I’ve experienced mixed emotions while putting this issue together. It’s been lots of fun and at the same time, very sad. Member Keith Hnatiuk passed away shortly after we lost much-loved member Don Kravig. A reprint of my interview with Keith from last December appears in this issue. He was a super guy and an excellent racer. He will be sorely missed. On the happier side, we bring you some fun articles, a Laguna Seca Time Trial update, advice from Dr. Dyno, SIM results and an interview with Adam Abrahms, the current leader in the Shake ‘n Bake Challenge. Enjoy Luis Vivar’s photography and Don Matz’s graphic design. Remember to support our sponsors! See ya at Buttonwillow!
VELOCITY Staff
Editor
Andrew Weyman
Art Director
Don Matz
Contributing Writers
Andrew Weyman
Steve Eisler
Angela Avitt
Jim Ghahremani
Don Matz
Contributing Photographers
Luis Vivar
Don Matz
Steve Eisler
Adam Abrahms
Jim Ghahremani
Mike Avitt
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
70 Years of PCA: Motorsport Meets Style
Porsche Owners Club 2025 Event Schedule
Jan
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
PART II
RETURN TO LAGUNA
STEVE EISLER
...As I waited for the official results of the Laguna Seca Time Trials, I found a program from the 1971 Monterey Castrol Grand Prix featuring Can-Am and Trans-Am racing, and Regional races for SCCA drivers, including my friend, Stan Laskin, driving a D Sports Racing Saab. It was the last race we attended at Laguna Seca before moving to San Diego. The program had the first two-page Porsche ad that I had seen, bios of some of the most recognized drivers and the ever-popular Ladies of Laguna Seca page.
As I waited for the official results of the Laguna Seca Time Trials, I found a program from the 1971 Monterey Castrol Grand Prix featuring Can-Am and Trans-Am racing, and Regional races for SCCA drivers, including my friend, Stan Laskin, driving a D Sports Racing Saab. It was the last race we attended at Laguna Seca before moving to San Diego. The program had the first two-page Porsche ad that I had seen, bios of some of the most recognized drivers and the ever-popular Ladies of Laguna Seca page.
I also was busy settling insurance claims, arranging for rental cars, searching for a replacement tow car, and preparing for a PCA Time Trial at Willow Springs. A week before the Willow Springs event the Racing Gods hammered me again with another broken transmission, this time on the Boxster! I rented a Boxster S race car, similar to mine, drove it all three days, and managed a decent time in an unfamiliar car. Hopefully the Racing Gods are done punishing me, and my replacement transmission, new tow car and everything else works at Buttonwillow!
There were 26 entries in the August Return to Laguna Seca Time Trials. Only an Open Passing (Green) group was offered, and some drivers could not enter because they did not have enough open passing experience. Each Race and TT group had four practice sessions on Friday, and the Green group had its normal allotment of four sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Our group had one other GT5 car, a Mazda Miata SSC, four Boxster Spec cars and the rest of the grid was filled by GT3s, Cup cars and ClubSports. The fastest time both days was done by Walter Vazquez in his GT3 Cup car, who had a best time of 1:30.067 on Saturday and reached his goal of breaking 1:30 on Sunday with a 1:29.510. Walter was followed on both days by Serge Cigdemoglu in a Spec 991.2 GT3 Cup car who did a 1:32.386 on Sunday and Mark Barry with a best time of 1:33.546, first in class GT2, driving a 992 GT3. The only other driver to go under 1:35 was Randy Highland, driving a 718 GT4RS ClubSport, whose best time was 1:33.280.
The fastest Boxster Spec drivers were Alex Maslov, 1:44.238, and Gil Brighenti, 1:46.045. They led a group of seven lower powered cars that spent a lot of time watching their mirrors for the faster cars. With a lap time differential of over 20 seconds between the fastest and slowest cars there was a lot of passing, but it was done correctly and safely. As the slowest car in the field, I tried to stay on the racing line and out of the way of the faster drivers. They were very courteous in making their passes. During one of the Friday practice sessions, Walter Vazquez passed me before the entry to Turn 11. I tucked in behind, braking as he did, and entered the turn. As we came around the barrier on the left, we saw a white GT3 facing us in the middle of the track. We were pointed right at him and had to adjust to the right to miss hitting him. As surprising as it was for us, I am sure the GT3 driver had some anxious moments as he tried to get out of a dangerous situation.
