January Magazine - Issue 26-01

2025 AWARDS Banquet

From the Editor:

Hello 2026! We have a great season ahead of us. Enjoy our talented scribes’ updates including accounts of The Streets event along with our 70th Anniversary Annual Banquet, Level 2 Motorsport Safety Foundation Training, a look inside the mind of Branimir Kovac, a retrospective involving a Mod3 Time Trial Points battle, an inside look at WRTecknica and a recount of one driver’s journey into SIM racing with POC. Our next issue will offer coverage of our return to Spring Mountain. Support our sponsors and enjoy Velocity!

Andrew Weyman

Comments? Suggestions? POCVelocityEditor@gmail.com

VELOCITY Staff

Editor

Andrew Weyman

Art Director

Don Matz

Contributing Writers

Andrew Weyman

Paul Wren

Martina Kwan

Nigel Maidment

Steve Town

Tom Kenna

Jad Duncan

Contributing Photographers

Luis Vivar

Don Matz (Illustration)

Tom Kenna

Branimir Kovac

Jad Duncan

Will Wattanawongkiri

POC Board of Directors

John Momeyer President

Karen Robinson Secretary

Jim Salzer Treasurer / PDS Chairman

Dwain Dement Chief Driving Instructor

Eben Benade VP Motorsports, TT Director

Darin Moore Sponsorship

Vivek Hazari PDS Director

Porsche Owners Club 2026 Event Schedule

2026 POC Board of Directors

John Momeyer President President@porscheclub.com

Eben Benade VP Motorsports, TT Chairman tt@porscheclub.com

Dwain Dement Member at Large cdi@porscheclub.com Karen

Darin Moore Sponsor Chairman sponsor@porscheclub.com

Vivek Hazari PDS Directer pds@porscheclub.com

70th Anniversary ANNUAL BANQUET

POC 70th ANNUAL BANQUET

by Paul Wren / Photos: Luis Vivar

We gathered on a beautiful SoCal evening at the Porsche Experience Center in Carson to celebrate our 70th year of Club Racing at its Best and award members with well-earned recognition. Many people had been to PECLA before but if you have not, it is an awesome landmark dedicated to the spirit and practice of racing. It also serves as the shop where all the race engine and transmission work is done for all Porsche Motorsport North America. Racing engines for Sprint Challenge, Carrera Cup, and the 963 cars running in World Endurance Challenge are worked on here. In addition, they do classic racecar work. There were two beautiful 962 cars from the 80s getting a refresh in the shop when we toured.

It’s appropriate that we celebrated at this Porsche Mecca on our club’s 70th anniversary. We are one of the earliest Porsche clubs in existence, and still to this day are the only club that focuses on racing rather than road rallies and coffee events. Since the Motorsport workshop at the venue celebrates racing, it’s a good match.

The evening started with hot laps on the track (in the passenger seat) for those interested. I saw quite a few excited and unsteady people coming out of those seats. The demo rides were done in Carrera S and 4S models and certainly showed that even a stock Porsche is quite a track weapon. There were also garage tours of the workshop, an absolute thirst-trap for anyone that is thinking about upgrading the garage at home. The shop here has eight full-time mechanics working year-round doing the engine and transmission rebuilds needed for the Cup and Clubsport cars running in various race series. This is the only place that does the sealed, required rebuilds for those cars in North America.

There was an open bar upstairs, and quickly the din of conversation rose to where I was glad to get to the garage tour. Beyond being an awards banquet, it is a big gathering of friends, eager to talk and catch up. As MC Ryan Moore said, this is our “racing family” and it’s different than other social groups. For the most part, we only see each other every month or so at a race, due to distance and all the other responsibilities of life. It’s a unique dynamic.

The event started with President John Momeyer’s introduction. First business is the formalities of an organization, with Secretary Karen Robinson leading the Board meeting presentation. Those boxes checked, it was noted that two Board members will be retiring: Steve Town and Joe Weiderholt. Both have been integral to the club for years. Steve’s responsibilities for Sponsorship will be assumed by new Board member Darin Moore. Joe will continue to serve the club

as Competition Director. Additional appointments of series-specific directors are Eben Benade for Cup racing and as Director of Motorsport, Gerrit Wesseling for Open-Passing Time Trial, Martina Kwan for Point-By Time Trial, and Vivek Hazari for the Performance Driving Series. Then it was on to the presentation of the awards. Sometimes it can seem odd for a group of adults to get together to hand each other bits of glass or plastic, but it really does represent a deeper meaning. The trophies are obviously meaningless in a sense but the amount of focus and intent that we all put into this sport imbue them with an importance that you only realize when you’ve shared that pursuit. So on with the winners…

Darin Moore started with the presentation of the SIM racing season awards. SIM is a great way to keep your reflexes sharp and requires a lot of the concentration and focus that we also use in the real world. Plus, it’s all-weather, completely safe, and beyond the initial investment offers low-cost fun. Our SIM series is divided into two categories, GT1 and GT2, and runs two seasons during the year. The GT1 folks were serious enough that they were absent from the banquet since the Daytona 24 is happening now, and the SIM event was tonight. For GT1 the winners are:

Season 1 GT1 SIM

1.  BJ Fulton

2.  Jad Duncan

3.  Dylan Scott

Season 2 GT1 SIM

1.  Dylan Scott

2.  Michael Bolten

3.  Jad Duncan

The GT2 folks did manage to come to the banquet (and one is our very own President). They are:

Season 1 GT2 SIM

1.  Kristopher Marciniak

2.  Adam Abrahms

3.  John Momeyer

Season 2 GT2 SIM

1.  Kristopher Marciniak

2.  Jim Ghahremani

3.  John Momeyer

Following SIM presentation the Time Trial awards were presented by Martina Kwan. Time Trial can be thought of as the training ground for a move to racing, since it is essentially the Qualifying phase. But it can also be a very enjoyable end in and of itself, with less equipment cost (no full cage etc., so you can run a street car and simplify transport). It is certainly a bit safer as well since you are not trying to occupy the same space as your competitor lap after lap (or if you are...you’re definitely TT’ing wrong).

In Boxster Spec, 1st place for TT goes to Calvin Park. In GT3, 1st place is Bob Gartland. For GT5 we awarded two places: 1st to Steve Eisler, and 2nd to up-and-coming Yasin Almadani. In Modified-2 the field was very competitive, with 1st going to Mike Avitt in his final year of racing, 2nd to Terry Van Noy, and 3rd to Angela Avitt as the 2nd of the pair in that big motorhome we always see in the paddock. Modified-3 also had a very competitive field that came down to the final event in December at Willow and was decided by just 10 points. We’ve all become familiar with the bright yellow GT3 of Thomas Kenna but this year he was beaten for 1st place by Vianh Nguyen with a dedicated, persistent and laser-focused year. Kenna got 2nd, and James Bowe secured 3rd. In the 991.2 Cup TT, Gerrit Wesseling took 1st while also racing in the Red Cup race series, for the (unofficial) hard-man award as well.

Then the awards for Cup Racing, presented by new Director of Motorsports (and “that guy”) Eben Benade. In GT2 the season winner is Darrell Troester, followed by Paul Barnes in 2nd. In the hotly contested GT3 class, Brett Gaviglio prevailed in the familiar blue #70, over Ryder Liu in 2nd and Jim Salzer in 3rd. The grand-daddy class of Red Cup, 991.2 Spec series, was won in dominant fashion by Mike Monsalve, followed by Duane Selby in 2nd and Ana Predescu in 3rd.

