August Velocity Magazine - Issue 25-08 by Porsche Owners Club

Seca

August 2025

Laguna

Single Fins & Air Cooled Engines

From the Editor:

It was great to be back at Laguna Seca and Brett Gaviglio details all the action for us. Steve Eisler recounts the history of this legendary circuit as well as his personal experience at Laguna. I had a chance to sit down with Alan Watts and learn more about one of my long-time BSR competitors. Mike Avitt shares his experience both on and off the track and Dr. Dyno offers some no-nonsense, sage advice. Thanks to Luis Vivar and Don Matz, we have one of the best-looking publications on planet Earth. Enjoy!

Comments? Suggestions?

Contributing Writers

Andrew Weyman

Steve Eisler

Brett Gaviglio

Mike Avitt

Don Matz

Contributing Photographers

Luis Vivar

Don Matz

Brett Gaviglio

Steve Eisler

Alan Watts

POC Board of Directors

John Momeyer President

Karen Robinson Secretary

Jim Salzer Treasurer / PDS Chairman

Joe Wiederholt Member at Large

Dwain Dement Chief Driving Instructor

Eben Benade VP Motorsports, TT Director

Steve Town Sponsorship

Cover Photo: Luis Vivar

Porsche Owners Club 2025 Event Schedule

Jan

Feb 8-9

Mar 8-9

Apr 5-6

May 17-18

Aug 22-24

Oct 11-12

Nov 8-9

Dec 13-14

Willow Springs Int’l Raceway

Buttonwillow Raceway (CCW) Classic Track

Buttonwillow Raceway New Circuit Track

Willow Springs Int’l Raceway

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Buttonwillow Raceway (CW) Classic Track

Chuckwalla Valley Raceway CCW

Willow Springs Int’l Raceway

TheMagicofitAll

Photo: Luis Vivar

The Magic of it All

BRETT GAVIGLIO

Over a hundred Porsches stood waiting, their engines hushed, as the fog dragged low over the shoulders of the Monterey Peninsula. August brought us a blessing, for the club had at last wrestled a weekend at WeathertTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The track of 11 bends and long whispers of legend, fashioned in 1957 by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of Fort Ord, was to be our playground. But this place was not like the others.

Expensive homes dot the hills surrounding the track. The law of sound governs here, and the timing of the day bent to it. No voice of a race engine before the sun had climbed to eight and a half hours, none after it sank to five and a half. And so, the mornings—Friday, Saturday, Sunday—were quiet as a church, the fog draped heavy, the air salted and chill, and only the smell of coffee to stir a man awake. What was usually a clattering, shouting paddock at first light was now still, waiting, different.

The days broke open into a sky so blue it could have been cut from glass, the air holding steady at 65 to 70 degrees, a gift of weather. Cars rolled from the grid in a number that seemed almost foolish, a record maybe, and the whole lot of us in the POC felt the dream under our hands and feet.

Darin Moore, who had run his GT3 more times than most of us could count, said it plain and right, “Laguna Seca is to us what Pebble Beach is to golfers, what Wimbledon is to tennis players. It is the top of the heap, the thing itself. To bring our cars here, to run them, and to finish—it leaves a man with nothing left to want.”

Action on track and on the grid was live streamed on YouTube with superb coverage. Cameras were placed in key turns so that races could be followed by loved ones. My mother was quite pleased to catch a lot of Red group action from her couch at home texting my group of eight supporters who had woken in dew covered tents of the Turn 5 Can Am camp. The livestream focused on the blue #70 GT3 Turbo beast often with coverage that made one think perhaps my mother was controlling the cameras. I’m a bit unsure

Photo: Luis Vivar

what the YouTuber gods love so much about the blue #70 Turbo but I think they are just fans of 996 race cars or the flames that consistently make their way out of the turbos in braking zones! Whatever it is, thank you guys!

The commentators did their best adding color and flair being remote whilst attempting to identify the classes showing up on their screens. As they offered hopeful comments on the battles unfolding it became obvious how hard of a job it was to attempt to identify so many classes from a screen. At times, the timing gave erroneous data to the commentators and viewers. Darn technology. Such a blessing and a curse. My mother noticed they claimed Darin Moore as the winner of the first Red race. “I thought you won but it said you got third.” said my mother, Linda Cook. Of course I texted Darin with congratulations on the YouTube win! He laughed and said, I wish it was real! Like all technologies, they are wonderful yet not always 100% accurate. No such flubs existed in later races.

