As an owner of a less reliable older, higher mileage Porsche, I can list my top five most annoying aspects of roadside emergencies. They are as follows:
Discovering the air pump is broken when changing a flat tire
Discovering I don’t have the tools on hand to complete a repair
Discovering half the electrical system is either shorted out or otherwise in need of repairs
Not having spare clothes to work in the rain
(In addition to item number two) NOT ENOUGH LIGHT
While the burden falls on me to check supplies, be prepared and take care of preventative maintenance, there are always electrical gremlins that are impossible to predict or account for, so like most folks with a Porsche 924/944/928/964 etc., I have to devise a backup plan in case I’m stranded somewhere, day or night, rain or shine.
Before I Saw the Light…
My backup plan to date consists of a few emergency flares, a first-aid kit, and a 170-piece tool kit in the back hatch of the 944. In winter months, I carry a snowsuit and a blanket, too. I used to carry a 2,000,000 candlelight spotlight, as well. I saw this as an advantageous addition to my tools because it threw a lot of light and it allowed me to give people driving behind me with their brights on a taste of their own medicine (Please Note: This is so illegal it’s not funny, but it’s so incredibly entertaining that I’ll laugh anyways, and it’s still a very effective deterrent. PorschePurist.com does not in any way condone treating fellow drivers like this. Unless, of course, they deserve it). However, the spotlight was purchased from Wal-Mart, and its battery was useless after a year’s time and after two years it ceased to work at all! This left me up a familiar creek without a paddle any time I had to make nighttime repairs, especially now that my interior lights don’t work.
… But Now
This changed when I was introduced to the 12VSpotlight Rechargeable Flashlight. I admit I was very skeptical when I initially saw the device; the whole thing is no larger than my big toe, it has only one LED – I’ve been accustomed to a trusty 7-LED flashlight. Even so, I gave this thing a one-week trial.*
That was about six or seven weeks ago. I don’t know where my 7-LED flashlight is, and I don’t care! The 12VSpotlight packs tons of power in a tiny package! I was VERY happy to find that it’s about as bright as my old light, and where it lacks in luminescence it more than makes up for with portability and durability.
An Extended Trial
The first weekend I had it, the future Mrs. heard a cat crying outside her apartment late one night and I was so excited to have an excuse to play with and test the functionality of the Spotlight that I ran outside in search of the poor creature. Ten minutes later, I found myself precariously perched on a wavering wire fence, half climbing, half hanging from an oak tree in an effort to rescue a black and white cat that was stuck atop a branch some 15 feet above the ground. In spite of its darker colors, this animal was seen as bright as day, thanks to the Spotlight! There were several times when I lost my footing and had to drop the light to grab the tree trunk while coaxing the cat down. Any other flashlight would have fallen to the ground, but not the Spotlight, which comes with a handy lanyard, ensuring the Spotlight was always within my grasp.
We’ve since moved into a house together, and while I was still unfamiliar with the locations of light switches I oftentimes took the Spotlight around the house. I should also mention that in all these seven weeks, I’ve used it many times, and it is still on its first charge. My old LED light would have required four AAA batteries by now – which reminds me, this little guy doesn’t require batteries! Just plug it straight into your car’s cigarette lighter. Speaking of cars…
I was asked to write this from a Porsche enthusiast’s perspective, not some SPCA member! Strictly cars, from here on out!
Brilliance and Utilitarianism
Before my cigarette lighter ceased to work, I found the Spotlight was an excellent road-going companion. After the lighter conked out, the Spotlight’s performance wasn’t adversely perfected (obviously), but I became worried about being unable to charge it. Two months on one charge has since negated this opinion, though!
The Spotlight can be dangled through tricky spaces under the hood to diagnose oil leaks and examine the belts. 944 owners will also appreciate the fact that Spotlight’s brightness is strong enough to see the coolant level in all but the most hopelessly cloudy 944 coolant expansion tanks. The light is also small enough to examine the portal in the bell housing to find the mark on the crankshaft. The gritty, dirty work under the car is much brighter with the Spotlight. I found myself underneath the 944 more than a couple times, chomping on the Spotlight as if it were a Churchill-sized cigar, keeping both hands free to handle tools.
Porsche owners who are concerned that this would hog their only 12V outlet can breathe a sigh of relief – there’s a Spotlight adaptor that allows you to recharge your Spotlight alongside your cell phone/ GPS/ radar detector! Very handy!
Elegance and Convenience
Because I needed an excuse to drive my father’s 911, and not to leave owners of newer Porsches out of the fun, I borrowed the key’s to my father’s 997 C4S to test the Spotlight’s capabilities within the commanding confines of a newer 911. Newer 911s have a cigarette lighter near the gearshift and a power outlet in the center console storage area. The Spotlight outlet splitter fits in the console’s outlet and allows drivers to use another device besides the Spotlight, but it limits the amount of space left in the console – it’s small to begin with though, so this may not matter to most drivers. I can honestly say that the Spotlight is just as useful in a new 997 as it is in my 944.
In a darkened parking lot, 997 owners should know that I did not have to remain next to the car to shoo off hoodlums, thieves, infants or anyone else that could breathe on the car improperly. Thanks to the Spotlight, I was able to be as far as 40 feet away and still see the car, almost worry-free!
The Spotlight’s focused beam pierced the darkness my pitch-black basement. This shot was taken (sans flash ) from 20 feet away. The Spotlight doesn’t try to spread light around because it’s too busy doing a great job throwing light precisely where you need it.
