September Velocity Magazine - Issue 20-09

Beatin’ the Heat ...at Fontana

Note from the Editor:

Hot, Hot, Hot! In an article last year, at a scorching Streets event, Sandy Isaac likened lava to masquerading as asphalt!

September temperatures at the Auto Club Speedway were actually worse. My guess is that 117 degrees would have to be a record high for a POC event. But in spite of it all we ran...fast, as usual.

I do know of at least one air-cooled engine that didn’t make it through Saturday. Maybe the owner (ahem) should have sat this one out. But, as a consolation, getting to rent a GT2 car more than made up for the costly inconvenience.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy Darin Moore’s recap along with all of the great photos captured by several or our talented photographers. Finally, Dennis Wolfe brings us his second article on how to shave those precious tenths-of-a-second off your autocross times.

Enjoy / DM

VELOCITY Staff

Editor /Art Director

Don Matz

Production Manager

Matt Hollander

Contributing Writers

Darin Moore

Dennis Wolfe

Contributing Photographers

Frank Spasaro

Hunter Dreier

CaliPhotography

Don Matz

Luis Vivar

POC Board of Directors

Ron Palmer President

Scott Craig Treasurer

Nathan Johnson Secretary

Joe Wiederholt VP Motorsports

Dwain Dement Chief Driving Instructor

Matt Hollander Social Media Director

Don Matz Graphics & PDS Director

SIZZ

Darin Moore

We’ve all heard the Buster Poindexter party song by the same name. C’mon, you remember how it goes…….Ole ole ole ole….I’m hot..you’re hot..he’s hot..she’s hot. Google it if you have to, it is the perfect theme song for what most racers say was the hottest race weekend they’ve ever experienced.

As I drove to the track Friday for the start of the annual Triple Crown 3 day weekend, I knew it would be the only day of the event where the temperature might settle in around the century mark. Downright seasonable compared to what was coming over the weekend! Friday featured lots of track time, as the combined race groups got seven 30 minute sessions, as well as seven sessions for the combined PDS/TT groups. Attendance was medium light on Friday, and

LING

some of us thought the possibly record setting temps predicted for the weekend had scared off some of the “fair weather” drivers. All in all a pleasant day to dial in your racing lines, braking and shifting points, and to reacquaint yourself with the ROVAL. The only challenge/mystery was the one that has me scratching my head at almost every race event……why is it so hard to buy gas at the track? Do the tracks compete for the title “The Most Difficult Track to Buy Gas from”? I don’t know about you, but every gas station on every street corner in America seems to know something about seamless gas sales that the race tracks haven’t figured out. But I digress…

As I walked out of my hotel lobby Saturday morning, I felt like I was walking into a giant hair dryer. It was 7:30 am, a little breezy, and according to my car it was already 87 degrees. I stopped looking at the temperature as the day progressed, and instead focused on hydration, hydration and more hydration. I race in GT3 class, and I am lucky enough to race with my son, Ryan Moore, who drives a spec Boxster. We each help the other strap into our cars, as we drive in different race groups, red for me, orange for Ryan. This weekend we had a new rule: When one of us gets into the car, the other had to connect the Cool Shirt system before doing anything else, so the driver could flip on the system, and start to cool down. It turned out to be the coolest place in Fontana!

After taking a poll, the drivers overwhelmingly chose to alter our race schedules for the weekend, so our sessions were shorter, and there were only 3 on Saturday, and 2 on Sunday. It was the right call, as both days saw race time temperatures in the 114-116 degree range.

Water and shade became the most necessary items for survival, and a little less track time was the safe and sane approach.

We spent most of our down time in our air conditioned trailer, which we recently purchased from the daughters of our dear, departed fellow racer, Chick Richardson. We think of Chick all the time, and we know he’s with us when his race buddies are hanging out with us in the trailer bench racing, laughing, and enjoying a cold beverage (especially after the track goes cold) in his honor.

Despite the extreme heat, a full field showed up for the cup races. As a number of GT3R’s were entered, they were the cars to beat, or to try to beat. Eric Olberz won the Saturday GT1 race, Mike Monsalve took the GT2 honors, Bayan Salehi won the GT3 race, and Steve Town took yet another checkered flag in the GT4 race. In the orange group, Steve Alarcon won both Carrera

spec races, and Justin Crickenberger pulled off the daily double also, winning both spec Boxster races.

Sunday was just as hot as Saturday, but made a bit less sunny by the smoke from a nearby fire, which blocked some of the sun’s most direct rays. It may have felt a few degrees cooler, but it still clocked in at 115 degrees the two times I checked around race time.

To see how my fellow racers were dealing with the heat, I cruised around the pits in my street car. I dropped by Vali Motorsports, who had outfitted themselves with many fans, as well as a restaurant/club style misting system. This in addition to their usual leather chairs and couches. Two Tools Racing had several easy ups erected to protect from the sun. Dave, Vanis and Steve Buckholz might have been warm, but their big smiles were even warmer. Those guys always know how to have fun at the track.

Sunday’s GT1 race was won by Tom Mueller, driving his new (to him) GT3R. Eric Olberz was in hot (see what I just did?) pursuit, at least when they passed me in the playground before the front straight. Duane Selby won GT3 by a comfortable margin, and in an exciting finish, Ana Predescu topped GT4 powerhouse Steve Town. I bet that was one very exciting cool down lap for Ana, and the entire Vali Motorports team! In the orange group, John Heldman won the Carrera spec class easily, and Justin Crickenberger made it a weekend sweep, by winning his 3rd race of the Triple Crown weekend, in Boxster spec.