For the Orange Cup group, a dominant performance in BSR earned 1st place for Rob Walker, with Nigel Maidment in 2nd and Branimir Kovac in 3rd. In the new Spec 2.7 class, John Momeyer prevailed for 1st place, with Vivek Hazari in 2nd. Lastly, in GT7 the win for the season goes to Randy Bergum, with 2nd going to Mike Porteous.

Championship Awards

Time Trial Series

BSR 1st Calvin Park

GT3 1st Bob Gartland

GT5 1st Steve Eisler

GT5 2nd Yasin Almadani

M2 1st Mike Avitt

M2 2nd Terry Van Noy

M2 3rd Angela Avitt

M3 1st Vianh Nguyen

M3 2nd Thomas Kenna

M3 3rd James Bowe

991.2 1st Gerrit Wesseling

RED Cup Series

GT2 1st Darrell Troester

GT2 2nd Paul Barnes

GT3 1st Brett Gaviglio

GT3 2nd Ryder Liu

GT3 3rd Jim Salzer

991.2 1st Mike Monsalve

991.2 2nd Duane Selby

991.2 3rd Ana Predescu

ORANGE Cup Series

BSR 1st Rob Walker

BSR 2nd Nigel Maidment

BSR 3rd Branimir Kovac

SP 2.7 1st John Momeyer

SP 2.7 2nd Vivek Hazari

GT7 1st Randy Bergum

GT7 2nd Mike Porteous

Time Trial Series

Red Cup Series

Orange Cup Series

A deep breath and the service of food was a welcomed part of the evening. The PECLA chef and staff outdid themselves with a terrific meal, all the more impressive when you realize they had to duplicate it for more than 100 people. Bravo, @restaurant917!

Also, an appreciative shout-out to Ryan and Katie Moore, who acted as the MC’s and facilitators of all the presentations and music that help make the event fun. They also acted as game show hosts with the raffle and wheel of fortune spins selecting winners of helmets and other valuable gear. We also can’t forget the ubiquitous service of our photographer, Luis Vivar, throughout the year. If you’re not checking out (and buying!) his photos after each race weekend, you’re missing out.

During the meal we enjoyed a talk from Michael Hammond, member number 235 who joined the club in 1955 and drove a 356SC then a 911S for over fifty years of racing. His reminiscences of a simpler time and the growth of the club were very interesting, and familiar to a few of the longer-term members of the club evidenced by the nods of agreement. Then Andrew Weyman led an interview question-and-answer with four of the most experienced members of the club: Dwain Dement, Ted Frech, Darrell Troester, and Eric Olberz. Andrew then also brought up all the contributors to Velocity magazine for acknowledgement. If you have an interest in writing, definitely get in touch and contribute to our Club magazine. You’ll earn Service Points!

We also had a talk from the Senior Executive of Porsche Racing, Volker Holzmeyer. His depth of experience and knowledge of the activities of Porsche Racing was obvious and great to see. Let’s hope the financial challenges we read about regarding the larger corporate entity do not compromise the great program that Porsche has going here with racing.

The program continued then with Karen Robinson, Secretary of the Board, to present the award for Service Points Champion. For the third-year running, the dedicated and man-of-all-trades standout that is Andrew Weyman took home this title. Andrew is the Editor of Velocity magazine, as well as a volunteer covering all sorts of logistics behind the scenes and at events including stamping tires for BSR competitors, serving as an instructor, and mentoring for our Motorsport Safety Foundation training. As Karen noted, besides racing in the Orange group, Andrew lost his house and everything else in the Palisades fires last January. It takes quite a dedicated person who continues to show up and helps to make the club run in the face of all that adversity. Bravo, Andrew.

Eben Benade then presented several of the special awards. The Competition Points Champion for Red Cup was no surprise, Mike Monsalve. The points champion for Orange was John Momeyer, with a nearly perfect season in the Spec 2.7 class. The Chick Richardson John Deere Weed

Harvesting Award was a hard-fought competition, with last year’s winner Duane Selby continuing to provide landscaping services at several events. For overall consistency and skill in sliding offtrack, the winner was Mick Yanoschak who participated via speakerphone. Mick will be awarded the coveted green hat at our next event.

Further special driver awards were: Most Improved Driver: Time Trial to Vianh Nguyen for his close battle and win in M3. Most Improved Racer went to last year’s Rookie of the Year, Ryder Liu, for his move into GT3 and close 2nd in that championship. Rookie of the Year for 2025 goes to Paul Wren, your author, with five podiums his first year racing in GT3.

The overall Driver of the Year award goes to Rob Walker, who not only won his class in the Orange group by a wide margin, but also several times started himself at the back of the field just to make it interesting and still won the race. In addition he has started a race-support logistics team and is a huge help to lot of other drivers, as well as being a Club sponsor.

A very special award was given for the first time since 2017, the Spirit Award, in recognition for all the amazing contributions Martina Kwan has made and continues to make to the club. Martina’s efforts include Competition Committee, mentoring the MSF driver training, the oversight of the Point-By Time Trial drivers, and running the Racers Clinic. In addition, as many of us have experienced, Martina is a great instructor that motivates drivers to get out there and learn to go faster and to become what they can as racers. It was neck-and-neck as well for most Service Points with Andrew Weyman. Martina earned the highest total for a non-driver in the Club.

The overall Member of the Year award was given posthumously to Don Kravig and accepted by his family. His impact on, and service to the Club was impactful. His friendship with members was a tremendous gift to us all, and he is definitely missed. We also acknowledge the passing of two other long-time members, Keith Hnatiuk and Kip Waterhouse. Rest in peace, gentlemen.

In closing, John Momeyer reiterated the founding principle of the Club: this organization is run by volunteers, and the experience we enjoy every race weekend is underpinned by the hard work of a lot of people. As time passes things change, and often volunteers need to dedicate their efforts to other endeavors. John suggested that current volunteers find their replacements if they need to step down. We’ve had two Board members leave, and Dwain Dement has passed the mantle as Chief Driving Instructor. The Club will survive and thrive because of the spirit and dedication of our membership. It’s up to everyone to step up when you see something that needs to be done and do it.

We’re all looking forward to another great year of racing. See you out at Spring Mountain the end of this month!

Paul Wren is the 2025 Rookie of the Year. He drives his GT3 class car #787 in the Red Group.

Special Awards

The STREETS

of

WILLOW JANUARY ‘26

Farewell to the STREETS

Martina Kwan

It was a bittersweet experience, knowing this would be the last time the Porsche Owners Club would host an event at this beloved track. While improvements and enhancements have been made by the new owners of Willow Springs, the increased costs mean that our club will not be able to return here. Costs at Big Willow are offset by participation from the Red Group and Orange Group racers.

The Streets of Willow has played a key role in welcoming new members and first-time participants to the real racetrack experience. Over the years, the track and has undergone several changes, as seen in our Track Records: Streets of Willow CCW and CW, Historic, Streets of Willow CCW and CW, and now new Streets of Willow CW. The track was entirely repaved in the summer of 2021, with the widening of the bottom of the Waterfall making it notably quicker. Last summer, the new Willow Springs owners upgraded the track further by adding green and white striped runoff areas, two chicanes, and two skid pad configurations. The experience of driving through the Bowl is now completely different. Additionally, the Streets building was renovated into a luxurious clubhouse, currently serving as a temporary members clubhouse with inviting outdoor seating.

On Saturday, January 10th, 2026, excitement filled the paddock as drivers anticipated the opportunity to set new track records. With the track updates came the chance for fresh benchmarks. Personally, I hoped to set a record in GT4, but my responsibilities with the Time Trial Group, instructing PDS and TT students, and evaluating MSF Level 2 trainees kept me too busy to try.

