On track and ripping up an alpine pass in a Porsche 911 R

Great video from Auto Motor und Sport: tester Christian Gebhardt drives a Porsche 911 R on the Hockenheim "short" layout and up the Col de Nivolet pass.

Full screen, turn up to 11,  sit back and enjoy.

Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport

As previewed here a few weeks back, the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport was unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

2850 lbs,  PDK, GT3 Cup front suspension and brakes, simple 5 lug wheels and, crucially for a Porsche race car, ABS (adjustable with 12 stages to boot).

As we had mentioned,  this car will be racing in the US as a one make series under the auspices of PCA Club Racing and will be eligible for Pirelli World Challenge.

Press release below.

Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport

Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Confidential

The Cayman GT4 is one of this year's Must Have cars, in our eyes it's just about perfect.

Tell me you can sit through this video without thoughts of calling your Porsche dealer tomorrow.



But Porsche has traditionally been reticent to develop customer race cars based on the mid engine Cayman platform.  You can figure out the reasons for that yourselves,  for sure Porsche runs the most successful customer racing program on the planet, one they to want to add to,  not cannibalize.

Enter GT4 a recently developed FIA category for what are effectively lightly modified street cars.

Perfect fit.

In the US the Cayman GT4 is being marketed for racing through the PCA (Porsche Club of America) but it will also be eligible for Pirelli World Challenge and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.    Worldwide it will be eligible for GT4, VLN and 24 hours of Dubai and  of course,  24 hr of Nürburgring.


This document, a purported email conversations between Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche's Motorsport boss, Jens Walther, Motorsport boss in North America and  Uwe Brettel, Director of Motorsport sales is, of course, not confidential but clever marketing distributed to prospective buyers and influencers.  

Axis was an early Cayman adopter with the Martini liveried car of a few years ago and now a new brand new Axis branded one which debuted at Daytona this month.



A Porsche Cayman GT4 single make series will be run in the US by the Porsche Club of America with races at Road Atlanta, NOLA, Watkins Glen, Road America,  VIR and Daytona.

Prospective buyers are being asked to commit to two years of racing with PCA as a condition to purchase a car.  At $15K per season, that is actually not much more than what current dealer markup for street cars is.   Hopefully people will race them, not stash them away!

Back to the "Confidential" .  There are hints of keeping the GT4 manual transmission but Porsche is serious about this car so the Clubsport will have a modified PDK, because ...modern racecar.  It would not be competitive in GT4, VLN and another series with an objectively inferior interface.  Hopefully Porsche will have added sufficient transmission cooling , a weak spot in previous generation PDK Caymans turned into racers.

Proper welded in cage, modified suspension geometry,  rigid transmission mounts, 5 lug wheels rather than center locks. adjustable shocks.   But also the ability to mount two seats, real glass,  air conditioning and a catalytic converter.  All is aimed at making the GT4 Clubsport as flexible as possible so it can be entered in all the targeted series and be competitive with minimal modifications.

The Porsche GT4 Clubsport will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November.

Save of the day: Tire failure at 180mph on the Daytona banking

Guaranteed to haunt you next time you're flat out in your RSR on the 31 degree Daytona banking...

Let Jim Pace show you around Daytona in a Porsche 962

Your Porsche 962 in the shop getting prepped for next month's HSR Classic 24 at Daytona  but are still a bit confused on the correct approach to the Bus Stop or just how much you should lift for the kink?

Fear not, ace vintage racer Jim Pace was kind enough to prepare a handy circuit guide for you!

Help recover this stolen Porsche 964 RSR

This 964 RSR was recently stolen from the Hotel Burgstube at the Nürburgring.  Police think the car may now be in Belgium or the Netherlands.

The in offering a 10000 Euro reward for information leading to the safe return of the classic racer.   If you have a lead check in at the Hotel Burgstube's Facebook page of call Martin  at  0049 (0) 170 8080256.

Stolen Porsche 964 RSR
The owner of the lovely Porsche 964 RSR that was stolen from Hotel Burgstube on Saturday has decided to up the reward for information leading to its return to 10,000 Euro. The German Police think that it's most likely that the car is in either The Netherlands or Belgium, so if you're travelling through those countries please have a look around.If you have any information about the car, or see it, please call me on 0049 (0) 170 8080256Thanks, Martin
Posted by Hotel Burgstube on Monday, August 17, 2015

Porsche Supercup Qualifying in Monaco

There is no F1 on Friday in Monaco, but the Supercups were qualifying for the championship's second race after Spain's season opener.

