The Ramblin` Rose - Wild Rose Region

The Ramblin’ Rose
Christmas Special 2012
IN THIS ISSUE:
DRIVING EXPERIENCE AT LE MANS
WINDING ROAD NEXT 99 MILES - EXOTICS IN VEGAS
2
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
The Ramblin' Rose
The Ramblin' Rose is the official newsletter of the Porsche Club of America - Wild Rose Region. Visit www.porsche.ab.ca for the latest news
and announcements.The views or comments expressed in the Ramblin' Rose are not necessarily those of the Porsche Club of America or the
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Cover Photo:
Cayenne with Christmas Tree,
December 2012
Kevin Johnston, Canada West Photos
Fall 2012
Erik Dumas
Dina McDonald
Yvette Winslow
Danielle Green
Martin Kratz
Executive
403·931-0393
403-213-4713
403-949-2817
403-993-8697
403-686-6474
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Committees
Jammie Leong
[email protected]
Doug Connon
(403) 616-5507
[email protected]
Erik Dumas
(403) 213-4713
[email protected]
Marc Schroeder
[email protected]
The Ramblin’ Rose Newsletter
Publisher & Editor Kevin Johnston
(403)283-7162
[email protected]
Web Master
Wild Rose Region Web Site
Brodie Green
(403) 993-8697
[email protected]
FAQ Contacts (Your club contacts for Porsche car questions)
General
356
911 (early years)
911 (1973 - 1984)
911 Turbo
912
Fritz Peyerl
[email protected]
914
928
944/951/968
Boxster
Cayenne
Panamera
PCA Zone 6 Representative
President
Dave Cooley
[email protected]
The Rambling Rose
1
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Another year is coming to a close and with that the last
official club business at our Annual General Meeting. At
the meeting the new executive was elected and they are:
President - Erik Dumas
Vice President - Dina McDonald
Treasurer - Yvette Winslow
Secretary - Danielle Green
I would like to thank our outgoing Vice President, Mark
Winslow, for all his efforts this year and look forward to
seeing the red slant nose on road when the snow is gone.
Next up for the executive is putting together the full team
for all the various positions that keep the club running
smoothly. If you are interested in helping in any capacity
please let one of us know. We have to file the full roster
with PCA by mid January so the sooner you let us know
the better.
Coming in the new year we have some exciting events
planned. Our annual Blast Off party is scheduled for
February and the theme this year is Mexican Fiesta. I’m
looking forward to the food and entertainment so I’m sure
it will be a popular event with our members. If you want
to buy tickets you can do so at our website.
At the next monthly meeting we will have special guest
Miles McEwing to give us a presentation. In Sept of 2011,
Miles McEwing and Tracey Martin - two local Porsche
enthusiasts hopped onto an antiquated Russian built
motorcycle and with no map in hand - headed South.
Eight months and five continents later they returned. Join
us for an evening of the trials and tribulations of travelling
with no luggage and no plan. If you want to learn more,
visit the website at www.smilesandmiles.com and join us
at the meeting for a live narrated movie and discussion
highlighting their trip to the bottom of South America and
beyond.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Eric Dumas
President - Wild Rose Region
Porsche Club of America
Upcoming Events:
January 8 - Monthly Meeting
FROM THE EDITOR
Note this was orginally schedule for January 2nd but the
Elks Club will not be open that day.
S
Open to all WRR members and potential members who
would like to see what we’re all about!
easons greetings to each of you and your families.
One of my favourite Dr. Seuss Christmas quotes... “And
the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood
puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without
ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages,
boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ‘till his puzzler
was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t
before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a
store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”
Kevin Johnston
Location: Elks Golf Club
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Meeting commences: 7:00 p.m.
February 9 - Annual Blast Off Party
Open to all WRR members and friends! This is our not to
be missed event of the year. This year’s event is themed
Fiesta, please find some appropriate Mexican clothing
and we hope to see you there for food, entertainment and
surprises!
