First DE with my 928
11-24-2010, 11:43 PM
#62
In Your Face, Ace
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I have concluded that the VAST majority of 928 drivers are wimpy assed possers content to putt around on the streets LOOKING COOL. Most never would never race looking down on most "challengers" as unworthy ..... not that I condone street racing anyway. The mear THOUGHT of being on a race track with other cars where their lack of any real driving skills and the limitations of their 928 would be apparent is enough to send them running the other direction quaking in their boots. There have been numerous attempts over the years to add a track day to many 928 gatherings with little or no turnout even though the only cars running would be 928s.... Over the years I have invited many people to bring their 928 to POC events....even offered to pay for a couple peoples entry fees. Thus far the response has been ZERO... So being kind,gentle, diplomatic has not worked....If you have never tracked a 928 you really never ever have DRIVEN ONE !!!! So get the damn thing out of the garage and go DO at least one D E event. By the end of the first day you will KNOW what you have been missing. Or you can stay home and put on another coat of wax.... After all the true beauty of a machine is how it functions. How well it does what it was designed and built to do. This is one instance where you truely do not know what you are missing. To paraphrase Mark Twain...When you are old and you look back on your life you tend to regret the things you did not do much more than the things you did....so cast off set sail ! If any of my comments offend you just pause a moment and consider WHY !
11-25-2010, 05:28 PM
#63
Race Director
I have concluded that the VAST majority of 928 drivers are wimpy assed possers content to putt around on the streets LOOKING COOL. Most never would never race looking down on most "challengers" as unworthy ..... not that I condone street racing anyway. The mear THOUGHT of being on a race track with other cars where their lack of any real driving skills and the limitations of their 928 would be apparent is enough to send them running the other direction quaking in their boots. There have been numerous attempts over the years to add a track day to many 928 gatherings with little or no turnout even though the only cars running would be 928s.... Over the years I have invited many people to bring their 928 to POC events....even offered to pay for a couple peoples entry fees. Thus far the response has been ZERO... So being kind,gentle, diplomatic has not worked....If you have never tracked a 928 you really never ever have DRIVEN ONE !!!! So get the damn thing out of the garage and go DO at least one D E event. By the end of the first day you will KNOW what you have been missing. Or you can stay home and put on another coat of wax.... After all the true beauty of a machine is how it functions. How well it does what it was designed and built to do. This is one instance where you truely do not know what you are missing. To paraphrase Mark Twain...When you are old and you look back on your life you tend to regret the things you did not do much more than the things you did....so cast off set sail ! If any of my comments offend you just pause a moment and consider WHY !
my 928 adventure as come full circle!! I started out with a pristine concour queen that I rarely drove and cleaned often.....then I hit the track & never looked back...I sold the pristine concour queen and now have an UGLY race 928...(just like Jim)..that I rarely clean, but damm does it make me SMILE
I always considered myself a "good" driver.....then I hit the track & realized how little I actually know!! Being able to drive your 928 as hard as you can without the worry of traffic or getting a ticket is priceless!!! I was very lucky to have a local 928 racer instruct me for my 1st couple trackdays (Dennis K)..Jim is offering the same thing to anyone in socal..... I would gladly offer to instruct any new 928 driver in norcal..... I think it would be fun!!!!
11-25-2010, 06:27 PM
#64
Burning Brakes
I have run my 81 auto at at least 10 DE days . Shift your trans manualy , It gives you much better control , especialy exiting corners . I love the sound of a big V8 thundering down the track , makes the 6 bangers run and hide . My GT is a lot slower but is still a lot of fun , I have done 4 DE with it , and yes James , I like to polish it .
11-26-2010, 10:34 AM
#65
Rennlist Member
Ken,
Congratrulations on having a wonderful run at VIR. I understand the "loneliness" of the only 928 there! I've been driving that track since about 2003, and frequently I'm the only 928 driver out of 225 or so cars (Northern New Jersey Region - first weekend in November). On occasion, there have been up to 3 others. One was a '91 GT that my first instructor there was driving. He's since changed his track car to a GT3, and converted his 928 GT to his street/highway car.
Don't worry about those 911 drivers. Yes - the turbos, and many of the later cars will probably always be faster than you are. BUT - with some more experience (seat time), you'll become smoother and with smoothness comes more speed. I drove an '88 S4 automatic for several years, and found that with about a dozen or so days of track time, me (OLD guy, ~70) and my automatic were passing many/most of the 911's of the same vintage on tracks like Watkins Glen and VIR. Occasionally one of the 911 drivers would come by to chat, and were amazed that my car was stock AND an automatic. Sort of dispelled the old wives tales about the 928 not being a sports car in their minds!!