The fastest overall time of the day was achieved by Mick Yanoschak Jr., driving his Porsche GT4 Cayman Clubsport in GT3, with a lap time of 1:19.286. Congratulations to Mick for not only this impressive performance but also for winning the Chick Richardson John Deere Weed Harvesting Award in 2025!

Drivers setting new class records were: GT1; Bill Woods (1:23.950), GT3; Mick Yanoschak (1:19.286), GT5; Chris MacDuff (1:20.903), Modified 1; Vincent Capizzi II (1:23.478), Modified 2; Shenyang Huang (1:17.517), Modified 3; Thomas Kenna (1:20.439), Modified 4; Brian Cooner (1:22.241), Modified 5; Joey Andrews (1:22.512), Spec 2.7; Vivek Hazari (1:26.370), BSR; John Krylow (1:24.275), Stock 5; John Wainwright (1:30.010), and Stock 6; Sean Taheri (1:28.851).

In GT1, the top three times were posted by Bill Woods in his red GT4 (1:23.950), Michael Rosenstein in his blue 911 (1:29.425), and Jay Goddard in his red VW R32 (1:30.533). It’s great to see a variety of car makes and models on the track with us. In GT3, Mick Yanoschak earned the day’s fastest overall time (1:19.286) with his Bitcoin-themed GT4 Clubsport, while Richard Zhou took second place (1:23.944). Chris MacDuff led GT5 (1:20.903). The Spec 2.7 class featured Vivek Hazari (1:26.370) and Deepak Chandwani (1:33.513). Top competitors in BSR were John Krylow (1:24.275), Alexandra Hainer (1:24.696), and Alex Maslow (1:25.641). Alex recently earned his provisional race license. A fun fact: Alexandra Hainer also drove a Buick Trans Am race car on track during the event.

Watching members drive their street cars in Modified and Stock classes is always enjoyable. In M1, Vincent Capizzi II posted a 1:23.478 lap. In M2, Zhenyang Huang claimed first place with a 1:17.517, followed by Krystof Bankiewicz in second with a 1:24.055. Thomas Kenna led M3 in his yellow GT3 at a 1:20.439. It’s wonderful to see husbands and wives compete. James Bowe in his Python Green GT4 achieved a 1:21.338. Priya Bowe in her blue BMW M3 saw a 1:27.459. In M4, Brian Cooner earned a 1:22.241, and in M5, Joey Andrews drove a 1:22.512.

Two Stock classes were featured at the event. In S5, John Wainwright posted a 1:30.010 in his newly acquired silver Cayman. In S6, Sean Taheri set first place and the overall track record in his white Boxster with a hard top, at 1:28.851. Second place in S6 went to Enrique Mar with a 1:34.381, and Brandon Ohnemus took third at 1:35.804.

The PDS group saw an excellent turnout, including many firsttime participants. The club’s welcoming attitude toward newcomers is a tradition. In GT1, Philip Barker set the fastest time in his light yellow air-cooled 911 at a 1:38.010. M2

saw Krystof Bankiewicz in his red GT3 (who also participated in TT Point-By Passing) post a 1:23.616 for first place, with Jay Janov following at 1:29.168. In M5, Edna Preciado’s black Boxster led with a 1:45.617. S3 included two first timers: Brad Thurlow won the class with a 1:28.862, and Jodie Filkins was second at 1:37.169. S4 had three contenders, including first-time winner Daniel Lang in his 911 Carrera T with a 1:25.971, Farhaad Sheikh in second at 1:30.171, and Glenn Vega in third at 1:31.865.

This was a fantastic final POC weekend at The Streets. As Dr. Seuss said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Martina Kwan is the Time Trial Point-By Passing Director. She is an FIA Licensed Race Car Driver, MSF Level 3 Instructor and the CEO of DK Racing School.

The

of WILLOW

TIME TRIAL Point-by PASSING

Martina Kwan

I was so excited for everyone to see the new Streets of Willow track, building and outdoor lounge area. On our Wednesday zoom meeting, we had planned to make the outdoor seating area our hang out area, since the MSF candidates were using the classroom inside the Streets building. I had visions of the Point-By Passing Group lounging on the outdoor furniture, trading track stories, coffee klatsching and singing kumbaya as one big happy family. Alas, it was too cold and everyone hung around their cars warming up with their street car heaters or basking in the sun. The group consisted of 19 drivers. 20 were registered. One was a no-show. The TT Point-By Passing drivers were:

BSR Sepehr Daghighian - Porsche Boxster, BSR Darin Pines - 1998 Porsche Boxster, Spec 2.7 Deepak Chandwani - Porsche Boxster Spec 2.7, GT3 Richard Zhou - 2006 Porsche Cayman, GT4 Michael Rosenstein - 2007 Porsche 997, GT4 Kal Treiman - 2016 Porsche 981 Cayman, GT5 Kristofer Kravig - 2003 Porsche Boxster S, M2 Krystof Biankiewicz - 2022 Porsche GT3, S3 Priya Bowe - 2018 BMW M3 CS, M1 Vincent Capizzi II - 2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT4, M2 Shenyang Huang - 2018 Porsche GT3, M3 Thomas Kenna2015 Porsche GT3, M3 Glenn Orton - 2007 Porsche GT3, M5 Jay Goddard - Volkswagen R32, S1, Brandon Ohnemus - 2016 Mazda MX-5, S5 Enrique Mar - 1997 Porsche Boxster, S5 John Wainwright - 2007 Porsche Cayman, S6 Tyler Cheung - 2019 Mazda MX-5, and S6 Sean Taheri - 2006 Porsche Boxster.

Our track day had been advertised as Streets of Willow Counterclockwise, which is the direction we have historically run it most often. I took our Polaris Ranger and filmed a video CCW and presented it during our Wednesday zoom Meeting. On Thursday, when it came time to set up the cones, I wanted to double check the direction with our President, John Momeyer, and Director of Motorsports, Eben Benade. The new track ownership had designed the track to only run in one direction - clockwise, with options to run two new chicanes or the waterfall, and two new versions of the skid pad with green and white run off stripes added for two configurations. The new green and white striped run off areas and tire barriers that have been added were designed with the clockwise direction in mind. At 4pm, the official decision was made to run clockwise, and I hurried to get the cones set up before it got dark.

Mindset Tip: How can you remain calm and focused when something you didn’t expect happens? Tell yourself, “No big deal.” One of the things we teach in the Racers Clinic is to say, “That’s racing.” Things can change but don’t let it ruffle your feathers. Let it go. Anything can change at any given moment. It’s how we respond to sudden changes that make for a strong and calm individual. Don’t let it affect your mindset or performance. A strong and resilient mindset makes for a better driver.

On Saturday morning, after our all-drivers meeting, we had our Point-By meeting in the luxurious and warm Streets building. The new building feels like a five-star speakeasy and the smell of luxurious leather permeates the space. I brought a big track map to explain the nuances of the track with the new visuals of runoff areas, tire barriers and Turn 11. The new course has now been designed as an 11-turn track, with T11 being the skid pad. I was secretly happy we were using the Waterfall, since it’s a thrill to drive down at high speeds. I’ve been coaching some of our newer members using the second chicane. The Waterfall is much more exhilarating. Jim Salzer needed an extra mentor to test out the skills of the MSF Level 2 Instructor candidates. I was more than happy to role play being a “student” in my 997.2 911 “Firehorse” and each lap I drove down the Waterfall I had a big grin on my face.

After we finished our mandatory TT Point-By meeting I saw that Vivek Hazari was at Turn 2 with the PDS group on their track walk, so I said, “Come on, let’s go look at Turn 11!”  We all walked from the building to T11. It’s one thing to look at a two-dimensional track map, it’s another to look at a track from a Google Earth 360 perspective, and yet another to walk on the pavement you are driving. One of the major differences as

we enter the shorter version of the skid pad (most organizations and the new owners use the longer version) is that they actually created a triangular patch of pavement that filled that big pothole that would bend your wheel if you were unfortunate enough to drive into it on the old track. The new pavement allows you to carry more speed into the skid pad.

