Spec RacingGot 10 grand burning a hole in the pocket of your driving suit? For less than a third the cost of rebuilding a GT3 RS motor, you can have yourself a prepared 944-Spec race car. And that includes the cost of the car.
"It's a series where you can be out driven, but not out spent," said Tom Comeau, the Southern California 944-Spec Series director. Originating within the Phoenix, Ariz., chapter of the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) racing club, the 944 series hosts more than 42 participants, although, Comeau admitted, several were still assembling their rides to conform to the group's specifications.
The series is designed to take place within the race events of several racing clubs, including the Porsche Club of America and the Porsche Owners Club. So far we've had grids of at least 15 cars," Comeau said, expecting that number to grow substantially during the 2004 season.
The rules, although not simple, are straightforward. Only normally aspirated 944s delivered to the U.S. between 1983 and 1988 are allowed. Engine displacement must remain 2.5 liters with an eight-valve cylinder head, although slight modifications can be done. There are no restrictions to the exhaust system since the sanctioning body found no advantage to anything but open exhaust.
The interior can be stripped, but the car's minimum weight is set at 2,600 lb. That's with fuel and driver so a jockey-sized competitor has no advantage over a robust Haagen-Dazs fan.
The series allows for no alterations to the body. Brakes must remain stock. Under the fenders, the rear suspension can be upgraded to 30mm torsion bars with the front spring rates open to any modification. Shocks have to be OEM for the specific car or chosen from a very limited selection of either Bilstein or Koni equipment.
One of the main restrictions and a key element to keeping costs low are the tight specifications on wheels and tires. Only factory 7x15 in. ATS "cookie cutter" or "telephone dial" wheels can be used. These must be shod with 225/50-15 Toyo Proxes RA-1 tires.
A 944-Spec competitor himself, Comeau was enthusiastic about the series' growing numbers. "Allowing for only a few modifications is not only done for price control, but to keep the playing field level. And this," Comeau stressed, "Makes for great racing."
For some competitors, however, the promise of tight, door handle-to-door handle racing is not enough. There has to be speed and in portions that would double the heart rate and shorten the life expectancy of most of the civilized population.
For these racers, the financial cost and hair-raising power of a GT3 RS is not forbidding. Yet, they are drawn to the 944 platform and its potential.
While a primary supporter of the 944-Spec series in Southern California, Vision Motorsports of Laguna Hills is also one of the first teams testing the capabilities of an extreme 944.
Starting with a damaged 1988 normally aspirated 944, the Vision crew has directed its racing experience toward completely redesigning this potential 911 beater. Under the carbon-fiber hood, the Vision 944 carries a twin-cam 3.0-liter turbocharged 968 motor that generates 552 bhp and 466 lb-ft at the wheels. The car is sprung by custom Kokeln tubular suspension.
The braking system incorporates the huge Brembo 14-in. discs and massive calipers found on the Ferrari F50. At the rear, the Ferrari F40 has donated its braking assembly. Wrapped around the Brembos are 12x18- and 14x18-in. Kinesis modular wheels with Pirelli racing slicks.
Perhaps more dramatic than the car's high-horsepower factors are the steps Vision has taken with aerodynamics and balance. The water radiator was moved to the trunk area for better weight distribution. Cooling is done through a specially tailored air inlet in the center of the roof, i.e., GT-1 style, which channels air to the radiator and out the back. Moving the radiator also allowed for a larger intercooler for the 3.0 liter's massive Kokeln Q-Trim turbocharger.
Airflow for the intercooler is ducted out over the hood to further reduce air under the car. Even the exhaust is piped out the side of the car. Down force effects are being tested with carbon-fiber tunnels positioned under the rear of the chassis.
During inaugural testing at Willow Springs International Raceway, the Vision's Super 944 manage to slip into the low 1:20.00 lap times. Not a bad first run considering this time zone is currently dominated by the POC's top contenders, an elite group of well-breed 996 GT3 RSS.