4/20/02-4/21/02
The St. Louis Region Porsche Club of America
had a Drivers Education weekend at Gateway
International Raceway. A couple of weeks before the event, they require a
Tech to go over the car in order to allow time to fix any problems they might
find. I went to a place called Reid Vann
Luxury Import Specialist in Rock Hill, MO (they specialize in Porsche 911s),
who offered a free tech service for everyone in the event. They told me that my
pads would not last the entire weekend and that I needed new brake pads and to
flush my brake fluid. I knew my fluid needed to be changed but thought I had
some good pad left. But, taking their advice, I bought new pads and rotors
(since it’s common that when you need new pads, you need new rotors). I
purchased Hawk HPS pads and stock rotors. As I took the old pads and rotors off,
I noticed that the pads were about half worn and the rotors were barely worn. I
did measure the new pads versus the old pads, and the same with the rotors,
however I didn't write down the numbers. I would have liked to see how much pad
I did use. Anyway, I opted to leave the old rotors on and just change the pads
(then switch them again after the event; why waste half worn pads?). I used
Valvoline synthetic DOT3 brake fluid and got to use my Motive
Products bleeder. I highly recommend the bleeder. The fluid was changed
quickly and didn't need another person there. I finished the brakes Thursday
night just in time to get re-teched Friday during the registration check-in. I
decided that it would be a good idea if I drove the Supra to work instead of the
Honda to get the brake pads worn in to the rotors. I stopped at a gas station
close to where I work to get a soda (yes, I am a caffeine junkie); as I returned
to my car, I happened to glance at the passenger rear wheel. I noticed something
shiny. Upon further investigation, I found it was a screw about an inch from the
sidewall. My tires are BFGOODRICH G-FORCE TA/KDs, which in my mind are the
ULTIMATE in dry street tire. They are a month old (I got them two days before
going to the TX2K2 event). I know that if a puncture is too close to the
drywall, the tire cannot be patched, which I was afraid was going to be the
case. And NOBODY stocks these tires. Well, I took it to NTB (more about this
company later; I am extremely not happy with them right now) to have it patched
at lunch. They questioned whether it would hold but tried anyway. I asked how
the tire would hold up at the track and they were unsure. They told me that it
should perform like normal but to keep an eye on the pressure. They charged me
15 bucks to put the plug in, which was for the plug and a tire balance. When I
had NTB mount and balance the tires, I paid for unlimited balances. However,
they said that the $15 to plug the tire was a flat fee and couldn’t be
adjusted. It seems they raped me with the lifetime balance then (more about the
tire mounting later). Okay, with that taken care of, after work I went to the
track to finish registering and to get my finalized tech sheet filled out. I
passed :) While driving home after the tech, the MIL light came on. Great.
Do I have good luck or what? I checked the codes and found that 42, 47,
and 72 (I'll verify the numbers later). The 72 is an EGR malfunction, and I have
the EGR disabled, so I knew my resistor must have come loose, so I took it out
and replaced it. That took care of that one. The other two codes are related to
the throttle position sensor. I am not sure how those got triggered. However,
once I reset the ECU they did not return.
