TD in DC

I finally got my new track car -- an '84 SCCA-prepped n/a 944 -- on the track this weekend, and I think I am in love.

It was quite an adventure getting there. I went to pick up my car on Friday night, drive to Summit Point, get a good night's sleep and start the adventure Saturday morning. When I arrived at 10 pm to pick up the car that I have owned for almost two months but never started, I could barely contain my anticipation. My shop told me that the key would be under the driver's seat, but I couldn't see it. I looked and looked and looked. I called info to reach the owners of the shop, but I only got answering machines. I looked for 1 1/2 hours before I gave up (that is how badly I wanted to find that key). Incredibly frustrated, I accepted that I would lose my track weekend and went home. My wife was elated that I would be spending the weekend at home. I went to sleep in a pretty poor frame of mind.

The next morning, I get a call at 8 am from my shop. The key had fallen into a hole behind the subbelt, and there was no way to reach it by hand. I could go pick up the car. I told my wife that I was leaving, which made made my leaving difficult because she thought I was going to stay home. Not good. I finally arrive at the track after having missed the driver's meeting, which I think are helpful. The PCA folks were great at getting me teched and on the track (thanks Kurt, Alan, Art and Ivan).

I frankly am very nervous. I have barely seen a map of Shenandoah circuit, and I have only driven this car for 1 1/2 hours on the street before entering the track. I assumed that I would be slow as dirt in White group and holding everyone up through the no passing areas. I am scared about my ability to drive, particularly since I cut my teeth on a car with more than twice the HP, ABS, power steering and PSM (2002 996).

The car is incredible. It feels so good to go around the track without so much weight. In my 996, I feel the mass. Also, my 996 really sticks to the road, and it is difficult (at least for me) to drive with my right foot. With the 944, I can really make the car do exactly what I tell it to do. Car control is easier, because the car "obeys" me. All the articles I have read and videos I have watched come to life as weight management is easier and my inputs have more direct results. So long as I tell her what to do, and I tell her in a nice way, she is more than obliged to obey.

I was pretty lost during the first couple of sessions the first day, both due to the new track and the new car. To make matters worse, my tach wasn't working and I wasn't really sure how hard to push the car. Near the end of the first session, I spun for the first time ever on the track. The rear end came around going through the esses. In my 996, I could get the front of the car to come in closer to an apex by lifting off the throttle for a moment and then getting right back on. That technique brought the rear end around on the '44, and I learned quickly that I can't drive the '44 the way I drive the 996. I started to try to catch it and thought "why risk it?" Nobody was around, I was not used to the car, and I could make things worse (Tony's video was firmly in my mind). I put both feet in, rotated around 180 degs and never left the pavement (I was pointing perpendicular to the track). Despite the learning curve of a new track and a new car, I was very, very pleasantly surprised by the car.

I underwent a transformation on the second day. Thanks to the help of a friend, Eli, and wiring loaned from another friend, Greg, we got the tach to work, which made a huge difference . . . I had been babying the car too much. Also, the track seemed to cement in my mind overnight, and I started getting used to driving the 944. I learned to hang the rear end out around the corners and then nail the throttle when I was pointed in the right direction. What a hoot! I started catching my friends on the track (except Tuffy ), and passing cars with twice the hp! Rather than holding everyone up as I thought I would, I was actually passed by only two cars during the last two sessions (and I am very liberal with point bys), and I passed several. I was hitting an indicated 110 or so on the straights, which I didn't think was really too bad. The '44 didn't "feel" much slower than the 996. Two things made me faster. First, trying to catch my friends (the ones I know are good drivers). It helps to chase and catch people who drive well. Second, I started playing this game where I told myself I didn't have any brakes. It worked, and I could go through most of the track without ever touching the brakes (I was under control the whole time). Once, however, I did start going into a slide again between 13 and 14 (I think that is right), which is the only part of the track I don't think that I ever really became comfortable with, but I caught it easily this time.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I think it will be much easier for me to learn to be a good driver and to learn great car control skills. This car listens a lot more to my inputs, which means I just need to focus on my inputs. I definitely have a track buzz right now, and I know that is partly because a 944 is just about the perfect car for Shenandoah Circuit, but I am going to enjoy the buzz while it lasts until VIR . . .

I must say that it is much more satisfying when I pass a car in a n/a 944 than it is in a 996.

Well, this post is too long as it is, so I will end it. I want to give a special thanks to Larry Herman who planted this idea in my head.

Peckster

Wow! Sounds like you're a driver!

