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2006 Update
Posted by JimB, Nov 10 2006, 02:37 PM
I just realized I wrote this entry in November of 2006 but never published it. Old news but what the heck.
2006 didn't suck. It was actually a pretty good season.
The first race was Sebring in February. The weekend didn't start out great. I'm sure I mentioned breaking gas pedals in a previous entry. I had one custom made and it works great but a hinge pin worked it's way out during the first practice and took forever to fix. I ended up qualifying with only a 10 or 15 laps on the track. Luckily I'd been there a few years earlier for a DE so I knew the basic layout and managed to qualify 3rd behind two 993 RSCSs. I managed to pass one of the two but the other was a local hotshoe that beat me by a pretty good margin. The good news, the little gas pedal hinge was the last problem I had with my 996 all season! I didn't miss one more minute of racing due to a mechanical failure. We skipped the enduro and went to a great hotel on the beach by Tampa instead. Sometimes there is more to life than racing. 
Our second race was at Mid-Ohio. It rained most of the weekend so I had a good chance to test my new Hoosier rains and my skill racing in the wet. It all worked out pretty well. I took first in the sprint in a pouring rain. IMSA GT3 cup driver Pat Kelly and I shared my car for the enduro and grabbed another win. All in all a good weekend.
Mid-America was a little more work. Phil Blackstone was there in his beautiful 993 RSCS and we always have a great battle. Luckily for me I had been there before and Phil hadn’t so I came away with a couple wins.
OK I’m finishing this entry in May, 2008 so my memory is a little blurry.
The next big race was Road America. We won both races, set the track record and didn’t crash. That’s about all I remember.
Next was the inaugural PCA race at Daytona. We entered the infield in the dark and actually got lost trying to find the paddock. That is one big race track. A friend that has done the 24 hr several times told me my first couple laps would be religious but my last few would be boring. That pretty much sums up Daytona. The first time up on the very steep, very rough banking at 155-160 mph is pretty **** scary but after you get over that the track is actually not that exciting. We took pole and set a couple track records but poor driving and bad luck kept us out of the winners circle. My 996 did set it's highest speed ever on a track at 161 mph as recorded by GPS.
2006 ended with a blow. PCA made a rule change that moved my car up a class where it would no longer be competitive. Daytona was the last time I raced it. My girlfriend and son used it for DE in 2007 and I sold it a couple of months ago. I already miss her. I loved that car.
On the bright side, if you lose a girl you go find a hotter one right?
Jim
A Happy Ending
Posted by , Oct 21 2005, 01:59 PM
So, during the winter of 2003 I first had to decide whether to rebuild my 996 or buy a finished race car. I decide to rebuild it. I actually don't even have any pictures of it wrecked. I didn't take any at Road America before we winched, pushed and lifted it into the trailer. (None of the wheels were turning). I dismantled it in the trailer and took it straight to the frame shop. As I started to get into the project things really started falling into place. Since I had to replace the suspension, I might as well upgrade. Since I had to replace the transmission, I might as well find one with factory LSD. Since I had to pull the engine out anyway, I might as well replace the 3.4L with a 3.6L X51. It turned out to be a very long, very fun and very, very expensive winter.
Winter was followed by a long and trying 2004 race season as we struggled to get the 3.6 to work right. By the end of the year it was pretty clear that we had a fast but scary race car on our hands. The good news was that replacing the stock 3.4L running through cats with a 3.6L X51 with virtually no exhaust system had netted us about 50 or 60 hp. So I was 100 lbs lighter than in 2003 with a bunch of extra hp but I was still fighting the handling woes that I’d had since first building the car.
2005 started on a very sour note. A club race weekend at one of the big tracks costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $6k. $3k for mechanics and shipping the car. $1.2k for tires. $1k for two airline tickets. Food, beer, 100 octane fuel, etc.
Our first race was Road Atlanta where it poured all weekend, I bent a rear tie rod (one of 4 this summer), my car was hopping like crazy and I drove like $^%# in the one sprint race. I was really bummed. 2004 had been a throwaway year and it looked like 2005 was going to be more of the same.
My next race was at Mid-America. There wasn’t much competition in C but I took 4th overall in the enduro. Ahead of me were a 2005 GT3 Cup, a GT3 RS and a GT2R that I let by on the last lap. (I thought he must be lapping me. I won’t let that happen again.) It was fun but the lack of direct competition took some of the excitment away and the car was still hopping through corners.
