Porsche Sport Driving School...My experience
10-05-2016, 02:04 PM
#1
Porsche Sport Driving School...My experience
Just got back from two days at Porsche Sport Driving School in Birmingham, AL. I would highly recommend it for anyone remotely interested in exploring what these cars were designed for and what they will do in a relatively safe and controlled environment.
I work a lot and with kids and all their activities, I don't have much time for track driving but going to work is how I got my Porsche so it works out.
After purchasing my 14 C2S 6 months ago I immediately decided I was going to go to PSDS and so I signed my wife and I up for the course. The weather we had was perfect. 80-86 degrees, sunny and low humidity.
We both did the two day basic course 7am to 445pm both days.
My background is not in racing or motorsports so I am a complete novice. I had attended a 2 day Boss Track attack course/Ford Racing school course at Miller Motorsport (MMS) in Utah about two years ago.
This PSDS course was overall better than the course I did at Miller in someways but not as good in some others.
How was this course not as good as the MMS course?
1. Larger class size.
2. Less track time on the road course and NO track time without lead follow with an instructor.
I am pretty sure it is simply numbers...too many cars and too many experience levels mixed together with some people who want to prove they are the next Mario Andretti and others who were experiencing real speed for the first time and were just plain scared. So I understand why it was done the way it was done.
Both Miller and Barber have excellent facilities. The Miller track is flat and the Barber track has elevations changes which are quite fun and challenging.
The PSDS course cost a little more but had more facets to it...Road Course, AutoCross, Performance braking, and shifting and a real wet skid pad. In fairness Ford paid for one of my Track days because I had purchased a new Boss 302.
The cars well they don't compare really. Heavy 3 link suspension Mustangs versus lighter Porsches. Both still require a good driver to get the most from them and on the track there is a lot to learn from both types of cars.
My class was about 30 people. Most people had some experience and some had no experience including my wife. One guy had been to PSDS courses over 10 times. Some people were in their late 20s and we had a couple of 60+ year old guys. There were 4 ladies driving in our class as I recall.
The instructors for my class were headed up by Cass Whitehead. All the instructors were engaging and easy to talk with, all tried to make time to answer any questions and were approachable. No one made us feel dumb and they did a good job of organizing the more aggressive and experienced drivers away from the less experienced. Some instructors were younger guys actively racing for teams and others were older and retired from active racing but all were excellent and experienced IMO.
We stayed at the Porsche recommended Grand Bohemian Hotel with shuttle service pickup from the Airport to the Hotel, Hotel to Barber Motorsports Track (George Barber, not Skip) and Track to Airport.
First morning first day started with an introductory classroom session then break out into groups of 4-5 with instructors.
We got to drive the following vehicles on the road course..16 Turbo S, 17 Carrera S, 16 Boxster, 16 Cayman GT4. All cars belonged to Porsche and will later be sold as new CPO cars. I was told by an instructor that dealers aggressively seek these cars for resale. Let me tell you they seem well cared for but are definitely broken in by the time the new owner gets it.
I would not be hesitant to own one of these cars under the CPO. The cars get used as Porsche intended IMO. However if it bothers you, you may want to ask your dealer before you buy a low mileage CPO car that has never been titled about where it came from.
Breakfast and Lunch were provided at the school/trackside both days. I would give them 3-4 stars for selection and taste. 5 star for quantity.
Our day started with track sessions in the Turbo S followed by the Carrera S..lead/follow with an instructor and rotating cars so each person could follow directly behind the instructor.
Some drivers are slower than others and the instructors were cognizant of that. Some drivers concentrate on learning the line and others just want to hit the gas. I will say that getting that first driving school under your belt helps tremendously with confidence and skill level when you go to the next school and next day at the same school
Something to not lose sight of...we got ride alongs with the instructors as they drove the cars we were assigned with us in them so we could watch them drive. They also talked on the radio to the other students in line behind the car the instructor was in. The instructor was basically driving with one hand and talking into the radio with the other hand and he was still waaaayy faster than us with two hands.... I mentioned this to him and he said well that is what 40,000 laps will do for your experience and skill level.
Some car impressions....
The Turbo S is blindingly fast on acceleration and has a few more nanny features to keep from you from killing yourself. Did I mention that it accelerated like a jet aircraft shot off of a catapult? If you are into dominating the around town stoplight Grand Prix with the local rednecks and hopped up hondas and nissans this is the car for you.
