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Ride along with Ryan Gates as he and his father, Bruce Gates, spend the final session of 2020 lapping BIR together.

Ryan is driving the 311RS Motorsport Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup and Bruce is driving the 311RS Motorsport Porsche 991 GT2RS Clubsport.

Neither car was running fresh tires so this was all about having fun together and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather at BIR. By the 4th lap you’ll see Bruce fly past down the front straight in the GT2RS Clubsport. You can almost feel the power.

-Drivers: Ryan Gates & Bruce Gates

-Cars: Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup & Porsche 991 GT2RS Clubsport – both prepared by 311RS Motorsport

-Track: Brainerd International Raceway

-Fastest Lap: 1:35.3 (997.1 GT3 Cup)

In cooperation with Brainerd International Raceway, we hosted a private test for our GT2RS Clubsport & 991.2 GT3 Cup. In addition, we invited a small group of our road car clients to join us for some much-needed high speed therapy.

Participants were limited to a total of 10 as part of our agreement with the track and the local county attorney. Strict social-distance guidelines were adhered to and we are happy to report, nearly four weeks since the event, each one of us who attended remain free of COVID-19 symptoms.

Peter Lapinski was on hand to capture the scenes of our first test for 2020. We thank him for being there as we rolled out our GT2RS Clubsport for the first time, a huge milestone for our team. Please enjoy the following selection images from Peter and accompanying notes from the team.

The line up included: GT2RS Clubsport, 991.2 GT3 Cup, GT2RS, 991.2 GT3RS (x2) 991.2 GT3, 997.1 GT3, and a 996.2 GT3 (did not run).

The sun was hitting the GT2RS Gold BBS wheels just right.

The 311RS Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport followed by the 311RS Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on track together for the first time.

Our partners at Goldcrest Motorsports sent Blake White up for the test. He helped us get up to speed and ensured the test went smoothly. Thank you Blake & Goldcrest!

The GT2RS Clubsport absolutely ate up the track. Even during shakedown, the car was running faster laps than we had ever ran around BIR. A beast, as they say.

With nothing more than fuel & distilled water (for the intercooler sprayer system), the GT2RS Clubsport ran like clockwork. Here we see Ryan giving the underside of the car an ocular pat down after a session in the car.

It was a treat running the GT2RS road car and the GT2RS Clubsport together on track. While the road car is quite a bit faster in a straight line (it is tuned by M-Engineering making over 700whp), the Clubsport handily walked away from it over the course of a lap.

Two different vantage points through T9 – a turn that requires much respect from the driver.

Elsewhere on track, Jeff was up to speed out of the box in his 991.2 GT3 Cup. He’s tested the car at Sebring & COTA already this season, so on familiar territory at BIR he was very quick.

We look forward to working with this driver and car as the season progresses. The 991.2 GT3 Cup provides us an opportunity to understand and develop with Porsche’s latest Cup car platform. This experience will pay dividends for years to come.

Dan was pushing his 311RS-prepared 991.2 GT3RS to new limits during the test. He is picking up speed, and quickly. We are looking forward to seeing his development this season.

Tom was on hand in his gorgeous 311RS-prepared 997.1 GT3 consistent as usual. It’s always a pleasure seeing this car run.

A new driver for 311RS, John, was testing out his new 311RS-prepared 991.2 GT3RS for the first time. Fresh from an initial chassis setup, he was quick to improve, lopping multiple seconds from his lap times each session.

He’s due back into 311RS HQ for further upgrades along with our track aero & chassis setup. We are looking forward to seeing this & driver car develop.

Brandon was up to speed right away in his 311RS-prepared 991.2 GT3. We’ve been working with him for a season now, his progression in both speed and feedback have been great to see.

He’s now equipped with our safety package (roll bar, harnesses, and HANS device) and faster than ever while also being safer than ever.

Bruce was pounding laps in his GT2RS road car in between sessions in his GT2RS Clubsport. Hearing his feedback in back to back sessions was awesome, suddenly that GT2RS road car felt very much like a road car in comparison.

That’s it for now. Lots learned, with even more yet to learn. Until next time, Fear The Cheese!

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski

As delivered, the GT2RS Clubsport is one of the most aggressive and imposing things to ever come out of Stuttgart. Part of that look comes from the exposed carbon fiber throughout the car.

This is where we come in – with the aim to “complete” the look of the car.

As delivered to 311RS. Factory fresh. Exposed carbon fiber all around.

