Wednesday 2nd May 2018

Porsche launches Classic Restoracing championship

How best to mark more than 20 years of the Boxster? Porsche is taking its dealers racing...

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Nobody needs reminding that Porsche was in a bit of a pickle before the Boxster. The 968 was old, the 928 was old, the 993 was hardly fresh and the range desperately needed rejuvenating. Then a bright new mid-engined sports car arrived, many people liked it, and Porsche's fortunes looked rosier.

That was more than two decades ago now, and Porsche has decided that the time is right to show old Boxsters some love. To do that it has created the Porsche Classic Restoracing Competition, specifically for the 986 Boxster S.

The PCRC - another Porsche acronym for you - is a competition for Porsche dealers, giving them something to do beyond flogging trillions of Cayennes. There are 15 entries from 18 OPCs (some teams represent combined efforts), but there's more to it than a battle royale of Boxster sheds. Part of the competition involves a full restoration as well, the race cars to be judged on the mechanical, body and paint overhauls which have been achieved. Presumably before the racing takes place, that is...

Moreover, each PCRC Boxster livery must evoke that of a classic racing Porsche. We'll guess they can't use booze or fags, though, which does rather limit the possibilities. The 917 Salzburg scheme and the Pink Pig - of course - have been suggested, so what else could the teams go for? The Mobil 1 livery seen on the 911 GT1 would suit the early Boxster time period well, though the Sunoco 917/30 might look good too...

The championship kicks off this weekend at Brands Hatch GP, with the PCRC cars also taking on Silverstone and the Brands Indy circuit as part of a six-race series. If you were thinking of selling an old Boxster for parts, now might be the time to do so...

[myhandle]

That’s brilliant. Love the liveries and it should be such fun for not too much expense. It’s great that Porsche are saying how proud of the 986 they are, so that they will no longer sink into unmaintained banger territory. My mother has a 2004 Boxster S 550 Spyder Anniversary edition, and they are really good cars with tremendous handling and enough power to have some fun.

[mikey P 500]

Sounds good, if this is just a 6 race event for this year maybe there will be some nice track prepped boxsters for track days hitting the market in a year's time.

[Turbobanana]

So, it's a competition only open to Porsche dealers - am I reading that right?

Hardly seems fair. Although I guess that's how the MX5 championship started.

[force44]

Porsche does these extra curricular competitions for their dealers often. Usually restoring a car to a theme.

There has been production boxster spec racing for a good few years at http://www.porscheracingdrivers.co.uk/race-with-us... which open to anyone interested.

The regs are very similar so it would be easy to convert across if these cars sold for next year.

[Turbobanana]

force44 said:

Porsche does these extra curricular competitions for their dealers often. Usually restoring a car to a theme.

There has been production boxster spec racing for a good few years at http://www.porscheracingdrivers.co.uk/race-with-us... which open to anyone interested.

The regs are very similar so it would be easy to convert across if these cars sold for next year.

Yes, I've seen the restoration things and watched the racing - both good ideas and, as I said, if they develop them well there can be some real benefit. IIRC Patrick Watts came to prominence through the MX5 championship.

Just feels a bit elitist, really.

[clubracing]

The Restoracing Championship for the dealers is being run as part of the long standing Porsche Club Championship, so anyone can race against them if they want to.

[sugarfm]

I think it’s a great idea.
They’re joining a series which has struggled in terms of numbers over the past couple of years. So to see 36 Porsches on the Brands Hatch GP circuit this weekend instead of 20 is much more of a spectacle.
And to have them in some iconic liveries is a bonus.

[Turbobanana]

clubracing said:

The Restoracing Championship for the dealers is being run as part of the long standing Porsche Club Championship, so anyone can race against them if they want to.

Ah, thanks, makes sense now. Shame that didn't come through in the article...

[raceboy]

Porsche Nottingham have had the car they are building in the showroom a few times, looked like they were doing a nice job of it.

[ollie854]

Come and see me race this weekend at brands in 39, poreche centre swindon’s entry. Looking to be a great weekend!!