The Carrera S was my all around favorite for the whole course. It felt lighter and more nimble than the Turbo S but did not accelerate as fast. It was not as light or nimble as the Cayman GT 4 but accelerated harder.
For anyone interested I drove a few laps in the Carrera S with the refuel/check fuel light on with a display of 35miles or less until empty and there was NO PERFORMANCE change in the car that I could detect. Front end did not feel light..nothing. Before I am accused of being cavalier the instructors told me that until it was much lower there was no need to worry. Part of the warning is based on your fuel consumption level and mine was high on the track.
Cayman GT 4 was just a really fun car to drive at speed on the track and in capable hands would smoke any novice running a Carrera S. The GT 4 kind of wraps around you, has a nice sound and just turns wherever you point it. Really fun to drive.
Got to drive the Cayman GTS but not at speed on the track..still fun on the braking and shifting course.
Boxster...Really fun on the autocross course and quite capable on the track as well. I'm not into convertibles but if I were this would be one to consider.
BTW, if you can't drive a manual, never fear, they will do their best to accommodate you with a PDK.
Overall Speed on the road course is all about carrying your speed through the corners. One of the instructors said, it is not your maximum speed on the straights you should worry about but your minimum speed through the corners.
They want you to work on being smooth both with hands, feet and eyes. A lot of emphasis is placed on using your eyes and looking where you want to go way up the road way before you get there because at track speeds you are going to be there very soon.
The PDK helps make you look better if don't know how to drive a manual or at least how to drive it properly at speed on a race course. Unless you have been to a performance driving course and practice a lot you probably don't.
I know how to drive a manual but struggle with the combination of hard braking, blip shifting and proper trail braking at performance speeds...Why? Because I don't get to practice it everyday on a track.
Braking is more important than the gas peddle on the track.
I asked Cass how many modifications do they make to the PSDS cars to be able to run them so hard on the track. The answer "0". Yes not even the brake fluid is switched to Motul or whatever. All stock. I did not notice any brake fade during our laps. The temps were in the mid/upper 80s and the tires and track did get somewhat greasy by the end of the afternoon sessions.
Autocross intro was done with a new Boxster...that car was perfect for autocross. I had not ever done autocross and really enjoyed it. Speeds are lower but require a lot of technique and quick hands just like the track. Of course I'm sure the Cayman would be just as good. We practiced and then had a little team competition the second day. Winners got Porsche logo shirts.
Skid pad was a real water covered slightly sloped and sealed skidpad. The goal was to teach basics of recovery from understeer and oversteer. This was far better than the skid car we used at Miller IMO.
We did figure 8s and had an individual competition for best time. It was surprisingly challenging with traction control off. Top speeds were like 10-13 mph on the straights. With Porsche traction control on it was much easier but you could still over come the traction control with idiocy and hooning.
The last bits of the second day for us were full throttle launches in the Turbo S using launch control both with instructor and student driving. That car scared the crap out of me on the first launch. The initial acceleration is strong.... like bull. You experience something like 1.4 Gs. To give an idea of how well engineered and built that car is...in our group of 5 we did 18 total full throttle launches (3 per customer)...there were 4 groups and they used the same car with no problems.
Then we did an offroad course in the Cayennes. Some people grumbled about this but I really enjoyed it. We did some fairly steep ascents and descents through the woods with a rutted up trail and a 2' deep water crossing. The Cayenne was fairly impressive and I really enjoyed the experience.
I hope to go back and do the Masters course which is the next step. Porsche has some other higher levels that follow the Masters for people who really want to pursue it.
What did I learn? Porsche makes a well engineered fantastic vehicle and I need more instruction, and practice driving them on the track.
Much mental masturbation and arguments occur on the internet about sports cars and iterations of them and why one is faster than the other but MOST people are simply not capable of safely driving these cars properly anywhere near their limits particularly on the street where most of them spend their time. For example the endless discussion about which Porsche to own...Cayman vs 911. Which 911 variant vs another..ie the Carrera S vs GTS vs GT 3 arguments especially from people who own the cars and NEVER take them to the track. Just buy what you like and go learn how to drive it and enjoy it.
