January Velocity Magazine - Issue 24-01

Velocity

January 2024 / Issue 24-01

A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB

‘24 Opener!

Winter Racing at Windy Willow

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Velocity

A PUBLICATION OF THE PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB

January 2024 / Issue 24-01

VELOCITY Staff Editor Andrew Weyman

Note from the Editor: In the distant past, I served as Editor as well as Production Manager for Velocity. Well, here we go again. When Don Matz decided to step down as Editor, I was asked to step up. Don has done an amazing job for many years and has transformed our magazine into a visual powerhouse with his graphic design and selections from Luis Vivar’s photography. On behalf of all our readers and contributors, thank you so much, Don. You set the standard. And thanks for the anxiety I’m feeling, worrying about how I’ll be able to match your efforts and deliver a magazine the masses clamor for. Wish me luck.

Andrew

Art Director Don Matz

Contributing Writers Darin Moore Andrew Weyman Steve Eisler Steve Town

Contributing Photographers Luis Vivar Andrew Weyman Maia Schenkel

In This Issue: Awards Banquet............................................. 6 Lucky Table Twelve........................................18 Willow Springs.............................................. 20 WSIR Time Trials........................................... 38 In My Opinion................................................46 Featured Sponsor, JBL Effects ...................... 48 Tribute to Leonard......................................... 54 What’s New from Porsche............................. 58 POC Store..................................................... 60 SIM Racing................................................... 64 Upcoming Events.......................................... 70

POC Board of Directors John Momeyer Karen Robinson Jim Salzer Joe Wiederholt Dwain Dement Eben Benabe Steve Town

‘24 Macon...Performance & Efficiency

President Secretary Treasurer / PDS Director VP Motorsports Chief Driving Instructor Time Trial Director Sponsorship

Cover image: Duane Selby 2023 Driver of the Year Luis Vivar

www.PorscheClub.com 3

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POC 68th ANNUAL BANQUET

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Photo: Luis Vivar

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POC 68th ANNUAL BANQUET

by Andrew Weyman

It was a bitchin’ blowout. Totally tubular. Nostalgically gnarly.

The 68th Annual Banquet at Porsche Irvine took us back to the 80’s thanks to the hella idea Chris MacDuff suggested. Many members hit ebay and amazon searching for Members Only jackets, wild wigs and massive medallions. Those who like to dress up did, and others attended in more conventional garb. I arrived in my driving suit joking that I misread the schedule and thought I was going to the drivers meeting at Spring Mountain.

The formalities of the Annual Meeting were entertainingly presented by President John Momeyer and the Board. Retiring Board members Nathan Johnson and Scott Craig received special trophies for their service and new Board Members were installed. Welcome Karen Robinson! Welcome back, Dwain Dement! Thanks for stepping up. John provided a fun recap of 2023 and MC Chris MacDuff moved things along efficiently awarding prizes from our sponsors throughout the evening. Bidding on silent auction items was fast and furious. Eben Benade enjoyed giving DJ Ryan Moore a hard time about his music choices. Gag me with a spoon! Thanks to the generosity of Porsche Cars North America, Porsche Experience Center, Stand 21, Westwood Racing Supplies, Tarett Engineering, The Racers Safety Source, and DK Driving School members took home some really rad stuff. Some of the prize winners were Steve Eisler, Martina Kwan, Pamela Susslin, Tom Mueller, Ashley Andreoli, Chris MacDuff, Alisha Wray, Ted Frech, John Momeyer, Larry Haase, Brett Gaviglio, Nathan Apelbaum, Chris Walsh, Razvan Sporea, Vivek Hazari, Mike Avitt, Joe Wiederholt, and… me!

Don Matz recognized our contributing Velocity writers and announced that after 7 years, he’s stepping down from his position as Editor and handing it off to me. Don gave special thanks to photographer Luis Vivar and John Momeyer presented the President’s Award to Steve Eisler for his contributions to the magazine. John also gave a big thanks to all the Competition Committee members for their service.

Volker Holzmeyer, Head of Porsche Motorsport North America, took the stage to talk about new developments in the Motorsport division and entertained questions from the crowd. Future plans for hybridization? Electricification? Stay tuned.

The club has been supporting Racing to End Alzheimer’s and Wear Blue. Lisa Hallett spoke on behalf of Wear Blue and shared her very moving story of turning devastating sorrow into positive, hopeful change. Chris Walsh also spoke about Wear Blue and all its wonderful accomplishments.

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Photo: Luis Vivar

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Bitchin’ blowout. Totally tubular. Nostalgically gnarly.

