Charles Freeborn

Yes, it is habit forming....

parkerfe

I've been participating in DE events with the PCA, FCA, BMWCCA and more for decades without a single mechanical failure. Just be sure your car is well maintained, has good brakes and tires and don't drive like you're the next Hamilton. FYI, I try to drive at about 8/10th to allow for my lack of skills.

JCP911S

Hoo boy, tell me!

The problem is not as a newbie doing your first few events... you learning per dollar ratio is incredible...

But as you get better, the stress on the car goes up, and you want better equipment...

Check out the Ads in Excellence and Pano... what are they selling???

Nuff said

porsche0nut

So Brooks, have you booked your first even yet??!

BrooksBier

Not yet, all the dates on the HOD schedule for the next few months are days I am busy. Would like to get out there asap though.

TerrySmith

Hi,
I have used HOD for 9 track days, 8 of them in a dead-stock 2012 Cayman S, and I highly recommend them. HOD provides good coaching (classroom for all groups and in-the-car coaching for beginners) and good adult supervision overall. In fact, PCA DE days for the Diablo Region are run for them by HOD.

Also, the stock Cayman is a fabulous car for the track and street and I highly recommend a Cayman as well. I am very hesitant to jump into mods unless I come across a specific reason but so far the Cayman has been fine right out of the box and I'm more interested in advancing my driving skills. E.g., I've not yet had problems (fade or overheating) with the brakes using factory pads and fluid except that I have to replace them more frequently. I don't understand why faster and better handling is a bad thing but I do understand and agree that driving an older, no-nanny 911 requires more skill and a is good way to learn too.

If you do get a Cayman and plan to track it, I highly recommend that you get a 2009 or newer car. The 9A1 motor that first appeared that year is much more reliable for track use than the prior M97 which has oil-starvation issues in high-G turns and other issues. I read about guys with earlier cars (987.1) doing a lot of engine mods (to the oiling system, etc.) to make them more reliable on the track - no need for that with the later version (987.2 or 981).

I have not tracked my 911 (and don't plan to since it's a Cab) but based on my canyon carving trips, I can say that my 88 handles extremely well also and is very fun to drive. Definitely more road feel than the Cayman which is already pretty great. I absolutely don't recommend that you give up your 911 but I do recommend getting a Cayman - your decision to make.

OK, I've never met a Porsche I didn't like and I think tracking the car is more about working on personal skills and not the car. No mater what car you have, there will always be a faster car and there will always be one with more road feel and fewer computer controls, etc.

A good thing about TH is the generous amount of runoff space around the course so if you do get in trouble, you're less likely to hit something hard. Of the 3 great Bay Area tracks, Sonoma / Sears Point is probably the most scary in this regard. My former boss once told me that TH is a good (safe) place to explore the limits of your car.

Also, TH has a great course layout with less bureaucracy than Laguna Seca or Sonoma / Sears Point. (E.g. on my last run of the day at TH in the Fall of 2013, there was no pressure to close the track at 5 or 5:30 and get everyone out, so my last run magically extended for an extra 10 minutes or so.)

The amenities (hotels and restaurants) in nearby Willows are very nice, functional and not overpriced like Monterey or around Sears Point.

If your 911 is a Cab, you cannot run it in HOD unless you install a roll bar. Coupes are allowed without a roll bar and I think Targas are OK too. Check with HOD if you have a Targa.

Also, be aware that your normal car insurance will not cover you when on a track in a HPDE. Unless you're prepared to cover the cost of your car being totaled in a crash on the track (self insured), I recommend and I always use track-day insurance. (I usually use Lockton. They give an automatic 10% discount to both PCA and HOD events.)

I've driven the 5-mile TH course one time and that is a lot of track to learn. The new western addition is very complex with many turns. If you're a beginner, the shorter course might be a better option so that you can focus more on driving skills and less on trying to learn the track. Either way, I recommend finding on-line dash-cam videos of pros running on the track. Start with the HOD site or Google. You can watch these multiple times before going out and learn a good deal about the track and how to best get around it before you actually get out there.

