SARGEPUG

Funny story that inspired me to do this. I was out having a nice run w/ the Porsche. Before I could go home I neede to pop into the drug store. Coincidentally my wife and 3 kids were there parked in front of the cleaners next store to it. I pulled up to the curb behind my wife's suv and said "you pop in and I will watch the kids". As I am talking to the kids, I notice an old man (80ish) admiring my car real close and then he came up to me. He said that he noticed my PCA sticker and loved the car. He was sitting there waiting for his friend, sh he could give him a bunch of classic PCA patches from DE events in the 80s and 90s! He showed me them all, real cool. He asked me if I've tracked the car before and told me it's a must do! His old friend then walked up w/ a cane and said he used to race at limerock and I must track my car! It's my destiny!!!! haha

BlueJay73

I didn't know when the first roadcourse day was.
But yes, I've been anxiously awaiting the opening of NOLA Motorsports. Can't wait to get out on it. I might just spectate until the initial frenzy wanes, tho. Got a new P-car that is absolutely begging to be exercised.

PasPar2

SARGEPUG,

I have done 3 track days so far. 1st @ Pocono North course, 2nd @ lime rock, 3rd @ njmp. I would say that limerock isnt a great track for your first time out. my worse track day of the 3 was there. The first turn is very hard to get right and the uphill was pretty scary (to me). I am sure a lot of folks here will disagree but this is my opinion. You would be better off @ lightning - my favorite of the 3 or even in Pocono North over limerock.

Here is a video I took at lightning. (great track-flows well, easy to remember and you get to really open it up on the straight. It as close to NYC as the other 2.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMrbs_H1-U

disclaimer - Took the video for fun, I am as green as a green driver can get so its not educational by an stretch

cab&coupe

As others have said... go have fun. You'll be in a controlled environment in a novice grouping... really not much to worry about. Listen to your instructor!

You're going to have a great time and will learn how to appreciate your car on another level.

NAM VET

Agree, Porsche club DE's, have run many at Kershaw (AKA Carolinas Motorsports Park), in SC, and VIR, Charlotte. Lots of friends, comeraderie. Good classroom and in-car instruction. My son has as much and more in his Boxster and my Cobra. Trepedation gives way to exhileration. The more novice run groups are well policed, and about as safe as driving a car can be.

When I was in instructor school, one that was really important to remember that a DE is not a racing school. As time and miles built up, i began to remind myself that i am never going to be very fast or skilled, and if i began to lose a sense of fun, and began to focus too much on working on this or that aspect of my driving, it was time for me to come into the pits and take a break. It is easy to get very intent on going just a bit faster, until you start spending big bucks and driving beyond your ability. I used to stay out even when in heat exhaustion, overwhelmed with motion sickness and nausea, dehydrated, just trying to work some little thing to be a bit better.

I quit doing that. When i first tracked, i marveled at drivers who put on other rim sets. Eventually, i had three sets, lots of tires, tried different transmissions, and differentials, full fire systems, multiple brake system upgrades, race suspension changes, diferent rollbars, Sparco seats, harnesses, video systems, plus all the engine things to go ever faster. But when i got my 997 this spring, i finally decided I had reached the point where i was as good as I was ever going to be, and had spent far too much money.

My Nomex is put away, and I am glad I did it. I and my kids are the better, safer for their track time. My only advice now for someone about to go out is to master heel and toe downshifting/braking, and if you quit having fun out there, pit and take a breather.

all the best....

NAM VET

Here is a link to a utube of my son several years running with a Porsche Club DE at Carolinas Motorsports Park. I'll see if i can attach it. He has a 996 cab now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZZWouGC5sc

All the best.

SARGEPUG

cool vid! Thanks for the info, but actually LR is closest to me, since most of the time I am in northern westchester. It also works out schedule wise. I will prob hit the 7/14 event and the sept one as well.

SARGEPUG

[QUOTE=utkinpol;8581640]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n49WolccPjo[QUOTE]

What the story w/ the first guys tail lights? They are like a strobe or is he some sort of pace car?

ashbad66

Tracked once. Novice group. Another driver and his instructor decided they were racing. He came in hot on a straight. Rather than take his car off the track, he turned inside me on a turn and bounced off my new C4.
After 2 months in the shop and 6 months of fighting his insurance company, I sold my dream car. This was a once in a lifetime purchase for me.
It can happen.

aussie jimmy

do it - you will fall in love with your car all over again. it's made to boogie.

aussie jimmy

very unfortunate that it happened on your first date, but that can happen anytime on the street, and with worse consequences.

utkinpol

[QUOTE=SARGEPUG;8584156][QUOTE=utkinpol;8581640]
i think it was just camera effect, or may be he got led lights, who knows. in reality lights looked like solid red at braking, so, go figure.
lime rock is an excellent, very technical track, great for learning. i`ll be there 6/2 and then couple of times more this year.

cab&coupe

Sorry to hear about your bad experience... clearly high performance driving is not without some amount of inherent risk... as is speeding on public roadways or passing in restricted areas. DE's are for (or should be about) learning the handling characteristics of your car at speed, weighting/unweighting, tire adherence, etc... in a controlled environment.

There is inherent risk in driving high performance cars at speed.

Unfortunately, wherever one goes, whatever one does... you can't always avoid stupid... IMHO this one lies squarely in the lap of the instructor.

Doc GTO

I started doing DEs in my Alfa Romeos in 1995 and by 1998 was instructing for Alfa, Audi, BMW, PCA clubs, ect and love it! I've never damaged my cars, even doing time trials, and now my wife is hooked! We double duty our 997S and she never complains! Soon I will have to get a 2 car gooseneck because the wife will want her own track car . . . LOL.

Jake951

I will be at Lime Rock on 7/14 as well, so perhaps see you there. I will probably make one or more events there in September, too.

Agreed. I like Lime Rock. Great track for developing your driver skills.