Volker Holzmeyer

John Momeyer

Joe Wiederholt

Eben Benabe

Along with trophies presented to Time Trial, Race Series and SIM Champions, special awards were presented to members whose names did not appear in the evening’s program. Competition Points Champion in the Red Group; Jim Salzer, Competition Points Champion in the Orange Group; Anders Hainer, The Chick Richardson John Deere Weed Harvesting Award went to two-time winner, Larry Haase. Larry was also gifted with a brick to symbolize the wall at WSIR’s T9. The newly created Exxon Valdez Award went to Joe Wiederholt and Mickey Giacomazzi who were presented with 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles that included the POC logo but were 90% black. Service Points Champion; Andrew Weyman, Rookie of the Year; Jake Stone, Most Improved Time Trial Driver; Kelly Tribolet, Most Improved Cup Racing Driver; Chet Kolley, Driver of the Year; Duane Selby, and Member of the Year; Andrew Weyman.

The Radd, a bitchin’ band, was mad awesome and played the night away with 80’s tuneage. It was a one-of-a-kind, mega bad to the bone banquet. Kudos to all that made it happen.

See ya at Spring Mountain!

Chris Walsh

Photos: Luis Vivar 10

Lisa Hallett

Steve Town

Chris MacDuff

Special Awards

Andrew Weyman Member of the Year & Service Points Champion

Duane Selby Driver of the Year

Chet Kolley Most Improved Cup Racer

Kelly Tribolet Most Improved Time Trial Driver

Jake Stone Rookie of the Year

LARRY HAASE Chick Richardson John Deere Weed Harvesting Award

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Championship Awards Time Trial Series

RED Cup Series

BSR

1st

James Hovark

GT1

1st

Mike Monsalve

GT3

1st

Kelly Tribolet

GT1

2nd

Loren Beggs

GT3

2nd

Bob Gartland

GT1

3rd

Eric Olberz

GT5

1st

Steve Eisler

GT2

1st

Razvan Sporea

M2

1st

Mike Avitt

GT2

2nd

Ana Predescu

M2

2nd

Nathan Apelbaum

GT3

1st

Duane Selby

M2

3rd

Angela Avitt

GT3

2nd

Brett Gaviglio

M3

1st

Glenn Orton

GT3

3rd

Eben Benade

M4

1st

Vivek Hazari

GT4

1st

Jim Salzer

M4

2nd

Dave Bent

ORANGE Cup Series

SIM Race Series 1

BSR

1st

Anders Hainer

GT1

1st

Michael Johnson

BSR

2nd

Riley Giacomazzi

GT1

2nd

Tom Layton

BSR

3rd

Chris MacDuff

GT1

3rd

Michael Bolten

GT5

1st

Don Kravig

GT5

1st

Aspasia Zouras

GT7

1st

Randy Bergum

IM Race Series 2 GT1

1st

Sagar Dhawan

GT1

2nd

Jad Duncan

GT1

3rd

Arnold Roper

Time Trial Series

James Hovark / BSR

Kelly Tribolet / GT3

Nathan Apelbaum / M2

Photos: Luis Vivar

Bob Gartland / GT3

Glen Orton / M3

Steve Eisler / GT5

Vivek Hazari / M4

Angela & Mike Avitt / M2

Dave Bent / M4

Red Cup Series

Mike Monsalve / GT1

Loren Beggs / GT1

Eric Olberz / GT1

Razvan Sporea / GT2

Ana Predescu / GT2

Jim Salzer / GT4

Eben Benabe, Duane Selby & Brett Gaviglio / GT3

Orange Cup Series

Anders Hainer / BSR

Riley Giacomazzi / BSR

Aspasia Zouras & Don Kravig / GT5

Chris MacDuff / BSR

Randy Bergum / GT7

2024 Board of Directors Eben Benade, Karen Robinson, Joe Wiederholt, Steve Town, Jim Salzer, John Momeyer, missing: Dwain Dement

Exxon Valdez Award Recipients Mickey Giacomazzi & Joe Wiederholt

Photos: Luis Vivar 14

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Photos: Andrew Weyman

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TABLE TWELVE STRIKES AGAIN

by Steve Eisler

Last year, Kathy and I attended our first POC Annual Banquet. We decided to sit with fellow San Diegans Mike and Angela Avitt and began looking for a table. Many of the tables had been reserved, but we found one near the back of the room with a good view of the dais. We were soon joined by Mickey and Riley Giacomazzi as well as a few couples including Jimmy Lorimer and his wife. Our table won four trophies along with several door prizes. The evening was capped off with Riley winning a second place trophy in Boxster Spec.