Finally, if you're new to high performance driving, you might want to start by reading a book about it. The Skip Barber book, "Going Faster . . ." is a pretty good one.

Best of luck.

BrooksBier

Thanks so much to all of you.
I had a PCA tour yesterday in my car and it did great.
That being said, I am still going to bring it into the shop to make sure it would meet the inspection for a DE day.

I'm pretty sure I will at least need new brake pads as they are at about 25% and I think you have to have at least 50% for inspection.

TerrySmith

Yes, I think HOD requires 50% remaining on your brake pads. I have found that if I take the car to an independent Porsche repair shop within a couple weeks before the event, they are happy to inspect the car and sign the HOD Car Inspection Checklist and HOD is very happy to receive these.

BrooksBier

I did my first track day at Thunderhill a few weeks ago through our local PCA and it was a fantastic experience all around. We did a two mile stretch of the track. Instruction was great. I learned a ton. I also learned how much driving skills matter. There was a guy with the red group that was hanging with a Cayman GTS and other cars in an 86 Carrera. He took me for a ride and I was amazed at what these cars can do with a skilled driver in them. On the straightaways, I could not hang but in the turns, I could hold my own. Still a lot to learn but I am hooked.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.

race911

Glad to see this thread pop up again, and that you made it out.

Everyone's in an arms race to buy their way to "speed." One of the reasons I've bored on track events, especially instructing. (There's an absolute exodus of us just not wanting to risk ourselves riding with low intermediates who can go faster than we were doing in our fully prepared cars as recently as 7-8 years ago. Which leaves the current crop of "instructors" who've come up with new cars since then nearly completely lacking in most basics of car control.)

Specifically to the '86 Carrera you mention. I'm not fully versed on 2 mile Thunderhill East, but consider that what we call the torsion bar chassis Spec 911 is a 2:01-2 car on the 3 mile West track. Best of the best of the best 997 GT3 guys (on equal tires) are about 3-4 sec/lap quicker.

BrooksBier

I was really lucky. I was instructed by a member of our club who has been racing since the 60's. I learned a ton first session. When I rode with the guy in the '86, he was able to carry way more speed coming out of the final left hand sweeper before the straight away. When I drove it, I was much slower, so the lack of low end torque really was apparent when following higher HP cars. It was really neat to see all the different versions of Porsches out there. I can really appreciate all of them.

EdwardB

That's great to hear that you had a blast.

One of the first things I found with my 87 Carrera when I first took part in a DE was that the car which feels somewhat awkward on the street feels so right on the track. Everyhing is exactly where it should be. A good testament to the racing heritage no doubt.

The other thing I discovered is that these old 3.2 Carreras are so reliable. Other than tires and brake pads (which are consumables IMO) they just don't break and when they do parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive.

Ed
1987 Carrera
2012 C4GTS

73911

I'm a big fan of Chin events. That won't help you guys on the west coast a lot.

You're going to wear out your car. Not if you do one or two events but if you kept at it things will need replacing. Budget roughly $1,500 a day for track events. That includes motels, registration and food.

Most days you won't spend $1,500 but then along comes the day when you need new tires. Tires and brakes are budget killers.

Limit the modification to the car. Just learn to drive better. Too many people spend a bunch of money on parts that do nothing.

The dirty little secret is that after one or two events most people never come back to the track. Keep that in mind before you spend a lot of money. Go out - have fun and go back to waxing the car. There's nothing wrong with that.



Richard Newton

tcsracing1

Your first D.E wont be hard on the car.
It all comes down to how hard to pound on it. 5/10ths, 7/10th etc.

Good tires, good brakes and proper brake fluid. That is what you want.

Go enjoy the car in ways you cannot on the street.

tgil

the PCA club DE events I ve been to are great and not hard on your car. Instructors teach you to drive properly which does not hurt your car. On most tracks you are in 3rd and 4th gears mostly and will not redline your car. CLubs on the east and I assume nationwide require a tech inspection within a few weeks of the event so they will ensure your car is safe and prepared for DE events especially for the instructed groups. You will learn to drive better on public roads and I agree its a heck of alot safer on the Track at speed than on public highways.
Good luck and enjoy.