Greetings track addicts! As the 2024 season winds down with Chuckwalla in our taillights and the Willow Springs start/finish line straight ahead, I’m reminded of all the fierce competition and friendships the POC offers. I’m a bit spoiled because I get to relive every moment of each event while putting Velocity together. Working with our contributing writers, Luis Vivar’s photos and Don Matz’s graphics continue to be a special privilege and I’m grateful for it. Please enjoy clicking through this issue as much as I have while searching for curse words, typos and bad grammar.
A circuit where horsepower is less of a factor as it truly rewards entry speed, driver skill and momentum.
Speaking of momentum, the 2024 POC race schedule forged on full send during this ever-important, double points, penultimate race weekend as we head towards the end of this amazing season.
DAVID FABI
Image: Luis Vivar / Don Matz
DAVID FABI
Chuckwalla
Chuckwalla
On Saturday, weather conditions were nearly perfect with optimal track temperatures and grip. It was a nice respite from some of the intensely hot race weekends we have had this year. Competition remained fierce, overall clean, and safe.
The Orange race group had qualifying early, and James McLoughlin set the pace with a 1.59 in the Boxter Spec class, followed by Rob Walker and Sagar Dawhan. Carl Vanderschuit achieved pole in the GT5 class with John Momeyer and Will Durant in P2 and P3 respectively.
In the corresponding Orange race, Rob Walker moved up from P2 to claim P1 and the win as McLoughlin dropped back to P5. Anders Hainer moved from P4 to P2 and Matt Hollander moved up three places to P3. The results reflected the competitive nature of the group as they put on a real show for the spectators! Vanderschuit, Durant and Behr Salehi finished P1, P2, and P3 respectively in the GT5 class.
In Orange Race 2, the BSR speed demon that is Anders Hainer took home the win, followed by Walker and Hollander to fill the podium. All three podium winners were separated only by 1.3 seconds as the Boxster Spec class again continued to provide maximum racing entertainment. In the GT5 class, Vanderschuit won again followed very closely by John Momeyer who finished only 0.8 seconds behind. Durant repeated his podium finish with a result of P3 in the race. Jim Mcloughlin ran alone in the GT4 class and took home maximum points.
To set the grid for the Red race, in the 991.2 Spec class, Mike Monsalve was awarded pole by a blistering gap of 0.8 seconds! Bryan Van Noy and Duane Selby completed the top three, by setting the 2nd and 3rd fastest laps respectively. Paul Barnes, running unopposed in the GT2 class, set a lap time of 1:51.444. In the GT3 class, to no surprise, P1 went to Ana Predescu but was pushed by Bayan Salehi as he clocked a time that was within 0.15 seconds of Predescu. Jim Salzer, after moving up to GT3 class this weekend, set the third fastest time.
As we know, points aren’t won in qualifying. However, Chuckwalla being a track where it’s hard to overtake, initial track position was paramount. This notion rang true as Monsalve and Van Noy, converted their qualifying positions to their race
Photos: Luis Vivar
Photo: Andrew Weyman
results, by finishing P1 and P2 respectively, with a gap of 2.8 seconds. Eric Olberz was a hard charger as he moved up from P7 to P3, benefiting from race pace, consistency and attrition.
In the GT3 group, Predescu bested Salehi by a razor thin 0.28 seconds! It was a two-horse race but was followed by a scintillating three-way train separated only by a total 2.6 seconds. Salzer finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Darin Moore, who then beat David Fabi (me) by a razor thin gap of 0.2 seconds. Moore and Fabi continued their season long rivalry with continued scintillating racing (I had to shamefully plug myself into this article, haha). Finally, Paul Barnes ran uncontested and won the GT2 race.
Sunday proved a bit more difficult conditions wise, with slightly lower temperatures and gusty winds blowing a significant amount of dust onto the track. Weather is only one of the many things that make racing so much fun. As we all know, there’s a plethora of variables that can factor into performance.
