Spec Boxster Build

[husker boxster]

Turn 1 of a Club Race at COTA is a sight to behold. Cars go 4 or 5 wide and a couple of rows deep into the turn but rarely everyone survives.

[PaulE]

Thank you. I assumed that the Spec Boxster class was so popular it would always only be a single class race.

Originally Posted by seningen

Mixed class fields are very common (in fact I have never raced only SPB, even at COTA with 36 SPBs, we had a 65 car field) -- technically you are only racing within your class.

You are gridded based on lap times, which will typically congregate like cars together.

But it is not unusual for the classes to be mixed even at grid. Faster drivers of a slower class are often rear to mid pack of the next class up. This can create some interesting dynamics where
"slower cars" are side by side racing with their class, with faster cars who are also racing. Usually after a few laps, this sorts itself out.

During sprints, lapping typically only occurs with the fastest cars in a run group -- and that can have issues is folks don't play nicely, but you learn how to be lapped (or lap) and without significantly affecting either lap times. However, using traffic to your advantage is just part of the racing tool chest.

(novice PCA racer, joe average endurance chump)

Mike

[thstone]

Originally Posted by PaulE

Thanks for sharing Tom. Quick question - I see an early 911 and a 924 or 944 in that otherwise Spec Boxster race. I could see them being allowed to go out on the track but not part of the competition, but couldn't they also disrupt the competition if they are being lapped or multiple cars are trying to pass them? Asking as an ignorant non-racer!

Originally Posted by seningen

Mixed class fields are very common (in fact I have never raced only SPB, even at COTA with 36 SPBs, we had a 65 car field) -- technically you are only racing within your class.

You are gridded based on lap times, which will typically congregate like cars together.

But it is not unusual for the classes to be mixed even at grid. Faster drivers of a slower class are often rear to mid pack of the next class up. This can create some interesting dynamics where
"slower cars" are side by side racing with their class, with faster cars who are also racing. Usually after a few laps, this sorts itself out.

During sprints, lapping typically only occurs with the fastest cars in a run group -- and that can have issues is folks don't play nicely, but you learn how to be lapped (or lap) and without significantly affecting either lap times. However, using traffic to your advantage is just part of the racing tool chest.
Mike

Good question!

Mike provided a great response but I'll expand on that further because the POC and PCA do things differently.

As Mike said, the PCA grids the race start based on lap time and not class. Thus, all of the classes are mixed together.

In this format, you "race" who ever is around you regardless of class. This makes for some interesting racing because your car might be faster in certain sections of the track and another car that posts similar overall lap times can be faster in other parts of the track.

I have often been "stuck" behind a higher horsepower car that corners slower so I catch up and get held up in the corners but then lose ground on the straights. Again, as Mike said, learning to deal with this is part of racing and eventually it all kind of works out.

The POC places SCR (Spec Carrera Racer which is like Spec 911), Spec Boxster, and the slower GT5, GT-6, and GT-7 cars into our own race and grids by lap time within each class. This means that the SCR's are all gridded together first, then comes all of the Spec Boxster's, and then GT-5, GT-6, and GT-7 brings up the rear of the field.

But more importantly, the POC does a SPLIT START with the SCR's typically starting first with the Spec Boxster's starting about 1/3 of a lap behind the SCR's. This means that the Starter throws two green flags; one to start the SCR race and a second green flag to start the Spec Boxster/GT5,6,7 race.

Eventually, the fastest SCR's will lap most of the Spec Boxster field but it allows for tight racing within your class for about 3/4 of a race. This makes for very exciting wheel to wheel racing within a class.

Now, in this specific race where the video was shot, the SCR's started at the back of the Spec Boxster field (sort of like inverting the field). That is why you see 911's and 944's behind 986's at the start.

If Spec Boxster continues to grow, I can envision a time when Spec Boxster will have their own dedicated race without any other classes on the track.

Hope this helps.

[PaulE]

It was a great help Tom, thanks for the explanation. (Especially for a guy like me who has to keep giving others passing signals in HPDE!)

[thstone]

Originally Posted by PaulE

It was a great help Tom, thanks for the explanation. (Especially for a guy like me who has to keep giving others passing signals in HPDE!)

That is a skill that never goes away! I often give cars that are substantially faster (like the SCR cars), a point by so they know to go ahead and take a corner. This helps them get by quickly and helps me to maintain my momentum so I don't lose ground on the other Spec Boxster's. Then I'll get on the SCR's bumper and try to let them drag me along to a couple of fast corners before they pull away.

[thstone]

Here is another external video from Buttonwillow! It gives you another perspective of what the racing really looks like...

[thstone]

Here is a video of me chasing Andrew Weyman in the #9 through the Star Mazda turn at Buttonwillow.

A couple of laps later, I was able to get a good run on the #9 coming into this corner and got alongside him on the inside but wasn't able to hold my line and pushed out into his line at mid-corner.

