Steven

It is a fact. A study was done several years ago among many of the Highway Patrols in several states and it was found that the car most likely to be pulled over for speeding is a Porsche. Also, the study stated that a 'red' Porsche was top on the color list! Bummer huh?

DJ

Todd,

I know that it's difficult to shrug off unwarranted attacks, exagerations, and outright fabrications, but I think that this has probably played out long enough for everyone to see that Mr. F. writes only to attack. His invective and twisted semantics have shown that he has nothing of value to add. He will undoubtedly attack me for making this post, but I'm going to ignore any more of his posts that serve no purpose but cause strife. John Dunkle has repeatedly written that eliminating posters of Mr. F.'s type was one of the goals of this new format, and it is my sincere hope that Mr. F. decides to use his power for good instead of evil. If not, I hope he goes away.

What Mr. F. fails to realize--intentionally or not--is that track driving can be dangerous. That's why we wear helmets, seatbelts, and receive instruction, why we have corner workers and passing rules. It's about minimizing the risks. I've been doing this since 1983, and I've run with just about everyone (SCCA, POC, PCA, etc.), and TracQuest's safety compares favorably with the very best. No one can put on a High Performance Drivers Education event and absolutely guarantee that there will be no cars going off the track (Autopia, anyone?). Even with the best instruction, people are driving their own cars, and people make mistakes.

DJ

Steven,

That's why, even though I drive a Porsche, it's not a red one. Slate Grey is almost exactly the same color as asphalt. Now all I need are a couple of yellow racing stripes and my car will all but disappear on those two-lane back roads.

Todd Serota [TracQuest]

Pete Fagerlin wrote above:

Todd, that is an interesting statement you made. It could even be construed as a threat. I think you would be hard-pressed to substantiate your "damage" claims counselor.....
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I strongly suggest you talk to your lawyer, Pete. Specifically, ask him about the damage rules for libel per se. You might also inquire as to how much it would cost to defend against a suit for libel and trade disparagement. You may think you're just having some fun on the Internet, but TracQuest is my business, and I take it very seriously - safety and my reputation. Thousands of people see your statements and have no way of knowing that what you're saying is utter fabrication.


I would suggest that you reread both threads.
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I've read them a couple of times.

My comments are based upon my experiences at your school, and others, and the reports of serious vehicle damage from your recent events at Willow Springs and Watkins Glen.
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Ah yes - your experience at my school. The one at Laguna Seca. The one where no cars were damaged. The one where you said there was a serious crash involving a 944 Turbo, which in fact simply got muddy and sandy when it went off in Turn 2, being driven by the wife of an instructor, who was in the car at the time. That experience.

Are you disputing the fact that a Boxster was seriously damaged while you were instructing at Watkins Glen?
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I'm not now, and never did. That's one of two serious crashes that have occurred during the 24 TracQuest events over the last 8 years, the other being an RX-7 at Buttonwillow several years ago.

I am amazed that you brush off the damage to the Boxster that kissed the wall at Willow Springs as not "serious" given the amount of damage that it sustained:

"Initial inspection shows a bent rear axle, trailing control arm, and other suspension parts in the rear (I can't remember all of the specifics right now). Also, and obviously, it needs an alignment. Of course, there's body work & rims to replace as well. The rims weren't bent, just scratched like crazy."
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I'm not brushing anything off. There's no question that there was damage to Chris Henry's Boxster, but I don't consider that to be damage from a "serious crash." However, that's not the point. As I said before, even if we call it serious, that would make only 3 "serious crashes" in 24 events over 8 years. That still means your statement that "TracQuest has had more than its fair share of serious crashes" is a complete lie. Show me one other organization that can claim anything even close to my safety record. I defy you to do so. Moreover, if you continue what you're doing, you'll have a vested interest in attempting to do so.


And finally, my opinion is indeed backed up with facts, such as those above, as well as my experiences at various DE events.
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Those facts don't come close to supporting the statements you made.


You choose to run your schools one way and others choose to run their schools in a different manner.

Isn't a free market great?
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You bet - a free market is great. And you and others have an absolute right to choose which schools you want to attend. But just as McDonald's wouldn't have the right to say that Burger King has had more than its fair share of serious injuries if one person got sick for a few days from eating a Whopper, you don't have the right to say what you did based on the facts as they exist.

Believe me, after seeing what you're about in the thread here and on Porsche Pete's, I want as much to do with you in the future as I'm sure you want to do with me. Go to other schools - please. Just stop making false, libelous, dispraging statments about TracQuest and its events.

Rob Wolford

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pete:
[QB]

Todd, that is an interesting statement you made. It could even be construed as a threat. I think you would be hard-pressed to substantiate your "damage" claims counselor.....

Hey John D:

Enough is enough!! It's time to moderate this Pete idiot. He is undermining all of the efforts you have made to preserve the usefulness of the Rennlist boards for Porsche enthusiasts. His presence on this board is the equivalent of an infected butt zit!

E. J. - 993 Alumni

I hate to do it, but I must jump in:

Pete, please go elsewhere else and stop pestering us with your petty antics. We are all here as a service to others. You are doing nothing to foster that relationship.

What Todd says is true, so I would keep your mouth shut from now on. I know of one bmw club that put a car on its roof three driving schools in a row.

I thought the creation of this board allowed for moderators to step in. I feel that now is the time - for all of our sanity.

Take a hike Pete!

Pete.

Todd, by your own admission you have made changes to your school format since the Laguna Seca event. It seems that your program now incorporates many of the controls/features that I have been discussing.

You have heard some of this same feedback (newbie drivers with instructors in all sessions, skidpad time to learn car control at the limit, etc.) from other sources. Granted, I don't think my message was as easy to swallow as some of the other feedback that you've gotten, but my message regarding the format is along the same lines as what you have read in the past.

Finally, it seems that I misunderstood the severity of the damage to the 944 Turbo at Laguna and for that I apologize. Regarding the definition of "serious" damage, I don't think that we will ever agree.

Pete

Todd Serota [TracQuest]

In the interest of cleaning up this forum, I responded to Pete's post above in a private email, so hopefully that's the last of this here.

Pete.

After a series of discussions with Todd I think it would be helpful if I clarified my previous posts:

- I was mistaken about the car that went off at Laguna. It was undriveable only because it went through some nasty mud, rather than experiencing mechanical.

- My poorly crafted rhetorical question on PPBB regarding the safety of Tracquest events was based upon my experiences from January '01 forward as I was unfamiliar with any of the history of Tracquest events prior to that time.

Todd and I still disagree about what constitutes "serious" damage but I now understand that there have been just a few incidents in Tracquest's long history.

As I told Todd privately, he has my apologies.

Pete