Velocity
November 2020 / Issue 20-11
A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB
Chuckwalla 1
A DESIGN ICON
P’8 9 28 SUNGL ASSES
REBORN.
www.porsche-design.com
www.digitalfilmtree.com 323.851.3000
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Velocity
A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB
November 2020 / Issue 20-11
VELOCITY Staff Editor / Art Director Don Matz
Note from the Editor: Chuckwalla in November always brings excitement and this year didn’t disappoint. A large number of Autocross drivers showed up to drive in PDS in order to try out their newly acquired skills on a real track. Did they enjoy the weekend? Let’s just say “They’ll be back!”
Production Manager
In the Orange run group racing was incredible as always, especially up front where James McLoughlin, Anders Hainer and Justin Crickenberger have begun a rivalry of duking it out for first place.
Don Matz Charlie Persico Dennis Wolfe
In the Red races, there was plenty of excitement with the older air-cooled 911s up against 3 new Genetta G57s. The race between John Cahalin and Kevin Roush on Sunday proved to be classic. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the articles and photos in this issue...Charlie Persico’s take on Chuckwalla, an update on what’s going on these days with Erin Vogel, along with several links to videos and other Porsche news. Finally, be sure to support all of our sponsors. They have been supporting us all year. See you at Willow Springs in December! Enjoy / DM
In This Issue: Chuckwalla.................................................... 4 Erin Vogel...................................................... 26 Autocross VISION........................................... 30 El Toro Heat................................................... 32 SIM Update................................................... 44 Porsche Hypercars........................................ 48 Upcoming Events.......................................... 52 Extras........................................................... 53
Matt Hollander
Contributing Writers
Contributing Photographers Don Matz CaliPhotography Luis Vivar Joe Wiederholt
POC Board of Directors Ron Palmer Scott Craig Nathan Johnson Joe Wiederholt Dwain Dement Matt Hollander Don Matz
President Treasurer Secretary VP Motorsports Chief Driving Instructor Social Media Director Graphics & PDS Director
Look at what’s new from PORSCHE... Cover Photo: CaliPhotography Neal Rouzier at speed.
www.PorscheClub.com 3
What A Difference 12 Months Make
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Photo: Don Matz
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What A Difference 12 Months Make By Charlie Persico
I am convinced that time does not pass in a linear fashion. It is hard to believe that it’s been 12 months since I was bestowed the nickname “Quarter Mile Charlie” after exceeding track limits not once but twice at last year’s Chuckwalla POC race event. After going off track while in the lead on the first lap last year, the name “Half Mile Charlie” was being kicked around Saturday night, after the first off, over beverages and food. Not one to give up, I was determined to not back off on Sunday during the second race. No Problem!! Well as fate would have it...same corner race 2 (turn 10) as I got aggressive going to throttle and another spin same place. So, Quarter Mile Charlie it was. Thanks Vali!