At this year’s 68th Annual Banquet, Angela and Mike Avitt shared a ride with us to the Porsche Irvine Dealership. They had already arranged to sit with Mark and Mary Manda, who had driven from Bakersfield to attend the Banquet. As we looked for a table with 6 openings, we found Table 12. It was in the same position as last year, and we claimed it immediately. Mickey and Riley arrived shortly along with Mickey’s wife Marilyn and daughter Jessie. Jessie is in high school and plans to eventually follow her dad and brother in auto racing. She’s now busy playing club and high school lacrosse while she sorts through scholarship offers to play at the college level.

Just before dinner was served, M2 Time Trial driver Nathan Apelbaum arrived from Nevada, where he had been testing for the upcoming Spring Mountain racing and TT event.

A quick look at the list of Champions showed that Table Twelve would have another big night. In the first round of raffle giveaways, I won a 90 Minute Drive Experience in a 911 GT3 at the Porsche Experience Center in Carson! I am very curious to see what I can learn from driving a stateof-the-art Porsche that can be applied to driving my 2003 Boxster S GT5 car.

Club President John Momeyer took the dais to recap events of the year and recognize the members of the Board. He surprised me with the President’s Award for my contributions to the club and my Velocity articles. I am honored to receive recognition for my efforts but feel that my contributions pale in comparison to the mountain of work done by Board Members and Committee Chairpersons. I thoroughly enjoy being a member of the POC, and I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings in Velocity.

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When the trophies were awarded, Table Twelve swept the Time Trial Series for class M2 with Mike Avitt winning first place, Nathan Apelbaum second and Angela Avitt taking third. This is the first time that spouses have won trophies in the same class, and they each drove their own cars.

Mike does all the work on both cars and deserves a special award for that. I won the trophy for TT class GT5, and Riley rounded out our list of winners with a second place Orange Cup Race Series trophy in BSR, the largest of all racing groups. Table Twelve won five more raffle prizes before the evening was over.

We will be accepting applications and suitable inducements in the fall for those who wish to sit at Table Twelve next year!

Photos: Luis Vivar

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WILL

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SPRI

LOW

INGS Photo: Luis Vivar

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Winter Racing a t

Photos: Luis Vivar 22

Windy Willow DARIN MOORE

The first weekend in January brought with it several firsts: The first January race in recent memory, the first Spec 991.2 race ever, and the first time I remember looking forward to the drive home, so I could turn on the heat and warm up!

While I’ve seen lower temperatures a few times at Willow Springs over the years, I don’t ever remember being so consistently cold all weekend at the track, as the wind started out strong on Saturday, and only got stronger as the day, night and then Sunday arrived. While I didn’t bring my trusty anemometer with me, my guess is that the wind Saturday night was in the 60-70 mph range and remained in the 30-40 mph range for the Sunday races. With a high of 45 degrees Sunday and winds of 35 mph, that translates into a wind chill of 34.5 degrees as the high for Sunday. I think you get my point!

RED GROUP RACING Generally, the race group fields were fairly light for this event. Was it holiday fatigue? Folks looking forward to a change of scenery, after being at Big Willow four out of the five past events? In any case, the advent of the Spec 991.2 class meant many less cars in GT1 and GT2, and the event featured only one GT1 and one GT2 entry. Loren Beggs and Gene Sigel, respectively, ran solo in their classes both Saturday and Sunday. The inaugural Spec 991.2 race was won by Mike Monsalve, with Nathan Johnson 2nd and Bob Mueller 3rd. The GT3 race was won by Ana Predescu in a very close battle, with Brett Gaviglio taking the silver, and Eben Benade the bronze. In a two car GT4 field, Steve Town was back in a race car, and he bested Jim Salzer, in a battle of former and reigning GT4 champions. Steve left no doubt that he can still drive the wheels off a race car.

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

The Sunday races brought the extreme wind, but not many changes on the podium. The Sunday Spec 991.2 race brought an identical podium of Monsalve, Johnson and Mueller, in that order. Ana Predescu made it a weekend sweep in GT3, with Eben Benade taking 2nd, and Greg Gilson coming in 3rd. Jim Salzer was the lone entry in GT4.

ORANGE GROUP RACING Saturday’s first race brought 22 cars to the BSR grid. Although recent fields have often been considerably larger, having 22 cars in a single class still makes for a very exciting and competitive contest. Multiple time Driver of the Year award winner Anders Hainer won the race, followed by Riley Giacomazzi in 2nd and Ryan Moore in 3rd. Jake Stone beat Don Kravig in the GT5 race, and in the GT7 race Ted Frech beat Randy Bergum by a mere 0.208! If there’s only two cars in a class, at least you hope to have a great battle, and GT7 didn’t disappoint!