Then something great happened. I got a call from my mechanic that a friend that had built a 2003 996TT into an incredible club racer was hanging it up after just a couple races. I guess he decided that cruising around the world in his boat was more fun. The good news? He had full race, 3 way adjustable Motons, rate adjustable springs from an RSR, full monoballs, lightweight sway bars, etc. etc. that he wanted to sell me at a very good price. Although I already had a pretty high tech suspension in my car, this completely transformed it. After dialing it in at a DE it was on rails.
The first race with the new suspension was at Putnam and some real competition showed up. There were two other cars in C, both friends, which had always been much faster than me. One was in a progressed 993 and the other was in a progressed RS America. Early in the weekend they were faster but I was reasonably close. Like always I put on new Hoosiers for qualifying and turned my best time of the weekend on my second lap. I was pretty excited when I found out I had slipped in front of the two fast C cars. The race was a blast. The 993, RSA and I ran nose to tail for 30 minutes. The RSA attempted to pass at least once, sometime twice, every lap. In the end the three of us were separated by 0.8 seconds. Finally the 996 had won a tough race. I was pretty pumped.
We had big plans for Brainerd but my Dad got sick so I headed home to ND before the first race. He passed away a few weeks later just before the Road America race. At first I was going to skip RA but my Mom talked me into going. Boy am I glad she did. I’m pretty sure Dad was there with me.
RA is a big race. Maybe 250 or 300 racecars. 14 were signed up in C. These included a couple of 993 TTs, a true euro 993 RSCS, a very fast RSA from Texas and a bunch of other fast cars. It was going to be a great test for my 996 V2.0. I did my normal 4 lap qualifying routine. One to warm up, one fast one, a second fast one to back up the first and a cool down. Much to my (and everyone else’s ) surprise I ended up first in C. I wouldn’t be on the front row because we were with some faster classes but at least I was first in C. The start of the race didn’t go so well. I slowed more than I should have when a car went off in the first corner and both the 993TT and the RSA from Texas got by. I think they would have both passed me anyway so no big deal. Unfortunately for them, fortunately for me, the 993TT had a little barbeque in the Carousel (he’s a good friend so I can make fun of him) and the RSA went off in Canada corner. That put me in 1st for the moment. After the full course yellow to clean up the afore mentioned mess that changed in a hurry. The 993 RSCS jumped me on the restart and pushed me back to second in C. To make a long story short, we raced hard for the rest of the race. On the second to the last lap he got just a touch loose in T7 and I was able to beat him down the hill into T8 (for those of you that know RA). I held him off for the last lap and won my first big track race.
The next day was the enduro and I was sharing my car with a friend that normally drives a 996 GT3 R and has done a bunch of pro-races. Needless to say I was pretty optimistic. It didn’t turn out perfect but not all bad either. We qualified 2nd in C but more importantly 2nd overall in the race group. This meant that I was on the front row for the first time in my short racing career. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to lead a group of 70+ cars up the hill on the front straight at Road America. Waiting, waiting, waiting, then the green dropped and we were off. The RSA on pole missed a shift and I led the field through T1. It was a gas.
Unfortunately a 964 euro cup car beat me into T5 pushing me to second. A few corners later my shifter started balking and the RSA and 993 RSCS got by at Canada Corner. I continued to have shifting problems and those three got away. I had a good tussle with a GT3 until he retired but most of the rest of the 90 minutes was more of a DE. Not even my talented co-driver could make up the time I had lost in the first few laps. The RSA retired so I ended up 3rd overall, 2nd in C. So the weekend ended 996-1, 993 RSCS-1. I’m sure we’ll meet up again.
So what have I learned about a 3.6L X51 996 in club racing. First it is fast and has the best chassis. It’s slower than a 993 TT on the straights but should be better under braking and in the corners because of the weight of the TT. In the first part of a long straight the 993 RSCS has an advantage because of weight and tighter gearing. I would say the same is true for progressed RSAs. Once you hit about 120 mph the 996’s aero advantage and big gears take over. At RA I could pull a couple of car lengths on the RSCS. At the end of the day, there is no car I would rather qualify in than the 996. Poor gearing really hurts it in tight racing situations though. Having said that, don’t ever let anyone tell you the 996 is not track-worthy.
