Spec Boxster Series - A Race Driver's Experience
If you read my last article, a general overview of Spec Boxster race cars, you’re familiar with the specifications of these race cars. I wanted to know more about an amateur racers first season in the wheel to wheel racing so I rang up Rob. This is what I found out.
How did you find the car?
“I’m a Porsche guy,” Rob replied without any hesitation. “I had an opportunity to test the very car I ended up buying. After shaking it down at Willow Springs it felt great and within a few laps I was sold.” There is something special about mid-engine cars. What I found fascinating about this response was that someone with no experience in racing cars could jump into a mid-rear platform and feel that immediately.
>>Join the conversation about the Spec Boxster Series and the Experience right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Why Spec Boxster?
Aside from the Porsche factor I wanted to see what made him approach this style of racing. “The cars are so close to each other. It’s all about the driver and chassis setup,” he informed me. “There are very little advantages in the car so you can’t rely on power to make up for your mistakes. You really have to hit your marks and learn to out-brake people.” Great skills to learn for any up and coming driver!
>>Join the conversation about the Spec Boxster Series and the Experience right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Tell me about the costs…
“We paid $30,000 for a top level car,” he responds quicker than I’d sign at this point for my own Spec Boxster. That’s cheap by race car standards. Each weekend runs 2 separate race days so in a season Crocker and his father will attend something over 20 events. Knowing the costs of racing I was curious in total what they spend for an entire weekend (both days of racing). Robert’s answer speaks volumes about the value for money that can be found in this series. “For the whole weekend?” he pauses….”$2,500.” Great value is given the amount of time you spend on track.
>>Join the conversation about the Spec Boxster Series and the Experience right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Regional Racer
A lot of local series stick to the same tracks which can get boring. I wanted to know how many places they travel to. “Laguna Seca, Spring Mountain, Auto Club, Streets of Willow, Willow Springs, Button Willow, Chuckwalla. That’s the main rotation right there,” he says. When asked about the most challenging track I wasn’t surprised when he said, “the more ballsy ones.” Turn 9 at Willow Springs immediately comes to mind. Robert added that he’s a huge fan of technical circuits like Spring Mountain which the series travels to.
>>Join the conversation about the Spec Boxster Series and the Experience right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Future Ambition
After watching some of his videos online it’s clear Robert Crocker has potential. In his first season, he has managed to stay 3rd in overall points which is a great accomplishment for someone who has limited time on track. There are some real veterans of racing in the South West region of Spec Boxster, but Robert tells me at the end of the day everyone is out to have fun. Don’t let that fool you, it’s no easy series to win. His next race comes up in January where we will profile a day in the life at the race track. Stay tuned, we’ll see you at the next Spec Boxster event!
>>Join the conversation about the Spec Boxster Series and the Experience right here in the Rennlist Forum!
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