Photo: Steve Eisler
Since POC has not been to Laguna Seca since 2019, there were many class records broken. Six new Cup Qualifying records were set, and seven class records were set by Cup racers. In my Record Based Improvement Score (RBIS) I use the fastest time recorded in racing, qualifying, or time trial as the record time for calculating improvement. New overall fastest class times set by Time Trial drivers included 1:40.231 by Terry Van Noy in Modified 2, 1:35.992 by Vianh Nguyen in Modified 3, 1:33.280 by Randy Highland in Spec 982, and 1:36.674 by Osei Appiagyei in Stock 3. These times and other new fastest times will be used to calculate RBIS points the next time we race at Laguna Seca. Laguna Seca validated its reputation as one of the best racetracks in the country. Brett Gaviglio’s excellent article in last month’s Velocity described the excellent racing in the Red and Orange groups. The Time Trial drivers I talked to had a great experience at Laguna and we all are looking forward to racing at this iconic track again. A big thank you to the POC Board for working with PCA Club Racing to make this exciting event happen!
Keith Hnatiuk
Is Driven
ANDREW WEYMAN
Photos: Luis Vivar
Editor’s note: POC member Keith Hnatiuk recently passed away after battling cancer for several months. He was a great guy, fierce competitor and good friend. I interviewed him last December. This is a reprint of that interview.
When I approached Keith Hnatiuk in the paddock about an interview, he hesitated for a millisecond, smiled and agreed. Here’s what he had to say:
AW: Thanks for agreeing to do this. I’ll embarrass you as much as I can.
KH: (Laughs) I know you’re good at it, Andrew.
AW: What the heck is up with your last name?
KH: It’s Ukrainian. The Americanized version is “Hanatik.” Apparently, it was shortened at Ellis Island back in the early 1900s. Originally it was I’Hnatiuk or something like that.
AW: I know you’re currently driving the wheels off Boxster Spec #682. How long have you been a member of the POC?
KH: I joined in late 2019. I started in PDS. It was kind of an extension of what I was doing with the Bimmer Challenge. Here I was driving a BMW and POC was so welcoming of “Brand X” that it was a shock and surprise for me. I was welcomed as a guy who was into the same stuff the Porsche drivers were. The attitude was let’s help him along. The result is I ended up in a Porsche.
AW: Tell me more about your experience with the BMW.
KH: I did Time Trial stuff and competed in the Bimmer Challenge. My history with driving goes back to a 1974 BMW 2002tii in the 90s. A bunch of my buddies set it up for track use. It was like a little go-kart. 125hp, very light. It was a great car to learn in. Then, when I started getting serious, I got an e30 M3. It was one of the old body styles and it was great fun. Well balanced. Relatively
easy to drive to the limit. At that time, I was living in West Michigan. I was about 20 minutes away from a track called Grattan. We could drive for a really nominal fee, and we got a fair amount of seat time. I was in my early 30s at the time. We had a blast learning how to drive. There was a gap when life got in the way, and I moved around the country. I moved to California for a second time when I was in the investment business. It was a pretty busy lifestyle. I didn’t get back into driving until I was living in San Jose, halfway between Laguna and Sonoma. A lot of guys I worked with were going to the track with their Miatas. It looked like fun. Just take a street car. So, I started going to events with Speed SF and the Golden Gate Lotus Club. It wasn’t very serious. Maybe two or three times a year. It wasn’t until around 2019, just before the POC, that I stared to get serious about track driving. I was in a BMW f82. It’s the car I first showed up with at the POC. I think it was my second or third event with POC when we were at Buttonwillow. I didn’t know many people. Suddenly, this guy named Eben Benade jumps in my passenger seat, he doesn’t know me from Adam, and he says, “Let’s go!” So, I thought I’ve got somebody to help me learn to drive faster. I’m thinking he’s going to tell me, “Be careful here. Be careful there.” No! Eben says, “Get off the brakes quicker! Get on the throttle!” It was eye-opening. What I learned later was that Eben’s not crazy. He was watching drivers. Sizing them up. Figuring out how to help them. Here I am in a BMW and a Porsche guy jumps in my car to help me drive faster. I was really impressed by that.