Birmingham is a new model launch facility so I even got to hear some opinions about what happens when the various big name writers show up to write articles about these cars and their driving skills. But I won't be sharing the opinions I heard.
I work a lot and with kids and all their activities, I don't have much time for track driving but going to work is how I got my Porsche so it works out.
After purchasing my 14 C2S 6 months ago I immediately decided I was going to go to PSDS and so I signed my wife and I up for the course. The weather we had was perfect. 80-86 degrees, sunny and low humidity.
We both did the two day basic course 7am to 445pm both days.
My background is not in racing or motorsports so I am a complete novice. I had attended a 2 day Boss Track attack course/Ford Racing school course at Miller Motorsport (MMS) in Utah about two years ago.
This PSDS course was overall better than the course I did at Miller in someways but not as good in some others.
How was this course not as good as the MMS course?
1. Larger class size.
2. Less track time on the road course and NO track time without lead follow with an instructor.
I am pretty sure it is simply numbers...too many cars and too many experience levels mixed together with some people who want to prove they are the next Mario Andretti and others who were experiencing real speed for the first time and were just plain scared. So I understand why it was done the way it was done.
Both Miller and Barber have excellent facilities. The Miller track is flat and the Barber track has elevations changes which are quite fun and challenging.
The PSDS course cost a little more but had more facets to it...Road Course, AutoCross, Performance braking, and shifting and a real wet skid pad. In fairness Ford paid for one of my Track days because I had purchased a new Boss 302.
The cars well they don't compare really. Heavy 3 link suspension Mustangs versus lighter Porsches. Both still require a good driver to get the most from them and on the track there is a lot to learn from both types of cars.
My class was about 30 people. Most people had some experience and some had no experience including my wife. One guy had been to PSDS courses over 10 times. Some people were in their late 20s and we had a couple of 60+ year old guys. There were 4 ladies driving in our class as I recall.
The instructors for my class were headed up by Cass Whitehead. All the instructors were engaging and easy to talk with, all tried to make time to answer any questions and were approachable. No one made us feel dumb and they did a good job of organizing the more aggressive and experienced drivers away from the less experienced. Some instructors were younger guys actively racing for teams and others were older and retired from active racing but all were excellent and experienced IMO.
We stayed at the Porsche recommended Grand Bohemian Hotel with shuttle service pickup from the Airport to the Hotel, Hotel to Barber Motorsports Track (George Barber, not Skip) and Track to Airport.
First morning first day started with an introductory classroom session then break out into groups of 4-5 with instructors.
We got to drive the following vehicles on the road course..16 Turbo S, 17 Carrera S, 16 Boxster, 16 Cayman GT4. All cars belonged to Porsche and will later be sold as new CPO cars. I was told by an instructor that dealers aggressively seek these cars for resale. Let me tell you they seem well cared for but are definitely broken in by the time the new owner gets it.
I would not be hesitant to own one of these cars under the CPO. The cars get used as Porsche intended IMO. However if it bothers you, you may want to ask your dealer before you buy a low mileage CPO car that has never been titled about where it came from.
Breakfast and Lunch were provided at the school/trackside both days. I would give them 3-4 stars for selection and taste. 5 star for quantity.
Our day started with track sessions in the Turbo S followed by the Carrera S..lead/follow with an instructor and rotating cars so each person could follow directly behind the instructor.
Some drivers are slower than others and the instructors were cognizant of that. Some drivers concentrate on learning the line and others just want to hit the gas. I will say that getting that first driving school under your belt helps tremendously with confidence and skill level when you go to the next school and next day at the same school
Something to not lose sight of...we got ride alongs with the instructors as they drove the cars we were assigned with us in them so we could watch them drive. They also talked on the radio to the other students in line behind the car the instructor was in. The instructor was basically driving with one hand and talking into the radio with the other hand and he was still waaaayy faster than us with two hands...
. I mentioned this to him and he said well that is what 40,000 laps will do for your experience and skill level.Some car impressions....
The Turbo S is blindingly fast on acceleration and has a few more nanny features to keep from you from killing yourself. Did I mention that it accelerated like a jet aircraft shot off of a catapult? If you are into dominating the around town stoplight Grand Prix with the local rednecks and hopped up hondas and nissans this is the car for you.
