Logan964C2

Wow - What a great response. Thanks for all of the support. I will sign up for the Porsche Club UCR and do the necessary training. I definitely don't want to get out on the track without being fully trained and prepared. I will have my car into Mantis in a few weeks so I will let them know that I am hoping to take it to the track in the spring and have them inspect it.
Thanks for the offer to come to Dunnville on Sunday but I will be out in Calgary for the weekend so can't make it. Again, thanks for all of the positive input.

Christien

For UCR events, you need to have the car inspected within 2 weeks of the event, so it'll have to undergo the inspection again then. (Mantis does these for free) Still, it might not be a bad idea for them to look it over, in case there's anything major that needs dealing with over the winter (highly unlikely). I think the biggest thing I had to deal with was an unacceptable exhaust leak, which was easy to fix within the 2 weeks. Just don't leave the inspection till the last minute!

rideau

Having been on the learning path over the last 8 years, I can't reinforce enough the value of qualified instruction, whatever track you choose. I also recommend that you start out choosing Driver Ed events that have a novice run group. A run group with drivers who have the same approximate skill level minimizes "mirror stress" and performance anxiety. Be prepared to park your ego at track entrance and listen, listen, listen to your instructor.
PCA skid school and subsequent green level is a good idea. You may also want to check out Apex Driver Training at the Mosport Driver Development track or Gerry Low's TMP lapping program at Toronto Motorsports Park. Both have excellent instructors and the tracks are lower speed, but are still fast and challenging enough to learn and learn well on.
You'll have lots of support from other drivers and, of course, Rennlisters. Please don't hesitate to ask any question, no matter how basic you think it may be....we've all been beginners and have been helped by many in the past.

fc-racer

Another great option is to get into a school that uses race karts. Nothing can prepare you for driving like a real race kart can. It will teach you how to make the car do what you want, how to prevent getting out of control and teaching you what to do when you do go out of control.

Most importantly, driving a kart lets you push yourself and the kart to the limit because the maximum damage is only about $5-8k. I learned more in my two years of karting than all the other years combined. If you decide to race karts though, don't be fooled by the shops that tell you that it's cheap. You still have to budget about $1k a weekend for races.

Mark Lue

+1 but you don't have to spend that much you can still develope the car control and the race craft by doing arrive and drive karting... IMO its's all about seat time at speed. I've been doing the Canadian Rookie Series at Goodwood Kartways and the racing and comroderie is very good amongst the drivers. Check out: http://goodwoodkartways.com/crkc.htm

We will most likely be doing a Rennlist Kart event again this winter so you can get your feet wet then. If you want to do it once a month, check out my other post titled "Testing with Compass360 Racing ".

fc-racer

Mark, this is very interesting info! I went to the website and am trying to understand how it all works. Could I please ask you to email me at web@fcracer.com with more info on the karting program and costs. Thanks!!

997gt3north

Raymond,

Paul O'Neil here.
I haven't run with you before but I run with many many other groups (apex, ucr, nnj, etc. etc)
Let me know if you have space as I would love to come.
I think there are likely a few guys on this board that have seen me on the track at Mosport that can vouch for me.


my email is mail.oneil@gmail.com

thanks

Paul

Raymond Lum

Its true that not all instructors are created equal and its true not all drivers are created equal.

There is always room for improvement and refinement nor matter what level you are at as a driver and instructor.

fc-racer

I can vouch for Paul's abilities on-track and more importantly, his ability to help others improve their speed, consistency and safety. Paul helped me go from 1:45's down to 1:38's over the span of two track days.

If you're looking for a great instructor, I'd recommend that you email Paul ASAP and try to snag him before someone else does. I would love to go to this track day, but my car is out of front rotors (heavily cracked) and rear tires (massive oversteer at the last dunnville day). There's no point in buying new race tires, only to store them over the winter.

Cheers,
Farz

Raymond Lum

The weather is looking very good for Wednesday at Mosport.

17 degrees celius, sunshine with some clouds.

Enjoy it while you can..................................

fire_n_ice

On the DE / Training topic, I would use the winter to head south and enjoy a course by Skip Barber or Bondurant, or similar. These programs can be relatively pricey, but they have a format for complete beginners that works. Beyond that, expose yourself to as many sources of training as you can. No two instructors (even within the same school) will show you exactly the same techniques. The more experience you have "being instructed", the quicker you will find the driving style that suits you best.