I had invited several PDS drivers that I had referred to the POC from DK Racing School and was pleased to see Edna Preciado, Jodie Filkins and Daniel Lang in attendance and taking notes on our zoom. Some of the assigned instructors in both PDS and Point-By Passing couldn’t instruct on Saturday. I was happy to jump in the right seat of Jodie’s, Edna’s, Deepak’s, and Brandon’s cars.

I like to learn everyone’s goals during our zoom meeting. Michael Rosenstein and Sepehr Daghighian, law partners running a civil litigation practice together, drive an orange BSR and modified blue 911 in GT4. They were looking to be courteous and safe and not to be “that guy.” Priya Bowe in S3 wanted to become smoother and faster against her own benchmarks in her blue BMW M3. Sean Taheri wanted to set the track record in his new car class, S6, and and see if he could drive the lap time he achieved in his old M3 class car at Streets. He also wanted to learn how to heel toe this year. I suggested one of the fastest ways of learning how to heel toe is on a simulator and we discussed the different venues in and around LA that offer SIMs. Edna Preciado’s goal was to practice some techniques she recently learned in her Boxster. Daniel Lang, a PDS driver and first timer at a track in his silver Carrera T wanted to learn the lines and basic techniques. He shared that he used to race motorcycles. He loved the track day and can’t wait to come back.

John Wainwright in S5 bought a Cayman 2.7 a few months ago and hopes to run at least nine events this year with POC. Richard Zhou drives his black race prepped Cayman in GT3, and his goal was to get comfortable in his track car and implement smooth inputs. He’s done a lot of track days in his street car. Jodie is in an interesting blue/green/purple/silver colored 2013 911 Carrera S in PDS and was excited to attend her first POC Event. She was eager to learn more, improve her skills, and gain experience on the track.

Glenn Orton was also in attendance. Fun Fact - he was my first POC instructor at The Streets 11 years ago! Glenn wanted to get back into the saddle after some medical issues this year, and to just have fun. Jay Goddard was another first timer with POC in his red VW R32 and his goal was to have fun as well. Kal Treiman was driving his friend Moze Cowper’s Cayman and his goal was to also have fun. Tyler Cheung, who had a Turn 3 snafu in his Porsche 911 GTS at Big Willow in December, was driving his Mazda Miata in S6 and his goal was to learn this car and be consistent with his driving technique. Brandon Ohnemus drove a stock dark grey Miata at Streets in S1. His goal is to do four to six days this year and learn the heel toe technique. He’s just acquired a 2014 Cayman. Vinnie was in attendance on zoom but was at work and couldn’t talk. And finally, we had Thomas Kenna in his yellow GT3 in M3 and his goal was to repeat his performance in M3 (He won 2nd Place in the TT M3 Championship in 2025) and also to set a 1.21 at the new Streets.

Martina Kwan is the Time Trial Point-By Passing Director. She is an FIA Licensed Race Car Driver, MSF Level 3 Instructor and the CEO of DK Racing School.

LAP TIMES

TIME TRIAL

Performance Driving Series

Twitchy Ritchie Meets Chatty

Charlie at The Streets

NIGEL MAIDMENT

Ask your fellow POC members to tell you what their favorite means of giving back to the club (a.k.a. gaining Service Points!) is, and I reckon nine out of ten will tell you instructing. After all, what could be more rewarding than introducing someone, be they young or not-so-young, to the thrill of performance driving for the first time, or helping the more experienced track-goer shave a second or two off their personal best lap time? And the old adage that if you want to master something, teach it, definitely applies here, so perhaps it’s not an entirely altruistic activity. But equally applicable, no doubt, is the well-worn idiom that the best practitioners aren’t necessarily the most effective teachers. So, are we doing all we could be doing as a club to give the best possible learning experience to our newcomers that will keep them coming back for more? And are we doing all we should be doing to maximize the safety of students and instructors, alike? With the goal of being able to honestly answer these questions in the affirmative, Jim Salzer and his team of like-minded club members teamed up with the Motorsport Safety Foundation (MSF) to create a performance driving instructor curriculum that meets MSF guidelines, while being consistent with the culture of our club. The first step for those interested in participating in the program is completion of an online course that covers some basic principles of effective coaching, presented by the first-class racing coach and long-time friend of the POC, Ross Bentley, himself an MSF Board Member. That takes an hour or so of your time and gets you Level 1 MSF Instructor Certification (and 50 POC Service Points – why wouldn’t you do it!).

MSF Level 2 Instructor Certification takes place at the track and that’s what I turned up for at the newly revamped Streets of Willow circuit on a bright and breezy, chilly January morning. Jim had provided a series of comprehensive handouts several days prior, including a PowerPoint presentation that he was to deliver in a series of classroom sessions throughout the day. The content started with important reminders of the commitment we, as instructors, should make to put our students’ interests above our own, despite our busy race-day schedules, to be professional in our conduct, and above all, to ensure the safety of ourselves and our students. Then followed a lot of useful information and food for thought. I found pointers for ways to engage with students before getting in the car, and even before getting to the track, particularly useful; how to phrase questions of a student to extract important information about their prior experiences, their goals, and how their answers might shape my teaching strategy as an instructor. Then there was discussion of specific driving techniques to impart, and how that needs to be tailored to the experience level of the student. Sure, we all know a lot of this already, but Jim’s presentation made me think about it in a more structured fashion. And there were important reminders about various safety features on modern cars to be aware of, some of which probably should be left on, particularly for novice students, but others, such as lane assist and automatic braking that should definitely be switched off!

Jim’s classroom presentations were separated by on-track sessions in which club volunteer mentors played the role of a student and we got to ride shotgun as budding instructors. This was the fun part, even for me, as someone who has successfully managed to avoid role-play at all costs during my professional career out of an intense aversion to all such ‘team building’ exercises. You see, our student volunteers were tasked by Jim to play various types of students, displaying the full gamut of characteristics gathered over many collective years of instructing experience. Andrew Weyman played the role of Chatty Charlie. He’s the guy who likes to talk constantly about everything he knows (and doesn’t). Andrew gave Darin Moore a hard time when he combined Chatty Charlie with a bit of Twitchy Richie. He repeatedly told Darin he wants to drive fast, jumped on the gas, then pounced on the brakes, jerked at the wheel, drove from cone to cone, all the while telling Darin that he wants to pass other drivers and the cones were in the wrong positions. Candidates Bijhan Naderi and Richard Jennings also rode with Andrew and were impressed with how well he portrayed his character.

My first session in the right seat was with Hesitant Harry (played by Reuben Raveendran), who introduced himself as a first-time-on-track student driving his friend’s Cayman for the first time“Oh, and I had a bit of an accident driving on the freeway getting here this morning and something fell off the car.” I got a lot of practice using the wing mirror and prompting Harry to point-by effectively. At the end of the session, out of character, Reuben informed me that it really was his friend’s car and something had indeed fallen off it getting to the track! My next session was with Robert Poulin who I think improvised as a combination of Chatty Charlie, Forgetful Frank and Nearsighted Ned while driving his beautiful Audi R8 V10, initially with one hand on the wheel and with his helmet strap unfastened (I was sure I checked that, dammit), slamming on the brakes

when I signaled to get on the gas (the importance of carefully clarifying hand signals duly noted) – you get the picture! My final on-track instructor experience was with another new POC character played by Bollywood legend, Vivek Hazari. He was an extreme sports junkie who had done it all – “Hi. I’m Mountain Bike Mike. Yeah, I’m an expert stunt biker. I figured I’d give this race driving thing a go. I’m just here to go fast. No, I’ve never driven at the track before, but I mean, how hard can it be? Oh yeah, this is my first time driving a stick.” Well, obviously I lived to tell the tale, but Vivek’s character prompted me to think about how I would manage such a case, setting ground rules before even getting in the car, keeping both the student and me safe, while still ensuring he or she had a fun experience. There were plans for a fourth session in which I would be paired with fellow BSR racer, Karen Robinson, who had plans to terrorize me as Late-Braking Kate, but alas, we ran out of time, so it wasn’t to be.

