Alwin Springer: ‘Mr Porsche Motorsport’ talks to 9WERKS - Part 2
About this episode
Alwin Springer, known as 'Mr. Porsche Motorsport', shares more captivating stories from his extensive career in the second part of his interview. He discusses the evolution of the iconic 962 and 963 models, the challenges faced in American racing, and the impact of BOP (Balance of Performance) regulations. Alwin also reflects on his personal relationships within the racing community, the importance of teamwork, and the legacy of figures like Don Panoz. His insights into the world of motorsport, combined with anecdotes about his life, make for an engaging listen for fans of Porsche and racing history.
Porsche Motorsport legend Alwin Springer reflects on his decades-long career in racing in this 2025 interview with 9WERKS
Alwin Springer is a true living legend in Porsche circles. Springer has been called “The O.G.” and “Mr Motorsport” by Porsche executives and historians thanks to a 60-year career of high success with both road and racing Porsches all over the US. Alwin’s incredible, decades-long Porsche story starts in the late 1960s, working on Porsches in Toronto, Canada, before learning the race trade at Vasek Polak in California. From here, Springer helped form the world-famous Andial with two friends, before leading Porsche Motorsport North America and rebuilding it front the ground up.
This is a fascinating episode covering nearly 60 years of Alwin’s life-long success racing Porsche cars, and improving road-going variants.
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Porsche
"welcome to NineWorks Radio, your Porsche and car podcast proudly supported by our friends at Heritage Parts Center."
Porsche makes high-performance cars that are famous for their speed and style. They’re German-made and often seen on racetracks.
Porsche is a German luxury sports car manufacturer known for iconic models like the 911, Cayenne, and Panamera.
Heritage Parts Center
"welcome to NineWorks Radio, your Porsche and car podcast proudly supported by our friends at Heritage Parts Center."
They sell parts that can improve a car’s speed, handling, or look. Many Porsche owners buy from them to keep their cars in top shape.
Heritage Parts Center is an aftermarket parts retailer specializing in performance upgrades for Porsche and other high-end vehicles.
downforce
"...cars that has a nice combination between downforce, power and handling."
Downforce is the extra pressure created by a car’s shape that helps it stick to the road when going fast around corners.
Downforce is aerodynamic pressure that pushes a car’s tires toward the road, increasing grip during high-speed cornering.
GTC racing
"...dominant factor in GTC racing at the time, you know, definitely."
GTC racing is a type of car race where modified production cars compete on tracks, focusing on speed and handling.
GTC racing refers to Grand Touring Car competitions, a class of sports car racing that emphasizes high-performance touring cars.
wind tunnel
"Porsche didn't have its own wind tunnel that was big enough to fit the car in."
A wind tunnel is a big room where cars are tested in moving air to see how they handle speed and airflow. It helps designers make cars that go faster and are more stable.
A wind tunnel is a controlled environment where air flows over a scale model or full-size vehicle to study aerodynamic properties such as drag and lift.
IMSA
"because Imsa changed the rules because in the nine, fifty six, you have to feed in front of the front axle."
IMSA is the organization that decides how racing cars must be built and what rules they have to follow in competitions like endurance races.
IMSA stands for the International Motor Sports Association, a governing body that sets rules and regulations for sports car racing events in North America.
water-cooled
"the nine, fifty six was water cooled, semi water cooled and nine, sixty two was air cooled."
Water-cooled means the car’s engine uses a liquid (like coolant) to keep it from getting too hot while it runs.
A water-cooled engine uses liquid coolant circulated through the engine block to absorb and dissipate heat, keeping the engine at a stable operating temperature.
air-cooled
"the nine, fifty six was water cooled, semi water cooled and nine, sixty two was air cooled."
Air-cooled means the car’s engine uses air blowing over it to stay cool instead of liquid coolant.
An air-cooled engine relies on airflow over the engine’s fins to dissipate heat, eliminating the need for liquid coolant.
two point eight liter
"two, nine, sixty two, what came first in the United States was a two point eight liter"
It tells you how big the engine is. A 2.8‑liter engine has a total space of about 2800 cubic centimeters for the pistons to move.
Refers to the engine displacement of 2.8 liters, meaning the total volume swept by all pistons in the engine’s cylinders.
intake system
"We did a complete different intake system"
The intake system is the part of a car that brings air into the engine so it can burn fuel and make power.