Inside the car, the Spotlight is just as useful. I was able to open a bottle of Remy Martin Napoleon cognac with no guesswork, and filled the snifter without spilling a drop on the expensive leather interior. The wine test was not as seamless, but the Spotlight’s lanyard left both of my hands free to use the corkscrew and the red wine was opened without incident. I was again able to fill my glasses without incident; I even saw some of the rich, Italian vintage 2004 Reserva Sangiovese starting to drip from the bottle and was able to wipe it away with my silk handkerchief before things got ugly. The only complaint I can speak of is that the lanyard wrinkled my Armani shirt. Oh, and the Spotlight’s color – the Spotlight’s green metal casing clashed horribly with the 911’s stately black interior and refined white exterior. I’ve been informed that Spotlights are available in a variety of colors, so my father (along with other 911 owners) will be able to select a Spotlight with a color that compliments their 911’s colors. [Editor's note: You'll have to excuse Andrew's ranting regarding 911 owners. He's just jealous. ]
A Bright Addition to Any Tool Set!
As a Porsche owner, the Spotlight helped me when I worked past sunset or in confined spaces. It fits in places most flashlights won’t, so you can always get light where you need it. The battery life is unbelievable, and will provide plenty of light between charging times. It is the smallest tool in my arsenal and it is easily in my list of the top five most useful! My verdict: A worthy investment for any Porsche enthusiast!
[Editor's note: The makers of Spotlight are not a sponsor of PorschePurist, nor were we paid for this review. I asked Andrew to try out the light and give me his thoughts from the perspective of a Porsche owner, the review above is his answer to that question.]
Today’s post is compliments of frequent contributor Andrew Granieri. Andrew is a graduate from Miami University with a degree in Technical & Scientific Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. He has a strong passion for cars and is working hard as a private contractor and freelance writer so he can continue to support his (pseudo) extravagant enthusiast lifestyle. He currently drives a worn but strong 1986 Porsche 944 that his future wife has come to appreciate and adore.
After watching the behind the scenes footage from the making of the Porsche Panamera commercial, and the full length TV version of the “Bloodlines” commercial for the Porsche Cayenne GTS, I got a little curious about the man behind these mini movies; Jeff Zwart. As I delved deeper into my research on Jeff (more on this to follow in a later post) I stumbled upon the video below. While not quite as refined as the multi-million dollar Porsche commercial productions, the video does provide a great comparison and compilation of Porsches, ranging from the 356 to today’s GT2, racing to the summit of Pike’s Peak with Jeff at the wheel.
Contrary to the recent rumors of its impending demise, given the popularity of the Porsche Cayenne, it’s most likely here to stay!
Part of the PorschePurist Team is out west test driving a Porsche Boxster S along the Pacific Coast Highway. While we’re out goofing off, frequent contributor Andrew Granieri was gracious enough to provide a few guest posts for your reading pleasure. Enjoy and we’ll have pictures and updates on the Boxster upon our return.
My father, in the pursuit of automotive excellence, purchased a Porsche 997 C4S a couple of years ago. It is his first wine and cheese flagship Porsche, and he loves it. I myself find the car to be enthralling and amazing to drive, though this may not say much coming from any twenty-three year old male on account of the tendency for most in that category are naturally drawn to anything with more than 300 horsepower that weighs less than 3,500 pounds; I’ll focus on some of its other points, instead. The taut steering, the exceptionally responsive brakes, the positions of the pedals – the car has it all – or does it?
I’m not one to embody the saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it,” especially with something like a car. In my 944, for instance, I took the already nimble steering and swapped in some beefy turbo sway bars and custom drop links. I found out that this might be a genetic trait, as my dad ordered a set of Weltmeister’s carbon fiber strut braces for his 997. With Father’s Day right around the corner, I took it upon myself to be a good son and install the front strut brace for him as an early Father’s Day gift; he has elected to refrain from installing the rear strut brace, as that will (as far as we can tell) involve ripping through and/or removing much of the stock interior in the back.
So, first thing’s first; open wide, little buddy:
You’ll notice that under the hood, these 911s have a lot of lightweight plastic held in place by Velcro and twist pins. Diehards, don’t choke on your ’63 Cab Sav while looking over the next few photographs – believe it or not, these cars CAN be taken apart and put back together by folks who aren’t employed at a Porsche dealership – and don’t berate me and tell me that you’d never drink the ’63 Cab Sav because it’s not as rich and flavorful as the ’72 – I can’t afford to be knowledgeable about wine! I digress… [Editor's note: Once again I feel I must apologize for Andrew. His jealousy toward 911 owners continues to shine through. ]
The first thing you’ll want to do is access the strut towers. To do so, we need to get rid of this plastic. Unscrew the twist pins on the center battery access panel – it’s the piece of plastic with the “PORSCHE” script. In the photograph below, I’m unscrewing the twist pin on the left.
Once that’s done, the center panel will lift out; it has three hinges that are towards the rear of the car. Next, you’ll need to remove the driver and passenger sidepieces that were on either side of the battery panel. The photograph above shows the passenger’s side panel, and you may notice that there’s a plastic rain guard that runs overtop of the panel. You guessed it, that guard as to go! The rain guards are held in place with Velcro and fit closely to the sheet metal underneath them. They also run close to the hood struts, too, so you need to be a little careful working around there. Once they are clear from the hood struts, a gentle tug will free them from the Velcro patches.
Once you peel back the rain guards far enough, you’ll find that they will fold over the front weather strip and over top of the hood release mechanism. You needn’t physically remove them from the car. You should now be able to remove the panels on the driver and passenger side with little trouble; they wrap around the hood shocks as well, so be careful there. I found myself knocking into the rain guards walking around the car, so I placed them loosely back into position.