Day 1 (Saturday)
The drivers’ meeting started at 8:00 so I woke up at 6:30. I still had to
adjust my boost controller. I have a MBC and I took it half way down the
threads, I had no idea really how much boost I would have but i knew it would be
lower than what I run on the street which is 1.4 cfm2. By the time I left
the house I was already late (go figure), not to mention it was pouring rain. I
got there in the middle of the meeting. I
was expecting the worst due to my last experience with the Porsche club,
however, I was able to duck into the meeting and everything was good. I met my
instructor, Keith (who works at AutoTire -- how convenient). He drives an older
MR2 so we were the Toyota chumps at the event. Since it was raining and the guys
running the event had a couple glitches, they were running behind (which is good
since I was late). However, when the meeting was done, Group One got ready to
get on the track. I was in Group Two. I started getting really nervous about
being on a new track, especially with rain, but I kept telling myself that I was
there to learn and everything would be okay. Did I mention that my tires were
TA/KDs? They are AWESOME on dry
pavement but not so good in rain, especially in standing puddles. A couple
minutes go by and they called Group Two to the line. Showtime. I met my
instructor at the line. He was also
instructing someone in Group One with a 928 or a 944 -- I don't know -- all
those Porsches looked the same ;) We were cleared to go. I was in the back of
the pack. No biggie. We started out driving really slow because I had no clue
what the track looked like or where the puddles were. Even though I was going
slow, I was still enjoying it. After a couple laps, I started feeling better
about the track. The rain was dying off and I was getting a better idea of what
line I should be taking. Keith requested that I stay at slower speeds so he
could pick up on my style of driving. At the speed I was going (I really don't
know how fast), my tires were doing really well. I wasn't pushing it by any
means, but I did feel comfortable with the rain and the track. I kept the car in
third gear the entire time. So nothing spectacular happened in my first session.
Keith asked if I wanted to ride with him during his session, so we got in his
car. He told me that he had never been on that track while it was wet, so it was
a new experience for him (oh, great!). But
he got the car moving and sliding. It
felt controlled but, then again, I am a newbie.
It was an eye opener as to how far you can push it. The rain was
completely stopped for my next session but the track was still wet. I got going
a little faster but Keith still told me to hold off until he felt more
comfortable with me. But I was going faster than the first session and watching
my line. This session got cut short due to a SS Impala. I think he went through
a puddle on Turn 3 and then made too much of a turn on Turn 4 bringing his rear
end around. Either way, he ended up spinning in the grass and hitting a tire
wall. He actually ended up with his rear tires on top of the wall. I looked at
the car at lunch and there didn't appear to be any damage to the car other than
white scuffmarks from the tire wall. We then had a classroom session where we
talked about the wet conditions and general things like passing and the flags,
etc. After that it was lunchtime and there was time to reflect on what I had
learned that morning.
It was also a good opportunity to walk through the paddock
and look at the other cars. Besides the assorted 911s, 944s, 928s, and Boxsters,
there was a F355 Ferrari there and another Ferrari which was older; I am not
sure what it was. There were two SS Impalas, however, one was done for the
weekend. There was a handful of BMWs -- M3s, other models (can you tell I am a
BMW buff?). There were two BMWs
there that were supercharged, one being a (okay, I am going to be yelled at for
this) shorter model that looked like a Jetta only bigger, and the other was a
hard top Z3 roadster, which I kind of liked. There were two Subaru WRXs (one
with a bike rack on top -- I guess for added aerodynamics?). There was one white
C4 Vette (which was slower than dirt). On the Toyota side of the fence, there
was a MR2 and a SUPRA.
The sun was coming out and during lunch they had charity laps – basically, people could get in their cars and drive around the track (no passing) and get the feel for what it’s like and also have a chance to bring passengers. They went around a bunch (drying the track off).
My third session. Dry track. Let’s open her up. Well,
Keith again requested that I take it easy and see how the car reacts to the
pavement and work on my line some more. Okay, no biggie. I was getting on it a
little at a time. However, people
were constantly passing me. But he did get me in the habit of looking in my
mirror to see if anyone was there. My other bad habit was not looking far enough
down the track, so he would occasionally ask where I was looking and I would be
short of where I should have been looking. But as the session went on I was able
to get on the gas more and more. Let me tell you, getting on it after Turn 6
then hitting the big banked oval turn leading into the long straight was a RUSH.
I still don't understand why they call that part the ”boring” part of the
track. IMO the entire track was a thrill. It seemed like the only person I could
pass was the guy in the white Vette, but I was still getting used to the track.
After the session was done, Keith made some comments that I was holding a better
line (and also that it came from riding in the car with him) and I seemed
comfortable in the car and was good at listening to him and taking what he was
suggesting and trying to incorporate it on the next lap. So overall he was happy
with the way I was progressing. There was another classroom session between the
third and fourth session. We talked mostly about the changes in how the car
reacted from wet to dry and got into more of the cornering/braking and car
balance.