The Carrera S was my all around favorite for the whole course. It felt lighter and more nimble than the Turbo S but did not accelerate as fast. It was not as light or nimble as the Cayman GT 4 but accelerated harder.
For anyone interested I drove a few laps in the Carrera S with the refuel/check fuel light on with a display of 35miles or less until empty and there was NO PERFORMANCE change in the car that I could detect. Front end did not feel light..nothing. Before I am accused of being cavalier the instructors told me that until it was much lower there was no need to worry. Part of the warning is based on your fuel consumption level and mine was high on the track.
Cayman GT 4 was just a really fun car to drive at speed on the track and in capable hands would smoke any novice running a Carrera S. The GT 4 kind of wraps around you, has a nice sound and just turns wherever you point it. Really fun to drive.
Got to drive the Cayman GTS but not at speed on the track..still fun on the braking and shifting course.
Boxster...Really fun on the autocross course and quite capable on the track as well. I'm not into convertibles but if I were this would be one to consider.
BTW, if you can't drive a manual, never fear, they will do their best to accommodate you with a PDK.
Overall Speed on the road course is all about carrying your speed through the corners. One of the instructors said, it is not your maximum speed on the straights you should worry about but your minimum speed through the corners.
They want you to work on being smooth both with hands, feet and eyes. A lot of emphasis is placed on using your eyes and looking where you want to go way up the road way before you get there because at track speeds you are going to be there very soon.
The PDK helps make you look better if don't know how to drive a manual or at least how to drive it properly at speed on a race course. Unless you have been to a performance driving course and practice a lot you probably don't.
I know how to drive a manual but struggle with the combination of hard braking, blip shifting and proper trail braking at performance speeds...Why? Because I don't get to practice it everyday on a track.
Braking is more important than the gas peddle on the track.
I asked Cass how many modifications do they make to the PSDS cars to be able to run them so hard on the track. The answer "0". Yes not even the brake fluid is switched to Motul or whatever. All stock. I did not notice any brake fade during our laps. The temps were in the mid/upper 80s and the tires and track did get somewhat greasy by the end of the afternoon sessions.
Autocross intro was done with a new Boxster...that car was perfect for autocross. I had not ever done autocross and really enjoyed it. Speeds are lower but require a lot of technique and quick hands just like the track. Of course I'm sure the Cayman would be just as good. We practiced and then had a little team competition the second day. Winners got Porsche logo shirts.
Skid pad was a real water covered slightly sloped and sealed skidpad. The goal was to teach basics of recovery from understeer and oversteer. This was far better than the skid car we used at Miller IMO.
We did figure 8s and had an individual competition for best time. It was surprisingly challenging with traction control off. Top speeds were like 10-13 mph on the straights. With Porsche traction control on it was much easier but you could still over come the traction control with idiocy and hooning.
The last bits of the second day for us were full throttle launches in the Turbo S using launch control both with instructor and student driving. That car scared the crap out of me on the first launch. The initial acceleration is strong.... like bull. You experience something like 1.4 Gs. To give an idea of how well engineered and built that car is...in our group of 5 we did 18 total full throttle launches (3 per customer)...there were 4 groups and they used the same car with no problems.
Then we did an offroad course in the Cayennes. Some people grumbled about this but I really enjoyed it. We did some fairly steep ascents and descents through the woods with a rutted up trail and a 2' deep water crossing. The Cayenne was fairly impressive and I really enjoyed the experience.
I hope to go back and do the Masters course which is the next step. Porsche has some other higher levels that follow the Masters for people who really want to pursue it.
What did I learn? Porsche makes a well engineered fantastic vehicle and I need more instruction, and practice driving them on the track.
Much mental masturbation and arguments occur on the internet about sports cars and iterations of them and why one is faster than the other but MOST people are simply not capable of safely driving these cars properly anywhere near their limits particularly on the street where most of them spend their time. For example the endless discussion about which Porsche to own...Cayman vs 911. Which 911 variant vs another..ie the Carrera S vs GTS vs GT 3 arguments especially from people who own the cars and NEVER take them to the track. Just buy what you like and go learn how to drive it and enjoy it.
Birmingham is a new model launch facility so I even got to hear some opinions about what happens when the various big name writers show up to write articles about these cars and their driving skills. But I won't be sharing the opinions I heard.
