What we've learned on the track

[ProjectM96]

Need Help.

I am going to my first racing event with my 2000 base 986 5 speed manual.

The event includes a drag race, AutoX using cones, and a car show. The points earned are added from each event to determine the winner.

Again, this will be my first drag and autox. I am pretty good in GT4 on PS2 and Forza Motorsport on xbox 360, but I have never done it in real life.

In the drag race,
Traction Control On or Off?
What do I rev to before dropping the clutch?
Should I shift at redline, or at an earlier rpm?

In autox.
Traction Control On or Off?
Does the car lose grip easy? Easy to gain control if I over steer? (Assume I have very good Ultra high performance summer tires.)

I will practice before the event to see where the limits are, but I want to know what you guys have to say from your experiences.

[insite]

drag race:

TC off

rev to 4k and let of the gas as you quicly release the clutch. as the clutch catches, get back on the throttle & modulate



auto-x

TC off

car is easy to catch if it starts to step out. get into 2nd gear quickly & leave it there; don't mess w/ shifting once you're underway. with autocross, shortest path tends to win the day, so don't get too creative with your lines.

you will beat 70% of the back just by KNOWING THE COURSE, so walk it, drive it in your mind, walk it again.

[Quickurt]

Great advice from Insite - M96!
Again, shortest route is usually the quickest route and drive it in your mind over and over. 2nd gear has plenty of torque without so much wheelspin.
Don't eat anything that day, either. Do some energy bars to keep your cals up, but don't eat a meal.
Hungry people are aggressive people! (that's a trick straight from Brian Redman!)

[ProjectM96]

So I pulled my handbrake driving about 15mph to test how strong they are.
I heard a loud pop and nothing happened. The car did not slow down and the brakes did nothing. However, when i park on a hill and pull the hand brake up, it holds the car in place.

Any ideas why the hand brake did nothing? Why the loud pop noise? Did Porsche do something to keep people from pulling the hand brake up while driving?

I am asking this question in this thread because I thought people might have tried pulling the hand brake on the track.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by ProjectM96

So I pulled my handbrake driving about 15mph to test how strong they are.
I heard a loud pop and nothing happened. The car did not slow down and the brakes did nothing. However, when i park on a hill and pull the hand brake up, it holds the car in place.

Any ideas why the hand brake did nothing? Why the loud pop noise? Did Porsche do something to keep people from pulling the hand brake up while driving?

I am asking this question in this thread because I thought people might have tried pulling the hand brake on the track.

Using the handbrake to do a 180 spin I broke 2 of the parking brake shoe retaining springs. $30. ea.

[Overdrive]

ProjectM96,

Unlike most other cars out there, Porsche did not design our e-brake to work with the main rear rotors and pads. There's actually a separate set of small shoes that use the inside of the rotor as a drum, so it really is more of a parking brake than anything, and it's not really up to the duty of swinging this car around like other cars, as BYprovider pointed out.

I wouldn't recommend making a habit of doing that, and DON'T use it on track days or after you've been beating on your brakes, street or track. The shoes can lock up against the hot metal, and the same goes for your pads on the rotors. If you come to a complete stop and leave the pads in contact with hot rotors, they can leave a little deposit of pad material on the rotors that will rub each time they revolve until it wears back down.

[rambo2]

Thanks for sharing the post.Keep it up.