Slipstream - December 2004

Drivers Education at MotorSport Ranch
By Ben Hartsell
Photo by Wendy Shoffit
My 17th DE – How in the world did I get to this point?
While at lunch with Hans Hoffman a couple of weeks ago
I had a surprise visit at the table by none other than
Lanean Hughes. We were talking about Porsche publications
and Slipstream came up and I was lamenting the fact that it
seems like the AX/TT folks get all the coverage and glamour shots
on the cover! Lanean retorted that if someone (looking me square
in the eye) would submit some content about the DE’s we’d love
to feature them in Slipstream. Well – what could I do at that point
other than volunteer to write a piece about the upcoming inaugural
October Maverick DE at MotorSport Ranch? So here I am,
writing the first installment of what I hope will be a series of articles
on my DE and Porsche experiences.
I got my introduction to Porsche when my wife,
Michelle, purchased a 2000 Boxster new from Boardwalk
Porsche (formerly The Porsche Store). Wayne Corley was our
sales contact and I hit it off well with both Wayne and our
service advisor, Hans Hoffman. It turns out that both Wayne
and Hans were into the DE side of things and took every
opportunity to suggest that I get my own P-car and take it out
to the track. In the meantime my older brother purchased a
2000 996. I drove it and rode in it and that only further fueled
the desire to get my own P-car. I couldn’t get a Boxster
(already had one) and couldn’t get a 996 (can’t copy the older
Larry Irby from Boardwalk Porsche mans the grill
with assistance from his daughter, Nikki.
brother) so I decided to look for the last of the air cooled cars
– a 993. Once I had decided on the 993 I did some research
and became aware of the ‘Turbo-Look’ or ‘C2S’ or ‘Carrera S’
cars and loved the look of the car. So I mentioned off-hand to
Wayne Corley “If you happen to have a Carrera S come
through the shop – let me know – I’m in the market”. Come
to find out that Wayne held his laughter until I was out of
sight – these cars never came onto the market! Well, two
weeks later the improbable happened and a 1997 Carrera S
showed up for trade at the Porsche Store – Wayne called me
– and I bought it. In May of 2001 I became the proud owner
of an Arctic Silver 993 C2S.
Since then I’ve been sucked into the world of Porsche
with a vengeance. As with most 30,000 mile 993’s the suspension
was shot – so I put on Bilstein PSS9’s. The steering wheel
and shifter were worn – so I put in 996 bits to replace the
worn parts and update the look of the interior. The turbo
twist wheels had seen their better days so I updated my street
wheels with the 2002 Carrera 5-spoke wheels. Put on Turbo S
Photo by Ben Hartsell
positioning lamps, Euro front bumper cover, clear turn
signals, and I was in love. After the newness of ownership
wore off I decided I’d see what this DE thing was all about. I
went to my first track event as part of the 2001 Maverick
Region instructor clinic – turns out I was going to be a guinea
pig for new instructors! Well – I did my first track driving
with Mike Lapp as my instructor and I loved it! Since then
I have participated in no less than 17 DE’s in 3 years! I’ve
driven Hallet once, TWS twice, TMS twice, and MSR twelve
times. My progression has been steady but sloooow. I’ve
finally become comfortable with the sensations of high speed
driving and am really enjoying it this year. All of my
instructors have been wonderful – and very patient with my
‘methodical’ learning pace.
So why do I DE? I suppose everyone has their own list of
reasons – it’s fun, challenging, a chance to stretch the p-car’s
legs, and is much safer than street ‘racing’. It is all those things
for me but principally I see it as a way to stretch myself. You
see I have some phobias – not too serious but they are there.
Claustrophobia, fear of heights, can’t stand elevators, and
worst of all I don’t like flying – and I fly 30-40 times a year
between work and travel. I decided that I needed to face my
phobias, look them square in the eye, and stretch myself
beyond them. Driving my Porsche at DE’s does just that for
me. I am learning to face the normal fears of crashing, spinning,
and embarassing myself in front of my peers. And it is
working. I’ve gained more confidence in my car – but mostly
more confidence in myself. That confidence extends beyond
the track. It is enhancing my life in general and the lessons I
learn at the track are suprisingly global in their applicability.
If I can face the fears I have at the track and grow beyond
them – well then I can do the same in all aspects of life!
Another fantastic benefit of the DE experience has been
all the friendships I’ve developed. I have gear head buddies to
talk to so I don’t bore Michelle to tears with all the P-car talk.
I have developed business relationships with other club members
– it’s great to do business with someone you actually
know and with whom you share a common love of Porsche.
So I can stretch myself, have a lot of fun, meet great people,
spend time away from the clamor of my every day life – what
is not to like here? If you DE you know what I mean – if you
don’t, seriously consider giving it a try. You just might find
there’s a lot more to it than just blasting around the track!
Ben’s Arctic Silver 993 C2S
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