Wes from Motive Artworks rendered our vision and brought it to life. Here is a comparison between as delivered and 311RS. To us, the 311RS Porsche GT2RS Clubsport looks as though it could have came like that from the factory, which was ultimately the goal.

The first thing that needed changing were the wheels. Porsche created GT2RS Gold specifically for the 997 GT2RS in 2011, and continued it for the 991 GT2RS in 2018. We absolutely love the color and wanted to bring that aspect of the GT2RS to the GT2RS Clubsport.

There we go. A GT2RS, in our opinion, should always have GT2RS Gold wheels.

We’ll be running the car in PCA Club Racing and SRO GT Sports Club, both of which are officially partnered with Pirelli. On the road cars we exclusively run Michelin tires, however for the race cars, at least for the current series we operate in, Pirelli is the tire.

Fun fact: the GT2RS Clubsport runs the same size tire front and rear as the 991 GT3 Cup.

First test fit. We were feeling good about the combination!

On the ground and pure class. The Satin White Gold metallic gives the car life, and allows the BBS wheel design to be fully appreciated.

However, something had to be done about that exposed carbon fiber. More on that later.

With the wheels and tires sorted, we began to focus on preserving the car. Cory from Lifestyle Tint is our go to for ClearPlex install. These semi-permanent window films do a great job protecting the glass from debris.

We tend to go through 1 or 2 of these films per season, depending on driver. With the GT2RS Clubsport we aim to use just this one this season.

Onto the fun part – we partnered with Color X Labs to create a vinyl wrap that would match the exact color of our GT2RS Clubsport. They use the OEM Porsche paint code (Carrara White – B9A) to match the color, and further “tune” the color using a piece of the body work, in our case we sent them the fuel door.

And so it begins.

While we set out to “complete” the look of the car, that did not mean we cover all of the exposed carbon fiber. Instead, by covering a large portion of it and exposing portions of the carbon fiber, the result was accentuation of the ducting on the hood.

We love the look – adding aggression while simultaneously completing the hood. Note the beautiful color match of the vinyl to the factory painted bumper and fenders.

The idea to add white to the wing end plates was to give that rear wing a place on the car. It’s so large and so far back, with black end plates it can get visually lost from certain angles.

Along with a Porsche logo across the wing, the end plates completed our work back there and again looks as though it could have came that way from the factory.

Here we see the removable carbon decklid getting it’s helping of Carrara White vinyl wrap. We chose to leave the air intakes exposed (as is on the GT2RS road car) along with the backside of the duckbill – this gives some nice contrast in the rear while highlighting how much the piece acts as an aero device.

Also seen here is Elliott from Glisten Detailing – he worked through night to complete the car and did an amazing job executing all of the minute details we had for him. We cannot thank him enough for the dedication he showed to the project. Beers on us for the foreseeable future!!

Take a look at the amount of material used to cover the rear bumper. The GT2RS Clubsport is especially girthy back there.

Fear The Cheese – a hat tip to the legends at Matt’s Bar. We are proud to be from Minnesota and love the Jucy Lucy, so we felt it was a fitting tribute to where we come from and what we love.

And as such, the car will affectionately be known as Lucy to us here at 311RS. There is no doubt she will be a jucy one!

The roof would be the final portion we wrap in an effort to “complete” the car. Doing so required removing the emergency hatch – 8 quarter turn allen bolts and it was off. Very cool.

And the result is seen above. The car looks gorgeous, and every bit aggressive as when it was delivered. To us, the car is now visually “complete”.

The moment the car was finished (5:15a) it was loaded up. We had a 5:30a meeting time to head up to BIR for our first test with the car. Talk about just in time!!

First off, cheers and thank you to all those who have played a role in making our 2019 season one to remember. Teamwork was the theme for 2019, it was all hands on deck as we took our 311RS Porsche team PCA Club Racing with a 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Please enjoy a look back at our 2019 season as seen through the lens of Minnesota’s-own Peter Lapinski.

Winter Testing

-Location: Roebling Road, Road Atlanta, Virginia International Raceway

Winter in MN meant we head south for track time – three tracks in four days. This trip saw the launch of our 997 GT3 Cup program and the first time our GT2RS saw the track on US soil.

Having been to Road Atlanta previously, Roebling Road and VIR provided us a taste of what else the south has to offer. VIR in particular was amazing with it’s natural layout and organic flow – our new favorite US track.

Rain or shine, we drove hard and had an amazing time with some of our best friends – cannot wait for the 2nd Annual in 2020!