What unfolded with the in-car footage on the live stream was truly magical. The first Orange race had full in car camera footage of Steve Town, Dwain Dement and Phil Town, all in the GT5 class. Steve and Dwain drove what had to be the best race of the weekend slicing thru the BSR field in epic fashion whilst battling each other. And yet you could see and feel the frustration as Town tried and tried to catch Dement who navigated the traffic in the late Don Kravig’s number five green Boxster. One could only think that Don was shining down race luck and smooth passes on Dement as he piloted the famed GT5 with so much of the spirit embodied in the green and yellow race car. And such is the point, you could look anywhere and find joy, courage, fear and frustration in the pitched battles unfolding in all parts of the track. On camera we witnessed Steve Town pound his fist on the steering wheel as if that punishment would make his stick shift 996 GT5 racecar pass traffic any faster giving Dement chase! It isn’t a horse, Steve! The spirit of racing in the POC was evident in the energy, enthusiasm and sportsmanship on display. Technology, coupled with commentators, can let the rest of the public in on the fun! Post race interviews by Aspasia Zouras were a wonderful personal touch that allowed the audience to engage with our drivers and meet the courageous personalities behind the machines.

PCA and POC split the track runs sessions for this event. Some folks such as Bob Mueller competed in both PCA sessions along with POC racing, making for a busier weekend. More teams showed up than a typical POC weekend. Namely, James Safronas brought the GMG team and a customer, Kyle Washington, with a pair of 991 Spec cars. One for James to drive and one for Kyle. The duo really went out and put on a show. Washington and Safronas scorched the track playing with our fantastic leaders in 991 Spec class. The Spec class grew to upwards of 15 cars for the weekend. Safronas claimed overall victory in both Red races on the strength of blazing fast 1:28 race laps. Safronas pulled

Photo: Luis Vivar

a 1:27 in qual which was perhaps the fastest anyone went all weekend. We found Safronas has over 500 days at Laguna, so it’s no surprise he could jump in a borrowed car and dazzle the field!

Mike Monsalve and Bob Mueller had a pitched battle with Washington in the Saturday Red race which was cut short as Blair Boyce put the Vertical Systems 991 Spec car into the tire wall in T5 on the opening laps. It was Boyce’s first race back in a shiny new 991 Spec after a long break from racing. Another incident included Brad Keegan off at T9 with a suspension issue. The organizers called the black flag then red flag to safely remove the Red group wreckage.

WRTeknica fixed Boyce’s #80 overnight and had it ready for competition Sunday morning. Finding Boyce in the pits Sunday morning I had to ask about this new Spec car having been delivered from Germany fresh off of a Supercup stint. “What was your most profound observation about coming back to racing?” Boyce replied, “The cars we all are racing now are so much faster and more advanced than the old ‘72 I had been racing before. No ABS, no sequential shifter, no data. Just seat of your pants driving. The new cars are so developed with all the amenities that make the experience so special. The club is so healthy with lots of cars in the Spec classes and the GT3 class making racing that much more fun to watch!”

Blair got back into the action Sunday as we resumed single file restart to finish the last 14 laps in what would have been our qualification session. Bob Mueller scored a P2 in that redo of the Red Saturday race giving Monsalve close competition. However, Bob didn’t show up to the second race after a T1 incident in a PCA sprint race which did significant damage to Bob’s 991 Gold Maniball Peanut Butter Tequila special. Red race two qualifications were set based on fastest race lap in the resumption of the Saturday race. This made that race even more challenging as it was both a qualification and a race.

Photos: Luis Vivar

In GT1 Urs Gretner in a silver and black 500 horsepower 993 Turbo pulled the win over Geoff Steinbach in his beastly 935 Orange turbo Jagermeister machine rated upwards of 1000 horsepower. GT2 was John Heldman over Darrel Troester with Paul Barnes rounding out the podium. Barnes clocked a faster time but didn’t make it to the top step. Lined up single file behind a pace car for restart we ended up with Steinbach and his 935 sitting in the middle of our GT3 pack. Once that pace car dropped off at the start I was ahead of Evan Gold. As the green flew, the thunderous roar of that orange 1000hp GT1 935 approaching us both from behind at the Andretti Hairpin braking zone seemed to be moving at Mach 10. It was enough to curl your toes. Somehow, I held off Steinbach and Gold in the opening laps. Geoff’s 935 finally broke free and left Evan and my Turbo to fight it out for first in GT3. I bested Evan by a second or so in a well contested race. Paul Wren earned a GT3 podium in the first Red race and in the trophy ceremony it was hard to tell who got first because Paul towers at the giant size of nearly seven feet tall! So, Wren often appears to be on the top step of the podium. With such an awesome Vision 997.2 GT3 car and such clean driving I’m sure it will only be a few more races until Paul actually stands on the top step!