AW: Eben is a great guy and a great driver. Your story is what our club is all about. How did you find the POC?
KH: There was a friend at, I think it was, at a Speed District event. He mentioned the POC. He said it was a great group. A lot of camaraderie. A lot of wheel-towheel. It sounded like a lot of fun but at the time I really didn’t understand what the difference was between TT and wheel-to-wheel. Through the POC I learned what that was. They make it very clear. I got serious about Time Trialing. I’m the kind of guy that looks for continuous improvement and challenge. It’s great with the Boxsters. All the cars are the same. I can see, okay, here’s the fastest I’ve gone before at Buttonwillow clockwise and now with help and tools like coaching and data, that improvement…I really enjoy that. It’s one of the things keeps me coming back. Everybody says the same thing and it’s true, Andrew. You know this. The camaraderie, the team spirit, the family-like environment…. When I brought Gerrit (Wesseling) out to his first POC event he sensed all that right away. Yes,
there’s competition on track but we all try to help each other. Whether it’s going faster, making the car better, safer, driving techniques…it’s really great. I know I’m repeating what a lot of people have said but it’s so true.
AW: I know I feel it very strongly every time I’m at the track and with the friends I’ve made. What made you choose to build a Boxster and drive in BSR?
KH: The desire to go wheel-to-wheel and knowing that converting a GT3 into a race car is a terrible idea. Having someone like Vali (Predescu) build a Spec Boxster, the safety gear, knowing that it’s built right…. It’s a class that’s super fun, super competitive. You know, it’s a little tough walking away from higher-powered cars but the Boxsters are really fun. They make up for it with the competition, the balance of the chassis. There are so many things. The cost of a weekend is obviously more affordable than a Cup car.
AW: For sure. What’s the first car you ever owned?
KH: A 1972 Camaro. The new body style. It was used. My older brother helped me select it and buy it. It was a lot of fun.
All Fun Things Must Come to an End
MIKE & ANGELA AVITT
Photos: Mike Avitt
Mike and I talked about our history with the POC and enjoyed looking back at all the twists and turns. Here’s part two of our story told from Mike’s perspective.
I thought my track days had come to an end with the sale of the 928 race car, the trailer and all the spare parts in my garage. Well, to my surprise, that was not the end. The story continues.
We had a shinny red ‘78 911SC in the garage that had about 500K miles on it. Seriously, an amazing 3.0 motor that just kept on going. So shortly after my racing days ended, Angela looks at the car and says maybe I should try doing an Autocross. This engine was not exactly an AX candidate. Over the years the ‘78 obviously had work done; the transaxle was rebuilt, ongoing repairs for the oil leaks, but no engine work. I turned to Mark Kinninger at Black Forest to see what he recommended on the engine to help it be “AX worthy.” Mark had recently rebuilt a 3.2 liter for a customer that decided he really wanted a 3.6. Bottom line, we made the deal, and I got a great 3.2 engine. Mark did the conversion for me.
My initial thoughts were that Angela would do a few AXs and that would be that. Boy was I wrong. We had a close friend at the time that was friends with John Morris at Spring Mountain in Pahrump and he invited us to a private day on the Mansell Course. This was in 2007, and Spring Mountain was selling memberships for $15,000. We passed on that one sadly, who knew this venue would elevate into the amazing facility it is today. The Mansell course was an adrenalin rush and Angela was hooked. So away we go down that slippery slope again!!
My role in this adventure had only been as Angela’s instructor. Being that things were going towards Time Trial again, I decided to purchase an ‘04 GT3 and be a participant. There was still a year of factory warranty remaining so that was somewhat comforting. Well documented now, this model had an issue with water fittings, which burst and were repaired twice under warranty. By the third time we opted to weld the fittings at our expense. For five years Angela and I shared that car at PCASDR TT events. It was a fantastic track car.
