Wednesday Showroom Stock Autocross and TSD Rally Banquet

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Sylvia Kennedy
6 years ago
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Only one car beat us: Bob and Vicki Pentecost of the Silver Sage Region (southern Idaho and eastern Oregon) in an unequipped Porsche with a score of 95 points; 16 seconds ahead of us and the first

Photos below of the Pentecost s and the 1 st - 3 rd place trophies displayed.

1 Only one car beat us: Bob and Vicki Pentecost of the Silver Sage Region (southern Idaho and eastern Oregon) in an unequipped Porsche with a score of 95 points; 16 seconds ahead of us and the first time in 28 years an Unequipped car beat all the Unequipped Plus (average speed computer), Navigation Porsches, and even the Equipped Porsches (professional rally instrumentation). Photos below of the Pentecost s and the 1 st - 3 rd place trophies displayed. Back at the hotel we gathered the Concierge, Parade 101, Concours, Concours Prep, and the Car Corral signs and loaded them into the trailer. We had just enough time to clean-up and get into our formal attire for the Concours Banquet. Unfortunately, the Concours score sheets were not returned so I have no idea where the inspectors found dirt worth 5.3 points so I can t specifically clean those areas for Rennfest. 15

2 Wednesday Showroom Stock Autocross and TSD Rally Banquet The only thing on the calendar today was watching the Showroom Stock Autocross to ascertain the course specifics and estimate competitive times for tomorrow. I found a few more stray signs and then went by Sears to retrieve my two new tires. Salt Lake has a great TRAXX commuter system that runs by the hotels and straight to the Maverick Center in just 18 minutes at a cost of only $2.35. I d driven a rental car to the Maverick Center lot in March and found it was a large C-shaped area with enough room to top 100 mph along the base and both sides, at least prior to reducing those speeds with typical autocross obstacles. The initial review of the course map shown below revealed a nicely constructed set of features that didn t appear to overly constrict speeds and I predicted the use of 3 rd gear in my short-geared Turbo (I was wrong 2 nd gear handled it all) along the base leg while negotiating the five cone slalom. The details would have to be verified on site by my walk-through. The course was just a five minute walk from the TRAXX station and while the cones were positioned the volunteers were still chalking boundaries. My first walk-through confirmed the course as pretty wide throughout. I planned to line-up hard right at the start to reduce the initial turn-in at the 1 st obstacle to just one quick jink right-left and planned to short-shirt to 2 nd gear during the initial sprint. The 2 nd feature was a wide 3 cone slalom which I planned to negotiate with a flick of the wheel while concentrating on the 3 rd feature: a 90 0 off-camber left turn onto the base leg this one would require caution to avoid spinning off course the first major challenge. The base leg slalom had five equally spaced cones wide enough to build speed and I still thought I might get into 3 rd gear. If I did use 3 rd gear, the tight Vendetta Box would require down-shifting to enter the sweeper around the spectator area which may promote a tail-happy oversteer and be the most fun and entertaining on the course. The sweeper led to a series of hard turns: right-left-right to the course s final optional sided obstacle. The exit of the hammerhead would determine which side of the last obstacle was most advantageous. I wondered I might 16

