pet2065

I'm surprised no one has mentioned specifically the Porsche Track Experience (https://www.porschedriving.com/track-experience) in Birmingham, AL. Use and abuse their Porsches and get to know how to really drive your P-car at its limits. Get a feel for what abuse a car doing this takes. Then decide if you want to do this to your own car. It's far more than the Porsche Experience in Atlanta and California.

I've been several times, even during Covid, and they are very well sorted. Well run, well taught, and good training. They have every Porsche model available to drive (even Taycan, Turbo S, GT cars for advance classes). I always do the two-day classes which give plenty of track time, provide lunch / beverages, dinner after the first day. I also stay at the recommended hotel.

Now, the experience is not cheap but you get what you pay for. PCA members get a discount (call them if the website does not give you the option). Stay at another hotel if you wish to minimize costs. They did provide breakfast pre-covid but they now limit class size and really spread you out over lunch. The advance classes are really fun as you have minimal follow the instructor leader and you have the track & car to yourself (with other students on the race track of course). They encourage you to drive as fast as you are capable and teach you how to do that.

Mind you, you will get spoiled at this race track and school. Every other school I've been to tries to emulate it but just cant replicate the 5-star experience at Barber Race Track and its Porsche school.

I agree with almost all of the comments above. Do the Autocross days (low risk), try the HPDE events in your region to see if you like it (beginner / intermediate groups are minimum-to-medium risk, rent a helmet to minimize costs, get race insurance, even use the trac wrap to protect the front, mirrors and hips of your P-car if paranoid).

You will go through tires and brakes. Highly suggest brake fluid flush annually. But in reality, once you really start racing you will want a second vehicle because the abuse is real. Most trailer to the track days so if something happens you have a way home. But all this is down the line. If you are just starting out, the risks are minimal and you will quickly learn if this is something for you.

Good luck. Oh, and by the way, for those with company cars.... you will quickly learn they are not built like a Porsche and cannot take the abuse a Porsche can. Ask me how I know......

Tupper

^ Nice, an actual visit to Porsche Track Experience does sound enticing. It's would entire vacation for me, basically, since I live in the Chicago area. Being that it's in Alabama, if my family followed along they would be pretty bored as I'm pretty sure there is little else there to do.

Regarding tracking my own car, even at a beginner level.....still on the fence. I'm inherently a lazy MF (plus very busy). If there has to be too much prep (buying extra insurance, applying extra wrap to parts of my car, etc) it quickly turns into a chore and loses the fun factor.

Quadcammer

Honestly, getting insurance takes roughly 6 minutes online. slapping some blue painters tape can be done at the track while you're waiting for your first session anyway.

You're never just gonna drive from the street onto the track, do 20 twenty laps, and go right back home.

DE, especially at a higher level, is work, but thats necessary to make sure you are safe and your car is prepped for what its going to experience. But as a total beginner, all you really have to do is check tire pressure, empty junk from the car, and slap on some numbers. Of course you will have to have your car inspected prior, but thats a short job, usually done for free by local shops.

Worst case, do it once and see how you feel.

chong0

Yes, not much to do in Birmingham but the classes, instruction and driving all the P-cars makes the experience worthwhile. I am trying to convince the family to do the ice experience which looks incredible.

aggie57

Track use does not = abuse. If you're abusing your car on the track you're probably abusing it on the road too, sure you'll go through more tires and brakes on the track but the real skill is to be fast and smooth at the same time.

drcollie

This is partially right, and partially wrong, a lot depends on how much of the car you are using on a track day. A newbie on his first day and the next couple of outings is likely not going to stress any component on a car, he's running at best 50% to 70% of what the car is capable of. He should just buy track insurance unless he can afford to buy a fender and some paint out-of-pocket. Clean out all the crap in the car, make sure you have some pad material on your brakes, your tires have at least 50% tread and you're good to go. Have fun and see if its for you.

As track days increase and our driver advances into the upper tier run groups, or at Instructor level, where the car is being run at 95% to 100%, you are definitely getting more stress on components. It's more than tires and brakes, you are putting high stress and heat - lots of heat - on the whole braking system, wheel bearings and running gear (control arms/bushings and shocks), plus the rear diff, clutch and engine. There is no mechanical device made that doesn't wear out quicker at high-stress use than low stress use. A Porsche is pretty tough, but its also just a machine with moving parts that wear. This is why at higher levels, you move to a dedicated track car, usually something like a Miata where the parts are cheap, because keeping a Porsche in top condition is $$$$$. And a tube frame car is much easier to repair than a unibody if you ball it up.

But that's getting ahead of first time track driving.....

ipse dixit

+1 on this.

Driving your car at its limits, is not abuse. I would almost suggest that not driving your car to explore its limits, and simply babying it, is more abusive.

aggie57

They're designed to take it. One of the Porsche differentiators compared to most other makes. I've always tracked my Porsches at club level timed events, not races, and they needed no more maintenance over years of use than if I'd driven them to the office and back every day.

My experience is that people buy dedicated track cars because they want to modify them or they want a cheapie that can be thrown away if needed.

surquhar

Thats right. This is my 2nd 911 and I have always taken each one to the track at least once. I always do the PCA DE events at Sebring. Easy and fun - get your car inspected, show up, sit through a beginner class, meet your instructor, and drive 3 - 30 min sessions. Its an awesome way to spend the day. Ive never taken track insurance either. I mean anything can happen, but in the beginner group is all point by passing, etc I've never felt the need. But maybe I should rethink that next time. lol

kpblade

Having never tracked a car except at a PECLA demonstration, how much is track insurance?.... hoping it’s not if you have to ask, you can’t afford it

ipse dixit

Look at Opentrack.

They will give you a quote almost immediately.

ipse dixit

I'm not sure I agree with the bolded statement.

Yes, the stress you put on the entire car is higher the higher your driving abilities are, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't track a 911.

Because to think a dedicated track car is somehow cheaper to maintain (or track) versus a 911 is, um, with all due respect, and to put it mildly, ridiculous.

Owning, maintaining and running a dedicated track car is akin to rolling up dollar bills and lighting them on fire.

wasabi4

couple years old but a ball-park comparison: https://rennlist.com/forums/racing-a...l#post15270141

John Mclane

I second opentrack. We add coverage for the track as well. Them guard rails are expensive...

markchristenson

I’m a huge fan of doing track days. Yes, there is a risk, but I probably logged 2-3k miles on the track and never suffered any damage except accelerated tire wear.