Last edited by Driven991; 10-05-2016 at 02:25 PM.
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10-05-2016, 02:27 PM
#2
Oh and what did I get for my trouble?
A LOT of really great instruction and experience and a cool diploma that I will sincerely appreciate and treasure every time I look it.
Please feel free to chime in with questions about the trip. May try to post up some pics later. Still tired from two long days and late night travel.
A LOT of really great instruction and experience and a cool diploma that I will sincerely appreciate and treasure every time I look it.
Please feel free to chime in with questions about the trip. May try to post up some pics later. Still tired from two long days and late night travel.
10-05-2016, 03:00 PM
#3
Thanks for sharing your insight!
I did a HPDE at my local track with my 991 and it was a disaster so I was very interested in how a Porsche event compares. When you say it was all lead-follow that means there was no passing?
What I've always wanted to do is get enough laps at the track and in safe enough conditions where I can feel when I'm going too fast or slow and when the car is going to do something I don't want and knowing how to correct it.
With the driving school I went to I signed up for notice, but the instructors basically just would shout when to brake or accelerate or shift, but because I was driving a few feet behind other cars and I had cars passing me I was scared to death the whole time and never got a good feel. How helpful were they helping you to figure out the line and also braking, shifting, and acceleration points?
I did a HPDE at my local track with my 991 and it was a disaster so I was very interested in how a Porsche event compares. When you say it was all lead-follow that means there was no passing?
What I've always wanted to do is get enough laps at the track and in safe enough conditions where I can feel when I'm going too fast or slow and when the car is going to do something I don't want and knowing how to correct it.
With the driving school I went to I signed up for notice, but the instructors basically just would shout when to brake or accelerate or shift, but because I was driving a few feet behind other cars and I had cars passing me I was scared to death the whole time and never got a good feel. How helpful were they helping you to figure out the line and also braking, shifting, and acceleration points?
10-05-2016, 03:27 PM
#4
Oh and what did I get for my trouble?
A LOT of really great instruction and experience and a cool diploma that I will sincerely appreciate and treasure every time I look it.
Please feel free to chime in with questions about the trip. May try to post up some pics later. Still tired from two long days and late night travel.
A LOT of really great instruction and experience and a cool diploma that I will sincerely appreciate and treasure every time I look it.
Please feel free to chime in with questions about the trip. May try to post up some pics later. Still tired from two long days and late night travel.
Some years back I attended a 1 day Skip Barber performance driving school, essentially touching most of what you describe above. However track time was limited to 30 minutes and in groups of 5-6 playing follow the instructor who would only go as fast as the slowest driver in the group. Typically that's not a bad rule unless you were in my group. We had a very inexperienced and timid young lady( although very easy on the eyes), who couldn't even push it over 45 on the straight away (Lime Rock), and less than half of that in the corners. Thus the track time for me was a complete wash. Other groups took to the track, one at a time, and really got their cars moving. Since my complaints (oral and written), fell on deaf ears, I have been reluctant to sign up for any other performance driving program.
Did you see anything similar? Were the instructors conscious of the students' skills and did they switch people around to slower or faster groups during the track sessions?
Thanks.
10-05-2016, 04:03 PM
#5
Thanks for sharing your insight!
I did a HPDE at my local track with my 991 and it was a disaster so I was very interested in how a Porsche event compares. When you say it was all lead-follow that means there was no passing?
What I've always wanted to do is get enough laps at the track and in safe enough conditions where I can feel when I'm going too fast or slow and when the car is going to do something I don't want and knowing how to correct it.
With the driving school I went to I signed up for notice, but the instructors basically just would shout when to brake or accelerate or shift, but because I was driving a few feet behind other cars and I had cars passing me I was scared to death the whole time and never got a good feel. How helpful were they helping you to figure out the line and also braking, shifting, and acceleration points?
I did a HPDE at my local track with my 991 and it was a disaster so I was very interested in how a Porsche event compares. When you say it was all lead-follow that means there was no passing?
What I've always wanted to do is get enough laps at the track and in safe enough conditions where I can feel when I'm going too fast or slow and when the car is going to do something I don't want and knowing how to correct it.