The PDS class had a unique entry, a 1957 356A Speedster. Yes, a real one! Bill Lyon of Newport Beach brought out his race car, which he has been racing for over 15 years, with various historic and vintage racing organizations. I couldn’t figure out if I was more impressed that he actually races this car, or that he was driving without a Cool Shirt, or similar personal cooling system. One could easily justify keeping this valuable car in bubble wrap in a garage somewhere, but kudos to Bill for using the car as it was originally intended. Ferdinand Porsche certainly would have been proud! At the end of this blazingly hot weekend, we loaded our trailer and headed for home, our a/c on full blast. Was that our last POC race at Auto Club Speedway? As you may have heard, plans are in motion to replace the existing track with a ½ mile short track. Time will tell what our club’s future at Auto Club Speedway is, I’m sure we’ll all know soon enough. Next up, another warm weather venue, Spring Mountain, in Pahrump, Nevada. We’ll see you there. In the meantime, try to stay cool!

NO COMPROMISES.

Back-Siding!

Tenth Chasers Vol.2

Article: Dennis Wolfe

Photos: Luis Vivar

“Be nice to your sister or I’ll slap you up the back-side!” That’s how I grew up knowing the term “back-side”. And I knew it well. Or so I thought…

Turns out, in autocross, “back-side” has a very specific meaning, and it has nothing to do with my diabolical endeavors as a big brother. The term “back-siding” is real and relevant in your quest for chasing tenths, so listen well.

A cone technically has three sides relative to your car: the front of the cone, the side that you go around the cone, and the back of the cone. Since most cones on an autocross course should be treated as “exit” cones, it is the back-side of the cone that you should be aiming for.

Consider this diagram. If you follow Path A, and aim for the front or side of the cone, you will be “late” or “behind” the cones. If you follow Path B, which has the car closest to the back-side of the cone, vs the front or side of the cone, you will end up “ahead” of the cones, and this will allow you to go faster.

The key is to set up wide and turn-in early so that your car is heading straight across the back side of the cone. If you wait until you’re alongside the cone to turn, you’re too late, and you’ll start getting “behind” the cones.

Getting “behind” means you will have to brake to catch up and avoid hitting the next cone or missing it altogether. Staying “ahead” means you can maintain a steady throttle, and the instant you approach the final exit cone, you can be on the gas accelerating earlier, and thus carry more speed into the next element. A class championship is within your grasp!

So today’s lesson: aim for the back-side of the cone and watch the tenths come off your time.

Next edition of Tenth Chasers: Threshold Braking. Happyracing!

Dennis Got questions? Hit me up: denniswolfe101@gmail.com

How Photographer Alex Hainer Is Going Full-Throttle on Her Goal of Professional Racing

One of our own has her eyes fixed on a racing future. Read about it in the latest issue of Robb Report.

SIMRACING

May 18 Daytona

June 1 Sebring

June 15 Mid-Ohio

June 29 Watkins Glen

July 13 Lime Rock

July 27 Road America

Aug 10 Virginia Intl.

Aug 24 Road Atlanta

Sept 7 Sonoma

Sept 21 Laguna Seca

Second Season PODIUM Finishers

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World Slalom Record Set by 16-Year Old

Making cars danceon a record-breaking scale. Porsche is proud to announce a new Guinness World Records™ achievement for the Fastest Vehicle Slalom. See exactly how 16-year-old Chloe Chambers pulled it off.

Porsche 718 Spyder

Porsche supported Chambers in her pursuit of the Guinness World Record for Fastest Vehicle Slalom by supplying a brand new 2020 Porsche 718 Spyder. This car, along with its sibling the 718 Cayman GT4, are the most powerful and performance-oriented versions of the 718 chassis yet. The 719 Spyder sends 414 hp through a 6-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. Besides the big power, what really helped Chambers set the new slalom record in this car is the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) setup with adaptive dampers. The 718 Spyder also has a 1.18-inch lower ride height than the standard 718 Boxter

and Cayman. This intelligent suspension system and lower center of gravity no doubt helped this Porsche stay planted and fast through the slalom course.

The Guinness World Record for Fastest Vehicle Slalom is set by laying out a course of 51 cones in a straight line spaced 50-feet apart. For Chambers run the course was set up on a runway in NJ. It was certified and measured by an independent surveyor. An adjudicator from Guinness World Records was then on hand to verify the course, record attempts, and accurate timekeeping, done by Racelogic.

Chambers’ record slalom run was on her second run on the official record attempt day. Her first run tied the previous record of 48.114, which was set by Jia Qiang in a Camaro RS in Shaoguan, Guangdong, China, on 16 December 2018.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPRING MOUNTAIN

October 3-4, 2020

Let’s all head to Pharump! There’s still time to register for what’s sure to be an exciting event coming up this weekend in Nevada! Still time to Register

CHUCKWALLA

November 7-8, 2020

A fun track just east of Palm Springs. Don’t miss the opportunity to compete for those last minute points in the second-to-last event of the season. Registration Open Soon

Be

And, don’t miss the Official POC Facebook Page with photos, videos and comments from our members. The POC 2020 Coffee Table Book is Now Available