Motor-Stadt Region

Thoughts on a New Season

by Len VanderJagt
LVJ911@worldnet.att.net

  We are now just about two weeks away from the season opener at Mid-Ohio, for quite a few Motor-Stadt trackies. To be sure, the hard-core tend to do the first events and the very last events, which can make a 7 month season, but it seems like a good time to think about what Drivers Ed is all about in PCA, and our other track-oriented car clubs.

  First, a few hopefully provocative comments. I am close to the point where I don't quite know why I'd own a Porsche if I couldn't drive it on the track. The newer the car, the more true this seems, although that might seem counter-intuitive, given the user-friendliness of modern Porsches.

  But that's just it.

  As they get (a) easier to dive, (b) more comfortable, and (c) breathtakingly fast, there is less to distinguish them from the flood of other really terrific road cars that are now available. You just cannot even sample the potential of a 996 on the street. We can appreciate the engineering excellence, the finely manufactured product, feel ourselves to be a part of the Porsche tradition, but there we are with everyone else, limited by the real world conditions in which we must drive.

  The new Porsche cars (it's a shame that this distinction is becoming necessary!) are wonderful, but for many it is likely to be even more gratifying to be engaged with Porsche History in the form of a 356, older 911, or other vintage Porsche. I admit that I am one of those 911 die-hards who really feels that if your car won't try to kill you if you make a serious error, the whole exercise is boring and lacking sufficient challange. The folks that own a Porsche to impress someone at the Country Club have now stopped reading, so we can get on with it.

  Now, as a Car Guy, and as one too old to think his identity or value can be defined in any part by the car he drives, this whole situation seems to leave me with high performance driving in a controlled environment as by far the greatest source for obtaining Porsche Pleasure. When I am too old or enfeebled to Seriously Drive anymore, maybe I'll go back to Saturday morning wash/wax/cruise mode, but for now, this is it.

  Those of you who have not attended a driver's education event may think that those who have, and particularly the sub-group Trackie-Porschephiliatus, sound something like drug addicts trying to lure innocent others into their wicked ways. To some degree that is true. Not the wicked ways part, though. A nearly evangelistic fervor is aroused in many who do a track event. It is just about impossible to describe the Enlightenment that occurs in the first ten minutes you experience in a Porsche on a race track with an experienced driver. Internally, the running self-commentary sounds something like this:

   Oh well, heh heh heh, this should be interesting and I'm sure he knows what he's doing so I'll be all right, it'll be interesting to see what he can do, after all I know my way around a Porsche pretty well myself, and here we go, hmmmmmm, this seems ok, why are we still accelerating here, isn't it time to brake, what's going on, maybe he has forgotten, is he paying attention, oh dear this is not good, this is bad, bad bad bad, oh God oh God oh God, Ooomphhhh jumping anacondas what was that jeezuspalamino can brakes do that, Aaaaarghhhhhhh great googlymoogly how can we be turning like this it can't be oh God oh God sheeeeesh we made it to a straight part but we're going too fast Oooomph Argghhhh how does this happen, how can this happen I don't believe this but I better believe this or we're both dead holycow we're too close to that other Porsche aaaahhhhhh wow we're past him Ooooophhhhhh Arrrrrghhhhh, this is really happening all over again, he can do this, maybe we're gonna live oh boy this is something else wow oh wow oh wow where are we going now oh we're in the pits we're stopped, it's over, breathe breathe breathe, I WANT MORE!.

  What has happened, in addition to your learning what true threshold braking and maximum lateral g's feels like, is you have had about 3 gallons of adrenaline pumped into your bloodstream, and your brain is pumping out endorphines like a Polish bakery making Ponshkes (sic) on Fat Tuesday, which puts you into a psychophysiological state of Nirvana, if you don't vomit. It is an addictive experience, even before you really engage the challenge of becoming proficient in the necessary skills.

  I've done a few challenging things in my life, but by far the most challenging has been to drive really well at speed. If you wish to go beyond the basics of learning how to brake, turn, and generally control your Porsche, you will take on the challenge, role, and identity of becoming or being a Driver, and this takes you to a whole different level of driving awareness and proficiency. This is what brings so many people back again and again for more instruction, practice, and the joy of becoming a bonefide Porsche Pusher.

  As our Trackie Leader Karl Haug has said many times, driving on the track at speed is an inherently dangerous activity. But it is a controlled and organized activity, with safety the number one concern.

  Ultimately, no one can save you from yourself, but at every school a host of people are prepared to try all weekend, if necessary. I totally subscribe to the notion that every Porsche owner should take at least one driving school event, just to be aware of the limits and capabilities of their Porsche and of themselves, which in itself immediately results in greater pleasure and safety.

  Next month, we can talk about driving attitudes, good and bad, on and off track, and how they will help or hinder you.