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I had my first driver's education and driver's training session with the local PCA up in Brainerd this weekend. Here's a few observations and learnings.
The Incidents
There were a few incidents this weekend. I noticed that a lot of folks had track specific cars and that very few shiny new cars were out there. Some brand new 911 turbos showed at the paddock but never made it to the track!
Race car 911 went off the end of the track and went end-over-end. The car had a roll cage and the driver was fine. He says he blew a tire (it was definitely gone by the end of the gymnastics) - but the other PCA instructors were suspicious of user error.
986 Boxster came out of turn 8 and spun out. It threw gravel all over the track and wound up parked at the end of the track.
Another 911 accidentally shifted from fifth to second instead of fourth. Apparently transmissions and engines were sacrificed.
A visiting C05 managed to mow the grass around turn five. No damage - just weed pulling.
All the rest were wheels off the track, plowing the berms and so-on.
For some folks this was a very expensive weekend. I am not sure whether it was self-preservation or wallet-preservation but I was not willing to push it to that limit.
The Training
I had my own instructor available to me all weekend. Fred encouraged me to drive the car safely on the line, then as I got more comfortable, to push a bit harder. He took me out in his club racer 911 - I got to see just how hard you can push one of these.
We got some basic training on the line, the track and safety. We got slow speed track time, instructor driven track time and then fast speed track time. The best part of the instruction day was the huge amount of track time we got. I really enjoyed that a lot!
Driving in the Rain
We got a lot of rain Saturday and Sunday. Driving in the rain is henky! I can't say I enjoyed it - but I sure learned.
Fred had me press the gas pedal too hard coming out of third so I could learn to handle a fishtail. I was coached to keep my eyes where I wanted the car to go and to take my foot off the gas. The first time through the Please Save Me (PSM) kept me from really fishtailing. The second time, the rear end broke free. I followed the coaching and the car came back.
I became paranoid about weight transfer and using all the track when the track was wet. I am guessing that anyone driving near 9/10ths is doing that kind of thinking all the time.
The car is psychic. It telepathically warns me when it's going to try to rotate, slide or fishtail. I now understand what people mean when they say it has 'road feel'.
Brainerd has a drag strip. They laid down sticky rubber stuff where the dragsters take off. When the road is bone dry - those patches are like glue. When wet - it's a skating rink. We were told about a club racer who passed in the rain and ping-ponged off the walls on either side several times, squaring out his car in an unnatural way. We treated those patches with extreme respect.
The People
Nice, nice, nice people! I saw ZERO 911 snobbery. I saw helpful, friendly people who were welcoming new folks into what was clearly a group of old friends. Dale and Jo were kind enough to time laps for us. Kim and Keith were friendly and welcoming. Too many people to name, but this was the highlight of the event for me.
The Cayman
2:13 Hot Lap
Street tires were great in the rain. Slicks would have been ... slick.
2:03 was the fastest Cayman lap (Tim's) that I know of.
No mechanical failures. No new tires. No new brakes.
What I Learned
The brakes on the Cayman are fantastic. I stopped from 93 mph into the box without any drama. Tim had HK10 brakepads on his car and made the same stop from about 110 mph. Very impressive. As I'm coming into turn 3 (50-60mph turn) at 110 mph - it's very nice to know that the car will slow enough.
The power discussions on the site seem a bit less important to me now. In no way was I using the full power of the car - except on the straights. I know I can pull 10-15 seconds out of my lap time by getting my skills up. That's huge! I was able to get to about 135 mph at the end of the straight - a 911 Turbo was doing 156. More can be used - but not by me yet.
When you're on the line, it turns into a Sunday drive (sort of). There's very little drama and a surprising amount of speed. When you nail a corner the car hunkers down and just makes it around. I was really impressed.
Caymans sound ... different. Everything else on the track sounds like a roaring motor. The Cayman sounds like air moving and tires rolling. There's a bit of engine roar there - but it's mostly air. During the time trials you could clearly hear individual cars - everyone noted the sound difference.
Finally I'm wondering whether I'm nuts taking my daily driver to the track. You can get a track-ready 944 for about $15k. I loved putting my Cayman to the test - but if I have the bug should I buy a dedicated car.
I would love to hear others experiences on their DEs.
Dfogal.