Flashback to 2019. Quarter-Mile Charlie bites the dust in turn 10
12 months have now passed (quickly in the POC sense) and we are all dealing with Covid-19. We have read and heard more than our share of the Covid-19 virus and all of us are weathering this storm together albeit in different boats. We have seen members of our community severely impacted. The ability for us to resume racing after missing one event has been a mental health saver. It helps create a “normal life” diversion while we all feel that things are drifting and very uncertain. It felt good to spend a normal weekend again at Chuckwalla in November. Warm evenings, lots of people staying at the track in RVs or the cabins made for good evening festivities with good food, drinks, laughs and racing stories. I hope you realize like I do what a great group of people we have in the POC and the crazy things we hear and how much we laugh over the weekend. I like asking people how they got started in racing. How did certain people get their nick-name? I hear stories of draining hot engine oil from an overfilled car on hot pavement at Willow or the correct way to grab a header to see if you have a non-firing cylinder. All good stuff. So how was the racing? Excellent!! The track was recoated and was significantly faster than 2 years ago going CCW. There were many fast laps across all the race classes and multiple lap records. The weather was a bit different with heavy winds causing a few sandstorms that at times significantly dropped visibility. I watched all three Orange class races over the weekend. All I can say is wow! Close, bumper-
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hugging race craft. These were very tight points races in the BSR class and, with this being a double-points event, several racers were throwing it down. Great job James McLoughlin, Anders Hainer and Justin Crickenberg in BSR. Joe Wiederholt had an interesting weekend – good pace in race 1 and 2 and then holed the oil pan in race 3 – Exxon Valdez part deux!! The Red race was entertaining, and I did manage to stay on the track though I made a mistake and passed under yellow, no excuses – my mistake. This placed me further back for the start of the 2nd race where there proved to be a great battle between Kevin Roush and John Cahalin. Super driving! There were three Ginetta G57s racing this weekend out of the Vali Motorsports stable. One of them was being driven by Cahalin while he is waiting for his car to arrive. I only had one requirement for John driving that car. Please don’t eat in the car. Now if you haven’t had the opportunity to watch John eat you are missing some topflight entertainment. By my estimation only about half of the food makes it home and the other half is worn. Needless to say, John was so excited he didn’t want to get out of the car and decided to grab a quick bite. As Mark Twain said “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one,” though I tend more to model Hunter S. Thompson as an incoherent rambler. If I get asked to write about this race weekend next year, I hope it will be one with Covid-19 behind us. Stay safe!
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C H U C K
Photo: Joe Wiederholt
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W A L L A
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Photos: CaliPhotography
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Photos: CaliPhotography
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Photos: CaliPhotography
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Photos: CaliPhotography
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Photo: Don Matz 18
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Photo: Don Matz
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Photo: Don Matz
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Photo: CaliPhotography
Photo: Friend of Matt
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Photo: CaliPhotography
Photo: Don Matz
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Erin Vogel 26
Erin Vogel will sub for Tony Gaples in the No. 11 Blackdog Speed Shop McLaren 570S GT4 for the pair of season-ending Pirelli GT4 America Sprint rounds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it has been confirmed. Gaples has elected to stand down from driving this weekend after feeling unwell, with non-COVID-19 symptoms. The team owner/driver sat out Thursday’s pair of practice sessions. “I started having headaches and some dizziness last weekend, and I had hoped I’d feel better this week,” Gaples explained. “Unfortunately that hasn’t happened. “Rather than put myself and my competitors at risk, I felt like it was best to go ahead and withdraw from the weekend. It’s not a satisfying ending to the year but I fully intend to be back for the start of the 2021 season.” Vogel, who drives a McLaren in GT4 SprintX with Flying Lizard Motorsports, will now be pulling double duty over the course of the week.
“ We’ll see what opportunities arise from
there – but in the long term I hope to be the kind of driver that other drivers enjoy racing and competing against and want to have around the paddock, as well as a positive role model and an inspiration to others.
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I started racing with my Dad in the Indy Motorsports Challenge Series in matching Spec-86 Subaru BRZ, then we moved into Spec Boxster with the Porsche Owners Club and PCA, which eventually led me to Flying Lizard and the Porsche Trophy West series.
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FLASHBACK...May 2017
Her SprintX co-driver, Michael Cooper, recently clinched the GT4 Sprint Pro championship with Blackdog. “It’s always disappointing to hear of a racer having to step down last-minute, especially when it’s a friend like Tony,” Vogel said. “He’s been a great competitor in the series for a long time and has the respect of the entire paddock, and I know everyone wishes him well. “I’m definitely honored to step in as part of the Blackdog Speed Shop team this weekend and gain even more experience with the McLaren. The more track time, the better.”
For the first time, an all-female team competed at Tribute. In this case, the ladies competed in a bright orange Boxster Spec with an appropriate team name, “Orange Blossom Special.” Despite having two drivers fresh out of Racers Clinic, the team of Regan Steedman, Karen Robinson and Erin Vogel brought the car home on the podium in the unlimited class.
