IXLR8

Hello,

Has anyone on this forum attended the Porsche Sport Driving School?

I'm thinking about treating myself to such a course in a year (I'm broke...just bought a Porsche).

The question I have is related to one of their Q & A...
90% sounds great, but how much of that is actually spent lapping and how much of that is just sitting behind the wheel?

They go on further to say...
Well the Jim Russell School states 130 laps over a 3-day course in open-wheeled F 2000 cars which I'm not that interested in.

Would anyone care to state how many laps at the Barber Motorsport Park one would cover in the Porsche Sport Driving School?

As a past flight instructor, I can understand the value of theoretical classroom and pre-flight briefings, but if very little time is actually spent "driving", then the cost of the course does not offer value.

buckwheat987

there are some pretty detailed write ups if you search...

part of the time you are in groups of 4 taking turns doing driving exercises like skid pad, autocross and heel-toe. The rest of the time your on the track....except fo the hour you spend in the woods int he cayenne

also I think the porsche website lists some detailed review artciles...check them out

TraqGear

I did the one in Germany at the Hockenhiem when I was first learning to drive. Great experience and very professional. Drove a cayman s that I rented over there.

RonCT

Per the many threads on this subject (try a search), the group is split. Many, like me, say take the same money and you get an entire season of PCA DE. Not only do you get the instruction and 10x more seat time over the spring, summer, and fall, but you also get to meet a bunch of great PCA members to boot.

TraqGear

Good point.

smlporsche

While your comments have some merit the level of instruction I received at Barber was head and shoulders above my fellow DE Instructors.
For example my main instructor was David Murray..... 'nuff said.

If you're looking to get a jump start on track driving I cannot imagine a better place to learn.

RonCT

No question the level of instruction can be far superior - you get what you pay for. But if the goal is to "try" the whole track thing, starting out in Green and gettin familiar with all of the things involved with track driving can be done well through PCA DE. I would think that David Murray would be "wasted" on a 1st time participant.

IXLR8

Maybe I should have been clear as to my intention, but racing or obtaining a race licence isn't my objective. I'm not rich enough to track my Porsche; forget about a minor upset or total write-off.

What I am looking to do is learn about the characteristics of this type of car; a rear driver with a rear engine, along with the rear weight bias that goes along with that combo.

Thanks to all for the input so far. BTW, I didn't do a search because I gave up on them on all the forums I take part in. They rarely find me what I am looking for.

RonCT

I just tried a search on Porsche Driving School and there are dozens of reviews, debates about it vs. DE, etc. - take a look and I think you'll find some good info.

Me, I'd try 1 DE first. In my chapter it's only $195 for the whole day and you start off with a driver's meeting (rules, flags, passing, etc.), then an instruction session in the classroom, then your 1st 20-30 minute session with your PCA instructor, then observation as a group (watching a higher level group), then 3 more sessions over the day, etc. Inspection is free in our areas, so the only real cost might be a brake flush so for $250 to $300 you can experience your car on the track, get a taste of what it's all about, etc. Then you can decide whether to try PDS or continue with PCA DE. Just a thought...

IXLR8

DE??? I'm new here.

I wouldn't consider using my own car, therefore the reason for the PDS.

MJones

Just make the time and attend.
You will not regret doing so...I promise

If you can swing it attend the Performance and Masters back to back March 9-12

Read the following threads:
porsche-sport-driving-school-yet-another-glowing-report.html

porsche-sport-driving-school.html

Coochas

Per MJones, I attended the performance and Masters courses back to back. I liked it so much that I went back a year later for the 3-day 'race license' course. The Masters and 3-day courses have generous track time. The instruction is top notch. The instructors are also great people and fun to sit down and have dinner with. Hell,...I wouldn't have known that Hurley loves cats too unless I went there and had dinner with him!

I do think these courses offer something for all levels of drivers. For someone like me who is early in his DE life, the instruction there was amazing and bumped my driving up several levels very quickly.

The biggest difference between PSDS and DE is that at PSDS you're doing something 100% of the time. If you're not on the track you're doing the autoX loop, the wet skid pad, sitting at a corner with an instructor critiquing others etc etc etc. It is full immersion therapy.

Yeah,...I'm sold and will go back again one day.

A little OT, if anyone is interested maybe we could get the wives of RL signed up for the Womens only PSDS course. This would leave us MEN free to eat, drink, belch, fart etc etc

IXLR8

Too early for me. I'm still recovering from a fully fractured lower right leg and just over 4 months later, I am only beginning to walk...well sort of. This all thanks to a driver on his cell phone who rammed into the back of my motorcycle while I was stopped in traffic for the car that was stopped ahead of me. Thumbs up to that winner!

But thanks for your and Dave's positive comments on the PSDS.

I'll make a vacation of it next winter.

More comments from others more than welcome.

MJones

Sorry to hear about your misfortune...

So there is always..

Oct 12-15, 2010
Nov 2-5, 2010
Dec 9-12 2010

for Performance followed by Masters back to back, a great way to go!!!

IXLR8

That or the following spring at the very latest.

This is going to be FUN!