5 Ways To Make The Most of Your PEC Visit
Daily Slideshow: As a former coach at this very facility this is my inside advice to extracting the most value for your money.
Focus on Wet Weather
Anyone can drive a Porsche with reasonable competency after 20 minutes of coaching on dry modules like the handling circuit. Challenge yourself by staying on wet weather modules as they will benefit you infinitely more in day to day driving and on the track (if you race). The reason lies within the ability to simulate handling that suddenly goes over the limit without much warning. You can also transition from dry to wet on modules like the Ice Hill which cause tires to break away in a manner that is incredibly difficult to simulate on dry modules. These are also the only places you can shut traction control off at the PEC which puts the 911s true character on full display.
Run Ice Hill in Reverse
Your coach might go an entire training session with you and never ask you if you want to run Ice Hill in reverse. It’s not necessarily the coaches fault either, sometimes sessions are going so well with clients that you both simply forget. Don’t forget! Running the hill in reverse will challenge you in a way that you never thought possible, especially if you’re in a manual transmission. It’s almost the best way to illustrate how good traction control is as the car has to work incredibly hard to claw its way up. Shutting off traction control here will teach you throttle control to the nth degree. It’s an absolute must.
Do a Comparison
Perhaps an overlooked course by those who aren’t interested in purchasing a Porsche the mid-engine vs. rear-engine comparison courses are one of the facilities hidden gems. Many people have never driven a mid-engine car and are unaware of the differences in feeling between the two. Driving them back to back, especially if you do anything that gets the car sideways—low friction circle or if you’re lucky a rainy day—will teach you car control on a whole new level. Often times, people struggle to drift a 911 after learning to drift the Boxster or they will spin the Boxster after getting comfortable in the 911. It’s a fun challenge to work through as a coach, and if you’re into driving, it’s a great lesson to take with you in your journey through driving.
Book on a Weekday
More of a logistical issue than anything, if you can book on a weekday you are probably going to have a more relaxed experience. Getting a lot of people on track—especially if you’re new—can be intimidating and take away from the focus of driving. Instead, you may find yourself getting frustrated as your concentration is broken to let other drivers pass. You want to do everything you can to ensure all you are totally submerged in the driver seat for the full 90 minutes of your visit. This was often visible in people’s faces when they stepped out of the car. It’s all about having fun and learning, right?
Show up Early & Ask Questions
Showing up early and making a point to find your coach will often result in the best experience possible. It’s protocol at the PEC for a coach to speak with the client briefly before going onto track, but I emphasize the word brief. If you make an effort to show up 10-15 minutes early and find your coach you can pick their brains about their driving background and define goals before the standard introduction is made. This can really help to streamline what you do once you’re in the car and cut through some of the formalities. By doing this you will both learn from each other as you work towards walking away with concrete lessons taken from the track.
Final Thoughts
The last thing that should be said is to be an open book and listen indefinitely to what your coach tells you. By doing everything verbatim you will see immediate results and learn the correct driving technique. You will also learn exactly what the car should feel like during transitions and other exercises if you listen closely to the instructor who will teach you exactly what Porsche can do Follow these steps and you’ll walk away with a great experience your friends will be envious of. And, you just might learn a thing or two about driving. Hope you enjoyed.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.