While waiting for my fourth session, I was looking at my tires and noticed big
block letters that said, “MOUNT THIS SIDE IN.”
Okay, I had the tires mounted and balanced at NTB. How hard is it to
mount them correctly? At least they got the directional part right. I made note
of that and told Keith about it and asked if I was really losing any performance
from the tires being mounted this way. Of course he plugged his business saying
if I had them do it, they would be on right. He also said I might be losing some
of the grip, but overall the tires should hold up quite well. I planned on
heading straight to NTB when the day was over and having some words with them.
Fourth session. It’s getting hotter. The track is completely dry. I went through even better than last time. I’m picking up more and more speed. Keith was telling me to hit the gas more coming out of the corners to make those tires work (that part is fun) and, when coming out of Turn 6, to stay high mid through the banked turn, then come down and apex the corner and swing back out for even more speed. My car is HUMMING along, I was finally able to start passing people and fewer people were passing me. I was going through the turns faster and learning that I could apply the throttle WAY before I used to think. I still had the problem of braking too soon/long and wanting to turn too soon, but I was working on that. The session seemed longer than the rest of them (I guess because I was going faster and actually making more laps than before). I felt really confident and comfortable with the car. I think that Keith was also becoming more comfortable with my driving technique. We were talking more (general bullshit) while driving instead of instructional type things. Which was all right with me except he always said something right as I was going into Turn 2, where there is a huge transition. You bleed off most of your speed from the straightaway there, and there is a crossover section of pavement that unbalances the car and you have to downshift and there was a lot to think about. That corner was not natural to me yet, and it seemed like he would say something and I would think about what he said instead of thinking what I was doing, and the shifting would get choppy or the brake would be off, but nothing hairy (which is good because there is nothing but WALL right there to stop you). Overall, that was the best session yet. I was extremely happy with how the day went and still had to comprehend everything I was told.
There was a group dinner (they brought in KC Masterpiece --
yummy) and had a professional driver (I forgot his name -- I think he was
French) play a videotape of some of the cars he’d driven and the tracks he'd
been on. It was pretty interesting. However, it was getting close to 7:00 and I
wanted to get to NTB before they closed, so I left early. And, following my luck
so far, I got to NTB to find out they close at 6:00 on Saturday. Great. I guess
the tires will have to wait.
Day Two (Sunday)
I tried to wake up earlier but that damn snooze button ruins everything, so the
day started out much like Saturday. Rainy and late, and to add to the rain it
was foggy. I actually got to Gateway right as the driver meeting started, so I
suppose I was doing better. The other guy that my instructor was driving with
didn't show up. Keith mentioned that he was all over the road so we thought the
rain scared him away. I have no idea if he was just pumping my ego but he also
mentioned that I was driving much better than the other student. They called
Group Two, so with my added ego and head wet from rain, we climbed in the car.
Did I mention it was foggy? We
could barely see the other end of the track. I clicked on my lights, turned on
the windshield wipers and headed to the line. As it turned out, I was the only
one there. Everyone else was looking at the nice green clouds and fearing hail
so they got their cars and tried to bunch them all up under the covered paddock.
I was, of course, oblivious to that and was concentrating on remembering the
track line and thinking about how the rain would play into the course. But
people started filtering in behind me and shortly we were let loose. I was the
first one on the track. I was taking it easy, just following my line from the
previous day. As the session went on I was pushing a little harder. As I came
around a corner I could feel the front end being pushed and Keith told me to
lift but not a lot, and that would help bring the rear end around. He mentioned
that you could come around a corner and not only use the steering wheel to turn,
but the throttle plays a big role in turning. So once I got comfortable with the
throttle control, I noticed that on turn two I could get a nice little drift
going. Turn seven was still giving me all sorts of problems, but overall Keith
said I was doing well. I was passing people and cruising right along when we saw
the checkered flag come out. Keith told me that I was doing well and he could
count the number of people that passed me on one hand -- zero.
