A winter’s worth of preparation and the time has finally come. The first event of the year. We joined Porsche Club of America for their First Fling at Brainerd International Raceway to launch the 311RS Porsche program. With 7 different 911s in tow, all of us were eager to get the cars out on track for the first time of 2016.

A quote from Alexander Graham Bell seems fitting to begin this one –  “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

And with that, here’s a look into our time at BIR to start the season.

2016 marks the first time we’ve visited BIR with an all-Porsche lineup. It’s bittersweet, however our time with the amazing Evo X platform will not be forgotten. That being said, it was time to get on with it and shift focus to establishing our Porsche program.

Luis’ 996 GT3 saw it’s fair share of updates this winter. Most obvious is the addition of a Getty Design RS wing. It’s nearly identical to the factory wing and adds a measurable amount of downforce. It is perfect for this nimble chassis.

The RS wing was a welcome addition and it was especially felt through BIR’s faster corners. Further updates to Lu’s GT3 included a revised chassis setup and improved braking system. We teamed up with Girodisc once again to run their lightweight, two-piece brake rotors. The rotors, along with Pagid pads, stainless lines & Castrol SRF, were just what the doctor ordered.

Bruce’s 991 GT3 was again on hand and as fast as ever. This car carried over it’s setup from last year with the addition of BMC RS filters. A small update, but with our first production 991 GT3 unit on hand, this car was a perfect benchmark.

Speaking of, the first 991 GT3 by 311RS was a joy to drive. It ripped laps up to 2.3sec quicker than our benchmark, and this was supposed to be a shakedown. With loads of data from last season, we had a huge advantage when it came to setting up this unit. Click the link above to read more about the car.

One of our latest projects is John’s recently completed ’89 964 C4. His goal was to build a 911 that he can drive daily while also having it prepped for time on track. It’s still in it’s early stages, however he’s gone a long way to improving it already – starting with the obvious gold BBS LMs and Michelin PS2s.

Under the skin is where most of the time has been focused. His 964 is running a custom set of 311RS-spec JRZ RS1 dampers. Not only were we able to get the ride height just where it needed to be, we spent time before the weekend getting the car corner balanced & aligned at Auto Edge. The chassis setup and adjustability built into the JRZ’s make for a very well-behaved 964.

Out on track we were hanging loose and all smiles. This weekend marked John’s first time on track and I think it’s safe to say he is hooked.

Since completing his first track day, John has set his mind on removing unnecessary weight and improving minor bits for reliability. The car was a pleasure to drive and we look forward to spending more time with it in the near future.

Next up is Drew’s recently purchased 997 GT3. It’s a huge jump in performance from his previous car (E30 M3), so this weekend was perfect for getting to know his new GT3.

The car ran at BIR bone stock and we used this as an opportunity to create a baseline for the platform.

Sunday started off with a spin coming out of turn 10, but thankfully the car was unscathed save for some flat-spotted Pirellis. It’s now running a set of fresh Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s and as a first step to improving the car it’s now running a 997 Cup front lip, FVD side pipes and had it’s window tint removed. The driver also received a fresh pair of drawls which we hope to put to good use at Road America. Right, Drew?

Ryan had his 930 on hand and ready for action should there be a shortage of cars available for evaluation.

Thankfully we had a wide variety of other 911s on hand and Reggie didn’t have to come out of retirement yet again. The car ran great last year, but it really isn’t meant for hard charging at this age. It’s much better suited for backroads and weekend drives to the lake. But we’ll see how Road America goes next week..

Speaking of, next up is a trip to Road America on June 13-14th. We’ll be there again with PCA, and again an all Porsche line-up – two 991 GT3s, a 997 GT3, a 996 GT3, and perhaps a few other additions. See you there!

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski, Kris Clewell, and Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.