Road Atlanta is a wonderful racetrack that takes you on a
rollercoaster of a ride through the Georgia hills. Having said that, does the phrase “off camber, full throttle, downhill section of track” excite you or does it make you want to spectate? If you sit in the former camp, then Road Atltanta’s turn-12 is for you (not that the other 11 turns demand any less). In fact, all 12-turns of the 2.54 Road Atlanta track are demanding and exciting when you get them right, treacherous when you don’t.
Todd Treffert qualified his 1974 911 IROC RSR on pole for last weekends all Porsche Celebration Race. If you are a fan of IMSA racing from the 1970’s and 80’s, you will love this. You see, Todd’s 911 has no driver aids, no PDK, no rev matching (unless you count his magical right foot), no rev limiter (he does utilize a shift light) and of course he does use the Porsche Sport Chrono Package from the day…. a $25 Robic stopwatch attached to the steering wheel with Velcro!
As you watch this video, focus on the driver talent while Todd is leading. Lightning quick shifts up and down through the gearbox, matching revs precisely every shift. Be sure to recognize how spartan his 911 is, it is simply designed to go fast and stop quickly. Like a very expensive knife, it’s very simple but you had better know what you are doing or you could get hurt! Notice the closing speeds when Todd starts to lap traffic, some drivers start to squirm as Todd approaches, some point Todd by, one simply pulls off track!!
Driving like this is becoming very rare which is why HSR is more popular today than ever. If you see a black 911 IROC numbered 141 with Todd Treffert stenciled on the roof, I recommend you find a spot and enjoy his style. In the meantime, enjoy the video!
