A Users Guide for PDE
03-05-2006, 06:32 PM
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A Users Guide for PDE
Porsche Driving Experience (PDE) program at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama can simply not be described in one word. Whether you're already a Porsche owner, someone who has a car on order (like me), or just someone looking to have a lot of fun and take away some valuable skills from the best instructors in the country, the PDE program is for you. It is probably why so many participants return year after year.
I've read the prior posts on this forum and thought that I would try to fill in the gaps with some nitty gritty details and logistics.
Getting to Birmingham
The Birmingham Airport (BHM) is serviced by most major carriers including Southwest Airlines (if you're looking for inexpensive travel). The recommended hotel (Ross Bridge Resort) will pick you up at the airport; therefore, there is no reason to rent a car unless you plan to tour the area or don't want to be tied to the hotel transportation options.
Hotel Accommodations
Porsche recommends that you stay at the Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham. This is a new Marriott hotel property with a championship golf course surrounding the hotel. PDE hosts a dinner here after your first day. If there is one downside to this hotel property, it is the 40 minute driving distance to the track (and the airport). A few of the participants found hotels closer to the track, but nothing in Birmingham comes as close for quality like the new Marriott. In the end, the vast majority of course participants will stay at the hotel, so make it easier on yourself and go with the flow. Plus, the hotel provides transportation to and from the track.
The Program
The hotel shuttle leaves promptly at 0700 for the 40 minute highway drive to the track located on the other side of Birmingham. You'll want to wear your helmet on the shuttle ride because the drivers of the shuttle all want to impress the Porsche participants with their high speed driving abilities.
PDE has their own small building at the Barber facility. You will be welcomed with a nice continental breakfast and then about an hour or so in the classroom.
You will be broken up into small groups of 3 or 4 depending on your class size and by 0930, you're loaded up into the VW Vans and shuttled to the track where there are four different stations:
#1: The track itself: a 2.3 mile, 15 turn rollercoaster of a track and perhaps the best in the United States. This is where you will be assigned a 911 Carrera for your two days. With the exception of your laps in the Carrera S (with ceramic brakes) on Day 2, this will be your car to use. For those desiring a tiptronic vehicle, they are available.
The 911 Carreras (as are all the cars) are current model year. Your group will be assigned an instructor who will lead all laps around the track. Day 1 is spent getting accustomed to the track and working up to higher speeds in the afternoon. The first day, you will drive the track in 4th gear. On the second day, after your heel and toe instruction session on the lower practice course, you will shift between third and fourth gears (normally used for this track). As the number of laps increase under your belt, the faster the laps become. The pace of the laps is controlled by your instructor. Each driver gets to rotate following the instructor around the track.
At the end of the second day, you will have an opportunity to do a hot lap with the instructor driving. If you thought you really picked up your lap times by the end of the second day, just wait for the hot lap.
#2: The autocross course is set up in one of the parking lots behind the track. Here you will drive both the Boxster (Day 1) and the Boxster S (Day 2). Both Boxsters are tiptronic. The autocross is set up for you to learn to maximize speed, braking and cornering without taking out the cones. On Day 2, you will have time competitions with the other groups. Low time for the event in our class was 7:17.84. The quickest individual lap was 29.40 in the Boxster S.
#3: The skid pad is a large rectangular area that has been painted with driveway sealer and wet down with a series of sprinkler heads from the edge of the pad. Here you will drive a Carrera (tiptronic) with PSM disabled in a figure 8 course. There will be a timed event on the second day. The lowest time posted in our session was 1:12.04.
#4: Lower practice course. This is a multi-purpose course used to teach braking, heel and toe shifting, demonstrate the Cayenne, etc.
Each group (3 or 4 participants) rotates between the four stations. Staff runs the rotations like clockwork in order to keep everything organized. Each station will have a different instructor. In the end, you will be exposed to all the instructors working your session.
At the end of the second day you will have an opportunity to tour the Barber Motorsports Museum, a large collection of motorcycles and exotics.
View of the Track from the Museum
FAQs
Should I take my helmet?
PDE provides open face helmets. If you have one and want to lug it in your luggage, sure, take it.
Do I really need driving shoes?
About half of the class had driving shoes, the others wore sneakers or some other type of close fitting shoe.
Is there anything else I should take that would be helpful?