Here's the official PR from Porsche:


Jaap van Lagen goes full risk to claim pole position

Stuttgart. On the legendary street circuit of Monaco, Jaap van Lagen (Fach Auto Tech) from the Netherlands clinched pole position for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race on Sunday. Lapping the circuit in 1:35.691 minutes, the seasoned Porsche racer beat Austria’s Philipp Eng (Market Leader Te
am) to the first grid spot by almost a tenth of a second. “I’m so happy. Pole position in Monaco is fantastic. My car ran perfectly. I was just two centimetres away from flying off at one point,” said van Lagen. Christian Engelhart (MRS GT-Racing) from Kösching in Bavaria takes up race two of the season from position three. Lining up alongside
him on fourth is Ben Barker (MOMO-Megatron Team Partrax) from Great Britain. Barcelona winner Michael Ammermüller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) starts from position five ahead of Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner).

After dominating Thursday’s free practice, Eng looked certain to be pole sitter until shortly before the end of the qualifying session. Van Lagen, however, put in a last ditch effort on the twisty circuit with his 460 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to top the time sheet of the 27-strong field.
Van Lagen stated: “At times I was running second, but I noticed I could do more. On my second set of tyres I really let it rip and planted my car on position one.” Van Lagen won the traditional Porsche Cup, a competition run separately to Porsche’s brand trophy series to determine the best Porsche private driver worldwide, and this weekend races for the Swiss team Fach Auto Tech. This is the same squad that Earl Bamber, the champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, drove for in 2014. Thanks to his successes that year, Bamber subsequently received a contract as a Porsche factory driver.

The Porsche pilots headed out on to the 3.340 kilometre street circuit in brilliant sunshine. Given that the qualifying result on this circuit is vitally important due to the very few overtaking possibilities, the tension amongst the drivers was tangible. Eng appeared slightly disappointed with position two. “Generally, the first grid row is good. But second on the grid in Monaco is not so great because the track is pretty dirty there. Now I have to see what I can do in the race.”

Porsche Junior Matteo Cairoli (I/Market Leader Team) kept his cool and posted the seventh quickest time as a rookie. “Unfortunately I had someone in front of me on my flying lap. My car ran beautifully, and I would certainly have done better if I’d had a free run,” explained the 18 year old. Porsche Junior Connor de Phillippi (USA/VERVA Lechner Racing Team) starts from eighth. “I’m annoyed with myself because I made a mistake and touched the barrier and had to call it a day after only six laps. The only upside is that I start the race on fresh rubber,” analysed de Phillippi. Porsche Junior Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) drove the ninth quickest time: “In my fastest lap I touched the guardrail and it damaged the front of my car. My session was over after just five laps.”

The race on Sunday over 16 laps is broadcast live by Sky Deutschland from 9.30 hours. On Eurosport, the race is aired on Tuesday from 23 hours.

Qualifying Monaco
1. Jaap van Lagen (NL/Fach Auto Tech), 1:35.691 minutes
2. Philipp Eng (A/Market Leader Team), 1:35.788
3. Christian Engelhart (D/MRS GT-Racing), 1:35.928
4. Ben Barker (MOMO-Megatron Team Partrax), 1:35.949
5. Michael Ammermüller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East), 1:36.096
6. Alex Riberas (E/The Heart of Racing by Lechner), 1:36.204
7. Matteo Cairoli (I/Market Leader Team), 1:36.355
8. Connor de Phillippi (USA/VERVA Lechner Racing Team), 1:36.635
9. Sven Müller (D/Lechner Racing Middle East), 1:36.661
10. Robert Lukas (PL/Förch Racing by Lukas Motorsport), 1:36.726

Porsche Supercup don't care about track limits

Season opener in Spain for Porsche Supercup,  the best of the best from all the various national Porsche championships across the world.

Note to F1:  this is precisely what fans would ideally like to see a bit more of:  cars that can attack each other,  run with the nose tucked right up under the wing of the car in front without destroying your tires in half a lap.

Makes for some fun stuff.

Of course, tin tops have fenders and bumpers so that just adds to the enjoyment.

