Cool notes, but if you guys were keeping track, care to share your/your instructor's lap times so we can get an idea of how "freakin' fast" your setup is?

Thx!

 

Hi Benjamin,

I didn't rent out the Lap Timer that day unfortunately because in my hands it's never going to be "freakin fast". Let's just say in his stock turbo he was eating up every other car out there. He went faster in mine... I think his lap times are in the low 2minute range around that long 3mile track.

My other friend/instructor Sean (I'll get him to comment on here), who grew up testing/racing Porsches said it was also a very fast and well dialed in track car. Again, it mostly depends on the driver. In my hands, a Honda Civic will beat me down....

 

Good post! You can sense the excitement and the "oh ****" feeling in your write-up
Good pics too!
What speeds were these drivers going through the high speed turns?

 

great pix!! nice to see someone on this forum actually taking their car to the track, rather than just speculating about it's performance and handling....

 

Great post Sharkman! Good to hear you enjoyed the track. My first time out was in 2002 (when I got my car) and I could not believe how much effn' fun it was! Talk ablut addiction! Having a kid last winter has severely impacted my ability to get out to the track this summer.

PSM -> I would love to have a dial that would regulate it's sensitivity.

Mike

 

Hehe thanks Mark, you're not far off.... I wasn't able to catch the speed of some of the turns during the instructor drives (something to do with G's pushing me in the other direction hehe) but I know it's one of the faster courses out in Cali.

 

Thanks man I'm still such a n00b. There are quite a few track kings on the forums. I learned a lot just reading though some of Ken's posts....

 

Cheers Mike, it really is 'effin fun and addicting. I'm ready to go back for more

Congrats on the kid!

PS I agree on the PSM it really would be neat to have a dial. Kinda like Boost

 

Glad to see another fellow 6Speeder at the track. I think everyone that owns a turbo owes it to their car to learn to drive it. Yes - it is very humbling.
I've tracked mine 7 times so far and never had a brake warning light. I have stock brakes and change my brake fluid (ATE) and bleed myself. Motul is a great brake fluid when fresh but is more hydroscopic so it needs to be changed more often to preserve the high temp boiling point.
I usually keep my PSM on (although I have tried driving with it off also). You can feel when it turns on. I had it turn on (2nd time) last week and it DID save my *** from running out of track in the turn in after the straight. I must have been within 2 inches of the track edge when the PSM cut in and brought me back. I will leave it on from now on!
Glad to see another 6Speeder bitten by the track bug.

 

:thumbsup: glad to see another one.

 

So does 9 track days in 2 months count as addiction?

Sharky, you should have come down to Laguna Seca today. It was a blast. I had great fun chasing this Alfa which turned out to be an advanced group driver accidentally driving in the wrong group

I bled the brakes Saturday and they were all better today. I need to bleed them again as they were getting soft again. LS is way too cool. I fear having to chase you once you get more track time :P

 

Great post and I am especially impressed with your humility. I have recently tracked my Boxster, Boxster S, and Mini Cooper S and there is always someone faster than me - often many others, depending on the group I am driving with. The fun is learning your car and the track line and constant improvement.

I can't wait to get my tt cab - due in port this Thursday and take it out to Summit Point for a Fridayat The Track and my local PCA DE. I am quite certain that it will take me some time to appreciate the power and handling, but that is part of the fun.

As far as PSM, I spoke with the insturctors, including Doc Bundy, at Porsche Driving Experience and they swear by PSM, at least in the stock cars. Also, you really cannot turn it off completely, as soon as you hit your brakes it comes back on. So, unless you want to to keep flicking the switch every time you tap your brakes, it is going to be there.

 

It sure is humbling but in a good way... You're right about having to change motul a little more often.

Interesting PSM story indeed!

 

re: other drivers speeds

I rode around with ALex's Porsche Instructor in his own 996, which had sway bars and PSS9's, along with better rotors, I think stock calipers, and man oh man...

I'd say through the sweepers he was well over 70, likely between 70-100 somewhere, and as he came closer to 100, the car destabilized, but man...

This guy had been doing it for years, he used to do the English Road rallies back in England in the 70's, so..., much experience under his belt, as well as fun factor.

He had to pull in before the end of his session because his brakes were completely faded, going into turn 14, we used the run-off, and then pulled in (the brakes were done).



I have a newfound respect for 996's though (very impressive).

 

Alex-
Thanks for the post and pictures. You obviously had a great time and came away with a terminal case of trackitis. There is not much of a cure for it, other than doing it over and over and over ... But, that is not such a bad thing, is it?!!

Regarding your brake fluid issue ... I will throw another brake fluid option out for you and everyone else to consider. It is made by Prospeed called GS610. (The 610 referes to it's dry boiling pont of 610 degrees F.) It is supposed to have the highest boiling point of any fluid on the market. Anyway, I used it for the first time a couple weeks ago at a track event and had no issues with it at all. I had made some other changes to my car in addition to the fluid that made me very happy that weekend, so I can't point to the fluid as being the sole sorce of my euphoria. I can say though, that up to this point, I had used ATE Super Blue and had experienced some heat related issues with it on occasion. That weekend, I had absolutely no brake fade whatsoever. Anyway, here is the link so that you all can at least read more about it for yourselves. www.prospeedmotorsport.com I got mine through Arlan Motorsport.

Thanks again for the great post Alex. I look forward to hearing about your next track experience!