To track or not to track

[FTD]

Shortly after I bought my car, I decided to sell my motorcycle and opt for a safer goofy driving bug that must be in me. BUT, in the course of the last year, I have also built up anxieties for how I treat my car. I don't want to be a part time mechanic, and I don't want to be writing checks all the time to replace stuff. I had a great, fun day at Little Talladega, but I also felt my brain thinking " you are going to wear out your ______ [fill in the blank here] while I was driving and it really bothers me. I signed up for a DE, which I am thinking of bailing on, because I just don't want to wear out my car. So, I was thinking, I just want to enjoy this fantastic car and keep it clean and nice, but I also know that goofing around on the public roads isn't enough. Is it? Where are you with your driving enjoyment? Do you self mechanic most of your maintenance, or pay someone else? If you could drive Road Atlanta, would you, regardless of the possible cost? Geeez, I filled my car with a cloud of dust [went off track] and although that is way better than mechanical failure, it will take who knows how long to clean through the depth of the powder, which makes me think what my life would be like if it was body damage or mechanical failure. I think I am paranoid about mechanical failure. Tell me about your car and your fun and your freedom.

[eqs]

FTD interestingly I had similar thoughts. I've had my 987S for a couple months now and simply love the car - everything about it. It brings back so many good memories for me and good feelings too. Probably since owning it, I've driven it with the top up, maybe 3 times - I drive virtually all the time with the top down - granted I do not drive every day.

I also considered track and DE events and was pretty excited to do these, as the salesmen and workers there all told me I had to do it, as it was "the most fun you can have with your pants on!". I was ready to sign up right then and there.

I then researched what the pros and cons were to track and DE events and came away with the feeling that it was a) addictive b) potentially very costly and potentially risky. I also posted here a youtube link about a guy flipping his car over at a DE event. I looked into the insurance aspects as I liked to be insured at all times and found out that where I am, no insurance is available for track and DE events for liability and third party, but you can get expensive DE insurance to cover damage to your car only.

I do fully respect the benefits of track and DE and racing, but for us, we'll just drive the car well within its limits, and enjoy the great feelings of the car with the top down. Maybe not the best idea of fun for someone else, but certainly fun enough for my family and I. We have other activities where we get our adrenalin fix, so excitement from driving the car to its limits isn't important to us. I know I'll never be good enough to drive that car anywhere near its limits. Now that's not saying we don't have fun though.

Always drive safe I tell my kids, but hey, it is a Pcar!

Cheers

[blinkwatt]

Dude it's a darn Porsche.....get on the car and ride it however you want!

Just expect to replace tires and oil more often if you auto-x,d.e. or tracking it.

Here is what happened to me when I thought like you. I had my 99' for 2 years,I only saw 6k rpm ONCE,that's right ONCE in two years. Then guess what happened? I crashed it and the only regret I ever had with that car was not pushing it hard enough. Now that I have my 01' S it's a completely different scenario. This thing sees 6k once every drive. And to be honest,the more I push the car,the more faith I develop in it. It actually seems to run better when I'm pushing it into the higher rpm area.

Just maintain the car like Porsche says and you'll be good to go.

[eqs]

blinkwatt, I hear you, trust me I do We race our boat competitively so I understand When I mean I/we have fun, trust me, we have fun

That rev limiter has been tripped many, many times.

Cheers

[gmboxster]

I know exactly how you feel. Up till now all my cars have been so called 'practical' / slow cars. I've never had such a high performance auto. Therefore it takes time to develop that confidence to go out and really open her up. I'm still at the stage of wanting to really push my car and worried that if I do will something bad happen to the engine. The nearest porsche mechanic is 80 miles away so if any work needs to be done on it, it would be a real hassle.

So some of you boxster veterans give us some insight in how hard these cars can be 'safely' pushed. I know it may be a fine line between pushing and having a great time AND pushing too hard and asking for trouble.