In addition to those already mentioned, I’d like to thank Shannon Yauchzee, John Momeyer and Martina Kwan who also gave of their time to play model students and put 10 of us budding instructors through our paces, and of course Jim Salzer for leading this effort. This was the third time Jim has offered the MSF Level 2 Instructor Training course. To date 53 instructors have graduated from our program, 34 of which are current POC members and 10 of those are active racers in either the Red or Orange Group. So, whether you aspire to be the next Ross Bentley or simply want to be better prepared to share your passion with the next generation, ensuring our club remains vibrant in the years to come, why not give it a shot? You’ll have a blast. Maybe I’ll even see you there…hmmm, Four Wheels in the Dirt, Kurt?

Nigel Maidment earned a hard-fought 2nd place championship in BSR for his consistent, excellent driving in 2025. He drives car #705.

The Porsche Owners Club R ecognizes

WR Teknica as

a Valued Sponsor

STEVE TOWN Sponsorship Director

We’ve turned a page on the calendar to welcome 2026, and we begin the new year by focusing on Will Wattanawongkiri and his company WRTeknica. As many of you have seen at our events, WRTeknica has grown to become a significant presence in the POC paddock serving their clients with race and time trial support. It was a pleasure to talk with Will and hear about his company, his motorsports background, and more.

Like many motorsport entrepreneurs, Will had an early interest and passion for driving and performance. I asked Will to describe his company. “I started WRTeknica in 2018 in City of Industry, and we are now in Chino. We built the business into specializing in high-performance engineering, parts, and support for track/race cars, with a focus on precision and proven results. We design, develop, and supply motorsport-ready components, including suspension upgrades, brake upgrades, and other performance hardware. Our services include vehicle setup, alignment and corner balancing, suspension tuning, and track preparation to help drivers optimize handling and performance. We combine data-driven engineering with real-world track experience to deliver reliable, high-quality products and professional installation.”

Over the years I’ve seen Will’s customers run a wide range of track day cars and racing machines. I asked Will about his customer base. He shared, “Our customers are owners of high-performance track and race cars who prioritize handling, reliability, and data-driven performance over aesthetics or casual modifications. We have a team of 15 people in Chino, including engineers, technicians, track support staff, marketing, media, warehouse, accounting, and management to support a wide range of customers.”

While we see Will’s growth at POC, I asked him if he also supports other series. He said, “In the past we’ve done IMSA and Super Trofeo and as customers desire it, we’re happy to be in those series again. We also do some excursions once or twice a year in Europe with customers, both on track and street touring. I spend some time each year in Japan with customers at the Magarigawa Track and Club. It’s similar to Thermal.”

We pivoted to some of Will’s earlier background. He said, “I come from competing across multiple disciplines of motorsport, including time attack, wheel-to-wheel racing, hill climb, off-road, and rally. I’ve raced and won on a wide range of platforms, while also serving as my own mechanic and engineer. In addition to driving, I’ve worked closely with teams on race car testing, vehicle setup, and driver coaching to help extract maximum performance. That experience led me to start WRTeknica, bringing professional, motorsport-level engineering and support to serious track-day drivers who want real results.”

Like with all our sponsors, Will’s POC support is greatly appreciated. I asked him how the POC dovetails with WRTeknica. “The POC is related to our business primarily through on-track customer support and participation. We regularly support customers at POC events by engineering their cars, managing team operations, coaching drivers, and we’ve built cars that compete in both racing and time trials. POC has introduced some new clients through paddock presence and referrals, and POC drivers represent a small but meaningful portion of our track-focused customer base. While the paddock includes a wide range of budgets, WRTeknica naturally attracts the more serious drivers who value high-level engineering and results. Our role within POC is to provide professional, motorsport-level support to our customers, including setup development, coaching, and reference laps that help drivers benchmark and improve performance.”

Regarding his goals for the company, Will told me, “Over the next three to five years, our goal is to scale WRTeknica through a stronger e-commerce platform that allows us to grow beyond purely service-based work. In parallel, we aim to develop and support more drivers as they progress from track days into professional racing by providing the engineering, coaching, and infrastructure needed to compete at a higher level.”

I asked Will to describe what put him on the path he chose. “My interest started at a young age, watching cars go fast around racetracks and being fascinated by how performance was created. Once I could afford my own car, I began modifying it and taking it to the track, gradually improving my driving and understanding of vehicle dynamics. That progression led me into time attack and eventually into wheel-to-wheel racing, where my interest continued to grow through competition and development.” He continued, “At about 16 or 17 years old I made enough money as a video game pro to

buy my first car, which I first drove on track at 18. It was a 1990 Nissan 240SX, at Streets of Willow. I signed up for the advanced group and, surprisingly, held my own without being moved out. That first experience hooked me immediately, and from then on, I went to the track as often as possible to develop my driving skills and understanding of performance.”

We’ve seen Will put down some remarkable lap times when he has the time to jump in a car and give a customer an eye full of a very low time target and how to achieve it. I asked him about his racing. “My first wheel-to-wheel racing experience came within the first year of my initial track events during a mock race session. That experience confirmed that wheel-to-wheel racing was what I wanted to pursue. I began competing when was 19 with SCCA, then NASA, and eventually progressed into professional racing series. My first race with POC was in 2024. Prior to that, I had attended POC events primarily to support customers and occasionally drive my personal car in time trials. In 2024, during my birthday weekend, Jim Hall generously offered me his car to race at a POC event, which I was honored to accept. It was a memorable and meaningful first race with the organization.”

With all that race and motorsports business history, I asked Will about his best track memory. “One of my best track memories was a race at Sonoma Raceway in a 992 GT3 Cup car competing in the Porsche Cup Series. Due to an exhaust repair after being rear-ended in a previous race, the car was deemed non-compliant and I was disqualified from qualifying, forcing me to start from the back of a 36-car field. In the opening two laps, I worked my

way into the top five. The intensity, precision, and pace required in that moment made it one of the most memorable and enjoyable racing experiences of my career.” In my mind, at Sonoma, in that car, in that series, DFL to 5th in two laps is off the charts! That’s driving!

On a more personal note, I asked Will about his early years, and his family. “I was born in Los Angeles, and live in L.A. now, but I grew up in Thailand from two to ten years old. I come from a working-class family that was very supportive and loving, even though motorsport wasn’t something they were familiar with and wasn’t something they had the means to introduce me to. Their support gave me the freedom to pursue my interests on

my own and work toward my goals independently. My father did some motorcycle racing earlier in his life, which gave me an early appreciation for competition and machines.”

It’s always interesting to hear about our sponsors’ businesses and careers, but also about interests away from the track and business. Will described his other interests. “I enjoy staying active and learning new skills through horse riding and polo,

motorcycling, mountain biking, snowboarding, off-roading, and motocross. I also enjoy traveling, exploring food, and aviation, all of which reflect my interest in machines, movement, and experiences that require focus and skill.”

Thank you, Will, for letting us learn more about you and your involvement with the motorsport world. I’m looking forward to seeing you grow your business and build upon the strong base you’ve created over these last eight years.

