Quick plug here for this.. I try to go once a year... I think it's incredible value for money, and it's been confirmed to me Porsche doesn't make a penny on it and treat it as a marketing tool...
If you can, *any* oppportunity, Bday, life event, fun, GO GO GO... LA or ATL... I tried both, ATL has a nicer lobby and more museum, and I hear they lenghtened the track now but LA is very cool as well, if smaller..
Cheap? No, but... 90 min in a GT3 or Turbo S or above is like $1500+ BUT you will learn just as much in a cheap Cayman or Base 992 from $650. At this price point, the one on one instruction is PHENOMENAL. I did 20y of track days with various clubs/instructors, and they were all great, but you cannot approach the level of one one one coaching you get at PEC.
Exercises are all super fun, a circular skid pad, a twisty powdered track where you can chain drifts at 25 mph, a downhill/uphill slippery J turn for catching and maintaining slides, a kick plate (silly but fun), an autocross area, a launch control with long straight area with a nurburgring like carroussel at the end, and the track !!
This time I focused more on sliding the car properly (harder than it looks with these big hot rear tires) and was finally able to do 2 laps around the circle in continuous drift, exhausting stuff when you spent all your life avoiding drifting.. The track is always the best for me, and you can choose to follow the leader of have the instructor in car with you.. did both, follow is fun and easier because you use his brake andturn in points, but you get way more feedback with the guy in the car IMO... the 2 guys helped me in my biggest flaw, the transition from really hard braking to gentle trail braking into the turn to maintenance throttle throughout, all the while looking in the right place, LOL... I always had too much of a "coasting phase" between the trail braking and reaccelerating and lost time, apparently... worked hard on smooth and light throttle to settle the car throughout.. FAST stuff, so much fun !!
Also instead of doing one GT3/RS experience for $$$, I used that same amount to do 2 cars, AM/PM! Cayman GTS 4.0 in the AM and 992S after lunch... Eye opening how good latest gen cars are... I loved the Cayman and its NA engine a lot - turn in is fantastic and its twitchiness when sliding at low speed is fun but man, the 911 is so much more planted at higher speeds all over the track and so much more "me". At least now I know...
they also have a cheap sim option, and great restaurant with 911 shaped butter, cheaper than even our hotel place... with a view on people spinning out of control ;-) I cannot recommend these visits more, based on the great learning, for any level or any occasion (nobody paid me). Just the abuse you dish to the cars IMO is worth 3/4 of the admission cost, and you get the instruction for cheap ! All cars, all levels...
Those were my 2 rides...