My experience regarding modifications to my 928's and the track are: 1st, suspension - stiffer sway bars front and rear (or Louis Ott sway bar steroids). 2. Eibach springs and either bilstein or Koni (externally adjustable?) shocks. 3. Seat & belt upgrades. The sport seat is really not that much better, and you can't use a 5-6 point harness with it. I have a set of Recaro SRD's that I bought used and 5 point harnesses. This really keeps you located behind the wheel without "holding on" through higher G turns. Once you've done those, (I assume you probably already have a RMB for better exhaust flow and weight saving), then spend your money on track time (and perhaps wheels/tires, as good tires are hard to find for the OE 16" wheels. I've gone to some used Porsche 18" wheels that are inexpensive, and high performance street tires like Michelin PS2's). Good old seat time will bring the best results and you'll become both a better track driver and street driver as well.
GLAD that you've joined the track junkies. There is no anti-dote, so beware!! Hope to see you at VIR in 2011 at the NNJR event, first weekend in November.
Gary Knox
'89 S4 manual
'94 GTS auto
928 Owners Club Treasurer
PS: Just remembered, you may want to consider changing the transmission fluid annually if you are going to do 8-15 track days a year.
Congratrulations on having a wonderful run at VIR. I understand the "loneliness" of the only 928 there! I've been driving that track since about 2003, and frequently I'm the only 928 driver out of 225 or so cars (Northern New Jersey Region - first weekend in November). On occasion, there have been up to 3 others. One was a '91 GT that my first instructor there was driving. He's since changed his track car to a GT3, and converted his 928 GT to his street/highway car.
Don't worry about those 911 drivers. Yes - the turbos, and many of the later cars will probably always be faster than you are. BUT - with some more experience (seat time), you'll become smoother and with smoothness comes more speed. I drove an '88 S4 automatic for several years, and found that with about a dozen or so days of track time, me (OLD guy, ~70) and my automatic were passing many/most of the 911's of the same vintage on tracks like Watkins Glen and VIR. Occasionally one of the 911 drivers would come by to chat, and were amazed that my car was stock AND an automatic. Sort of dispelled the old wives tales about the 928 not being a sports car in their minds!!
My experience regarding modifications to my 928's and the track are: 1st, suspension - stiffer sway bars front and rear (or Louis Ott sway bar steroids). 2. Eibach springs and either bilstein or Koni (externally adjustable?) shocks. 3. Seat & belt upgrades. The sport seat is really not that much better, and you can't use a 5-6 point harness with it. I have a set of Recaro SRD's that I bought used and 5 point harnesses. This really keeps you located behind the wheel without "holding on" through higher G turns. Once you've done those, (I assume you probably already have a RMB for better exhaust flow and weight saving), then spend your money on track time (and perhaps wheels/tires, as good tires are hard to find for the OE 16" wheels. I've gone to some used Porsche 18" wheels that are inexpensive, and high performance street tires like Michelin PS2's). Good old seat time will bring the best results and you'll become both a better track driver and street driver as well.
GLAD that you've joined the track junkies. There is no anti-dote, so beware!! Hope to see you at VIR in 2011 at the NNJR event, first weekend in November.
Gary Knox
'89 S4 manual
'94 GTS auto
928 Owners Club Treasurer
PS: Just remembered, you may want to consider changing the transmission fluid annually if you are going to do 8-15 track days a year.
12-02-2010, 01:57 PM
#66
Drifting
Thread Starter
03-21-2011, 04:11 PM
#67
Drifting
Thread Starter
Follow Up:
Had my second DE at CMP in Kershaw, SC this weekend:
Day one went well until the end, when a moderate coolant leak shut me down.
Could not find definitive location of the leak at the track, so I did not run again on Sunday, as I felt the risk was too high.
I may start a different thread on the leak if the repair gets interesting, but keeping this one to just the DE.
CMP is a great track, tighter and more technical than VIR, but without a long straight for the 928 to stretch its legs. The course really forced me to concentrate on the line and listen to what the car was saying, and mainly what it was saying was that I need more practice. A lot more practice. The tires agreed loudly on every turn.
As an interesting coincidence, in the way home, my odometer hit 88928 miles :
I've got some video, and for now only the first laps of two sessions. I did not get video or data for every session , and the trial version of the rendering software I am testing only allows three minute clips. I had planned on more video/data on day two after I was more used to the track, but that did not pan out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXAghr5Tjo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1V_Oz1T-3s
Had my second DE at CMP in Kershaw, SC this weekend:
Day one went well until the end, when a moderate coolant leak shut me down.
Could not find definitive location of the leak at the track, so I did not run again on Sunday, as I felt the risk was too high.
I may start a different thread on the leak if the repair gets interesting, but keeping this one to just the DE.
CMP is a great track, tighter and more technical than VIR, but without a long straight for the 928 to stretch its legs. The course really forced me to concentrate on the line and listen to what the car was saying, and mainly what it was saying was that I need more practice. A lot more practice. The tires agreed loudly on every turn.
As an interesting coincidence, in the way home, my odometer hit 88928 miles :
I've got some video, and for now only the first laps of two sessions. I did not get video or data for every session , and the trial version of the rendering software I am testing only allows three minute clips. I had planned on more video/data on day two after I was more used to the track, but that did not pan out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXAghr5Tjo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1V_Oz1T-3s
