NorCal 944-SPEC started their first race for the 2009 season under rainy skys but that was not enough to dampen the spirit and excitement that comes from opening weekend.

The March PIR event saw the return of past champions and track record holders.  Norm Hamden, Glen Gormley and Jon Ariano all made the return to the track.  They combined with other 944 guys to bring the racer count to 16 over the weekend with 14 starters each day.

Racing in early January is definitely an Arizona thing as the weather is always perfect.  2009 was no exception.  This year’s season opener was going to be different in that the past two championship winner’s were absent.  However this left the door open for new winners and new opportunities. The only question was who could step up.

Running the 24 hours of LeMons is a confluence of the bizarre. Mix 100 parts jalopy, going faster than you ever have in rush hour traffic, a race track, Halloween, and the attempt to take all the seriousness out of a race driver while still trying to keep the participants out of harms way and you're only a couple steps into what this is about. For the uninitiated, the basic concept is that you'll be racing wheel to wheel in a $500 car. Since you don't actually want to die in the process, safety equipment is exempted from the base cost.

NorCal celebrated their 2008 season with a awards luncheon in San Francisco with friends and family.  It has been a banner year with record awards given out in contingencies, prizes and cash.