Andrew graciously backed out and let me have the corner. I immediately pulled to the right and gave him a point by to give him the position back. I never got another good chance for a pass and finished behind him. We talked after the race and he appreciated my gesture of good sportsmanship.

I'm still working on my driving and therefore, am far from perfect; but I do try and do the right thing out there.

[thstone]

I was finally able to get a dyno test of my most recent replacement engine and while not quite as powerful as the last engine (195hp), it is certainly within the expected range (185-195 hp at the rear wheels). Not a bad deal for $2,450.

[Greg Holmberg]

What matters for racing is torque, right?

Where did you buy it? How many miles did it have?

It will be interesting to see how long it continues to make the same power and torque.


Greg

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

What matters for racing is torque, right?

Where did you buy it? How many miles did it have?

It will be interesting to see how long it continues to make the same power and torque.


Greg

Hey Greg, its an eBay motor from a salvage car with around 90K miles.

The last motor (also eBay sourced) made the right around 195hp right up until it started to fail.

[seningen]

Originally Posted by thstone

Hey Greg, its an eBay motor from a salvage car with around 90K miles.

The last motor (also eBay sourced) made the right around 195hp right up until it started to fail.

Hi Tom,

What were your symptoms of "started to fail"?

Adding to my mental rolodex...

thx,

Mike

[thstone]

Originally Posted by seningen

What were your symptoms of "started to fail"?

Hey Mike, all of the details are here: Spec Boxster Build

[thstone]

I had a great weekend racing on the royal at the PCA/POC California Festival of Speed at AutoClub Speedway in Fontana, CA!

We had practice and qualifying on Friday, Sprint Race #1 (30 min) and the 70 min Enduro on Sat, and Sprint Race #2 on Sunday.

I qualified 11th of 20 overall and 9th of 14 in Spec Boxster using the same set of tires that I raced on at Buttonwillow which meant that the car was quite loose and struggling for grip in 2nd gear out of T4, T6 and T9. A new set of tires on Friday evening solved that problem.

Results:
Sprint Race #1: Started 11th of 20 overall and 9th of 14 in Spec Boxster. Finished 13th overall and 11th in Spec Box.

This was not my best race. I didn't get a great start and then with 3 laps to go, the low fuel light came on. I do some quick math in my head and decide that I'm not going to make it so I slow for 3 laps and then come into the pits before the checker.

Enduro Race: Started 19th of 24 overall and finished 16th overall. All of the race cars were grouped together for this race, so we had everything from 911R's and 911 GT-3 Cup cars to Spec Boxster's and 944's on track together. This requires paying a LOT of attention to your mirrors! Overall, I did well and spent the 70 mins of track time working on my line and technique. 70 mins might not sound like a long time to race, but I was beat at the end of that race.

Sprint Race #2: Started 11th of 16 overall and 9th of 12 in Spec Boxster. Finished 5th overall and 4th in Spec Box.

This was my best race of the weekend and I chalk it up to my improved fitness and getting 70 mins of practice during the enduro race to fine tune my driving. I had a great start and passed a few cars, then fell back a few positions, then made them back up.

There was an incident in this race so I edited that video first so the drivers involved could see what I saw.

As we come around NASCAR Turns 1 and 2, I see that the three cars ahead are all bunched up on the inside to protect any pass attempts, so I go wide to carry more speed through Turns 3 and 4 to try and make up some distance.

The #729 tries to go up the inside of the #318 and reportedly stepped on both the brake and the throttle at the same time. Thus, he was unable to slow and hits the #318 in the left rear quarter panel at the entry to Turn 3.

When this happens, I have already begun my turn towards the apex and have to quickly adjust my line to avoid the carnage and get by cleanly.

Full screen with sound for the best experience!

[Anker]

NIce evasive maneuver. Noty a lot of room there!

[husker boxster]

What was the debris that you dodged? It looked like a gas tank but that couldn't be. At least I hope it wasn't.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

What was the debris that you dodged? It looked like a gas tank but that couldn't be. At least I hope it wasn't.

That is a door. Great job Tom. Love to watch your videos.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

What was the debris that you dodged? It looked like a gas tank but that couldn't be. At least I hope it wasn't.

As 78F350 said, it was the passenger door from the #729! Watch the slo-mo carefully and you'll see it pop off.

A lot of race cars have doors that simply drop onto hinge pins so if the door becomes unlatched, its easy for them to come off.

In real time, I had no idea what it was, I was just trying to avoid something that looked too big to run over safely.

[husker boxster]

Ahhh… so he got his door blown off. Guess it really happens.

[seningen]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

Ahhh… so he got his door blown off. Guess it really happens.

Need a tether to the roll cage...

I was thinking that was a very unusual line.

Sure you can gain on braking -- but you basically have to park it in the corner
and hope the outside guy gives you room or you sit there parked with a turn signal on
or you hit them.

At least on the outside you have room to bail out.

M

[bkovac]

Just needs to be bolted. Unsafe