Manifold

Most organizations don't require a fire extinguisher, but a few do. Good to have (I do), but it's not vital. You should be able to get a bracket which attaches to the bottom of the seat and doesn't require drilling any holes.

Helmet requirements also vary with organizations and tracks. The vast majority of people use full face, and feelings of claustrophobia typically go away soon, since your focus will be on driving rather than the way the helmet feels.

MayorAdamWest

The only thing I noticed was a lot more tread wear on the outside of my tires on my first 2 days. I'm wondering if others add from camber to even it out?

simsgw

Mid-eighties to early nineties were the Formula Ford/Spec Racer years, Jim. No point being reticent among friends with Google around. After we retired, Cindy lightened up my stuffy CV to include some of this, and that's still on-line back at campus, so even the personal bits are accessible to anybody hostile.

I have one of those checkered careers usual to hobbyists who have to fit their enthusiasm into the crevices of a busy professional life. I started in the early sixties with autocross in Phoenix while an undergraduate, got interested and went into hillclimbs. SCCA required a racing license for that, so I attended a local school they staged. That got me addicted. Had less time for fun in graduate school in Northern California, but we stayed 'into' cars. When stationed in Greece, I got into the local scene as a "be part of the community" effort. Street racing was the fun deal, but the local clubs tried all variants of US/UK car events. The locals loved our MG and Americans in general so soon after the liberation during WWII. We often got front-page coverage even when some Turbo Cortina set fast time of the day:


Back in the CONUS, the space program was pretty consuming so I never competed for trophies, but did explore the local mountains often enough to ignite those brake pucks I've mentioned on a '70 Camaro. Went through a boring period (hobby wise) when work consumed my attention and I wanted off-duty time to be spent with Cindy and the kids. A couple of forgettable autocross events and the occasional rally, but that's about it.

This is what our transportation inventory looked like about 1975. It's all there strapped together for a move across the country for a few more years on campus:


That's the Camaro, with our family canoe on top and Cindy's MG being towed behind with dryer vent hoses used to provide clean air from above the Camaro's exhaust so we wouldn't asphyxiate the family cat who was destined to ride inside the MG. Two wings on the roof rack provided room to carry panniers that were the family luggage. Tidy, hmmm? We had a CB radio and you should have heard the truckers debating what the hell that winged apparition was coming up from behind.

The next ten years were so busy that the high point from an automotive perspective was my good judgment in declining the chance to get involved in ice racing in Duluth Bay. Our family adventure time was spent flying around North America in light aircraft.

During the JPL years, Cindy decided we were settled down, so I needed some recreation. She bought me a Skip Barber school for an anniversary. Our 25th, I suppose. Formula cars appealed so much that I took the SCCA Cal Club racing course as well and then messed around in whatever sounded fun to rent for a few years. I never had enough predictable spare time to mount a season campaign, but I sure did find the open aggression and blatant arrogance of the race track to be relaxing. (I know that sounds odd, but you have to be involved in the technically demanding yet constantly 'diplomatic' atmosphere of the space program to know how wonderful it is to climb in a car with the avowed intention of whipping the *** of the guys around you on the grid. I'll bet Jim knows, and the other racers in our group as well.)

In the nineties, a couple of friends had managed to kill themselves and Cindy was growing worried about me. Then we got t-boned in her pick-up truck going twenty mph in town, with the eventual result that my doctor pulled my medical for racing. End of competition career.

I stayed in touch with car people and when Cindy died last year, the Porsche club shanghaied me into teaching to keep me from hiding my head under the bed. I guess it worked...

Gary

simsgw

I will describe the rules for the Porsche Club of America, but organizations differ only in details. Most of these rules derive from the Sports Car Club of America back in the fifties and sixties because they work and in matters of safety, people naturally are reluctant to innovate.