Well done Kuba Giermaziak,  of Axis of Oversteer fame of course,  on the podium finish.

Porsche dilemma.

Likely the last normally aspirated Porsche GT,  the 991 RS is less that half the price of a Singer 911.

One is the ultimate expression of engineers in Germany, the other the ultimate expression of old school 911 aficionados .

Which would you pick?

New Porsche GT3 RS 4.0 specs

Remember when that die cast model of a yet to be announced Porsche 991 GT3 RS appeared on the internet?   Turns out it was quite accurate.

Later we learned the new über-GT3 would have a 4 liter engine and 500ish horsepower with a Magnesium roof and composite front wings.


Now, what purports to be the spec sheet for the new car was "leaked" on the internet.

Here are the main details:

4.0l, 500hp, 460 Nm.

PDK only.

Torque vectoring and "sport tuned" rear wheel steering.

9.5 x 20" and 12/5 x 21" wheels

Wider than GT3 body.

CF reinforced plastic hood and fenders, Magnesium alloy roof.

and amusing for what is, in the end,  a street car:

“PIT SPEED” in the centre console switch panel for local speed restriction at the push of a button, e.g. in the pit lane of a race circuit

Sale date in Europe March 2015.  Time to sell that kidney.

Porsche Cayman GT4: the street / track car we dreamed about?

You know the story: the Cayman could never get the best bits because otherwise it would be better than the 911.

Well  it's still like that,  Porsche thew luddites a bone by making the Cayman GT4 stick shift only but it also pleased the less sentimental, "more speed" crowd  by building it with a bunch of GT3 parts.  

Frankly, a win win.

The Cayman GT4 is not a de-contented car like the last generation Cayman R, Porsche claims it is a true GT, as fast around the Nurburgring as a 997 GT3 MkII.

The engine is the 3.8 from the Carrera S so much like those first epic engine swap Caymans people had done at huge expense with the added bonus of a "reasonable" $85K MSRP base.

Definitively on the list.

A new member of Porsche’s GT family

Atlanta. Porsche’s GT family is proud to announce the addition of an exciting new member: the Cayman GT4. This is the first Porsche GT sports car based on the Cayman and features components of the 911 GT3. Clocking a lap time of 7 minutes and 40 seconds on the North Loop of the Nürburgring, the Cayman GT4 earns the same lap time as the 2011 911 GT3 and positions itself as the new benchmark atop its market segment. The Cayman GT4 clearly demonstrates Porsche’s dedication and passion to continue to promote truly industry-leading two-door sports cars in the future – sports cars that are developed at the Motorsport department in Weissach.

The engine, chassis, brakes, and aerodynamic design of the Cayman GT4 are configured for maximum driving dynamics while retaining the versatility and everyday utility that are typical of the two-seater Porsche coupe. Powered by a 385 hp 3.8-liter flat-six engine derived from the 911 Carrera S engine, the Cayman GT4 transmits its power solely through a six-speed manual transmission with dynamic gearbox mounts. Zero to 60 mph is accomplished in 4.2 seconds; its top track speed is 183 mph. The chassis – which features a 30 mm lower ride height and a generously sized brake system – consists almost entirely of components from the 911 GT3.

Ready for the race track: The first Porsche Cayman with added downforce at both axles
The exterior of the Cayman GT4 highlights it as a member of the Porsche GT family and provides a clear distinction to related mid-engine coupes. Three pronounced inlet openings at the front and a large fixed rear wing are part of an aerodynamic package which is systematically designed for downforce. Upon request, the performance capabilities of Cayman GT4 can be taken even further. Available options include the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system, full bucket seats made of carbon fiber composite, and a custom Sport Chrono Package featuring a Track Precision app.

The interior of the Cayman GT4 focuses on maximizing the experience of unfiltered driving enjoyment for both driver and passenger. Standard sport seats, which are upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara®, offer excellent lateral support. The new Cayman GT4 sport steering wheel guarantees ideal control and direct steering feedback due to its compact dimensions.

Technical aspects of this new GT sports car are based on the 911 GT3. As a mid-engine sports car and a prime example of driving dynamics in its class, it follows the conceptual tradition of such cars as the 904 GTS, 911 GT1, Carrera GT and 918 Spyder.