For the Sunday Orange group qualifying, BSR driver Rob Walker set the pace with P1, followed by Mateo Siderm and Anders Hainer. In the GT5 group, Vanderschuit once again put in a flyer for P1, with Phil Town in P2 and John Momeyer in P3.
The 3rd race of the weekend for the Orange group saw the ever-present Anders Hainer take the win once again for the second time of the weekend. James McLoughlin
Luis Vivar
Photos:
took second place and Hollander 3rd. In the GT5 race, Vanderschuit fell back to P5 as Phil Town took home the trophy, followed by the familiar name of Momeyer and then Will Durant in 3rd. Jim McLoughlin once again took home the official win as he was the only one in his GT4 group.
The second Red group race also continued to provide scintillating action. 991.2 Spec Qualifying was led by Van Noy as he beat Monsalve in 2nd and Alexandra Hainer in 3rd. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree in the Hainer family! But during the race, Monsalve, once again, bested everyone as he finished ahead of Alexandra Hainer in 2nd and Bryan Van Noy in 3rd who lost out to Hainer by just 0.4 seconds.
In the Sunday GT3 class qualifying session, Predescu earned the first spot on the grid by 0.7 seconds ahead of Salehi. Salzer completed the top three. In the final Red group race, Predescu and Bayan Salehi, again, continued their race craft masterclass with Predescu inching out the win by a mere 0.25 seconds. Darin Moore claimed P3 as he took advantage of Salzer and me as we lost time battling it out behind. (Once again, another shameless plug as the ego racer gene in me is driven to garner attention, LOL).
All in all, another fantastic weekend with minimal delays, racing incidents and red mist. What a penultimate race we experienced and will continue the momentum into the final race of the season at historic Willow Springs. Let’s continue to send it!!!
2 Photos: Andrew Weyman
Chuckwalla
Photos: Luis Vivar
Photo: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
Photo: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
Photos: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
Photos: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
Photos: Luis Vivar
Photo: Luis Vivar
Photos: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
Photo: Luis Vivar
Chuckwalla
PDS & TT @ CVR CW @
STEVE EISLER (Article & Photos)
On Halloween we loaded the tow car, placed a bowl of bite-sized Snickers near the front door, and left for our second consecutive weekend at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Just four days earlier we had returned from Chuckwalla after driving three days on the same track, in the same direction, but with very different track conditions. We made our normal “pit stop” at Agua Caliente Casino, ordered lunch in Water’s Café and took the leftovers to the track for Thursday’s dinner.
There were almost twice as many drivers registered for the Friday, open-track, test day, as there was the previous week, so we were split into two groups. Group 1 started on the hour for 30 minutes, and Group 2 started on half-hour. Next time it would be nice if they let us self-select to go into the fast group or the “less fast” group. The temperature was about 20 degrees cooler than the previous weekend. On my first session on Friday, I was more than a second faster than my best time of the previous weekend. I can’t blame my slow times completely on the weather. I just couldn’t seem to put a good lap together due to mistakes or slower traffic. The POC weekend was much more successful!
After driving 100 miles on Friday, we enjoyed a delightful pot-luck dinner organized by Martina Kwan, Alicia Wray, and others. There was plenty of food and great conversations. Kathy enjoyed sharing recipes with the other ladies. There was not much activity around the cabins after dinner as everyone seemed to be retiring early to be ready for the 7:15 am drivers meeting on Saturday.
After the drivers meeting, PDS Chairman Jim Salzer met with the 8 student drivers to go over track rules and procedures. After the first two sessions, I caught up with Jamie Ramirez from Huntington Beach who was driving a 2022 BMW M4 in his second POC event. Jaime owns a consulting firm and says his wife surprised him with the BMW two years ago, and his buddy, a POC member, said it was time to go racing. He is already feeling more confident driving at speed and is looking forward to attending more POC events. Also, part of the Huntington Beach group, was Steve Copeland, driving a brand new 2024 VW Golf R. Steve is a construction manager and was enjoying his first Performance Driving Series event.