PCA - Porsche Club Of America
The Porsche Club of America - http://www.pca.org
CaymanClub.Net members who are also PCA members should request access to the PCA Member only forum by filling in their PCA Member ID# into their profile and then requesting a group membership addition, both of which can be done in the User Control Panel (User CP)
That was a very eventful DE. I've only seen one car totalled and few head off the track in the 8 days that I have done. I'm on the road headed back from a St Louis PCA DE right now. I drove my daily driver 300 miles to St Louis from Memphis and I'm driving it back now after the weekend. The DEs are about learning how to drive and handle your car. If that isn't what you are after, then maybe the 944 would be a better bet. Some folks just want to drive on the track and learn how to drive fast. The 944 fits that role perfectly.
I take my Cayman to DEs for the following reasons:
1) To have fun. Barreling around the track is an unforgettable experience.
2) Vehicle control. Since this is my daily driver, it is more important that I learn how to drive it well. My ability to control my car has already prevented me from getting into two accidents. One of the accidents would have bad enough to total my car.
3) Better driver. I want to learn how to drive safely at high speeds. DEs are the best way to accomplish that goal.
I wouldn't think of it as damaging or risking your car. If that is the frame of mind that you are in, you are worrying too much. These are all about learning your car and how to drive it to the limits. You should be having fun. If you are too worried, you won't enjoy it. You only live once and this won't be your last car!
PCA - Porsche Club Of America
The Porsche Club of America - http://www.pca.org
CaymanClub.Net members who are also PCA members should request access to the PCA Member only forum by filling in their PCA Member ID# into their profile and then requesting a group membership addition, both of which can be done in the User Control Panel (User CP)
__________________
"The Cayman doesn't need any more toys." -- My wife
Good advice. I really enjoyed the event and have a newly minted respect for energy being proportional to the square of velocity. At 120 mph I have four times the kinetic energy than at 60 mph!
In terms of thinking about it too much - I chose to not buy track insurance with full disclosure from Allstate that they would not cover any damage on a racetrack surface. Before next spring I may change to State Farm (who apparently will cover it) or buy track insurance. I have the bug!
D.
Kinetic Speed Shop Platinum
Kinetic Speed Shop was formed in April, 2005 by partners Nic Jonsson and Russell Smith, each sharing a common vision of developing a facility and team of professionals that would deliver the most cost effective, first-class products & services in the industry as well as enable the organization to competitively race on professional levels.
Kinetic Speed Shop knows cars inside and out and has the in-house resources such as our fabrication, composites, paint/body, engine, and electronics departments to make any changes and improvements your race car may require. Kinetic’s staff of drivers, engineers and mechanics specializes in car set-up and have extensive race experience in many series giving them the capabilities to work on all types and levels of high-performance cars. Staff series experience includes:
1) I have Am Fam Ins, and as long as I am not "racing" or "timing" I'm apparently OK with my ins company. One of the reasons I don't do the timed runs.
2) You're much faster than I was after my first DE. You can expect your streets (forgot to see if you're PS2's or not) to last a few more weekends. Mine made it from April to August before going to MPSC's. They make a huge difference! I was running 2:02's when I happened to be timing them. Not as much work with the R Compound tires, there is so much less slip in the corners.
3) I was a bit surprised with the amount of body roll you had on the slalom. If you stick with the Cayman for the track, maybe a Bilstein setup would be in order. But then again, car 36 (silver CS) runs in 4, and he's very fast. He says he hasn't done any suspension work, and I didn't notice too much roll on the track when I was in front of him (for awhile) or behind him (most of the time). Maybe the slalom isn't a good judge of the suspension.
4) Speaking of turbo's not making it to the track, did you see the GT3RS make a round of the paddock and then take off?
5) Incidents - I was about 2 turns behind the rolled 911, I don't understand what happened either, I heard he dropped a wheel off where they are putting the addition on, but that was on the right side of the track, and he shouldn't have been there unless he was passing (and its not a passing zone), or way off line. At last year's fall fling, when the dragstrip devoured Brad's setup 996, there was also another really bad one that took out a cornerworker stand between 1 & 2. Notice that "NO PORSCHE PARKING" sign where it used to be?
I'll be interested to follow your progress and see what you do. If I was closer to a dealer/shop, I'd consider a less expensive car too, but I'm happy just participating, and really don't expect I'd push it so hard that I'll do tremendous damage to the car (knock on wood).
3) I was a bit surprised with the amount of body roll you had on the slalom. If you stick with the Cayman for the track, maybe a Bilstein setup would be in order. But then again, car 36 (silver CS) runs in 4, and he's very fast. He says he hasn't done any suspension work, and I didn't notice too much roll on the track when I was in front of him (for awhile) or behind him (most of the time). Maybe the slalom isn't a good judge of the suspension.