And thank you to all of you in the POC family for supporting our sponsors and hopefully enjoying my sponsor articles. I also want to give a special thank you to Andrew Weyman for his tireless efforts each month in putting Velocity together for all of us, to Don Matz for his graphics design, and Luis Vivar for many of the photos you see in these articles. Thank you, gentlemen!

It’s been such a pleasure to get to know so many of our sponsors, learning about their businesses and lives in and out of motorsports, and bringing some of that to you. From here on Darin Moore has graciously volunteered to be Sponsorship Director and will continue bringing you stories and information about our fantastic group of supporters. Thank you, Darin!

See you at Spring Mountain. Good luck to everyone there.

Here’s how you can reach Will and his staff at WRTeknica. Of course, you can also just walk up and introduce yourself at the track. Will has an excellent paddock set up and is welcoming to all.

Steve Town has served as a Board Member and Sponsorship Director for several years. He drives his GT3 car in the Red Group.

https://www.wrteknica.com

Ask

Dear Dr. Dyno,

Advice to Keep You on Track

I attended the annual banquet and was really looking forward to meeting you. I know you were there, but I never got to see you because I couldn’t see over the crowd surrounding you. I’m a big fan. When will you be at another event?

Disappointed in Dana Point

Dear Disappointed,

You’ve written to me many times before. I sent you an autographed picture, a Dr. Dyno t-shirt and hat. This is getting creepy. Stop stalking me and get a life. I’ve seen your pitiful performance on the track. If you put more effort into improving your driving skills and spent less time perfecting your fanboy fetish, you’d be a lot better off.

Dear Dr. Dyno,

I’m a very consistent driver. I seem to be making the same mistakes repeatedly. I know what I’m doing wrong, but I can’t seem to break old habits. I don’t know if ‘muscle memory’ is a real thing but no matter how hard I try to do better, I fail. Braking is a big issue. Any suggestions?

Frustrated in Flagstaff

Dear Frustrated,

You’re not alone. Many drivers reach a plateau and find themselves exactly where you are. Yes, ‘muscle memory’ is a legitimate thing. You say you know what you’re doing wrong. I suspect it’s not just one thing but many things. Old habits die hard. Choose one. Focus on that. Use data. For example, braking is a complex action. Where to start braking? How to apply pressure? How to release the brake pedal? You could start with several sessions working on EoB (end of braking)

and it can reap great rewards. Your exit speed is critical when getting through a corner. Where can you release the brakes? What is your rate of release? It’s just a beginning. I recommend you work with a coach and he or she can determine how your practice sessions can be most useful in improving your lap times.

Dear Dr. Dyno,

My wife had never been to the track with me, and I’ve been attending events for over 12 years. I kept telling her she wouldn’t enjoy it – the smells, the noise, the heat…. Well, she came to Spring Mountain with me and loved it! She can’t stop talking about all the great people she met. I noticed she was spending a lot of time with one particular driver, and it wasn’t me. They took a few selfies together, exchanged contact information and vowed to stay in touch. Should I be worried?

Concerned in Claremont

Dear Concerned,

I’m guessing that the individual in question is younger, better looking and a better driver than you are. This shouldn’t concern you. It’s between the two of them.

your questions for Dr. Dyno to

Yasin Almadani

Angela Avitt

Dave Bent

Bob Chang

Moze Cowper

Dr. Dyno

Steve Eisler

David Fabi

Jim Ghahremani

Brett Gaviglio

Tom Kenna

Martina Kwan

Nigel Maidment

Kristopher Marciniak

Don Matz

Scott Matz

Darin Moore

Calvin Park

John Payne

Karen Robinson

Martin Schacht

Darrell Troester

Luis Vivar

Paul Wren

Did You Know

… noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a track hazard? You can suffer irreversible hearing damage if you don’t protect your ears. Noise levels of 130dB are commonplace at race events. Compare that to the sound of standing next to a jackhammer or being 100 yards away from a jet taking off. They’re about equal. They’re loud.

I’m not an audiologist but I’ve done some in-depth research on this subject. Sensory neural hearing loss, simply explained, is damage to the nerve cells in the inner ear that cannot be repaired. Repeated and/or prolonged exposure to loud sounds is a recipe for deafness. Countless rock musicians can no longer hear the music they used to play.

Wear ear plugs at the track. Over-the-counter foam plugs have noise reduction ratings (NRR) of up to 33dB. They’re inexpensive and readily available. Custom fit plugs are another option. Listen to me. Don’t let this information fall on deaf ears.

ANDREW WEYMAN

Competition, Camaraderie and the Mod 3 Challenge

Tom Kenna

Another year of competition with the POC has recently wrapped up. For me and my old yellow GT3, it was a challenging year. I competed all season in the Green TT Group with the new Modified 3 Champion, Vianh Nguyen. We faced off over 12 months, 15 events and hundreds of miles to and from the track. His winning weekend at the Big Willow Season Finale gave him the 10 points he needed to secure his 1st place trophy.

We fought hard at Willow Springs and Buttonwillow where I came out on top. Vianh took The Circuit, Laguna Seca and the Big Willow Finale. We had over 20 cars that chilly weekend and lots of traffic. Speaking of traffic, let’s talk about that for a moment. As he revealed in our post-race chat, Vianh doesn’t see the cars he wants to pass as traffic. He sees Frogger objects to get around! And he did just that into Turn 1, no waiting, no moment of thought, he just sent it. I learned from that. To get your fastest lap in TT, you need to get clear of drivers who might hold you back. Those key few tenths make all the difference. I finally worked up to passing on the outside of T8, as opposed to Osei Appiagyei going inside at T9!

I am so fortunate to have been able to talk about sessions, tires, entry and exit, etc. with Vianh throughout this battle. A huge shoutout to Will Wattanawongkiri and WRT for helping me through important car issues.

As this past season has come to an end and The Streets has just finished up, the POC continues to keep me engaged and looking forward. Hopefully, upcoming events will include my daughter, Ashley. So much of it is because of the people. It’s a huge bonus to have Joe Wiederholt, Eben Benade, John Momeyer, Dwain Dement and Martina Kwan leading the way.

Many younger drivers keep pushing veterans like Brian Cooner and me. James and Priya Bowe, Calvin Park, Deepak Chandwani, Alex Maslov, Mike Dillehay and Sean Taheri are all part of the youth movement and continue to challenge more experienced drivers at every event. I’ve enjoyed some fun ride-alongs with other drivers during which I’ve learned some valuable tips. An important one that comes to mind is survival while riding with James in the M3CS. Here’s to a great 2026 season!

Tom Kenna drives his Modified 3 class GT3 #712 in Time Trails.

Luis Vivar is the official photographer of the POC. For access to his photos appearing in this issue and all our events, click on his ad below.

C all Luis Vi v ar at:

.lunapic092918.smugmug.c om

Branimir Kovac is Addicted to Racing

I’ve known Branimir Kovac since he joined the club about ten years ago. He has many wonderful qualities. He’s witty, caring, and very serious about his racing. Branimir never misses an opportunity to give Nigel Maidment a hard time, and to Nigel’s credit, he’s right there with a clever retort. Branimir and I talked while he was on his cellphone travelling through Arizona. He revealed things about himself that surprised me. Here’s what he had to say…

AW: Thanks for letting me twist your arm into doing this.

BK: No problem.

AW: When did you first join the POC?

BK: 2015.

AW: How did you first learn about the club?

BK: I was originally thinking about going racing and I heard about Spec Miata and then as I did some research. I found out it a lot of drivers called it ‘Spec Piñata.’ And then somehow got into POC. I remember showing up to an Auto Club Speedway event. While I was there, I talked with Nathan Johnson. I remember seeing his car and talking with him.