When I started this blog I expected it to be a hard luck story of trying to race a 996. As it turns out it has a pretty happy ending. I can’t wait for next year. This is about all I have to say so to those of you that have read this mess, thanks and I hope I didn’t bore you too much.
Jim
Next Blog: “Penske demands that I drive the LMP2 Porsche for the 2006 season. How can I give up my 996?”
Road America 2003 - The Big Crash
Posted by , Sep 8 2005, 07:22 AM
Several months ago Krista asked why I had referred to a harness bar, five-point setup as stupid. Sorry for the slow response. Racing and life in general have kept me away. First let me say that I’m not a safety expert but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion. Personally I have seen too many high-speed crashes to consider anything other than full safety equipment acceptable on the track. I don’t want to discourage people from tracking their street cars but frankly it scares the hell out of me. Our cars are just too fast to be safe with street or half-baked safety solutions. That’s all I’m going to say about that. I certainly don’t want to start an argument.
After Putnam I had an uneventful race at Brainerd followed by a painfully eventful race at Road America. It had been a great weekend. I wasn’t fast and I was still chasing handling problems but overall I was happy with the car and my performance. I was doing OK in the 90-minute enduro and had just passed my mechanic in his F car. We entered the Carousel together behind a slow D car. I planned to pass him at the exit hoping my mechanic would be stuck behind him through the Kink. (If you haven’t been to RA I know this makes no sense). The D car missed the apex and put two wheels off at the exit. Hopefully all of you know that the last thing you want to do in his situation is to try and steer back on. He did and ended up shooting back across the track as I passed. He hit me right in front of the drivers door, slapped the side of my car with his and rode me into the concrete wall at something over 110 mph. It was an incredibly violent 5 seconds. Dirt, steam, fluids, parts, etc. were flying everywhere. When I came to a stop I had banged my head on the densely padded cage hard enough that I could not see anything but stars. They cleared away in what seemed like minutes but I’m sure it was a few seconds. The safety crew was there and hauled me off to the medical center where I had to hang out for an hour or two. To make a long story short, I was fine but my car was seriously broken. It’s damage included:
Drivers side
front fender
door/mirror/window
rear quarter
both wheels damaged
all rear suspension
Passenger side
front fender
door/mirror/window
rear quarter
both wheels broken
front rotor broken in half
all suspension torn off or destroyed
Front
Both headlights
Bumper cover
Both radiators
Frame rails off a couple of inches
Drivetrain
Transmission case broken
Other stuff
Broken seat rails
Ripples in tub
Bump on roof
Etc, etc.
Talk about a crappy day.
V1.1 - Suspension Woes
Posted by , May 11 2005, 12:14 PM
So I left Putnam excited as hell about racing but also dazed and confused about some handling problems that had emerged. In tight corners the car would lift the inside front 6 inches off the ground. The outside front would then release and slide a bit, grab again and it would start all over. I sort of skipped through the corners. This shouldn't be a big problem. I had $10k worth of brand new suspension. How hard could it be to fix? The question was what knob to turn.
Adjustments I had available to me included:
Front sway bar
Rear sway bar
Front damper compression
Rear damper compression
Front damper rebound
Rear damper rebound
Front damper pressure
Rear damper pressure
Front ride height
Rear ride height
Tire pressures
Tire sizes
Camber
Toe
etc, etc
Some people thought I should remove grip in front to keep the tire from grabbing. Others thought I should increase compression in back to keep both fronts on the ground. Some thought I should add rear sway bar for the same reason. Before my next race I ran in a couple of DEs and got it pretty much figured out although I still fight the same problem to a lessor degree today. Any ideas?
Anyway, the next race was Mid-America. Another newer, small track with lots of corners. I broke a drop link the first day and had to have one overnighted from TRG. That was when Ryan who is now part owner of Jongbloed Wheels was there. Like he always did, he went way out of his way to get me the part in time for the race. I won. OK, there was only one other C car but it was a win none the less.
V1.1
After MAM I finally had time to install a GT3 aero kit. The kit along with my new graphics had my car looking pretty mean.
BIR
Next up was my home track, Brainerd. Arguably the fastest track in North America. If you ever get a chance to drive it you should. You enter it's 5200 foot straight at about 100 mph. With 285s on back I would be bouncing on the rev limiter in 5th going into turn one. With the inch taller 305s the speedo still reads 150. Turn one is a long banked curve that you can take at 140 or more. Turn two is the same corner only without the bank. Turn three is a 3rd or even 2nd gear corner so you need to brake from something over 140 to something under 50. Crazy but very fun.