Fire extinguishers are part of the safety equipment section. (As opposed to performance modifications.) The idea is compel increased safety measures as the performance levels increase, so roll bars and fire extinguishers are required after certain levels of modification. In the early days, we noticed that cars pushed to the driver's limit often exceeded their own limits as well. Lucas Electric parts on British cars were notorious for overheating, shorting, and generally developing faults that showed as acrid smoke. And in those days, the wiring harness for such items ran through the passenger compartment so the driver and ride-along assist would be up close and personal with the fire. Worse yet, we staged a lot of our events away from tracks, on closed public roads, so no corner worker was waiting nearby with a large extinguisher.

We still have that requirement, and once in a rare while it comes in handy, but it doesn't kick in for PCA until you start modifying your car. It won't be an issue at all for you or any newcomer with a stock car.

Helmets are required any time we're in a formal track environment, and also in speed events away from tracks, like the autocrosses staged on public parking lots. Full-face helmets are indeed somewhat claustrophobic. And really so, not just a visual impression. Good ones include ventilation as well as entry points for water tubes and intercom connections. Fortunately, we only require full-face helmets when you drive an open car. Not a Boxster or Cabriolet, but cars like the Formula Ford or the Lotus Seven. We mean open when we say open. This requirement can be reassuring also if you're in such a car. I've felt gravel bounce off my helmet many times when the wimp in the car I'm overtaking put two off at a corner, and on one memorable occasion I wished for a full-body helmet. The WITCIO ran over a rattlesnake coming down into turn five at Big Willow. FF is an open-wheel formula, so his tire threw the snake into the air and there's me behind, wondering how to dodge sideways at 100 mph in the downhill entry to an off-camber turn. Nomex is not fang-proof. Just saying. In case it ever comes up.

For Porsches, the only car that might require a full-face helmet is a 914 lowered and modified for racing with the windshield removed. And I don't proctor the PCA racing program, so I'd have to research even that one. Our Carreras do not require full-face helmets.

The open-face helmets come in two varieties and the M-spec might interest you. I wear one. All the helmets must be manufactured and certified to meet the requirements of the Snell Foundation. Motorcycle riders have a special problem that they need wider peripheral vision to deal with riding in traffic. We permit those helmet types in our events short of full racing. That's an M-spec helmet and it allows better vision to the side and much less sense of enclosure. I wear one because it lets me see better what my student is doing. When you buy your own, you should try this type before you choose.

You don't have to buy a helmet unless you get interested in tracking frequently. We bring spare helmets to the track for rent. Normally, when you register on line, you indicate the wish to rent a helmet and say what size you need. You can add a note that you prefer an M-spec helmet if one is available in your size.

Most of our instructors install an intercom in their helmet. The student is given a foam-covered earpiece with attached mike to slide up between the ear and the side of the helmet. It can be wi-fi or connected with a cable that plugs into the instructor's helmet set. I use the cable because it's more reliable and my students like being able to hear me without my shouting. If your instructor doesn't have that set-up, he will do the talking in the pits and use hand signals to convey information like "begin braking now".

You'll love it,

Gary

Manifold

If you'll be continuing to track the car and are seeing that in just 2 days, best to increase the negative camber. There's a compromise though if the car is also driven on the road a lot, since the greater negative camber will wear the inside edges faster.

simsgw

What were you driving, Adam? Carreras usually wear the inside tread area first on public roads, so a few days of tracking every year tends to even out the wear.

With my 997, I could tell something was wrong with the tire pressures so I arranged with another racing driver to do tire tests at an event. (Long procedure not worth describing.) We found that the pressures needed to be much lower than the users manual describes, which turns out to be because Porsche was specifying all cars for the pressures required in Autobahn driving. That is, sustained speeds above 165 mph. Apparently, PCNA asked for more realism because the manuals for the last couple of years have included a "low speed" or "comfort" specification, which is Porsche-Speak for only as fast you wimpy Americans drive on race tracks. "Up your pressures if you come here!" I promise. Meanwhile, use the 'comfort' setting for race tracks as well as public roads unless you plan to visit Le Mans.

