I owned my 997T4S from Dec 2010 to 3 days ago when I traded it in for a 991S. I tracked about 30 days on it, all on the two NJMP tracks and Monticello. More than a few of those days were with Buckwheat, which is always a treat. I absolutely loved tracking the Targa and will miss it. For me, going to the track made me drive less like a delinquent on public roads since I had a different outlet for that -- good thing!

I always leave PSM on. Maybe in a few years I'll consider turning it off, but probably not.

I had an "incident" last year. Cold day, 42 degrees, lost traction, bad result. But car was fixed like new and insurance paid for all. Didn't stop me from tracking but I've been smarter (and still faster) since.

I changed the camber in front (with LCA's) and in back (stock arms) because I was prematurely cording the outer edges.

The Targa definitely tended to understeer, but with lots of practice throttle steering and trail braking, as well as new sway bars, it was ameliorated.

I believe the only essential mod for those tracking more than a couple days a year, are Pagid brake pads. Confidence and longevity. They will be the only "mod" that my 991S sees before it hits the track.

Pressures are certainly bled prior to going on the track and monitored during the event. Typical for me was to begin at 28/33 vs. 34/41 street.

 

Some follow-up questions for you, and anyone else with relevant experience:

- Do you typically get track insurance? My Hartford policy seems to cover DEs.

- When have you typically encountered oversteer? I haven't gotten my 997 on the track yet (hopefully in about a week, hence all these questions), but I've found understeer much more common when autocrossing it.

- Relative to the official cold pressures (37/44 on my car), what pressures do you try to maintain on the track?

 

Speaking from experience you might also check to see if your insurance covers liability. If it is track specific the answer is most likely no.

After getting caught out in a GT3 coolant mess I ended up with another guys insurance coming after me for subragation on his totaled turbo. Fortunately I didn't end up paying for the other guy thanks to my insurance agent, who had no bone in the fight as I new I had no coverage, PCA's legal counsel and my attorney.

As a side note the other guy's insurance could have cared less about a signed waiver. Their position was that after they paid their client they were free to subragate the claim as they had not signed a waiver waving their interests. It gets tricky!

 

I bought my 997 C2 in February of this year, and have done 3 track-days since. Track is where these cars belong, almost make those painful DD experiences worth while

 

I don't get track insurance for the same reason that my insurance policy doesn't exclude DE's.

Sorry for the typo. The Targa, like most stock 997's, UNDERsteered, though even worse so because of it's 4WD.

I aim to keep the fronts at 36 and the rears at 39. Some aim for lower. I don't have a strong opinion on it but I know that over 40, the rears start to get too greasy.

 

- Do you turn PSM off?
yes


- Have you ever spun? Any crashes?
no. came off track 2 times so far, both times due to understeer after miscalculated entry. spin is usually a result of a throttle overfeed or sudden lift in the corner, be cafreful with it.

- Have you increased the front or rear negative cambers?
right now -2.7f -2.2r, for NT01 works fine

- What mods do you consider essential for the track?
GT3 LCAs, rear toe arms, front fork(thrust) arms.
for engine if you are on M97/M96 motor - deal with oil starvation issues

- Do you change the tire pressures relative to the standard cold pressures?
yes

- Do you routinely heel/toe? Have you modified the pedals to make it easier?
yes

 

do not worry. all you need to do - get proper alignment done on your stock suspension, -1 deg front, -1.5 deg rear, you will drive in green group with an instructor and car will be way way far from limits where any technical mods are required. your work for 1st season is to learn the track, then train your brain for car handling at increased speeds. DO NOT turn off PSM on the track, it is irrelevant.

for car control continue doing AX and play there with throttle steering having PSM off. get a very good feel how your car behaves moment before and after you lost it into spin, try to figure out how to prevent it moment before it is about to lose it, practice drifting and correction back from drift into straight line without having rear end doing a 'pendulum' thing with a subsequent spin out.

 

Answers below in quoted text:

 

Yup, this is exactly what I'm doing. Great learning experience and confidence builder.

 

yep, be open minded and keep your eyes open.
i forgot to mention - in your alignment make sure front toe is close to 0 and rear is reduced to 0.10 or 0.12 - it will save your tires.

also, if you have stock set of 18" wheels in 8"/10" or similar - put them on instead of 19" rims and put cheap rubber like r-s3 hankooks or Z1 star specs in 235/275 or 235/285. they will be your track wheels until you will get to solo level and may want to play with wider real r-comps in 255/315 or wider. Z1 star spec is a very good tire for you as it had very good grip in wet and good grip in dry too and speaks well too. for dry only r-s3 tire is a bit better. re-11 is OK too. but for you now cheaper is better and any of those sets can be found on discount seller sites for under $1K a set.
i recommend narrow Z1 tires for learning - burn a set or 2 in lower run groups then decide what you want to run on.

 

Paul's (utkinpol) a guru with this stuff...

thanks

 

Tracked ex-997C2S and then club coupe for 6 - 8 times, then upgraded to 3.8RS 2 years ago and tracked it about 9 times so far. Spent $25K in upgrades this year.

SC and TC off on dry track. Agree with Ed, need to have 6 pts harness if you want to push your car.

Spun twice so far on the RS. Last spun broke the right front wheel control arm pin.

 

I'm taking the Cayman R to a DE this weeked, so I had a tech inspection and brake fluid flush done at a shop which specializes in German cars and is somewhat oriented towards racing.

In talking with them, the topic of engine oil came up and they were pretty adamant that Mobil 1 doesn't cut it for track use. They said that Mobil 1 is "recommended" by Porsche only because Mobil 1 pays them to say that, and because Mobil 1 is OK for road use, but they claim that Porsche puts a much higher quality of oil in the cars at the factory. I'm no expert in this stuff, but he went into great detail on the technicalities and sounded convincing. What do you guys think?

 

Go to the L& N Engineering website and read the research on motor oil for Porsches...

Enjoy the Croc' R at the track.

 

- Do you turn PSM off?
GTS: No daily driver, not trying to set records, better safe than sorry. If you are at the PSM limits in your first track days you are likely driving outside your comfort envelope

GT3: Sometimes... On tracks I know I turn SC and TC off. For those I do not know I leave them on. Wish they had a TC only off.

- What is your experience with understeer and oversteer characteristics of the car?
GTS: Understeer, back end can step out on aggressive higher speed corners. Late apex, ensure you can make the exit and do not let off the throttle at first sign of over steer, smoothly give less steering angle and possibly a little lift.

GT3: used to oversteer like a pig, alignment and aero work later it is on rails.

- Have you ever spun? Any crashes?
Yes to both, wish was only yes to first.
Did not spin or go off track for my first 5 events. 3 four wheel offs and 2 on track spins (SC off at a new track) in about 20 track days. No damage in any spins or four wheel offs (which all were at low speed basically missing my braking point).
One crash, due to mechanical failure at high speed, not ready to provide details yet.

- Have you increased the front or rear negative cambers?

Yes.

- What mods do you consider essential for the track?

Nothing is essential. Safety is most critical and after leaving the track at high speed due to mechanical failure, I would personally not track a cab (I own one and have tracked it) nor track without full harness, roll bar, head restraint.

Note, my speeds maybe different than yours, so the decision about how much risk to accept and where in your personal envelope you are driving are most assuredly different.

- Do you change the tire pressures relative to the standard cold pressures?
I run hoosiers on my GT3 targeting about 34-36 PSI hot. Depends on track, weather and definitely feel of the car.

- Do you routinely heel/toe? Have you modified the pedals to make it easier?
I am still working on my technique, yes my pedals are modified.