The Porsche 924 Championship has been transforming Joe Public into Porsche racing drivers for over eighteen years. John Glynn went to meet some of the newest recruits.
We probably all know the story of the 924. The brief version is that it was a product Porsche were employed to design for Volkswagen. VW then decided against production in the wake of a management change, so Porsche bought the rights to the car and put it into production for themselves.
The 924 was a sales success, with over 120,000 cars produced between 1976 and 1985. Thanks to VW’s cost-conscious design brief, relatively low retail prices made Porsche ownership accessible to a much wider audience, bringing an entirely new demographic to the Porsche brand.
For all its admirable qualities, the 924 has long been considered the runt of the Porsche litter. Detractors point to the engine, used in Volkswagen’s LT van amongst others, and the many parts shared with VW models of the day, somewhat conveniently ignoring the fact that there’s more to a 924 than an engine and a few spindly column stalks.
One thing which cannot be said about the 924 is that it fell from the ugly tree. The 924 is a delight to behold; its sylphlike shape as attractive to my eyes today as when I saw my first example, at the 1976 Irish Motor Show. The delicate sweep of designer Harm Lagaay’s pen soars effortlessly upwards, from the gently sloping bonnet and along the aerodynamic waistline, before flowing freely off the neatly chopped rear end. Though many manufacturers have attempted to replicate the elegance of the 924’s proportions, most have failed. The car is a design classic.
The 924’s aesthetic appeal continues on the inside, especially when trimmed in period attire. I owned a 924 for a time last year – a 1985 Lux, in Grand Prix White with black and white Pascha trim – and I adored the look of it. The driving position is perfect: “as comfortable as a well worn Gucci loafer”, according to one reviewer of the time. Dials and switches are set about the driver in entirely logical order, unlike 911s of the same era.
Only when starting the car up does the 924’s polished visual performance begin to lose its sheen. The engine cranks into life with a demoralising absence of excitement, and pulling away in the baby Porsche demolishes any illusions that this could be the performance bargain of the century.
I wanted to love my 924. Though I had purchased it primarily for that pristine Pascha interior, I envisioned an evangelical conversion from ritual sacrifice in favour of the 944 sibling also in my fleet – the cabin of which currently serves as home to gallons of pondwater, and innumerable colonies of mildew – to the 924 being restored and saved for special occasions. I longed for the Lux to overwhelm me with irresistible kinetic character, that legendary balance which road testers of the time waxed oh-so lyrical about, at which point I would surely abandon any plans to scrap the plucky little Porsche. Sadly, it was not to be.
Porsche’s four-cylinder saviour might have been blessed with perfect balance, but then so was the Titanic. Punting 1300 kilos of 924-plus-driver along the lanes surrounding Glynn Towers was uninspiring to say the least, and the pretty little coupe stood no chance against a spirited driver in my Golf GTi of the same vintage. Swamped by that heavy chassis, the 924’s engine, brakes and suspension were distinctly ordinary in their performance.
Though it was a market pleaser, the absence of sporting potential in the basic 924 was not lost on Porsche. The company eventually turbocharged the car, and using it as a base for the 924 Carrera GT, one of the most beautiful Porsche road cars ever. The later 944 was essentially a Porsche-engined 924 in flared trousers – everything the 924 could and should have been.
Some racers saw past the baby Porsche’s puppy fat, reasoning that a car with the 924’s pedigree must have some track potential. They weren’t wrong, and lighter, race-prepared versions quickly found favour on racetracks across the globe.
Here in the UK, the Porsche 924 Championship was started in 1992 by Jeff May, a founder member of Porsche Club Great Britain, and 924 series coordinator until his death in 2003. Like the original road cars, the 924 championship was aimed at opening up Porsche motor sport to the masses, on a competitive, cost effective basis. The series motto is “Affordable, and Equal”.
Ex-race 924s cost from as little as £3,000 – much less than similar ‘starter racers’, such as the slower Mini. Consumables are not too dear either, with tyres, fuel and brakes for a season estimated at under £1000.