Sharing a track car is challenging and Angela decided it was time she had her own car. We purchased a new ‘14 Carrera S with PDK and oh wow, what a car. We both loved it, but it was her car, and I continued to drive the ‘04 GT3 on the track. At a Streets of Willow TT event, I drove the ‘14 a couple laps and I was so impressed that I had to have a new ‘15 GT3. Our daughter Tiffany joined the family hobby in 2014 and shared the ‘14 with Angela for two years. Tiffany only did AX events, while we continued to AX and TT with PCASDR. We were an “AX family” now. Tiffany progressed well in AX and would soon buy a new BMW M235I and joined the BMW club. She and I both did AX events with BMW Club and SDR. Tiffany was soon winning her class in both Clubs and regularly won the trophy for “fastest woman” in the BMW events. I dominated the BMW “X” class with my ‘15 GT3.
We were invited to go to COTA with a group of racers organized by Scott Mann in 2017. Yes! Of course we wanted to go, as this for sure was a bucket list item. An amazing trip from start to finish, my first arrive and drive event, and I liked it. Angela and I shared the ‘15 GT3 and had a great time. This was Angela’s first time on the track with a GT3, and she decided she was done with the Carrera S and now wanted her own GT3. As fate would have it, or perhaps by some divine intervention by the universe gods, Angela received a call from her friend Diane Cafferata on the plane coming home from COTA that she had decided to sell her ‘15 GT3! Diane gave her the first chance at buying her ‘15 GT3 and of course she said YES!!!
For several more years we both continued to TT our matching ‘15 GT3’s with PCASDR, one White and one Sapphire Blue. In 2020 our good friend for years in SD, Ron Palmer, who was currently the President of the POC, kept telling me I should come back to the POC and run their Time Trial events. We did come back to the POC in 2020 and started TTing with both GT3s still under warranty, which had been extended to 2025 due to the many engine and transmission issues. Both ‘15s had engines and transmissions replaced under warranty. In 2016 I bought a Mustang GT350 thinking this would be my track car after the factory warranty ran out on the GT3s. Shortly after that, Porsche extended the warranty to 10 years on the engine, so I sold the Mustang. It still amazes me that any factory engine or race engine could make every shift at 9000 RPM and live very long. My BOSS 302 drag race engine crossed the finish line at 9500 RPM for 11 seconds at a time but required lots of rebuilds.
In 2021 I started looking for the next car and found a Certified ‘19 GT3RS with warranty to 2025. Gotta love those warranties! It’s been a great car.
I took it for the first track event to the POC TT at Spring Mountain on the Mansell course, setting a new class record for M2 and coming back later that year and breaking my own record. I love this car! I Went on to set track records at Charlton Peak long and short tracks, Buttonwillow and BW Circuit, Chuckwalla and WSIR at 124:6. Back when I started club racing, the pole for the Red Race Group was in the 125s, so doing it in a production car shows how far we have come.
Currently, Angela is driving a ‘22 992 GT3 and I’m still in my GT3RS. The plan going forward is to finish this year with POC and retire for the last time.
I want to thank all the great friends we made over the years and that have helped us along the way. I’m sure we will miss seeing all of you at the track. A “Special Thanks” to Dwain Dement for helping me during some stressful events and all for the work he does for POC and PCA.
The Next Shake ‘n Bake Challenge CHAMPION?
ANDREW WEYMAN
Photos: Adam Abrahms
Adam Abrahms drives BSR #704. He’s determined to win the Shake ‘n Bake Challenge, a competition series he created with Alan Watts, BSR #225. Adam is a heads-up driver who is focused and fun to hang with. We chatted briefly at Laguna Seca and followed up with a phone interview. Here’s what he had to say…
AW: Thanks for agreeing to do this.
AA: I’m happy to do it.
AW: Last month I interviewed Alan Watts and he brought up the whole Shake ‘n Bake Challenge thing. What’s up with that?
