December 2007 - PCA - Orange Coast Region

Autocross: Just Do It!
Story & photo by Lisa Goetsch
The Orange Coast Region’s
Autocross program has enjoyed
an unprecedented year of growth, so
much so that we’ve actually had to limit
attendance at our Autocross events.
Virtually every event this calendar year
has been sold out and we’ve had to turn
away many drivers who would love a
chance to participate. OCR members get
precedence and Porsche-driving nonmembers
are always accommodated.
Driving in an Autocross is so much fun
that it should probably be illegal (knock on
wood). It’s a blood-pumping, adrenalinpushing
experience, and from my own
personal perspective, you’d never guess
it by watching.
Remember your fi rst airplane trip, and
how it felt hurtling down the runway just
before wheels up? Remember when you
were in high school and your heart would
beat a little faster whenever you heard
(or saw) a really beefy muscle car start
up? You could feel the engine rumbling
inside your chest as you admired the
smooth, clean lines, or the refl ection in
the freshly waxed paint. Well, none of
that is like Autocross.
Just kidding. Maybe Autocross is kind
of a misnomer. After all, these are
Porsches, not “autos.” As for the “cross”
part of the word, well, I guess I do get a
little cranky when I have to get up early
on a weekend to participate.
But those who Autocross know how much
fun it is. Those who have never done it
have no idea what they’re missing. It’s
even rather boring to watch. From the
outside, it even looks a little goofy. Grown
men (mostly) and the women who humor
them, driving cars in a giant parking lot
(or a giant runway like El Toro), steering
around orange cones arranged in a track.
Wow! We take turns, some of us drive
while some of us stand around near the
cones and pick them up when they get
knocked over. Whoopie!
But when you’re driving…well, driving
is altogether different. You’re in the
driver’s seat and you’re snugly strapped
in, helmet on your head and a real
enthusiast at your side, ready to coach
you. You’re feeling the car respond
to your smooth, deliberate input, and
through the easier parts of the course
you fi nd yourself grinning, enjoying the
feel of the car gliding around the cones.
As the course winds around to some
more technically demanding areas,
you fi nd yourself grinning even harder,
maybe even laughing as you feel the
car trying so hard to meet your demands
and the tires are complaining that you
haven’t even learned the fi rst thing about
tires yet…but you will.
Then it’s over—just one lap and you will
have about 12 – 15 laps or so over the
course of the day. Gee whiz—doesn’t
sound like much. Then the whole day
is suddenly over and you find yourself
mumbling, “If I had two more laps I could
have nailed that course!” And that, my
friends, is the beginning of the slippery
slope that we all love so much called
Autocross.
Once you’ve done it, the intimidation
factor is gone. Especially once you’ve
run at El Toro—there are no barriers,
no walls, and no rocks, nothing to run
into. Just miles and miles of runway.
The courses are always very carefully
laid out, especially with an eye towards
safety. We make sure that everyone who
drives can have a great day playing with
these exquisite toys we call Porsches.
You really ought to try it.
First of all, it’s only a competition to the
extent you’d like it to be. Sure, there are
always a few die-hards trying to shave
off a tenth of a second to beat three
others in their class. But there are also
many drivers who come just for the sheer
enjoyment of it. It may look slow, but
behind the wheel, you experience a little
G-force now and then, not to mention the
adrenaline that seems to fl ow freely just
by pulling up to the starter flag. In fact, I
have to remind myself at times that there
is no money at stake, just a few bragging
rights, which is more than enough to
keep most of us going!
Safety is our most important goal, and
no one drives the course alone the first
few times. Most of our more experienced
drivers volunteer to be instructors,
and we pair the new students with
an instructor for the whole day. The
instructor and the student each drive
their own cars and ride in each others’
car. This way a student can get a firsthand
look at how these cars can handle
with an experienced driver at the wheel.
The instructor can observe the student
driving and give real-time feedback to
the student.
When a driver makes a mistake–and
we all do eventually–it’s never quite
as embarrassing as you think it will be
at fi rst. In fact, especially after a spin,
you’re sure that everyone not only saw
it, but is secretly laughing at you and
your obvious lack of skill. After a little
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