My weekend was pretty much what I'd come to expect. Some car problems, some humbling experiences and lots of fun.
I managed to pop a hole in a radiator on the first day. Ryan at TRG came through again as did ACE hardware. While I waited for the new part, I redid my radiator screens with very tough mesh for the hardware store. It actually looks pretty cool. Like it's meant to do a job, not just look pretty.
The first sprint race was going pretty well until the car in front of me in turn two was pushed off the road at the apex of turn two. All cars survived but my windshield was destroyed by the flying rocks. The prefect excuse for a new Lexan windscreen.
Next, Road America and the big crash!
Jim
996 Club Racer V1.0
Posted by , May 10 2005, 09:27 AM
So sometime in the fall of 2001 I decided to build my 996 into a racecar. This was one of those decisions that was made with the heart not the brain. That's OK with me. It's been a great adventure.
The first thing I did was to sit down with the guys at AutoEdge to decide what would need to be done to the car to make it legal and half-ways fast by the 2002 season. If I had brought a calculator my racing days would have ended right there. As luck would have it, I'm not good with math. The problem was that every part for a 996 seemed to be double what it was for the many older 911s and 944s.
V1.0 upgrades
Suspension
Moton Clubsports
Big, big springs
ERP momoballs
BBS Racing Wheels
Kinesis Wheels
Safety
Cutout switch
Safety Devices Cage
Removable Steering Wheel
UltraShield Racing Seats
BK seat back brace
Simpson 5 point harness
Window net
Engine
Evo intake
Custom $60 bypass pipes
Weight
Recarpeted rear with light trunk carpet
Removed everything that wasn't needed - or so I thought
Result - around 3000 lbs
Other
GT3 counsel delete - not sure why
Ugly numbers. They would get better later.
Transponder to capture the bad news.
The result was an OK first version of the car. It was heavy but it had pretty good power and was fun to drive.
My First Race
My first club race was at Putnam Park in central Indiana in the spring of 2002. I learned a lot of things that day. 1) There are some great guys in club racing. Greg Fishman who hangs out on Rennlist actually slowed down in practice so that I could follow him and learn the line. I also met what would soon become the HWFM leaders, Mike from Chicago and Eric from Chicago. They remain good friends. 2) I learned that a semi prepared 996 was no match for the dominant 993 RSs or the 993TT, both of which are in my class. 3) I learned a lot of humility. I got my butt handed to me. 4) I learned that one stupid move can have big consequences. I inadvertently ran my mechanic and good friend off the road. oops. 5) Wear ear plugs just in case two 996 GT3Rs decide to pass you simultaneously, one on each side. 6) Club racing is the most fun activity I have ever engaged in.
It was clear that I had a lot of work to do. I didn't finish last in my class but I was so far from the front I would need a map to find the leaders.
No matter. I was hooked.
Jim
Stuff that Breaks
Posted by , May 6 2005, 11:04 AM
Obviously racing puts stresses on a car that it was never intended to deal with and it shows. Not many weekends go by that something doesn't break. I'm not knocking the car. It was incredibly reliable as a street car. I just thought it might be interesting to share the stuff that breaks when pushed to it's limits. This list also includes some aftermarket items.
Wheel Bearings - early on people used to talk about wheel bearings failing but Porsche must have figured it out because you don't hear much about it anymore. I've replaced a couple. None for awhile though. (knocking on wood)
Gas Pedal - Have you ever taken a close look at this thing? Its hinge is actually just a narrow piece of plastic. Several people I know have broken them while racing. I think a lot of heal and toe takes its toll. I had a friend build me a new system. It's beautiful. If you break your's email me before spending the $450 on a new one. BTW, to get through the weekend I again visited Ace Hardware. The little door hinge I used to fix the pedal actually lasted several weekends.
Rear Ball Joint - now this one was scary. I'd just been traveling at 155 on the front straight at BIR and 140 through turn one. I entered the pits and bam! The rear ball joint broke. Of course the wheel tipped in destroying a $850 Moton damper and a couple of very expensive control arms. Still, all in all I consider myself lucky.