If you’re following along at home, you should see something like this:
The strut towers are located on either side of the vehicle. I’ve drawn two crude-but-effective arrows, red in color, to make them stand out. Using a 13mm socket set, remove two of the three silver-colored washer/bolts. The front most bolt on each strut tower will not be used, so do not unbolt them! See Pictures below if you’re still confused.
I’m about ready to install the braces for the bar, but I want to make sure they won’t fall apart when I go hooning in my dad’s sweet car my dad takes this thing out for a Sunday drive, so safety first! Using a 4mm allen wrench, tighten the bolts keeping the two pieces of each brace together. Now, we’re ready to install the thing!
I’m going to give an overview regarding what I did next to give my steps some context. First, I attached the passenger side brace to the passenger-side strut tower. Then, I attached the carbon fiber bar to the driver’s side brace and adjusted the bar’s length so it would be a perfect fit before finishing up. Here’s a shot of the passenger-side brace, attached to the body (note the orientation and the bolts used, if you were confused earlier this should clear things up):
Keep in mind, these bolts are slightly loose so I can adjust and wiggle the bar into place on the other side; the bar itself is going to run directly behind your battery and it’ll be a snug fit, but it will clear.
My father, who was either overwhelmed with joy at the prospects of better performance or scared out of his mind that I’d ruin something, came out to help me finish the job! Below is a shot of him setting the driver’s side brace in place with the bar attached:
Perhaps I should explain something else; the bar has an eyepiece on either end that fits around each brace. The eyepieces screw into the carbon fiber bar on the same thread pattern: in other words, the conventional “lefty loosie, righty tighty” mantra for your typical nuts, bolts, screws, etc. will not apply to one of the eyepieces; this is so the bar can be adjusted after it is installed, so if one of the eyepiece bolts isn’t staying connected to the bar and you’re turning it clockwise, try going the other direction.
Okay, now that I’ve carefully adjusted the two bolts on the carbon fiber bar, they seem to line up perfectly with the braces. First, I’m going to tighten the four bolts connecting each brace to the strut towers. For the obsessive compulsive, use a torque wrench and tighten them down to about 35 ft. pounds. For everyone else, tighten each bolt to what feels like 30 pounds to you.
Since I didn’t have the torque spec sheets for this car handy, I loosened the third bolt (you remember, the ones I told you NEVER to touch? Well, I changed my mind, you can mess with them if you’re trying this) on one strut tower a quarter turn and then tightened it back. I was able to tighten the other two bolts by feeling their resistance relative to the third bolt. If you don’t have faith in your tactile memory I’ll recommend against this, though, and suggest sticking with the torque wrench.
Okay, back on track. I’m going to secure the bar to the braces by threading the large bolt through the eyepiece and brace on either side and securing it with the supplied nuts. This bolt is tightened with a 8mm allen wrench. You should have something like these:
Here’s the passenger’s side brace…
…And here’s the driver’s side brace.
With both braces secured to the car, and the bar secured to both braces, I’d say we’re about done!
Oh, I can feel it coming already. I hear you, naysaying purists. “But Andrew!” you say, “All the messy electronic stuff that I’m not familiar with – it’s showing! And if I’m ever caught in the rain, the battery could get WET!” Calm down, people. Breathe, see, and believe:
That’s right – every OEM plastic cover piece we removed today will fit back into position, no problem! With Weltmeister, everyone wins – the performance-minded enthusiasts get a great performance tweak to the 997’s handling, and the image-oriented crowd gets a car that still looks bone stock.
Time constraints prevented me from taking the car out for a spin to feel the difference, but I imagine it accentuates the steering character of the car considerably – though I might not feel it on the street, being too afraid to take the car to its limits on public roads, I may not appreciate this until we get this car to a proper road course.
Should my father ever wish to rip out half of the car’s rear carpet, I will be more than happy to do a follow-up article regarding installation of the rear strut brace. Until then, drive safely, and drive your car the way it was meant to be driven!
Today’s post is compliments of frequent contributor Andrew Granieri. Andrew is a graduate from Miami University with a degree in Technical & Scientific Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. He has a strong passion for cars and is working hard as a private contractor and freelance writer so he can continue to support his (pseudo) extravagant enthusiast lifestyle. He currently drives a worn but strong 1986 Porsche 944 that his future wife has come to appreciate and adore.
PorschePurist.com caught up with Porsche Factory Driver and Flying Lizard Patrick Long via phone shortly after the Lizards’ appearance at the ALMS race at Sebring. As most Porsche lovers know, Patrick is the only American Porsche Factory Driver. We remember reading about his induction into the Werks circle in Panorama and being so proud that we had him representing us in Stuttgart.
We start off by offering Patrick a long-term congratulation for his position at Porsche, and he humbly accepts. “Well, thanks,” he says, in his characteristic down to earth demeanor. “It’s been an awesome ride and obviously a dream come true,” says Patrick, adding that he is grateful for the opportunity. “Every day I realize how fortunate I am to have the opportunity, because as you guys know, that’s half the battle in motorsports: getting a shot at it and then trying to do the best job with the opportunity given you.” He goes on to affirm what we all know: “I still think it’s the surreal to represent a brand as prominent as Porsche!”
It is clear Patrick enjoys his work with Porsche. “They give me these opportunities and put me in such awesome positions to get results that I’ve been able to achieve.” And what an impressive list these achievements include the 24 hrs of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit LeMans, and the 24 Hours of LeMans, to name a few.
Patrick’s account of Sebring
Although we had intended to catch up with Patrick at Sebring, the time never materialized, so now we ask him to give us his account of the weekend from the other side of the pit wall.
