ExMB

Your links don't work.

Mahler9th

Cannot read every post right now, but here is some background on how I started and some food for thought:

1. I started track driving with a Porsche that had 15k miles at LRP in 1987 or so. PCA event with the Schattenbaum. If I recall correctly, Pete Tremper was in charge. No AX, go kart or other experience. My prep was 2-3 viewings of the Skip Barber video with couple of buddies from work. One had just done the school at LRP and the other was an avid motorcycle track driver. This was in the days before internet.

Because of that video I knew the vocabulary and the theory. I could heel and toe really well before I ever got on track. I borrowed a helmet from a friend.

My car was stock.

2. I am still at it all of these years later. A lot of area under the curve.

3. I have been suggesting the same two prep tools since I started instructing. The Skip Barber video (not the book) and the book called Secrets of Solo Racing. The author of the latter was CDI for my region when I started track driving in CA, and the book and video work together well. Even better when you can watch with some friends with experience. Prep this way before you actually hit the track can be very helpful.

This worked for my best student ever-- still likely the only woman to ever get TTOD at a PCA time trial event (beating the author of that book with 1/2 the BHP).

4. If you are going to try to watch some in car video of that track, I suggest EXTREME caution. There is a lot of bad advice and there are a lot of bad videos out there. And many videos are not relevant.

What I would do, and what I will suggest to my wife's nephew who lives out in VA and has just bought a 997, is find some no-nonsense experienced PCA folks and get them to recommend someone's video. When I say experienced, I mean as experienced as someone like Tremper. Or track down someone that Bill Love can vouch for. Not a Johhny-come-lately internet/keyboard expeort-- someone that goes back a long way across a variety of Porsche eras.

5. We have had a lot of feature creep in this hobby since I started 30 yeas ago. I always advocate making careful effort to stay at the "center of the fruit," or put differently, to focus on the signal and not the noise. There is a lot of noise in these forums.

To learn the right way, seek out the true experts. PCA has these. I'd expect that is still especially true in VA with such a rich history of track driving in regions like Potomac.

May take a little effort, but is well worth it.

6. I have little instructing experience with cars beyond the 996 family, but the basics are the basics. Once you have done the prep on those as you get ready to attend, then you can focus on car-specific hints like what driver's aid settings you should consider (if any), tire pressures, and whether you need to prep your braking system beyond stock. In some situations, being proactive can help. For example, if you are going to first drive at Laguna in some of the cars, it might be better to have brake fluid with more aggressive specs.

Since you have a Porsche, I suggest leveraging Porsche resources like PCA. In my experience (30 years this Fall), this is an enormous resource advantage for a newbie, and relatively easy to leverage.

Oh, and then after the event, track down the famous internet track day animation video just for grins. Hopefully, you will find it funny, but will not have seen anyone like that at your first event. That video was made by a friend/former PCA CDI that "we" took under our wing when he first started. If you were going to drive a water-cooled 911 in your first events out here, I'd connect you with him. That is the kind of resource I suggest you hunt down out there.

ExMB

Interestingly it shows this on the chin web page for VIR Track Details under convertible criteria.

http://chintrackdays.com/vir.aspx

Fixed 4-point (or better) roll bars, 3-point hoops behind the seat for roadsters, or pop-up rollover protection is accepted. Convertibles without some form of roll protection will NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Makes one wonder why they have an inconsistency between their registration page and their track details page.

DTMiller

At 0:48 of the second video you can see an aftermarket roll bar has been installed in the cabriolet.

TAL2GK

i think that's because each club or group sets their own restrictions. I'll report back once I know for sure.

the_vetman

Just saw this and I can confirm that you can drive a 987.2 Spyder on the track without the top. What you have to do to drive topless depends on the organization. For PCA, you need arm straps and harnesses, i.e. you need GT2 bucket seats or aftermarket race seats.

The reason for this is also correct. It is recommended to NOT drive 987.2 Spyders over 120 mph with the top on. People have done it, but Porsche says it can damage the top.

BMWCCA does not allow any convertible of any kind unless it has a roll cage. Audi allows convertibles if it has a fixed triangulated roll bar, e.g. Porsche Boxster but not Honda S2000.

gearFX

Pardon my ignorance, but what's the difference between the Boxster and S2000 roll bars? I thought "triangulated" meant 3-point, but aren't the Boxster and S2000 roll bars just 2-point roll "hoops"?

DTMiller

Stock S2000 hoops are style bars, they are not structural. Same with vipers, I believe.

TAL2GK

Closing the loop here. I just heard back from the regional PCA Rep that no cabriolets allowed unless they have aftermarket roll cages. ����

I have a highly capable sports car and nowhere to legally stretch her legs. Any tracks in the region allow stock cabs?

sbelles

I'm not sure but I think Summit allows pop ups. I wouldn't instruct in one there though. I think Sebring does if you are up for a road trip.

Glyndellis

Allegheny region PCA allows cabs with pop up bars, and runs great events. Maybe a little too far from Charlotte to come to PittRace.

the_vetman

This.

Jabs1542

I can get you on Dominion Raceway, we allow pop ups for certain cars and Porsche's qualify. Note that I am referring to the track itself without a club. When a club rents the track for a weekend the clubs adds their rules on top of the track's rules, therefore I can't guarantee what the rule would be if you went to DR with a club (i.e. the Audi club did not allow convertibles when they ran there, PCA has a couple of events lined up and they may allow them)

linzman

I think Watkins Glen allows them too, A bit far, but a classic track.

TAL2GK

I grew up near the Glen and would make that drive for the experience. It's my favorite track. Thanks for the other suggestions. Obviously since I have a cab, it's not about driving 10/10 on a track, but I wouldn't mind approaching 7/10.