Location: Lakeview Community Hall
6110 34th Street SW
Time: 5:00 p.m. till late evening
2
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
The Pinnacle Porsche Driving Experience at Le Mans, France
ago at Calgary’s Race City road course in the BMW Driver
Training program. What fun times those were in the old
325i. I still have the helmet and gloves from that event, in a
dust-covered box in my garage. I love the science and art of
exploring the limits of a car’s capabilities, but the box sits
year after year, unopened. I decided it was time to change
that.
Calgary PCA Member Attends
Porsche Sport Driving School
at the
Circuit Des 24 Heures Du Mans
The year 2012 for me has been monumental, including
unforgettable Porsche driving experiences. It’s been a bit
overwhelming, and hasn’t fully sunk in yet. This was my
first year of Porsche ownership. I had planned since the
spring to purchase an air-cooled 911 and to drive it, and by
that I mean really drive it, on weekdays and weekends, to
work and to stores, in the city and
through the Rocky Mountains. Yes,
the car would look great nestled in
the garage, all clean and guarded.
But I’m a driver. My bond with
Porsche will happen behind the
steering wheel, not from the outside
looking in. What I didn’t anticipate
was that by year-end, my pursuit
of the Porsche driving experience
would take me much further than
I ever dreamed, all the way to
Porsche’s legendary stomping
ground at the Circuit Des 24 Heures
at Le Mans, France.
Back in April of this year, I initiated
my “simple” plan. I powered up
the old Mac and searched online
for a used 911, a coupe, anything
between say 1985 and 1997. Ugh.
Disappointment. The selection was
very limited, a few 964’s and a 993
in Alberta but for various reasons, not exactly what I was
looking for. And the prices! OK, I thought, if I wanted the
right Porsche, I’d have to go further afield. I broadened
my search to all of Canada and USA. I ended up spotting a
couple of 993 coupes in Toronto that had what I wanted for
the right price. I flew out, selected a black-on-black 1995
C2 with a few proper upgrades including Bilstein PS009s
and a growly Fister Stage II exhaust kit, and drove it back
to Calgary. Well, did I ever get my driving, 3500 km in
one shot before summer even started. You would think that
would be enough for 2012.
I did drive my car all summer. I drove it on weekdays and
weekends, to work and to the store, in the city and through
the Rocky Mountains. Bliss. The mountain roads were the
best experience, of course. But I wanted more. Oftentimes
when behind the wheel, I craved a sporting experience. I
mean a real sporting experience, like the one I had 15 years
Fall 2012
Early in October, the first hints of winter flakes scared my
993 into its comfy winter home in a climate-controlled
garage. Then I started casually scouting for future track
driving opportunities. I found what appeared to be the Holy
Grail for
Porsche driving enthusiasts, the Porsche Sport Driving
School (PSDS). I looked at the list of locations: Germany,
Italy, France, and other European countries. USA,
Australia. Even Hong Kong and Mexico. No Canada!
(Yes there is an ice course in Quebec, but it’s not what
I was looking for). “OK” I thought, “maybe next year,
somewhere”. Most of the programs were finished for
2012 and the 2013 calendars were not yet published. But
then I spotted a course scheduled for November 2012 in
France, at the famed circuit, no less! The website states
that training is offered in French and English, but I thought
initial enquiries would go a little more smoothly in French,
so I enlisted a colleague who is from France to get the
details.
The Rambling Rose
cont’d page 4
3
Multi-level bar
Family restaurant & patio
Over 100 HD TVs
Full menu until 1AM nightly
Weekend brunch
Group catering
Parking in rear of building &
street for all fellow car & bike
enthusiasts!
730 17 AVE SW CALGARY AB
I
Initial dealings with the PSDS proved it to be a very
professional international operation. The program offers
similar driving experiences at all of its worldwide venues,
including driving instruction by accomplished local racers.
The instructors in France include a former Formula 3000
champion, a Formula Renault French Champion, and
even a pilot who raced the 24 Heures Du Mans itself.