“It’s an unbeatable way to get into motor sport,” enthuses Jayson Flegg, as we stand in the pit lane at Oulton Park, known to track day fans as the Nürburgring of the North. “I was taking a break from historic racing, when a friend asked if I’d ever considered a 924. I had a look at the costs, and was sold straight away. We picked up a car from a former racer for £1800, freshened it up, and were racing a few weeks later. Then Ness fancied a go, so we bought another one to build up.”
“Ness” is Vanessa, mum of six and Jayson’s significant other. 2009 will be Vanessa’s second season in 924s, so I ask what she is most looking forward to this year. “Reaching the pedals,“ she chirps, driving the point home with a poke to Jayson’s ribs. “Sharing the car last year was a bit of a learning curve,” admits her husband. “Today’s the first time Ness has driven a 924 set up especially for her, which is bound to help her confidence.” I decide to put this theory to the test, and strap myself into the passenger seat of the black and orange machine, for my first laps in a racing 924.
The petite Porsche speeds out of pit lane, joining the track in the middle of Old Hall Corner; a tight but fast right-hander. Vanessa’s line off the crest leading into the downhill braking zone for the left at Cascades is spot on, and she’s hard on the gas as we head towards Island, and the steeply banked Shell hairpin before Britten’s chicane. The stripped-out 924 squirms under braking for the quick left/right flick, we tear through the gears over the hill and down the back straight, into Hizzy’s chicane, up Clay Hill, through Druids and into Lodge before blasting past the pits and doing it all over again.
This might be Vanessa’s first drive of a car made to fit her size, but the energy traveling through the chassis to my seat leaves a positive impression of both car and driver, and the smile on Vanessa’s face as we arrive back in the pits says it all. I climb out to find Adam Croft ready and waiting to take me out on my next set of laps.
Adam is another recent arrival in 924s. 2008 was his first season’s racing, graduating from track days in a Lotus Elise. Adam is using former series co-ordinator Ernie Cheetham to help run his car, giving valuable data on chassis setup to cover most of the tracks the cars go to. “I was three or four seconds a lap off the pace here last year,” says Adam, “but I’m more familiar with the car now, and we’ve rebuilt the engine. We should be more competitive this season.”
Strapped into Adam’s passenger seat, there is no doubting the driver’s determination as we blast on to the track. The downhill run into Cascades is full throttle with minimal braking – Adam is on it from the get go. A wide line into the banked hairpin is corrected in a flash of hands and feet. Concentration and utter commitment permeate the cabin, and the rest of the lap is inch perfect.
Though we are sharing Oulton with Imprezas, Elises and all the usual track day machinery, only a pair of Ferraris is faster. Passing other cars in a 924 is a satisfying experience. Though the regulations limit the engines to 150 bhp at the flywheel, the minimum weight of 1000 kilos, including the driver, makes them spritely to drive. Even weight distribution, and superb grip from Toyo 888 rubber means they can comfortably be thrown about.
“I strongly believe that if you want to know how good a driver you are, you have to compete in a series which pitches drivers against each other in equal equipment,” says Andy Davies, newly-appointed Series Coordinator. “The Porsche 924 Championship is one of the few places in British motorsport where this type of racing still exists.”
Andy has been involved in motor racing for many years, having competed in Formula Ford, Porsche Club racing and various one-make championships during the 1990s, including the VW Vento Cup and the Rover Tomcat series. Andy’s eldest son Matt has been racing in 924s for three years, and won his first championship in 2008.
“The cars are a lot of fun,” says Matt, a 21 year-old automotive engineering student. “The race car is 15 seconds a lap faster than dad’s 944 S2 around this track, but it’s a real challenge to get the best out of it. It’s all about being precise and smooth at the same time.”
I passenger Matt for a few laps around the circuit in the 944; Andy’s daily driver and a very nice example. Smooth is exactly the word I would use to describe Matt’s style – it’s as if there is a fragile strand of silk thread pulling him around this amazing circuit. The refined S2 is swift and efficient; it’s hard to imagine going 15 seconds faster than this in a 924.
