Point-by drivers, which was stressful for some of the new drivers as the fastest drivers were passing them two or three times in a 25 or 30 minute session. I was frustrated by a student in a GT-4 that would not give a point-by, and then did not lift after pointing me by at the start of the front straight. I had pedal to the metal as he flew down the straight and I had to follow him again. After the session I began looking for cars with Yellow windshield stickers to interview some of the PDS drivers.

Photos: Luis Vivar

I found Jeppe Jamit-Bjergsoe and his friend near the pit wall, introduced myself and explained I was interviewing PDS drivers for Velocity. Jeppe is originally from Denmark, but now owns the Evil Twin Brewery in New York City. He manages his brewery from his home in Thousand Oaks, California and was enjoying his first POC event with his friend Anders Truelsen, also from Denmark. Anders is a business executive with Apple, lives in Agoura Hills, and was at his third POC event. Jeppe was interested in owning a Porsche, so Anders let him drive his 2016 GT4. He was so impressed that he also bought a 2016 GT4 and now the Danish natives are embarking on the POC experience together.

I asked Jeppe how he liked the PDS program, and he said that driving with the Blue Group drivers was ‘scary.’ He said that a Boxster was very fast in the corners and kept catching him even though he was much faster on the two straights. Anders said, “The first thing Jappe said after he got out of the car was that he thought he held up a Boxster in the corners but when he pointed it by on the front straight it did not pass him.” He was genuinely concerned about passing etiquette and not impeding the progress of faster drivers. Although I knew the answer, I asked, “Was that a grey Boxster that was trying to pass?”

After I told them I was driving the grey Boxster, he started to apologize again, and I told him that his awareness of other cars and his willingness to learn and apply the rules were exceptional for a firsttime driver. I will be happy to share the track with both of them and look forward to pointing them by as they build their driving skills.

I also met Jason Judy from Las Vegas who was in his second POC event driving a 944 Turbo. Jason had previous experience in Autocross and Time Trials driving a 993 RSR Turbo and a 996 GT2. He has been out of racing for about 20 years while he built his company that manufactures mouth guards for MMA fighters and other contact sport participants. Now retired, he has returned to racing and is setting impressive times in his 944. He said that racing motorcycles when he was younger really acclimated him to being comfortable at high speeds and has made the transition to auto racing less daunting.

Driver Name

WILLOW SPRINGS-BIG WILLOW RESULTS

PlaceDriver

1ivek

2Diane Cafferata Boxster Spec 01:43.84901:39.484

3 Chris Krull Boxster Spec 01:43.94401:39.929

4

1Reuben Raveendran GT2 01:27.23601:28.612

1 Paul Wren GT3 01:27.51501:27.858

2Kelly

3Joel Silverstein GT3 01:33.799

4 Hratch Odabashian GT3 01:35.872

5,4 Justin

The next POC event will be at Streets of Willow for a Time Trial and PDS only event on June 14. POC in partnership with the SoCal Audi Club is offering Level 2 of the Motorsports Safety Foundation Instructor Training at the Streets event. To register, participants must have completed the Motorsports Safety Foundation Level 1 self-paced course and received a certificate for passing the written test.

The Level 2 course is a combination of classroom and on track coaching exercises. Each instructor candidate will participate in four on track sessions collaborating with a mentor that will be role playing as an inexperienced student who exhibit certain traits (e.g., aggressive, passive, know it all, etc.) while driving that requires the instructor to utilize proper coaching skills to correct.

This will be an all-day course that when successfully completed will result in receiving Level 2 certification and graduation for completing the course requirements for you to become a Motorsports Safety Foundation Instructor.

If you have any questions or get more information about the Motorsports Safety Foundation training, please contact Jim Salzer at pds@porscheclub.com or call (949) 300-1731.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15, the San Diego Region of PCA will be hosting a Time Trial only event on the Big Willow track. They are offering a Sunday Special for POC members that are driving Streets on Saturday. There will be three run groups, based upon lap times, and at least four 20-minute sessions. The cost is $225 and includes a free dinner Saturday night for each driver at Martina’s and Dwain’s ranch. You do NOT need to be a PCA member to participate. Register at: http://msreg.com/ WSIR0624 (That is a zero before the 6). For further information or questions prior to registration contact Steve Eisler, seisler@cox.net or 760-803-7935.