Vogel set the sixth quickest time in the Am class in the No. 11 Blackdog McLaren in Thursday’s practice sessions. 27
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• • • • •
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Vision
Tenth Chasers Vol.4 Article: Dennis Wolfe Photos: Luis Vivar
Keep your eye on the ball! You can’t hit what you can’t see! Keep your head down! These and other pearls of sports wisdom have been beaten into us since little league, and as it turns out, they are just as important in the world of motorsport. Without fail, training your vision will lead to the most noticeable improvement in your driving, and the most tangible reduction in your lap times. Trust me on this. And the best part is: it’s totally FREE!!! (Take THAT, new exhaust and coilovers!) The other good news? You can practice this every single time you’re behind the wheel. You don’t have to wait for a day at the track to roll around. There are two things to keep in mind at all times: Always look up and out at least 2-3 elements ahead when autocrossing. The car will go where you are looking. So don’t look at the cone, look at the space AROUND the cone. I can’t stress this enough. If you are too focused on the cone you are just about to pass so you don’t hit it, you won’t be able to set up the car properly to get around the next cone, and thus you will be “chasing” the course, instead of chasing tenths. Trust your peripheral vision and your driving skills to keep from hitting cones, and really focus on the best line to navigate the next 2-3 elements ahead of you. Finding the best line is the key to shaving tenths off your time, and you can’t find it if you can’t see it. The perfect line is way out ahead of you, not immediately in front of you. So keep your eyes up and out, look as far around tight turns and switch-backs as you can so you can see the exit well in advance. It’s all about the exit. Next edition of Tenth Chasers: Late Apexing Happy racing! - Dennis Got questions? Hit me up: denniswolfe101@gmail.com 30
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November Heat at The ambient temperature gauge said 74 degrees, but the back of my neck said differently. On a surprisingly still, deceptively hot Sunday in November, the POC AX Championship Series soldiered on in the era of coronavirus. Article: Dennis Wolfe Photos: Luis Vivar
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El Toro
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We had a nice long course at El Toro that favored horsepower, with plenty of tricky elements to keep things interesting. Our Fast Five featured some familiar names (as it tends to do) with Steve O’Blenes, James Yom, yours truly, Carl Vanderschut and Bob Endicott all breaking the 68-second mark. This month’s featured class is S3. Steve Bennett and Greg Noss co-drove Steve’s brand new 992 (what a guy, that Steve Bennett!) and came within four tenths of each other, with Steve taking first place with a VERY fast 68.758. Rounding out the top 5 are Dallas Carroll, Jerry Griffin and Adam Abrahms. Nice work all! Be sure to check out porscheclub.com for complete timed results and season standings. Burnin’ Buns once again provided much-needed midday nourishment. Highly recommended. Special thanks as always go to our event sponsors, GMG Motorsports and Hagen & Pham Dentistry. Our FINAL event of 2020 will have us back at El Toro in Irvine on December 13th so sign up now at motorsportreg.com. Our last event was completely sold out so don’t wait!! Are you a regular participant in POC events? Does going to the track add value to your life? If so, consider giving back to the club that gives you so much by volunteering your time. Everything we do is done by volunteers, and these incredibly complicated motorsport events do not just happen by themselves. If you are interested in getting involved with autocross, please reach out to Michael Oest (michaeloest@ hotmail.com) or Brian Cooner (bcooner@gmail.com). Or just say hi at the next event and we’ll find a way to get you involved. And always remember: there are no cones…just turns.