3 need to down-shift to 1 st gear for the sprint to the finish to prevent the lagging we suffered with a similar situation at the Savannah Autocross. The finish line was underneath the enormous Michelin tire pictured below which was inflated across the track; cool! I really looked forward to running the course tomorrow and anticipated a fun, fast, and rewarding time. I walked the course five times to anchor it in my mind. My buddy Alex from South Carolina had the only Panamera in attendance but was classified against the V8 Cayenne GTS and Turbos. His first run of 60.9 sec. was a DNF, but his 3 rd thru 5 th runs in the 60s with a fastest of 60.1 sec. was more than a second faster than the ten Cayennes who s fastest times were a trio of 61s, a 62, two 63s, three 66s, and a 67 sec. My favorite autocross mentors are the perennial Parade champions: Multiple SCCA National Autocross Champion Danny Shields of the Sun Coast Region in the Showroom Stock Class and National Autocross Champion Leeds Gulick who used to capture the Fastest Time of the Day (FTD) in his modified 914 with a 3.6 engine transplant but this year switched to a stock Cayman R advanced to the Production Class due to his Hoosier A6 autocross tires. Danny runs the day prior to me and Leeds the same day as I do and their times are a good standard for comparison. My personal nemesis, Parade perennial champion Steve Kidd who beat me in 08, 10, and 11 with our GT3s didn t make it to Parade this year. We got five runs again like last year which is much less intense than just three. Danny runs a different car every year, usually borrowing a friend s and wins regardless of the Porsche model or its condition. This year he had an 04 GT Silver 996 Coupe, was the first car out and ran a The other eight 996s in his class were about six seconds behind him. His second time was a 52.8 and it proved to be his fastest. Last year he ran a 50.9 and my best was a 51.4 seconds so he beat me by about half a second. That same difference this year would give me a time of 53.3 seconds. Other notable Stock Class wining times were a 53.4 by an 07 GT3, a 53.6 by an 08 Boxster RS, and a 54.4 by an 07 Cayman S. These times gave me a good idea that I needed to run seconds to be competitive tomorrow. Danny in his car and receiving his trophy are pictured on the next page. 17

Other notable times Wednesday were Past PCA President Kurt Gibson whose 56.8 gave him the 2 nd place trophy in a 2000 Boxster S (his wife Angie ran a 58.8 also second in the Ladies Stock Class).

4 Other notable times Wednesday were Past PCA President Kurt Gibson whose 56.8 gave him the 2 nd place trophy in a 2000 Boxster S (his wife Angie ran a 58.8 also second in the Ladies Stock Class). Peachstate member and former Zone 3 Rep Dick Kjellsen ran a 59.9 in his 2001 Boxster S which was 5 th in Class, just out of the trophies which were given three deep in his class. PCA President Manny Alban finished 1 st in Class in a 2009 Cayman. Carolinas member and former Zone 3 Rep Dave Lumpkin finished with a 61.8 and his wife Fran ran 60.9 seconds good for the 2 nd place Ladies trophy; go Fran! Peachstate member and former Zone 3 Rep Danny Saxton ran a time of 59.7 in his Back at the hotel I mounted the autocross tires and noticed that there was only ¼ clearance between the left rear tire and fender I left my Bilstein wrenches at home. I hope no one protests the clearance (protests are required prior to the run) and also hope that it doesn t blow a tire on the course or traveling to the Maverick Center. That night was the TSD Rally Banquet. Thursday The Autocross I was too nervous to eat; it happens when I race, even after twelve years at it. Suki had planned to take the TRAXX down to watch me run but decided to go with me and distribute water during the first run session until I was called to the line at 10:00. The Turbo accumulates oil in the intercooler when driven slowly and it takes a couple of full throttle runs to blow it out and prevent spark plug misfires. About a mile or so from the Maverick Center I made a couple of full throttle runs in second gear between red lights but kept the speed below the posted 45 mph limit. During my second or third run I was called down by an unmarked police car who asked if I was enroute to the Maverick Center and further advised me to restrain myself until I got off the city streets and on the track. I acknowledged with my agreement and thankfulness. Production classes allow the modification of most of the various aspects of a car within certain limits; air cleaner, ignition, DME, exhaust, clutch or flywheel, shocks, springs, or sway bars, any bolt-on brace, any DOT approved tire, brakes, air dams, and wings. Leeds Gulick ran a 52.1 and then broke 52 in each of his next four runs with a best time of 51.0 seconds. Only one other Porsche, a 93 RS America broke 52 with his 51.9 seconds. Six Porsches ran 52 seconds; a T, , 84 Carrera, a 993, an , and 2000 Boxster. Wendy Gulick ran a 55.7; their Cayman R and trophies are pictured on the next page. I anticipated running well in the Turbo. The only two times I ve won my class at Parade has been in the 07 Boxster S at San Diego and in the Turbo at Keystone. Today there were seven Porsches in my class (trophies for the first three): my Turbo and six 996 Coupes I thought the Turbo would be much quicker than the normally aspirated Porsches. After witnessing Danny s time of 52.8 and Leeds s 51.0, my strategy was to run a moderately paced clean run, hopefully in about 55 seconds, followed by four progressively faster runs in 54 18

I had a good start, had no trouble with the 90 0 turn onto the base leg and had plenty of revs left through the slalom, ran the rest of the course at a moderate pace and crossed the finish in 57.