The website for the school in France is: http://www.
porschedriving.fr/ and the English brochure is at: http://
www.porschedriving.fr/php/presentation/PSDS_2012_
en.pdf
Similar to all the other programs, the one in France
includes a selection of five single-day training levels, each
4
403.228.3566
I
www.melrosecalgary.com
generally building on the previous day’s learnings. All
levels are taught at the Circuit Maison Blanche which is
located at the northwest limit of the Circuit 24 Heures
course proper, just south of the famous control tower at
the start/finish line for the big race. The Circuit Maison
Blanche is a dedicated infield training track (offering
several routes of lengths from 1.9 to 2.9 km of 9 meters
width) comprised of several slower second-gear corners,
a few higher speed chicanes and front and back straights.
Most of the 700 meter-long back straight is a portion of
the actual Circuit 24 Heures from the exit of the Porsche
Bends, through the Corvette Corner and to the entrance
of the Ford Chicanes. The training track is designed to be
very safe; it includes grassy open spaces, gravel traps and
tire walls. However, in my view, the drivers of back-heavy
911’s should pay some attention at the Corvette Corner
which, in the Maison Blanche configuration, is a 150 km/
hr, 30-degree kink that introduces any victim of lift-off
over-steer to a short 10-meter gravel area followed by a
concrete wall.
Once I made my last-minute decision to partake in the
event, a whirlwind of planning ensued. I figured that after
flying into Paris, the best option for travel to Le Mans (200
km southwest) would be the TGV train which travels at
220 km/hr, compressing the trip to 55 minutes (don’t get
me started on the Calgary-to-Edmonton opportunities!).
The Rambling Rose
cont’d page 5
Fall 2012
Local hotels near the circuit are plentiful, and cheap at this
time of year (around 50 Euros per night). The course fees,
on the other hand, are not so cheap. I opted for the three
day program, starting with Precision, then Performance,
then jumping to the highest level being GT3 RS. Each
course level costs more, with daily charges escalating from
845 to 950 to 1890 Euros on the final day in the GT3 RS.
The provided cars are an assortment of current models
including the Cayman S, Boxter S and the 991 Carrera S,
all with PDK, and you drive each of them during the first
two days. The 997 type GT3 RS is added on the final day
for those who pay for maximum thrills. Locals can bring
their own Porsches, which cuts the cost roughly in half.
It is also possible to take the Coaching and GT3 RS courses
on the separate Circuit Bugatti. This is a longer (4.18
km) and faster course that is comprised of another infield section, and portions of the proper Circuit 24 Heures
including the main straight and the track under the worldfamous Dunlop Bridge. Instruction on the Circuit Bugatti
sets you back another 200 Euros daily, and availability is
limited due to ongoing race events and testing throughout
the year. Circuit Bugatti was not available during my trip.
I arrived in Paris on October 30th, slept off some jet lag,
snapped a few pictures of the Eiffel Tower, and the next day
headed for Le Mans. After a restful night at the Brit Hotel
in Le Mans, a few kilometers from the circuit, I arrived
at the Circuit Maison Blanche at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday
November 1st. I really didn’t know what to expect. This
was my first trip to France and first time at a track in 15
years. There were 18 students and six instructors. All of
the students were from France. The 20-minute orientation
session was conducted completely in French. I don’t speak
French. Well, other than what I absorbed from two weeks
of Rosetta Stone training prior to my trip. The lead
Fall 2012
instructor advised everyone in the room that an Englishspeaking Canadian was in the room. Yes a crazy Canuck
was in the room, a fish out of water. But I already knew the
driving theory and, hey, I was there to have fun and pick
up more français! The lead instructor assured me he would
cover everything in English for me later, which he did. I
even got my own dedicated “English-channel” two-way
radio when we got to the cars. Special treatment for the
Canuck. Things were good.
On day one in Precision, we performed the skills exercises
as expected including threshold braking, digressive braking,
progressive acceleration, braking zones, shifting points,
apexing, etc. It rained off and on, with a few downpours,
and the track was always wet (perfect training conditions
in my opinion). It was great to refresh on the skills, and as
a Porsche newbie all the experiences were new to me in the
current models (what is a water-cooled engine anyway?).