Pitted near Jaime were Cyrus Chen and Osei Appiaagyei. Cyrus was driving a 2019 Carrera 4S, his first Porsche, in his third PDS and will
be moving to Time Trials next. He is a workers compensation attorney from Lader Oaks who’s only problem with big track racing is that he is, “having too much fun.” Osei was in a new 2024 992 Carrera S with Diane Cafferata as his instructor. After two autocross events, this is his first big track adventure and he “loves it.” An aerospace engineer from Los Angeles, he is planning to move up to Club Racing and enjoyed the ‘psychological escape’ provided by a weekend at the track.
Pitted next to us, under the WRTeknica canopy was professional model Zinta Polo. She has been driving a 2015 991 GT3 for about a year, but this was her first POC event. She said that driving at Chuckwalla was, “harder than I expected it to be,” but she recorded some very fast times.
Here is the full list of all Students and their volunteer instructors:
Student Car Instructor
Cyrus Chen 2019 911 Carrera 4S Ana Predescu
Jaime Ramirez 2022 BMW M4 Mateo Sinderman
Steve Copeland 2024 VW Golf R Ryder Liu
Osai Appiaagyei 2024 911 S Diane Cafferata
Roger Zheng 2016 MB AMG GTS Vivek Hazari
Zinta Polo 2015 991 GT3
Tristan Zafra
Vianh Nguyen 2016 Ford GT 350R Glen Orton
David Barrish 1999 BSR Don Kravig
The last time POC raced clockwise at Chuckwalla was in November of 2021.
31 drivers participated in Time Trials and five of them, Byron Allen, Vivek Hazari, Bob Gartland, Todd Trimble and Tristan Zafra returned for Time Trials in 2024. Five more of the 31 returned to the Cup Races, Adam Abrahms and David Allen in the Orange Cup, and Keith Hnatiuk, Bayan Salehi and Gerrit Wesseling in the Red Cup competition.
As I compare this list to the 38 Time Trial drivers on the 2024 list and the student list, there are some interesting trends to observe.
At each combined event we have a group of drivers with new cars or cars that are new to them, that are eager to see how their cars perform and learn how to control their cars at speed in a safe environment. Many of these Performance Driving Series drivers attend just one or two events and, although they are far from being race drivers, are much safer than the millions of drivers who have had no Driver Education experience. Some of them continue to hone their skills, participating in the Time Trial Series, but as we see from the attendance numbers, two-thirds of the 2021 Time Trailers did not drive in the 2024 event!
Chuckwalla
We open our grid to anyone interested in our PDS and hope that a few of them will continue to the TT Series. The most serious TT drivers move up thorough the Racers Clinic and join the grids of the Cup Racing Series. Some of the TT drivers stay in this class for years to enjoy racing on the track without the stresses of wheelto-wheel racing and, of course, many of them drop out of or sharply curtail their racing due to financial, career and personal commitments. I believe the POC Board and the POC membership at large is doing an excellent job of welcoming newcomers and providing safe and challenging activities for them and the intermediate drivers, which, in turn, produces, “Club Racing at its Best.”
Coincidentally, there were 31 drivers entered in Time Trials at Chuckwalla this year, almost as many entrants as the Orange Cup Race. Gerrit Wesseling (GT1), in the Open Passing group, had the top time of the weekend, 1:48.976, and the only time under 1:50. In the Point by Passing group, Thomas Kenna (M2), was the only one under 2:00 with a best time of 1:59.048. Eight new track records were set at this event: Bryan Van Noy, 991.2 Spec, 1:45.386; James McLoughlin, Boxster Spec, 1:59.066; Ana Predescu, GT3, 1:48.066; and Carl Vanderschuit, GT5, 1:55.792. In the Modified and Stock classes, Mark Barry set the M2 record at 1:55.596; Jack Aplebaum recorded a 1:53.997 for the M3 record; Cody Lissner (M6), set the record at 2:13.376; and Cyrus Chen improved the Stock 3 record by 5 seconds with a time of 2:08.973.
