Hal

I am doing my first DE next weekend at Kershaw. I have a '96 993 with 18" factory turbo twist wheels. I have a few questions.

Recommended tire pressures?

Do an oil change before or after the DE?

Colored masking tape to make the car number?

Any and all other suggestions are much appreciated.

chrisp

1.) Stock pressures

2.) Not necessary to change before or after...unless of course you're already near your normal change point

3.) White shoe polish on the windows

4.) Go have fun. Other than the requisite pre-tech inspection, don't worry about the car. Get a good night's sleep, bring enough fluids and snacks so you don't get dehydrated or hungry.

993inNC

Hal, do you have experience driving in a track atmosphere? If not, don't worry about anything to do with the car other than safety issues. This event will be your intro and if you get a good instructor, he/she will just get you working on the basics. Learn the car's regular characteristics and the track and how to get around safely. As time goes on, you'll want to work on the car and thats fine......take it one step at a time and have fun.......oh and be safe

oil change depends on the last time it was done. I prefer to do it after.....gets all the crap broken free and then you drain it........thats me. I know others do it before.

CMP is a great track to learn on. Its mildly technical (more than Roebling but less than VIR), very fast and plenty of run off. you'll have a blast, wish I could go but I'm done 'til the end of the year. Enjoy

Electric Lizard

Hal:
Some suggestions:
Bring LOTS of water and drink it constantly.
When was the last time you bled your brakes?
Do you own a torque wrench for your lug nuts?
Bring windshield cleaner.
Be prepared to have lots of fun and become horribly addicted.

IcemanG17

Hal
Your gonna love it......assuming your 993 is in proper running condition....you'll have minimal worries....just listen to your instructor and drive within your limits... Granted I've done a whole 2 DE's....but I'm addicted....its so much fun!

SundayDriver

Opinions vary but I would never run published, stock tire pressures for a 993 on 18's. Spec is 44 cold in the rear. You will see 60psi when you pick up some speed and that is way too high. My experience with 993's on street tires is that they like to be somewhere around 40psi HOT. For your first DE, I would suggest starting at 36/36. Check after each session and bleed down to 40 hot.

pedsurg

Consider a brake flush before the event, and perhaps after. Don't know Kershaw but some tracks are very tough on brakess, even first timers.
Most importantly ENJOY. You're in for the time of your life.
You didn't ask, but remember to wear sensible shoes. Not necessarily "driving shoes" but thin stiff soled shoes are a big plus.
Jack

Mike Murphy

Yes, I second getting new ATE Blue or equivalent brake fluid. If you boil the fluid, your brake pedal will go to the floor and scare the **** out of you.

And the local PCA group that I ran with on my 1st DE prohibited using shoe polish, but they are OK with painter's tape or real numbers. I would check with your local PCA rules.

paradisenb

Hi Hal, I guess you are doing the PCA event at CMP? Me too.
Bring a tire guage. Check before and after each session so you see what happens with pressure.
Bring a torque wrench for your lug nuts. Use it before each session.
Wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt. At most PCA events the region provides an event Tshirt.
I like to bring a Yellow highlighter and mark all my sessions, track and classroom, plus driver meetings. If you do this it will help you easily find them on the small print cards.
The events are fast paced. Be thinking ahead. What comes next? Where? What time?
Bring a watch.
Ask your instructor if he/she wants you to pick them up at their pit or if they want to meet you at grid. This helps avoid confusion when you are sitting on the grid ready to go out.
You will probably be tired Saturday night. Go back to your room and think about what you learned, relax and get a good night's sleep.
Listen to your instructor. Driving on a race track is a long way from 'spirited' street driving.
You will have a blast.

Enjoy

Tom N

Hal,

All good advice above. Tape or shoe polish works for the numbers in the Carolina Region. Bring lots of water. It gets hot in Kershaw.

See you there. I will driving down from Charlotte on Saturday morning, planning to be at the track at 7 for early AM tech.

You will have enjoy CMP.

cooz

replace your brake fluid with new high temp (race) fluid and make sure your brakes pads have good life remaining.

speedread

Borrow the torque wrench when you get there. Those who tech your car will have one, as well as many others.
Definately start with less than stock pressure in your tires as suggested above. I blew a tire when I first tried track with stock pressures and not monitoring the pressures. When you drive home, put them back to stock HOT pressures. (Unless they've truly cooled off). Watch your brake pads closely. Again tech will help you know what to look for.