If you are looking to further extend your weekend, DK Racing School is having a 1 Day DK Precision Driving School with Expert 1:1 instruction, videos, and an extensive track walk on June 14th at Streets prior to the POC event. This school is for Levels 1-5. Or, if you would like extra practice time or to sort your car, DK is offering a DK Open Track Day with seven 30-minute sessions on the hour. The sign up is at DK.TRACKRABBIT.COM.

Hope to see you at the track and at the dinner on Saturday evening.

C’est La Vie (part 2 of an article that appeared in the December ‘23 issue of Velocity)

28 Year Evolution

Don Matz

After eight engines, eight transmissions, multiple crashes, multiple paint jobs, wheels, tires, safety equipment, suspension, fuel cell, bias brakes, multiple seats, going wide, going light, multiple wings, etc., etc., etc. and after one final “significant” investment which included a kick-ass transmission and a new splitter (right before last year’s Tribute) 707 came to its final rest at the side of turn 6 after colliding with another car (not from our club) that spun during a Friday practice session...and it was lights out! When I asked Scott if he wanted to hang it up...he simply said “No (expletive) way!”

Seven months later (Thanks Vali)

DON KRAVIG

GeNTLEMAN RACER

ANDREW WEYMAN

AW: When did you first join the POC?

Don Kravig has been a Velocity contributor for many years and has provided us with fantastic event coverage and historical perspectives. I always enjoy being on the track with Don and talking with him in the paddock. You’re missing something if you don’t know him. If you do know Don, perhaps this interview will shed some light on a few little-known facts. Enjoy!

DK: I joined as an associate member with my dad in either 1972 or 1973. He started putting me in his car, I think, even before I had a real driver’s license. I started attending POC events at Willow Springs around 1968 or 1969. I was 10 years old. I helped my dad (Big Don) with his car, set up cones… He was a huge guy. Like 250lbs. Like my son. He was immensely strong and gifted. He could get in anybody’s car and go faster than they did.

AW: How long was your dad a member of POC?

DK: From ’72 or ’73 until he died, in 2001.

AW: What is your daily driver?

DK: A Jeep Gladiator pickup with a diesel in it.

AW: Your favorite track?

DK: It’s gone. Riverside Raceway.

AW: I knew you were going to say that.

DK: My favorite west coast track would be Laguna Seca. I love Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen. I love high-speed tracks that aren’t gimmicky. The track is right there in front of you and it says, “Beat me.”

AW: Tell me a little bit about your track car.

DK: It’s a car I bought originally just before the recession around 2008. We were going to build a Bonneville car out of it. Do a twin-turbo, 700-800hp motor. We wanted to set the all-time speed record for a Porsche there. Which, at that time, was 241mph. The recession hit and all those plans got put to one side. Years later, the pandemic hit, and we received a relief check based on our business’ payroll. My guys were just standing around, so we decided to build my current car with that money. It’s the first car I built for myself since about 1983. During the intervening years I was mostly driving other people’s cars.

AW: You’re a fantastic driver with a fantastic reputation. I always enjoy being on the track with you and calculating if, when and where you’re going to pass me. Do you have a ‘most memorable race that you can recall?

DK: In the POC or in general?

AW: In general.

DK: There was a 12-hour at Sebring. It was a team race. We had three or four wrecks in the 12 hours and just kept fixing the car. And we finished! Then there was Daytona when we blew three engines that we kept replacing and we finished 17th out of 84 cars. Professionally, those would be two. In the POC I’ve had so many good races it’s hard to pick one out. I love racing

Photos: Don Kravig

with Dwain (Dement). He’s totally predictable and he’s bloody fast. You can stick your car in beside him pretty much anywhere and have fun. He’s a class act and epitomizes how I like to race. There are a lot of guys in the POC like that. Anders (Hainer) is like that. I also remember a POC Tribute to Le Mans enduro when I drove a Red class turbo in the first stint and switched into John Momeyer’s GSR for a stint in the dark. I raced Mark Foley in his GSR for close to an hour. We were never more than ten feet apart. It was great racing against a great driver.

AW: Do you have an archrival?