Brainerd International Raceway

-Events: PCA First Fling, PCA Club Race, PCA Fall Fling

-PCA Club Race Results in GTC4: Qualified – 1st, Sprint Race 1 – 1st, Sprint Race 2 – 1st, Qualifying and Sprint Race GTC4 class records for Ryan Gates

Our home track. Nothing like it! The mile-long front straightaway at Brainerd International Raceway in MN is home to a few events each year for us. Beginning with First Fling in April, followed by the PCA Club Race in July and Fall Fling in October.

It was a pleasure to run our first PCA Club Race at home and with the support of the entire team – thank you all. We look forward to some of you joining in the Club Race for 2020!

Road America

-Events: PCA Cheese Fling, PCA Road America Challenge Club Race

-PCA Club Race Results in GTC4: Qualified – 1st, Sprint Race 1 – 1st, Sprint Race 2 – 2nd

Our other home track, Road America is just 5hrs from us and is typically the highlight(s) of our summers. This year we attended the PCA Road America Challenge for the first time – an event hosted by the Chicago-region PCA club and featured more than 180 Porsche Club Racers and 60 more HPDE drivers.

And a challenge it was, as we experienced our first on-track contact during the start of Sprint Race 2 into Turn 1. Ryan fought back from an off-track move to avoid cars in front to finish 2nd in GTC4 class – cheers to the GTC4 guys for the great battles out there and a well-deserved win for TJ Larson.

A special highlight from Road America in 2019 was the opportunity to run our 311RS-prepared GT2RS for a few private laps before the weekend. Leh Keen was on hand and had the track to himself running with a feature with Panorama. He took our GT2RS out and set a record laptime on his first lap. Thank you Leh!

Random

Peter paid us a few visits at 311RS HQ throughout the season. When we were not on track, we were here. Some interesting projects this season included exhaust and aero development of Porsche’s latest 911 GT2RS and production of the 311RS Porsche 993 CupSport.

While we are still working on the 993 CupSport, it is shaping up to make 2020 very special for us. Until then, cheers to 2019 and thank you once again to all those who have made it a year we will never forget.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski

We’re onto the next step of our GT2RS development – aerodynamic assessment.

Porsche has delivered the GT2RS with a seemingly endless list of aerodynamic tricks and solutions. It is important for us to understand how each of those elements work together if we plan to adjust the aero setup on the car. Which we do.

Our upcoming Race exhaust system removes the factory center muffler, which itself acts as part of the rear diffuser. Removing this muffler creates a large hole at the rear of the underbody aero system. This must be addressed if we are to call our exhaust system an upgrade.

The folks at Patience Metal Fab introduced us to a local duo who run Nextrev Motorsports. Aerospace engineers by day, race car builders by night. At their day job, these two work with some of the most advanced technology and manufacturing processes available today.

We were specifically interested in a 3D scanning process which creates a model of the GT2RS for use with CFD software. We were connected with a local 3D scanning company which would provide the scan data to NextRev for use with aero development.

It is important for us to not only understand how the factory aero systems work on the GT2RS, but also where they can be improved – in this case by starting with a diffuser to work in conjunction with our Race exhaust system.

The 3D scanning process begins by placing thousands of specialized dots around the car. These dots are “activated” during the first round of scanning. After the computer recognizes the location of the dots, a second round of scanning triangulates the dots and creates a surface of the car based off the deformation of the lasers.

Seeing this 3D scanning process first hand was unreal. These guys were pros and made it look easy.

With the exterior completed, we moved onto the underside.

More dots…

Here is the underside with the OEM diffuser removed. There is a lot of room for improvement back here – Porsche including a diffuser from the factory provides us with mounting points for a much larger diffuser.

3D scanning the underside of the car proved to be a simpler task – the black paint was so shiny (thanks Carsmotology) that we had to rub some wax on the paint to dull it.

Getting all the nooks and crannies.

Here you can see the result from the scan of the GT2RS underside. The use of 3D scanning and CFD for this project will be a huge advantage for us while we evaluate our options for the rear diffuser (and additional small aero tricks).

Our first test day with the car is the 26th of February. We hope to have a prototype of our diffuser ready by then so we can report back with some real world results. Until then, we’ll keep this news section flush with updates as winter rolls on.

Photos courtesy of Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

We dyno two of Porsche’s latest 911s in order to establish a baseline for each project. Read on to see how these two beasts fared on our local Mustang dyno.

The first step in any project we work with here at 311RS is to record baseline numbers – i.e. weight, lap times, power, etc.