With the driving school I went to I signed up for notice, but the instructors basically just would shout when to brake or accelerate or shift, but because I was driving a few feet behind other cars and I had cars passing me I was scared to death the whole time and never got a good feel. How helpful were they helping you to figure out the line and also braking, shifting, and acceleration points?
Paragraph 1...You are still traveling at higher speeds than you would on the road for a regular period of time and it can take some getting used to. You simply have to learn to trust the car and yourself and that is normal IMO. We hit just above 100 mph on the straightaways. The first few times you do this can be a little unnerving especially since most people are cautious drivers anyway. This is not normal for the freeway.
When you ride with an instructor for hot laps to actually see what the car can do with a pro, you will see that they are either always on the brake or accelerator with virtually no coasting. They run ***** out to the braking zone...it is eye opening as far as the capabilities of the car and a good driver.
Question 2...The environment at the school is not chaotic like a real race or with a bunch of unorganized cars on the track. Before you even get on the van to go to the track there is a classroom section where driving theory as it applies to a road course is discussed..you may ask questions here.
When you go down to the track, the first thing you do is ride in the van on the track with your group as the instructor points out the braking zones, apex cones and when and how to accelerate. The track is very well laid out for visual identification of all areas of concern. You may ask questions during the familiarization ride on the track.
When you get back to the pit you put on your helmet and the instructor tells you to get in your car and adjust the seats, mirrors, etc for you. You may end up sitting much closer than you think you need to. Hitting the brakes firmly for prompt deceleration takes some foot power.
When you go out on the track you leave in a single file with the group, and the instructor gives radio commands for when to brake, accelerate (how much) and visual cues of where to look on the road course, etc. It is very professional and thorough. No one is suddenly yelling at you but there is a lot going on quickly and it takes some time to get used to it. You will get used to it just be patient and try to nail the basics.
The instructors are completely in control of their individual groups and they are on constant look out for stragglers. If your group is slower and another faster group is approaching you, then your instructor will tell you exactly what to do to let them pass. Again it is very controlled and professional.
We had a couple of people at the Miller course I attended who were aggressive and unsafe and they were pulled out and corrected immediately. Nobody wants any of that BS going on and causing an accident. Nobody did anything stupid at the Porsche course.
As an aside one of the guys in the class had also attended the Boss course at Miller. He said that they had a guy in his Boss class who was too aggressive and immediately spun the car on the first series of open laps. He trashed the car beyond minor repair and he was done for both days. Yes, not only did that guy lose the money he spent but he also had to pay for repairs to the car all for a half day of driving. Amateurs at these courses are not going to impress the instructors, these guys have been doing it too long for some weekend warrior to show them something. If someone gets out of line, they will be corrected and if dangerous I am quite sure they would be sent home.
10-05-2016, 04:23 PM
#6
Driven - Nice write up. Looks like you really enjoyed yourself. Money well spent. How much actual driving track time did you get?
Some years back I attended a 1 day Skip Barber performance driving school, essentially touching most of what you describe above. However track time was limited to 30 minutes and in groups of 5-6 playing follow the instructor who would only go as fast as the slowest driver in the group. Typically that's not a bad rule unless you were in my group. We had a very inexperienced and timid young lady( although very easy on the eyes), who couldn't even push it over 45 on the straight away (Lime Rock), and less than half of that in the corners. Thus the track time for me was a complete wash. Other groups took to the track, one at a time, and really got their cars moving. Since my complaints (oral and written), fell on deaf ears, I have been reluctant to sign up for any other performance driving program.
Did you see anything similar? Were the instructors conscious of the students' skills and did they switch people around to slower or faster groups during the track sessions?
Thanks.
Some years back I attended a 1 day Skip Barber performance driving school, essentially touching most of what you describe above. However track time was limited to 30 minutes and in groups of 5-6 playing follow the instructor who would only go as fast as the slowest driver in the group. Typically that's not a bad rule unless you were in my group. We had a very inexperienced and timid young lady( although very easy on the eyes), who couldn't even push it over 45 on the straight away (Lime Rock), and less than half of that in the corners. Thus the track time for me was a complete wash. Other groups took to the track, one at a time, and really got their cars moving. Since my complaints (oral and written), fell on deaf ears, I have been reluctant to sign up for any other performance driving program.
Did you see anything similar? Were the instructors conscious of the students' skills and did they switch people around to slower or faster groups during the track sessions?
