Ive heard that when i get my car it will be a lot to handle. i really want to go to a racing school that specializes in porsche, so i can learn what the limits of my car are. anyone have any suggestions? I would also like to learn on my own car rather than a dodge or a ford like some racing schools

 

If you have the money, take the 2 day 911 PDE (Porsche Driving Experience) in Burmingham, AL. If you have track experience, you might be able to convince PDE to let you take the Master's two day course. Then get to your nearest track in your own car for Porsche Driver's Ed. Then get as much seat time as possible and if you keep reading this board, save $ for some mods down the road. You might even want to start a separate bank account just for "Porsche related" activities. My .02

 

Porsche driving experience teaches in 911s. Thats as close as your going to get to a turbo in a professional driving school. I don't think any of the schools are going to have $120k 996tts as their school car any time soon.
The PCA driver education events are a great easy way to get instruction in your own car. Quality of instructors varies from outstanding to pretty marginal. I did a few DE's and a dozen open track days before going to a professional race school (Derek Daly in Las Vegas). I think I got more out of the race school because I wasn't completely green when I got there. I think its worthwhile to get some "lessons" with the instructor in your car when you're starting out.
The lessons learned from driving a mid engined formula car apply very nicely to our rear engined cars. Things just happen faster in the formula cars. Beware though. Once you drive a purpose built, single seat, downforce making race car, you may get jaded. Those little cars won't accellerate with your turbo, but the handling will make your street car feel a bit porcine on the track. I wound up buying a formula mazda. I turn laps 11 seconds faster in it than the turbo at our local 1.8 mile circuit. First race in the car is this weekend. Can hardly wait.

 

Hey PRG, I met a great older man next to the track at Roebling Road in Savannah, GA, who is one of only two East Coast sellers of that formula Mazda. They looked so sweet in the shop. All of that CF and he had one of the newer larger engines for this year. Do you have the larger engine? Post a picture of the formula 1 car. Would love to see it. BTW, Zerb, you can always hire Hurley Haywood or Jack Baldwin or David Murry to teach in your car at whatever track you want. I just saw David Murry teaching/"crewing" for someone at the PCA race in Kershaw, SC March 5-6

 

I have one of the old style formula mazdas. The pro FM series went to the new car (that you saw) this year. The new car approaches formula atlantic lap times. The old car turns laps at times comparable to a formula continental. The old car has good numbers at our local track for both SCCA and the local COMMA events. It has a 180hp spec sealed motor that is rev limited to 6800 rpm for durability. The engines are supposed to be competitive for 3 years between rebuilds. There are a lot of good deals on these cars as the pro teams unload their old cars. Those are the reasons that I chose the car. These cars are a total blast to drive. The love to be thrown into a corner and slid around.
Currently the only venue available for the new car is the pro FM series events. I'm not ready to play with the big boys yet.
If you're interested in these cars, there are two useful websites.
http://pub8.ezboard.com/bformulamazdaforum
http://www.starmazda.com/

 

I feel the same way you do. I have a TT cab on order - April build - and have never driven a 911 at the track. I am scheduled for the May 4 & 5 session at Barber Motorpark in Birmingham. I am really looking forward to it and expect it to be much more useful than drivers ed and other driving schools.

I have driven my Boxster S and Mini Cooper S at Summit Point and have taken a Skip Barber course at Lime Rock (when they were using Alfa Romeos and I was driving a GTV.)

I agree that the closest we will come to learning how to drive a 996 turbo are the 911's in Alabama and I am quite certain that the instructors will drive their 911's a lot quicker than we will drive our turbos. Good luck.

 

without a doubt they will dive the 911's faster than me in a turbo. i just want to make sure i know what im doing in that car when i get it.