AW: It must have been the Festival of Speed event.

BK: I believe so.

AW: You’ve been driving a BSR in the club. Did you ever drive any other car?

BK: No.

AW: Remind me, what’s your car number?

BK: 318.

AW: I noticed Thompson Pipe decals on the car. What’s your relationship with them?

BK: I’m the President of Thompson Pipe Group. My employer allows me to go and play.

AW: That’s a nice arrangement.

BK: And I wanted to say, you asked me if I have driven any car other than the Boxster. The answer is no because I have a very addictive personality and I’d be so afraid that I’d go down the money pit in any other class. That’s why I chose BSR.

Photo: Luis Vivar

AW: That makes a lot of sense to me, but you did spend quite amount of money on your trailer.

BK: Oh yes, that is true. Right now, I’m driving back from Arizona because I took it out there. I’m putting in sliding glass doors.

AW: Cool.

BK: I took it to Texas. You know, I’m sure I have all kinds of… If somebody went and diagnosed me, I’d have all these three letter things… I have an addictive personality. Whatever I do I’m into it. Work or whatever, I am full-blown into it. What I love about racing is, I mean I tried playing golf. I had a country club membership. In 10 years, I played maybe six rounds. As soon as I start playing my mind switches to work. Racing is the only thing when I go to an event, that weekend I completely block out work. I block out my family. There’s so much going on with driving, coaching working on your car. I can completely forget about everything. It’s like a complete detox for me.

AW: Are there any parallels between your job and your time at the track?

BK: Not other than having to learn to cope with unsavory characters, such as Nigel (Maidment).

AW: (Laughs)

BK: There are similarities such as planning, contingency planning, dealing with an adversary… At work you have some leadership things. You have to sometimes lead some people around. You learn to work with different personalities around you. Sometimes there’s conflict as well that happens from an ‘incident.’ So, you have to learn how to mitigate those things. There are parallels, but I think that those are human relationship parallels.

AW: I don’t know if you want to get into this but speaking about incidents... You were away from the club for a while and then came back. Could you tell me a little bit about that or if you don’t want to get into it that’s fine.

BK: I did have an incident where I was banned from the club indefinitely. I had to learn to look at myself and take responsibility for my actions. It really made me realize what I missed and how important it was for me. I appreciate the Board and the club members allowing me to work my way back and giving me the opportunity to return. Being active in the club is something that I missed and I really enjoy.

AW: When you’re driving, could you identify what your biggest challenge is on the track?

BK: I guess confidence. Certain corners. Can I do it? Why am I slower here? I believe it’s confidence.

AW: Well, I never would’ve guessed that.

BK: Why is that?

AW: Because I think you appear to be a very confident person.

BK: I will tell you I am actually not. I am a very introverted person. I lack a lot of self-confidence. So, I’ve had to put on a façade you know what I mean? Because I had to be in a position that I have to show that I’m confident.

AW: Well, you’re a brilliant actor.

BK: I’m not gonna lie. I’d love to be an actor one day. It’s just… I think it’s true with a lot of people. I mean think about parenting. There are times you’re scared, but you have to be brave in front of your kids to show them how to be brave.

AW: Well, my next casting call you’re gonna be on the list.

BK: (Laughs)

AW: You know, speaking of parenting you have such a beautiful family. What do they feel about your racing? What do they think about it?

BK: They necessarily don’t care for it because it’s boring for them. And I can understand. My wife, Lucy, has supported me. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that my sponsors are my wife, my daughter Ivana and my son Petar. You know my wife enjoys motorsports. We’ll go to races and stuff but my race… maybe because I don’t do so well, she doesn’t get that excited about it.

AW: You do great.

BK: She’s usually cheering for Nigel instead of me.

AW: (Laughs) What, if anything, have you learned about yourself through your racing?

BK: I think there’s one thing about racing. I think that not just me but maybe others also enjoy is the fact that at the end of the day or end of the weekend you can really point to things that you still didn’t do right. There’s always something that you can do better and learn to do better. Whether it’s that there was an opening I should’ve taken and that would’ve changed my entire race or I left an opening for somebody else and compromised my race. I think every time you can look back and say, oh I could’ve done that better. Or I could’ve done that better. It’s a process of continuous learning, developing yourself, keep pushing yourself…

AW: Interesting. You talked about the challenges on the track, but you didn’t mention much about yourself.

BK: What do you mean about the challenges?

AW: Like for example, I know that for the number of years I’ve been doing this I’ve learned things about my tolerance for risk and pushing myself and my confidence and things like that.

BK: My biggest thing is the lack of confidence, working through that and then learning that I can do it.

AW: Got it.

BK: It’s very inspiring. Because you know, one of the reasons I like to drive a Spec Boxster is that the cars are all the same. Nobody can point to the car as being better. It’s the driver. I can clearly see where the work needs to be done is on the individual and not necessarily who’s gonna spend more money on a vehicle.

AW: I love the class for that very reason. Speaking of cars, what your daily driver?

BK: I have a BMW X5 and right now I’m driving a Chevy pickup truck as well. You’ve seen it at the racetrack.

AW: What was the first car you ever bought for yourself?

BK: It was my graduation gift. A Ford Mustang GT 5.0l that I crashed on grad night.

AW: Oh boy. (Laughs) What year was that? (Laughs)

BK: Oh, it was an ‘83 but it was in1985.

AW: I’m sorry for laughing.

BK: I’m an idiot. I get it, bro. The curb jumped out at me.

AW: Oh, I know. That happens so often (Laughs).

BK: Yes, it does (Laughs). A funny story – A few of us were invited to dinner at Rich Yochum’s house after an Auto Club Speedway event. Rich had been driving with POC for many years and lived nearby. Unfortunately, at that event, I put my car into the wall with substantial damage. My wife, Lucy, was going to be attending the dinner. I made sure to tell everyone at dinner not to mention my incident to Lucy. Well, Duane Selby somehow forgot and in his charming way asked Lucy, “Did you hear your husband wrecked his car? What’s he getting next?” It was not a very good rest of the evening for me.

AW: I remember that well. We laughed and laughed. It was a fun evening! So, you mentioned trying golf. Any other hobbies besides racing?

BK: No. I’m a very addictive personality. I think about racing every day in one way or another. During Covid I set up racing simulator. I found it very helpful. Whether it’s entry speed into corners, for me - into T1 at Willow Springs. I’m always slow. It helps me get faster and faster. My brain is used to seeing things coming in faster. I mean, I think you know that with racing you’ve got to exercise.

AW: Absolutely. In terms of your world travel, any particular place that you enjoy more than others?

BK: Well, I came from immigrant parents who escaped from what was Communist Yugoslavia, which is now Croatia. Growing up, I would go back there and visit with my family as well because we still have some roots there. I’ve also learned that for me seeing where my family still is and the lack of opportunities they have, makes me appreciate this country for everything it is. We get in situations complaining about paying taxes and things of that nature. These extra costs. And you know what? The better I do in life the more I’m gonna pay taxes and I’m fine with that because I believe in this country and that it all comes back to us one way or another, and our children as well.

AW: Anything you’d like to add?

BK: I enjoy the friends I’ve made including yourself at the club. Growing up I think I’ve been a little bit of an outsider, and this is something that made me feel very included.

AW: That’s very true for me as well.

BK: Yeah, and I feel like I’m a better person getting to know everybody and the club is something that’s gonna be true to my heart till the day I leave. It’s gonna be something that I’m always gonna talk about… the days I did this stuff. And if you think about how many people can actually say they get to go on a racetrack and race? We’re a tiny minority and we’re lucky. We’re lucky as hell to be able to have the opportunity to do these things.