TD in DC

I have much to learn. I think I fall somewhere between conscious incompetent and conscious competent. I do take safety very seriously and always seek to drive within my limits, even when I am chasing someone or trying not to brake through turns.

I really need to work on car control skills, and I think the '44 will be an ideal tool for this purpose.

M758

Glad to hear you liked it.

924RACR

Welcome to the Dark Side...

Cheap, disposable cars with sticky tires, perfect suspensions and no power!

ceboyd

wow.. liked it more than your 996 on the track huh??? I keep hearing about how great 944s are but have yet to ever drive one in a track setting....

macnewma

Sounds great TD! Do you have any pics of that car's cage? What was the car spec'd for in SCCA?

TD in DC

Don't get me wrong . . . I love my 996. However, the driving experience in the 944 was much more visceral and direct. Direct is what you need when you are learning. My 944 track car appears to be ideal for me because (1) it is light (I haven't weighed it yet, but the SCCA log book says it weighed 2,535 with driver -- the previous owner whom I have never met and have no idea how big he is), (2) it has great balanced handling that responds directly to driver inputs, (3) it has great brakes (that I should not use), and (4) it is super loud but not that much power (so I hear when I have been too abrupt with a throttle input but none of the negative consequences of GT3 level power). It is almost like a bike with training wheels. You can drive a bike with training wheels very fast, but it is a lot harder to get hurt.

To top it off, it has real racing seats and harnesses that were customized for me, and it doesn't cost so much that I am overly concerned about damaging it. Also, I was shocked at how good the clutch and gearbox are. Wow.

KJinDC

Awesome Todd!! I remember not seeing you on Saturday and wondering what happened, but then i saw you on Sunday but didn't know what your car looked like so I never found you in the pits. Glad you had a good time with the new car. I want to hop in the passenger seat and catch a ride next time.

-KJ

M758

ceboyd...
... The thing that makes them nice on the track are a couple things. Firstly they are "cheap" or realtivly so... That means a little less stress about "what if I dent a fender?". This allows you to focus on the task a little better.

Secondly a car such as TD's is prepared. It has stickly tires, much less weight, and a stiffer suspension. These things mean that the car tends to respond much better than heavy & soft street car. A 944 NA with stock suspension rolls alot, but stipped out with suspension work (even moderate) will feel much better. Add to the the low hp. Sounds odd, but by having such little hp it forces you to focus on other aspects of driving so that you can make the car go "fast". TD recognized this by his "no brakes" concept.

The nice thing about the 944 prepared like this is that they very nice for learning, but there is still a long way to go. At my local track I used to track my stock street tire 944 Turbo S. Best lap time was about a 1:19. I later went out with my stripped out, lightly modded 944 NA on race tires. Despite being down 100 hp I was 1-2 seconds slower with even pushing the car very hard. I had to work my a$$ of to run that time in my Turbo S, but it was easy in my NA. Well that was the tip of the ice berg. I worked at it more and more and prepped the car more carefully. Now I can run consistant 1:14 laps in the same car I turned 1:20 laps in my first time out. I can even squeeze out a mid 1:13 if conditions are right.

So the 944 NA is easy to drive fast, but still rewards hard work with even faster times if you can master momentum driving.

TD in DC

It is spec'd to SCCA ITS class.

I will post pics of the cage later, BUT, I don't like the cage. The side bar is exactly where I want my left elbow to be, and it really bothers me. There are a few other things that I don't like about the bar, so I am trying to decide whether to alter the existing one or put in a better one. I must think this over because I am already spending more money on the track this year than I had planned.

TD in DC

Sounds good KJ! I will be at the August event, so you can hop in then.

Ivan was in the car for my first spin! We had a good time though

M758

TD... if the car is 2550 with you in it... then the car is too light for SCCA ITS. I think min weight is 2715 with driver. Of course this is not concern when you are just DEing the car. IF you do want to ITS race it make sure you or your shop goes over the car carefully to ensure compliance.

If the door bar is an issue just replace that bar. Doing an entire cage would be like $2500 and probably not worth it unless there is real "problem" with the one you have. Moving a door bar should be cheap.

TD in DC

I just checked the log book and it definitely says 2535 for "Weight (with driver)." Have they changed the rules since 1997?

In any event, I don't know how much the car actually weighs.

Geo

I'll certainly check into what the weight was in 95.

The current weight spec for ITS is indeed 2715.

Don't do anything to permanently make the car heavier if you think you might like to race in IT.