carrering

Finally got to take my RS to the track for the first time and I am glad to have waited for this school. I have done several car control clinics, DE's, and private track days but I have never been to Porsche's factory DE programs so I signed up for their precision level.

I had a great time revisiting some basics and felt I got a very nice introduction to my new car. It was great getting back on track and I felt right at home coming out of a .1 GT3. To me the RS definitely has the volume turned up another notch.

Our group parked in front of "the diamond" in between sessions.


The precision course is the introductory course (2 days) and on the first day there was skid pad, emergency lane change, emergency braking, and a group drive through the short configuration of the track. The leipzig track is a compilation of famous corners from worldwide tracks.

Here I am having fun on the wet skid pad. Seca's corkscrew is in the background. No sound limit here though :-)


The gentleman that bought my GT3 actually also came out with me in his new car for his very first experience on a track. We had an amazing time and the 997.1 looked amazing out there as well. The fun part was we were both in the small english speaking group and we both have the same first name, car, color, and even from the same state. half the time I don't know who was being yelled at so I just kept going. jumping suzuka s curve is very very fun and exiting


other jim showing how its done.


i heard you like gt3's so we put a gt3 in a gt3 so you can.....



naturally being the home of the Cayenne and Panamera we also got some quite convincing sales pitches for both.
At first I thought it would be a waste of time, but then they gave me a cayenne turbo and i got to jump off a cliff with it.


During lunch I got to check out the vehicles on display on the top floor.
Being the birthplace of the CGT, I loved seeing this when you get upstairs.



They had a GT1 as well and nice martini car





Day 2 was all track. first corner break downs where we repeated each section over and over. Suzuka S was my favorite. Plenty of chance to practice threshold braking on Loews corner from monaco as well.
Here i am on entry to Suzuka S.


here is the other jim. PFC rotors still holding up very strong!


didn't see this at the track, but it was parked at our hotel. interesting choice. i figure he is a blue angel pilot. no idea how he got out of the car though.



here is the RS parked at the paddock in between sessions.


We combined all the corners and did the full course in the afternoon. First with instructor lead follow and then open driving. After that, we had instructor hot laps. All the instructors were equipped with PDK turbo's it seemed. We tried to get a GT3 ride, but the instructor GT3 had some issue come up. Anyways turbo's were fun, but very interesting to see PCCB pads actually on fire when one of the cars came in. The most fun was riding in a Panamera and drifting around the entire track. I'm definitely hooked and will return for the next couple levels. really want to get into their g-force training as well which turns out to be pretty much drifting class.

Here is last shot. after school is over. nice photo with RS in front of the diamond.

Md11skipper

Great write up, thank you! Certainly inspiring to do this class down the road

Targa Tim

great writeup and photos.

cfjan

Sounds great.. !

Quick question -> no helmet required?

Nugget

Hey! If they sold them like this I might actually be able to get one up my driveway without scraping!

P.J.S.

Blue and yellow is penske colors of yesteryear... maybe?

jenk12m

That's awesome that you guys can do a driving school and use your own cars. I love the last pic of your car in front of the building

TRAKCAR

Thanks for the post!

Another reason to try and ship the RS over to Germany next summer

carrering

Helmets only required during the open lapping sessions.

The instructors all have raced professionally in the recent past or currently active.
Each group (9 cars for us) has 2 instructors. We were all equipped with radios. It was great getting instant feedback especially on the sectional track driving. They also hop in with you and give you little hints here and there making your corner entrance and exit much much faster.

I was actually surprised by the pace they were going. Just because its an introduction course don't think you won't be going as fast as you dare go. during the lead follow everyone takes turns getting right behind the instructors. they are in PDK turbo's and use them. They keep egging you on so you have to just plant the throttle and go go go. absolutely worth every red cent. The voucher you receive at the end of the course for a replacement set of PSC's is also quite a good deal.

oh, we had a slalom in the Boxster Spyder. It was fun watching 3 instructors spending about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get the top off and fold it. they eventually just threw it on the side of the track.

jenk12m

Sounds like something I need to put on my to-do list

Rocci

Thanks for sharing. Great photos and write up. I can attest, this is a great experience.

savyboy

Awesome! Looks like great fun. Thank for posting and sharing! Wish you could "run what you brung" in the US Porsche driving school

Larry Cable

Hey Jim, interesting that you note the brake pads smoking on the instructor Turbo PDK PCCBs ...

I recall when I did the PSDS school at the ring a couple of years ago an instructor GT came in after a hot lap with the rear pads billowing clouds of blue smoke ... when I asked my instructor about this he said that this was a direct result of the cars stability control working the rears ...

A good example of why you should seriously consider disabling the TC+SC while on a hot lap of a dry track!



See you in Nurburg in 12 days!

Carrera GT

That's easy -- I used to have a wide car that I parked under my building like that -- just leave it in neutral and push it in, then put on the parking brake from the passenger side.

Of course ... there's always some asshat that comes along and parks too close ...


ps. Any pics of the PCCB pads on fire? : )

carrering

larry, not smoking but actual flames coming from the rear pads. the porsche script was completely gone on both front and rear. fronts were smoking. I don't have a picture, they left too quick before i could get my phone out. maybe the other jim has one though. I'll ask him. I doubt very seriously the PSM was on any of the instructors cars for hot laps. they were all completely sideways on suntory corner which is a severe right-left-right kink before the front straight.