NCporsche

Hal, looking at the roster for CMP this weekend, I see you are in the Green class with me. This will also be my first DE.

Looking forward to meeting you and the other Rennlisters there.

I've also noticed you are not signed up for July 1 DE @ Lowes Motor Speedway. I got my confirmation for Lowes this weekend.

Carr Industries in Greensboro did my pre-track inspection. This can be done while you wait and at N/C for PCA members. I'm sure there are others that do this free. Check Tobacco Roads.

NC
Black 944 NA #200

NCporsche

Having returned from CMP, my first DE, and reflecting back on the weekend, I'd like to post some thoughts on the good, the bad and the ugly ...

The good . All the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. Turn in, apex, track out. Next came, brake, turn in, throttle, apex, accelerate, track out, set yourself up for the next turn. KB was a great instructor. He kept me in third gear Saturday as I learned the line. While I was impatient to shift into fourth and gather some speed, my instructor understood "spooling" and the problems that might occur. Sunday, I got into fourth gear, and now I understanding "spooling". Fourth gear allowed me to drop the RPMs and I chose not to increase my speed. Well, not too much.

The bad . Other than some small chunks coming off my front left tire, I can't really say anything bad about the experience.

The ugly . Saturday morning, I was pleased to find my instructor did not have another student. This would be an opportunity to meet and spend some time with a dedicated track rat, and what a rat he was. Maybe we just started out wrong. At the driver's meeting when instructors were asked to raise their hands, I missed his hand going up. My fault. After the meeting was concluded, I was told where he might be and went to find him.

Next was an introductory run on the course for the green group that had never been on the track or a DE. As he settled in the car, I gave a brief introduction that I was as green as they come. I've had a year of seat time in the car, just driving and getting in the mountains when I can.

Halfway through the first introductory lap, he's yelling at me. If I remember his words correctly, they were "You are a ****ing greenie". Now, we are in the second introductory lap and he's grabbing the steering wheel, while screaming, to keep me on line.

Oh ****. I'm a complete *******. Two simple laps around CMP and I'm not only green, but a total ****ed-up ******* that has absolutely no right to be in Driver's Education.

I've managed to get through the course twice under yellow. Now, the first run for the day for the green group is starting. I pick up my instructor and off we go. He has cooled down a bit, and I'm trying to start this morning off with a positive attitude.

We get to the carousel and again he is grabbing the steering wheel. For those that may be reading this and not familiar with CMP, the carousel is turns 5 - 7 (of a 14 turn course) and a sweeping right hand turn. There are no obstructions if I should go off course. This is a yellow flag lap, and he's grabbing the steering wheel like I'm about to drive into a brick wall!

After this first lap, still under yellow, I pull into the pit area to try to calm myself down. We go back out and I manage to finish the first 20 minute session.

Just to inform everyone, I am 50 years old and have been berated many times in my 50 years, but after delivering my instructor to his chosen place of solitude, I'm in tears. My next session will not be on the track. My next session will be packing up and heading home, so much for my Driver's Education. I got educated, just not in the way I anticipated.

With a wavering voice and fighting to hold back the tears, I was informed that this was not proper instructor etiquette and I should ask for a different instructor. Talking to the chief instructor, I was given a new instructor. From there it was all uphill, or maybe I should say it was better and better, with every lap.

Saturday morning brought a grown man to tears. But with the professionals of the Carolinas Region PCA running the event, what could have been a total disaster, turned out to be a one of the top ten memorable events in this old man's life.

I'm looking forward to driving Lowe’s Motor Speedway, July 1st. The missing chunks in my front left tire should take car of itself. I'll be taking chunks out of the front right tire then with more left turns.

It was great meeting the Rennlisters at the track, even if the meeting was a wave, as I signaled them to pass.

BrianKeithSmith

So who in the heck was the first instructor????

(probably somebody that's been through the National Certification )

Sorry to hear you had trouble, especially during your first trip to the track. That's a bummer....

Brian