@jcsjcs Awesome! Seat time, some good instruction and you will improve
This was my first car, and I have had it for 23 years, so it's like a second appendage. I have no problem shifting in any situation. But... the gear ratios in an early car are really low, so some courses I can be in third, and even faster tracks I can even be in fourth. Your 996 should be able to stay in 2nd with majority of autox courses, maybe that's why people are telling you not to shift into 3rd... just depends on the course.
I currently use a Gopro 9 Black. There are a lot of accessories on the market for gopros. I use a suction cup mount that I attached to the passenger rear side window.