The final Red race found GT3 competitor Brad Keegan with a curious advantage, having only run five laps on his race tires all weekend while the rest of us had 20-plus laps of pain and suffering on the poor little Yokohama slicks. That freshness combined with a wispy lightness of the Keegans’ air-cooled vintage rocket made a huge difference. Yet again on pole on the strength of a low 1:33 race lap, I felt comfortable for a rush to T2 but Keegan made quick work of Evan Gold, who had a mechanical issue while Ryder Liu got a handle on his worn Michelin tires in the green 997.2 Cup car. Keegan zeroed in on the flame thrower #70 looking for a place to pass and wishing for an opportunity that never appeared. That little lower horsepower, lighter 911 car, just sang going downhill on those extremely fresh tires. Where there is a will there is a way, and the downforce was with me holding off the charge. The blue honey badger held off the #21 for a drag race to the finish out of T11 just after Safronas lapped our whole GT3 group.

GT4 drivers Tom Stone and Jim Steadman moved into the GT3 class expanding it to 14 contenders. Rob Tachovsky made a return to POC club racing in GT3 fielding a Roush built 2.8 air-cooled 70s 911 weighing barely over a ton. Andy Sloan, Kelly Tribolet, Jim Salzer and Darin Moore all found close clean racing, and enjoyed the wonders of powerto-weight class where year, engine position, transmission or displacement are free. The

Photos: Luis Vivar

very fact that such varied cars run so equally is testament to the great structure of GT racing rules. My 996 Turbo, Tachovsky’s and Keegan’s air-cooled machines and modern GT4 Clubsports all share the tarmac in the same class with 997 Cup cars and even a 991. The Orange grid filled up like a harvest field. 33 Boxster Spec cars lined in rows, five GT5s joining them, and behind them a scattering of GT7s and Spec 2.7s. The count came to 43 machines, 43 men and women, all shouldering into the fight for Orange immortality. Among them were Durant, the Town brothers, Dement, John Momeyer, Vivek Hazari, and Matt Hollander. Names like stones in a pocket, each with weight and meaning.

When the green flag dropped, the noise rose like a growing storm of Boxsters. Out of that storm came Rob Walker, steady and waiting. Alistair Belton had the race in his hands until the white flag lap, when the hill to the corkscrew asked the hardest question. Belton braked, Walker did not quite as much, and the world turned on that instant. They called it the pass of the century, Walker sliding through as though the track had been carved just for him and his 986 steed.

There should have been cameras inside their cars, catching the sweat and the hands and the heartbeats. But there were none, so we must remember it in words and in the feeling of our chests tightening as we watched. Theirs was not just speed—it was closeness, it was craft, and it was faster by two full seconds than the rest of the field could muster.

Behind them another story played out. Nigel Maidment, Sagar Dhawan, Murray Wunderly, and Nick Maloy three wide in places no sane man would try, T6 spitting them out side by side as though the track itself had lost patience with rules. From there Walker went away, down the hill and across the line for a checker, and it seemed he had always known he would. Walker was followed by Belton and Maidment. Hollander ruled the day in Spec 2.7 over John Momeyer. GT7 saw a massive off in T6 in race one. One set of stamped tires for the weekend means tire management. Punishing your tires in early laps means less rubber as lap counts rise. Boxster Spec driver Alistair Belton took top honors in race two followed by Walker and Dhawan. It was a lesson about taking better care of their Toyos. This leads to the question about tire management. What’s the superior style in a multi-race format? Is it the Mario Andretti or

Photos: Luis Vivar

Rick Mears method? Lightening laps always or the calculated precision of doing exactly what is necessary and no more? Steve Town set the fastest lap in Orange race three at 1:38:283. Maloy, Maidment and Wunderly stood on the BSR podium.

