JANUARY 2013 In This Issue... Toys 4 Tots Paso Robles Wine Tour ...

Auto-X Corner:
The Autocross Secret
Story by Don Chapman
A safe and controlled learning environment
A great deal can be learned on the morning course walk with Steve Abbott
This article is going to reveal one of the
best-kept secrets about Autocross, but
before we discuss this secret, I have a
couple of questions for you.
How did you learn how to drive?
Do you think you are a good driver? How
did you become a good driver?
There are several ways we can all
learn the art of driving. If you are like
most people, you studied the rules of the
road and practiced countless hours to get
your drivers license. But what have you
done to improve your driving skills in all
the years after you received your driver’s
license? Most everyone simply relies
on their day-to-day driving experience
to improve the skills necessary to keep
themselves and their families safe on
the road. Unfortunately, without the
proper instruction and without the ability
to successfully perform and practice
the extreme maneuvers necessary to
push you and your Porsche to the limit,
you will not know how to handle your
Porsche when mayhem strikes.
Interesting fact #1:
Did you know that if you ask any group of
driver, over 95% would tell you they are
a “good” to “very good” driver? Would
you agree with that statistic?
There is a very small percent of
the driving population that will work to
improve their driving skills by attending
a performance driving school. These
schools run the spectrum
of teaching the basics of
car control all the way up
to obtaining a competition
license. Companies like
the Bob Bondurant School
of Performance driving,
located in Arizona, offer one
to three day courses that can run up to
$4,500, plus hotel. Porsche also offers
a Sport Driving School. This awesome
driving experience is held at the
Barbers Motorsports Park just outside
of Birmingham Alabama. The Porsche
Driving School offers courses that start
at $1,800 and run as high as $10,000.
Add in the time and cost of travel and
it’s no wonder why most of us will
never experience this extra high level of
instruction.
Which brings me to the burning
question on everyone’s mind. What is
the best kept secret of Autocross? FREE
DRIVING INSTRUCTION. We here in
the PCA Orange Coast Region are blessed
to have not only the best facility in the
country to Autocross (El Toro Airfield),
but we are also extremely blessed to have
the best and most experienced group of
Instructors!
If you are new to Autocross, you
will be assigned an instructor. The
instructor will go over everything you
need to know to be successful in your
A Special Thank you to our soon to be retired Chief Driving
Instructors - Rick and Dennis Neff (in yellow shirts)
autocross adventure and to be a more
skilled driver.
You will learn how to properly set
your car up for the Autocross course,
starting with the correct tire pressures.
You will learn the proper car settings,
and seating position. Most importantly,
you will learn how to drive your car
faster than you ever thought possible.
Interesting fact #2:
Did you know that most accidents happen
because people do not apply enough
brake pressure?
Our Autocross instructors will
also help you learn the driving skills
necessary to be fast. In a controlled and
safe environment, you will learn how to
threshold brake, throttle steer, and trail
brake. You will learn how to look ahead,
how to late apex and early apex a corner.
You will even learn how to handle your
car in a spin.
If you will join us and participate
in the next four Autocross events, I will
personally guarantee that you will be a
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