Thanks.
Autocross time...maybe 30 minutes of actual driving time total for both days.
Question 2.. The instructors did a pretty good job of dividing the groups based on experience before you even hit the track. Some minor adjustments were made on the second day.
Frankly my wife was the slowest in our group and at times fell back. (not as bad as what you described but still significantly slower). The instructors let her struggle a little to see how she would respond and with switching the order of follow the leader everyone got a chance to drive faster. The next afternoon the instructor just took me and my wife together and let the other people join faster groups. Would I have liked to drive faster...sure...but hey I had to fly home with her...
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10-05-2016, 04:57 PM
#9
Line of Boxsters waiting to roll out
Two lonely GT3 RSs waiting for me to drive them but alas it was not to be. Perhaps another time sweet ladies...perhaps another time. They were all dirty covered in tire rubber and track dust.
10-05-2016, 09:07 PM
#11
Instructor
Answer to Question 1... In this manner everyone would have a chance to directly fall in behind the instructor such that he could directly evaluate your line, speed and ability to keep up. No students were passing each other otherwise. Again this is for the basic two day course..
A great time for sure! Thanks for the detailed review.
10-05-2016, 10:51 PM
#12
Answer to Question 1...What you were going to do before you went on track was discussed in the pit lane out of the car so everyone was clear on the expectations. You would leave the pit area following the instructor in a line and merge onto the track. The group in a single file line would follow the instructor around the track for a couple of laps. The instructor would then radio to the group via a one way in car radio that when they hit the front straightaway that the person behind him would pull to the left, let off the gas and the others in the line would then in same order move in behind the instructor. The person that moved out would hit the gas and fall back as last in line. In this manner everyone would have a chance to directly fall in behind the instructor such that he could directly evaluate your line, speed and ability to keep up. No students were passing each other otherwise. Again this is for the basic two day course.
Paragraph 1...You are still traveling at higher speeds than you would on the road for a regular period of time and it can take some getting used to. You simply have to learn to trust the car and yourself and that is normal IMO. We hit just above 100 mph on the straightaways. The first few times you do this can be a little unnerving especially since most people are cautious drivers anyway. This is not normal for the freeway.
When you ride with an instructor for hot laps to actually see what the car can do with a pro, you will see that they are either always on the brake or accelerator with virtually no coasting. They run ***** out to the braking zone...it is eye opening as far as the capabilities of the car and a good driver.
Question 2...The environment at the school is not chaotic like a real race or with a bunch of unorganized cars on the track. Before you even get on the van to go to the track there is a classroom section where driving theory as it applies to a road course is discussed..you may ask questions here.
When you go down to the track, the first thing you do is ride in the van on the track with your group as the instructor points out the braking zones, apex cones and when and how to accelerate. The track is very well laid out for visual identification of all areas of concern. You may ask questions during the familiarization ride on the track.
When you get back to the pit you put on your helmet and the instructor tells you to get in your car and adjust the seats, mirrors, etc for you. You may end up sitting much closer than you think you need to. Hitting the brakes firmly for prompt deceleration takes some foot power.
When you go out on the track you leave in a single file with the group, and the instructor gives radio commands for when to brake, accelerate (how much) and visual cues of where to look on the road course, etc. It is very professional and thorough. No one is suddenly yelling at you but there is a lot going on quickly and it takes some time to get used to it. You will get used to it just be patient and try to nail the basics.
The instructors are completely in control of their individual groups and they are on constant look out for stragglers. If your group is slower and another faster group is approaching you, then your instructor will tell you exactly what to do to let them pass. Again it is very controlled and professional.
We had a couple of people at the Miller course I attended who were aggressive and unsafe and they were pulled out and corrected immediately. Nobody wants any of that BS going on and causing an accident. Nobody did anything stupid at the Porsche course.
As an aside one of the guys in the class had also attended the Boss course at Miller. He said that they had a guy in his Boss class who was too aggressive and immediately spun the car on the first series of open laps. He trashed the car beyond minor repair and he was done for both days. Yes, not only did that guy lose the money he spent but he also had to pay for repairs to the car all for a half day of driving. Amateurs at these courses are not going to impress the instructors, these guys have been doing it too long for some weekend warrior to show them something. If someone gets out of line, they will be corrected and if dangerous I am quite sure they would be sent home.