The Red races had their fun but compared to Orange they were polite affairs, like church suppers. Orange was raw, full of thin tires and heavy hands-on manual shifters, momentum made holy by low horsepower with just a measure of metal touching in the scrum. That was racing in its truest shape, stripped bare of electronics and calculation. Orange racing was accomplished by honest means and that made all the difference. I had a chance to follow up with Blair Boyce to check in on his final thoughts about the weekend. Boyce said, “POC is a club of great people with a common passion for racing. Seeing all the older members that I raced with over the years was very special. Not being part of the club for around six years and then seeing those I have known for many years was awesome. To have the abilities to race again absolutely feeds my soul…had to pinch myself that I can still drive and I am looking forward to having more fun in the years to come. Then to be at Laguna Seca for my first event back was simply out of this world! Epic track with amazing cars and people!”

At the end we left tired but not empty. The POC gave us something to hold, memories to turn over in the quiet of the night, videos to review in the dark as we dream of what was Laguna Seca 2025. Each man and woman knew there is still a lap out there, cleaner, faster, more perfect—and that he or she might find it, next time.

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photos: Brett Gaviglio

Photos: Luis Vivar

Photo: Luis Vivar

RETURN TO LAGUNA

STEVE EISLER

Laguna Seca (dry lake) Raceway opened in 1957 just 4 years after Willow Springs Raceway, the oldest permanent road course in the United States, held its inaugural race in 1953. A public-spirited group of Monterey area businessmen organized the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) and obtained a lease from the Department of the Army for 325 acres of land on the Fort Ord Army Base to construct a road racing course after the Pebble Beach Road races were abandoned for being too dangerous. They secured a charter as a California non-profit organization and qualified SCRAMP as an IRS charitable organization.

On November 9, 1957, Pete Lovely driving a Ferrari won the first race on the 1.9-mile, 9-turn course with an average speed of just over 80 mph. The track width was 30 feet! In the first three years most of the profits went to paying off the construction loans, but some money was distributed to charities who helped man the concession stands and volunteered to work at the track. The sport of auto racing was growing and in 1960, in cooperation with the San Francisco Examiner, SCRAMP took a gamble and presented its first professional event, the $20,000 Pacific Grand Prix. Since then, the track has grown in size and stature. It’s currently 2.238 miles long with 11 turns. It has hosted some of the top professional racing events for cars and motorcycles and has contributed millions of dollars to local and other charities.

My first visit to Laguna Seca was for the Can-Am Challenge Cup in October of 1966. I had just been assigned to the Air Force Satellite Test Center in Sunnyvale, California, and the Special Services office had discounted Laguna Seca tickets available for active-duty servicemen. We sat on the “big hill,” climbed to the top to watch the cars negotiate the corkscrew, and crossed from the infield to the outside of the track between races when the track was cold to see as much of the action as possible. Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon were driving the McLaren team cars. Skip Scott and Peter Revson were driving the same model as the team cars but with Ford engines rather than the team Chevy engines. John Surtees and Dennis Hulme were part of the Lola T-70 contingent, joined by Dan Gurney, Jackie Stewart and Parnelli Jones. Jones’ and Stewart’s cars were entered by John Mecom, Jr., Pedro Rodriguez drove a Ferrari/Dino, and George Follmer and Sam Posey drove McLaren MKIIs. Phil Hill and Jim Hall drove the Chaparrals, and Roger Penske entered Mark Donahue to drive his Sunoco Special.

After that weekend, I attended Laguna Seca races whenever I could. Sometimes we would bring sleeping bags and sleep on the beach on Saturday night. I also learned that one of the civilian contractors that worked with us at the Test Center was an SCCA racer. He took me to several SCCA races as his “pit crew.” The only thing I could really help with was timing and with competitors in his class during the practice sessions and races. As a swimming coach, I had

Photo: Steve Eisler

an advanced stopwatch and the ability to time several cars in the same session. The service managers at Stevens Creek Volkswagen-Porsche were preparing a C-Sedan Porsche for one of their customers and asked me to get times for their driver and the cars in his class. Soon I was getting red carpet treatment when I brought my 912 Targa in for service!

In May of 1969 a group of my friends planned a weekend with our dates at the SCCA Continental Championships. I asked Kathy (now my wife) to be my date after I learned that her roommate was not available that weekend. She told me later that she accepted because I was driving a Porsche. The police cleared everyone off the beach on Saturday night, and we spent the night at the home of one of the girls’ uncles. The floor was not as soft as the beach, and the uncle was not happy to be our host, but the weekend went well. We enjoyed each other’s company and began dating. In addition to the great racing on Sunday, there was an unexpected encounter with the ‘ole pool pisser’ which is a story I can share later.

