6SpeedOnline - Porsche Forum and Luxury Car Resource - Track Report - Sebring 4/15/06

This car is simply amazing.

I drive a Seal Grey 2002 996 Turbo. The only significant performance mod in this car is a Porsche short shift kit that I had installed at purchase from Brumos.

Yesterday was a beautiful mid 80s severe clear skis day at Sebring. A perfect day for a Chin Motorsports event - the best track day formats I have found. Lots of open track sessions with opportunity to use the track nearly 5 hours during the day.

This was my first opportunity to get THIS car (or any other Porsche) on the track. This was NOT my first track day at Sebring and I have also done days at Moroso, Roebling Road, Road Atlanta, Virginia International and Barber Motorsports (so far).

I had picked up a set of Champion RG5 (18 monolites) for everyday with the intention of putting track tires on the turbo twists but the tires I ordered are back ordered and did not get here. I had considered what brake mods I should do. I have been looking through the web at suspension options. But, when it became evident that I was going to the track on street tires (PS2s), I decided to get a good baseline with how Porsche set the car up from the factory. The only preparation I made was a good brake bleeding, fresh oil, helmet and magnetic numbers.

With these limitations playing heavily on my mind, I set out with the goal for the day to be safe, smooth, precise, conservative and have a pleasant 2 hour drive home. I did all of those things but conservative in this car is at a completely new level.

Sebring is a 3.7 mile track. I always get a lot of laps at there. I am not sure exactly how many, but I can give you an idea. I dummied up and was so giddy about getting to Sebring Friday afternoon that I forgot to fill up. So I did the morning’s initial half hour recon session and then drove off site for gas. In the mid afternoon, I refilled from ¼ tank and returned for more. When I drove out of the gate at the end of the day I had added another 110 miles and used another ½ tank. So, conservatively, I must have put in well over 40 laps during the day.

Sebring is flat - but other than that natural flaw (the area around Sebring for 50 miles in any direction is flat) the track offers a bit of everything. A very long back stretch connected immediately after a sweeping BUMPY 180 turn (the famous #17) to a very long front stretch. A few nice twisty sections of varying speeds and five braking zones where entry speeds are at or over 100 and exit speeds are significantly reduced, 3 of which are in the 2nd gear range. All of this spells brake fade. So all day long I was amazed at the performance of the STOCK BRAKES. Sure they got hot. Sure I could smell them at a distance after each session. But they held up ALL DAY.

Acceleration and handling were beyond my expectations. Most of my experience was in a 3600 pound Twin Turbo AWD street car that I had significantly modified for the track. The 996TT, with just a bit less weight and STOCK suspension and engine felt a ton lighter into through and out of the corners. Even driving way inside the limits I was consistently putting in laps in the 2:40s and although not anywhere near competitive – that is a respectable lap time at Sebring for an OUT OF THE BOX STREET CAR.

I am a believer – There is NO substitute