AA: Like most POC racers we’re competitive. When we were first getting involved, we were competing with ourselves. Then, as we advanced, we competed against each other. When we moved up to the Orange Group, we realized we weren’t likely to see a podium, so we figured out a system to crown the champion between the two of us.
AW: Where do you stand in the championship as of now?
AA: I’m currently winning but are still several races left.
AW: How did you first get introduced to the club?
AA: I did some track stuff with PCA years ago. I was at the Festival of Speed and there was a POC booth. I ran into some folks there and they talked me into trying it out for a day. Then, I invited Alan. That first free track day turned into many weekends since.
AW: So, you knew Alan prior to joining POC?
AA: Alan and I have known each other for over 20 years. I owned a Porsche 911 when I met him. We did track events together. I think he had done some POC stuff. We both stepped away from it for a while and then returned to it about eight years ago.
AW: What, if anything, have you identified as your biggest driving challenge?
AA: I think confidence. Maintaining my confidence and pushing the limit. I often joke that I’m the most improved driver of the weekend, even if it’s a track I’ve been to before. When I first arrive, I’m thinking, why am I even here? I’m horrible. But I work myself up to it and hopefully, by Sunday, I’m feeling good.
AW: Is there any parallel between what you do for a living and the principles you apply when you’re on the track?
AA: I would say the biggest connection between racing and being a labor lawyer is the disconnection. I have a job where 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I’m thinking of my client’s problems. But on the track, it’s the only place on Earth that I only think about driving and the solitude of being able to purely focus is one of the greatest things I get out of racing. But in terms of the actual parallels, I think it’s about realizing your strengths and weaknesses. You have to learn to play to your strengths and defend against your weaknesses. I think that’s true for the defense of my clients, too. Figuring out the strategy and playing to your strengths is true on the track as well. Knowing which corner you might have an overtake opportunity and which corners you need to improve upon. I think that’s probably the biggest parallel.
AW: Have you learned anything in particular about yourself through your racing experience?
AA: I’ve always been a confident person. I’ve also been cautious. I don’t like making mistakes. You can’t drive and not make mistakes, so you have to learn to overcome those. I think, for me, what I’ve learned is the ability to continue to challenge myself. There’s always something to chase. I think that keeps me alive. As you get older, you get more confident in your home and work lives. I know how to do the things I’m doing on a day-to-day basis at work and did the same thing five years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago. But on the track, it’s always a new challenge. So, I think that’s something I learned about myself, and I needed that. I needed to find something in my life to keep challenging myself. That’s racing.
AW: Is there any track or a particular corner you especially look forward to? For example, I love the Corkscrew at Laguna, Turn 9 at Willow and the Esses at Buttonwillow. Do you have any favorites like that?
AA: Well, you named two of my favorites. I love the Esses at Buttonwillow, and I love the Corkscrew. Turn 9 is one of those challenges for me and is a confidence builder. I think that’s the great thing about every track out there, You can always find something you can do better. I would say, Buttonwillow, in general, is probably my favorite track. The Esses are certainly amongst my favorites. Phil Hill is sometimes a challenge for me but it’s good to know those things. I’m looking forward to getting back there in a few weeks and seeing if I can do better than I did last time.
AW: I just realized we’re talking about the Classic Circuit. What about the new Circuit? Did you drive it at the last Buttonwillow event?
AA: Yes. I enjoyed that track a lot. I feel that there are some areas for improvement that they’ll get sorted out. The curbing starts a little late in some corners, but I think they are fixing those. The layout of the track is very racy and very fun. There are a lot of guys we compete with who have been doing this a lot longer than we have. I like it when there’s a new track because I feel like there’s a little less of an advantage for the guys who have been doing it a lot longer.
AW: A new track slightly levels the playing field. Ever so slightly.
AA: I’m looking forward to going back there next year for sure.
AW: I had to miss it and it was killing me because I love the challenge of a new track and how badly I drive it. When my laps start to improve it feels so good.
AA: You’ll like it for sure.
AW: What’s the first car you ever owned?
AA: A Honda Accord. I had been saving up for it since the time I was 12. Not specifically the Honda but for any car I could afford. That was the best I could do when I turned 16. I tried to turn it into a sports car, but it turns out it wasn’t one.