But the point is, when we got the pressures right, we found that in race work, the tires still would benefit from increased negative camber. Leaning the wheel inward at the top, that is. Many people do that who track frequently, and everybody does who competes. I didn't find it important enough to change my wheel alignment, even within the stock range of adjustment, but I don't compete these days. Serious competitors change the suspension itself in ways that permit wider adjustment.

Again, I don't consider it necessary, and it's another of those "change the compromise" situations. The factory alignment spec is for public roads and the sort of driving we do on them. Changing it for track work, means it isn't right for public roads. The differences are subtle either way. I just prefer to keep my settings right for the roads where I do most of my driving with this car.

Gary

hlee1169

To the OP, I would say sign up with PCA of your region and have fun! I started with my local PCA charter and learned a lot from the instructors. Comparing to the 997.1 GT3RS I am using now for track, 991S is very easy to drive fast because it's stable and inspires confidence to push harder. Also, PSM has saved me twice, and I have learned not to make the same mistake. PDK in Sports+ is so good, people behind me were commenting how I did a perfect downshift. Well, I could not take credit for that, though.

You do need to change the fluid more often, as I have changed my brake fluid at the beginning and have changed oil twice, every 6 track days. After 13 track days my stock brake pads and rotors were worn out, but that's about it. It is a real capable car.

buckwheat987

As far as helmets...many organizations and as important, tracks, do not allow M class helmets. If oyur buying I suggest an SA approved type.

Many tracks, such as NJMP, do not allow open faced helmets even in the closed car.

Fire extinguishers are usually required once you are promoted to out of green.

STALKER99

So what pressure should we run on the stock 20s for track use? Cold pressures?

Manifold

Yes, I've done a lot of track days with various PCA regions and other organizations (and am an instructor).

So which do you like better on the track, the GT3RS or the 991S? And please elaborate on the reasons why. I've been tracking a Cayman R, and I like it, but I'd like to get either a 997GT3/RS or 991S/GT3. The 997 seems more raw and thrilling, but the 991 seems to offer more accessible speed while also being a comfortable road car.

Manifold

I've driven with about a half dozen PCA regions in the mid-Atlantic to northeast, and iirc Metro NY is the only one which required required a fire extinguisher (they required it in all run groups).

hlee1169

Given my current skill (intermediate), I am able to drive faster in the 991 because it gives me more confidence to push the limit. The rear engine bias is more prominent and more easily provoked in the GT3, which is good for car rotation and provided that your skill is good enough to use it and counter it to your advantage. My skill is not there yet (15 track days total). Plus the 997.1 GT3 has no PSM, so having spun out twice at Laguna Seca T3, I have to rebuild my confidence back.

I took the 2-day Skip Barber HPDE class to learn some car control skills, and the instructor told me they prefer cars like GT3 because it's a proper race car, it's set up more balanced than the regular street car (which is tuned to understeer) that they could exploit on track. Of course, if your skill is not there yet, oversteer becomes a problem due to early apex or lifting in corners.

One could say I am not good enough to handle the GT3, but I will keep on learning and trying, although I am more afraid to push the limits. I also believe the 991 GT3 will be amazing, given how good the 991S is already.

In summary: I prefer the 991's chassis to 997.

simsgw

I recommend 31/34 at 68 F. Correct for the actual temperature of the tire as it sits in your garage. If you suffer from OCD, a pyrometer drifts into your imagination when I say that. And you'll want to look up the exact correction factor. For everyone else, figure one psi for every ten degrees away from 68F. (That's 20C which has significance in international standards. Think 70F and you won't have any problems.)

Serious racers work in quarter pound increments. Let's not be silly though. If it's fifty when you go out to the garage before a track day, set your pressure at 29/32 and leave them alone the rest of the day. If it's already 80F at six in the morning (like my home in July), then set them for 32/35. Like that.

Gary

simsgw

My God! What organization are you a member of? They expect the cockpit of a Carrera used in driver education events to burst into flame? Sheez.

G

fbroen

Silly question perhaps, but I have a current M spec. full face helmet. Will an organization that recommends/requires SA really enforce the SA vs M? For green group?

Diffrerence is fire-proofness of padding, yes?