“Everybody’s been…sympathetic in the outcome of the race, and I’ve been quick to correct them and actually let them know that my perspective is much different from what they might get,” starts Long. “I come out of Sebring completely inspired and with positive vibes for a few things. I know how [the Lizards] operate. It just was great to be in there with them and to really get immersed.”
Although the Lizards came in fourth, says Long “I think we showed, maybe not in the finishing order, but with the lap times that we were really … one of the cars to beat. So, that’s really, really positive for Sebring but extra positive looking toward the whole season which is all about winning a championship and as many races as we can.” Long sees the experience as positive. “With all of those factors, it was incredibly positive; to put points on the board is more than I could have hoped for after all the adversity we’ve faced and I know how important it is, especially in the first two or three races, to just put some points on the board.”
The PorschePurist team had watched Patrick and the Lizards at work at Sebring, and despite a few issues that put them a little bit back, we thought Patrick’s pace and the competitiveness of the car were fantastic. Long may be young but not short on wisdom: “I’ve understood through racing that you can no longer judge how your weekend went based on what the time sheets or the finishing order is because there’s too many outside variables that are outside of your control. So you basically look at different factors. From a personal level, [I ask myself,] just how was I as a racing driver behind the wheel? [You] grade yourself on that scale rather than on the finishing order.”
Credit Goes to the Lizard’s Team
Long feels like a great deal of credit for their 4th place finish, in spite of sustaining two hits, goes to the team preparedness. “For the car to sustain both of those hits—especially the second one—and still be running at the end, I just felt like we were incredibly fortunate and lucky. I have to give credit to Porsche and the Lizards because they obviously make a bullet proof car.” He nods his head and continues, “Man, that second hit Mark had with Ian—at that point I was pretty sure the car wasn’t going back even to pit row, let alone finish the rest of the race and be on pace. It was just unfathomable that we could go back out and still run 2.05 which was probably faster than 90% of the cars still running!”
Much of racing is about strategy and Long recognizes that. “I think that this might be really obvious to some, but with extra points being given out at Sebring, it’s so important not to turn in zero. Those first three guys, you know, get the extra points and they just have that much more of an advantage. This was so clear in my mind because last year, in our Spyder program, we didn’t make ever the 70% at Sebring and it basically put us in a position that we never recovered from.”
His assignment with the Lizards puts Patrick back in the car with fellow Porsche Werks driver Joerg Bergmeister. Long is quick to praise Bergmeister, with whom he enjoys a great working relationship. “The thing about Joerg is we know each other and we know what one another needs, not only during the race, but all through the week leading up and of course the all important five or six days you spend at Sebring, or three or four days you spend at St. Pete.”
He provides some interesting insight into driver relationships, saying there are “guys that are purely professional and …show up, do their job and go their separate ways at night. While it is true that you don’t have to like somebody to work well with them, I think if you can forge a personal relationship—or it comes naturally—it is such an advantage. The moments we’re spending away from the track, talking about how we’re doing things and getting to know each other means that we have such an advantage over others who may not have that relationship. Talent level aside, I think that the working relationship is number one.”
Wisdom Beyond His Years
For one so young, Patrick has been in motorsports long enough to acquire wisdom beyond his years. We ask him how it was that he came to be interested in motorsport – was his a motorsport family, as is often the case?
Patrick smiles. “Before I can remember making conscious decisions for myself I think I was already gearing toward anything with engines or wheels—not necessarily only race cars but you know, tractors, motorcycles, lawn mowers—whatever had wheels. I often hear stories of just naturally being drawn towards those things, but I do come from a family of racers,” he says, adding, “just to clarify, not really anybody in the professional ranks of motorsports, but spiritually. Two, three generations back on my dad’s side of the family all group around cars and racing, so I think that I was just naturally drawn to that.” As is the case with many current professional drivers, Patrick received a go-kart for Christmas one year, aged six, and it became “my bread and butter from the get go.” The memory is a good one: “I’d never seen anything or dreamt of anything as cool … it was the first time I had taken the pedals and the steering wheel of a moving vehicle and all by myself and that’s just what I did.” His dad, an hourly stair installer, put stairs in production homes in southern California and brought Patrick along. “I would be in the backyard on weekends … just driving around the backyard around two cones for hours on end.”
Patrick soon made the jump to racing. “In 1990, you had to be eight years old to race. The deal [with my parents] was I had to have a B+ average in school,” says Patrick, and “those grades were easily achievable with a go-cart on the end of that string! I started racing at a local level and that went from local to regional to state to national to international over the next ten years.” Patrick soon started going to Europe in the summers and, aged sixteen, got a paid ride to move to Europe full time and race for the Italians at CRG (one of the big three Kart manufacturers in the world).
From there, the transition was logical; Patrick moved into single seaters and formula cars, and spent six years living in Europe racing full-time.
As Patrick tells us about his formative years, we wonder: did he have an athlete he admired or wanted to emulate? He responds, “No, not one single guy actually … I never really was drawn to one specific athlete or persona[sic].” He seemed to be drawn to jacks-of-al trades: “I guess the guys that I liked had a bit of flair and flamboyance [and] they were quick in everything they raced,” he says, adding, “guys like Tony Stewart and Robbie Gordon.”