With RS Motors 30 miles away, we have local access to a Mustang Dyno. We prefer a Mustang dyno for it’s load-based calculations – simulating the rolling resistance a car will see in the real world.

Numbers may not be as high as an intertia-based Dynojet, however the numbers provided from a Mustang dyno are reliable and consistent across the industry.

First up, the 2018 GT2RS is loaded onto the rollers for it’s baseline runs. The car is sufficiently broken in with 1,130miles on the clock. Porsche quotes the car at 700hp at the crank from the factory.

We ran the GT2RS for three pulls on the Mustang dyno. Seeing a car run under load on a dyno never gets old!

The GT2RS produced a healthy 630whp and 547tq on it’s final run. These numbers confirm this unit is making at least the 700hp quoted from Porsche.

Next up we have a 2019 GT3RS with 500 miles on the clock. No doubt still a bit tight, however there is no time like the present for a baseline dyno given our plans for the car this winter.

The 4.0L N/A engine in the 991.2 GT3RS is rated at 520hp at the crank from the factory.

Again, this car appears to be quite healthy – producing 456whp & 325tq.

While the GT3RS was making it’s runs, Ryan worked quickly to swap the exhaust on the GT2RS – removing the OEM catted & valved system and replacing it with our prototype 993 GT2 Evo-inspired straight pipes made locally here in MN by the guys at Patience Metal Fab.

The goal with these pipes is two fold – remove weight and reduce restriction.

Onto the dyno the car went. At this point, the car is running the factory tune and is not optimized for the additional flow of our straight pipes. Even so, it is important we see how the car responds with an exhaust swap alone.

Porsche runs a heavily torque-based control strategy with it’s ECU. Just because there is a reduced back pressure doesn’t mean the car will produce more power than the target torque value. The ECU will close the throttle, limit wastegate duty cycle, etc. to keep that targeted number exactly the same.

A look at the back -to-back dyno plots between stock exhaust & straight pipes confirms the above. The ECU clearly does not like the additional flow and as the revs increase it consistently trims power off the top end.

All of this leads to one thing – tuning. We cannot wait to unlock the potential of these cars by dyno tuning them. Mitch from COBB will be paying us a visit come mid-January to tune each of these cars with COBB AccessPorts.

By the time Mitch arrives in MN, the GT3RS will have a Dundon Motorsports longtube header system on it. Those alone are said to make good power without a tune, so we’ll confirm that and move forward with tuning after a few baseline runs.

As for the GT2RS, we’ll have the car tuned for the OEM exhaust as well as the straight pipes. In the event we visit a track with noise restrictions, it’s important we can still run the OEM system to good effect.

Our next area of focus will be on the aero department. The parachute caused by removing the rear muffler is to be addressed, as is additional cooling to ensure we aren’t burning up the back of the car with these 5″ straight pipes.

Until then, please enjoy this video of the GT2RS putting launch control to the test on slippery December roads here in MN. Turn the volume up!!

GT2RS owners interested in the development of our GT2RS program, please contact us and we’ll keep you up to date with each step of the process.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.

Nearly 3.5yrs from time of deposit, there is now a 2018 911 GT2RS inside 311RS HQ. And just in time for winter development season.

Below we’ll take a look at our first few stages of development for the GT2RS platform.

The car has just arrived to MN from Germany. We spent a week with the new 991 GT2RS for European delivery back in September – driving the car hard through Germany and Belgium was quite the experience. The roads, the tracks, the beer (!), all were wonderful.

Prior to landing in Europe, we coordinated with Manthey Racing to have a set of Michelin’s new Sport Cup 2R tire ready for install when we arrived. These GT2RS-specific Sport Cup 2R tires are a step on from the standard Sport Cup 2, offering more grip via revised tread pattern and much, much softer top-layer compound. Think Michelin racing slick-level grip…

Our first taste with the tires was on track at Spa Francorchamps. We’re happy to confirm the additional grip is certainly noticeable, especially when the tires were fresh.

We’ll be running the Sport Cup 2R exclusively on our GT2RS. You’ve got to love a street tire with legitimate race tire grip, even if for just a portion of the tire’s life. We look forward to understanding the tires further as the car develops into 2019.

A potential bottleneck for a track-driven GT2RS is the charge cooling system, specifically the size of the factory water tank. While at Manthey, they offered us one their yet-to-be-released extended water tanks. The Manthey piece works in conjunction with the factory water tank, and in the process increases capacity nearly 300%.