Saturday’s second race featured the same BSR podium. This time, Ryan Moore followed winner Anders Hainer across the finish line, with Riley Giacomazzi coming in 3rd. Jake Stone again won the GT5 race, and Randy Bergum topped Ted Frech to take home the gold in GT7.

There was not much attrition overnight, as 21 cars reported to the BSR grid Sunday, on the windiest race day I can remember. In spite of the number of cars entered, the Sunday podium featured the same three BSR drivers as both of Saturday’s races. Anders Hainer took his 3rd win of the weekend, with Riley Giacomazzi taking 2nd, and Ryan Moore finishing 3rd. The battle between Riley and Ryan was an instant classic, as they battled back

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Photos: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

and forth, and took turns passing each other several times during the race. They were met with a rousing ovation in impound after the race, as the onlookers showed their appreciation for a tough but clean battle between the two young racers. In GT5 Jake Stone ran solo, and in GT7 Randy Bergum made it 2-1 in his favor over Ted Frech, this time in convincing style. I should mention that Carrera Spec had one car all weekend, so Paul Barnes was credited with three wins. I’m sure Paul wished he had some competition, but it was not to be.

As we head towards February’s race at Spring Mountain, we see Big Willow getting smaller in our rear-view mirror, at least for a few months.

See you in Pahrump!

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Photos: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

Photos: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

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Photos: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

Photo: Luis Vivar 32

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

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Photos: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

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Photos: Luis Vivar 37

Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

Willow Springs Opener PDS & Time Trials POC got off to an early start for the 2024 racing season with a full slate of events at Willow Springs International Raceway. In addition to the Cup Races for the Red and Orange groups, we hosted a full slate of Performance Driving Series and Time Trial Series events.

Eleven POC members paired up with POC certified in-car instructors to experience the excitement, speed, and safety of this PDS event. Six of them drove on Saturday, and three on Sunday. The other two participated both days and are halfway to earning their PDS License which allows them to drive solo at future PDS events. Students can graduate to the Time Trial Series and eventually to the Cup Racing Series with rolling starts and checkered-flag finishes.

Photo: Luis Vivar 38

STEVE EISLER

On Saturday there were 23 Time Trial drivers competing for points in nine classes.

The highlight was the return of Danna Van Noy after her scooter accident in the pits at Buttonwillow last year. As expected, she recorded the TTOD on both Saturday and Sunday with a 1:25.344. Eight other drivers were under 1:30 led by Zhuoran Yin, Modified 1, 1:26.268 and Colin Benade, GT3, 1:26.804. Also, in GT3 were Gerrit Wesseling, 1:26.672, Kelly Tribolet, 1:28.641, and Nuno Cordeiro, 1:28.286.

Bruce Blockus driving a Prototype was fifth fastest at 1:26.869 followed by Joseph Miller, GT2, 1:27.034, and Jack Aplebaum, Modified 3, 1:28.597.

The Time Trials were split into Open Passing and Point-By Passing groups. On Saturday there were four 20-minute Open Passing sessions with a maximum of 14 cars on the track. The four Point by Passing sessions had, at most, 9 cars driving in each of the sessions. If you wanted to learn more about driving your car without dealing with the questionable drivers on the freeway or risking a CHP stop, you could have spent 80 minutes sharing the track with just 8 PDS cars on Saturday. When you compare these car counts with groups like Speed Ventures, Hooked on Driving, and the many other companies that offer open track events, you are getting a fantastic bargain when you join fellow POC members at the track. Add in the possibility of getting instruction, the stricter safety procedures, and the professional tech inspections and you have the recipe for a fantastic on-track experience. And, for the cost of a hotel room, you can buy a second day with four more sessions to dial in what you learned on Saturday and lower those lap times. Plus, the car count on Sunday was even lower than the Saturday numbers.

Get a friend to join POC. Bring them to the track to really learn how to drive. Progress to Time Trials where you learn to safely go fast in traffic and, if you are really bitten by the racing bug, attend POC’s Racers Clinic to get your license to race in our Cup Series.

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

‘Any fool can drive at 120 mph on a straight freeway, but it takes a POC trained driver to go 120 mph and then safely negotiate a 90-degree turn!’

EPILOGUE – Kathy and I just returned from a trip to Costco. The other drivers were exceptionally poor today. I wished, aloud, that I was on the track where it was safe!