AW: What’s your daily driver now?
AA: A Ford Raptor.
AW: Really? Can you get that into the parking structure at work?
AA: No. Sadly, I have pay extra to valet it. It gets parked at the loading dock.
AW: You have this friendship/rivalry with Alan. Do you enjoy racing with any other particular drivers alongside you?
AA: I think that on any given weekend you’ll always find a person, or people, that you’re going to have fun racing with. I would say there’s probably a dozen folks that would fall into that category. Depending on the weekend, maybe closer to one driver over another. That’s one of the great things about the club. Alan and I have known each other for a long time and we’re great friends outside the club. There are so many people in the club that I would put into the friendship category and on a weekend that Alan doesn’t make it, I’m close to others. One person would be Klaus Drehmann. I love racing with Klaus.
AW: Anything you’d like to add?
AA: I have to say I’m so happy that I found the POC family, and that how it feels, like a family. This year we’ve been supported by Kravig. The loss of Don…. It happened so suddenly. Having people like Don in your life, sharing your passion with you and
that you connect with is why we do what we do to be able to race. People think it’s about driving fast, and it is but it’s also about the camaraderie.
AW: I second that big time. Terry and I have been through a lot this year. I hadn’t been to an event since February 9th prior to Laguna. When I arrived at Laguna and started to see everyone, hugs and handshakes came at me so fast! It felt so warm and wonderful. My chosen family. The track, in some ways, was secondary. The camaraderie is so powerful and so fulfilling. It’s a very special group.
AA: When we found out that you were impacted by the fires a lot of people in the club were praying for you. Knowing that if something happens to you, you have a group of folks that care about you and are so happy to see you. It’s special. I was delighted to see you back on the track. Hopefully I’ll see you in my rearview mirror in a couple of weeks.
AW: I’m registered for Buttonwillow and I’m ready to go!
AA: I’ll see you there!
My Love for Racing
Jim Ghahremani
My love for racing started when I was about 12 years old. My uncles rode motorcycles, and my cousin raced dirt oval flat track. I used to love to go into the garage and watch my uncle work on motorcycles. He even built a motorcycle for me to ride with them. My uncles and my cousins would get together and go to the San Jose Mile, which was a famous AMA dirt track. Riders like Kenny Roberts and Mert Lawill would exhibit their skills on Saturday nights. We would all get together and go to the Outlaws sprint cars. Often, we would get together and go karting. I had a motorcycle that I would ride with my favorite cousin and his friends through Highway 9 from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz. I also tried BMX for a couple years.
Photos: Jim Ghahremani
When I turned 19, I moved to Southern California because of all the history of hot rodding and racing that was centered there. My first car was a 1970s Chevelle Super Sport. I drove it at the Fremont drag strip. I became an automotive technician and worked for companies like Mercedes and American Honda. I tried racing remote controlled cars and raced all over SoCal. A friend told me about mountain biking, and I tried my first race in 1995 at the Big Bear Amateur Cup. I won the overall series jersey. One thing led to another, and I ended up with two California State Championships and the overall U.S. National Downhill Championship and Mountain X jerseys. After winning the championship in 2005 I decided to try Supermoto. After a few races I decided to switch
to racing cars. Like they say, with age comes a cage.
I started solo racing with an Acura Integra. Although it was a good steppingstone, I didn’t like racing in the sea of orange cones. I wanted to be on a real track. My wife noticed my interest in race cars, and she gifted me with coupons for arrive and drive track days. I did everything from Indy Lights, Indy Car and NASCAR at places like Las Vegas, Phoenix, California Speedway and Irwindale. After outgrowing the Integra, I drove a Hyundai Genesis coupe that I converted to a track car. Eventually outgrowing that, I belted into a Porsche Turbo 911 which I still have today. I drive it, for fun, at places like Chuckwalla, Wil-
low Springs, and Buttonwillow. My favorite track to run the Turbo was the recently shut down California Speedway.