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SIM G N I C RA
Second Season PODIUM Finishers
GT3 Cup GT4 Clubsport
May 18 Daytona
1st 2nd 3rd
Connor Bloum Nealson Lawrence Matthew Hollander
Jacob Abrams Paul Newton Jonathan Brel
June 1 Sebring
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein Gregory Liefooghe Thomas Boileau
Jacob Abrams Alain Stad Paul Newton
June 15 Mid-Ohio
1st 2nd 3rd
Gregory Liefooghe Nealson Lawrence Teddy Framhein
Jacob Abrams Brian Swift BJ Fulton
June 29 Watkins Glen
1st 2nd 3rd
Gregory Liefooghe Nealson Lawrence Connor Bloum
Jacob Abrams Michael R. Johnson Alain Stad
July 13 Lime Rock
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein Bayan Salehi Nealson Lawrence
Michael Oest Jacob Abrams Paul Newton
July 27 Road America
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein Connor Bloum Bayan Salehi
Jacob Abrams Paul Newton Alain Stad
Aug 10 Virginia Intl.
1st 2nd 3rd
Gregory Liefooghe Connor Bloum Michael Bolten
Jacob Abrams Paul Newton Michael Roban
Aug 24 Road Atlanta
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein Connor Bloum Gregory Liefooghe
Jacob Abrams Michael Oest Doug Boccignone
Sept 7 Sonoma
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein Connor Bloum Jim Slavik
Doug Boccignone Eric Oviatt Paul Newton
Sept 21 Laguna Seca
1st 2nd 3rd
Connor Bloum Bayan Salehi Matt Hollander
Eric Oviatt BJ Fulton Paul Newton
Oct 5
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein (RSR) Michael W. Johnson (RSR) Matt Hollander (RSR)
Jacob Abrams Michael R. Johnson Doug Boccignone
Oct 19 AAA Speedway
1st 2nd 3rd
Michael W. Johnson (RSR) Matt Hollander (RSR) Michael Bolten (RSR)
Eric Oviatt Jacob Abrams Paul Newton
Nov 2
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein (RSR) Michael W. Johnson (RSR) Matt Hollander (RSR)
Eric Oviatt Jacob Abrams Michael R. Johnson
1st 2nd 3rd
Teddy Framhein (RSR) Bayan Salehi (RSR) Michael W. Johnson (RSR)
Jacob Abrams BJ Fulton Paul Newton
Barber
Motor Park
Mosport Park
Nov 16 Charlotte
(RSR) (RSR) (RSR)
CLICK HERE for the remaining schedule and replays from the Second Season.
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Porsche News
P o r s c h e One of the fastest and most successful racing cars of the 21st century and the latest chapter of success in the great motorsport history of Porsche, the Porsche 919 Hybrid won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times
promising to make the exhilarating driving experience of the LMP1 race car available to amateur drivers...
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in succession - from 2015 to 2017. To cap this achievement, in 2018, racing driver
Porsche 919 Street
H y p e r c a r s Timo Bernhard lapped the Nßrburgring Nordschleife in an Evo version of the Le Mans-winning car in just 5:19.55 minutes, which was a new lap record. After Porsche announced its departure from LMP1 racing, a new idea was born in Michael Mauer’s Weissach design team: namely crowning the success story with a limited special edition of the Porsche 919 Hybrid for the race track.
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C
WILLOW SPRINGS
O
M
N
G
El Toro
Season Finale Your last chance to register...A final weekend of POC racing on the Big Track at Willow. Performance Driving Series, Time Trial and Cup Racing!
AUTOCROSS Our final Autocross event of the year. Come on out and sharpen your skills, then move up to our Performance Driving Series!
Go For It!
Register Today
The POC 2020 Coffee Table Book is Still Available
Be sure to check out the POC website for our 2020 schedule of events and to stay current on PDS, Time Trial and Cup Racing standings.
(Just a few left)
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I
E-Velocity designed by Don Matz Graphics
And, don’t miss the Official POC Facebook Page with photos, videos and comments from our members.
EXTRAS
Chris Harris from Top Gear goes to GT Heaven
Targa Florio Is the Greatest, Most Dangerous Car Race You’ve Never Heard Of
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