Take a backpack or duffle bag with you to the track with the following items:
a. Sunscreen
b. A jacket, sweater, GoreTex (if it rains)
c. Sunglasses
d. Hat
Is there anything else I can do to maximize my experience?
a. If at all possible, tell your office, employer, clients, etc. that you will be out of touch for two days. Leave your cell phone in your hotel room and focus on the experience. Cell phones are discouraged, provide distractions, etc.
b. Make a list of questions that you might want to ask the instructors before attending. The instructors are all professional drivers with an incredible wealth of knowledge and information. You will be given every opportunity to take full advantage of learning as much you want.
c. Don't miss the opportunity to do the test track in the Cayenne S or the hot lap on the Cayenne Turbo. Bottom line is the Cayenne is a remarkable SUV that has excellent handling and performance characteristics for a 5,300 lb. vehicle.
d. Take a camera.
e. If you do have a car available to you, go to Dreamland in Tuscaloosa (the original location) on the last night of your stay. Highly recommended by the locals if you like the best ribs in the dumpiest of places. Truly a place to remember and I highly recommend it. If you don't like ribs, don't go because there is no menu.
I've read the prior posts on this forum and thought that I would try to fill in the gaps with some nitty gritty details and logistics.
Getting to Birmingham
The Birmingham Airport (BHM) is serviced by most major carriers including Southwest Airlines (if you're looking for inexpensive travel). The recommended hotel (Ross Bridge Resort) will pick you up at the airport; therefore, there is no reason to rent a car unless you plan to tour the area or don't want to be tied to the hotel transportation options.
Hotel Accommodations
Porsche recommends that you stay at the Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham. This is a new Marriott hotel property with a championship golf course surrounding the hotel. PDE hosts a dinner here after your first day. If there is one downside to this hotel property, it is the 40 minute driving distance to the track (and the airport). A few of the participants found hotels closer to the track, but nothing in Birmingham comes as close for quality like the new Marriott. In the end, the vast majority of course participants will stay at the hotel, so make it easier on yourself and go with the flow. Plus, the hotel provides transportation to and from the track.
The Program
The hotel shuttle leaves promptly at 0700 for the 40 minute highway drive to the track located on the other side of Birmingham. You'll want to wear your helmet on the shuttle ride because the drivers of the shuttle all want to impress the Porsche participants with their high speed driving abilities.
PDE has their own small building at the Barber facility. You will be welcomed with a nice continental breakfast and then about an hour or so in the classroom.
You will be broken up into small groups of 3 or 4 depending on your class size and by 0930, you're loaded up into the VW Vans and shuttled to the track where there are four different stations:
#1: The track itself: a 2.3 mile, 15 turn rollercoaster of a track and perhaps the best in the United States. This is where you will be assigned a 911 Carrera for your two days. With the exception of your laps in the Carrera S (with ceramic brakes) on Day 2, this will be your car to use. For those desiring a tiptronic vehicle, they are available.
The 911 Carreras (as are all the cars) are current model year. Your group will be assigned an instructor who will lead all laps around the track. Day 1 is spent getting accustomed to the track and working up to higher speeds in the afternoon. The first day, you will drive the track in 4th gear. On the second day, after your heel and toe instruction session on the lower practice course, you will shift between third and fourth gears (normally used for this track). As the number of laps increase under your belt, the faster the laps become. The pace of the laps is controlled by your instructor. Each driver gets to rotate following the instructor around the track.
At the end of the second day, you will have an opportunity to do a hot lap with the instructor driving. If you thought you really picked up your lap times by the end of the second day, just wait for the hot lap.
#2: The autocross course is set up in one of the parking lots behind the track. Here you will drive both the Boxster (Day 1) and the Boxster S (Day 2). Both Boxsters are tiptronic. The autocross is set up for you to learn to maximize speed, braking and cornering without taking out the cones. On Day 2, you will have time competitions with the other groups. Low time for the event in our class was 7:17.84. The quickest individual lap was 29.40 in the Boxster S.
#3: The skid pad is a large rectangular area that has been painted with driveway sealer and wet down with a series of sprinkler heads from the edge of the pad. Here you will drive a Carrera (tiptronic) with PSM disabled in a figure 8 course. There will be a timed event on the second day. The lowest time posted in our session was 1:12.04.
#4: Lower practice course. This is a multi-purpose course used to teach braking, heel and toe shifting, demonstrate the Cayenne, etc.
Each group (3 or 4 participants) rotates between the four stations. Staff runs the rotations like clockwork in order to keep everything organized. Each station will have a different instructor. In the end, you will be exposed to all the instructors working your session.
At the end of the second day you will have an opportunity to tour the Barber Motorsports Museum, a large collection of motorcycles and exotics.
View of the Track from the Museum
FAQs
Should I take my helmet?
PDE provides open face helmets. If you have one and want to lug it in your luggage, sure, take it.
Do I really need driving shoes?
About half of the class had driving shoes, the others wore sneakers or some other type of close fitting shoe.