I’m not racing a car in a series now. My competition days are behind me. I like driving track days for fun, and I still sign up for time trials occasionally. I’m using iRacing to improve my skills. It allows me to experience different tracks and have fun at various levels even though I haven’t been very competitive. I’m Sim racing with POC in car 163. I feel that it gives me the same sensation as actually being behind the wheel. I’ve been busy at work and it’s hard for me to practice for many hours, but the short time that I spend on it I really enjoy.
Image: Don Matz
WHAT’S YOUR BEST LAGUNA SECA TT TIME?
STEVE EISLER
On August 23rd and 24th, Time Trial drivers tested their skill and nerves on the iconic track at Laguna Seca. Event Results are available on the POC website and show finish times, race position and points scored for each event. With a little work you can see all your results for a specific track or tracks and can compare your results with other selected drivers.
The Record Based Improvement Scores (RBIS) report shows all the same information as the Event Results and includes the best time you have recorded at this track. Normally the RBIS report just shows data for the drivers that posted times in the latest event and includes results from the previous two or three events held at this track.
If you have not been to Laguna Seca recently, you can check your previous best time, see improvements you have made and check the times that others in your class are recording. If you are a new POC member, check out the active Time Trial drivers. If you know any of them, contact them for information on attending your first PDS. Once you arrive at the track you can use the car numbers to find drivers in your class that can answer questions and help you on your journey to become a better driver. The POC also makes certified Motorsports Safety Foundation instructors available to you at no additional cost.
Finally, since we are not racing each other for podium finishes, it is difficult to quantify improvements in
our lap times. The RBIS score in bold on the right of the report is a metric designed to do that. It uses the fastest POC time recorded by a car in your class at this track as the standard. If your previous best time is 4.40 seconds slower than the standard that is your ‘room to improve.’ In your next event, if you lower your time by 1.10 seconds or 25% of your room for improvement, your RBIS will be 25 points. If you are a more experienced driver and your room to improve could be only 2.20 seconds. In that case improving 1.10 seconds is a 50% improvement and yields an RBIS score of 50.
Check your times and scores and compare them with others in your class. Compare improvement scores with drivers in other classes who started TT racing at the same time as you did and check out who have been the most active drivers in the last three years.
If you have questions or suggestions for improvement, please contact me at seisler@cox.net
Time Trial Record Based Improvement Scores (RBIS)
POC Record Based Improvement Score (RBIS) Created by: S. Eisler
Time Trial R
Your RBIS score compares how many seconds you have improved to the number of seconds you could have improved to equal the track record. RBIS Track Records are the fastest time recorded since 2021 for each class in a POC race, Qualifying run, or Time Trial timed run.
· If this is your first day on this track there can be no previous best so that and the next 3 columns are all blank.
· The exception is for drivers who are faster than the record time on their first day. They are given an RBIS score of 100 points plus one point for every sec that they were under the record.
· If the Finish time is slower than the PREVBest, the Improve sec column will be a negative number and the Record diff column will show the difference between the previous best and the record time. The RBIS score will be zero.
· If the Finish time for the day is faster than the PREVBest, the Improve sec will be positive. The Improve sec is divided by the Record diff to get a percentage of improvement. Multiplying that percentage by 100 yields the RBIS score in bold type.
Ask
Dear Dr. Dyno,
Advice to Keep You on Track
At the start of a recent race, I had contact with another car. It was minor but it pissed me off. I’ll leave it up to the Competition Committee to determine who was at fault but from my perspective it was definitely the other guy. I got very angry when it happened and red mist clouded my judgement for the rest of the race. I tried to let it go but my emotions got the better of me. I drove horribly. How do you stay calm in situations like this?
Angry in Agoura
Dear Angry,
You’re not the first to ask me about this. In fact, I’m seeing red having to answer the same question a gazillion times. My head feels like it’s going to explode. Why did I ever offer to do this column? I’m going to take some Advil. I’ll be right back. Okay, I’m back. Look, remaining calm during a race is an important skill. You had contact at the start? What happened happened. It’s behind you.* Look ahead, take a few deep breaths and race. Talk with your competitor at impound. Report the incident to the Comp Committee and let them do their job. Most importantly, no more questions about red mist. That goes for all my readers.