AW: Amen to that.

BK: Your grandkids are gonna say, “My grandpa raced a racecar. What did your grandpa do?” “He played golf.” Which is the cooler one?

AW: So true.

BK: When you think about it. How’d I get into this? And wow!

AW: Yeah. I count my lucky stars every day. Every time I’m at the track, I have to pinch myself.

BK: Exactly.

AW: Thank you so much for doing this. Will I see you at the next event?

BK: My plan is to be there. I took my trailer down to Texas right after Christmas so they’re hoping to have it done for that. It’s loaded so my intent is to drive to Texas, pick it up and go straight to Spring Mountain.

AW: I expect you to be at the banquet as well.

BK: Oh yeah. And Lucy will be there as well. Is Terry gonna be there?

AW: Yes, she will. I look forward to seeing you there.

BK: All right, buddy. Are you doing well?

AW: Today’s a little bit of a rough day. The anniversary of the fire.

BK: Oh.

AW: It’s all over the news and you know I just don’t wanna think about it and I’m gonna take a long walk on the beach and be grateful for the things we have and take some long deep breaths.

BK: I’m sorry.

AW: We still don’t know what we’re doing. We don’t know where we’re going. We don’t know if we’re rebuilding or what we’re buying or what we’re renting…. We just don’t have a solution yet. That part of it is pretty unnerving.

BK: It’s like you don’t know why God put you in certain positions and maybe it’s just for your kids. They may have some hardship in the future. They can look back and remember this is my mom and dad and they used their situation as motivation or a route to push through some of their challenges.

AW: We’ll try to set a good example.

BK: Nobody knows why things happen to us. We just gotta make the best out of them. It sucks. For you, for what it’s worth, I’m sad for what you have to go through.

AW: Thank you. We’ll figure it out. Travel safely, my friend.

BK: Hey dude, thank you very much.

AW: See ya at the Banquet!

Andrew Weyman is the Editor of Velocity. He drives BSR #1 in the Orange Group and is an MSF Level 2 Instructor.

Porsche Mourns the Porsche News

Porsche Legend Takes the final

Checkered Flag

09/01/2026

Hans Herrmann’s career was marked by numerous victories and unforgettable moments at Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio. His technical expertise and ability to perform under the toughest conditions made him one of the most successful drivers of his time. He passed away on January 9, 2026, at the age of 97..

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG mourns the loss of Hans Herrmann. The former racing driver passed away on January 9, 2026, at the age of 97. During his motorsport career, he achieved more than 80 overall and class victories, the vast majority of them for Porsche. Herrmann not only competed in all major endurance races and European hill climb championship events, but also conducted countless test drives at the Weissach Development Center. “The passing of Hans Herrmann has deeply affected us all,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “He was one of Porsche AG’s most

Loss of Hans Herrmann

successful factory racing drivers. With the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 in the Porsche 917, Richard Attwood and he made history.” The sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen owes him not only many triumphs but also the historic milestone he set, making Porsche a serious competitor in endurance racing.

Hans Herrmann was born on February 23, 1928. He completed training as a confectioner, intending to later take over his mother’s café. However, this did not come to pass, as his talent and passion lay in motorsport. In 1952, the Stuttgart native started his first circuit race at the Nürburgring in a Porsche 356 – and won. The following year, he achieved a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 550 Coupé. Also in 1953, Herrmann claimed the title of German Sports Car Champion. Mercedes-Benz then recruited him into their factory team, making him a colleague of Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Karl Kling. In 1954, Herrmann continued to race for Porsche in smaller displacement classes and won class victories in the 550 Spyder at the Carrera Panamericana and the Mille Miglia. The latter race is remembered for a particularly spectacular moment: Herrmann drove the open mid-engine sports car under a closing railway barrier. He later captioned the image as a postcard with the words: “You have to be lucky.”

My Journey to SIM Racing

I’ve always been a car enthusiast at heart. My first ride was a Porsche 924, and for the first decade or so, my cars were just highly polished street machines. Then, during grad school, a friend mentioned he was heading to an autocross in his Porsche and invited me along. He never showed up, but that day hooked me—I’ve been driving with PCA and POC ever since.

Through the club, I’ve formed some of my closest lifelong friendships. I’ve dabbled in everything: from that initial autocross to time trials, club racing, scenic tours, teaching, and beyond. I even got my wife involved in driving and instructing. Next came my dad, Jim Duncan—many of you might know him—who jumped in with both feet, becoming a staple in POC, club racing, and teaching. My son joined for a few track events too, making it three generations tearing up the track together a handful of times!

But as with everything, life evolves. My son got busy with college, my dad’s health declined, and after nearly 30 years of racing, I grew weary of loading the trailer, spending weekends away, and—let’s not sugarcoat it—the endless expenses. I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue without family by my side, and then COVID hit, shutting down the tracks entirely.

I couldn’t hit the circuit, but I still craved that connection with my Porsche buddies and the thrill of speed. So, I picked up a budget Microsoft wheel and pedal set and subscribed to iRacing.

Four years into SIM racing, I’ve learned plenty. Top lesson: I should’ve started sooner. If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with new lines through Turn 9 at Big Willow, rack up extra seat time, or race affordably with friends, the POC SIM league could be your gateway. As Kristopher noted in a prior Velocity article, even Max Verstappen calls SIM racing a superior training tool compared to traditional karting. iRacing isn’t just a game—it’s a bona fide driving simulator.

Getting started can feel daunting, but it’s straightforward. You’ll need a capable PC with a robust graphics card as the priority—aim for at least an NVIDIA RTX 3070, RTX 4070, or AMD RX 7800 XT equivalent. Budget around $2,000 for a solid build. For controls, Fanatec’s direct-drive (DD) bundles are reliable; I use one now. A full kit—steering wheel, pedals, seat, and stand—runs about $1,500. Display options vary: a single high-quality monitor works, but many upgrade to triples or VR headsets like the HP Reverb G2 ($700).

Racing with POC JAD DUNCAN

From there, grab an iRacing subscription for $110/year, plus cars and tracks as needed. A virtual Porsche GT3? Just $12, with zero insurance, maintenance, or repair bills. You’ll also need POC membership and the SIM league entry ($35/year via MotorsportsReg). A full guide is at: https://www.porscheclub.com/simracing/.

All told, my setup cost around $5,000—steep at first glance, but peanuts compared to real racing. (I’ve learned not to tally track expenses, but between the Porsche, tow rig, upkeep, insurance, fuel, hotels, and repairs, $50,000 seasons weren’t uncommon.) In the SIM realm, I still connect with racing pals, chase that adrenaline, test lines risk-free, explore iconic tracks, and make it home for family dinner. Plus, there’s always a race or practice session available.

If SIM racing has piqued your interest, reach out—I’d be happy to let you try my rig. Take a spin at Spa in a Cup Car or Fontana in an RSR. You might make new friends, sharpen your skills, or just have a blast. See you on the virtual track!

Jad Duncan has driven car #83 and car #981. He’s collected trophies in R3, LP, V1 and SIM.

SIMRACING SIMRACING

Jan

2026 Season Results

1st Blake Sams 4th Michael Bolten 2nd Dylan Scott 5th Dustin Heindl 3rd BJ Fulton 6th Yoshiki Tani

1st Blake Sams 4th Jad Duncan 2nd BJ Fulton 5th Michael Bolten 3rd Dylan Scott 6th Dustin Heindl 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th 1st 4th 2nd 5th 3rd 6th

SPA

Interlagos

SIMRACING

Now you can order your favorite POC garments and other specialty items online simply by clicking on any one of the above photos!

UPCOMING EVENTS

BUTTONWILLOW