Club Racing: Porsche Nottingham's Restoracing Journey
Updated: Nov 27, 2018
In 2017, it was 20 years since the Boxster was first released. It was a car that changed the Porsche line up for the future. The launch in 1997 was a turning point for the brand and has been a favourite for many years.
Porsche decided that they should celebrate the Boxster in the best way possible, by racing it. Porsche Centres across the UK sourced and restored their very own 986 Boxster models and were fully prepped to racing standards to compete in the Restoracing Championship. The races themselves are split every weekend into two 25 minute races with points on offer for finishing positions and fastest laps.
2018 entries were judged on different elements of the restoration process including body and paint preparation, mechanical restoration and marketing activity.
All centres nominate a driver to race the restored Boxsters around iconic UK circuits including Donington Park, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Silverstone. The cars will also be covered in some of the most iconic Porsche liveries from the past including the ‘Salzburg’ 917 livery, the ‘Pink Pig’, the Rothmans livery and more.
A Team Under the Microscope: Nottingham
Following on from the success of the championship in 2018, the Porsche Centre in Nottingham will be back in 2019 for a title push in a series that was hotly contested this season. The Centre proudly won the award for ‘Best Mechanical Restoration’ in October and will be after the "Marketing Award" in 2019.
The car was fully stripped and sent away to have an FIA Approved roll cage and 6 point harness fitted amongst other things necessary for racing. The engine was also taken apart, cleaned and rebuilt so you can imagine the level of professionalism that goes into making this team perform on track.
The most iconic livery ever seen on a Porsche was the Martini livery, so it only seemed right that this was chosen for this Restoracing Boxster. The Martini stripes flow perfectly with the shape and lines of the car and is a standout car in the field of other Boxsters. The race number of the car also had to be chosen and wasn’t any old number, but a number with great significance. In 1951, the number 46 was used on the first Porsche to compete in the Le Mans 24 hour race so it seemed a perfectly good reason for the team to use the number on the car.
Introducing Nottingham’s driver Wayne Minogue. Wayne is one of the Porsche Centres Gold Technicians and has worked with the brand for 6 years. He was an integral part of the restoration process and chose to be the dedicated driver of the Boxster. Wayne was tested at the Porsche Experience Centre in Silverstone on his speed, handling, reactions and overall racing ability. The 2018 championship was a good one for him and the team as they achieved 6th place overall and had a highest race finish of 4th.
Earlier this year, once the season had come to a close, Porsche held an awards evening to celebrate the successes of the Restoracing Championship. 2019 looks set to be an even bigger year in the championships history with the same Porsche Centres battling out to be the best in the business…literally.
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