52nd Porsche Parade Autocross by Jim Cambron - Heart O' Dixie

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and final inspection, we looked at the competition and many of the drivers took notes, possibly for future protest. Four Porsches appeared to be the best prepared and my most capable competition was two Cayman S and two Boxster S Porsches. Tires are the most important consideration and two were running Hoosiers, one Toyos, and one Cup tires. The most experienced P16 autocross racer was the driver of a 987 Boxster S from Los Angeles, fitted with Cup tires. He was afraid of driving to San Diego with his softer Kumho autocross tires. He also mentioned he had never autocrossed with Cup tires and wondered how they would perform—I declined to tell him I was pretty sure they would do miserably. Cup tires typically need 2-3 laps on a road circuit to heat-up to their point of maximum traction, so in an autocross, each lap is completed before they gain sufficient heat and the minimum of 5 minutes between runs keeps them cold. This was also when the other drivers found out I was driving the fully optioned and prepped Boxster RS with the Cayman bumpers—the same Boxster that beat them all in the Porsche Paddock Car Show. Autocross Pre-Grid #1 Several of the guys questioned me about: 1) PCCB brakes—they were not aware that PCCBs were available on Boxsters, 2) Kumho race-rubber—they saw little visible tread and wondered if they were DOT rated, 3) 10” width rear wheels—they not aware that Boxster 19” diameter wheels have 10” rear wheel widths, 4) track—they thought the Enkei rear wheel spacers extended the track width beyond the 1” allowance, 5) Cayman bumpers—they thought these were illegal aerodynamic modifications, 6) non-stock carbon rear wing—they considered this another illegal aerodynamic mod. These guys were serious autocross enthusiasts with their PCRs in hand, but they had not really studied the PCRs—and I had, in detail, as I was building the Boxster. The protest judges informed everyone that with the exception of suspected tirerubbing, protests are only filed after all class runs are completed, not before. About an hour later we moved to Pre-Grid #2 and were told that unlike previous Parades, this year, Cabriolets had to run with windows fully raised, your choice of top open or closed. I beat the 3 rd place finisher at Hershey by a couple of thousands of a second because he ran with the top up and forgot to turn off the AC. Since it was too hot to sit between runs in a fully closed 10
car without the AC, and I didn’t want to risk forgetting to turn off the AC, I left the top down. National PCA DE rules require all windows down, for safety sake, but today it was the opposite. After another hour we moved to the Autocross Grid. Production Class Runs I’m in the staging area; helmet and gloves on, windows up, top down, door open trying to catch a breeze after sitting here baking in the sun for 45 minutes. They signal me forward. I haven’t heard any of the times of the P16 competition but remember those two 1:18s from the Stock Classes. If I can run a 1:20 the first time, then better my time with each additional run, I’ll probably do OK. But first, I need a clean run. I start the engine and hit the SPORT button. I have been reminding myself all day to turn on the SPORT button for stiff PASM shocks, quicker throttle response, and a little more leeway with the ABS. Now, it’s my turn and I ease up to the line. Several Porsches have hit cones as they negotiated the two 90 degree gates before they even tripped the start light and those cones count 2 seconds each. Starting Line The Green flag is waved and I slowly drive through the two narrow gates until I have a clear 10’ shot at the starting line and I punch it. I rip through 1 st gear to what sounds like redline and snatch 2 nd gear—no wheel spin from 2 nd gear. (All week we’ve suffered with the California 91 octane premium fuel. Everyone’s power is down about 15% with this sub-standard fuel, but at least it equally affects everyone, except those guys who brought their own fuel from back east.) I remind myself to keep my eyes up and down the track. Turn 1, turn 2, down to the quick left-hand 180 degree turn 3. I pick-up speed for another 180, this time a right-hander and at a higher speed with over 1g of lateral force—the Kumho’s are really sticking. A quick left and right through 5 and 6, then to redline in 2 nd gear and get 3 rd gear for maybe 5 seconds, then break hard, but short of ABS, for the left hander at 7. A mini-slalom through 8, 9, and 10, hard left at 11 and back on the gas toward 12 but short of 2 nd gear redline. A quick zig and zag through 12 and 13 and on the gas through the finish line. Run 1 is over and it was clean. I was well below the tire traction and PCCB thresholds. I left a lot of time on the table for improvements on 11
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52nd Porsche Parade Autocross by Jim Cambron - Heart O' Dixie

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