Is there anything else I should take that would be helpful?
Take a backpack or duffle bag with you to the track with the following items:
a. Sunscreen
b. A jacket, sweater, GoreTex (if it rains)
c. Sunglasses
d. Hat
Is there anything else I can do to maximize my experience?
a. If at all possible, tell your office, employer, clients, etc. that you will be out of touch for two days. Leave your cell phone in your hotel room and focus on the experience. Cell phones are discouraged, provide distractions, etc.
b. Make a list of questions that you might want to ask the instructors before attending. The instructors are all professional drivers with an incredible wealth of knowledge and information. You will be given every opportunity to take full advantage of learning as much you want.
c. Don't miss the opportunity to do the test track in the Cayenne S or the hot lap on the Cayenne Turbo. Bottom line is the Cayenne is a remarkable SUV that has excellent handling and performance characteristics for a 5,300 lb. vehicle.
d. Take a camera.
e. If you do have a car available to you, go to Dreamland in Tuscaloosa (the original location) on the last night of your stay. Highly recommended by the locals if you like the best ribs in the dumpiest of places. Truly a place to remember and I highly recommend it. If you don't like ribs, don't go because there is no menu.
Last edited by bravocharlie; 03-06-2006 at 02:16 AM.
03-05-2006, 09:03 PM
#5
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Absolutely FANTASTIC post BC. Thanks for taking the time to write that up,...I'd really like to make the time to hit a PDE at some point. After hitting 142 mph yesterday with my wife riding shotgun, she decided that I really need to "find a track." Good thing she doesn't see everything I do!
Again, niiiiice write up man.
Again, niiiiice write up man.
03-05-2006, 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Coochas
Absolutely FANTASTIC post BC. Thanks for taking the time to write that up,...I'd really like to make the time to hit a PDE at some point. After hitting 142 mph yesterday with my wife riding shotgun, she decided that I really need to "find a track." Good thing she doesn't see everything I do!
Again, niiiiice write up man.
Again, niiiiice write up man.
Perhaps I didn't emphasize this enough in my original post, but let me add the following:
I have my private pilot license. I've had a lot of training over the years but until I attended the Beechcraft school, I did not have a clue as to what the full potential of my aircraft had.
The PDE experience runs parallel to this. Quite frankly, in my humble opinion, you should not be driving a Porsche at these speeds without having some type of training like PDE offers. You will not find better instructors anywhere period. If you can afford the car, then you can afford the PDE. If you're getting the car, go to PDE before it comes. It will make ownership, enjoyment, and getting the most (safely) from your purchase so much better.
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03-05-2006, 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by MJones
MOST EXCELLENT Write-up... 
Thank You!
Who were the instructors in attendance for your class???
Think that was fun...
Do the Masters
Thank You!
Who were the instructors in attendance for your class???
Think that was fun...
Do the Masters
I will definitely be doing the Masters course after my 997TT arrives.
The instructors (not a complete list) were:
Jeff Purner
Doc Bundy
Cass Whitehead
John Lewis
Daniel Eastman
Christian Coggins
Brian Cunningham
03-05-2006, 10:00 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by bravocharlie
Thank you and you're welcome.
Perhaps I didn't emphasize this enough in my original post, but let me add the following:
I have my private pilot license. I've had a lot of training over the years but until I attended the Beechcraft school, I did not have a clue as to what the full potential of my aircraft had.
The PDE experience runs parallel to this. Quite frankly, in my humble opinion, you should not be driving a Porsche at these speeds without having some type of training like PDE offers. You will not find better instructors anywhere period. If you can afford the car, then you can afford the PDE. If you're getting the car, go to PDE before it comes. It will make ownership, enjoyment, and getting the most (safely) from your purchase so much better.
Perhaps I didn't emphasize this enough in my original post, but let me add the following:
I have my private pilot license. I've had a lot of training over the years but until I attended the Beechcraft school, I did not have a clue as to what the full potential of my aircraft had.
The PDE experience runs parallel to this. Quite frankly, in my humble opinion, you should not be driving a Porsche at these speeds without having some type of training like PDE offers. You will not find better instructors anywhere period. If you can afford the car, then you can afford the PDE. If you're getting the car, go to PDE before it comes. It will make ownership, enjoyment, and getting the most (safely) from your purchase so much better.
03-05-2006, 10:03 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by Coochas
Ummm, there are other tracks and instructors available in this country. Many of us have had instruction and track experience,...just not at PDE !
...without having some type of training like PDE offers
03-05-2006, 10:07 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by bravocharlie
The post was NOT directed at you specifically and, in the post it reads:
...without having some type of training like PDE offers
...without having some type of training like PDE offers