DK: I’ve had various ones over the years like Mike Takaki and Leonard Schenkel. Both guys were absolutely good, clean racers. When I was racing in the Red Group, it was Anders. There are so many of them. At least 20% of the Cup Racers running have the skills to drive pro. Everyone trots out their favorite tricks, but they won’t wreck you with them. It’s just like the top levels of SCCA, IMSA and Grand Am. Really, really high quality, skilled driving. I can’t really pick one. I’ve had so many over the years. When I first got started as a teenager it was Mike Hammond. He was top driver in the field for 40-50 years. He’s still fast and he’s 90-something. Aspasia (Zouras) has moved up to GT5. Her skill level continues to grow dramatically. It could develop into an archrival situation. She’s very methodical in her thinking. Let’s see what happens…

AW: Tell me about Precision Motion and Kravig Race Engineering.

DK: Precision Motion is gone now. We had a building the size of Dwain’s (Vision Motorsports) and we took care of customers’ street cars and did customization. We lost our lease during the pandemic and had to shut down, so we focused on racing. My dad started as a mechanic on a Streamliner at Bonneville in 1953. He spent his whole life racing anything he could, from hydroplane boats to dragsters to sports cars. You name it. He picked up a ’67 911S and fixed it up. He started campaigning it and within a few years, he was fixing all his competitor’s cars. That’s where Kravig Race Engineering came from. One of my motivations to go to Bonneville was that my dad’s car went over 300mph in 1953. That car is in their Hall of Fame. My mentor, Dennis Aase, still holds a record at Bonneville. I wanted to build a car, go there, and take Dennis with me. Do a Porsche-thing at Bonneville. I wanted to build the world’s fastest Porsche.

AW: What’s the most fun part of your job?

DK: I love car set-up. I’ll spend hours and hours thinking, measuring, tinkering to get 2/10ths of a mile faster in a corner or another mile an hour on a straightaway. Little things that keep making a car better and better. I just love that part of it. The set-up, the preparation. Arriving at the track with a car that’s better than it was the last time is the most rewarding thing I do.

AW: You were working with your dad, setting up cones at the track when you were 10. Now you’re working with your son. That’s an admirable and enviable situation. What’s it like working with your son?

DK: I can feel my dad’s pain working with me. I’m not an instinctual driver like Roush. I’m a deliberate, almost like a spreadsheet driver. I get the lines figured out and work on them until I’ve extracted the last bit of RPM and cornering speed. I’m methodical. It’s almost like playing chess. My son is more like my dad. He just gets in the damn thing and drives it. I can feel my dad’s pain because he would try to coach me and realize we approached things very differently. Interestingly, when we went pro, I did more of the car set-up than anybody. I kept making the car go faster. The instinctual guys would just get in there and drive the crap out of it.

AW: We’ve chatted at Spring Mountain dinners and around the paddock. I love hearing about your experiences.

DK: Years ago, we had our banquet at a car museum in Orange County. I talked about our first trip to Daytona as pros. My dad got arrested at four in the morning. We had an early morning driver’s meeting. On the way, we ran out of diesel for our rig. My dad jumped out when we coasted to a stop and decided to siphon some diesel out of a semi that was parked nearby. There was a guy sleeping inside and he came out with a gun. That was fun.

AW: Big Don sounds like quite a character. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to know him.

DK: PCA National is huge right now. It came directly out of POC. My dad became a Zone 8 Rep. He attended all the national meetings. He essentially took our Porsche Owners Club rules to PCA National and got their racing program instituted. Not only have we had members like Dan Gurney and other pros. Our club is a lot like the SCCA. We’ve had some very famous drivers as members. I don’t think may people know that. We had car classes like the Boxster Spec class we have now. The top ten finishers would be within tenths or hundreds. My dad was Competition Chairman for a while. They would settle disputes by trading cars. Almost invariably the guy who was being protested was a better driver than the guy who was protesting. Now we have so much technology… There’s a lot a sharing of information.

AW: I agree.

DK: Anders is a perfect example. He’ll help anyone, anytime. I try to do that as much as I can. Kevin Roush is another good example. He’ll help you get your car going better. He’s a little like my dad in that he’s a talented, instinctive driver. He could drive anything and be faster than whoever was in it. Crazy good. Dennis Aase was amazing.

AW: If we were sitting around and having a couple of drinks too many, what would you tell me?

DK: That’s a good question. Let’s see. It would depend on my mood at the time. We were racing in Aspen Colorado in the PCA Parade one year and they put on a rodeo for us. I grew up on a ranch, so I rode saddle broncs and bulls. I got thrown by a bull that pushed me around the arena with his head. I’ve wandered around the desert in search of old mines and things like General Patton’s cabin. It’s out in the mountains by Chuckwalla. It’s where he’d take his friends up there to hunt. I’ve been searching for that. I’ve been shot at by prospectors. What else can I tell you? It depends on how much I had to drink.