* Be a goldfish... they have short memories!
Dear Dr. Dyno,
I hired a highly respected graphic artist to custom design the livery for my car. It was a big investment, and I love what he came up with. I was excited to show it off to everyone at the track. It’s unique. At least it was unique until another driver showed up at the next event with his car looking exactly like mine except for his competition number. A lot of my friends thought it was funny. I’m not laughing. What should I do?
Bummed in Beverly Hills
Dear Bummed,
What were you thinking when your art thief/ racer buddy had Luis Vivar take hundreds of photos of your car from every angle? Or did your highly respected graphic artist make a fast buck at your expense and resell the design? Or did your friends think it would be funny to pool their resources and apply the design to a competitor’s car? Grow up. You have no problems. You live in
Dear Dr. Dyno,
You really understand relationships, and I could use your help. My boyfriend and I are both racers. Advice you’ve given in the past has brought us closer together and we’re planning to get married. I want to have our ceremony at the top of the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. He wants to tie the knot at the Nürburgring. What do you suggest?
In Love in Lake Elsinore
Dear In Love,
Your letter makes my heart sing. People who know me best know that under my seemingly gruff exterior lies a romcom-loving romantic. Hugh Grant’s performance in Love Actually blows me away every time I watch it, and I’ve seen it many times. It’s a Christmas tradition at our house. Anyway, you are at the beginning of a wonderful life together. Why disagree about how to celebrate your love? A destination wedding at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife sounds great. Do it. For those friends and family members who can’t make it to Germany, plan a stateside celebration at Laguna Seca. I became an ordained minister online just so that I could perform ceremonies for racer/ lovers like you and it would be my pleasure to be part of your celebrations. It all sounds so romantic! Let me know if you’d like a price quote.
CELEBRATING SEVENTY YEARS
January 17, 2026
Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles
You’ll want to save this date!
Porsche Carrera GT: Porsche News
The Porsche Carrera GT 25 YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
09/28/2025
A quarter of a century ago, Porsche presented a study in Paris that set standards in technology, design and driving dynamics: The Carrera GT. The V10, originally developed for Le Mans, was derived from the LMP 2000 – a prototype that was never put into a race but saw its second wind in the Carrera GT.
The Porsche Carrera GT presented at the Paris Motor Show in September 2000 was a close-to-series sports car study, the car with a V10 engine entered series production three years later. Shortly before, Walter Röhrl piloted the open sports car in front of the international media through the rain from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre.
Walter Röhrl piloted the Porsche Carrera GT THROUGH THE RAIN AT THE 2000 Paris Motor Show.
A legendary supercar marks its milestone
The legacy of the LMP 2000
The V10 engine that drove the Carrera GT originated from the never-before-used LMP 2000 – a prototype originally developed for the World Endurance Championship. With 5.5-litre displacement, water-cooled, compact construction, it weighed 165 kg – designed for speeds of up to 8,900 rpm. In the late 1990s, Porsche started the project internally under the name LMP 2000. The aim was to build on the overall victories in Le Mans to date. The state-of-the-art V10 was designed as a mid-engine: high-revving, stable, uncompromising. However, when Porsche decided in 1999 to concentrate its capacities on new series models, the project was discontinued.
But the V10 was too good to give up on. Instead of putting it in the museum, Porsche rethought the concept: as the centrepiece of a road-approved super sports car. “We had an engine that was built for the extreme – so we gave it a new challenge: everyday life,” Kussmaul explained. “The LMP 2000 was our vision for the future. The Carrera GT put our ideas on the road.”
SIMRACING SIMRACING
2025 Season Results
June 30 Redbull Ring
July 14 Nurburgring
July 28 SPA
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
GT1
1st Dylan Scott 1st Kristopher Marciniak
2nd BJ Fulton 2nd John Momeyer
3rd Michael Bolton 3rd Adam Abrahms
1st Michael Johnson 1st Matt Steele
2nd Ezra Kelderman 2nd Mark Rondeau
3rd BJ Fulton 3rd Frederico del toro
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
