DE this last weekend
 

Heartland Park in Topeka this last weekend. WOW.. everytime I take my car to the track I'm more and more impressed. I moved up a group this weekend, so had an instructor for a couple of sessions. I was starting to get a little brake fade later in the session, and fortunately a guy had set up a little store, a trailer actually, with "stuff" we might need. He had some Padgid orange pads. I got them, installed them with help from the guy next to me, who was jacking up the car while i removed the tires, in oohhh about 15 minutes and OMG!!! After the instructor sent me out on my own, holy cow. I picked up about 15 mph or so at the end of the straight (from braking later and less weight), was braking about 30-50 ft further into the corners and had NO fade. LOL... the first lap with these pads on I couldn't believe how much further into the corner I could go before puttin the whoa's on. An absolute blast!!!!

For a couple of sessions I got behind this 944 turbo (both of us on street tires), and we played cat and mouse the whole time. He'd pull a little ahead of me in the straights and I'd catch him and be right on his bumper in the corners. Never could pass him though. He's got too much oomph. But what fun! I pulled up to him after the session was over, going to appologize for getting all over him in the corners, hoping I wasn' t pissing him off, with him not being able to see my front bumper except when my line was tighter than his and he could see me out his drivers window! LOL He got out and just pointed at me and started laughing. He was having as much fun as I was.

A guy I met a couple years ago has an older C4. We started tracking at the same time and seems like we've got similar skills. But the boxster would leave him in the dust. Since he can't turn off his PSM it really hurts him in the corners, but surprisingly, I was once just ahead of him entering the front straight and even there I left him in the rearview mirror. I know the older c4's are hogs for weight, but damm.. He looked like he was sittin still. And he claimed he was NOT babying it. interesting.

Now,,, if I only had a set of track wheels and tires. I'm pushing these street tires to the max now. My instructor suggested, and I agree, that track rubber would make a huge difference. Any suggestions on how to convince my wife that I MUST have these???? ( I need to move to Texas so I can do this year round!!) Did you guys warn me that this was addictive??? :cheers:

Bob

Bob,

I would try and sell the financial benefit of purchasing track tires. The track eats up tires so fast, and by swapping out you save unnecessary wear and tear to you street tires. So ultimately I would think it would be cheaper in the long run to have two sets...

Nick

You can either - bore her with details about it (like she does about her shopping, home design, kid stuuf) or just regrow the cajones and get them. Tell her what happens in the garage stays in the garage ;) And if she gets out of line, remind her it is cheaper than a divorce :)

The other approach would be to get her out on the track so she can learn how much fun (and educational) it is, so when you say you "need" something for the car, she agrees, or even better, tells you whata you need (like a trailer, motorhome, cup car etc)

Thanks guys. I'm not sure of the economics of replacing track tires more often than street tires but it might be worth a shot! :)

Who exactly would the divorce be expensive for????? LOL...me!!! THink I'll save that one for later. I've tried numerous times to get her to the track, to no avail. Doesn't want to see me do anything stupid with the car or to myself (how's THAT for confidence?)

I think I'll just try to convince her that its cheaper than golf! I just quit my club since I didn't get to play much any more......hmmmm...that one just might work! I'm not sure about the cup car though. How about a boxster spec racer????? there ya go!!

Bob

I hate reading stories like this... only because my season ended about 3 weeks ago and every time I read these stories I want to go the track and drive more. Glad you had fun! :cheers:

Its going to be a long winter isn't it? Looks like my next trip will be in April. Geeeezzzzzz that's a long time.

bob,
first of all you were the faster driver and he should have let you pass. what happen to the blue flag? those flagers sleeping?

Yeah...my car was definitely faster in the corners, and braking too. I'd make up big ground just by braking later than he was/could. Could I have pulled away enough to not let him catch up with me on the straights? Probably. But since he DID pull away from me in the straights, and passing is only allowed in the straights...oh well. No blue flags. But don't dis the corner workers. They were doing a good job. As you probably know, we'd be in real trouble without them!! They were pretty free with their black ones though. The event coordinator got black flagged for not completing a pass before a corner..lol. Hey... we had fun. It was no big deal

Bob

Very wise, Nick. Once you get to a certain point, track wheels/tires do become a value proposition. You could easily go through a brand new set of Goodyear F1s in a couple days. Get some RA-1s or NT-01s and they'll last you ten, maybe more.

Well I missed my first DE and last one of the year the first weekend of October.

By the guidelines I went to replace the wheel locks with regular lugs. The local Porsche dealer gave me the wrong lugs, my fault but I never compared them. I was ready to leave for the Tech inspection, put the new lugs in and they were too long.

They went in flush, torqed to spec but I didn't realize they stuck out the back of them rim! The result was they tore out the emergency brake. At the time I did not know what was wrong so I pulled over, called a friend with a flatbed and took it to the indy shop I use.

Two and a half weeks later. I still don't have the Boxster back. No parts anywhere, the had to be ordered from Germany. They sent regular Boxster parts, had to re-order.

I am now having "spirited" conversations with the mananger about picking up the repair cost for selling me the wrong lugs. I ate the DE cost (wouldn't give me a refund), they should pick up the repair cost. We're both at fault, we both incur the cost.

964 C4s did 0-60 in under 5 seconds and topped out at about 165-170. Acceleration wise, that 15 year old car is more than a match for the Boxster S.

Blue: We couldn't explain it either. He should have been able to keep up with me, or better me, on the straight but couldn't. Could be that his car is just getting tired. He had no apparent mechanical issues, other than a blown a/c compressor and thrown ac belt, both later in the weekend. But I"ve been faster than him for the last year or so... at least as long as we've been on the track together. He's got a slow 964 and I've got a fast 986 (non S)????? Both are unmodified as far as engines/exhaust/intake/chips/etc go. Can't explain it, but there it was.

Bob

The issue with track tires (slicks) on the track is that when the tires lose adhersion, they lose them rightaway. This means if you don't have enough seat time under your belt, they can do more harm than good. Unlike street tires, they let you know as they approach their limits.

Cris