AW: Ha! Let’s leave it there. Thanks for letting me interrogate you. Looking forward to seeing you at the track.

DK: See ya there!

Photo: Luis Vivar

Photo: Karen Robinson

Racing with Purpose

KAREN ROBINSON

Gratitude. Before every race many of us have our rituals. When I arrive on grid, I take deep releasing breaths and focus on gratitude. My gratitude is for the gifts and blessings in my life. I have many; my family and friends, my health, Porsche Owners Club, racing, and you, the community of crazy car people that I’ve found to be so important in my life. Focusing on gratitude puts what I’m about to do into perspective.

Purpose. Let’s face it, the real purpose of what we do out here driving in circles is a purely self-serving activity. All of us love it and have worked hard to earn the opportunity to be here. In my life, I have found that anything I enjoy is even better when I have a purpose bigger than myself. This year I have the opportunity to highlight the important work needed to learn more about how to prevent, treat, and support patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

At our Awards Banquet in January you were introduced to my dear friend and POC At our Awards Banquet in January, you were introduced to my dear friend and POC partner, Phil Frengs, and the amazing non-profit organization he founded to honor his wife Mimi - Racing to End Alzheimer’s. They are aligned with MDK Motorsports – a

team which fields racers in many series. Mark Kvamme, the team owner and 2023 Champion, carries the livery on his Porsche GT3 Cup Car in the Carrera Cup North America Series. His car shouts out the race to find for a cure and to fund the care for patients and families.

Hitting Close to Home.

This year my family has faced the reality of our matriarch’s dementia diagnosis. It’s already difficult and it’s not going to get easier. We do practical things. We try to laugh when we can and cherish the times we have together. We know that this disease will progress, and we try not to think too far ahead. It all feels very helpless at times. When Phil’s wife Mimi was diagnosed at 60 with early onset Alzheimer’s, he looked for something he could do. He searched for something positive in the face of the devasting news and the loss of his wife as she once was. He founded Racing to End Alzheimer’s. I’m taking a page from his book and will be gratefully spreading the word about the great work they have supported by raising over $1MM in the last 10 years for research and programs at Nantz National Alzheimer’s Care Center at Houston Methodist and the UCLA Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Program here in Los Angeles.

Action. With my car’s little “incident” in February and the need to repair and paint, I approached Phil about allowing me to carry the same livery as Mark Kvamme’s #43 Carrera Cup Car. He and Mark enthusiastically supported my plan. At our Tribute to LeMans event, Phil endured the wicked Willow Springs winds and joined me for the debut of Bob’s makeover (and if you know me at all, you know my car’s name is Bob). What you saw was the new Bob, sporting the livery of his big brother GT3 Cup Car and looking fancier and racier than ever.

I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to combine my love for racing with a higher purpose. The car looks amazing, and its message is loud and clear. It isn’t surprising to me that I attained personal bests in both qualifying and race pace times. While our Boxster Spec field was much smaller than usual, I finished better than I ever have except for racing in the rain. Coincidence Joe Wiederholt? I think not.

Join me. Please consider donating to Racing to End Alzheimer’s. 100% of your gift goes to research and family support and is 100% match funded by Phil’s company, Legistics. None of your gift goes toward my racing expenses or those of MDK Motorsports. Donations of any amount are gratefully appreciated. With a donation of $250 or more your loved one’s name will be put on my car as well as the #43 Carrera Cup Car. When we bring genuine gratitude to what we are so fortunate to do, sprinkle it with purpose, and call it to action we can make a real difference. I believe that brings out the very best in each of us. Thank you to those who have already donated. I carry your loved one’s names with me on my car. Come by and check it out.

You can read more about Racing to End Alzheimer’s and Mark Kvamme’s #43 Race Car at: https://mdkmoto.com/ and https://www.r2endalz.org/

If you wish to donate, please select Porsche Owners Club in the dropdown menu for the donation page under “Please tell us how you heard about us” so I can add your loved one’s name to my car (and yours).

Photo: Karen Robinson

Finding Myself in a Corner

Matt Steele

Have you ever been asked, “What’s the big deal about driving a car around in circles?”