We have been together for 56 years and have been to Laguna Seca for several races after that first date, for three Rennsport Reunions and a Golden Gate Region Time Trial in 2020. When the 2025 POC calendar was released, and I saw that POC was returning to Laguna Seca for the first time since 2019, we began planning a homecoming event for us. Unfortunately, the racing gods seem to be opposed to our Laguna Seca return. You may have read about our transmission failure on the return from Willow Springs in May. We did get that repaired before the surgery, had a successful rehab, and had just dropped Stan (the race car) off for transport to Laguna when another driver decided that he needed to be in my lane and entered in front of me. I slowed down and almost stopped so that the rear of his pickup could clear the front of my Tahoe, but he was pulling a trailer! The bumper on his trailer did serious damage to the right rear of my car and ripped open both doors, sliced the front tire and damaged the front fender. Five days before we are scheduled to leave for the track, we have no large vehicle to carry us and all our gear to the track! Three days later they told us that the damage to the rear was so severe that the car would be totaled, and now we are trying to figure out how to get us and Stan to Willow Springs on the first weekend of September.

We paid to upgrade our rental car for the trip to Laguna and arrived in Carmel Thursday afternoon. We stayed in a quaint, older motel in center of Carmel that has been refurbished at least three times since we first stayed there in the 1960s. It took about 20 minutes to get to the track, and they were very well prepared with our release forms on file and had us into the paddock quickly. In addition to our POC racing groups and an Open Passing Time Trial group, there were entrants from Northern California and drivers competing in two PCA Club Racing events, so the paddock and garages were packed. The weather was great for all three days with a high temperature of about 78 degrees.

Entries for the Orange, Red and TT groups were sold out, so most events included the maximum number of cars allowed on the track. The TT group had 35 entrants with about two-thirds of the drivers in GT-3, 992 and other high-powered cars. The rest of us were in Spec Boxsters and other lower powered cars. Boxster drivers spent the weekend keeping a close watch on our mirrors. Next month, when the results are finalized and posted, I will publish results and RBIS scores. Our trip home was uneventful. If anyone knows of a used late model Chevy Tahoe or similar vehicle for sale, please let me know!

Photo: Steve Eisler

How it all Began

MIKE AVITT

THE EARLY DAYS

I have been working on cars since my early teens. I joined a car club in high school and my need for speed was born. My first real project car was a 1955 Austin Healy. I rebuilt the engine and refurbished the interior. After high school the parade of cars began; a ‘60 Austin Healy, then a ‘65 Ford Mustang, a ‘64 Ford Fairlane, a ‘65 Ford Falcon race car, and even a ‘65 Corvette (I wish I still had that one). I built the motors into high performance engines and one evolved into a drag racing car in the early ‘70s sponsored by the Corral Ford Racing Team. My buddy and I built a ‘70 Ford Maverick with a 302 CID. It did pretty well but then I found a ‘72 Cougar Eliminator with a Boss 302. The question: Could we fit the Boss 302 engine in the Maverick? The answer: Yes! The car was drag raced until the early ‘80s very successfully. It did so well that the NHRA kept increasing our car weight trying to balance performance to the Camaro’s 302 and the Mopar’s 340 CIDs. The final straw for us was when the NHRA raised our class from C/SM to B/SM where we would be racing against the 350 CID Camaros and others. This would have required us to do a very expensive redesign and rebuild of the engine to stay competitive, so the decision was made to sell the car. To help with the cost over the years we were building and selling race engines and doing cylinder head custom valve jobs, porting and polishing.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

I was in the market for a daily driver and was looking at BMWs but somehow ended up with a new ‘83 Porsche 944 (a new model for Porsche in 1983). The 944 intrigued me with the front engine design. Sadly, the kinks had not been fully worked out and I didn’t keep that car for very long. The next Porsche I purchased was in the early ‘90s, an ‘85 911 Targa. Such a fun car! While on a Sunday drive around San Diego we saw Porsches driving around cones at Qualcomm Stadium. We stopped to watch and my wife, Angela, said, “That looks like fun. You should try it.” That was in February ‘94 and the slippery slope had begun! We joined PCASDR and auto crossed for a year. I got bored with the car because it never needed any work on the engine, that 3.2 just worked! I needed another project car.