Paragraph 1...You are still traveling at higher speeds than you would on the road for a regular period of time and it can take some getting used to. You simply have to learn to trust the car and yourself and that is normal IMO. We hit just above 100 mph on the straightaways. The first few times you do this can be a little unnerving especially since most people are cautious drivers anyway. This is not normal for the freeway.
When you ride with an instructor for hot laps to actually see what the car can do with a pro, you will see that they are either always on the brake or accelerator with virtually no coasting. They run ***** out to the braking zone...it is eye opening as far as the capabilities of the car and a good driver.
Question 2...The environment at the school is not chaotic like a real race or with a bunch of unorganized cars on the track. Before you even get on the van to go to the track there is a classroom section where driving theory as it applies to a road course is discussed..you may ask questions here.
When you go down to the track, the first thing you do is ride in the van on the track with your group as the instructor points out the braking zones, apex cones and when and how to accelerate. The track is very well laid out for visual identification of all areas of concern. You may ask questions during the familiarization ride on the track.
When you get back to the pit you put on your helmet and the instructor tells you to get in your car and adjust the seats, mirrors, etc for you. You may end up sitting much closer than you think you need to. Hitting the brakes firmly for prompt deceleration takes some foot power.
When you go out on the track you leave in a single file with the group, and the instructor gives radio commands for when to brake, accelerate (how much) and visual cues of where to look on the road course, etc. It is very professional and thorough. No one is suddenly yelling at you but there is a lot going on quickly and it takes some time to get used to it. You will get used to it just be patient and try to nail the basics.
The instructors are completely in control of their individual groups and they are on constant look out for stragglers. If your group is slower and another faster group is approaching you, then your instructor will tell you exactly what to do to let them pass. Again it is very controlled and professional.
We had a couple of people at the Miller course I attended who were aggressive and unsafe and they were pulled out and corrected immediately. Nobody wants any of that BS going on and causing an accident. Nobody did anything stupid at the Porsche course.
As an aside one of the guys in the class had also attended the Boss course at Miller. He said that they had a guy in his Boss class who was too aggressive and immediately spun the car on the first series of open laps. He trashed the car beyond minor repair and he was done for both days. Yes, not only did that guy lose the money he spent but he also had to pay for repairs to the car all for a half day of driving. Amateurs at these courses are not going to impress the instructors, these guys have been doing it too long for some weekend warrior to show them something. If someone gets out of line, they will be corrected and if dangerous I am quite sure they would be sent home.
10-06-2016, 01:42 AM
#14
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I had a very similar experience @ barber there in Birmingham. Enjoyed your detailed analysis. You type a lot better than I do. Totally first class in my opinion. And tons of fun! Recommend for sure.
Last edited by Shrevehorn; 10-06-2016 at 02:12 AM.
10-06-2016, 09:19 AM
#15
Having done the Porsche school two years in a row, last year I decided to try the Lucas Oil two day class.
while the porsche school is very classy and very fun, I got way more out of the more Lucas oil class.
primary difference is the cars. The school uses open wheel formula style cars that are very light and not very powerful. The cars are also on street tires. There is no traction control, etc.
In the porsche school, the average person is not going to be capable of getting the car anywhere near its limits. With the little 1000lbs openwheel cars, you definitely will.
I learned a lot more about vehicle dynamics and driving on the less powerful cars than in the street cars. I strongly recommend trying a driving school that uses formula style cars. Don't be put off by the hp numbers.... 150hp at 1000lbs is very quick and a hell of a lot more engaging than 400 at 3300 lbs.
while the porsche school is very classy and very fun, I got way more out of the more Lucas oil class.
primary difference is the cars. The school uses open wheel formula style cars that are very light and not very powerful. The cars are also on street tires. There is no traction control, etc.
In the porsche school, the average person is not going to be capable of getting the car anywhere near its limits. With the little 1000lbs openwheel cars, you definitely will.
I learned a lot more about vehicle dynamics and driving on the less powerful cars than in the street cars. I strongly recommend trying a driving school that uses formula style cars. Don't be put off by the hp numbers.... 150hp at 1000lbs is very quick and a hell of a lot more engaging than 400 at 3300 lbs.