We ask, did he ever aspire to be part of Formula1? Patrick nods. “Yeah, Formula 1 to me was like the land so far off and so different, I would wake up early enough to see it live and watch it Sunday morning with my Dad.” It was the technique that amazed him: “When I watched the onboard shots of them driving, it looked closer to what I did as a go-cart kid than anything I could ever see on T.V. They way they used the curbs and the way they were quick with their hands, that’s what I was drawn to, it wasn’t the flair or the flash or the money or the girls, it was more about the parallel and that’s what attracted me that and I remember thinking that’s definitely what I would be best at.” This fascination continued when he moved to Europe and “Formula 1 was much more prominent on my radar … on Sunday if I wasn’t racing go-carts, I was at the little Italian restaurant/bar with my friends from the factory and we were watching MOTO GP and Formula 1 all day and that’s just what you did on a Sunday afternoon!”
On Becoming a Factory Driver for Porsche
How then was it that Patrick went from karting to open wheel to becoming a factory driver for Porsche? “The offer with Porsche was a bit of a crossroad in my career,” he begins. “I had been chasing a dream of a career in motorsport. I didn’t have the family funding or the abundance of sponsorship to decide which series or what kind of driver I wanted to be—I just kind of went where people were willing to help me.” While competing in the Elf Campus Program (perhaps the most prestigious racing school in the world), Patrick lived at the university in Le Mans. There, he made contact with racing greats like Henri Pescarolo, an experience that no doubt played a huge role in his winning 24 of Le Mans.
After that experience, Long came home “flat broke and out of money after having begged and borrowed to make it to a Formula 3 level. Luckily, Red Bull brought forth a Formula 1 driver search program.” It was at the RedBull driver search that Long met Porsche representatives. “I wasn’t chosen for the final four that went on for the 2003 RedBull scholarship season, but I made it to the final six. Along the way I met the folks at Porsche.”
An otherwise disappointing loss turned into a win. Continues Patrick, “there I was the next morning after not being chosen, knowing that I was heading home to California, so I was pretty down, and Danny called me the next morning and said remember those guys at Porsche? They want to talk to you, so I called them up and within a month I was over at Weissach, saw the facility, saw the race cars and saw just how incredible that company was. They were looking for a new candidate to replace Mark Leib who had been promoted to the factory team and they needed someone to join Mike Rockenfelter and I got the nod based on the run I did with them.”
Porsche told Long that they knew he’d been steered in the direction of single seaters, and that they wanted to “groom [him] to be our next factory driver and a star in sport car racing,” with one caveat: they wanted him to be completely focused on sport car racing. So did Long accept on the spot? “As lame as it sounds, I wasn’t completely sold,” recalls Long, adding, “I went home and picked up the phone and called every adviser I had and anybody who was willing to answer my phone calls who had made it as a professional in the sport whether they were a team manager or a team owner, or star driver. They just all said one thing: sign with these guys, sign with Porsche because you’re twenty-one, they’re willing to put their name behind you, they’ve done nothing but be loyal and win in motor sport and you don’t find a better company than that.”
As for regrets, Long says, “I’ve never looked back and wondered what it would have been like to race in other types of categories or how much money Formula 1 drivers make or any of that. To me it’s been a dream come true for so many reasons.”
Challenge of Factory Driving
We know better than to think the job is all about perks, so we ask, what’s the most challenging aspect of being a factory driver? The biggest challenge is performing at 100% and maintaining that fine line between hero and zero,” answers Long, adding, “the line of being quick and focused and physically and mentally prepared, and really putting the car on that fine, fine edge, being able to do that is the same pressure and just not over step the boundary and not spill the car off the track and not lose your cool and not lose your physical conditioning through a long range.” Also important is not to become complacent; says Long, “I think that you’re only as good as your last race and you have to … never become complacent.”
Gratitude is a recurring theme when Long talks about racing. “The days on the road, or the travel, or waiting in the security lines—I hold my head high and smile when I’m standing in a God-awful line in Atlanta airport connecting through because I’m working for a living.” He adds, “There are so many talented drivers that deserve the opportunity that don’t get those days in the airport because there aren’t enough seats out there for everybody, so it’s pretty easy for me to know that there aren’t many bad days as a professional driver.”
We next ask Patrick about those fabled Porsche training camps we’ve all read about. Are they as grueling as they sound, taking the drivers to exotic Mediterranean islands to get buff? Long laughs. “Well, they’re definitely extremely challenging and tough, but survivable. If I don’t do my homework, then it’s pretty hard to take the test. But I’ve done seven or eight of them …” As far of what Long does to stay in shape in between camps, his regime includes cardio “but also sensory motor training, stability training, strength training and flexibility.
Avoidable Contact and Racecraft
Our conversation moves to racecraft and contact in the sport of racing. “I think that if you look back, there’s quite a lot of contact in the ’90′s and in the early 21st century,” says Long adding, “these days, the cars are expensive and the style of racing has changed and become more professional. [The Porsche Cup] has more contact than ALMS or Grand Am on an average front, but I think you see just as much contact especially in the GT class as you do in the Super Cup these days. Also, once we went to water cooled cars with the radiators up front, that deterred a lot of drivers from using their front bumpers to make passes.” That is not the case for the side panels, however. “The cars are built incredibly strong and the wheels are pretty well protected by carbon fiber, so you can get away with a lot of side to side contact.”
So how does Long decide whether contact happens or not? In the pro league, says Long, “there certainly times where [contact] has to happen. If a guy spins me or runs me wide off into the dirt, he kinda knows he’s got it coming back for him. Smiles Long, “it might not be in the next corner, in might not be in the next race but you know I definitely don’t forget,” adding, with his trademark sense of fairness, “I think that’s how racing should be: if you do something, you better expect it’s going to come back whether it’s good or bad.”
Long is one of the few drivers to have driven both the RSR and the RS Spyder. We ask him what it’s like to experience the Spyder—is it a complete assault on the senses? “Pretty amazing,” responds Long. “The first thought you have is just how cool it is to be driving such a technically advanced race car.” He continues telling us about the car: “the initial feeling of the torque, of the braking and stopping potential … and how much the down-force the car makes. It’s an ultimate race car!”