NOTE: When I calculate the RBIS results I always use the fastest track record, whether it was recorded in a race, qualifying, or time trial or PDS. If we want a true representation of improvement, we need to measure against the best time recorded at each track. Be sure to check out the Record Based Improvement Scores to see the order of finish, and who is improving the most compared to the Chuckwalla Clockwise track record for each class.
When you receive this, you will have just a few days to register for the LAST event of the year! December 7 and 8 at Willow Springs will feature the usual Red and Orange races, the Time Trials, and the Racers Clinic for you Time Trial drivers who want to graduate into wheel-to-wheel racing. Finally, don’t forget the POC Awards Banquet on January 18. Even if you are not receiving a trophy, you don’t want to miss one of the best parties of the year!
Steve Copeland
Jaime Ramirez
Osai Appiaagyei
Zinta Polo
Cyrus Chen
Time Trial Record Based Improvement Scores (RBIS) Chuckwalla
CLOCKWISE -- NOVEMBER 2-3, 2024
Chuckwalla CW 1:45.386
The POC has partnered with:
Motorsports Safety Foundation (www.motorsport-safety.org)
...to provide standardized instructor training and certification for POC driving instructors. This course is becoming the standard with many performance driving clubs. In late 2023 and early 2024, 33 POC drivers completed the online Level 1 training, which takes around 4 hours. This last June, 22 of those Level 1 graduates completed the one day Level 2 training at Streets of Willow, which was a combination of classroom and on-track instructing scenarios. Participants learned a lot and rated the course very highly. Upon completion of Level 2 you will be credentialed and entered into the national registry as a MSF instructor. We have scheduled a Level 2 training at Streets of Willow for Saturday, January 11, 2025, so now is the time to complete the Level 1 training.
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 POC’s MSF instructor certification program, please contact me to help you get started.
Thanks, Jim Salzer
Question:
Who shows up to our events, each time sporting a different tee shirt? Answer– later on in the magazine!
Image: Don Matz
My Porsche Adventures
The Leap to an ‘04 911 GT3 and Beyond
Martin Schacht
Part Two
After many years of thrashing my 993 on the track and more lightly on the street, the probability of an eventual engine restoration, or worse, loomed on the horizon. Estimates ran upwards of 30% of the value of the car. It seems that after nearly two decades of driving the 993, technology had moved on and left us behind. I opted to let someone else run out the clock on the 993.
I decided the ideal replacement car to be, a limited-edition 2003 –2005 Porsche 911 GT3, having 100 + HP greater than my aging 993. The search was on, and as luck would have it, I found one locally with low mileage and in pristine condition with a documented history. It was powered by the 3.6L Mezger boxer engine, named after the late Hans Mezger. He was a renowned Porsche designer, primarily responsible for the original 911 boxer engine seen first in 1965. The GT3 delivered 380 HP at 7,400 RPM, featuring a close ratio six-speed manual transmission a limited slip differential (LSD), and equipped with Porsche’s famed Big Red brake calipers.
The GT3’s only known flaw is succinctly described in ChatGPT 4.0, “The 2004 Porsche 911 GT3 (996.2 generation) is a high-performance vehicle, and while it’s generally known for its durability, oil return tube failures can occur in some cases…and failure could result in oil leaks or, in more severe cases, engine damage.” The potential for this flaw to occur is eliminated by welding these tubes to the engine block, which was on my “to do” list were I to buy a GT3. There were no other patent flaws that I knew of.
