Brian,
DE (Driver's Education) is a driver's training program that allows you to experience the thrill of extra-legal speeds, while honing your abilities in car control. Here in Potomac, we incorporate a skid pad (allowing you to experience lose of adhesion on a slippery surface that pays extra dividends both on the street and track) to teach you what the vehicle is communicating to you under extreme circumstances. Further, Potomac has an extraordinary instuctor cadre that rides with all new and advanced students to provide on-track instruction, which is supplemented by classroom instruction. Our goal is not to make the next world champion. Our goal is to assist you in enjoying your Porsche, enhancing your driving skills, and assisting you in spending money. To start in DE, join PCA. Apply with your local region. Obtain an SA (Special Applications) helmet. Come to the track. Enjoy.

Don Newton
Chief Instructor
PCA Potomac

Brian, this thread is on DE (drivers education) at Summit Point WV.
This event was hosted by Potomac Region of PCA. This is very popular for Porsche drivers on the east coast, but there are other venues such as Car Guys, FATT (Friday at the track at SP), or NASA, and a couple others. You have to be a member of PCA to run Potomac events, others may have different requirements.
The basic idea is to learn how to drive your Porsche as it was designed to be driven. These events take place on a race track but are not racing. No one times your laps, there are no awards.
You don't need to do anything special to your car. With PCA you will need to have a tech inspection prior to the event.
The drivers are put into 5 different groups, green, blue, white, black, and red. New drivers are in green and you will have an instructor every time you are on the track, teaching the basics of high performance driving. After you have the basics and show good judgement you will move to blue with an instructor. When you move to white you will no longer need an instructor, black and red are usually instructors.
I think the 2 closest tracks to Richmond are Summit Point and VA Int Raceway near Danville.
Do a searcg on the PCA web site pca.org The Richmond area is in Zone 2, keep searching and find the region for that area. Go to the regions web site for a schedule of their events and any special requirements.
A stock car does not need a roll bar, you will need a helmet. Be careful, it is but a small step from a responsible, sane person to a burned out track junkie. ;)

Thanks guys! I am going to have to do this real soon!


Brian

Don W - I sure do remember that 928 from Saturday. The speeds at which he was passing me made me feel like I was actually going backwards!

Don N - sorry I didn't connect you with the Pelican Board. I'll be sure to introduce myself next time. Thanks for a fabulous event and I look forward to participating in many more.

Here's one of the pictures I bought from the track photographers. For those of you that know the track this is coming out of the carousel (6) and heading for 7.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/sp_2.JPG

Very nice

Instant suspension upgrade
 

I was worried you might fall out the door... :eek:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/sp_2a.jpg

Is there some kindof vehicle inspection that is performed/required to participate? I'd be afraid that since I've never tracked my p-car, something could be amiss (even tho it runs/rides perfectly around town). Also I watched that Tom Cruise movie...do people bump each other?

Ah - finally a quesiton I know something about, as I am a tech inspector for such events. Yes, your car needs to be teched before a track event. It's nothing too invasive, but it's more than you'll get at the local gas station. We check brakes (pads and rotors), tie rod ends, bad oil leaks, half-shaft and ball joint play, wheel bearings, hanging idle, strange smells, excessive smoking, torn CV boots, brake lights, windshield wipers, roll cage for cabs and anything else that's safety related. We're really big on fresh brake fluid too. Your local PCA probably has tech sessions on weekends before track events - they are ALWAYS worth attending. I've not yet tracked my car, but I have learned sooooo much from these things.

Yes, see Don W. comment above. Essentially we check safety equipment & the general condition of the car. You should be able to get a copy of the Tech. sheet from the PCApotomac.org site. DEs are very safe but “bumps” do happen. Last year several cars were reduced to parts. My wife & I have each had incidents but we both still enjoy track time! As Doug has said serious fun, but it often does lead to more $$ for the P car! I expect Doug will be looking for some “track wheels”, bigger “bars” & other things at Hershey this year!

Are we supposed to be driving in the rain?
 

This is a pic of my first DE in 2000 at a very cold and wet Carolina Motorsports Park. It had been sleeting a few minutes before this picture was taken.

To echo the sentiment offered earlier: it was a great learning experience. The wet track placed a premium on being smooth.

That's me in the Baltic Blue '89. I passed the yellow RS on the lap being started in the picture.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/CMPDE2000.jpg

Let me try and clarify Dave's comments a little.
Yes, a car or 2 has been reduced to parts but 99% of these incidents involve a single car. Reasons vary from cold tires, too much speed into a turn, driver not concentrating of where he is or what he's doing, or ocassionally something may break or a oil line will let loose.
It is very, very rare to have cars bumping.

Don N, Don W, and David,
well, i have to chime in here - cause i was there at Summit Point this weekend, just watching unfortunately, but was really impressed at how orderly the driving etiquette seemed to be.

what am i comparing it to??, a NASA event at Sears Point Raceway (now Infineon) in N. California. those guys are crazy!! This past November I flew out there and rode passenger with a close friend in an '80 SC Coupe (Weissach) w/ a 3.2 liter, that's pretty modified. I trust him fully, has many hours on the track, and is also a PCA instructor -- so we ran in the advanced black or red group. Let me tell you guys, I was sh*** bricks. Especially, as the days progressed and all the other drivers started feeling pretty confident with themselves and pushing themselves even further.

as you guys know, in NASA almost any car is allowed. we were running alongside super modified A4's, Mazda RX 7's, M3's, ricers, you name it - it was out there. Was there sort of a community feeling as i noticed this weekend?? None. Everyone seemed to be strangers.

also that weekend, - passing was allowed ANYWHERE on the track - which made matters even more interesting.

after two full days, at LEAST 8 cars crashed - and were pretty damaged. Not to mention a Lincoln LS V8 4 door sedan that some guy brought out after having rented it from Hertz. What happened to that car?? TOTALLED. The driver was exitting a carousel too hot - back right tire slipped off the track - and sends the Lincoln back clear across the entire roadway and proceeds to roll over twice. Both passengers walked away - but you should have seen what the Lincoln looked like. Hertz was not happy.

this being my first time ever - and even as a passenger - i was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole DE thing. It was like the Wild West!! Almost no fear in these guys. However, I must admit, my friend Mike was actually kind of pissed and mentioned how unlike PCA it was. Yes, it was clearly dangerous. However, he seemed pretty accustomed to it after so many events - but insisted I participate only with PCA for the first couple of seasons. Said that the instruction and driving manners of PCA rivalled NASA.

so, in truth, and after witnessing you all this weekend, i guess he was right. both events have been learning experiences for me - and i really look forward to getting out there.

anyway i'm not trying to diss on NASA - but the differences between that weekend and this one were like night and day!
any of you ever run with those guys and have a similar experience?

Maurice
'80 SC Coupe

Thanks for the good words. The real thanks for the way the weekends run in Potomac should be directed to the instructor cadre. Without their unquestioned dedication, experience, and desire to improve the skills of their fellow Porsche owners, we'd all be sitting at home watching NASTYCAR, or something. Seriously, we have the best instructors going, and they really make you proud to be associated with the organization. Welcome aboard, and I look forward to seeing each of you at the track!

Don Newton
Chief Instructor
PCA Potomac

Ow - that hertz!