Porsche Purist Sidebar
PP: Do you actually listen to music before a race?
PL: You won’t find me listening to music in the car or on the grid or any of that. I don’t think that it would hurt; it’s just one of those things that I’ve never wanted to depend on to get myself in the right mindset. I never want to be dependent on anything other than what I have in my brain, which is the only thing you’re guaranteed to have at all times!
PP: Do you have any kind of pre-race ritual?
PL: Not really. Hydration, nutrition and rest are what gives me my peace of mind. I think there is no right or wrong way to prepare yourself for a race. I tell people to do whatever it takes for them to believe that they’re well-prepared.
PP: Do you have a win that was most memorable?
PL: You know, fresh in my mind is definitely the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona this year. It helped me to get to that milestone of winning each one of the major sport car races. But, you know, Le Mans is still for me the race, from a sports car driver’s perspective, and I wouldn’t trade that win for anything.
Special thanks to Patrick for taking the time to sit down with the PorschePurist.com team and Jennifer Hart of Flying Lizard Motorsports for setting things up.
A sticky helmet radio cable might have cost Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) a podium finish – and perhaps their first victory of the season – at the Utah 250 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series race at Miller Motorsports Park Saturday.
A rare mistake by Dirk Werner (Germany) prevented him and Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup teammate Leh Keen (Charleston, SC) from clinching the Acxiom GT championship.
In both classes, it was a day of “what if” for the two leading Porsche teams competing in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, but a day of celebration for Andy Lally (Suwanee, GA) and Scott Schroeder (Piedmont, CA), who finished second in GT in the #66 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
“We were competitive and we leading for a long time,” said Bernhard. “Team Penske showed a great performance. I had a problem disconnecting the radio cable to my helmet in the driver change, and we lost a few seconds there that we needed. A little thing that doesn’t happen, and it happened to us. We never were able to get those seconds back.
Bernhard/Dumas finished only 3.6 seconds out of first place, and 2.1 seconds away from a podium finish.
“I led a lot of laps and we need to keep that momentum going to Miami. We have been so close (to winning) the last two races that is frustrating. We are used to winning, not almost winning,” said a frustrated Bernhard.
Bernhard qualified the #12 Verizon Wireless Penske Porsche Riley second, and ran a torrid pace with pole winner and ultimate race winner Jon Fogarty (Bend, OR) in the #99 Pontiac Riley for the first 11 laps around the 4.486-mile, 24-turn road course. They were never more than half a second apart but 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field when Bernhard pitted early, a strategy move determined after Roger Penske and Porsche Motorsports President Tim Cidric arrived 40 minutes prior to the start of the race after a 12-hour flight from Japan.
Bernhard fell to sixth, 37 seconds behind and began a rapid run to the front, sliding into fourth, where Dumas finished. Fogarty and Alex Gurney (Irvine, CA) padded their Rolex points lead to eight point over second-place Max Angelelli (Monaco) and Brian Frisselle (Aspen, CO) in the #10 Ford Dallara, Third place Memo Rojas (Mexico) and Scott Pruett (Auburn, CA) fell to 10 points behind Gurney and Fogarty. Dumas and Bernhard go to Miami with a mathematical title hopes, but they are 33 points behind in fourth place.
“We have the speed, so it was only track position that made the difference today. We had a very good run. They fly in from Japan and when they (Roger Penske and Tim Cidric) make the strategy call that would put Timo in the lead, but then we did not need the late caution,” said Dumas.
“We had the speed to compete, but the mistake in the pits cost us time we needed at the end. That is how competitive Grand-Am racing is. A little mistake and it was enough to cost us a podium.
“We have a great car now, now that we have all the power back, we know we can win. We just need everything to be perfect. We will try again at Miami.”
Surprising, Keen and Werner did not clinch the Acxiom GT championship. They entered the race with a 35-point lead and needed only to finish ahead of the #07 Pontiac GXP.R to claim the title with only the season finale at Homestead Miami Oct. 10 remaining.
Oddly, Werner tried to pass the #57 Pontiac GXP.R for the lead in the final two minutes of the race when all he needed to do was cruise home in second to clinch the title. Werner suffered a flat left front tire and hobbled home in sixth place, allowing the #07 Pontiac to finish ahead of him.
“My car was really good at the end,” Werner said. “I saw Robin (Liddell in the #57 car) sliding around, and he braked early in one turn, and we went into the turn side by side. I was already up on the curb and I think I do not have enough room to avoid contact. It was a little tap, but I got a flat front left tire and it was a long way back to the finish line that slowly. It took me a long, long time.
“It would be nicer to come to Miami with everything already done. It was in my hands to win the race or clinch the championship, and I did not do it. I got into a situation that I realized too late I did not need to be there (side by side) and it was a mistake.”
Keen and the rest of the Farnbacher Loles crew were already celebrating, but their joy was cut off by Werner’s slow last lap.
“It was pretty obvious what did happen and what could have happened. We could have won the race, or at least clinched the championship, and both opportunities slipped away. With two minutes left, we were already celebrating, so we’ll have to think of this of practice for our celebration for Miami. We’re disappointed we didn’t clinch the championship here because it was in our grasp and it looked so likely, and then that happened,” said Keen.
“It’s obviously still exciting to be in this position and we’ve got a lot to look forward to. We’re still in really good shape. We’ll just do what we have to do at Miami. We’ll have to think a little better, for sure.”
