While taking a little time off from racing this summer (too damn hot here in Cali), it is time for the 2-year smog test. This means re-installation of the cat's so I can pass the test.
This is one job where having a lift certainly comes in handy. Took me about 3 hours to remove the test pipes, re-install the cats, and button it all back up.
This is at the 50% completion point (on the left, cat is re-installed, on the right, test pipe);
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Good luck this weekend Mr. Stone, it is going to be damn hot out there! Oh.... don't forget to video it!!!!
Thanks Chuck, the video cam is already installed and I'll have an ice chest full of water/ gatorade along with the Cool Suit system (to which I have recently added the cooled pants) to battle the heat.
I am excited to get back to racing and also really happy to be sharing the Boxster this weekend with my 22-yr old son who will competing in the time trials.
And as the old saying goes, "Mr. Stone is my father"!! Tom will do just fine.
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Very good Tom. The racing is cool. The fact that you're doing it with you 22 year old son is fantastic. Having a quality relationship with your son at that age is a great thing. Unfortunately, there are many that don't have it.
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1995 Porsche C4 Cab
2016 BMW M2, 6 Speed LBB - ED 7/2016
1997 993 Cab - Sold; 1997 993 Turbo - Sold
2001 Boxster S - Original Owner - 30K Miles -SOLD
Race #1: Started 6th of 13. Running 5th with two laps to go when shift cable broke. Finished 13th.
Race #2: Started 7th of 11. Fell back to 9th, moved up and finished 5th.
Overall, a good weekend! The weather was hot as hell so I used my full cool shirt system (shirt with hood and pants) to stay comfortable in the car.
The shift cable broke (about 5 inches from the where it snaps into the shifter) as I was shifting from 2nd to 3rd. I let out the clutch and got neutral, re-clutched, shifted to fourth and was still in 3rd with the gear shifter flopping back and forth. I put the clutch in (unsure what exactly had failed) and let the car coast thru two turns and pulled off in a big runoff area. Got towed into the pits after the race ended. This happened around 4pm on Saturday afternoon. Since I live reasonably close by (45mins) AutoClub Speedway, I left at 5pm and went home for the evening with my son who came in another car.
Luckily, I had Tyson Schmidt and Brad Keegan from Pro Motorsports in Burbank, CA providing track support for me and they found a new set of shifter cables (late on a Sat afternoon) and installed them Saturday evening at the track. So, when I got back to the track at 8am on Sunday morning, the car was fully repaired and ready to race again!
Overall, it was a solid racing weekend for me and I feel that I am maturing in my race craft. One goal that I was successful in achieving this weekend was becoming more patient to set up a car in front of me for a pass rather than being impatient and then somewhat forcing the issue.
It was explained to me (by points leader Alex Bermudez) that I should be looking for the easy, high probability pass rather than trying to make the more difficult low probability passes. He explained that there was no reason to make things harder than they need be; but it takes planning, patience, and skill rather than just going balls out (which at times can feel more fun but the risks of making a mistake and being at fault are much, much higher).
I hope that you'll be able to see this in the coming videos.
I'll close this initial post with a screen shot from my video showing six Boxster's (in front of me but there are also two next to me) on the NASCAR banking; three rows going 3-wide at over 130mph! This is about as exciting as it gets and I feel so lucky that I get to actually be out there racing like this.
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Love that blue and yellow one. I want to do that with my exhaust ... trying to figure out what they used for rings around the exhaust tips on the mesh.
Looks like a lot of fun! I CANNOT wait to get mine done.
Love reading your posts Tom. I'm up in LA a few times a month, Maybe one time we can connect for a beer or ???
Not sure if you are interested in some TT slumming with San Diego PCA, but we are going to Chuckwalla Oct 24/25. It would be great to see you out there kicking ass
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2004 Boxster S 6 speed - DRL relay hack, Polaris AutoTop DIY
2004 996 Targa Tip
Instructor - San Diego region
2014 Porsche Performance Driving School
2020 BMW X3, 2013 Ram 1500, 2016 Cmax, 2004 F-150 "Big Red"
Love reading your posts Tom. I'm up in LA a few times a month, Maybe one time we can connect for a beer or ???
Not sure if you are interested in some TT slumming with San Diego PCA, but we are going to Chuckwalla Oct 24/25. It would be great to see you out there kicking ass
It would be great to meet up sometime - let me know when you're going to be up in LA.
And TT is hardly slumming! I have great respect for anyone getting out and driving their Boxster like it was meant to be driven - that is what its all about!
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
Here is a video of the first few laps from last Saturday's POC race at AutoClub Speedway. This is the race where the shift cable broke and I didn't finish. Sunday's video coming soon.
As always, best viewed in full screen HD with the sound up to get the full flat-six effect!
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
I've always wondered, how do you shift when you are in one of those long banked sweepers? It seems like lifting off the throttle to shift would upset the car. Is it because there is so much grip due to the banking that the car is nowhere near the limit and so a brief lift to shift is ok?
You can shift mid-corner, you just have to be aware of the results, which will vary depending on the car and corner (speed). At Summit Point in my Formula Ford I pull 2nd in the middle of 5A /5B, which actually helps rotate the car for the exit.
I was the car that came second in qualifying and I wasn't put on the dyno. It was supposed to be random selection. I had rented a car for the race and I think the rental has about 191-193 in it. Give the competitive field of drivers and the full second that the lead car pulled on us, I was interested in the dyno results.
After seeing the results. I was also the one that protested car #1, simply because no legal spec car has ever posted over 200. I also had to write a check for $3500...
At first, car #1 was going to comply with the inspection and insisted the car was stock and I'd lose my $$. The next day... decided to go home instead.
Last weekend a lil birdie told me car #1 has since purchased a new engine. Decided not to go through with the inspection so we didn't find out what was making the additional power on the dyno.
Anyway...I don't have a lot of patience for that kind of stuff. I've been DQ'd before for removing my immobilizer but that was another issue and not performance enhancing at all (never over 186 on the dyno)
I was the car that came second in qualifying and I wasn't put on the dyno. It was supposed to be random selection. I had rented a car for the race and I think the rental has about 191-193 in it. Give the competitive field of drivers and the full second that the lead car pulled on us, I was interested in the dyno results.
After seeing the results. I was also the one that protested car #1, simply because no legal spec car has ever posted over 200. I also had to write a check for $3500...
At first, car #1 was going to comply with the inspection and insisted the car was stock and I'd lose my $$. The next day... decided to go home instead.
Last weekend a lil birdie told me car #1 has since purchased a new engine. Decided not to go through with the inspection so we didn't find out what was making the additional power on the dyno.
Anyway...I don't have a lot of patience for that kind of stuff. I've been DQ'd before for removing my immobilizer but that was another issue and not performance enhancing at all (never over 186 on the dyno)
Eric, thanks for the clarification on several points. Also to be consistent - the car that you protested was what I called Car 3. See you at Buttonwillow.
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1999 996 C2 - sold - bought back - sold for more
1997 Spec Boxster BSR #254
1979 911 SC
POC Licensed DE/TT Instructor
2004 Porsche Boxster S
2004 Porsche 996 Targa
1998 Porsche Boxster
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