5 and 53 seconds. I wasn t worried about the Turbo out-running the normally-aspirated Porsches in my class I thought that was a given. I lined-up behind the other six cars in class and watched them run times of 54.8, 55.8, 60.4, and a trio of DNFs. I had a good start, had no trouble with the 90 0 turn onto the base leg and had plenty of revs left through the slalom, ran the rest of the course at a moderate pace and crossed the finish in seconds in 3 rd place. Slow! My competition improved their second run times to a 54.6 and a couple of 56.4s pushing me back to 4 th place. I pushed harder this time at the start; much faster through the back leg slalom but nicked a cone around the spectator viewing area so my 56.3 turned into a 58.3 but my raw score was an 8/10s of a second improvement. The competition s third runs were further improved to a 53.9, a 54, a 59, and trio with cones. The Turbo showed why it s not the very best autocross car. When you press the accelerator the turbo boost lags a second or two, then when you are just about ready to lift or brake to set the front-end for the next turn the boost comes on with a vengeance and in this case pushed me right through the cones and off course for a DNF. Now I was in trouble. My first run of 57.1 was my only clean run and I only had two more chances to lower my time by at least 2.7 seconds to claim the third place trophy the other six competitors also had two more chances to better their times. The 993 is thought to have the most voluptuous body of all Porsches, they are the last of the air-cooled engines, are rare with only 195 made, are rarely seen on a track, and while most turbocharged Porsches exhausts are quiet from the double muffled effect of the turbo-chargers and the 19

Paul, his boss Sandra Meyer, and the Porsche brothers are pictured on the previous page. Time was getting short with just two more runs remaining.

6 mufflers this car running without mufflers has a deep throaty sound adored by all the car-lovers in attendance. PAG North America Club Coordinator Paul Gregor recognized me and the car and identified us to Wolfgang and Peter Porsche. Paul, his boss Sandra Meyer, and the Porsche brothers are pictured on the previous page. Time was getting short with just two more runs remaining. I turned up the heat for the fourth run pictured above and ran a 55.4; dropping my time by 1-3/4 seconds and moving me back into third place behind a 53.5 and 85/100s of a second behind the 2 nd place I thought I could drop my time by another second on my last run to take 2 nd place but needed nearly a full second to take 1 st. The Coupe in 1 st place lowered his time to 52.1 seconds, the Coupe in 2 nd place ran slower so his previous 54.5 seconds which stood as his fastest time. I did lower my time to , but that left me 6/100s of a second behind 2 nd place. My time was 3 rd of 7 in Class, 17 th among the 86 Production Porsches, 8 th among the 213 street legal Porsches, and 43 rd of the 254 total Porsches including Improved and Modified race cars. This year had 27 Improved and 14 Modified Class Porsches. Right out of the box Steve Lau broke 50 seconds with a time of 49.6 seconds in an 05 GT3; Fastest Time of the Day. None of the other Porsches were within 2-1/2 seconds of him. On his last run he ran a 48.9, another 05 GT3 ran a 49.4 and three other Porsches ran 51 seconds. The Modified Porsche 914s with transplanted six cylinder engines have captured the FTD for decades; this was the first time it was taken by a water-cooled modern Porsche. The Modified Porsches posted times of 49.8, 50.0, and four 51s, but a good 8/10s of a second behind Steve pictured below. Back at the hotel I distributed the Technical Quiz and Technical Academy signs and policedup the TSD Rally signage and packed them into the trailer. There was no banquet tonight so Suki and I took the opportunity to get back uptown for another restaurant, this time just the two of us and back to a sister seafood restaurant to the one we liked so much last Friday night. After 20

dinner we stopped by the Art Show which is always a popular spot and placed our People s Choice ballot for several of our friends. (Art Show pictured below).

