tgavem

The heading is a little misleading as I commenced my Porsche ownership in 2010 and started tracking in 2012. However, my first real Porsche, the 996 GT3, I have only owned for about 18 months.
My first track experience started in March 2010 when my friend Stephen, Rovman, invited me to Bondurant High performance driving school. It was the 3 days school and what a blast and very educational. I will highly recommend this to anybody doing DE’s or club racing. It is the best learning tool for the money as you get to learn car control (skid pad sliding), break points, various track corners etc. in a controlled environment and by professional instructors.
My First DE was in April 2012 in the convertible at MSR Houston. It was a lot of fun and I quickly moved from green, to blue to yellow over the next 5 events. As my speed increased, Rovman and I were discussing a different car for me to track with vs. the convertible. Rovman had bought a 2004 996 GT3 that year and he strongly encouraged me to get the same as he pointed out; it is a driver car with no traction nor stability control. Just what a beginner needs!
In November 2012 I became a proud owner of a 2005 996 GT3 with just over 30k miles and I found it here on Rennlist and locally in Houston. The car had never been tracked and it was in great condition. Thanks Ken. Back to Rennlist I went to find seats and half cage, I lucked out again, and I found the seats and the roll cage from another local Rennlist’er. This was the first mod.

After owning the car for only two weeks, I took it to the track. It was not a good experience. I shifted based on the sound I was used to from the 997 so way early, and I struggled with 3rd as the 997 gears are closer. By the afternoon I became very irritated and impatient with my poor shifting and I ended up forcing the shifter forward and into 1st instead of 3rd. Thankfully I had been short shifting all day the so the over rev was not as severe as it could have been, however, it still resulted in the rear pulley coming off. Thankfully that was the only damage and not damage to engine nor transmission.
I realized I need more practice at a less stressful event than a DE and that I needed a coach quickly. I had signed up with MVP for COTA Feb 2013 and I only had 2 months to become more familiar with the car. I did 4 track weekends in January and February before COTA including private track time. Tires were changed from V12’s to AD08 and Pagid brake pads (black in rear and yellow up front) were installed. I did ok in these events and a couple others ones in the spring of 2013. I have included a video from MSR Houston from April 2013 CW direction with a lap time of 1:52.

During my track days in spring of 2013, I practiced breaking in straight lines and carefully applying throttle when exiting the corners. I slowly improved my technique and was able to manage the car reasonably well. When I say reasonably well, I mean that I only spun the car once per weekend. I would spin the car either under trail breaking or not releasing the steering when exiting a corner while applying to much throttle for the steering input. This resulted in off track excursions and me going around the track in the evenings looking for my splitter and front break cooling ducts.
The summer of 2013 I did major mods; dropped the engine for new fittings, water pump, hoses reservoir, new Guards competition LSD, new shocks and springs (Daniel Jacobs set up) with matching alignment etc etc
The new LSD and alignment transformed the car as the car is much more manageable now during trail breaking and at corner exit. It is amazing how I can feel the LSD working while I apply throttle at the corner exit. It gives me much more confidence knowing it won't swap ends as easily. My improvements over the last 9 months have been to focus on apex points, corner exits, brake points, and about feeling more comfortable with trail breaking and applying throttle at corner exits. I still run AD08 tires as I feel they provide great feedback and match the car balance which allows it to slide some while I can still control it. Also keeps cost down as I can drive to and from the track and a set last me 14 track days.
My skills and times are slowly improving. I’m not in a rush to set record lap times as I plan to keep the car for a long time and for me it is more about managing the car and becoming a better drivers vs setting lap records or winning DE’s. If the goal is to be the fastest, I know can make tire and suspension changes or buy a faster car, but at this point I am working on improving the problem located between the seat and the steering wheel. I think I can get my biggest bang for the buck there. My plan is therefore to keep the car in its current configuration for some time before making additional changes or moving the R-compound tires if at all.

That being said, my improvements as a driver have resulted in faster lap times and here are some of them; at COTA I did 2:42 last year vs this year at 2:32. At TWS I did 2:04 last year and this year I did 1:56. And at TWS I improved from 1:52 to 1:43. With more driving and going back to Bondurant later this year, I hope to squeeze my times at COTA and TWS to below 2:30 and 1:55 respectively. I know it is achievable as Rovman are hitting those times with a similar set up car.
In addition to my goal to improve as I driver, I also plan to take the car on different tracks around the US, maybe one track per year that is more than 500 miles away. So far, I have been able to drive on the following tracks; NOLA, COTA, MRS Houston, Cresson Dallas, and TWS in College Station TX
I have attached links to videos below. They can be boring as I don’t have data connected to them, as l only have GoPro and Harry’s lap timer.

tgavem

Not my fastest lap but good comparison to last year for speed and application of throttle (turn the sound on :-)

tgavem

A slide at 4sec, another at about 3:00min and my fastest lap starting about 3:30 which was 1:43.7

tgavem

MSR Houston one year ago.

tgavem

COTA

mooty

cool story
come to ca with Trakcar next yr

Rovman

Good write up Tor. I brag about you all the time buddy, how you have made big gains in your driving skill set in only one years time. You have improved much faster than I thought you would. Your approach and attitude contributed to that as well as an excellent platform in the 6GT3. All the while, doing it in a car that scares most folks. Wimps!

Keep up with it bud, soon I will be staring at the back of your car..

996FLT6

When I bought my 6 gt3 my theme song was "Spin me around" by the music group "Dead or Alive". After owning for well over 9 years my theme song is "Blurry" by music group "Puddle of Mud". Someday I'll get another one just for street/de- 6gt3 rocks!!! Mike

Vonschmidt

Great write up and I'm glad you have grown in experience and are enjoying your car. Will you be at TWS I PB June with pcA

fbirch

It was fun running with you at NOLA last year. I hope to make it back to TWS again this year before they shut it down. I was there last month getting my comp license (in a rented race car, not the 6GT3), so I can appreciate that 1:56 on street tires takes solid driving to achieve. I've had my car about a year longer than you and I still love it.

tgavem

Hi Charles, yes I will be at TWS with PCA in June 7 & 8.

Felix: I plan to come to NOLA in September with Chin so hopefully I will run with you then.

Thanks Stephen for the compliments.

And Mooty, I do have your towhook in the front, so it is like a force pulling me around the track :-)
and tanks for the invite, shipping the car to CA and run a couple track for two weekends is on the bucket list, wont be in 2015 but 2016 is a real possibility. I would have to re-install the mufflers.

daffyduck

nice writeup...must be a great feeling to progress so fast in one year's time on the 996gt3 platform. and +1 about the car scaring most people.

nice calm save at the 4 second mark in the one video.

B Fett

It sounds like you backed off the throttle, or came all the way off, as you started to slide both times in the second video. Is that the best way to deal with small slides in these cars?

Usually it's the opposite in most RWD cars I've driven.

tgavem

I'm still learning. If you look at the slide at 3min, I kept constant throttle. That slide was very gradual and I felt the tires starting to give.
In the slide at 4sec, the tires slipped quickly, and my instinct went to push in clutch while steering into slide as I thought the car was coming around.
As I felt the slide slowing, I got back on the gas to help settle rear.

Is this the correct way, probably not.
I will leave open to others to comment........

B Fett

Understood. Thanks