...only to find yourself excitedly spewing a word salad as the inquisitive loved one’s eyes glaze over? You reach the pinnacle of carnerd nirvana just as their thumb instinctively begins to scroll their phone, their eyes slowly descending into the gentle, beckoning blue glow of their phone…

Yeah, me too.

I wrote The following short story as an utterly self-indulgent exploration of car nerd nirvana. It was never intended to be published, but when I learned about Velocity Magazine while getting involved with the Porsche Owners Club, I realized that it might resonate with someone.

I hope you enjoy it!

The heart is calm.

The mind is clear.

The body relaxes as it flows within the violence.

Third gear…Ninety…One hundred miles per hour...

At this moment, the special cloth meant to keep out the fire can barely contain it. Foam, carbon, and kevlar wrap around the hollow bony sphere that bounds the universe of cells that is everything I’ve ever been, said, done, experienced, hoped, or dreamed—a soft ball of delicate gray and white matter that could be returned to dust in an instant if I or my machine falter.

Fourth gear…One-thirty...One-forty…

The engine’s fury and the gearbox’s whine shake my bones while the noise of the rushing air threatens to burst my eardrums.

Vibrations. Violence. Relentlessness.

My eyes search for the first glimpse of the apex of the coming corner. It reveals itself, and the plan is set in stone. All else—the here and now of action and reaction—is the periphery.

Fifth gear…One-fifty…One-sixty…

By now, the moment of this long straight should have finished to prevent a violent end, yet a countdown begins.

The 300-meter mark approaches at one-hundred sixty-two miles per hour in my periphery as my eyes are locked to the apex. At this velocity, it takes me less than a second and a half to go 100

meters. If no action is taken, the following four seconds could be the last I’ll ever experience.

At the 300 mark, the indicator reads onehundred sixty-four. The throttle remains pinned to thefloor.

The heart is calm.

The mind is clear.

The 200 mark comes and goes at one-hundred sixty-six.

The hands are relaxed.

The breath is deep and controlled.

The 100-meter mark passes.

The indicator shows one-hundred and sixty-eight miles an hour, but there’s some extra grip here. I’ve felt it increase over the last few laps.

So the moment passes…

An eternity…

Now.

I release the throttle and rapidly squeeze the brake until eighty pounds of force is straining through the ball of my foot.

The experience is beyond the most violent of words; The harness digs into my bones, and my eyes compress toward the front of their sockets.

I hold my breath. Otherwise, the compression expels it, and I would not be able to draw another until it relents.

Through the pedal and wheel, the feedback smooths and lightens, telling me the forward grip is dropping slightly—a precursor to lockup, which, in the best case, will give me a flat spot and a migraine; at worst, it will send me into a wall.

I release a few pounds of pressure, and the grip comes back.

The heel swings over and stabs at a generous bit of throttle while my other foot engages the clutch. The gear lever snicks from fifth to fourth; repeat; Fourth to third.

In the three-quarters of a second between releasing the clutch and getting back on the throttle, the following happens:

The ragged shaking of the steering wheel fights against the affirmative but smooth roll in the direction of the turn while I gradually release pressure from the brakes. The feeling of deceleration resistance exchanges for lateral resistance.

The car quickly rolls to the right while yawing left slightly, but my direction of travel barely changes…For this instant, the rubber from the tires has free reign to make the car do whatever it wants.

But soon, the beast’s weight transfers from the contact patch back up to the hub, and the car must yield. At that point, Sir Isaac Newton takes over, and the car’s forward momentum, wanting very much to keep going straight, confiscates the grip, and the vehicle begins to slip.

The suspension on the right starts to compress, the left releases, and the dampers that keep the rubber in constant contact with the ground work together perfectly to absorb every imperfection in the tarmac, keeping the rubber firmly pressed against the Earth. The tire carcass between the rim and contact patch is pulled and stretched as the tires roll sideways under, struggling like hell to be the last thing to break free from the tarmac.

Everything that can compress compresses, everything that can stretch stretches, everything that can roll rolls, and grip returns to me.

While all that is happening, the pressure on my chest from the harness releases and is transferred to the side of my ribcage, pinned into the side bolster of my seat. My eyeballs decompress as the muscles in my neck begin to take a beating in a new direction.

At this peak grip, my body is experiencing the Earth’s gravity three times over...Sideways.

Every sinew on the left side of my neck strains and shakes, because they’ve been repeatedly exposed to this abuse a dozen times a lap for the last half hour.