DRIVERS & INSTRUCTORS

DRIVER’S TIMES Driver Name

Class

Saturday

Chris Krull

Boxster Spec

01:36.279

David Allen Nicholas Merino

Boxster Spec Boxster Spec

01:36.309 01:38.074

01:37.278

Joseph Miller

GT2

01:27.667

01:27.170

Gerrit Wesseling

GT3

01:26.693

Darin Moore

Colin Benade

GT3

01:26.804

Solo

Gerrit Wesseling

GT3

1:27.034

01:26.672

Calvin Park

GT7

01:42.498

01:42.983

Driver Name

Class

Saturday

Colin Lee

1999 Boxster

Andrew Weyman

Mike Dillehay Jacob Johnson

911 Turbo 2018 GT2 RS

Jim Salzer

Joseph Wirija

2018 911

Aaron Guttman

Leo Sampson

2007 Cayman

Teja Reddy

206 Cayman

Garrett Martucci 1981 911

Sunday

Vivek Hazari Jim Salzer Larry Haase

Sunday

Luis Sanchez

1999 Boxster

Jinghou Sun

Lambo

Kunal Hinduja

Zhuoran Yin

MOD 1

01:26.268

Zhengna Zhou

Lambo

Kunal Hinduja

Edward Kim

MOD 2

01:32.550

Solo

Jack Apelbaum

MOD 3

01:28.579

Steve Nollau

MOD 3

01:36.499

Glenn Orton

MOD 3

01:37.832

01:38.745

Vivek Hazari

MOD 4

01:33.523

01:33.404

Chris Fenton

MOD 4

01:44.127

Matthew Reade

MOD 4

01:47.896

Bruce Blockus

Prototype

01:26.869

Dana Van Noy

Spec 991 II

01:25.435

Glenn Orton

Time Trials Adam Bennett

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2016 Clubsport

Solo

01:43.485 01;25.344

David Vonderhaar Boxster Spec

01:40.748

Major Mirza

1:40.856

Stock 4

2023 TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS During last year over 150 drivers recorded times in one of the 17 Time Trial events. Many of them were racers using the time trials as test-and-tune or warm-up sessions. To qualify for the Time Trial Championships a driver needed to enter at least nine events and, to receive an award at the end of the year, needed to earn 200 service points.

The following Time Trial drivers ran the fastest times in their class, entered at least 9 events and earned the necessary points in order to receive their Championship trophys at the Awards Banquet in January:

Time Trial Championship Standings Place

Class

Driver Name

# Races

1

Boxster Spec James Hovark

9

1

GT3

Kelly Tribolet

14

2

GT3

Bob Gartland

10

1

GT5

Steve Eisler

11

1

MOD 2

Mike Avitt

14

2

MOD 2

Nathan Apelbaum

14

3

MOD 2

Angela Avitt

10

1

MOD 3

Glen Orton

13

1

MOD 4

Vivek Hazari

11

2

MOD 4

Dave Bent

14

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

Time Trial Championship Standings

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Photo: Luis Vivar

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Willow Springs ‘24 Opener

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Photo: Luis Vivar

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In My Opinion

ANDREW WEYMAN

A handful of my friends have little or no interest in racing. “It’s too dangerous!

You’re crazy! You’re going to kill yourself!” Most of them play golf. I tell them that they’re dead wrong about racing. They’re the ones in danger, made obvious by their neck, back and shoulder injuries. Golf kills.

All kidding aside, I need to get this off my chest. Driving home on the freeway after a POC event is absolute insanity. It’s the most dangerous part of the weekend.

Aggressive and distracted driving on our public roads is simply out of control. In Malibu, on a short stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, 58 people have died in traffic accidents between 2010 and 2023. Countless others have been seriously injured. Running red lights, speeding and reckless lane changes have become the norm. Do I even have to mention texting while driving?

It’s been reported that after a long run of decreasing accidents on our roads, things changed radically with the Covid lockdown. Tensions built, frustration and anger grew. An outlet for letting go of a lot of these caged-in feelings was readily available, parked in our garages. Understaffing at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department, local police departments and the Highway Patrol meant enforcement of our traffic laws was zero to none. It was the wild west. If you weren’t speeding, you were in the way.

Road rage became rampant. As the lockdown came to an end, you’d expect things to have calmed down.

They haven’t. The statistics are worse than ever before. There’s plenty of controversary about speed cameras and red-light cameras and government overreach. But if they can help save lives…

The New York Times recently quoted a 2023 publication of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In it, it was reported that “Of the 2,500 licensed drivers who responded to the AAA survey, 22 percent admitted to switching lanes at high speeds or tailgating, 25 percent admitted to running a red light, 40 percent admitted to holding an active phone while driving and 50 percent admitted to exceeding posted speed limits by 15 miles per hour or more — all within the last calendar month.” Yikes. And those were the responses of drivers who were willing to share their experiences. Think about all the others.

