LVDell

Todd, maybe this wheel will help with the shuffle steering problem???

Greg Fishman

Todd,
Do you have race seats and harnesses in your car? Those two things go a long way to helping develop that light touch on the wheel.

MRW

FWIW, I had the opportunity to do several fast laps at Barber as a passenger with Hurley Haywood driving the PDE stock C2 instructor car. At one point, he said to me, "Watch my hands." He had an incredibly light touch, no violent movements, and yes, he shuffle-steered through the hairpin and recommended that technique. I'm cetainly a low-experience driver and no expert, but I do think that it's much easier to stay glued at 9 and 3 in tight turns with a quicker-ratio car (i.e. the Lotus in the video) than the 911, and the comparison to F1 is unfair- that's half a turn lock to lock. Anyway, it was very cool to watch Haywood, and all this probably means is that different things work well for different people. Standard disclaimer applies. Cheers!

TD in DC

Nope, which makes it a lot more difficult to drive quickly. I do not even have sport seats.

However, I recently reached an epiphany with respect to my car. I am not going to modify it any more. My 2002 Targa is set up about as well as it can be for a dual use vehicle. Any more modifications will sacrifice one use too much for the other. My current plan is to begin trying to sell my car around 02/02/2006 (the warrantly expires on 02/02/2008 and I think selling with more than one year left will give buyers additional comfort). At that time, I will buy two cars: 1) a car for the street (either a 997S or 996TT); AND 2) a dedicated track car.

With respect to the track car, I really am split on which direction I would like to go. I will either buy a used 996 cup car OR I will get something like a 944na or 964/993 provided that it is completely sorted out for the track. I see the appeal of going to either end of the spectrum. The only thing I am certain of is that I do not want to continue dealing with the compromises that accompany a dual use car. For the time being, however, I have enough to learn that my car is just fine.

Dennis Howard was teasing me at Mid-Ohio by saying that he bets I will have a used GT3 before March of next year. I plugged my ears with my fingers and began singing Na na na na. I need to resist all temptation for I love all Porsches . . .

Noel

Sounds good. Only if it is no trouble.

Greg Fishman

Todd,
I got my first ride/drive in a 996GT3 and it is an incredible car. A 993 or 944 would also be a lot of fun and my 993 has been very reliable. Lots of options out there especially if you aren't married to a Porsche race car.

Sanjeevan

Hi, TD nice video, thanks for sharing. I would love to see a clip of that supercharged 996, that sound was wicked, he dynoed the rear wheel at 400hp.

I was about to mention the harness/race seat issue.....as you know I had them on for the first time this wknd., and I think it was one of the big reasons i felt I was controlling the car and not the other way around. It definitely helped me relax my grip on the steering wheel through corners....and no pain on my left leg, trying to brace on to dear life. the biggest surprise was in gauging entry speed...i was getting very frustrated with my inability to modulate my entry speed with hard braking, with the harness it's so easy....
P:S: I started to type half an hour ago, I don't know whether it's still relevent, the damn job gts in my way

TD in DC

The problem is that I need to haul my kids around in the back seat of my Targa, and I am not certain whether I would be able to get the baby seats in the back (three kids under 25 months old) if I had GT3 seats, even with the hatchback. I am sure you are correct about the benefits of the seats and harnesses. I have felt them when receiving rides from instructors.

TD

Flying Finn

Nice clip, thank for sharing it. I think it's always good to post videos here and ask for comments, it should only help to get opinions from various drivers.

I'm with Greg on shuffle steering. Some people argue it's ok but for me that's a big no no.

I basically never shuffle steer in "normal conditions", only if I'm too loose and have to countersteer so much that I need to do it or there is a corner that is so sharp that I have to turn the wheel more than about 140 degrees.

On some corners you don't do it even though you turn about 90 degrees and others you do it even though you don't turn more than abotu 50 degrees.

That and the fact that you have your hands positioned in different spot many times can be a big problem when your car starts tu oversteer in corner, especially in fast one.

If you look at my signature, you can download a video (warning, it's 40 MB) of me in Sebring.

This is definitely not to show how to drive perfectly but I think shows the benefit of not shuffle steering.

For example at about 32 sec mark when I'm going pretty fast (about 115 mph) and I get little oversteer I'm able to react and correct it but if I had shuffle steered there (even though it's not a sharp turn but you shuffle steered little on similar turns) I think I might've been on the wall. And that would not be pretty.

Also on other turns when I'm oversteering I think it would be harder to correct and keep the car in control if I was shuffle steering.

Please take this as positive critism, just trying to help and explain why I think shuffle steering IMO is not a good practice.

You're doing a good job, you're smooth, have basically a good line so once you get this thing you'll be better prepared for higher speeds and "moments" it will bring to you.

BrokeAss

My 2 cents - get an n/a 944 and run it for a season or two. If you can learn to drive a momentum car fast, you truly will become fast!

I know drivers with top-notch car control skills and it's absolutely amazing what they can do in a "slow" car. ....the speed they maintain in the turns, the way they rotate & drift the car, etc.

If the 'bad-thing" happens to you, you can walk away from a wrecked 944 for less than the body repair bill on a cup car!

BrokeAss

I've seen you drive and know that's really because you've got one hand on the wheel and the other trying to find a decent radio station! (or trying to scratch the chaffing from your sub belt!)

Flying Finn

You go and try to find a decent Finnish radio station around here!

TD in DC

I take all of it as positive criticism, and I appreciate folks even taking the time to give feedback in the firstplace. The nice part about being a newbie is that criticism doesn't bug me, I mean, what kind of a sport would this be if it were so easy that I could be actually good at it after only 12 days?

I think that DEs are a tremendous bargain. You get to meet great people (for the most part) and you get instructed (my instructors have been great to date) for such a cheap price. To me, $300 for three days of driving time with instruction is outstanding. With respect to Rennlist, the feedback that you guys give me is free! I listen, think about it (and go back and watch the videos with the discussion in mind), and then try to implement the best of the advice at my next event. I personally think that this strategy helps me to improve at a faster rate than I would if I didn't have in car video and didn't ask for criticism. You can only learn so much on the track as a newbie due to sensory overload. The videos and criticism they foster help me "leverage" and expand my experience at the track in a way that I could not otherwise do. If I "see" in my mind what I need to do before I go to the track, it is easier for me to actually do it on the track, which let's me focus on all of the other things I need to learn.

Thanks again!

TD in DC

You just articulated all of the reasons why I listed a na944 as one of my options.

Sanjeevan

TD what the heck! I don't like this approach of yours...start slashing away at every crticism...you keep up with this learning thing and pretty soon you are going to be too damn difficult to catch on the track..,then what do I do, lose to a C2
Nahhh! I'll blame it on my lack of pss-9 ....

No wonder you were the fastest learner of your group.....