It was a cool, damp day at the Sonoma Raceway, as the Porch Racing Team cruised to the checkered flag in the 24hoursoflemons endurance race. After 16 hours of high speed racing(over 2 days) the vintage Porsche 944 bested the 45 car field by 5 laps, going the distance without a mishap or breakdown.
Team leader, Spike Chandler, declared the communications equipment improvements as the key to this victory. An innovative radio was installed in the helmets of each of the 4 drivers so the pilot on the track was in constant real time communications with the pit crew. Advice could be delivered rapidly to alleviate concerns about fuel consumption, track conditions, warning lights, and position and elapsed time.
The weather cooperated, despite a forecast of light rain late Sunday afternoon before the scheduled flag drop. The victory cemented the strategy developed after several years of competition: grab an early lead and hold on to it!
Congrats to the team and pit crews.
An extra race has been added in January, 2015, due to a huge group they were not able to accommodate this weekend. An additional 135 entries were pushed to this new event.24hoursoflemons.com
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