Early indications are that the factory GT2RS water tank functions well on a street car. However for those that track their GT2RS, especially in warm climates, the limitations of the factory unit become quite clear.

We put the new Manthey system to the test at Spa Fracorchamps. While there, four other GT2RS’ were also on hand for RMA Trackdays event. And sure enough each of them were refilling their water tank throughout the day – typically with each fuel fill up.

In contrast, we ran 6 sessions with the car, 3 full tanks of fuel, and left the track with nearly 1/3 of the Manthey tank full with distilled water. Keep in mind the Manthey tank is piggybacked on top of the factory tank, so the 1/3 left in the Manthey tank is in addition to what was in the factory tank below.

Manthey’s setup performed flawlessly. We recommend it for all GT2RS owners who plan to drive their cars – it’s a must. We’ve got a batch coming in in early December and ordered a few additional units for inventory.

Please contact us should you wish to upgrade your GT2RS with Manthey’s water tank (or any other items from their catalog).

The next phase of our program focuses on the exhaust system. The factory setup is quite nice – the catalytic converters are attached to each turbo with a direct exit out the exhaust type when the valve is open. While the valves are closed, the exhaust gases are directed into a titanium center muffler and back out the exhaust tips.

Each catalytic converter and valve combo weighs 12.2lbs. Combined with the center muffler and hardware, the complete system is roughly 35lbs.

The system makes good sound and plenty of power, however the catalytic converters are quite restrictive for track use.

Our plan is two fold – Our Track exhaust system will remove the catalytic converters while retaining the valves and center muffler. This will allow the car to breath freely while the muffler is retained to manage sound.

The Race exhaust setup is the one we are most excited for. This system will be as light as possible consisting of only two straight pipes, one off each turbo, routed directly out the back of the bumper. The center muffler will not be retained nor will the valves. Our goal is a system that weighs less than 10lbs.

More on both of these setups in the next week as we have the first few prototype units produced.

With exhaust development underway, it was time to install a GT2RS-inspired roll bar. The bar is produced as a collaboration between two local companies – Patience Metal Fab & Imola Motorsports, and we’re proud to offer it to GT2RS owners.

This roll bar faithfully reproduces the look and feel of the factory Ti roll bar, down to the shape and orientation of the gussets.

We finished this unit the Satin White Gold metallic – the same color of the magnesium BBS Weissach wheels. The finish looks similar to the factory Ti unit, however we really like the fact the roll bar now matches the color of the wheels.

We installed a chromoly steel unit which weighs 37lbs. A titanium version is possible, however the cost vs. performance ratio is questionable. Estimates have the titanium bar between 8-12lbs lighter than chromoly with a price of $15k-18k. Compare that to the $3,500 for the chromoly unit, the decision to fit the steel unit to our GT2RS was clear.

And just like that, the 311RS GT2RS program is up and running. During this winter we’ll be continuing development and preparing the car for it’s first track time early 2019. We’re headed down south in February to get a jump on testing, likely headed to Road Atlanta, Sebring, VIR, and more.

Until then, this news section will be active as the car shapes up through the winter. Please contact us with any questions about the program and to place an order for your GT2RS. We’ll keep this news section active in the meantime. Thanks for reading!

Photos courtesy of Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

Smokies GT is a not-for-profit group of Porsche GT car owners who get together annually in the beautiful Smoky Mountains for a weekend of driving. This year’s Smokies GT event was held April 21-22, and it would be the first time we’d attend but certainly not the last.

The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and this year’s Spring meeting was a massive success – more than $120,000 was raised by the 85 Porsche GT owners on hand. What an accomplishment for a great cause.

Friday is spent at Atlanta Motorsports Park for an open track day. For us, it was the first time we’d been on track in 2017. We brought down 4 GT3s from Minneapolis – one 996, one 997, and two 991s.

As part of the fundraising effort, Leh Keen was on hand giving rides for charity. He’d be using our 991 GT3 for the rides, which was quite an honor for us, and quite a ride for the passenger we’d have to imagine. Together we raised $2,500 for the cause.

Saturday began with a drive to Heaven’s Landing – which is a gorgeous private air strip up in the Smoky mountains. We were there to run the cars flat out for 1/2 mile. Imagine the sound of 85 GT cars flat out for 1/2 mile. Quite nice huh?

There’s a more to the story, but for now we’ll let Peter’s photos do the talking. Thank you once again to the organizers of SmokiesGT for the incredible event. We’ll see you next year! And to Leh and his wife Eliza, the hospitality was much appreciated you two. See you soon.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.