New track club that should exist: SPTWCCA

[Deschodt]

I've been observing a trend towards escalation in my PCA region, on track days.
Half the cars are GT3s, some Rs, some RSs. The other 49% are aircooled cars massaged to the tune of $30-40-50K easy, or measly 996 turbos ;-)

Doesn't matter what you bring, unless it's a GT3 or so, you're gonna be driving your mirrors. So, I propose a new car club: SPTWCCA aka

Slow-Poke, Track-Whore, Car Club of America

It's genius... You can only run if you have an old aircooled car with >100K miles, practically no mods, and maybe, just maybe, you'll get to do one whole lap without getting lapped by Jorg Bergmeister ;-) We'll also accept 2.5L boxsters, they seem tame enough...

Takers ? ;-)

[TechnoViking]

Man I can relate. When I started with the PCA in 2004, a 911SC was a pretty fast car. There were a few 996s out there, but for the most part it was a track full of 914s, 924s, 944s, 928s, etc.

Now I look at the paddock at our DEs and it looks like a damn car show. Fast, shiny new water-pumper cars everywhere. Traction control, ABS, 400+ HP seems to be the norm now.

[BGCarrera32]

Used to be that a much larger percentage of DE folks actually drove the car to the track as well. Seems like everyone in my region has an F350 with an enclosed trailer now.

[Deschodt]

I'm feeling like the proverbial guy who brought a knife to the gunfight.... And, waiting for the inevitable "DEs aren't competition", I know this ! I'm just saying it's no fun to let one hand go of the steering wheel 12 times a lap pointing people by (I don;t have the cutesy shift paddles, I practically need both hands to shift the damn 915). Not to mention it does not help driving your line... And these days it *will* happen (at least in the Suncoast region) if you drive anything other than a GT3, let alone an old SC.... ;-)

I remember the early days (in Ca, not FL like now) where I could dice with 944s and early 911s all day, and hardly ever get passed. There's definitely been an escalation... Pure race cars, tons of $100K+ cars, seriously, what recession ???

Next time I'm making a list, and pictures to prove my point ! I think at this point the SOLO group should be split between sub 250hp and >250hp. It's getting silly. Or I need to find a DE club with poorer members. Or start SPTWCCA ;-) Maybe the spec Miata guys are onto something after all...

[Z-man]

Run with another non-Porsche specific club. Why? The level of technique and instruction is so high with PCA, that you will be able to keep up with and be faster than most other car club drivers, regardless of level and regardless of car.

Case in point: I run in the instructor run group. With PCA, my lowly 200-hp 20-year old 944S2, I simply can't keep up with the GT3's, 996TT's, 964 Cup cars...etc. However, I have learned to extract as much as I can out of my 944. I've run with a couple of other car clubs, starting last year. I am able to put down quicker laps than cars I have no business passing. (Vettes, Mustang Cobra's, Nissan 370 Nismos, BMW M3's Honda S2K's...etc). And it is quite evident why this is possible: technique, technique, technique! Some of the drivers I run with in other clubs can't find an apex for their life! Now this can be true with PCA, but not as much.

So try out a non-Porsche specific club -- there you may find that you are indeed not as slow as you feel - rather with PCA, you are running with the cream of the crop.

-Z-man.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by Z-man

So try out a non-Porsche specific club -- there you may find that you are indeed not as slow as you feel - rather with PCA, you are running with the cream of the crop.

-Z-man.

That's probably true ! I know I'm not that bad, I was running w/ the instructor's group too back when, and generally in the top tier of Solo up to a few years ago (then again I had a 996 then), when the escalation started ;-) It used to be that the instructors group was all track weapons, but I'm finding this has percolated to the Solo group as well now... I'm not really complaining, good for them, I just think the speed differential is getting huge now when you bundle a 914-4 and a GT3RS based on driver level ;-)

It's ironic to me, I recently bought a used Cayman S (nice car) because I wanted some straighline speed on top of the excellent cornering. *Still* too slow in a sea of GT3s.. I'm thinking I might as well resurrect the old SC and put her back on track duty.. .slow for slow, I prefer risking the $10K car and not having the electronic aids anyway... I'll try Chin, don't know of many others.. PBOC seem to have track grade weapons too ;-)

Anyway, that was all tongue in cheek, I enjoy seing and riding in the fast cars, but I do think the disparity makes for annoying sessions if you're not driving a $100K toy ! Again, what recession ? ;-)

[ODDJOB UNO]

well i experienced something similar this last weekend here. entered the old insane fast showroom stock super duper cab from hell in intermediate class. the next thing i know theres a cayman s, some damn amg mercedes w/quattro turbos and a super charger, and some damn full raced winged gawd dammit porsche w/quattro turbos,super charger and nitrous,an audi R-8,ZO-6 and various other miscreants and curmudgeons rounding out the session.

somewhat unnerving to say the least for my friend who had never been in a car on the track.


for me being the evil prick i am, i just drove my line, completely pissing off all the hot shoes until the straight. pulled right, flagged them on, and then suddenly after leaving the straight....................things kind of suddenly got real weird for all these mongo HP cars. they had the insane fast showroom stock super duper cab from hell stuffed right in their mirrors all the way thru the 2.75 mile road course until the straight again.


funny how brand new BFG R-1's, my suu-purb driving ability(yeah right) overcome mega bucks and mega horsepower everywhere but the straights.

i think in these days and times getting to run only against like cars is a thing of the past.


the best part was at the end of the day watching numerous NEW tire tracks(skid marks) going straight off corners into VOODOO LAND! never once did it get hairy for us and every single lap our times improved. by the end of the day our pants were on fire and we knew the lines and rumble strips to hit.


pca i think is going to be the only place 911's run against 911's as well as 914's vs 914's anymore. i mean come on, boxster spec cars are damn fast and build some serious ponies vs the older cars.


i think they should just have "old man days" and "old man w/old car days".