7 dinner we stopped by the Art Show which is always a popular spot and placed our People s Choice ballot for several of our friends. (Art Show pictured below). Friday Technical Quiz and a Driving Tour Friday started off with the distribution of the Parade of Porsches and 5km Walk/Run signs, which completed this year s distribution and collection of the Autocross, Drive and Compare, Gimmick Rally, and Golf signs. After breakfast I took the Technical Quiz. In the year s past I have been scoring well with a 5 th place trophy in Chicago and two 6 th place trophies in Charlotte and Savannah I expected no less this year. As previously mentioned, I subscribe to four Porsche oriented magazines but have yet to actually read the test syllabus or seriously prepare for the Quiz. I rationalized that if I can occasionally get a trophy without studying then what s the motivation to do otherwise. The Quiz was administered in the hotel ballroom and consisted of 50 general Porsche questions, 25 model specific questions (I took the 986/987/981 & 996/997/991 test), and ten tiebreaker questions. I ve traditionally known the answers to a third of the questions, had a pretty good idea to another third, and guessed at the last third which has given me scores of 49 of 75 questions the last three years. This year there were 111 participants, up from last year s 103 but still on a downward trend from the 185 taking the test during I know that some of you look forward to me sharing a few choice questions: # bodies were made from BASF Palatal plastic by an injection process at which factory? Heinkel aircraft, Weidenhausen in Frankfurt, Monogram, or Drauz? #27 The 991 has an increase in wheelbase over the departing 997 by how many inches? 4.08, 9.50, 3.93, or zero? #49 The sunroof was first introduced in a 356 in a brochure called Schiebedach in what year? 1953, 1955, 1959, or #51 The Cayman R s direct fuel injection introduces fuel into the combustion chamber at what pressure? 150 bar, 1,740 psi, 1,850 psi, or 1,950 psi? #59 The 1997 Boxster 2.5 liter engine shared little with the air-cooled 911 engine except six cylinders and a boxer configuration. The spacing between the cylinders did remain the same, what is that distance? 118mm, 122mm, 154mm, or 205mm? The answers are: Heinkel, 3.93, 1953, 1,740 psi, and 118mm. 21

For the last three years I got 49 of 75 questions correct. This year, the test seemed harder, and that accounts for me missing 10 more questions than the past three years.

8 For the last three years I got 49 of 75 questions correct. This year, the test seemed harder, and that accounts for me missing 10 more questions than the past three years. That score put me in 10 th place with trophies only given 5 deep. I was in good company with my friends raw scores of: Dick Kjellsen 47 3 rd in the tough 928 class, Danny Shields 46 1 st in the Boxster class, Manny Alban th in the 914 class, and Vu tying me with a 39 2 nd in the Cayenne & Panamera class. For the record, my score would have ranked 2 nd in the 993 class. Next year! The down side of participating in all four competitive events plus the Signage Chairman position is the consumption of your free time. Throughout the week Suki heard reports from participants about the various driving tours and decided that the one place she wanted to visit was Robert Redford s Sundance Resort about an hour southeast of the hotel. We got a copy of the Driving Tour directions there from the previous day when one hundred of the Parade folks visited and enjoyed lunch. The road is over the top of a mountain exceeding 12,000 and is mostly one to one and one half lanes it was exciting when we met oncoming traffic causing one or the other of us to put two wheels in the weeds to allow the other to squeeze past. The further we went into the wilderness the more anxious we were and it even required traversing a National Wilderness. If the Park Ranger at the entrance had not given us explicit directions I d have never thought we were on the right road. I expected to see a large fancy resort and large paved parking lot; after all, this is the home to the world renowned Sundance Film Festival. We were woefully surprised to see a rustic little settlement nestled in the corner of a valley with gravel parking lots and log cabins. A snarling mountain stream ran right through the middle of the resort consisting of maybe a dozen buildings including the General Store, Restaurant, and various Studios, Conference Centers, and Cabins. The Sundance vision is To create a dynamic and significant experience for people, their voices, and ideas. To have an intimate community preserve that maintains the balance of art and nature, community, and individuality. To be a haven for discovery and inspiration that celebrates the spirit of Sundance. 22

Friday, August 5th Tech Quiz and Local Tours

Friday, August 5th Tech Quiz and Local Tours I checked-out Steve Kidd s GT3 in the grid and saw he was also running Hoosier A6 tires but had 255mm wide front tires instead of 235mm to help him rotate around tight corners. His 04 GT3 engine was down