After doing my due diligence, I had a professional technician do a detailed evaluation of the car’s mechanicals. It came back clean. It should have been, with only 10,000 miles on the odometer and no known exposure to the track. All indications were positive, it was priced right, so I purchased this car. Going forward, after a thorough pre-track preparation, I spent multiple weekends driving the car at various racetracks. Sadly, after a reasonable amount of time, and having in-car coaching, I was not seeing any significant improvements in my lap times. It seems, I was simply over my head with this car, with it being simply too challenging for me to drive well. I was wanting to move to another car more suited to my driving style. Because of the relative rarity of the 2004 GT3 car, and its low mileage, I was able to sell it for a good price, financing my next car. A man must know his limitations.
The 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS
For my next car, I had my eyes on a mid-engine Porsche 981 Cayman GTS. But wasn’t a Cayman simply a Boxster with a fixed roof? How could I, as a self-proclaimed, dyed in the wool 911 guy like me consider such a car? My initial interest was stimulated by reading numerous journals, magazines and online forums praising this car for
its performance and handling. It just couldn’t seem to get a bad review. What did it have it its veins to cause this? Could there be a little 911 in its blood?
Recently, a video by Australian Jeff Richardson addresses just this. He calls it The Video that Porsche Doesn’t Want You to Watch. In it he analyzes and compares the modern 911 car to the Cayman, and Boxster as well. To substantiate his claims, the bought a salvage Cayman and took it all apart. He was dazzled by the number of 911 parts he found.
The Cayman GTS reputation for providing stellar handling on the track and street is well deserved. The car shares the 991.1 Carrera 3.4-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine, detuned 10 H.P. It’s no wonder this car, with a competent driver, will be quick.
All things being equal, I sold myself on buying a Cayman GTS. I discovered a somewhat local car for sale. It’s owner had lightly tracked the car. He had added adjustable front lower control arms installed to optimize front camber just as was standard on my former GT3. Later, in preparation for the track, I added bigger 350mm 6 piston front brakes from a 2015 911 Carrera S, also the same size of former GT3’s front brakes. This car came in Carrara White with PDK 7-speed automatic transmission, having the Sport Chrono option.
2004 Porsche GT3
2015 Porsche Cayman GTS
After a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a Porsche dealer, and the usual negotiations with the seller, I made it mine. From day one at the Willow Springs Raceway track, on street rated tires, the Cayman GTS was three seconds faster per than my previous track pedigreed 2004 GT3 running on track tires. Note, it wasn’t that my driving had improved, it had to be a result of the Cayman GTS standard features with more modern technology serving to boost to the cars enhanced overall performance.
But as much as the performance of the Cayman GTS was stellar and so easy to drive, the car had one unresolvable nagging shortcoming, it was not a 911. In my heart, I am, and will forever be, a “911 Guy.” As illogical and ill-advised as it may have been, I decided to part with the Cayman GTS and return to the 911 marque. And if truth be told, I truly missed having a sports car with the Carrera 911 S moniker emblazoned on its rear deck.
Fleeting consideration was given to the ‘99 Porsche 996, the introductory water cooled 911 with a 3.4-liter boxer engine. It was simply too unremarkable for me to consider. My primary concern was possible/probable maintenance and component failure issues. Research confirmed what I had been hearing over the years. The 2000 - 2008 996 cars frequently had Intermediate Shaft (IMS) bearing failure problems. The culprit most likely was the result of a design flaw specific to these 996 cars, their failure prone single row inferior IMS bearings. This in contrast to the ‘99 911 cars, that possessed more rugged and reliable dual row IMS bearings.
This potentially expensive engine flaw forced me to ignore 996 and 997.1 models, and move up the Porsche model ladder, to the 2009 - 2012 Porsche 997.2, with the IMS bearing having been designed out of the engine.
Porsche’s all new six-cylinder 9A1 engine, features direct fuel injection (DFI) system in contrast to earlier 996 and 997.1 with obsolete port fuel injection. Porsche also introduce its lauded dual clutch PDK transmission, still supplied to this present day, with buyer’s choice between the standard seven-speed manual transmission, or the optional 7-speed PDK automatic. Both versions were available with my favorite option, Sport Chrono.
