rescueswimmer

Good Morning, I wanted to pick the hives brain get feedback/experiences. Picked up a 22 GT4 a few months ago with the intentions of driving it, but not tracking it. Well I wanted the wife to get comfortable with the limits of the car. So I signed her up for the local PCA HPDE event. Well she did great and has now signed up for some more events. (Its like buying an RV and camping in your driveway she said) She was born to run. Well obviously if she is going to be there. Well I sure as hell want to do it. I know the car can handle 8 20 minute sessions over 2 days, and we are going to go through consumables. What I don't know in its stock configuration, is this car capable of running back to back 20 minute runs. I know the tires are going to get hot, and so are the brakes, well I guess everything is going to get nice and toasty. I thought about picking up another car 15-19 GTS and just beating on that for me, What does the hive/experienced guys think about running one car for two people. I know 2 cars are going to be have 2 times as many consumable insurance etc. but obviously don't want to kill our GT4.

Thanks RS

BoxKing

One thing to consider with PCA HPDE is that they don't run (at least not in my region) the same run group back to back, so your car will most likely never see 2 - 20 min sessions in a row if you both are starting out in the same run group. This will change if/when one of you goes from Green > Blue... typically Blue runs just before Green, so eventually you may run into the back-2-back scenario, but I assume you will have at least another full season before this becomes an issue. In your use case, I'd get another track car... as much as I would be supportive to my wife (I'm single!), I would not want to lose out on seat time if I were at the track, and right now (if you're both in Green), you'd have to divvy up the day.

I'll let the more experienced guys chime in with regards to consumables, though I dont think this is a major concern while you two are both starting out, as you may not be pushing the limits hard enough - over-time + experience I could see there being an issue.

beez

What is your and your wife's track experience level?

rescueswimmer

We each have a track day under our belts. Me in a different car, So I would say beginners. I have lots of sim time which does not carry over 1 for 1 from what I learned the first time out but I did understand the racing lines etc a little better than most of the group so it helped.

sdillon

My son co-drove my 981 GT4 a few times years ago at PCA DEs, and the car did fine. Ran through consumables twice as fast, but the brakes didn't fade (Ferodo DS 1.11 pads), tires didn't get too bad, etc. IMO, it's doable if you've left the motor and drivetrain stock.

vantage

I would say yes, it will be fine. You might experience some heat soak on hotter days that will cause intake temps to be hot and thus lose some power, but that shouldn't be a concern from a durability stand point. Make sure you have good brake fluid and pads. Also make sure that you both do good cool down laps at the end of your sessions / back off if and when the tires get overheated or greasy feeling. This will also protect the brakes from becoming glazed and allow the car in general to cool down a bit between sessions.

Xxyion

Will you and your wife be sharing the GT4 for the track day? If yes, then i think it's worth it to keep an eye on the car if you guys are doing back to back sessions. That being said, these cars are designed to be on the track much more than most cars and theres extra cooling and engineering that has gone into it to help maintain the reliability we expect from Porsche. A lot of it will be dependent on the kind of track you will be at, your location and weather conditions. Slower, more technical courses might allow for the engine to keep chugging away but you'll go through tires and brakes a lot faster. Compared to maybe a faster less technical course with less braking required, your tires and brakes will last a bit longer but keep an eye on engine temps as you might be in the upper RPM range for longer periods. As someone said above just make sure you keep an eye on fluid levels.

Also consider as beginners you wont be driving the car quite at its limit. So the wear and tear you will see on your car will be significantly lower than the wear and tear of a track rat that goes every weekend.

2PUTT

If you are on the same level/group, there is a good chance you will not go back to back. You may end up splitting 5/6 sessions for the day. Either way, cool down laps are critical. Make sure you cool down the brakes/tires on and off the track. Also, make sure you bring a proper torque wrench to check the lugbolts/nuts after each session. Avoid using the parking brake after the session...other than that, enjoy the track!!

KelvinC

Firstly, congrats on having a wife who takes an interest in this crazy hobby of ours, and is interested in enjoying the car on track. It's a great opportunity to start a fun journey together. My favorite part about my Porsche ownership has been being a part of the track community, developing alongside others, getting feedback and growing alongside good friends. To be able to do this with a spouse can be a really special thing.

I know this isn't quite what you asked, but if your budget and parking situation allows, I would recommend that you each have your own cars to enjoy on track. It sounds like you both have the same level of experience, so more likely than not you'll be advancing together (or not too far apart), and more likely than not should be in the same run group. Having to force yourselves in different run groups to make one car work could lead to some frustration, depending on your actual pace, skill development, and comfort level with traffic, both faster and slower. Having to split sessions in a day means roughly 2–3 sessions each in a track day...that just seems really sad to me. Track days are expensive enough, between registration, insurance, consumables, and maintenance. I'd definitely feel like I'd want to make the most out of every day I was out there.

Mechanically, as others have stated above, it should be fine as long as you're prepared to cycle through consumables faster than you would if you each had your own car. Of course, it's not a discussion of cost—having two cars is going to be more expensive, but I think it's worth it to maximize the enjoyment for each of you on track.

I think there's something really fun about a driver bonding with their own car, learning its capabilities and limitations on track, and going on the journey of improving one's pace over time. Kudos to your wife for being the one to light the spark!