On Sunday, after our January event at Willow Springs, I was driving home on CA-14. I witnessed two Porsche drivers, from our club, setting a terrible example for others on the road with excessive speeding and reckless lane changes. We’re better than that. Let’s keep our racing on the track, and not on our freeways and roads. If you’re into dangerous games when you’re not on the track, play golf.

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Thanks a million!

With your help, we’ve raised over $1 million to fund research and family care.

All while honoring hundreds of your loved ones.

Alzheimer’s disease affects over 6 million people in the U.S alone.

Thanks to your generosity we’re developing better prevention and treatment at speed.

Let’s see how fast we can go in 2024.

To add a name to our race car, click here or visit r2endalz.org

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The Reel Deal Given that we have so many POC members in Southern California, with quite a few in the greater Los Angeles area, it’s not much of a surprise that some of our drivers work in the entertainment industry. One such driver is POC sponsor and GT Red group racer Jimmy Lorimer. Jimmy is the founder and owner of JBL Effects, Inc. It’s one of the industry’s premier practical effects shops. Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with Jimmy. I learned about his business and his passion for motorsports.

Jimmy started in the effects industry, at 19 years old. He described it like this to me, “I really loved effects in movies, especially explosions and the pyro part, and in 1985, I began working my way up through the industry. I worked for a few effects companies, learning from real legends like Howard Jensen. Then, in 2009, I started JBL Effects and ended up in North Hollywood with a 10,000 square foot shop.”

The Porsche Owners Club Recognizes

JBL Effects as a Valued Sponsor Steve Town

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JBL specializes in on-site practical effects. As Jimmy put it, “we don’t do visual effects or CGI. It’s what the industry calls practical effects, captured through a camera.” In other words, live and inperson action. Or, how I like to say it, old school, real deal. So, one of my immediate thoughts was, wait a minute, this means JBL has one take, one shot to get something very, very big (and expensive) executed as intended, the first time. I can imagine this is why once a company proves they can pull that off, time after time, they’re really in demand.

And JBL is. He shared one of his favorite reactions that he received from a project. “We were given the challenge of flipping a 60,000 pound fire truck.

It was a very big scene and it worked great. Next thing I knew the New York Post reported it in their

paper. That scene got a lot of attention.” Pretty cool indeed, but not without a whole lot of stress in those intense action moments. Kind of like being on the track and exiting corner after corner, nailing them just right. You have one shot at it, and it happens fast, and you have to get it right.

I asked Jimmy about the recent strike that impacted the whole industry. He said, “That was terrible. It put us on the sidelines for eight months. In 35 years, I’ve never been out eight weeks, and this was eight months. I’m glad it’s over.”

JBL has anywhere from ten to thirty-five technicians working a project at any one time. He told me his work “… can start before many of the other elements of the movie have been finalized or people hired. We are sometimes engaged very early in the process. We receive early drafts of scripts and meet with the producers and/or director about what their vision is.”

Jimmy’s passion for motorsports started when Jimmy was in his 20’s. He began with karting and moved to Formula Renault (open wheel). Jimmy said it like this, “I really loved karting and open wheel when I grew up, and as soon as I could, I started racing karts. I went all over the US and won races. I wanted to go further and found my way to France and in the Formula Renault program. I did really well, winning some races there, too.”

As he built his career in effects, Jimmy kept racing in the front of his mind, and by 2015 started back into it with GT cars. Initially, it was a GT3 street car.

He said, “I bought a 2015 GT3, put a bar and harness

in it, and started doing some weekends, ending up with POC and buying a 997.2 cup car in 2018. I loved that car. I started racing it in 2019 and won my first race in POC it, in GT2. I think that was only my third race in POC, so it was a good start. From there I bought a 991.2 in 2022, after Covid shut down the industry for 5 months. I’m going to do the 991.2 spec class this year, starting at either Spring Mountain or Buttonwillow.” Jimmy’s JBL Effects location has a corner set aside for motorsports.

It’s where he keeps his cars, and generally works on them himself along with a mechanic. When I asked him about his best track memory, he said, “Definitely my first win in my 2010 997.2, winning a GT2 race in POC. That was awesome.”

On the family side, Jimmy lives in Burbank, and is the father of four. There is daughter Jolie (21), 18-year-old twins, son Wyatt and daughter Giselle, and 13 year old daughter Lilly. He described taking Jolie to Fontana for a track day in 2022, “It was her first track experience, and I put her in my GT3 street car, the one with bar and harness. She did great and loved it. But starting her at Fontana made me a little nervous though.”

