Randy Franklin Pobst, known as "RFP" or "The Rocket," is an American professional racing driver and automotive journalist with more than 90 professional wins across multiple racing series. As Motor Trend magazine's primary test driver, Pobst has become America's answer to Europe's test driver legends, setting track records and providing authoritative performance evaluations for over two decades. With 114 recorded laps across 94 vehicles on LapMeta, his data represents a comprehensive survey of modern performance car capabilities.
Pobst's racing pedigree is exceptional: he won the SCCA World Challenge GT championship in 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2010, captured the 1996 North American Touring Car Championship, and was vice-champion in SCCA World Challenge TC for 2005, 2006, and 2007. He is also a two-time class winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona (2001 and 2006). This extensive racing background provides him with the skill set necessary to extract maximum performance from any vehicle he tests.
His Motor Trend work focuses heavily on Virginia International Raceway, where he has recorded 62 laps on the Pre-2023 configuration and 27 on Big Willow. Pobst holds the production car lap record at VIR's Grand Course, set in the 2019 McLaren Senna—a time that no one, in any street or race car, has beaten. His notable achievements include lapping Laguna Seca in the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR in 1:28.65, faster than the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid supercar, and breaking Road Atlanta's track record in the 2019 Corvette ZR1.
Beyond raw lap times, Pobst hosts "The Racing Line" on the MotorTrend YouTube channel, where he educates enthusiasts on racing fundamentals. His ability to communicate complex driving concepts in accessible terms, combined with his empirical lap time data, makes him invaluable to both manufacturers seeking validation and consumers making purchasing decisions. Randy Pobst represents the intersection of elite racing skill and journalistic integrity.
Randy Pobst races the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992) against the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C8) with Z07 package against the 2023 BMW M4 CSL (G82) — three road-legal track-special models — at Big Willow!
In this world's first test of the 992 GT3 RS, SCCA Hall of Fame race-car driver Randy Pobst delivers the definitive Willow Springs lap times for each of these cars, and automotive journalist Jason Cammisa narrates Randy's laps using time-warp and slow-motion techniques to slow the action for our deep-dive enjoyment.
Click here for the Corvette E-Ray drag race Jason mentioned:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQlOBwaOTvI
WILLOW SPRINGS LAP TIMES
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992) 1:24.3
Chevy Corvette Z06 Z07 (C8) 1:24.9
BMW M4 CSL (G82) 1:28.2*
Driver: Randy Pobst (Sub-freezing temperatures)
*On base Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires rather than optional Cup 2R rubber
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
0:50 3 Randy Pobsts!
1:44 World Exclusive: Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992)
3:05 C8 Corvette Z06 w/ Z07
4:01 G82 BMW M4 CSL
5:24 3-car Race!
5:56 Turn 1— BMW is fastest, Porsche brakes best
7:25 Turn 2 — Z06 feels great, Porsche grips!
8:50 Turn 3 — Z06 doesn't stop, 911 understeers!
10:10 Turn 4 & 5 — BMW is a handful, Z06 is unruly
10:57 Turn 6 — GT3 RS is perfect over the jump
11:50 Willow's Back Straight & Turn 7
12:26 Turn 8 — Entering at 145 mph
13:12 Pulling 1.3g at 130 mph for 17 seconds and 0.6 mile!
14:25 Turn 9 — Z06 is right behind the 911 GT3 RS!
15:14 Porsche wins!
15:22 Laptime Leaderboard
16:33 Conclusion: Slowest Car Wins!
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