GT sports cars engineered by Porsche embody the most passionate connection possible between everyday driving and Porsche’s competition heritage and highlight the sporty core of the brand: Intelligent Performance.

The Porsche Cayman GT4 celebrates its world premiere in early March at the Geneva International Motor Show. This vehicle will arrive at U.S. dealers in July 2015. The starting MSRP for the Cayman GT4 is $84,600. MSRP does not include a destination charge of $995.

Passing on the grass almost never works...

Leaving pavement in favor of grass almost never works and whatever you do, don't crash into your teammate.

Those are two fundamental rules of racing newly crowned Porsche Supercup champion Earl Bamber got completely wrong at Daytona overnight.

Bamber looks to have misjudged slower traffic at the kink and went wide onto the infield grass. Perhaps it was all over then, perhaps he though he could save it,  either way, he slams into the 911 car driven by Marc Lieb at turn 5 taking them both out.

Awkward.

GT3 on ice, not on the rocks.

From horrendous driving to sublime control.

It wasn't always the case but, these days,  a Porsche GT3 is an odd if glorious choice as a rally car.

While having all the weight behind the driven wheels helps with traction and certainly helps swing the tail around hairpins, the platform  is only really viable on tarmac and relatively slow  compared to a state of the art WRC car driven by a one armed man.

But who cares,  good thing Europeans don't and have been using 911s for national rallies for long enough that the FIA was compelled to publish an RGT spec in the last few years.

RGT spec is for two wheel drive, series derived cars and stipulates, among other things,  a maximum power to weight ratio (1hp/3.4kg) and a manually operated clutch.

Since 2011 RGT cars have competed agains every other car in WRC (Remember Bill Caswell?)  but as of this season there will be an official RGT championship run only on tarmac rallies (Montecarlo, Germany with WRC, Corsica and Belgium with ERC).

The Monte starts officially today with the first shakedowns (or recce if you want to be cool).  Conditions up behind Monaco are cold with mixed precipitation expected, possibly snow when the competition starts mid-week.  

Mixed conditions is what Montecarlo is all about so it might very well be the same kind of crud François Delacour is driving though in the clip below.

On ice but keeping it off the rocks.

Dakar, 30 years ago

(Photo:Porsche AG)

You might be following the 2015 edition of the Dakar as it winds its way through the scorching high deserts of Argentina and Chile.   In 2015 you have the luxury of high definition video clips delivered via YouTube and timing information in real time.

 Dakar is now an international media event.

Thirty years ago it was quite different.  In 1984 the Paris-Algiers-Dakar race was just becoming known outside adventure rally enthusiasts circles and Porsche mounted a first manufacturer effort to conquer the deserts of West Africa.   Races were immortalized in long form documentaries.  

Dakar is still epic, no doubt, but watching Jackie Ickx trying to fix an electrical issue on his 953 with a folding knife just makes you wonder if this was not epic on a whole other level.

Like this?  Make sure you check out the amazing 1982 edition film HERE

...and the 2014 Axis of Oversteer Award goes to....

Whether he's trolling Sabine Schmitz in a 991 GT3 (which did not catch on fire). or hustling a fat bastard ABT Audi RS6...



or casually ripping at Touristenfahrten in a 458 Speciale...



or terrorizing Monza tourist track days....



Or showing absolutely ZERO respect to LaFerrari's tires...




The 2014 Axis goes to our "anonymous" Italian tracktard friend who, at this point, is known worldwide....

Cheers Manu,  keep ripping in 2015!

Isn't a Turbo GT3 RS a GT2?

By now you have seen pictures of a presumably not disguised Porsche GT3 RS romping in the snow.

One of the questions everyone is asking is about what's under the hood (the one in the back, where suitcases DON'T go). Mules have all shown an intake just in front of the rear wheels. in the past this was only on Turbo cars including the GT2.

For this latest RS, did Porsche just add that intake for something other than intercoolers, are they just trolling everyone?  Or are we simply looking at a 991 GT2?

Perhaps this clip from a more disguised mule, earlier this summer can give an aural clue.  It's came to us billed as a GT3 RS (and yes, it's PDK).  

Can you divine what's under the hood by its sound?

How do you ship a racing series across an ocean?

Well, obviously, you stack the cars first.