Jimmy’s son Wyatt is likely heading into mechanical engineering in college, and he’s thinking he might be interested in the effects world, following in his Dad’s footsteps.

I asked Jimmy if he had any other interests or hobbies and he said, laughing, “I only have time for Jen (his girlfriend), my kids, work, and motorsports.

That’s it. No other time for anything, and life is good.”

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I can think of many movies where the special effects are what I remember most. Next time you’re watching a movie and large vehicles are being flipped, fires are flaming, and explosions are rocking, check the credits to see if Jimmy’s JBL Effects did the amazing work it takes to make it all happen.

Jimmy, thank you for your generous sponsorship, your time and giving your fellow POC members a view into your fascinating special effects world,

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your motorsports story, and your family. Good luck running with the 991.2 race group. It’s going to be an exciting year watching it grow with a big field and very close racing in those Cup cars.

Thanks for reading and have a great Spring Mountain weekend!

JBL Effects, Inc. LTD Motorsports, Inc. 12580 Saticoy St Building C North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 515 - 4719 jbleffects@yahoo.com 51

PORSCHE OWNERS CLUB

2024 Schedule Click Here

We Love Porsche

Especially the Porsche Owners Club

Known outside parts of California as

Find a store near you at Over 950 stores nationwide | Mon–Fri: 8 am – 6 pm, Sat: 8 am – 5 pm

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Thanks to all our friends at POC for a terrific year of club racing, friendship, and memories. We look forward to a fun, fast future together.

22681 Granite Way, Laguna Hills, CA 92653

●

(949) 770-2888

●

www.visionmotorsports.com

At Vali Motorsports in Corona California we offer everything needed to get to the track, be competitive and win races. We cater to anyone from entry level drivers starting out in PDS all the way to experienced club racers. Our focus is to provide the best possible outcome for our customers with safety, affordability, and reliance being of high priority. We make certain our drivers are able to compete to the best of their ability by providing full track support, storage, race prep and maintenance programs. We are in the business of making sure our customers can focus on what the pros do, be at every race and win championships!!

• Full builds • Suspension / alignment / corner balancing • Custom exhaust ( adjustable DB ratings ) • Dyno tuning • Regular maintenance • Secure car storage facility • Transportation • Track support • Driver training • Electrical systems / diagnosis • Data Acquisition • • Space to host business meetings and events surrounded by high performance cars

23125 Temescal Canyon Road, Corona California 92883 • 714-398-4410 valimotorsports.com

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A Tribute to

Leonard Schenkel ANDREW WEYMAN

Much beloved, longtime Porsche Owners Club member Leonard Schenkel passed away on January 12, 2024 at the age of 91, due to postsurgery complications. Leonard began his racing career in the mid 60’s with SCCA. He joined the POC in 1993, drove car #226, and held membership number 5866. He was elected to the POC Board of Directors in 1998 and served as Treasurer for several terms.

During Leonard’s racing career, he drove many Porsches including Speedsters, 911’s, 912’s and for a short time, a 914. In 1998, Leonard met his wife, Maia, while attending a Porsche Owners Club event. In true form, the wedding was not complete until they drove off into the sunset in their classic 1959 Porsche 356 Convertible D. Leonard was an active, friendly and enthusiastic club member and had many great stories to share. He had a passion for music (he played trombone and violin) and loved to sing. He joined the Valleyaires, a barbershop chorus group, and sang lead as part of a quartet at his 90th birthday celebration.

Leonard is survived by his wife, Maia Schenkel (married almost 20 years) and three children: David Schenkel, Ray Schenkel (spouse Jennifer), and Lynette Schenkel (spouse Robert Yelle). He is also survived by two brothers, Tom Schenkel and John Schenkel (spouse Barbara), and sister, Betsy Smith; along with previous wife, Vicki Vincent, and her son Dean Vincent (spouse Angela); three grandchildren and one great grandchild.

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There will be a Celebration of Life for Leonard on March 2, 2024, to be held at the LifePoint Church located at 3137 E. Everett St. Tucson, AZ 85739; Phone (520) 917-0530; www.lifepointtucson.com.

The service will be held from 10:30 AM to noon Mountain Standard Time (MST), with a reception to follow at the same location from noon to 2:00 PM (MST).

For those who cannot attend in person, the Celebration of Life will be live streamed at http:// lifepointtucson.com/private. The live stream will start five minutes prior to the start of the Celebration of Life service, 10:25 AM (MST). A recording of the service will be made available at Leonard Schenkel - Celebration of Life.