Now, I release the clutch as my eyes move beyond the apex to my track-out point and beyond.

I replace my right foot with my left on the brake—which is only lightly feathered at this point to give me a mechanism to throw weight forward if I need it—and transfer my right foot

to the throttle to start dipping in as pressure is released from the brake. I dance lightly, exchanging pressure between both as I manage the tire’s tenuous grip threshold on the tarmac.

The force coming through the wheel is ferocious. Thanks to the trailing castor, the tires want to go straight. That force is fighting metal-vs.-metal at the mechanical rack in front of my feet, and the struggle is transferring directly through the steering shaft to the wheel, then to my hands and arms.

I fight it and win. I must because this is when the fun really starts…

The car is no longer entirely under my control. I give it instructions, and it responds. I respond in return, and we continue this dance a hundred times a second through the middle of the corner.

If the tail isn’t rotating as much as I want it to, I lift the throttle, kiss the brake a bit, and tuck in…If the tail is too responsive and slipping too far, I add a touch of throttle to throw weight back, add a little opposite steering lock, or a bit of both.

The dance with the beast is part intuition, part inention, with ebbs and flows of action and reaction, fed by the rush of balance in an imbalanced reality. My reference frame nestled into a perfectly side-loaded forward-momentum slip – trying to keep my wheel nearly dead center.

The direction I’m pointing would take me through the dirt inside the apex kerb if I wasn’t sliding sideways. Since just before the apex, I’ve been building throttle pressure, looking to the exit and beyond, and maintaining as much speed through the corner as possible.

The three-quarters of a second are over, and the moment and heading are right…

The throttle is squeezed to the floor, and the inside tires feed a satisfying “BRRP!” through my hands and body as the car tracks over nearly the exact apex point my eyes spotted earlier.

Once the beast is satisfied with this corner meal, the side momentum rotates back to forward momentum just before the track runs out. Once again, I feel that satisfying “BRRRP!”—this time under my outside tires.

The car unloads from the corner, and the abusive lateral G’s I’ve been experiencing convert to abusive rearward pressure. My bag of flesh conforms to every contour of my seat, and my harness goes slack as the muscles in my face tighten into a smile. My eyes again compress, this time against the back of their sockets as they scan downfield for the next challenge.

Velocity, sound, and fury build once again as I row through...

Fourth…Fifth...The heart is calm. The mind is clear.

I’ll do it again, and again, and again.

One day I’ll get it right.

Jim Salzer

The POC is partnering with the Motorsports Safety Foundation to provide standardized instructor training and certification for POC driving instructors. This course is becoming the standard with many performance driving clubs. For more information about the course, click on the following link:

https://www.motorsport-safety.org/about

The course is currently delivered in two levels. The format for Level 1 certification is a self-paced online course that includes video and text content. Ross Bentley is very involved in the MSF training and delivers the content for the course’s videos. There is a quiz at the end of every module and a test at the end of the course that must be passed for successfully completing the course. The Level 1 course only takes about four hours to complete.

Level 2 training, which is done at the track, includes candidates performing in-car instruction of MSF instructors acting as students. We are planning for a Level 2 training on June 15th at Streets of Willow. Upon completion of Level 2 you will be a certified MSF instructor.

The cost for registering for Level 1 is $50. POC will give 50 service points and $50 in POC Bucks for completing Level 1, so there is no cost to participate.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating in the launch of this new POC instructor certification program, please contact Jim Salzer at:

PDS@PorscheClub.com

Ask

Dear Dr. Dyno,

Advice to Keep You on Track

I make it a point to stay hydrated at track events. At a recent event, I drank a lot of water before my race. By lap eight, I had to pee very badly. I always wondered what pro drivers do in a case like this. I figured my choice was to pee in my driving suit or get off the track, use the restroom and finish my race. I decided to exit the track, use the restroom and get back in the race. I finished DFL. Did I make the right decision?

Puzzled in Palm Springs

Dear Puzzled,

DFL? WTF! Being a good driver requires good judgment. There are always risks to consider. Should I attempt to pass in the next corner? Is the driver next to me going to leave racing room? These are important considerations where good judgement is required. Always think about the level of risk being worth the reward. This applies to hydration, too. Next time pee in your suit, earn a podium finish and call a urologist.

Dear Dr. Dyno,

When I was driving on the freeway, it occurred to me that a lot of cars aren’t equipped with turn signals. I thought they were. Why aren’t manufacturers required to at least offer them as an option? I’m sure drivers would use them if they had them.