Back in the pits, younger brother John is warming up Matt’s championship-winning car, for me to have a drive. John is another driver hoping to join the 924 ranks this year. As John and Andy pin the bonnet down, divine intervention helps me squeeze into the slimline student’s race seat. Firmly strapped in, I grab first gear and we’re off.
The steering is sweeter than a silver knife through golden butter, and nothing like the road car. Five degrees of negative camber undoubtedly help, but it’s not the only reason: junking the heavy pop up lights and steel bonnet has had a very positive effect.
This car runs some top flight suspension componentry: Leda coilovers with 500lb front springs and 968 Clubsport anti-roll bars, so it’s no surprise to find the ride is perfect. The inherent chassis characteristics of the 924 are a delight on track, and piling into a corner, hard on the power is properly impressive. Stand on the brakes at the last possible second, let the Carbone Lorraine pads do their thing, the back wiggles enthusiastically and we’re instantly back on the throttle, with no hint of oversteer, even on this slightly damp surface.
Tyre tracks line the grass either side of Druids, but the car shows no inclination to add to them. Grip is there in abundance, and flinging the car through Lodge and down towards Deer Leap is magic. It’s good clean fun, and easy to see why so many people love it.
“924s are more than just racing,” Steve Brown declares, as we survey his red example. Steve came to 924s after 4 years in Club 100 karting, and the social scene surrounding the series is what keeps him coming back. 2009 will be his third year. “Don’t get me wrong; winning is great and a first would be amazing,” says the man who has stood on the second step of the podium more than once, “but that’s not what it’s all about. These are great people, we have a fantastic time together and everyone looks after one another.”
Andrew Hannington, who recently returned to racing after fifteen years away, agrees. Andrew, a computer engineer from Whitstable in Kent, entered the 924s part way through the 2008 season, making the leap from decision to racing in five short weeks. “I bought a car that had previously won the championship, put some money into new tyres and a few other bits, and I was on the grid. I’m spending much less money now than I did racing 944s and a 911 in the Porsche Club championship fifteen years ago, but enjoying it even more. The camaraderie is incredible; everyone helps everyone else. It’s just amazing.”
The wives, girlfriends, families and friends who have journeyed here to watch the cars on track, are testament to the friendliness which the series is famous for. The assembled enthusiasts buzz around the five cars that have come out for the day, drivers hop in and out of each others’ machines; swapping cars, lines and set up tips. Their entirely genuine interest in one another is wonderful to watch, and is the antithesis of so much of the rest of the racing scene.
The budget nature of the 924 Championship means that the economic downturn has had minimal impact. Davies is hoping to repeat 2008’s 18-car average grids at every round this year, starting with Mallory Park on April 26th. From Mallory, the championship makes a welcome return to Donington a week later, before heading on to Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Rockingham and Oulton Park. Anglesey hosts the season finale at the end of September.
My final question to the defending champion is simple: where next? “I don’t know yet,” admits Matt. “The 924s are home to me, but I would like to try something else when I’ve finished studying. The main problem is that most series after this involve quite a big jump in costs.” Dad might have the answer.
“We’re working on an all-new Porsche racing series for 2010,” Andy explains. “It’s the same idea: fairly strict technical regulations limiting alterations, forcing people to develop their abilities, rather than firing money at the car. The new series uses a slightly newer model: the Boxster. The Boxster championship will be a little more relevant to younger spectators, and is of great interest to promoters. The BRSCC are very keen on it, and we’ll be announcing full details very soon. Boxster racing is a sensible next step for Matt and John and many others like them, who want to see how far they can get, but don’t have fortunes to spend along the way.”
My time with the 924 racers was a day well spent, and I felt privileged to be part of such a positive atmosphere. Wherever the series goes from here, the 924s are sure to offer an exciting form of motor sport for many years to come. Who knows, I may even have caught a bit of the bug myself!
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What rims are those on the 924's?
Most are five-spoke Compomotives I think. I'll have to find out!
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