Keen and Werner lost only five points, so they will take a 30-point lead over #07 Pontiac driver Kelly Collins (Newport Beach, CA). All other GT title contenders were eliminated Saturday, including TRG driver Lally, who climbed to fourth in the driver standings with his runner-up effort Saturday.
“Our Porsche held up really well,” Lally said. “Really what I have to give is credit to the team for making the right strategy calls. Kevin (TRG owner Kevin Buckler) noticed something that normally doesn’t go on in the DP that gave us track position on pit stops and under caution. That put us in the lead under yellow, and that let us defend from the front. It’s pretty amazing – and fun!” “This is very special for me,” Schroeder said. This is my career best finish in my first year of Rolex racing, and to have an opportunity to race with Andy (Lally) and have a team like TRG behind me is wonderful. Hats off to the guys for giving me such a great car.”
The two Brumos Porsche Daytona Prototype entries finished in the top 10, as all 11 DP cars finished on the lead lap. JC France (Ormond Beach, FL) and Joao Barbosa (Portugal) finished sixth in the #59 Brumos Porsche Riley while Darren Law (Phoenix, AZ) and David Donohue (Malvern, VA) were ninth in the #58 Brumos Porsche Riley.
Craig Stanton (Long Beach, CA) and John Potter (Salt Lake City, UT) finished fifth in GT in the #65 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, just ahead of Keen and Werner, and the newest Porsche Motorsports customer team of Bryce Miller (Summit, NJ) and Kevin Roush (Upland, CA) were eighth in GT in the #48 Miller Barrett Racing Marquis Jet Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
If you’re not able to keep up with each Porsche Motorsport post here on PorschePurist.com and would prefer a brief synopsis of what’s happening in the world of Porsche Motorsport, there is no better way to stay in touch than by reviewing the monthly Porsche Motorsport Newsletter. Filled with interesting facts and figures about past and upcoming races, along with changes to team and crew, the Porsche Motorsport Newsletter is an easy way to keep up-to-date on this year’s racing activities.
FIA GT Championship: From last on the grid to victory
After their spectacular win at the fifth round on the Hungaroring (30.8), Emmanuel Collard and Richard Westbrook closed the gap to the leaders to a mere two points. After being relegated to the back of the grid after qualifying due to a loose air intake pipe, the two in their Prospeed Competition 911 GT3 RSR ploughed to the front, overtook the leading Ferrari in the 64th and penultimate lap, and won. A jammed wheel nut held up Porsche Junior Marco Holzer and Darryl O’Young in the sister Prospeed Porsche, who finally saw the flag in fourth. Holzer ranks third in the drivers’ classification, Prospeed Competition shares the lead in the team standings with a Ferrari squad.
Le Mans Series: First 2009 championship title for Porsche
Works drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz won the GT2 drivers’ classification of the Le Mans Series in the Felbermayr-Proton 911 GT3 RSR and with this claimed the first championship of 2009 for Porsche. Seventh place was enough for the two to secure the title at the fifth and last 1,000 kilometre race of the year in Britain’s Silverstone (13.9). Over the course of the season, Lieb and Lietz won three times, most recently on the Nürburgring (23.8) where they snatched back the lead in the drivers’ standings. Zolder 24 hour race: Record distance and win for Porsche In the 911 GT3 RSR of Prospeed Competition, Rudi Penders, Franz Lamot, David Loix and Louis Machiels won the Zolder 24 hour race (22/23.8) with a new record distance of 844 laps. The 911 GT3 Cup S fielded by First Motorsport finished second at the fifth round of the Belgian GT Championship.
Long Distance Nürburgring: Manthey wins, Mamerow as marathon man
With win number five this season, Manthey Racing concluded the DMV Grenzlandrennen at round eight of the BF Goodrich Long Distance Championship Nürburgring (22.8). Arno Klasen, Marc Lieb and Marcel Tiemann beat their rival, Christian Mamerow in his 911 GT3 Cup S, after 28 laps by two minutes. Mamerow demonstrated his top fitness, completing almost 700 kilometres on the world’s toughest race track alone. Of the top ten, nine were Porsche 911 models.
Monterey Historic Automobile Races: Porsche festival at its best
The 36th “Monterey Historic Automobile Races“ held on the third August weekend in Laguna Seca was dedicated to Porsche. Accordingly, 145 rolling gems from Porsche made up the lion’s share of the 450 vehicles, which came to California from all over the world. Prominent Porsche pilots like Derek Bell, David Donohue, Vic Elford, Hurley Haywood and Brian Redman drove the legendary cars. The prize for the best presentation and performance went to Richard Clark. The Briton brought his 356, with which he contested the Carrera Panamericana in 1953, to Laguna Seca by plane from Europe and then drove it himself from San Francisco to the circuit.
Race notes:
At races nine and ten of the Italian GT Championship in Imola (5/6.9), Sascha Maassen and Francisco Cruz-Martins (Autorlando Sport GT3 RSR) defended their lead in the top GT2 class with fourth and a DNF. Porsche teams also lead in the GT3 and GT Cup classes.
Yielding fourth place in Elkhart Lake (16.8) and fifth in Mosport (30.8), Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long remain on a steady course for the American Le Mans Series title in the 911 GT3 RSR of Flying Lizard Motorsports.
At round ten of the Grand-Am in Montreal (29.8) Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas finished second in the Penske-Porsche prototype – their best result by now. Leh Keen and Dirk Werner extended their GT lead in the GT3 Cup of Farnbacher Loles with sixth.
Win and second place in the rankings for Tony Rivera in the 911 GT3 of Brass Monkey Racing at the eighth round of the SCCA Speed World Challenge GT in Elkhart Lake (16.8). Porsche leads the team classification.
