EPIQ SPEQ incar video at PCA Time Trial

[Bill Pickering]

Here are a couple of links to some laps of the EPIQ SPEQ Boxster out at Thunderhill in Northern California this past weekend. I had Rich Walton of Jerry Woods Enterprises drive the car to get his impressions of the suspension setup. Rich is an excellent driver and it's always fun to steal his lines. This day was no different as I picked up over a second a lap after riding with him.

The first video is a 1 lap version of a 2:10.5 lap over the top with 5A. The second vid is several laps running during the session. You will notice that Rich found more speed in exiting turn 15 by downshifting into 2nd. He would enter 14 leaving the car in 3rd in order to carry momentum and then downshift after the car settles and squirt it into 15 with and upshift into 3rd then 4th.

Although generally Spec cars are better for running against other Spec cars in terms of competition, the EPIQ SPEQ Boxster is proving to be very competitive in other classes and formats. The PCA-Golden Gate Region uses a point system to classify cars based on mods. Our Spec racer gets pointed into a class where the majority of the competition is 993's, 996's and modified 911's. Our 2.5L car is down 100HP from some of our competitiors.

By the end of Saturday's practice sessions we were within 0.8 seconds of the class Time Trial record held by a 993 on Hoosiers. Our cars can be competitive and I wish I could have stayed for the Time Trial on Sunday but I needed to get home for the Graduation Ceremony of my wife's MBA program. No roll cage in the world would have saved me if I missed the graduation!

2:10.5 lap

Extended lap version

Thanks,

Bill P.

[edevlin]

Way cool,

Ed

[Rodger]

Thanks, Bill! Always looking to add new Porsche videos to my growing collection.

[Chills]

Right click, save as, Thank you very much. Excellent video.

[Bill Pickering]

This is the 911 I used to drive on the track. 1980 SC chassis with a Getty 993 kit on it. 16x10 wheels front, 16x12 wheels out back and a 1995 993 3.6 motor in it. Super fast and a ton of fun.



But the Spec Boxster platform is just a blast to drive. You can put the car wherever you want it and it just starts and drives, no drama....just ear to ear grins. Although you miss the brute force of 300HP in a 2300lbs car, the EPIQ SPEQ Boxster just makes tracking a car so easy to have so much fun. And since I'm an old 914-6 guy, I love the mid-engine handling.

Bill P.

[racer_d]

The more I read and see about the "spec" cars, the more interested I become.

Will there be a class for 2.7 liter cars soon? (I thought it was limited to 2.5l cars)

[blinkwatt]

Wow,nice video! Just wondering,how often do you guys change to oil? Have you guys had anything break on the car since you started tracking it? One more thing,can you please tell me why the dash speakers are still in it?

[Grizzly]

I have a question about Mr. Walton's driving style. I'm by no means a road racer, so I'm looking to learn something here. My experience with curves has been limited to pursuit and evasive driving, but I've always been taught to drive absolutely smoothly and to never to upset the car. I was always told that a blindfolded passenger should feel that they're being driven down a straight road (yes, I realize that's an exaggeration).

I noticed that in every turn, Mr. Walton turns in hard, then yanks the wheel back and turns in again. Is he doing that on purpose to shift weight? I can't imagine that he's misjudging every turn, but that doesn't seem like the fastest line to me. Can someone tell me why he turns in like that?

[Bill Pickering]

Originally Posted by racer_d

The more I read and see about the "spec" cars, the more interested I become.

Will there be a class for 2.7 liter cars soon? (I thought it was limited to 2.5l cars)

You are correct, the class is limited to 2.5L cars at this time. As the class grows you will see the 2.7L cars added with some sort of trophy weight. The 2.5L cars have a wonderfully low dollar re-sale at the moment, perfect for budget racers. The 2.7's will follow suit over the years and more people will get into the class.

It's just a matter of time. Very similar to Spec Miata with the 1.6L and 1.8L motors.

Thanks,

Bill P.

[Bill Pickering]

Originally Posted by blinkwatt

Wow,nice video! Just wondering,how often do you guys change to oil? Have you guys had anything break on the car since you started tracking it? One more thing,can you please tell me why the dash speakers are still in it?

I change the oil in the car after every track weekend. That is my routine. So far we have not had anything break on the car since the car made it's debut on track and AX's last October.