Since I liked V8 horsepower in my past cars, the Porsche 928 was an interesting option. It was like a German Corvette. I drove one and it seemed like a car that would require plenty of work to get it ready for the track. I bought an ‘86 ½ 928 with an automatic transmission and started to work on it. My focus was to improve the car’s safety for doing Time Trials. I installed a race seat, harness and roll bar.

Time Trial events with PCASDR in the mid ‘90s were run at Qualcomm Stadium, and at Holtville, CA near El Centro. At that time, SDR was not doing any big tracks, so in 1998 it was time to join the POC and start TT’ing. To get the car prepared for POC Time Trial events at the big track and comply with the POC rules, I received guidance from John Rickard at Black Forest Porsche. As a stock car in 1999 my class was KP. WOW! I had to get comfortable with the high speed and no brakes in T8 at WSIR. My goal was to get under a 1:40 lap time and I was able to do a 1:39. I felt it was a success. Looking back at my POC Perpetual Wall Plaque, I see four First Place wins in TT events in 1999 in the KP class. Those wins sparked my next goal, to be accepted into the POC Racers Clinic. I got through the Clinic (two weekends) with flying colors in 2000 at WSIR and Buttonwillow.

The time had come to make my 928 into a serious racecar. My garage was transformed into a race shop. I stripped out the interior, removed the dash, replaced all windows with Lexan, removed unnecessary wiring and anything that was not needed for safety was gone. The gas tank was removed and replaced with a fuel cell and all the metal surrounding it was replaced with aluminum panels. I installed a full welded cage. This “project car” continued to evolve smoothly with everything being done in my garage. Next up was the removal of the automatic transmission and the installation of a five-speed transmission from a 928 GT that I purchased from Mark Anderson at 928 International. It was a major project. I had my doubts, but Mark said it was possible. Adjusting the dual disc clutch was an uphill battle but I got it done. I also added transmission and differential coolers. Mark’s input was a huge help. The product was a 3,400-pound street car transformed into a 2,700-pound racecar running in the GT2 Class with POC.

Then I was off to the races with the first PCA Club race at California Motor Speedway in Fontana, CA. Quite a challenging track for a shake down but it went well after a few

minor adjustments to get through tech inspection. The “roval” became a challenging obstacle course due to the PCA’s moving chicane just before Turn 1. The PCA Safety Chair thought we needed to slow down before Turn 1, but that was the last time that movable chicane was used. In the next few years, I continued to run POC & PCA Club race events.

After a few years of racing, it was time to rebuild the engine. Since I had many years of engine building experience behind me it seemed like the logical thing to do was to rebuild this one, too. After all, I had the full set of 928 factory manuals. What could go wrong? I started the disassembly process and quickly realized I underestimated the possibilities. I had never seen so many parts in my life! I think there were as many parts in the oil pump system as a small block Ford V8. I paid close attention taking it apart, keeping all the parts in order. The short block wasn’t too bad, but the four camshafts and 32 valves were very intimidating. I managed to get it done but had to take the heads to a machine shop for the valve grind and take several trips back there before they achieved the specs I needed.

Now it was time to install the heads on the short block without the factory tool for aligning two cams on each side. If they are out of sync, the valves will bend the engine when it turns. I was able to get it right by looking at the pictures in the manual and using a dial indicator on the valves. Over the years I got pretty good at it.

I decided my next goal would be to design a new stroker engine, but I wanted to do something different from what others had done. The next task was to have a new crank built with a custom stroke and to fix the oiling issue that 928s & 944s had. I called custom crank builder Moldex and he said he could do it. I also wanted the rod journals to be the size of a small block Chevy. I then had Crower build lightweight steel rods from Chevy blanks. They also worked with JE pistons using small block Chevy blanks shaped for the cylinder heads. Then I had the block sleeved to comply with Chevy specs. We ended up just over 360 CID, 380 HP, and 360 lb. feet of torque at the rear wheels.

Soon after that I got tired of all the work at home and at the track. I still enjoyed the driving but started thinking there must be an easier way to enjoy everything this sport had to offer. The car sat for a few months in the garage, then I got a call from Mark Anderson at 928 International asking if I would like to sell everything and I said “YES!” End of story, or so I thought.