For the second session, the rain had stopped but the course was still wet. As I
was going around and around I noticed that turn seven was still giving me grief.
At one point I came around with too much throttle and lifted too hard -- the
rear end came out on me about a 1/4 turn. I almost over-corrected and it snapped
back into place. Overall that was the only major issue. I did have a lot of
slipping and sliding but for the most part that was under control (or at least
as much control as you “think” you have). When the session was over, one of
the instructors made a comment about how squirrelly I was and I didn't really
know how to take that. There was another classroom session after the second
session. We got into more of the weight transfer of the car and the effects of
throttle/braking/turning. I also took the opportunity to grab some doughnuts and
have a snack (enough with the fat jokes). While talking to some other
“students,” they mentioned pushing the trip meter before every session and
recording the miles when they were done. I thought that was a good idea.
It would also allow me to jot down max boost/speed/rpm/temp, etc. I was
still not in the habit of looking down at the boost gauge so I had no idea what
I was running.
For lunch i didn't feel like eating another bratwurst (how
fitting -- being at a Porsche event and they had bratwurst but no *cough*
kraut). There had been a guy there
Saturday taking pictures and was selling them for five bucks each, and I am vain
enough to want to buy everything there is of myself, so I had to go find an ATM.
As I got on the highway I noticed that the roads were getting dry, so I decided
to open her up a little and check how the boost was going.
Still running at 1.02kg cm^2. I ended up going to the Galleria for lunch
(it’s actually not that far). When I finished up and headed to the car, I
noticed that the clouds were mostly gone and the pavement was nice and dry, so I
took the opportunity to open the hood and adjust my MBC to allow for more boost.
On the way back to Gateway I was peaking at 1.2kg cm^2.
It’s amazing how much better the car performs with only adding .2kg cm^2.
I got back just as the charity laps were finishing and had time to talk
some schmack with my fellow drivers.
As I started the car for the third session, a guy next to me asked if my car was a turbo diesel because of the rattling. I have a lightweight flywheel which does cause a loud rattle when the car is idling, so I had to reply, “Yeah, and it’s just now being broke in with 141,000 miles.” As I got to the line I remembered to set my trip meter for the third session. It started out WONDERFUL. Everything was dry and I had more boost to play with. It felt like I was cooking it. I was starting to brake later (as I should) and was getting through the turns faster. We got about five laps into it when we noticed a couple spots on the window. We both glanced out the window and noticed a HUGE black cloud hanging over the track. I got another two laps in before the roads became noticeably wet and had to slow down. In the back of my mind I was worried that the increased boost would haunt me in the rain. However, since I wasn't fully on the throttle, it was never an issue. I was coming out of Turn 7 and into Turn 8 when it really started pouring rain. The wipers were on as fast as they would go and we could barely see the exit point of the turn, so I had to slow way down. When the session was over, I looked at the trip meter and it showed 24 miles. Not too bad for a track session. My peak boost showed 1.2 kg cm^2 and my EGT gauge showed 700.
We had one last class between the third and fourth sessions. It was a lot shorter and more of an overview of what we'd get into in the advanced sessions. Mostly about turn in points and the sharpness of the corners.
The road was starting to dry for the last session. To give us more dry track time they combined groups one and two. So there were more people on the track that we were use to. It was interesting with all the cars on the track i became more aware of my mirrors and when people were behind me. Keith also wanted me to change how i was braking and downshifting. Coming into turn two I was braking then downshifting then turning. Keith told me that the car becomes off balanced when you shift so it would be better to shift BEFORE you braked. That was really hard for me to do. I think i only made it around that turn once or twice smoothly. The other thing he wanted me to work on was setting my position up for passing out of a turn better. But I got behind a SS Impala that wouldn't let me pass him so I ended up following him around. Overall it was a still a fun session, I had the car hauling (least it felt like it). When the checkered flag came out i looked at my trip meter and it showed 29 miles. EGT's showed just over 700 and the boost peaked at 1.2 kg cm^2
Next time (july) should be a real fun experience. till then HAPPY BOOSTING