Curious in Carlsbad

Dear Curious, You’re an idiot.

Dear Dr. Dyno,

My best buddy and I drive in the same car class. He’s a great guy and ironically, we’ve become archrivals. He’s currently just two championship points ahead of me in the standings. He’s always giving me advice that I don’t ask for. “Brake later. Turn in at the last cone. Soften your front sway bar.” I’ve had enough. I don’t want to hurt his feelings and jeopardize our relationship. How do I tell him to stop?

Fed Up in Freemont

Dear Fed Up,

Just pretend to be listening to his advice and then ignore it. It works with my wife.

Send your questions for Dr. Dyno to:

911 Design is a full-service repair and restoration facility located east of Los Angeles in the city of Montclair.

In addition to offering standard service, repair and restoration for all Porsche® models, we are known for and specialize in custom fabrication, design and performance upgrades.

All of our services are vertically integrated which means we keep all repair, fabrication and auto-body in-house.

the First 911 Porsche News

The first Porsche 911 sports car for the road with a hybrid drive is in the starting blocks. Following an extensive development and testing programme, the new 911 with a performance-focused hybrid drive is ready for series production.

911 Now With HYBRID Drive

Porsche 911 prototype, setting a lap record on the Nürburgring.

Porsche 911 prototype, testing in Dubai, United Arabic Emirates.

with Hybrid Drive

“For the first time in our icon’s 61-year history, we are installing a hybrid drive system in a roadgoing 911. This innovative performance hybrid makes the 911 even more dynamic,” says Frank Moser, Vice President Model Line 911 and 718. “We left nothing to chance during development and tested the new 911 under all sorts of conditions all over the world.”

Over the course of performance testing, Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister completed a lap of the Nürburgring in 7:16.934 minutes –8.7 seconds faster than the corresponding version of its predecessor. “The new 911 has become considerably faster on the track,” says Bergmeister. “We have more grip, significantly more power, and the spontaneous response of the performance hybrid is a great advantage.”

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

SIMRACING 2024 Results

Jan 8

Jan 22

Feb 19

June 17

1st Andrew Chinnici 4th AJ Roper

2nd Sagar Dhawan 5th Michael Oest

3rd Tom Layton 6th Mark Rondeau

1st Chris Walsh 4th BJ Fulton

2nd Sagar Dhawan 5th Alex Filsinger

3rd Travis Brown 6th Michael Bolten

1st Sagar Dhawan 4th BJ Fulton

2nd AJ Roper 5th Travis S Brown

3rd Jad Duncan 6th Mark Rondeau

1st Sagar Dhawan 4th Michael Bolten

2nd Chris Walsh 5th AJ Roper

3rd Jad Duncan 6th Travis S Brown

1st AJ Roper 4th Mark Rondeau

2nd Dylan Scott 5th Ian Roche2

3rd Michael Bolten 6th Dustin Heindl

1st Chris Walsh 4th Ezra Kelderman

2nd AJ Roper 5th BJ Fulton

3rd Dylan Scott 6th Jacob Abrams

1st Ezra Kelderman 4th BJ Fulton

2nd AJ Roper 5th Ian Roche

3rd Michael Bolten 6th Jeff Shulem

1st Chris Walsh 4th BJ Fulton

2nd AJ Roper 5th Jad Duncan

3rd Ezra Kelderman 6th Dustin Heindl

1st Sagar Dhawan 4th Michael Bolten

2nd Ezra Kelderman 5th BJ Fulton

3rd AJ Roper 6th Jad Duncan

1st Jad Duncan 4th Ezra Kelderman

2nd Michael Bolten 5th Ian Roche

3rd AJ Roper 6th Dustin Heind 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th

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.

Long Beach

Phillip Island

SIMRACING

UPCOMING TRACK EVENTS

Streets of Willow June 15, 2024

Come out for a great day of not only running the fun track where a lot of us started but also getting certified in our new Instructor Training Course!

Register Today!

Sonoma Julu 12, 2024

It’s time to head north to wine country and back to an iconic North American race track with challenging curves and elevation changes...always a favorite!

Registration Open Soon!

SIM RACING

June-July 2024

Be sure to keep up with all that’s going on over the next couple of months in this exciting series where members like you are competing against one another on some of the greatest tracks in the world.

Register Today!