The US GP in Texas will see the Carrera Supercup boys,  the "A-Team" so to speak of Porsche's one make race series,  come over from Europe.    Their cars neatly packed in pairs minus their enormous rear wings.

Check out those pictures from the Carrera Cup official site

(hat tip Sergio Negroni)

Racing at Le Mans and the Nürburgring in the same seven days.

Imagine racing sports cars on two of the world's most famous race tracks, in two of the wold's most prestigious events in the same week.  A number of elite professional drivers have dome it but not too many "gentlemen" have.   Lucky for us, we have an inside line.

Segini with an Australian fan

In the same week in  June of this year, Sergio "Sergini" Negroni took the green and checkered flags in the  Le Mans Porsche Carrera Cup race in support of the 24 classic and then was off to the Nürburgring for the 2014 ADAC 24 Hr Rennen.   An amazing experience Sergio agreed to share with Axis.

Negroni is an enthusiastic and capable "gentleman" driver from Bologna.  He has competed in multiple 24 hour races at Spa and the Ring as well as national and international events, mostly with Porsches.   In fact you could fairly describe Sergio as a rabid "Porschista".    In his piece he touches on the differences between the 997 and 991 generation race cars,  the 991 was just released to the general race customer public for the 2014 season so it should be of particular interest to some of you.

Oh and today happens to be his birthday...so happy birthday Sergini!

June: the Month of Awesomeness!

After a number of busy years racing, my plan for 2014 was to race less but at a higher events.  That's how I decided to enter the big Carrera Cup race in support of the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans and the following week end, the 24 hours of the Nürburgring.  It was so cool to see some of the same faces at two such different tracks.

At Le Mans, I was racing a 991 GT3 Cup with Antonelli Motorsport, a top team in both Porsche Supercup and Porsche Cup Italia.  It's a team I know well, from my hometown of Bologna.

The 991 is a completely different machine from the outgoing 997.   Its longer wheelbase makes it much more stable  mid corner and the wider tires help speed both in corner entry and exit.    The engine is the same in both cars (you can barely feel the extra 10 HP of the newer model) but the much improved traction of the 991 allows you to get on the power sooner than the 997.

What's changed the most are the brakes.  On the 997, pedal travel was very short and that made it difficult to modulate pressure and not lock up tires.  The 991 still has no ABS but travel is longer and the action is more boosted.  the result is a more friendly and effective system, and less flatspots.

The new gearbox on the 991 is fantastic:  it's very quick both up and down and has over rev protection.  On the 997  it was very easy to damage the gearbox or even blow the engine.

The schedule for Le Mans gave us a one hour practice, one of qualifying and a 45 minute race, just a head of the main event start.



It was my first time on the Circuit de la Sarthe but I was quite happy with my performance.  I  started way down the pack,  50th out of 62!.  Despite intense practice on rFactor, unfortunately the reality of the track is quite different.   But I made up many spots and made some good passes,

My confidence in the car grew lap after lap, I braked later and powered out of corners sooner.   Braking for Mulsanne and Indianapolis is especially tricky:  they look straight but they are actually on a kink which makes locking wheels easy.

Turn in for the famed Porsche curves is a major pucker moment.  You approach full throttle in 6th gear at about 270 km/h, 170 mph.   To do it right you have to be right on the edge of the grass on the right, brake all crooked, come down a gear and turn in full throttle in 5th.   I have never driven a corner as fast, Monza feels slow in comparison.   The two chicanes on the main Hunaudieres  straight are quite fast and technical as well.

I finished 35th and was very happy especially considering that  the world's top Porsche drivers, Estre, Bamber, Barker, Aiello were in the race.

Towards the end, the car lost some speed and picked up some oversteer in the fast turns.   In the post race debrief my team explained we had started with higher than normal pressures to avoid problems with tire explosions.  A number of my competitors had just that happen in the later stages so a big hand to Antonelli, it's this kind of attention to detail that separates the top teams from the rest.

After the race we were able to relax and as guests of Team Porsche we had all access passes and could go more or less wherever we wanted.

Watching LMP1 cars at night between the Dunlop bridge and Tetre Rouge was insane, they were like slot cars glued to the ground while GTE cars were able to of full throttle in sections GT3 Cup cars could only dream of doing.  