John
The body roll may be from my instructor - Fred. No - he doesn't weigh 400 pounds. We watched the others going down the track and by the seventh or eighth cone, most people had narrowed the width of their path through the cones dramatically. At the end, they were going around the cones very near 3 and 9 on the clock - rather than 1.5 and 10.5. Fred insisted I keep the speed up and try to kick the tail out.
Having said that - I'm now planning my mods to the car! I signed up for the Quaife LSD October shipment. I'm still trying to figure out what suspension I will put in place. I don't have the sport mode - so some of the options are out for me. I was considering sway bars too - but I want them to be discreet.
Any advice?
LSD - Limited Slip Differential
A limited slip differential (LSD) is a modified or derived type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in rotational velocity of the output shafts, but does not allow the difference in speed to increase beyond a preset amount. In an automobile, such limited slip differentials are sometimes used in place of a standard differential, where they convey certain dynamic advantages, at the expense of greater complexity.
The main advantage of a limited slip differential is found by considering the case of a standard (or "open") differential where one wheel has no contact with the ground at all. In such a case, the contacting wheel will remain stationary, and the non-contacting wheel will rotate freely– the torque transmitted will be equal at both wheels, but will not exceed the threshold of torque needed to move the vehicle, thus the vehicle will remain stationary. In everyday use on typical roads, such a situation is very unlikely, and so a normal differential suffices. For more demanding use however, such as driving off-road, or for high performance vehicles, such a state of affairs is undesirable, and the LSD can be employed to deal with it. By limiting the velocity difference between a pair of driven wheels, useful torque can be transmitted as long as there is some friction available on at least one of the wheels.
To see the installation of a LSD style unit Click Here -> Article Forthcoming Stay Tuned
Yeah, when I noticed it, you were turning to the left, so it may have been Fred.
My only suggestion is to ask Bob at AutoEdge (651-777-6924). He just did a superb job on Dad's 997 and I know he's set up a few Caymans. I've been impressed by their customer service, and Bob's knowledge. Really great people there, and as a bonus (big bonus) they are at every DE weekend if you have any problems. I'd ask him about the LSD too.
You may want to go to 18" wheels for the track (then you will have track tires for dry, streets for wet). Looks like you have 19" Carerra Classics, right?
Oh, the most important mod to make is seat time. I figure you knew that. A lot of the cars up there that will be passing you in the future don't have nearly the HP you have, and many of the cars you will pass will have more HP than you!
John
LSD - Limited Slip Differential
A limited slip differential (LSD) is a modified or derived type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in rotational velocity of the output shafts, but does not allow the difference in speed to increase beyond a preset amount. In an automobile, such limited slip differentials are sometimes used in place of a standard differential, where they convey certain dynamic advantages, at the expense of greater complexity.
The main advantage of a limited slip differential is found by considering the case of a standard (or "open") differential where one wheel has no contact with the ground at all. In such a case, the contacting wheel will remain stationary, and the non-contacting wheel will rotate freely– the torque transmitted will be equal at both wheels, but will not exceed the threshold of torque needed to move the vehicle, thus the vehicle will remain stationary. In everyday use on typical roads, such a situation is very unlikely, and so a normal differential suffices. For more demanding use however, such as driving off-road, or for high performance vehicles, such a state of affairs is undesirable, and the LSD can be employed to deal with it. By limiting the velocity difference between a pair of driven wheels, useful torque can be transmitted as long as there is some friction available on at least one of the wheels.
To see the installation of a LSD style unit Click Here -> Article Forthcoming Stay Tuned
I won't be there, but I'd be curious to see how the Audi guys do it. I was at the June 06 Audi event's first night, but then we had to suddenly leave the next morning before I got any track time. I was impressed with how the Audi Club had the meeting at Maddens the night before to run through everything. Something to be said for NordStern's casual atmosphere though, it really makes things less intimidating for beginners.
Have just joined the PCA......I plan to hit the track with them next year.
I have heard of a group here in ND called Rough Riders (or maybe it's Ruf Riders) that go out for drives with their Porsches. Would you know anything about them?
PCA - Porsche Club Of America
The Porsche Club of America - http://www.pca.org
CaymanClub.Net members who are also PCA members should request access to the PCA Member only forum by filling in their PCA Member ID# into their profile and then requesting a group membership addition, both of which can be done in the User Control Panel (User CP)
