Autocrossing the Boxster

Autocrossing is a low-speed race (speeds don't usually exceed about 60 mph), usually laid out on a large parking-lot or unused airport, using cones to designate the course, in which each car runs separately against the clock. The cars' "handling" (maneuverability) is emphasized over power due to the many tight turns. Time penalties are assessed for hitting the cones. Fastest time wins. Don't be fooled by the low speeds... this is highly addicitive!

The following info hasn't been updated for a while, so I can't say how accurate it it currently. But it's interesting!

The Boxster is eligible to compete in a variety of different organizations, such as the Porsche Club of America (PCA) and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Another good organization is the National Auto Sport Association ("NASA;" click on the "NorCal AutoX" link). And I have lots of other autocross- and high-performance-related links on my links page.

For those of you who aren't that familiar with autocrossing, I'd suggest you visit the "Solo II" section of the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) web-site for some helpful pointers on how to get started (Solo II is SCCA's term for autocrossing). They also have a brief overview of their rules and various other links, or you can click on the links below for my condensed version. The official SCCA web-site also has a lot of good information, though it's perhaps a bit less specific. The SCCA has a nationwide organisation with very active and competitive local clubs all over the country. It's definitely the place to go if you want to compete against the best drivers.

NASA rules are fairly similar to the SCCA rules... nearly identical in fact, so I won't go into detail here beyond to say that they don't offer some of the regional-only classes like the SCCA San Francisco Region's "Street Tire" class.

Note that I don't cover PCA autocrossing in any detail since the rules vary so much between the different regions and chapters. But many of the mods listed on the "modifications" page can be performed for PCA autocrossing too. And in some cases their rules are more friendly to the Boxster than the SCCA's are. In my local PCA region I compete only against other Boxsters... no other cars are allowed in the class. The PCA is geared more toward drivers who want to have fun, while still providing lots of opportunities to fling your Porsche around corners in a manner that would land you in jail if practiced on the streets!

Since I'm an SCCA-centric competitor, I've concentrated my efforts on describing SCCA rules. For more details on specific autocross topics, click on the links below:

SCCA "Stock" Boxster Setup

This page is devoted to those who want to prepare their Boxsters to the limit of the SCCA Solo II "Stock Category" rules. Stock Category is a grouping of classes which all follow the same preparation rules, but are grouped into separate classes according to their competition potential. Originally, all model-years of the standard Boxster, regardless of options installed, competed in "A Stock," while the Boxster S ran in "Super Stock," but the classes have been changed since then. See the SFR SCCA web-site for updated info. Currently, the "S" is in "AS," the standard Boxsters are in "BS." Stock is a great place to compete in a car that you don't want to modify much, if at all. The modifications are mostly very minor and highly unlikely to void your warranty, draw unwanted attention from police, or render your car unsuitable for street driving.

SCCA "Street Prepared" Boxster Setup

There are also other, progressively faster, Categories for cars that have been modified in excess of the Stock Category rules: "Street Prepared" (where all Boxsters are in A Street Prepared), "Prepared," and "Modified." This page is for those who want to modify their Boxsters beyond what the Stock Category allows, yet still keep their cars relatively streetable. Street Prepared category seems to allow for that to some degree. The Boxster's Street Prepared class is "A Street Prepared" (there are four others, all slower... BSP-FSP). Since the Street Prepared rules build on the Stock rules, you should first read my "A Stock" page and familiarize yourself with the modifications discussed there.

My Boxster Autocross Diary

Just what it says: A self-centered discussion of my autocrossing experiences. Some of it may actually be helpful!

For more info on making autocross modifications to your car, check out my "modifications" page and my "tests" page. And my "links" page too, of course.

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