I miss driving the old tracks like Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, and Cal Speedway but my wheel-to-wheel racing days are over for now. My story doesn’t end here. There’s more to come…

Shake and Bake Challenge

by ANDREW WEYMAN

Alan Watts is fierce, focused and fun to hang with. I chatted with him in the paddock at Laguna Seca while we sat in my Cayenne with the air conditioning blowing and lots of activity all around us. Here’s what he had to say...

Me: Thanks for agreeing to do this.

AW: Absolutely.

Me: You drive a Spec Boxster. What number is your car?

AW: 225.

Me: Who built it?

AW: Trophy. (Trophy Performance is a POC Sponsor – Ed.)

Me: How long have you been a member of the POC?

AW: 2004, or something like that. Been inactive since then and at Festival of Speed in like 2018 Adam (Abrahms) called me and had a $100 new membership coupon. If you joined, you got a free weekend. We thought we were saving money! He gave one to me. I was driving a GTS street car. Adam had a Turbo. We were tracking our street cars.

Me: What kind of experience did you have before joining the POC?

AW: I had a 2004 997. I went to GMG at one point to get a rollbar and a five-point harness just so I could Time Trial here, at Laguna. I think it was ’05.

Me: What’s the first car you ever owned?

AW: A ’92 Toyota GTS. It was a two-door Corolla or something like that.

Me: Every time I go out on the track, I learn something new. Not only about how to handle the car, but about myself. What has your track experience taught you about yourself?

AW: When to be conservative. When to push it. Keep my cool. The adrenaline is pumping. Battling with a guy in the corners…. You’ve got to keep your head about you.

Me: Is there anything about what you do for a living that parallels what you do on the track? Any crossover?

AW: I have two jobs right now. I own a wealth management practice. There’s not a lot of crossovers there except it helps me be able to pay for racing. I’m also working parttime as a contract pilot flying airplanes. There are a lot of things you need to do under stressful situations. Keep your cool. Aerodynamics and all that stuff…. The parallel is the enjoyment of flying in the air and driving fast on the ground.

Me: How far are you along with your flying?

AW: I have my ATP. I do contract work on the Gulfstream 650.

Me: Very cool!

AW: It’s a second career. They call it an encore career. I’m doing wealth management and contract flying.

Me: Are you flying out of Vegas?

AW: No. I’m in SoCal.

Me: Why did I think you were in Vegas?

AW: Probably because of Trophy. Todd’s not doing track support anymore. So, now we’re with Kravig. We went from Speed Gallery, to Kravig, then Trophy, and now back to Kravig.

Me: That migration from shop to shop isn’t unusual. I been with several shops. Everybody is supportive of everybody else. If you need a transmission, an oxygen sensor, anything, someone will have it for you.

AW: It’s great camaraderie. We all support each other. It’s great.

Me: That’s always been one of the things that stands out for me about the club. One of my favorite parts of the weekend is just seeing everybody.

AW: It’s good seeing you back. It’s been a while.

Me: It’s good to be back! It’s been the longest I’ve been away in over 20 years. Do you have a particular archrival?

AW: Yes! Adam Abrahms! We have a point system called the “Shake and Bake Challenge” where we earn points for qualifying, passing, top ten and podium if we ever get there. There’s a lot of money involved. We play for five bucks a point. First race this weekend I spun out in T2 and he passed me, so he went in right away and updated the spreadsheet to let me know how many points he gained. He’s my archrival, that’s for sure.

Me: Anything you’d like to add?

AW: Talking about camaraderie. The whole thing with Don (Kravig) this weekend. We loved Don. He was a great guy, and we miss him so much. Being with Kravig is being a part of the family.

Me: There will always be a place in my heart for Don.

AW: We were talking about the camaraderie at dinner last night. David Wandless is coaching us and he said he never made any friends when he was coming up the ranks. You hated the guy next to you. You wanted to beat him with every ounce of your being. We race hard in the corners but then we go out and have beer, we share hugs and high-five. It’s great.

Me: I’m not familiar with David.

AW: He raced a lot in Europe. GT type cars. He coached a lot of guys along the way.

Me: How did you find David?

AW: Through Michael Johnson. David was coaching in Europe and Michael was there. They met. Michael recommended David. He’s been great. The experience he has…he pushes us but keeps us cool. Here’s when to push, here’s when not to push. Okay, you spun yesterday. There’s no one in front of you and no one behind you. We’re going for laps times now. Let’s go out and set a good quali. He’s a very calm voice on the radio.

Me: Thanks so much, Alan. This has been great. I can’t wait to hear what Adam Abrahms has to say when I interview him.