The intake system includes components that bring air into the engine, such as the throttle body, intake manifold, and associated piping.
24-Hour Le Mans race
"which we associate with the 1998 Le Mans victory"
Le Mans is a famous car race in France that lasts for 24 hours straight. Cars from all over the world try to be the fastest and last the whole time.
The 24‑Hour Le Mans is an endurance racing event held annually in France, where cars and drivers compete for 24 consecutive hours. Winning this race is a prestigious achievement in motorsport.
Mercedes-Benz
"and especially here Mercedes, OK, in the WEC"
Mercedes-Benz makes fancy cars that can also race on tracks. They’re famous for speed and quality.
Mercedes-Benz is a German luxury automotive manufacturer known for producing high-performance racing and road cars.
BOP
"But, you know, coming back to BOP, it's it was it was a necessity ... So we needed BOP."
BOP is a way to make different cars race against each other by adjusting things like weight or engine power so no single car has a huge advantage.
BOP stands for Balance of Performance, a set of rules used by racing series to equalize cars with different powerplants and setups so they compete fairly.
restrictor
"listen, you started with restrictor, you started with weight"
A restrictor is a small piece that blocks some air from reaching the engine, so it can’t make as much power and stays in line with other cars.
A restrictor is a device that limits the airflow into an engine, reducing its power output to keep competition balanced.
Nandale
"[1339.6s] I relinquished my shares in Nandale. [1343.2s] And then overnight from 31st of December to January 1st,"
Nandale is a company that the speaker used to own shares in before moving fully into Porsche Motorsport.
Nandale was a company involved in automotive parts or services, mentioned here as the entity from which shares were relinquished.
Bridgestone Supercar Series
"We started with the Bridgestone Supercar series."
It's a race where drivers compete in fast cars, and Bridgestone provides the special tires for the event.
The Bridgestone Supercar Series is a racing series that showcases high-performance cars and tires, often featuring historic or exotic models.
Lotus
"[1417.3s] And then Lotus came, Supercar Lotus came along"
Lotus makes small, fast cars that are very light and good for racing. They’re famous for their simple but powerful designs.
Lotus is a British automotive manufacturer known for lightweight, high-performance sports cars such as the Lotus Elise and Exige.
street car
"[1442.8s] That was the main rule. [1444.5s] And for me, there was no way that they were using a street engine."
A street car is just a normal car you can drive on the road, like a sedan or hatchback. It’s not built only for racing.
A car that is designed for everyday use on public roads, not a purpose-built race vehicle.
turbo
"[1451.5s] that something wasn’t right with the turbo. [1454.0s] So I went to him, sir."
A turbo is a machine that makes your car’s engine run faster by pushing more air into it using the exhaust gases.
A turbocharger is a forced induction device that uses exhaust gases to spin a turbine, which compresses incoming air into the engine for more power.
Ferrari
"I mean, we had a super group and then the technical director, the Ferrari complaint."
Ferrari makes fast, fancy cars that are famous in racing and for their style.
Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer known for high-performance vehicles and racing heritage.
water pump
"out of water pumps doing it 24 hours... we saw it wouldn't work. So we sent the people out in the parking lot and found gas where we could take the water pumps off on a streetcar"
A water pump moves the liquid that cools your car’s engine, helping it stay at a safe temperature.
The water pump is a component that circulates coolant through the engine to keep it from overheating.
cylinder heads
"[2818.6s] and they found out that inside the cylinder heads, [2823.3s] they were they made the company who made the cylinder head"
The cylinder head is the top part of an engine that holds valves and spark plugs. It helps keep the air‑fuel mixture inside the cylinders so the engine can run.
Cylinder heads are the components that sit on top of an engine’s cylinders and contain valves, spark plugs, and passages for coolant and oil. They play a critical role in sealing combustion chambers and directing airflow.
WEC
"[4093.8s] Between the three of them and Gerard Neveu, remember him from the WEC? [4098.9s] The manager, he was there too."
The WEC is a racing competition where cars race for many hours, like the 24‑hour race at Le Mans. It’s a big event in endurance racing.
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) is an international motorsport series featuring long-distance races, including the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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