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Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

By Steve Boris, Boris@Porschenet.com
NOR'EASTER Online - September 2006

At this years Mosport race we had lots of fun. Andy’s car is finally back in peak form after a couple small set backs. Unfortunately he didn’t have a new set of Hoosiers with him or he would have spent the weekend on the podium instead of me. Friday’s practice went well but we didn’t get close to our fastest times at the track. It may have been due to the on and off damp conditions or just not pushing yet.

Saturday we were scheduled for our 30 minute (20 lap) Sprint Race but a HUGE amount of rain hit as we sat on the grid. They gave us a 10-minute break to go back and put on rain tires or in our case get out of our suits and watch the others head back up to the grid in some of the heaviest rain we have seen in a while. Qualifying went very well. Andy was gridded 2nd and I was 4th out of 40 cars.

Then the thunder and lightning started and they called the race before anyone was sent out on the track. Mosport is very cautious when there is lightning in the area. Unlike other race tracks the corner workers at Mosport do not use radios. They are hard wired together making very nice electrical grounds.

So now what do we do? We sat around waiting to hear what the plan was for Sunday. As it turned out they decided to run an 18 lap Sprint race and a one-hour (instead of a 90-minute) enduro. The catch was they were going to combine some groups together for them both so I think when we finally gridded Andy was 6th and I was around 8th or 9th once the D and E cars were added.

The good news besides it being sunny was that the air was cooler than it had been all weekend. Turbo weather! Yeah baby!

The race was awesome Andy and I ran pretty nose to tail for several laps when I got by him in turn one because of the 944 balance over the 911 and my ability to hug the inside and break later. Our other friend Chris Reinsborough in a very fast C4 was starting to catch us and as I got by Andy I told him on the radio that he could stay and play with Chris and that I wanted no part of him.

Shortly after that we had a few cars go off in a couple parts of the track so a Full course yellow came out and we eventually sat in the pits for a few minutes. This was not good news for any of us but it was especially bad for Andy because a GT5 944 and Chris’s C4 were right behind Andy. Before the caution we all had a decent lead of other cars but the yellow bunched us all up again.

As we roll onto the track we were wondering how many laps we were to get. After 2 laps we got a radio call from our crew saying he thought the checker was coming out. I was fine. I had a good hold on 2nd place behind Karl Poeltl’s S2 but Andy had spent the last two laps holding off Chris. Coming down the back straight Andy was fully expecting to get the checker on this lap and as Chris pulled out to go by in the entry to Turn 8 Andy just waited until just short of too late and got on the breaks to stay ahead of Chris. It was an amazing move and as I watched it in my mirrors I couldn’t believe it.

But, the checker did not come out and Andy had to hold him for another lap. The C4 is heavy and in some turns may be a tad sluggish but with 4 wheel drive the launch that it gets out of 5B onto the back straight is just short of unfair and the straight line speed on a long straight is really strong. Andy knew he was done. Chris did not allow Andy to out break him this time and went side by side to turn 9 when Andy had to yield to Chris’s inside line. And the check came out!

The bad news was the checker was supposed to come out the lap before but the starter was unable to get it out in time to give it to the leader. So Andy lost 3rd place to a slow flagger. Ouch!

In the enduro Andy had little or no tires left but managed to wrestle the car to a 5th in class. I, on the other hand had plenty of tires left and had a great race finishing 2nd again (4th overall out of 43 cars). This time I finished behind Chris’s C4 and ahead of Karl’s S2. Karl’s co-driver started the race and put the car a bit further back then Karl’s speed could regain in 30-minutes.

So, after all of my previous year breakage, I finally had a great set of races at one of the toughest tracks we drive. I could still go faster in Turn 2 but I’ll save that for next year.

Next is Road America on Labor Day weekend and we all got registered for the Daytona Race in October. A lot of driving to get there but we have to drive it once.