PCA Chesapeake Region Patter - March 2018

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Chesapeake Region Ron’s Ramblings As for the experience itself, it truly is amazing and all encompassing. The first time or two you do this, it is absolutely sensory overload and I guarantee you will be mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day. You will need 101% concentration the entire time you are on the track and yet you will still miss things. I had no idea there were building and flag stations around the track until I watched some YouTube videos later on. One time I took my buddy in his Mustang Shelby GT350 and after the first session he said I’m just going to leave it in 3 rd gear and forget shifting from now on because there is just so much going on that it’s overwhelming. You truly are completely focused on the track and keeping your car on it. Plus you have all the engine and road noises along with the tire squealing hitting you while feeling major g- forces at every turn and acceleration or deceleration. It is overwhelming – and FUN!!! I guarantee that at the end of each 20-minute session you will feel a combination of relief that you survived and yet you can’t wait to get back on the track and do it again. Pretty much anyone with a fairly recent generation Porsche will hit over 120 MPH in the straightaway with some of you exceeding 130 MPH. Surprisingly though, this is the “easy” part of the course and you can actually relax a little, breath, and flex your fingers. After all, it’s really not a challenge to floor the accelerator and go in a straight line. The fun part starts near the end of the straight where you play a game of chicken to determine when to take your foot off the accelerator and mash the brake in order to make the sharp right hand turn below 40 MPH. Fortunately they have this section well marked and your instructor will be guiding you. The first time I did it, my instructor yelled “brake”, then “BRAAAKE”, then “BRAAAAAAAAKE”. Thank goodness he did because that saved me from flying off and not making that turn. I learned. From that point on, the rest of the course is small straights (that you still might hit 100 MPH on) and great curves and you will truly learn “performance driving”. Each 20-minute session is bliss and you will certainly improve as you learn “the line” and get familiar with the course. Don’t expect to be perfect by the end of the day since that’s not even realistic unless you have been there at least 10 or 15 times (or more). Even though I am far from perfect, there are two things I find extremely satisfying when doing the course. The first is when there is no one in front of you or behind you for a lap or two. When this happens, you truly can just concentrate on your driving and not worry about anything or anyone else. This time is really magical (like having the track to yourself) and unfortunately doesn’t happen to often. The second is when you’ve started getting a feel for the course and driving it smoothly and then you start passing other cars in your group. I know I said you are not racing but it still feels great and shows that you are pro- 12
Chesapeake Region Ron’s Ramblings gressing with your instruction. The last time I was there, I consistently in all four sessions passed a new high powered Corvette and a Ferrari California even though they both had over 200 hp on me. However, they didn’t know the track or their cars as well as me so it really was no match but dang it feels good when you do it. There is a great story in January’s Panorama that describes how to get ready for an event like this entitled “Preparing for a De Event” so I won’t go into all those details. The main thing for me is to make sure my tires and brakes are in perfect condition. I have seen people go home early when their brakes started fading so don’t let that be you because it would suck. Also, everyone will need an approved helmet of which details can be found on the Summit Point web site. My advice is not buy one off the web but instead to buy one locally so that you can try it on and make sure it fits properly. In my case, I went to Ellicott City Motorsports guessing I needed a large helmet. No kidding – I needed an XXL. My kids always said I was an Ogre and I guess they were right. Initially I was incredibly apprehensive the first time I went to Summit Point by myself but I found it to be an extremely well run program at a nice facility. They have vending machines, a snack area for lunch at reasonable prices, and decent restrooms. They provide you with a personalized schedule so that you know where you need to be throughout the day. And if it makes you feel better, they have an ambulance standing by the entire time with its engine running just in case (fortunately I have never seen it used). Plus, both the staff and the other drivers are all very friendly and they love talking about cars – yours or theirs. Speaking of cars, you will see other Porsches along with lots of Corvettes, BMWs, some Mustangs, some Subaru’s, and maybe an Audi or Lamborghini. Regardless of the car, everyone in the “Novice” group will be new drivers to this experience so it really makes no difference what car they are driving as you will all be learning, and again, you’re not racing. This article is getting long but I do want to give you some idea of what to do when you first get there. Once you turn onto Motorsports Park circle, you will have to go thru a gate where I believe they have you sign something. They will also give you simple directions to the track. Follow them and you will enter into a big parking lot where you will see other cars parking and getting ready. Find a spot and “claim” it for the day by putting a container or bucket in front or back of your car. Obviously put everything from your car into this container just like at Autocross. Nothing loose in the car is allowed. You will see some folks parking over by the fence next to the track but DON’T do this if you have Summer tires - I made this mistake my first time. I parked close by the fence and then after my first session I took P BXSTR and his hot/sticky P Zero tires back to my spot. I got out and then noticed the tires were 100% coated in gravel. I then drove over to the parking lot and brushed all the gravel off by hand from the very 13
Page 1 and 2: Chesapeake Region Patter Volume 57,
Page 3 and 4: Chesapeake Region Porsche Silver Sp
Page 5 and 6: Chesapeake Region PCA-CHS is... The
Page 7 and 8: Chesapeake Region Membership & Anni
Page 9 and 10: Chesapeake Region President's Messa
Page 11: Chesapeake Region Ron’s Ramblings
Page 15 and 16: Chesapeake Region Ron’s Ramblings
Page 17 and 18: Chesapeake Region Porsche in the Ne
Page 19 and 20: Chesapeake Region Engine Build I de
Page 21 and 22: Chesapeake Region Engine Build I wo
Page 23 and 24: Chesapeake Region MD Home & Garden
Page 25 and 26: Chesapeake Region Tour & Rally Sche
Page 27 and 28: Chesapeake Region Reflected Images
Page 29 and 30: Chesapeake Region Tech Event @ Refl
Page 31 and 32: Chesapeake Region Slot Car Night 20
Page 33 and 34: Chesapeake Region Porsche of Towson
Page 35 and 36: Chesapeake Region Name and Car Badg
Page 37 and 38: Chesapeake Region Order your PCA Em
Page 39: Chesapeake Region PCA License Plate

PCA Chesapeake Region Patter - March 2018

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