While the rest of the world was worrying about Giants and Patriots at Indy, the autocross team was getting ready for the first event of the season. Preregistration was busy, and the new team was kept busy. Not only were they getting the registration materials ready, but also trying to help the drivers understand the new Zone 8 classification system. Thanks to their efforts and Tom Brown’s (our new Zone 8 representative) car classification website, we had a good head start on getting everyone classified correctly.
But the next phase started when Super Bowl Sunday rolled around and tech inspection started. The tech team had also planned for the extra work and had extra people on hand to review the tech sheets and answer questions about proper classification. They even had a Wi-Fi hotspot running and were using it to log onto the Zone 8 website and help review the driver’s car modifications and correct class. Although not without some angst, it went well and by 0800 tech was done and all the cars were classed. The CDI team was starting the track walk with Sean Molloy in the lead as the registration team of Katie Kinninger and Martha McGowan was finishing up the last drivers.
Although Mark Bray had a higher calling for Sunday, Jerry Bumpus and Gordon Carter were kept busy with the rest of the AX team, and soon we were called for the driver’s meeting. The track was designed by Gordon to start the season. Steve McKay reviewed the corner working procedures and Kim Crosser handled the safety concerns. Finally it was time for student/instructor pairings and Larry Bevins was handling the honors. I was assigned Bob Mueller as my student. Bob had previously run with us a couple of years ago but was now getting active again with his 1986 Carrera. He had experience with POC and just recently ran an event with them at Streets of Willow, so he only needed a check-out ride and corner working review.
I had driven down my 1982 911SC after picking it up at Dieter’s on Friday. It had been a busy weekend as I had also driven it to the Hoehn Porsche 991 tech session on Saturday. But I decided not to drive it to the Gaslamp District Saturday evening for the Driver’s Awards Party at the YardHouse. Luckily the Yard- House event was done early, so getting up early for Super Sunday was only mildly difficult.
I had not been autocrossing regularly, and although I have been driving the SC regularly in the time trial series, this was one of my few times to drive it at the Q. Fortunately we had already been busy time trialing at Streets of Willow and then Chuckwalla, but those tracks are not the same as the Q, especially when Gordon Carter is involved.
Steve Grosekemper and I have been sharing my red/ yellow SC, but he was using this event to help sort out his new acquisition, a silver 1979 911SC. This was the same car he had helped prepare for Hector Wilbur a few years back. Hector was now more involved with a new track-only racecar and had not been using the SC, so he offered it back to Steve. The engine was running well as evidenced by its dyno numbers, and now he was working on the suspension and seat setup.
The first run groups went quickly and it was soon time for my run group to start. Bob was riding along to get a look at the track before his session. Steve Super Sunday Autocross Adam Gill’s 993 C4S Tom Tweed in his 1968 911 had been out already and warned us about a couple of tight corners. But when we were flagged off on our first lap on cold tires, the tight corners still surprised me as we understeered wide before the cold tires found some grip. The rest of the lap went well, although slowly as we learned our way around. The next couple of laps improved as the tires warmed up, and I was more careful with the tightest corners. My times were improving but I still had to deal with understeer.
After my session it was time for Bob to start. I buckled into his 911 and was able to get my helmet squeezed in. Off we went with Bob behind the wheel. He was also careful on his first laps but became more comfortable as he learned the track. It was a tight track, and with the 915 gearing was all run in 2nd gear. He was showing good car control and was doing well with the line, so I was able to sign him off at the end of his session. I did agree to work corners with him to review our procedures later in the day.
I had a break and was able to take some action photos as the drivers were working their way around the track. Mark Kinninger was also trying out a new car and was driving with his youngest son Ryan. Both of them were turning very quick times. Also quick were Paul Young, who was now driving “Butch” the Petrol Blue 911 SC, Martin and Jennifer Reinhardt in their Cayman S, and Jim Binford in the Smurf 911. Mike Avitt was doing well in his GT3 but Angela had to work hard on the tight areas.
With the new classes, there were some interesting groups of cars. There were five 944Spec cars still together, and in CC1 were a pair of 914’s, but in CC2 it was an equal mix of 944s and 911SC. Nobody was running in CC3, but CC4 had 3 Boxsters, a 911SC, and another 1971 911. CC5 was all 911, but ranged from 1968 to 1988. CC6 was a very eclectic group, with Boxster and Boxster S, 951, 964, 911SC, 930, 1976 and 1985 911 cars. CC7 was split between early 911 Carreras and 964 RS Americas. CC8 was smaller but also had a 1971 911, Cayman and 968. CC9 had a Cayman S & R, Steve’s 911SC, an RSA and a 993. CC10 was boring with three 996’s competing, but my CC11 class was bigger, with 4 Cayman S, mine and Paul’s 911SC, and a Boxster Spyder. CC12 was the Kinninger 911SC and the Hill’s GT3 — 2 cars with 4 drivers. CC14 was the Avitt’s GT3 and at the top, in CC15, was the Smurf car shared by Jim Binford and Michael Brown. There were also the new SS classes, but at this event only SS5 with 2 drivers and SS8 with 4 drivers had any competition. There were also several X cars running.
