LexVan

^using cruise control at a high speed track event? Strange.

Gbos1

Did I just read he was using Cruise Control at 135 - 155 mph ? ? ? What the .....

devenh

The use of cruise control is not uncommon. This event is not go as fast as you can, but rather finish at the average speed of your class. So, for example, in the 135mph class you want to finish the 90 mile course in exactly 40:00. And since cars are released onto the course at 1 minute intervals, there is generally no one around you. Essentially you are on an empty highway.

As you approach the finish (i.e. the last 5-10 miles), you want to control your speed as precisely as you can and cruise control is very, very good at this. The course is mostly straight and the turns are very gradual, so driving through them at 150mph generates maybe 0.4g. The course record is 219mph, so the 150mph class is running at 2/3's the pace of the "lap" record. Obviously this is still extremely fast and risky, but it is not pushing a modern Porsche to its limits (I believe tire failure is by far the biggest risk, but that is another discussion).

nile13

Has anyone used cruise control in a 993 above 85MPH? I believe that in Japanese and American cars the cruise control disengages at 85 and above.

996AE

Sad story. I hope others can learn from this incident.

High speed event drivers understand what the slightest steering adjustment at 120 plus does to the car. Short of tire or other mechanical failure driver input at high speeds in a stock 993 can quite easily become twitchy. He merely may have under estimated the turn and ran out of tarmac.

I dont recall his driving experience but 120 class is not a novice class in this event.

devenh

Rookies are limited to the Touring Division which has a top speed class of 110mph. There are minimum and maximum speeds you can go in each speed class. In the 110mph class, these limits are 80 and 124. Once you've driven the Touring Division, you can enter the Grand Touring Division with a maximum speed class of 125mph. After that you are eligible for the Grand Sport Division with a maximum speed of 155mph. Each faster Division has stricter safety requirements.

The first event that I found results for Phil Bowser was in 1999. Search results indicate he was in 20+ events, many in the 150mph class.

Grapeape

I have experienced cruise control disengaging. I typically cruise 10 to 15 over the posted speed limit if 55, less than 10 if limit is 65. I if recall accurately I was driving on a NJ highway maybe Rt. 287, hit a bad spot and for a second I was alarmed, which is the reason I remember the event. I did not look into it why this occurred.

Matt Lane

Cruise control in a high-speed competitive event?

The rationale doesn't matter. A horrible idea - this would never occur me in a million years.

95_993

I am truly baffled by the use of or even the suggested use of cruise control here.

AOW162435

Same.




Andreas

Cactus

I used the cruise control for a very short period years ago doing 100. This was a deserted smooth highway in Mexico of course....

fsa

Vehicular accidents... Factors.
Spent 40-years as an emergency M.D. in a trauma center.
Short of autopsy, even then not always 100%, many drivers in accidents experience dizziness and focusing issues from sudden heart irregularity, petit mal seizure, sudden lack of blood to the brain(tia), low blood sugar, electrolyte abnormality, and others. We routinely did toxicology and drug screens on these patients and were sometimes stunned with findings.
Cruise control = craziness in our cars at those speeds, even for "better" drivers.

Magdaddy

Well, sounds like this is a Time, speed, distance(TSD)type of event...not un-similar to local SCCA Club public road rally’s. If the weather is clear, roads dry, visibility good, etc...then you definitely need to limit, or maintain stage speed. As someone who uses cruise control in MANY driving conditions, I understand.

Now, if the weather changes DRAMATICALLY...say a local club rally, stage break, night time section, and a sudden HUGE lake effect snow event...all bets are off in the TSD category. Add in a rural route both wings down County plow, and hanging it out a little with the classic Scandinavian flick the blind corner before...well, you can imagine my surprise.

Replacing the rural route mailbox, and 6x6 post for the property owner...$100
Repairing all the exploded bits on the right side of the car, and a little frame jig work...$4000
Finishing the stage still in the lead, with one 8” round rally light dragging on the ground...priceless.

That was in the 1990 Audi Coupe Quattro, dropped $40K in repairs/upgrades into that car in the 13 years, 276Kmiles I drove her. Wrecked it on the ice, on the track, and on the above referenced Club rally. Probably more a part of me, than any other car will be...sorry to say.

Sorry for the diversion...hope the daughter has found peace

jscott82

Early in the 993 life there was talk that the 95 had a rear geometry issue and would get squirly/uncontrollable in that exact scenario (bump mid corner). Having DE/Raced a 95 993 for 14 years I never experienced that problem though. So not sure if it was a myth/misconception or if there was some really obscure detail that triggered it.

That being said, a botched rear alignment (specifically the kinematic toe setting) these cars would be a handful at that speed hitting a bump mid corner. Cruise control would make it next to impossible to control. But sounds like this guy had a fair amount of experience, and would know if he had an issue long before he got to that corner...