POC Driver's school: how I learned to love oversteer

[nostatic]

5am wakeup call after going to bed at 1am...egad. Load up the car and head north. As I closed in on Rosamond, I actually had to fire up the heater (!). Early morning sun, and a good mix of old and new (plenty of 996s and a GT3 or two):



The morning was broken up into three sections and three groups of people (rotating through the sections, each about an hour): First section was class time going over terminology, rules, flags, etc. Between previous track dates and various books I knew most of this stuff. Second section was piling into a couple of vans/suvs and having and instructor shuttle us around the track, driving the proper line (at least *their* line) and talking us through it. After a few laps we would stop and each corner, pile out, and the instructors would talk about what/why the line was.


The third section was by far the capper: the skid pad. It sounded simple enough...cones were put in a circle (about 200ft in diameter), and groups of 5 or 6 cars would play ring around the rosy. 2 run sessions clockwise, then 2 counterclockwise, each time with a different instructor riding shotgun (poor guys/gals):


The first time through wasn't so tough...you get up to speed, set your steering wheel angle, then just keep your speed and hands quiet. OK...that works. Then the instructor suggest that you back off the gas to get it to step out, but *don't* countersteer...instead get back on the throttle to get back on line. A frickin' miracle. Then the suggestion to step it out further and spin it. Hot damn! Stalled it the first time, then remembered "both feet in", and didn't stall on the next 4 (!) spins.

Why so many spins? Well, as you get better, the instructor pushes you more. On my third run my instructor had me pick out 3 cones and "drive a triangle" using only throttle...no steering input allowed. Hoot! Then he said to get the apex tighter, and hang the rear end out more...again, no steering input. Hence a couple more spins

This was the single most informative thing I've EVER done in my car. I now "get it." If you haven't done an exercise like this (in a safe track environment), you need to find an equivalent. My previous two track days didn't give me this much information...not even close. Mostly becuase when you're on track you can't experiment much, and you can't run the same bit over and over again, becuase you're always looking ahead to the next turn (more on that later). I may be blathering, but this session blew my mind. This is why these cars are so special.

So after lunch, we did 4 runs through a slalom, with the intent being to try and use the throttle to steer through the cones rather than the steering wheel. Not as mind expanding as the skid pad, but good for trying to make the car "dance".

Then we did lead and follow on track. For the first run I didn't have an instructor, and did OK, although I couldn't really nail turn 6, or the 8-9-10 combination. The exciting time was when I screwed up the entry to 6, was wide and hot, and put 2 wheels off on the outside of the turn. I'm happy to report that I waited a beat, then gently brought it back on track. Glad I didn't spin on a lead-and-follow

For the second run I flagged down an instructor and out we went. Totally different experience. Constant tips and feedback, resulting in my getting 6 "right" the last few times, no brakes on the chicane, and nailing 8-9-10. Still an insane amount of work to do, but the "oh damn, I get it now" for 8-9-10 was great. The big take home lesson was "look ahead." My instructor would tell me where to look when I was on track...so when I was approaching the turn in, instead of looking at that point, he said, "ok, look down track now." Then when I was track out, he'd say, "ok, look at the apex." When I was entering turn 6 he was telling me to look at the *exit* of 6...and I'd have to trust that I'd hit my marks and apex. And I did. Well, close any way. BIG difference from looking ahead.

So got the first signature on my STS license card. I wish I could do tomorrow, but family calls. But November should get sig number 2.

[MOMO3.2]

Nostatic:

Wow, what a great opportunity to get some really valuable experience.

Mike

[Cornpanzer]

Thats really cool. I am looking forward to my first drivers ed at putnum park in indiana the first weekend in Oct. Hopefully they will have similar excersizes for us as well.

[DonDavis]

Very cool! That's the exact type of experience I have in my mind for track fun.

Can't wait to get into that!

[GettinHeadStuds]

Badass.

Todd, you mentioned that you learned more in this event than the others you've attended. Was this one more informative b/c it was POC? Or b/c it was specifically, a "driver's school"?

The reason I ask is b/c I'd prefer to start on an event like the one you attended today. Instructional with lots of time to experiement in a safe evironment.

[Zeke]

That's great stuff, Todd.

Phillip, the 911 is unique and POC school will show the medthods described. When you go to a generic DE or school, Porsche specific methods are overlooked unless you get a Porsche drive for an instructor. The rest of the stuff like looking ahead is universal.

And DE's don't have the intensity or the skid pad exercise. Some take you out on the track in a van for a close look, and some don't. OTR just does a lead/follow in the morning for the novice (blue) group, and an instructor is optional (if you can find one; lots of cars, lots of sessions, everyone is busy).