Although it started out cool in the morning, the weather was beautiful and it quickly warmed up through the day. When I went out for my second practice session, it felt like a different car. Except for the first tight corner, the understeer was gone and I was able to pick up the pace. But by the end of the session, I was beginning to have oversteer as the rear was more and more willing to chase the front of the car. My last practice run was going well until I carried too much speed and drift at the top of the hill and was not able to get back down for the kink across the top, ending up taking out several cones before pulling it all together and finishing the lap.
As I came off track I quickly checked the pressures on my Hankook Z214 and found they were all too high at about 42 psi. I took out some air and dropped them down to about 35 psi in anticipation of the timed runs.
After my practice, I had a quick lunch and helped Pat Corona, who had brought down the Goodie Store to open the season. But it was also soon time for me to Ryan Oehler’s Cayman R Don Auten in his 964 Carrera 12 Windblown Witness March 2012 13 corner work with Bob, and Steve McKay was driving us out to corner 8. I had brought my camera and was able to do some shooting while Bob was doing the hard work. As people were learning the track, more and more were pushing the envelope, so there were several cones downed as well as more than a few spins.
After finishing our corner work session, we headed back in. I thought I would have some more free time, but as timed runs were starting, the trailer needed help. Kim Crosser’s Boxster had unfortunately lost its transmission in the morning. He had gone with it on the flatbed and was not available to help announce during timed runs, so I was volunteered. I was not checked out on the timing software but they trusted me on the microphone. While I was announcing, Red run group went out and the times started dropping quickly. Steve West (CC9) had been fastest for awhile with a 1:17.69, and then Ryan Kinninger (CC12) moved ahead at 1:17.39. Martin (CC11) also turned a 1:17.39, and then Mark Kinninger (CC12) dropped it to 1:16.66. And then Mike Avitt (CC14) really stepped it up with a 1:14.51! Mark came back with a 1:15.63 but could do no better on his last run. Mike was also slower on his next run and felt his lead was safe, so he saved some tire tread for Angela. Paul Young (CC11) started slowly with a 1:18.13, then 1:17.36 and finally his best lap of 1:16.34, to pull ahead of Martin, who had turned 1:16.49 on his second lap but was slower on his last lap. Jim Binford (CC15) also started slowly with a 1:20.39, but then had a 1:16.27 and finally his best at 1:15.97. Terry Barnum (CC7) was also quick with a 1:17.89 to just make the top ten. Steve’s car was running well, but his older tires were no longer gripping as they had heat-cycled out, and with the limited traction, he ended up with a best of 1:19.03.
My run group was at the end of the day. The temperature had dropped some but the light was still good as we took our warm-up lap. Jennifer and I had already seen what our competition had done in CC11 and we were both hoping for a 1:18 to stay mid-pack. My first lap was OK, but I hit a cone at the first corner being too aggressive and knew I had to improve over the resulting 1:21.86. My next lap was clean and faster at 1:19.03. Jennifer also had a 1:19 to start but her 2nd lap was much better at 1:17.21, just beating Carl Vanderschuit’s Cayman S at 1:17.62. The duel of the two Dieter’s 911SC’s was sitting dead even to the hundreth of a second at 1:19.03, but my last lap was my best of the day as I carried more speed up the hill and across the top of the lot, turning in a 1:18.86.
So the Top Ten were Mike Avitt, Mark Kinninger, Jim Binford, Paul Young, Martin and then Jennifer Reinhardt, Ryan Kinninger, Carl Vanderschuit, Steve West and then Tarry Barnum. 944Spec was led by John Kinkaid at 1:20.98. CC2 had Jerry Bumpus winning at 1:23.09, and Gary Burch was fastest in CC4 at 1:20.31 (and second in BRI). CC5 was led by Tom Tweed at 1:19.54 to nip Larry Bevins at 1:19.77. CC6 and top BRI went to Hassan Zaidi’s Boxster at 1:18.22. CC7 was Terry Barnum’s 1:17.89 ahead of Carl Scragg’s 1:19.16 and Keith Verlaque’s 1:19.31. Gordon Carter took CC8 at 1:20.64, and in CC9 it was Steve West at 1:17.69, then Adam Gill at 1:18.85, and then Steve at 1:19.03.
CC11 is going to be a very tough class, as there were seven drivers and all were under 1:20, and four were in the top ten. Paul Young was fastest at 1:16.34, Martin at 1:16.49, Jennifer at 1:17.21, Carl Vanderschuit at 1:17.62, me at 1:18.86, Christine Newcomer’s Cayman S at 1:19.09 and James Smith’s Boxster Spyder at 1:19.10!
For full results you can look on the website at www. pcasdr.net. Our next event will be March 17 — yes, St. Patrick’s Day — for another holiday event. Wear your green for good luck and come on down. There might even be green beer at the end of the day.