Was the 997.2 model with Sport Chrono too good to be true? It may have been considering a new problem that was to rear its ugly head, a defect known as bore scoring. Thankfully, the flaw was not as terminal as an IMS failure. Bore Scoring occurred less frequently than IMS bearing failures. But why would I want to be exposed to either? With the 997.2 having the potential for this potentially serious flaw, I eliminated it from my wish-list. I would focus on the next generation 911 in the series, the 2013 –2016 Porsche 991.1 Carrera S. I began my search for a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) car with its twoyear warranty.
In our next issue, my 991.1 911 comes home.
Photo: Luis Vivar
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.
Vivek Hazari
ANDREW WEYMAN ...Loves to Chase Faster Cars
Photos: Luis Vivar
If you think you haven’t met Vivek Hazari, well, you have. He’s the guy often helping at the registration table, bugging you for your Speed Waiver and/or Tech Inspection. On the track, he’s hot on your bumper, sizing you up for a great pass. I talked with him after our event at Chuckwalla. Here’s what he had to say…
AW: Thanks for agreeing to do this. Often the reaction I get is a look of terror. You smiled broadly and said, “Sure!”
VH: I’m glad to do this.
AW: For how long have you been a POC member?
VH: Since 2019.
AW: And you’ve been driving a ’99 Boxster in Time Trials, right?
VH: Actually, starting a month ago, I’ve been driving a 718 Cayman S. I started out in Stock 4 and moved into Modified 4.
AW: I wasn’t aware of that. Before you joined the POC what track experience did you have?
VH: I raced motorcycles from about ’94 through 2001.
AW: I had no idea about that either. Had you been active with PCA or any other groups before becoming a POC member?
VH: I ordered my 718 in 2019 and before I even got the car, I signed up for a track day with OTR (Open Track Racing). After OTR, I was looking for a place to do more track days and found POC. The club’s simple registration and classification process told me that the POC was the place I wanted to go.
AW: How did you find POC?
VH: I was just looking for track days. I think it was on motorsportreg.
AW: What hobbies do you have that relate to your driving? Is there something in your professional life that’s a parallel?
VH: My primary hobbies are road cycling and mountain biking. I’m an engineer by trade. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid. From my perspective, with engineering and racing, there’s quite a bit of overlap. It’s problem solving. There’s the technical side of it. The car dynamics, motor, suspension and all that. For me, it’s probably the engineering part that attracts me most to racing.
AW: What have you learned about yourself through your track experience?
VH: I think what I discovered is how much I like helping people – to help them go faster or help them at the track. I enjoy that part of being at the track. I recently earned my Level Two Instructor Certification and can help people get better at what they do and have more fun.
AW: I’ve appreciated your help at the registration table from time-to-time. The camaraderie at events has been an important part of my experience. Do you have any particular people you enjoy driving with? Any archrivals?
VH: I’ve enjoyed driving against Mickey Giocomazzi. We had very similar lap times. We would go back and forth with each other on the track. I love going up against some of the faster cars like the Corvette Z06. Anybody who’s faster than me. I enjoy trying to catch them.
AW: Have you ever thought about attending the Racer’s Clinic?
VH: Next month at Willow Springs will be my first one.
AW: What are you looking forward to learning there?
VH: How to be safe on the track, race craft, flags, corner workers, safe passing…all the above.
AW: What’s your take on driving in the rain?
VH: I enjoy it. It’s more of a mental game. I find it a good way to work on reaching the limit of the car.
AW: Your key to being successful at driving in the rain if you had to give somebody a tip?
VH: Bring up the speed slowly and find the traction limits with a little aggressive driving to test the limits. Throttle and steering inputs. Stay off the wet paint.
