Yet another 1st DE and want to sell my soul for more Track Time!

[JeremyD]

Wow - that was fun - first DE with Porsche - I have done a few track events before - Petty School - Test Track etc but this took the cake. Sebring was awesome. Turn 17 I think was my favorite. Doing a four wheel drift at around 100 mph is quite the rush.

Here are a few pictures from the day...

Loading up and hard on the throttle after 17


Taped to the max to avoid any possible stone chips...

[kqw]

Did you have any suspension/handling mods done prior to DE?

[JeremyD]

Nope - stock, 17 year old suspension. The guy behind me in a S2000 said my car was VERY flat in the twisties

[kqw]

Reason I asked was that I recently installed a strut tower brace in my '86 Targa and was thinking about adding targa body braces also before my 1st DE. But, as your cab did great, I'll forgo the body brace and see how she does...Thanks

[JeremyD]

No need - just enjoy. Just make sure you have plenty of brake pad left -

[s2per]

Glad to see you had fun and we hope to see you back again soon. Yesterday was an exceptional day, classic Florida spring weather and lots of great cars. I had a chance to drive in my old "Vera" at the track again with her new owner as my student; in fact, I managed to get VERY sideways in the Hairpin, but caught it before anything really silly happened!

And then I had a ride in a new GT3. Oh. My.

[JeremyD]

It was great Tim - looking forward to progressing to yellow group. Very professional and well run.

[MOMO3.2]

Jeremy:

My hat is off to you for taking such a beautiful car onto the track and thrashing it around like it was engineered to do.

I had a chance to bring my 87 Carrera out for the noon time "track tour" at California Speedway during the California Festival of Speed. I had a blast too. My car did not handle at anywhere near the level I had hoped. So, I will definitely need to add some Bilstein Sports, have my car corner balanced, and lowered to get it to where it handles like it is supoposed to. The power, gearbox, and brakes, however, met or exceeded my expectations.

I can see how you got bit by the racing bug for sure. I have read some sound advice from others who track their cars. They state: "If you cannot afford to walk away and leave your car totaled at the track, don't race it." As I use my car for a daily driver and depend on it to get me to work and back, that advice made me cool my jets a little. I will have to hold off for a couple years before I even start doing DEs.

Have fun.

Mike

[cstreit]

Welcome to purgatory Jeremy...


...come, stay a while.... ...the water is juuuusssst fine.

[RSupdate]

You'll be hangin' with us over in the "AX & Track Forum" next!!!!

[JeremyD]

Mike - Mine is not a daily driver - but sound advice non the less. I consider DE and racing to be entirely different ends of the spectrum. I was fast - but braking early. Our PCA runs a first class operation. I saw one car spin the whole day. My instructor was top notch.

I really think the risk of stuffing it into the wall to be equal or less than the drive home from the track...

[JeremyD]

Originally posted by RSupdate
You'll be hangin' with us over in the "AX & Track Forum" next!!!!

I've autocrossed plenty of times - and thanks for the kind words on my car - I got many comments from admirers, even all taped up.

Wish I could afford a track only car - for now I'll have to make do with what I have.

[89911]

Originally posted by Jeremy964

Wish I could afford a track only car - for now I'll have to make do with what I have.

Might be worth it in the long run. Think of how much blue tape you will be saving! Jealous that it was snowing here yesterday!

[993.986.]

Thanks for posting, it makes me want to try it also. Mine is not a daily driver but I don't want to wreck it either. (I was concerned about my 17 year old suspension too) Maybe a track car .......hmmm. Thanks again

[SandyI]

No one should let threats of "walking away from a totaled car" deter them from taking a daily driver to the track for a DE event. The POC DE events I've attended at Streets of Willow in my daily driver have been well-organized with top-notch instructors helping everyone in the beginner group run safely.

That being said, there are (2) REAL dangers to entering your car in a DE event:

1.) You'll get hooked and begin spending even more of your hard-earned cash on your Porsche-- to lower your lap times.

2.) You'll walk around with a stupid grin on your face for days after a weekend at the track. Just like this--

[rdane]

Originally posted by SandyI
No one should let threats of "walking away from a totaled car" deter them from taking a daily driver to the track for a DE event.

Of course not as long as you can walk way...

That said, when you start hiding the costs from the wife and justifing a new set of tires every month it is time to set the crack pipe down and step away.

I'm not extremely worried about my own driving but two wrecks have been just milliseconds in front of me.

Stuck on the tail of a PCA RS America car going into a big sweeper I was thinking I could beat his car as he put on another 5mph in the turn on race rubber. Just about the time I figured I could do that next time he spun in front of me at 80/90 mph, went across the track and rolled it.

Totaled car and no one hurt but as time has proven, it isn't that uncommon either on the typical track day with experienced track drivers.

[JeremyD]

rdane - did this happen in the green or blue group? I really don't remember being at those sort of limits - a few times my instructor told me I was a little hot and missed my apex - but nothing of that sort of magnitude.

[89911]

Originally posted by Jeremy964
rdane - did this happen in the green or blue group? I really don't remember being at those sort of limits - a few times my instructor told me I was a little hot and missed my apex - but nothing of that sort of magnitude.

Metro NY at the Glen in August seems to average one totaled car per day. Everyone (not myself), seems to gather around the carnage at the end of day in silence and stare.

[JeremyD]

Originally posted by 89911
Metro NY at the Glen in August seems to average one totaled car per day. Everyone (not myself), seems to gather around the carnage at the end of day in silence and stare.

Ouch

[SandyI]

They average one totaled car per track day!?!?

Glad I'm doing my DE events 3,000 miles away from that group.