[silver arrow]

If you can't afford to lose the cost of the car, then don't track it. Insurance will not pay for you planting it in the wall. If you want to do track/DE, then get a cheap Miata or Sentra SE-R. If you want to test your P car, autocross is pretty safe and low risk, but still some risk.

[eqs]

I agree silver arrow, I understand that tracking is best with less expensive cars as they have lower startup and ongoing costs and you can drive them closer to the limit for longer. Just not my thing that's all - I'm too old.

There was a nice 997S in the dealer the other day due to "a little track mishap" - the whole front end was ripped off.

I'll just drive my car safely and slowly.

Cheers

[Topless]

Surely everyone must decide for themselves. A 100mph+ racetrack is probably not the best place for your first outing to learn car control.

Like Skiing, start on the bunny slopes. There is plenty of time to hit the double diamond chutes and ridges once you have mastered basic skills. I recently completed a Performance driving school where basic skills are mastered and safety and car control come first. Everyone in attendance came out a much safer and more confident driver on the street as well as the track. There was a wide range of attendees from veteran club racers honing their skills to a 17 yr old girl in her first car, to a 70 yr old grandmother learning better safety and awareness in her '68 912. I will be sending all of my kids to this next year.

Try Autocross with the PCA. It doesn't cost much, Speeds are usually much lower than track days, instructors are free, and if you hit a few cones or spin the only damage is to your ego. This is a safe and fun way to improve your driving skills.

If you do decide to go to the track, drive within your ability. if you ever get anxious or uncomfortable just slow it down or call it a day. Your fellow drivers will thank you for your wisdom. There is no reason to put your car in the weeds or worse if you keep your adrenaline in check and drive within your limits. You can still have fun and drive fast without beating your car.

There are lots of guys here with more experience at this than me (jmatta, kabel, johnV). Hopefully I have provided a little clarity as these questions were fresh in my mind 11/2 years ago. Drive safe.

[husker boxster]

FTD, great topic. You have the same thoughts / concerns as I have.

I didn't do DEs with my 01S and I'm pretty certain I won't with my LE. Since this is my DD, the practical side of me can't see wadding it up and having nothing left but 4 yrs of payments. I've seen enough "harmless spins" on TV turn into rollovers. I looked into the Porsche Driving Experience thinking this would be a good way to get some education using some else's Pcar. However, at $3K it's a bit too spendy for me at this time.

[FTD]

I have done 5 autocrosses and two days at Little Talladega. I don't mind oil changes and brake flushes [now that I know how to do a brake flush]. They are too easy to pay someone else to do. And it appears that changing the brake pads are darn simple also. What I don't want is big dollar wear. I drive like a nut; after all you can take aggressive turns and enjoy the phenomenal torque on the street without being a reckless driver or speed demon. My times at autocross are nothing to sneer at, but wouldn't it be cool if I could get better, better, better? That would be satisfying. I just am feeling queasy, having listened to all the guys at these events talk about what they have been replacing or fixing - and seeing cars towed home as well. It makes my pulse zing with anxiety.
Speaking of brake flush, I composed a DIY to post, but cannot get the images loaded. I will stick a pdf out there and maybe get the rest of it laid out later. Keep an eye out! I was real pleased to learn this simple maintenance.

[FTD]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

FTD, great topic. You have the same thoughts / concerns as I have.

I didn't do DEs with my 01S and I'm pretty certain I won't with my LE. Since this is my DD, the practical side of me can't see wadding it up and having nothing left but 4 yrs of payments. I've seen enough "harmless spins" on TV turn into rollovers. I looked into the Porsche Driving Experience thinking this would be a good way to get some education using some else's Pcar. However, at $3K it's a bit too spendy for me at this time.

Exactly everything in my mind, including looking into Skip Barber and balking at the price.
So, you guys have helped! I think autocross is OK, but maybe my stomach isn't interested at this time in DE. BTW, I bought a second set of wheels for autocross so I don't damage my good looking rims and overpriced tires. I guess I better at least wear out the tires on those extra rims!
Another BTW, we had an autocross today that I didn't go to. There are a few reasons why I didn't, including some related to this topic.