CELEBRATING SEVENTY YEARS

January 17, 2026

Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles

You’ll want to save this date!

Ask

Dear Dr. Dyno,

Advice to Keep You on Track

I need your advice about passing. I’m kind of new at this and I’ve been hesitating more than I’ve been committing. I know that some of my hesitation has to do with my confidence, and some has to do with my judgement. How do you choose the right moment? The right location? Make it safe and avoid contact?

Tough to Commit in Tustin

Dear Tough,

Some people approach overtaking with the precision of a fighter pilot. Others, and I suspect you may be one of them, approach it like they’re trying to squeeze a Hummer into a compact parking spot at Walmart.

There’s an art to overtaking. It’s all about the moment when you decide that you’re faster than that other driver and you’re going to look sooooo cool as you get past him. When the opportunity presents itself, grow a pair and commit. Make the other driver think you have a cheater motor with an extra 100hp. No lifting, no blinking, no double-thinking.

Remember that passing is like good sex. Timing is everything. Okay, maybe not everything but you get my point. Passing is not just about getting by them; it’s about staying ahead. If the other driver breezes past you two corners later, that’s not overtaking. That’s foreplay gone bad.

Always pick the safest spot. Braking zones and corners are exciting opportunities, but make sure “exciting” doesn’t turn into “expensive.” Leave racing room. Be assertive but respectful. This is Club Racing, not F1. You’re spending money, not winning it.

And finally, remember the most important passing rule: use your mirrors and wave afterward. You can gesture with your whole hand or just one finger. Nothing says “I meant that in the nicest way” like a cheerful wave or a carefully chosen finger as you disappear down the straight. Remember to smile.

Dear Dr. Dyno,

I need to earn POC Service Points for my championship, but I don’t know how. What can I do?

Wanting to Help in West Covina

Dear Wanting,

Are you kidding me? It’s not just about championships, although Service Points are required. It’s about giving back to the club that offers you so much. There are so many ways to help out. You can assist with registration, stamp tires, set up scales, instruct, or contribute an article to Velocity. It’s a great publication by the way. I read it every month. You should contact the editor.

Send your questions for Dr. Dyno to: POCVelocityEditor@gmail.com

PORSCHE OWNERS

drives Roger Penske Porsche News

The Penske Porsche 963 RSP Hits

the Corkscrew

08/18/2025

It was a special moment: Roger Penske took the wheel of the Porsche 963 RSP, a one-off creation bearing his initials, for the very first time. The car was later showcased during Monterey Car Week in California before joining his private collection.

After a dynamic debut ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and displays in Austria and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the 963 RSP has returned to the US, where, for the first time, Roger Penske got behind the wheel of the one-off creation built in his honour.

Penske completed the first shakedown and familiarisation laps in the car that bears his initials on the South Track of the

Patrick Long

also got to take it through it’s paces

Roger Penske (right) piloting his 963 RSP at Laguna Seca.

(above)

his namesake Porsche for first time

Porsche Experience Centre in Atlanta – allowing the team to check the car over after its adventures on both the road and track in Europe. “That was a fantastic experience – an unforgettable moment to finally get behind the wheel,” said Roger Penske, Chairman of the Penske Corporation. “Our partnership with Porsche has led to an incredible history together built over six decades. This is a special moment among many in that partnership. It’s been a privilege to be a part of the team and programme that led to its creation.”

Following this, a more extensive drive took place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – the venue of four Rennsport Reunion events and a future location for a Porsche Driving Centre from 2026. Friends of Laguna Seca board member Bruce Canepa lapped the legendary track, as did former Porsche works driver Patrick Long, who famously also piloted the RS Spyder for Penske between 2006 and 2008.

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2025 Season Results

June 30 Redbull Ring

July 14 Nurburgring

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Aug 11 Auto Club

Aug 25 Laguna Seca

Sept 08 Virginia

Sept 22 Mount Panorama

Oct 06 Interlagos

Oct 20 COTA

Nov 03 Belle Isle

Nov 17 Silverstone

Dec 01 Mugello

Dec 15 Willow Springs

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1st Michael Bolton 1st Kristopher Marciniak 2nd BJ Fulton 2nd Larr y Haase

3rd Thomas Isabel 3rd John Momeyer

1st Michael Bolton 1st Matt Hollander

2nd Dylan Scott 2nd John Momeyer 3rd Frederico del toro 3rd Larr y Haase

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