I think POC is very serious about teaching how to drive a PORSCHE. I can't wait to get out there and destroy some bad, bad habits.

[nostatic]

My previous events were "open track days." No formalized instruction, although I did have some ridealongs (most notably Tyson, but his talent was way over my head).

PCA San Diego is having their school, with mail in signup starting soon. I've heard that is very good. http://www.pcasd.org. I asume POC will likely have some school next year (they had two this year).

I think you can also do the STS events, then do the school later (you will have to have an instructor in the car the whole time for the STS...but you have to have that even after the school). I would have loved to do tomorrow, but couldn't swing it. I'll do at least one day in November and one day in December though.

[GettinHeadStuds]

Thanks for the follow up guys. In the mean time, I'll continue to tear ass through the canyons. :P

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Zeke
That's great stuff, Todd.

Phillip, the 911 is unique and POC school will show the medthods described.

I think POC is very serious about teaching how to drive a PORSCHE. I can't wait to get out there and destroy some bad, bad habits.

yeah, it was funny because I was talking with one of the instructors and he was talking about how they were having a tough time getting the 944s and Boxsters to spin during the exercise.

When I did Streets with Speed Ventures, I had an instructor for one session, and he owned an S2000. Nice guy and a quick driver, but his lines were different than what I got today. The 911 is a different beast.

[speeder]

Very cool, I have 2 sigs on my POC card but haven't done the school yet. Glad to hear that it was worthwhile.

[cantdrv55]

Man, that sounds like a whole heck of a lot of fun! OK, a few more autocrosses then DE time for me.

[dd74]

Great stuff, Todd. On a side note, how was the afternoon temperature up there? Is it still pretty hot during the day?

[k9handler]

I really need to attend some type of school...so far I have done quite a bit of autox and some laps of the ring...hence the need for learning! I was able to play on an open flightline once and did a few spins and played with a very skilled driver who gave me some great pointers...but nothing like what you described.

[Silveresrty911S]

Way to go Todd, it's agreat felling learning throttle steering I'm still learning control on the off camber decreasing radius turns

I would highly recomend the PCA San Diego Regions Performance Driving school coming this October. Schedule :Friday evening in school, Sat. skills and Sunday AutoCross. Cost: 250.00 money well spent on driving skills with excellent instructors and great food too!
I'm thinking about doing it again.

[djmcmath]

Nostatic, thanks for sharing your experience -- that sounds incredible!

[rcwaldo]

This is great Todd! I did the same school last year, but like you, could not do the next days STS as I had some things to do.. I to thought the school was really help[ful. We (three instructors and myself) had a HELL OF A TIME on the skidpad trying to get the 993 to come around, or at least step out. No matter what we did, no oversteery.. I was even dabbing the brakes with my left foot and radical throttle lifting, trying to get something to happen...no luck. My car was just too pushy..

Fun no less

Chris Walrod

[surflvr911sc]

Awesome Todd! I really wanted to make this event, now I’m really bummed. Like Denis I have two STS sigs and still need drivers school and one more STS for my license.

Your car is looking great! I think you have stopped in a perfect place on that slope for a while. I really need to get a bar, seats, and harnesses in my car, I’m getting real close to needing new tires too.

I hope to make it up on the 22nd, and my dad is itching to get back out there too. I don’t know if I’ll make to Ventura this year or not. I think BBRIV will happen in October, which is perfect weather wise. More on that soon.

[Zeke]

Originally posted by Silveresrty911S
Way to go Todd, it's agreat felling learning throttle steering I'm still learning control on the off camber decreasing radius turns

The 911 is probably the car to accoplish that if you don't get in too hot to start with. Turns 8 and 9 at Willow are a combination of little camber, to a dip in the middle of 9 that has camber, back to zero camber coming on to the straight, all incorporating the decreasing radius. To play it safe, instructors treat is as two turns with some straight line braking in the middle. Willow veterans can find a better way than to stand on the brakes out there in the middle of a sweeper.

As Jack O. said, "A day to learn, a lifetime to master." (paraphrased) One of the masters is Milt Minter. I wonder if he ever jotted down his thoughts on this or driving a 911 in general.

[nostatic]

David, weather wasn't too bad...I think it peaked in the high 80's, but the big plus was almost no wind. They're predicting 96 today though.

Hopefully the 22nd will be realtively cool.

off camber decreasing radius turn. hmm...let me get back to you. In general I found I went too slow in the fast sections, and too fast in the slow sections. Lot's to learn...