AW: I remember when I weas a newbie, 20-something years ago, at the big track in Las Vegas my instructor told me to stay off the wet paint. The first turn, what did I do? Drove over the paint and spun.
VH: (Laughs)
AW: Do you have a favorite track?
VH: Streets of Willow.
AW: Really? That’s a surprise.
VH: Streets of Willow and Chuckwalla.
AW: What about them makes them extra special for you?
VH: They’re short and technical so I can use my under-powered car to catch the faster guys.
AW: That’s always fun. Before I let you go, I want to come back to something. Dig down. What else have you learned about yourself by doing track events? You like helping people. Okay. What else?
VH: Well, concentration has been one of my problems. I have some level of attention deficit disorder. Having to concentrate for 10, 12, 15 laps at a time has been a challenge for me. Also getting over the fear about possibly crashing the car.
AW: We all know that one! Anything you’d like to add?
VH: Let’s see. I think one of the attractions of the POC for me is the variety of tracks we drive. Also, the skill level of the drivers.
AW: It’s getting more and more difficult to book tracks these days. I know Joe Wiederholt is working diligently on building a great schedule for next year. As for the skill level of our drivers, they’re the best. Thanks, Vivek. See ya at Willow Springs!
Photo: Luis Vivar
Ask
Dear Dr. Dyno,
Advice to Keep You on Track
I have a few friends in the club who appear to be in the running for the coveted Chick Richardson John Deere award. With one event left in the season, do you have any advice on how they should prepare for the Willow Springs event?
A Friend in Phoenix
Dear Friend, Agriculture plays a huge role in the U.S. economy. Scientifically applied methods involving soils, seeding, nutrients, weather conditions, water usage and farm equipment are all important considerations in bringing quality crops to market. John Deere has been a leading manufacturer of farming machinery for 187 years. There’s a reason for that. They’re very good at what they do, which brings me to the POC. Chick Richardson set the standard for the John Deere Award. A multi-season recipient, Chick brought new and inventive approaches to plowing off the track. Another driver, who shall remain nameless (Larry), comes to mind. This nameless driver (Larry) is a leading contender for this year’s award (again). His revolutionary methods bring new meaning to the word ‘horticulture.’ My recommendation is to encourage him to keep doing what he’s been doing. His ability to compete in the Orange Group while simultaneously tilling runoff areas is impressive. Why change something that’s working? A few other drivers, who are likely the friends you’re asking about, come to mind and my suggestion is the same. Encourage your friends to stay away from other drivers on the track, keep doing what they’re doing, tend the soil carefully and maybe someday, they’ll take home the club’s least honorable honor.
Dear Dr. Dyno,
I hope you print this because I am steamed! Why is it that some drivers don’t know the difference between qualifying and racing? I deliberately left lots of room between me and the car in front of me during qualifying. I did this because I wanted to avoid traffic and get a good clean lap time to set my grid position for the race. The knucklehead behind me, who is a slower driver, decided to pass me on the out lap and the knucklehead behind him, an even slower driver, did the same thing. So, I had two slower drivers in front of me and I had to pull into the hot pit, wait for some room, and get back on the track. I like to nail my qualifying time on my first lap, thereby saving my tires and brakes for the race. Save me from the knuckleheads!
Red-misted in Rialto
Dear Red-misted,
I love that you used the word “thereby.” That’s pretty classy. You’re right. Qualifying is not racing. Look, you did the right thing by pulling into the hot pit. In addition, I suggest you calmly talk with Knucklehead One and Knucklehead Two about the correct way to qualify. It’s possible they’re rookies or simply don’t think you’re faster than they are. Clear the air. Having your judgment clouded by red mist only hurts you. Don’t be Knucklehead Three.
Send your questions for Dr. Dyno to POCVelocityEditor@gmail.com
THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB
2025 Annual Banquet
January 18, 2025
Porsche Irvine Dealership
Irvine, California
You’ll want to save this date!