Amazing how low to the ground the Porsche 918 Hybrid is, Sparks shooting out from its titanium skid plate as it pounded the curbs at the "essex and at Tetre Rouge without ever losing its composure.

Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Two days after the thrill of Le Mans, I was ready for the next: the 2014 ADAC 24 H Rennen.  It would be my 7th time at the German classic.    Obviously, I would be driving a Porsche again but this time a tried and true 997 GT3 Cup S.   I was asked to drive by Team GDL Racing.

GDL Racing is an Italian team which has been concentrating on top level endurance racing abroad. With them I had raced in the 2011 24 Hours of Spa as well as the Fun Cup 25 Hours of Spa where we came in 3rd overall and 1st in class.

This year my co-drivers were all Nürburgring veterans: Nicola Bravetti from Switzerland, Jim Michelian from the US,   Rob Thompson from Australia, all with multiple N24s under their belts.

To prepare for the 24 I had earlier entered a VLN race, in a team HRT 997 GT3 Cup co driven by a cear friend and Ring specialist Kim Hauschid and Renger Van Der Zande a Mercedes development driver in DTM and IMSA Tudor LMPC.  That race made it clear that too many drivers this year were treating the Nordschleife as just another track, causing dramatic accidents, both in that practice race swell as in the 24 Qualifying which was interrupted by many red flags.

Any reverence towards what is the world's most dangerous track seems to have vanished and many drivers, especially in the top classes are truly taking too many risks.

AT the drivers briefing, it was Olaf Manthey himself who took to the microphone to say that the Ring had already lost F1 and endurance racing because of too much danger, if everyone wants to keep touring cars there they should consider calming down.   As an example he played an onboard video clip of a very famous professional driver cursing out anyone who would not give him way, an attitude the organizers said they would not stand for.

Practice and qualifying were a bit of a disaster for us. We had setup issues and only two out of the four drivers were able to get some seat time.  What's worse is those two lapped with used rubber as we were keeping the sticker tires for the night time cooler session when we hoped to set our fast lap.   Rain ruined our plans.  We ended up qualifying at the bottom of the first group because on top of it all we picked up a penalty for not slowing enough for a yellow flag.

Race day is always a thrill, crowds swarm the starting grid and the paddock, we see old friends, kids ask for autographs and pictures.   But we're focused on the race: Thompson the Australian would take the start, I had the second stint.

But on lap two the car comes back into the pits, an electrical issue with the power steering was resolve in five minutes but we go a lap down, this could have to be a comeback race!

After an hour and a half it's my turn.  I climb in but after four laps I feel an odd vibration though the steering wheel that is getting worse.   I thought it might be a tire and though the radio they ask me if I can work though it because stopping again would seriously compromise our race.

Unfortunately, the vibration continued to get worse and I'm not able to lap under 10 minutes>  it made no sense to continue like this,  I radio that it had to be a bearing or a suspension issue, not a tire and that I would come in.
Turned out a wheel had two broken spokes and the other three had cracks!

After she swapped wheels, the car felt fine but man that was a close call for me.

I'm in the car again at 11PM and we decided to double stint.  Three hours at night at the Nürburgring, the maximum allowed time for a single driver under the regulations in order to try and catch up.   When I get out of the car at 2 AM, I feel fresh and rested...or so it seemed for the first few minutes until the adrenaline rush subsides and I realize how wiped out I actually am.

Night passes without major dramas and I get back in at 9AM for my final stint.   After 17 hours the car is still perfect.  Only the water pressure light comes on often but if you know these cars you know this can happen when you add cold water quickly to a hot engine, no problem.

I lap calmly at a 9:30 pace and hand the car over to my teammates in 45th position overall.  We had been good at avoiding crashes during the night and lucky not to have mechanical issues....   so far.

At 3:20 pm we do a final splash and go but the driver notices a drop in power, the engine will not rev properly at high RPM.    There are just 15 minutes to go, maybe a frayed wire or a broken plug.  Jim does a great job slowly dragging the car home on 5 cylinders.

But we finished!

Only one regret, without those issues (power steering, broken wheel and engine trouble) which forced us to spend a total of 50 minutes in the pits, we could have completer 5 or 6 laps more and finished, rather than 59th overall, probably 33rd to 35th.  That would have been a very respectable result.

But that's motorsport, especially endurance on a track like the Ring. the unexpected always happens.