The paddle shifters were fun and effective, but I found that
the thumb-button type on the steering wheel in the 911 is
awkward. Day two Performance was similar with more
complete track laps, more emphasis on trail braking into
The Rambling Rose
cont’d page 6
5
slow corners to limit under-steer, and
honing the digressive braking skills.
Day three was completely different
in the Euro-spec GT3 RS. In the
current model year, this race-ready
unit is fitted with a 3.8L flat six
engine that generates close to 450
BHP, red-lining at 8400 rpm. And
this lightweight rocket tips the scales
at just 3025 lbs due in part to its
adjustable carbon fiber wing, and
lightweight plastic engine cover and
rear window. A 6-speed manual with
short-throw shifter meant I would
be trying to rejuvenate the heel-andtoe shifting skills, meaning were
playing a completely different ball
game today. And the rain continued.
Some standing water sent a student’s
personal 996 spinning through the
grass and the session was stopped
for about 20 minutes. I was challenged to heel-and-toe
shift in a smooth manner with my instructor, Patrice, in the
passenger seat, watching every detail. And commenting
on every detail. Patrice is a former Formula 3 French
Champion. No pressure. I was supposed to brake into
corner #1 from 210 km/hr down to 50 in about 5-6 seconds
while downshifting from 4th to 3rd to 2nd in a smooth
manner. The short-throw shifter was impressive. The
GT3 RS brakes are massively grippy, and the impossibly
small braking zone left little time for two downshifts. It
was fun trying to improve on that throughout the day.
During my rest time between sessions I reviewed the
detailed feedback from Patrice while consuming unlimited
croissants and espresso coffee (welcome to France!). I was
buzzing without the coffee but it was there, so I took it
like everyone else. By the afternoon, the sun made its first
appearance of the three-day event. The GT3 RS rain tires
were swapped out for racing slicks just in time for the last
session. Now the braking zone was even shorter. Great,
back to work!
So in summary, my final Porsche driving experience in
2012 was in a GT3 RS on slicks, driven near its limits at Le
Mans, the mythic site for Porsche, where countless design
developments emanated from their involvement since
1951. Including ignition placement on the “wrong” side of
the steering column! Yes I’m a driver, and I’m fortunate
to have driven Porsche
all summer, but I’m so
grateful to my supportive
wife and family who
enabled me to achieve a
pinnacle Porsche driving
experience. I intend to be
a driver again in 2013,
but I can’t guess which
roads will be driven.
Michael Sundberg
6
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
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Winding Road Next 99 Miles
Several times a year, Brodie and I gather with a group of
fellow travelers and set out exploring the fabulous country
around us. This year our journey led us southwest via
Montana through the panhandle of Idaho.
Beginning with a pass of Going-to-the-Sun road, if
you have never been there, this is a bucket list trip. A
slow moving one but you’re going for the scenery, pure
and simple. Must, must do. Glacier National Park is
outstanding; we are lucky to have this so close to home.
People pay thousands of dollars to travel here for these
views and we have them in our own backyard. Count your
blessings, people!
Going deeper into Montana, we become even more
thankful for owning Porsches. A closer look at the Idaho
map reveals snake-like roads resembling a long piece of
wet spaghetti tossed on the ground. We traveled for 4 days
and never saw a straight road - or a pothole. Furthermore,
we were stunned by the courtesy of the other drivers on the
road. People would literally slow down and move towards
the shoulder to let us pass. It happened again and again,
every day! Funny thing to note, the first time were were
stuck behind a slow moving car that would not move out of
the way – it had an Alberta license plate!
The main destination of the trip was Lolo pass, a deep, tight
valley through Lolo National Forest. We had to pose in
front of the greatest sign ever: winding road next 99 miles...
we were like kids at Christmas time. It was as fun as it
sounds. After a stupendous day, we stopped in Clarkston,
Washington for the night.