If you have questions, please reach out to Maia Schenkel at maia.schenkel@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Leonard’s honor can be made to one of the following charities: Hillsdale College https://www.hillsdale.edu – Click on “Donate” Fill in the info, select the donation amount Comments: In Memory of – Leonard F. Schenkel of Oracle, AZ Or Call – (517) 607-2727

Young America’s Foundation (Reagan Ranch) https://yaf.org – Click on “Donate” Fill in the info, select the donation amount In Memory of – Leonard F. Schenkel of Oracle, AZ Or Call – 1-800-USA-1776 (800-872-1776)

LifePoint Community Church https://www.lifepointtucson.com – Click on “Give” Fill in the info, select the donation amount Giving type: Select “Other” in the drop-down menu Memo: In Memory of – Leonard F. Schenkel of Oracle, AZ Or Call – (520) 917-0530

Photos: Maia Schenkel 55

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A genuine adventure committed to the betterment of the Race Car Drivers safety. Since 1970 Stand 21 has continuously delivered advanced technical innovations and safety improvements in products that are exceptionally efficient and comfortable.

www.stand21.com 57

Porsche News

The new MACAN...

Porsche is putting the prototype of the all-electric Macan through an exacting and gruelling test programme to prepare the follow-up to the successful SUV for its upcoming world premiere. The vehicle is a completely new development. Porsche’s engineers have spared no expense during its development and testing.

Putting the new

Macan

through its paces

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Fast charging with up to 270 kW

Driving dynamics testing under extreme conditions

performance and efficiency Ten years after its launch, the Macan is on the cusp of a second model generation, now in all-electric form. As the first Porsche model built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), the SUV is a completely new development. The test process to ensure the perfect coordination of all components and systems is accordingly meticulous. Porsche places great importance on real-world testing with camouflaged prototypes. At the same time, simulations in both the virtual world and wind tunnel are increasingly precise and play an ever-greater role. This is particularly true when it comes to making a new Porsche not only sportier, but also more efficient.

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

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Call Luis Vivar at: 909.305.3146 or go to: www.lunapic092918.smugmug.com

PORSCHE PERFORMANCE SPECIALISTS “Master Tech Tyson Schmidt with Over 25 Years of Porsche Experience”

Servicing all your Porsche needs We specialize in: • Corner balance/alignment • Engine/transmission rebuilds • Suspension upgrades 508 S. Victory Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502

818-848-8848

ProMotorsportsLA@aol.com

Official Porsche Owners Club Tech Station Learn to race with a professional instructor

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Buyer and Seller of Collectible Porsches Anders Hainer / anders@evamotorsllc.com / 818-351-5172

EvaMotorsLLC.com

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2024 Results SIM G N RACI

1st 2nd 3rd

Andrew Chinnici Sagar Dhawan Tom Layton

4th AJ Roper 5th Michael Oest 6th Mark Rondeau

Jan 22 Daytona

1st 2nd 3rd

Chris Walsh Sagar Dhawan Travis Brown

4th BJ Fulton 5th Alex Filsinger 6th Michael Bolten

Feb 5

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

Feb 19 Mt Panorama

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

Mar 4

Motegi

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

Mar 18 Sebring

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

April 1 Suzuka

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

April 15 Canadian Tire

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

April 29 Long Beach

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

May 13 Philip Island

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

June 3 Montreal

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

June 17 Watkins Glen

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

1st 2nd 3rd

4th 5th 6th

Jan 8

Willow Springs

Silverstone

90 Minute Race Double Points

Double Points

July 1

RedBull Ring

C L I C K H E R E f o r Yo u Tu b e S I M R A C E S All club members with track experience or online sim racing experience are invited to participate – however, you will need an iRacing Membership and a simulator.

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Willow Springs

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Spring Mountain

Buttonwillow

Let’s go at it again in Pahrump!

Charleston Peak has become one of our favorites. Be sure to register right away to get your Early Bird Discount!

It’s time to head north, once again to another one of our favorite tracks. Whether clockwise or counter, the twists and turns at Buttonwillow are always a hoot.

Register Today!

Registration Opens Soon!

February 2-4

March 9-10

Click here for Season Results

And, don’t miss the Official POC Facebook Page with photos, videos and comments from our members.

E-Velocity designed by Don Matz Graphics

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Be sure to check out the POC website for our 2024 schedule of events and to stay current on PDS, Time Trial and Cup Racing standings.

SIM G N I C A R

SIM Races Coming in February

Be sure to keep up with all that’s going on this month in this exciting series where members like you are competing against one another on some of the greatest tracks in the world. We’re always looking for more drivers.

Check it out...join up...and...

Register Today!

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