As far as the dash speakers, the dash was taken completely out of the car and the metal support structure removed. At the same time the speakers were taken out of the car. I put the speakers grills back on to give it a finished look and not have to fab anything up. The grills are lightweight plastic. I wanted the car to look decent inside...

Bill P.

[Bill Pickering]

Originally Posted by Grizzly

I have a question about Mr. Walton's driving style. I'm by no means a road racer, so I'm looking to learn something here. My experience with curves has been limited to pursuit and evasive driving, but I've always been taught to drive absolutely smoothly and to never to upset the car. I was always told that a blindfolded passenger should feel that they're being driven down a straight road (yes, I realize that's an exaggeration).

I noticed that in every turn, Mr. Walton turns in hard, then yanks the wheel back and turns in again. Is he doing that on purpose to shift weight? I can't imagine that he's misjudging every turn, but that doesn't seem like the fastest line to me. Can someone tell me why he turns in like that?

Actually smooth on the street and on track is equally important and safe. What you are seeing with Rich's driving is the various slip angles the car is going through on the track at various speeds, which requires driver input to correct. Rich turns in hard to keep the momentum of the car up. The 2.5L Boxster is a momentum car on the track. If you drive it like a high HP car (late apex, rely on throttle, etc.) you will be slower than carrying momentum. In a 2.5L car, it's all about not losing speed versus slowing down and then regaining speed.

While you're in the car you'll find that the driver inputs such as Rich's are smooth, not abrupt. In comparison to some other drivers I've been passengers with, Rich is very smooth. I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to drive on the track, but in several spots of a track you are in 4 wheel drifts. These drifts require you to steer the car with your hands and your throttle, constantly changing the inputs to account for the track traction and camber.

At turn 8 in the video, we are drifting sideways through a turn at over 105MPH. Subtle, but you can feel it. And it's lots of fun!

Thanks,

Bill P.

[HIFI]

Originally Posted by Bill Pickering

This is the 911 I used to drive on the track. 1980 SC chassis with a Getty 993 kit on it. 16x10 wheels front, 16x12 wheels out back and a 1995 993 3.6 motor in it. Super fast and a ton of fun.



But the Spec Boxster platform is just a blast to drive. You can put the car wherever you want it and it just starts and drives, no drama....just ear to ear grins. Although you miss the brute force of 300HP in a 2300lbs car, the EPIQ SPEQ Boxster just makes tracking a car so easy to have so much fun. And since I'm an old 914-6 guy, I love the mid-engine handling.

Bill P.

Great video, thanks! But amber lights on red?!? Come on, you gotta de-amber that thing! Kidding!

[Grizzly]

Originally Posted by Bill Pickering

Actually smooth on the street and on track is equally important and safe. What you are seeing with Rich's driving is the various slip angles the car is going through on the track at various speeds, which requires driver input to correct. Rich turns in hard to keep the momentum of the car up. The 2.5L Boxster is a momentum car on the track. If you drive it like a high HP car (late apex, rely on throttle, etc.) you will be slower than carrying momentum. In a 2.5L car, it's all about not losing speed versus slowing down and then regaining speed.

While you're in the car you'll find that the driver inputs such as Rich's are smooth, not abrupt. In comparison to some other drivers I've been passengers with, Rich is very smooth. I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to drive on the track, but in several spots of a track you are in 4 wheel drifts. These drifts require you to steer the car with your hands and your throttle, constantly changing the inputs to account for the track traction and camber.

At turn 8 in the video, we are drifting sideways through a turn at over 105MPH. Subtle, but you can feel it. And it's lots of fun!

Thanks,

Bill P.

Bill,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I'd never even known the difference in driving a high powered car as opposed to a momentum car before now.

I've spent time on the track, but certainly not in what you'd envision as track cars (Cadillacs, Lincolns and Suburbans, mostly). What I've learned is a lot like what you had to say about high powered cars...hard on the brakes to get the weight over the front wheels, look across the apex, turn in hard and smooth and power out.

Some day I'd like to get the Box out on a track. It's so much fun on the street, I know it would be a hoot on a road course. Of course, it actually belongs to my wife, so that's a hurdle I'll have to overcome.

Thanks again.