The 2005 Season is about to start in SoCal.

[Tim Comeau]

I'd like everybody to check their wheel bearings and ball joints.

 

We're just about 3 weeks away and there's still time to get it done.

I'm doing wheel bearings once a year on my car.

Tight ball joints are obviously critical to maintaining a proper alignment.

[rlofgren]

I have a 1983 Porsche 944 that I have been running in PCA GGR time trials. I am interested in doing some 944-spec events especially the Buttonwillow ones. I have read the rules and the two big problems I have are the spherical suspension bearings I have throughout the suspension and the fact that the car weighs 2610 lbs without me in it. With me in it, 2840 lbs. I suppose there is also the issue of licensing for road racing.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Rick

[Tim Comeau]

Rick, you can start going to NASA event immediately. Just enter in the HPDE groups and hang out with us in the paddock until you get your racing license. Several of us raced at up to 150 lbs over weight and still had a blast. You can always take out the spherical bearings to get "in spec." Start taking weight out of the car when you can. Keep the systems that you want or need for the street.

In any case, please come run and hang out with us. We just had 10 944-spec cars racing at Cal Speedway!

[pixrken]

Hey Rick,

 

I'm also PCA GGR member and almost done building out my 944-spec car.

I talked to three other folks in NorCal that are interested in the 944-spec class plus Bill Pennock express interest in moving his 944 over from SCCA if the NorCal 944-spec happens.

Tim, what's require for NorCal NASA to recognize a 944-spec class?

 

Rick, I feel your pain regarding the car weight.

My '88 must be a boat anchor because all the hard work of removing weight from my car seems to be put back by my roll cage.

I'm no longer interested in keeping my car street legal and starting the next phase of weight reduction (door windows, power window motor and hardware, headlight motor and bar, windshield wipers and motor, cat. converter for a test pipe, etc.).

The funny thing is I didn't care if the car is overweight if I could drive the car to an event and not have to deal with towing it.

Well after driving my car around with the stiff suspension and a race seat with very thin padding I figure maybe a two hour drive to Thunderhill might be my pain threshold for sitting in the car on the public Hwy.

I guess I'm just getting old and need a cushy seat with springs

 

Anyways, Buttonwillow is at least a 3.5 hours drive for me, I don't how long to get to Fontana from the Bay Area but I decided to get a trailer and tow the car.

 

I'm thinking of signing up for Thunderhill on April 15th for my 944-spec car's inaugural track day and shakedown test.

I'll also be at the two NorCal NASA events in May for seat time.

If you're going to any of these event maybe we can meet up.

[Tim Comeau]

944-spec is already a NASA class. Where ever NASA exists, 944-spec exists. I ran my first event at Fontana by myself.

Let's build the class more. Put on your door decals and people will ask YOU about the class. That's one reason why the door decals are 18" across. They get attention and they let people know it's a spec class.

[pixrken]

944-spec is already a NASA class. Where ever NASA exists, 944-spec exists. I ran my first event at Fontana by myself.

 

Hi Tim,

 

I didn't know that was true because looking at the NorCal NASA calendar I don't see a mention of 944-spec class whereas it's quite obvious in the SoCal NASA calendar.

My car is in the shop to check on a small oil leak, hopefully it's nothing serious. Once I get the car back, the graphics and number plates will be the final things to put on the car.

[Tim Comeau]

Congratulations on finishing the car!

All you need to do is talk to the person in charge of the website up there. Down here, they did it for us for the most part. We had to ask for inclusion in a few additional lists but people know about us now.

Marketing, baby! Marketing!

[944-Spec#94]

Put on your door decals and people will ask YOU about the class. That's one reason why the door decals are 18" across. They get attention and they let people know it's a spec class.

 

I had 3-4 people come by my pit area and speak to me at length about 944-spec when i was at Fontana. Yep build it and they will come.

 

944-spec should be listed in the registation form for NASA Nor Cal. Look in the pull downs and it should be at the top. If not contact the regional director that you have a 944-spec car and want to run a Norcal event. Should be snap. Then run and get more interest. Next time out will be more cars. Yep two years ago Tim Ran at Fontana being the only 944-spec car. By the summer we have 4-5 car fields with a couple Az carry overs. Now this year we had 10 at Fontana with 9 being So Cal cars.

 

Run the decals and talk it up especially in the local PCA. I know a lot of 944-spec guys heard about 944-spec through their local PCA. PS... Run PCA DE's with the car spec trim and livery. 3 years ago I ran my first ever race in my 944-spec. It was out local PCA club Race. Well by the fall the 944-spec car count grew from 3 to 15 and now stands at 50 or so between Az and California.