If you are thinking about tracking your Porsche and attending DE's but are concerned about possible damage you do have other options.

As most of us know there are several race track schools which offer instruction were you dont have to use you own car.

Skip Barber and Bertil Roos along with the Porsche Sports Driving School in Alabama came to mind. Most offer any where form one to day day programs.

I attended the one day school at NJMP some time back. Since the weather is starting to change and thoughts of tracking come to min I would like to share an article I wrote for my regions newsletter. ( I edited it slightly for this audience to save some reading time.)




I was fortunate enough to attend the inaugural class of the NJMP Race School.

The one day school was held on the Lightening Course at the park and had 22 participants, of which seven where father-son pairs. I attended with my son, Joe, who had never been to a track, and as I was to find out later in the day, was equally thrilled with the experience.

As we drove up to the track on the hot, August morning we were greeted by the shiny racecars that we would drive, lined up and looking oh so sharp. The cars were last used in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Series. Each is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The cars are fitted with racing slicks, modified suspensions, upgraded brake components (taken from the Audi R8), safety seats, harnesses, roll cages and fire extinguisher systems.

We first were fitted for our helmets, racing suits and cars. Great care was taken to ensure we understood the safety elements of the car and proper use of the harness restraint system.

The course started with a 45-minute classroom session, in which the instructors went over the car specifications and safety in detail and some introductory high performance driving techniques. After the class it was time for a track walk. We boarded vans, which stopped at each of the 10 turns on the 1.9 mile course. The breaking zones, turning points, apexes and track out points for each turn were discussed in detail. Then it was back to the pit area and into the cars.

For the morning runs the cars were divided into two groups; “advanced/intermediate” and “novice”. The first two sessions of the day were “follow the leader“, with instructors leading their respective groups around the track. After every two laps, your position in the line would change as the car behind the lead instructor’s car would move over and go to the back of the line. Each session lasted 30 minutes. The first follow the leader session was a little ragged as people got used to the cars and gaps were pretty wide in some cases. However after a quick debrief of the session we were back on the track for the second “follow the leader” run and the gaps decreased, the speeds picked up and so did the fun.

As a driver with DE experience only, I used the “follow the leader” time to get use to being in a racecar for the first time. The racing seats, safety harnesses, the heat, and the loud noise were all new to me. As were the dynamics of the car, the paddle shifters (you can leave it in automatic) and the power band of the car. (Hint number 1: while they may not be the most HP heavy cars on the track, the cars certainly can move when you keep them in the proper RPM range.)

The afternoon started the open track sessions. In the open track sessions, also 30 minutes, all attendees were given free reign of the track. The only condition was that passing was only allowed in the front straight. While there were 22 cars on the track, I never was in any traffic that slowed me down and I was fully able to drive the car to my individual talent level. In the first open session I did witness a few spins offs but no cars suffered any damage. (Hint number 2: if you are going off the track, don’t try to save it!). Another debrief was then held where the spin-offs were discussed and then it was back on the track for our final driving session.

Driving during the open sessions was very exciting. Similar in some aspects to DE’s I have attended in my Porsche Carrera 997, but the racecars give you a higher level of interaction with the racetrack. Turning was precise and stopping power was very impressive. And I have to say it was a lot of fun to toss someone else’s car around on the track for a change. It was also neat watching my son drive on the track. With no track experience, he really held his own and the smile on his face after a session was nice to see.
The whole driving school experience at NJMP that day was a pleasure. From the cars, to the instructors, to the way we were treated, everything was first class.

If you have the urge to find out what it’s like to drive a racecar, the NJMP racing School (www.njmpracingschool.com) is a great place to start.

 

nice write up. I have driven skip barber, Ct. I also was a DE for Pocono raceway for Stockcar racing experience... We used a "follow the DE" method three at a time. We also gave rides. There was a line of people all day long for the rides. With that being said, I still would like to get the Porsche out somewhere.

I did watch the vid and is was similar to the program I worked at.

 

thanks...hope you get the porsche out soon...its great excitement.

 

I'd rather race a shifter kart and spare my car from the abuse.

 

That's another good option.

 

I am not ashamed to admit that I love racing lemons races as well as chumps. We built a 95 celica gt, custom built roll cage, suspension and upgraded brakes. Full race gear. It is a ton of fun milking 140 mph out of a crappy car. You get to wrench on it and have a blast racing it without worrying about destroying your car.
I really wish I could afford a 911 race car but just can't so this gets me out 3-4 weekends a year racing with friends. We race at NJMP, Monticello and summit point raceways. Some cars are clearing 150 so it's not like everyone is driving a pos.