Post PCA Driver's Education Day 5-7-2008

[Topless]

Hey Chills,

Two out of three ain't bad . Glad you had fun. I am sure you learned a lot. Learning to communicate effectively as an instructor with someone you don't know at 100+mph is surely as challenging as learning to drive the line smoothly. Some instructors are better than others. Sometimes you just have a personality conflict. Any time I get mixed commands I pull in the pits for clarification and we verbally walk through the rough areas. Then back out to try it again.

In our region safety always comes first. If for any reason the driver/instructor pairing isn't working you can always come in the pits and request a change. You may lose a run group but will have a better experience overall. Other regions may do it differently but I think it is standard practice with the PCA. Good luck your next time out.

[Chills]

Thanks for the advice guys. I did have a great time and I think PCA Chicago put on a great event. I really appreciate the time all the instructors put in to teach us newbies how to handle our Porsches.

I did almost pull into the pits and tell my instructor that it wasn't working out. However, it was the last session of the day and many people already left. I wanted to get as much track time as I could.

Mr. Leeds did say in the classroom that if there we did have a personality conflict we could request a different instructor. If my bad experience had been on the first or second session I would have, but being the end of the day I just sucked it up.

I've got to bug my brother-in-law for the pics. He was doing some experimenting and got some shots where the car is in focus, but the wheels are spinning and the background is blurred.

[jmatta]

Hey Chris,

It was good to meet you at the novice event...I'm sorry I didn't have more time to spend talking with you. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your day on four wheels, as opposed to two. Boxsters are pretty amazing track cars since they're so well balanced; 911 guys (me included) have to drive one to experience the feel these cars bring. The rain was not a bad thing, as it kept speeds down and enabled participants to really concentrate on the fundamentals. I was out with my student in novice group 1, and by the end of the day, there were way too many Michael Schumacher wannabees out there missing apexes left and right.

With regard to instruction, sometimes multiple instructors can be a good thing, because you get varied opinions, allowing you to determine which approach is best. Sometimes personalities do not mesh and it can get frustrating...don't let one session spoil your experience. Do give feedback to John Ruther on your instructor experience...it sounds like like third was a bit confused as to what is the "racing line" and "off line" (you handled it correctly, BTW).

Hope to see you out there again...it was nice to see a few other green cars out there, besides mine!

Jerry

[Chills]

Hi Jerry,

It was good meeting you and seeing your 911 in person. Real men drive green. lol

I was worried about the rain at first, but like you said it did keep speeds low. I also noticed many drivers missing their turns and apexes on the last session since the track was dry.

I'll see about getting in contact with Mr. Ruther about the last instructor and give him feedback. I also want to tell him what a great job the other two did.

The whole day was really a first-rate event. I was pretty impressed. I can't wait to get out there again, and also do some Autocrossing.

I'm still waiting for my photographer to get the pics back to me. I got a sneak peak at some at the track and he took photos of many of the Porsches out on the track.

I'm also eyeing some upgrades to my BoxS... brakes being #1.

[jmatta]

Chris,

I would doubt you need to upgrade brakes...I assume you mean pad compound? Other than pads, some DOT-R compound rubber would make a world of difference over street tires; they're not meant to be tracked. The Boxster and S have far more capability than 97% of the drivers...spend your money on track days and/or driver's schools.

By all means, fax or email John Ruther your instructor thoughts...it's the only way to keep everyone up to standards. John is the owner Northstar Motorsports in Barrington and can be reach at: john@northstarmotorsports.com

Hope to see you out in the future...it was good to knock the cobwebs off!

[Chills]

Yeah, I meant pads and better brake fluid. I used normal DOT-4 stuff.

I've been looking at tires. I hear many people recommending the Pilot Sport Cups, what do you recommend and where should I get them?

[Cris]

Sounds like a great event. My only comment with track (DOT-R, R, etc.) tires vs. street tires is that track tires are much less forgiving at the threshold. Street tires will squeel and howl at their limits before losing traction. The others are less likely to give these telltail signs. Thus, the driver (esp with less experience driving at the car's limits) will have little to no time to react.

As Jerry said... spend more time on the track and improving skills of the driver.

Originally Posted by Chills

Yeah, I meant pads and better brake fluid. I used normal DOT-4 stuff.

I've been looking at tires. I hear many people recommending the Pilot Sport Cups, what do you recommend and where should I get them?