A little more than a month ago, the Sports Car Club of America™ revealed its Club Spec Cayman program, aiming for a full rollout in 2027 as an official class across multiple SCCA® disciplines. That announcementstated this new development mirrors that of the Club Spec MX-5 and Club Spec Mustang initiatives centered upon the philosophy of build once, then have tons of fun in as many places as possible with as many people as possible, and still drive to work in the same vehicle.
According to Heyward Wagner, SCCA’s Vice President of Experiential Programs, the concept has been well received. Club Spec Mustangs and MX-5s have populated SCCA autocrosses, Time Attacks, and Targa events, as well as Track Night in America® Driven by Tire Rack gatherings. Now, Porsche’s 718 model – consisting of specific Cayman and Boxster vehicles – has been added to the mix.
Turns out, SCCA wasn’t the only one excited about this. Road & Track and others were, too.
Club Spec Porsche Grabs Media Attention
It didn’t take long for automotive media outlets to catch wind of this development and show interest. Road & Track journalist Lucas Bell wrote an in-depth piece after chatting with Wagner. A link to the full story is below, but Wagner is quoted in the article as stating, “Part of what makes Club Spec an exciting opportunity is that you can take a car that might not be as loved by the enthusiast marketplace as others, fix just a couple of things on it, and make it really great.”
Fast Lane Only writer Charisse Medrano investigated the new Club Spec Porsche plan, too. Medrano’s piece concludes that Club Spec diverges from other spec motorsports in its insistence that a single build should serve multiple disciplines. Furthermore, the writer notes SCCA’s idea behind all of its Club Spec efforts is to create a class of car flexible enough to participate in all sorts of activities – from local autocross to Regional track days and Time Attack. For the 718 Porsche, that means a configuration that can be driven to an event, run competitively, and then be driven home rather than living exclusively on a trailer.
Want more info on SCCA’s Club Spec platform? Check out the SCCA Club Spec webpage and follow the SCCA Club Spec Facebook community. To read the full Road & Track and Fast Lane Only articles, click the links below.
Road & Track Article Fast Lane Only Article
The title of the article that appeared on Hagerty.com/media (Hagerty, of course, being the official insurance partner of the SCCA®) was a simple one: “9 Vehicles That Shifted Our Driving Paradigms.” In fact, I nearly scrolled right past it, but then I thought, which vehicles transformed cars into a passion for me? Hell, with my name being Jack Track, it’s like I was created to love cars and driving. Almost like I’m a made-up character, generated by the folks at the SCCA to be an irreverent voice for Track Night in America® Driven by Tire Rack. That, of course, would be ridiculous.
Since I, Jack Track, am most definitely not fictitious, I asked myself, which vehicles did it for me? Since I’m a totally sentient being and not an imaginary character, I immediately knew.
Or did I?
Curious about their thoughts, I clicked the link and read the article.
“In driving, as in life, there’s the moment before, and then the moment after, when everything is forever changed,” the article began. “This week we’ve been thinking about vehicles that altered our previous perceptions of driving, whether for their performance, their construction, their tech, or even their sheer size. Everyone’s got a story like this – what’s yours?”
First up on the list for the editors at Hagerty? The Miata, of course.
“Right at the end of college, my friend Tom picked up a green ’99 Miata,” explained Hagerty’s Eddy Eckart. “He’d always been a fan of small, lightweight cars, having previously owned an E21-generation BMW 320i. I, on the other hand, grew up idolizing muscle and pony cars, and was on my second F-body. One day, he tossed me the keys to his new-ish little roadster and told me to go disappear for a couple hours.
“His nonchalance belied the fact that this afternoon buzz through Northern Virginia backroads would forever alter my automotive priorities. The precision! The lack of weight! Steering that actually, you know, altered the direction of the car and provided tactile feedback. Revelatory stuff.”
Second on Hagerty’s list? Somewhat coincidentally, the E30 BMW. As Hagerty’s Kyle Smith wrote: “There was before driving that car – a time when I thought my 2004 Ford Ranger handled like it was on rails – and after, when I came to understand what driving dynamics actually meant. A lithe car with just enough power forever changed my thinking of what I wanted out of a non-truck.”
The list also included a late ’70s Pontiac Trans Am® which, as someone who is completely real, I have a tale or two to tell about the second-generation Firebird and Trans Am.
Want to know the other cars that made up the list in Hagerty’s article? Click right here to read the entire article.
Want to know which cars shifted my driving paradigm? Me too! I think someone needs to write me a backstory.
