April 2013 Social

GT3 Canada Cup Race Drivers

By John Adam , UCR Historian

Laurance Yap introduces the panel of race drivers.
Laurance Yap introduces the panel of race drivers.

Our April Social featured a panel of five speakers who are GT3 Canada Cup Race Drivers and fellow UCR Members. The moderator was Laurance Yap, Marketing Manager for Porsche Cars Canada, and good friend of UCR.

An awestruck audience learned that the racers came through the Porsche Club’s driver education program but, in fact, the itch had not been scratched. They progressed to PCA Club Racing and that was fun, but they learned there was even more. They moved on to the Porsche GT3 Canada Cup series, while, at the same time, maintaining an ongoing interest in Club Racing as well as the DE program. When asked by one member, “How much does it cost?” The answer went something like: “About as much as it used to—all that you have.”

Racers were enthusiastic about the support by Porsche. A tractor trailer of parts is available at each race and a mechanic is also aboard to ensure the racers get on track. In fact, Bob Seitz’s team rebuilt a car overnight when it was a virtual write-off.

The race series resumes May 17th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville. There are 10 events in 2013. If you miss this one, be sure to attend the Grand Prix of Mosport, July 19th to 21st. Preparation is ongoing as each team fine-tunes their setup just a bit better than the others. The engine requires a rebuild after about 50 hours, and the cost is upwards of $10k, sometimes reaching $50k.

Upper body physical condition is mandatory for Enduro races, such as in Club Racing. When asked about the difference in handling between a street GT3 and a Cup Car, it was simply more intense and a Cup Car required total concentration and operation near 100 percent to be totally functional.

L-R Laurance Yap, Bob Seitz, Tim Sanderson, Marco Cirone,  Shaun McKaigue, Ilker Starck
L-R Laurance Yap, Bob Seitz, Tim Sanderson, Marco Cirone,
Shaun McKaigue, Ilker Starck

We thank Marco Cirone, Shaun McKaigue, Ilker Starck, Tim Sanderson, and Bob Seitz for their wonderful insight, mutual respect and humility. In fact, they made a point of thanking the many volunteers that make a Club race possible. Remember that the UCR Club race is June 28th to 30th. Sign up to assist. Yes, these guys are racers, and they are still active as Red Run Group instructors in our Driver Ed program.

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