Drop links - The first Racers Group drop links were crap. I'm sure they have all broken by now and are replaced by their much improved second generation.
Rear Tie Rod - For some reason a rear tie rod bent at Road Atlanta this year. It was a Porsche Motorsport part. I assume this was my fault. Ever try to drive a 996 fast with 2 inches of rear toe out?
Radiators - I've been through a few of these. Not the fault of the part. It amazing how rocks can find their way through mesh screen and into these.
Windscreen - After a few I switched to lexan. It's great the way it starts buffeting at around 150.
I think that's about it.
Jim
Pre-Race Mods
Posted by , May 2 2005, 01:35 PM
I'm not sure this will be of any interest but before I get into my racing modifications, I thought I would share my thoughts on the things I did to my car before I turned it into a track only toy.
H&R coilovers - Now there are many other choices like Pss9s and X74 but when I bought these they transformed the car. I wouldn't hesitate to put another set on a half track-half street car.
GT3 adjustable sway bars - Another good mod and one of the few that is still on my car.
Recaro SRDs, harness bar and 5 points - I'm glad I didn't wreck my car with this setup. Stupid!
DAS Sport roll-bar - This is a really nice product. When I took it out of my car it went in a 996 twin turbo club racer and it's still being used.
Fabspeed mufflers - worthless except for the sound but worth every penny. No better than all the other options though. I think they are still in a corner of my garage attic is someone wants them.
Kinesis K28s - These were pretty, light and worked fine but the halves are very fragile. I don't like the fact that Kinesis won't sell parts for the wheels. They want you to send them back to be rebuilt. Hey Kinesis, putting together a wheel isn't rocket science.
BBS alum centered racing wheels - too fragile for the street but great on the track. And, BBS let's you rebuild your own. (maybe I just bounce off too many curbs)
B&M short shift - a nice feel and still in my car but it's days may be numbered. I think I might go back to stock one of these days to see if I can get rid of a 2nd to 3rd shift problem I sometimes have.
Custom Ace Hardware Lawn Edging Air Dam - I wish I could say I'm kidding but to get rid of the squirrly handling over 150 we screwed a piece of lawn edging under the can. It did a fine job of moving the air from under the car and settling it down.
I'm sure there are other things I don't remember but that's enough for now. Pretty routine stuff that many others have done. Well, maybe not the lawn edging.
Jim
Getting Started
Posted by , Apr 29 2005, 01:23 PM
Well I set up this Blog a long time ago and then sort of forgot about it. I think it had something to do with racing season approaching but I put it out here so I suppose I should say something.
My intent was to share a little about what I've learned about the 996 by thrashing the hell out of one on the track for the past several years. I'm certainly not arrogant enough to think that I have much valuable information for all of you but I may be able to save you some hard earned dollars by sharing my mistakes. I thought this might be a good way to give back a little to all those that have helped me along the way.
The beginning....
I purchased my brand new late 99 996 in July of 99. It had nothing to do with the fact that I turned 40 that year. I had always had sports cars although this was my first Porsche. They were pretty hard to find but I got lucky and with one call had located a lightly optioned black/black beauty.
My first mistake...
In September I made the fatal mistake of taking my 996 to Brainerd International Raceway. I had been on the track before but doing it in the 996 was a whole new experience. To make a long story short, within 24 months the car had H&R coilovers, Hoosiers on Kinesis K28s, adjustable sway bars, Das sport roll bar, Recaro SPGs, 5 pt. belts, etc, etc.
My ex-wife's big mistake....
Sometime in 2002 my ex made a big mistake. On our way to dinner one evening she complained about how rough the 996 was and actually suggested that I should buy a 911 for the street since this one was more suited for the track. Enough said. Within a month or so I had a beautiful 993 cab (black of course) in the garage and the 996 on jack stands.
Next really big mistake....
At this point I had decided to go club racing. If I had given it much thought I would have found a nice 944S2 or something similar to learn on but instead I decided to build my 996 into a club racer. At that time there were two others racing 996 in C stock that I know of. Both have moved on to cup cars but that's another story.
Building my 996 into a fairly competitive club racer has been great fun and very, very expensive. I'll share that story later. I've got to run. Not sure if anyone is interested in this stuff. I'd be glad to walk through each of my mods from the H&Rs to Motons to monoballs to Lexan windshield etc. if anyone is interested. Let me know. Jim