A dramatic 500 kilometre race at Interlagos (2.8) for Marcel Visconde, Max Wilson and Nono Figueiredo: In the lead, two punctures, chase and second place in the GT3 RSR.
Carrera Cup Great Britain: £100,000 for youngsters
Porsche Cars Great Britain announces the 2010 “£100,000 Carrera Cup GB Scholarship Programme“. Drivers with a British A-licence between the ages of 17 and 22 years are eligible to apply for the selection process in Silverstone. Six talented youngsters will be chosen to take part, with the two winners receiving £50,000 each. Adidas is onboard as partner. Those interested should send their CV and the reason why they should be chosen to carreracupgb@porsche.co.uk by 25 September.
Carrera Cup Japan: Suspense heading to the final
With a light to flag win at the eighth round of the Carrera Cup Japan in Fuji (13.9), Shimizu elbowed his rival Nakamura from the points’ lead in the top A class. Nakamura retired after a collision with Shimizu in the first corner of the first lap. In the B class, Kim ranks first, four points ahead of Mizutani. In both classes, the title decision will be made at the final as support to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Suzuka.
Carrera Cup Scandinavia: Two-way fight to the finish
A change at the top of the drivers’ classification just two races prior to the end of the season: With his double victory at the races 13 and 14 in Knutsdorp (11/12.9), Jocke Mangs pushed Cralle Lindholm off position one. A fortnight ago, Mangs had moved within striking distance of Lindholm in Norway’s Våler after securing the first rain victory of his career. Lindholm fought back with a win at race two of the weekend.
GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil: Drama, spins, emotion An action-packed weekend in Jacarepagua near Rio de Janeiro. Beto Posses, the first champion of the GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil (2005), handed his son André the winner's trophy for the first time after the ninth round (15.8). Starting from 19th on the grid, Miguel Paludo delighted fans with his chase through the field in race ten to snatch victory. Paludo overtook Clemente Lunardi in the last corner, who in the duel then spun and crossed the finish line backwards!
Patrón GT3 Cup Challenge: Four races, four different winners
Bob Faieta won race seven of the Patrón GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama in Elkhart Lake (16.8). Darrell Carlisle climbed to the top of the podium for the first time after the eighth race (17.8) – in his fourth Challenge year. Mitch Pagerey earned the trophy as a rookie two weeks later in Mosport. After race ten, Martin Snow celebrated his fourth win of the season. Faieta narrowly leads the classification ahead of Snow.
Race notes:
The duel in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup remains open: René Rast still has a slim chance after wins in Monza (13.9) and Valencia (23.8) to catch the clear points’ leader Jeroen Bleekemolen at the final two rounds in Abu Dhabi (31.10/1.11). Bleekemolen won recently in Spa (30.8.).
Nose-to-nose race: Thomas Jäger won the sixth round of the Carrera Cup Deutschland on the Nürburgring (16.8) and now shares the points’ lead with Jan Seyffarth.
After race seven and eight of the Carrera Cup Asia in Indonesia’s Sentul (15/16.8), Tim Sugden leads six points ahead of Christian Menzel.
Frédéric Makowiecki (AS Sports) climbed to the highest step on the podium for the first time at round nine of the Carrera Cup France in Albi (5.9) – and then repeated this success the following day. Points’ leader is still Renaud Derlot.
With a win at the fifth and penultimate race of the GT3 Cup Challenge Deutschland (13.9) in Spa, Swen Dolenc extended his lead in the drivers’ classification.
The first time I landed in Germany and tried to find my way to the car rental counter I kept seeing signs for something that read like it was pronounced “meat wagon” (Mietwagen) with a car symbol next to it; regardless of who I asked, they all said that was the place. I kept thinking to myself, “hmmmm, is the autobahn really that dangerous?” As it turns out, given the type of cars you can rent, it can be (but that’s for another storypost).
As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, Mietwagen is the German term used for rental cars (the literal translation is “hire car”). When I finally arrived at the counter (it’s a fairly long walk in the Frankfurt airport) I was amazed at the selection of cars; everything was foreign. You could rent a Mercedes, an Audi, certain Volkswagen variations that weren’t available back in the US and more importantly, your could rent a Porsche. I was blown away. Without any hesitation, or even a though to a possible rejected expense account report, I immediately upgraded from my economy car (an oddly shaped and surprisingly underpowered Peugeot) to a 911 Carrera S. Let me tell you, this was one of my smartest decisions ever.
To a Porsche buff very little can compare to that first taste of open Autobahn and the freedom of potentially unrestricted speed. Well, starting this week, if you live in Germany or plan on visiting soon, Porsche just announced that you can experience that same feeling in their new flaghsip, the Porsche Panamera. Available exclusively at Avis in Germany, the Porsche Panamera S and Panamer 4S can be yours for 189 euro ($278 US) for a day or 567 euro (equivalent to roughly the same price as a month mortgage payment on a small home) for the weekend.
According to the release, the Panameras will have the standard direct injection, PDK, start stop technology and optional aerodynamics. However, for the time being, you’ll have to travel to Germany for the chance at a daily rental and there is no promise they’ll ever make their way into the US rental fleet.
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Porsche owners who are concerned that this would hog their only 12V outlet can breathe a sigh of relief – there’s a Spotlight adaptor that allows you to recharge your Spotlight alongside your cell phone/ GPS/ radar detector! Very handy!
The Spotlight’s focused beam pierced the darkness my pitch-black basement. This shot was taken (sans flash 
) from 20 feet away. The Spotlight doesn’t try to spread light around because it’s too busy doing a great job throwing light precisely where you need it. 
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