Porsche rounds off the Porsche News
The Next TAYCAN
With a sharper design, more power, more range and even better charging performance, Porsche extensively modernised the Taycan at the beginning of 2024. Now three new versions complete the 16-version family: The new edition of the Taycan GTS builds on the model-spanning success story that is the Gran Turismo Sport at Porsche. In addition, the entry-level sports sedan is also available with allwheel drive for the first time.
second Taycan generation
“With the extremely wide-ranging Taycan line-up, we meet a wide range of customer wishes and mobility needs. Our three latest innovations exemplify this exceptional breadth,” says Kevin Giek, Vice President Model Line. “Even the first generation of the Taycan GTS was was already the sporty standard-bearer of the model line, positioned between the Taycan 4S and Taycan Turbo. And the new edition is no exception. And at the other end of the range, the Taycan 4 sports sedan combines the high efficiency of the entry-level model with the superior handling of all-wheel drive.”
SIMRACING 2024 Season 2 Schedule
2024 Season 2 Results
July 15 Sonoma
July 29 SPA
Aug 12 Road America
Aug 26 Nurburgring
Sept 09 Monza
Sept 23 Laguna Seca
Oct 07 Belle Isle
Oct 21 COTA
Nov 04 Interlagos
No v 18 Road Atlanta
Dec 02 Hockenheim
Dec 16 Virginia
Dec 30 Willow Springs
1st Chris Walsh 4th Michael Johnson
2nd Sagar Dhawan 5th Michael Bolten
3rd AJ Roper 6th BJ Fulton
1st Sagar Dhawan 4th Jad Duncan
2nd BJ Fulton 5th Dustin Heindl
3rd AJ Roper 6th Dylan Scott
1st Ezra Kelderman 4th Dylan Scott
2nd Dustin Heindl 5th Michael Bolten
3rd BJ Fulton 6th Michael Johnson
1st Michael Johnson 4th Ian Roche
2nd Ezra Kelderman 5th Michael Bolten 3rd BJ Fulton 6th Dylan Scott
1st Michael Johnson 1st Matt Steele
2nd Ezra Kelderman 2nd Federico del Toro
3rd BJ Fulton 3rd Doug Boccignone
1st BJ Fulton
1st Matt Steele
2nd AJ Roper 2nd Doug Boccignone
3rd Michael Johnson 3rd Mark Rondeau
1st Jad Duncan 1st Matt Steele
2nd Dylan Scott 2nd Mark Rondeau
3rd Michael Johnson 3rd Federico del Toro
1st BJ Fulton
1st Matt Steele
2nd Jad Duncan 2nd Federico del Toro
3rd AJ Roper 3rd Mark Rondeau
1st Michael Johnson 1st Matt Hollander 2nd Dylan Scott 2nd Mark Rondeau
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.
Interlagos
Road Atlanta
SIMRACING
Now you can order your favorite POC garments and other specialty items “Online” simply by clicking on any one of the above photos!
UPCOMING TRACK EVENTS
Season FINALE
December 7-8, 2024
The last chance of the year to get your “speed on!” Don’t miss the Finale...there will be a lot of action on the track as drivers fight for those final championship points! Register Today!
Season OPENER
January 11, 2025
Start the year off with fast fun. This is where you get to hone your skills for all of those 2025 events up ahead...where it all comes together at the “Streets” Registration Open Soon!
Annual Banquet
January 18, 2025
Be sure not to miss this fun-filled evening at Irvine Porsche...great meal and entertainment along with the presentation of Championship and Special awards. We hope to see you there!
The answer to the question on page 43 is: John Heldman!
John always shows up at events wearing an eyecatching tee shirt and has been a POC member for over 20 years. That’s a lot of tees. Fun fact: Rather than folding his tee shirts, he carefully arranges them on hangers so that they’re wrinkle-free. John drives his 2011 Porsche Cup Car #697 in GT2.