Continuing north the following day through low canyons
and high plateaus of deserted ranchlands with some of the
neatest topography I’ve ever seen. Taking the road less
traveled (somehow still pothole free!) and filling for gas in
a tiny quaint village so remote, the locals drive ATV’s to
get around!
The day’s highlight was Saint Joe’s National Forest, an oldgrowth mossy forest with tall skinny trees packed so tightly
you couldn’t even see inside. The elevation varies in this
area quote a bit so we found ourselves not only on a twisty
road, but with some serious up-and-down banking – it felt
just like a roller coaster!
Following the edge of Coeur D’alene Lake was a route
of pure unexpected fun... The scenery reminded be of the
Okanagan but with way less traffic – I mean no traffic at
cont’d page 9
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8
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
Blast Off 2011
all. Where is everybody? After a serene lakeside lunch
stop, we continued up I90. For an interstate it was one
heck of a great ride too, again with the twisted roads up
a pass, down into the valley again – can you see a theme
developing here?
Words can’t express what an incredible vacation this was.
I urge anyone looking for a fun road trip destination to
consider Idaho, it was the best road trip I’ve ever had.
It was difficult to choose which road to travel on, there
are so many choices. I will certainly be going back many
times to explore it all, that I promise.
Danielle Green
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9
Exotics in Vegas
In August Mary and I took a holiday to Las Vegas, Nevada.
As a surprise I decided to do something car related. The
surprise wasn’t that I would be looking for a way to
encorporate fun cars into a holiday, instead it was that I
wouldn’t tell Mary what I had planned.
I went online and did some research. There were several
options to choose from. First was a rental car company (
http://www.vegasluxuryrides.com/ ) where you could rent
a Ferrari F430 spider for 6 hours at a rate of $499. I knew
Mary wanted to tour the area and this car would have been
fun. However, at the time of year we were going down the
temperature was going to be in the mid 40’s and probably
too hot for convertible driving.
The next site I found was World Class Driving ( http://
www.worldclassdriving.com ) where you can go on a tour
in up to 4 different exotic cars. The tours ranged from
$399 to $699 depending upon the length of the tour and the
number of cars driven. The basic idea is you go on a drive
with 4 other exotic cars. The group will stop periodically
so that everyone can switch cars. As this is all done on
public roads there are definite limits to how hard you can
drive the cars and for me that wouldn’t have been as much
fun as I would have liked.
Finally I came upon Exotics Racing ( http://www.
exoticsracing.com/ ) and decided this was for me.
Exotics Racing own their own track near the Las Vegas
International Speedway and rent a large variety of exotics.
The cars range from the Nissan GTR to the Lamborghini
Aventador and new McLaren MP4-12C. Prices depend
upon the car selected and the number of laps that you wish
to do. Driving more than one car or doing more than 5 laps
leads to bigger discounts. I decided that if I was going to
do this I should select a car that I would likely never own
- the Lamborghini Aventador. For Mary I bought 5 laps in
the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550.
The day before we were to go to the track we went
shopping in the fashion show mall. Coincidentally we
stumbled upon the Exotics Racing kiosk in the mall. We
talked with the guys about the day we had planned and they
quickly pointed out a problem with our plan. I had booked
cont’d page 11
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10
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
only one car for both of us and as such we would be
spending almost all of our 5 laps trying to learn the track.
They highly suggested we book something else first so
that we could get the hang of it before we went out in the
big dog Lamborghini’s. Wanting to get the most out of the
experience we decided to book the Cayman R for our first
5 lap outing.
USB keys that will store all the video footage of our drives.
This was an additional option that cost $79 each and there
was no way I would have gone without it. Each car has a
camera system that records the view out the front window,
the driver and a track map with GPS postion of the car. The
USB plugs into each car you drive and at the end of the day
they take all the videos and put them on a disc for you.
The next day we went to the meeting spot where a limo
picked us and several other participants up to take to the
track. At the track they had two large tents, one with
open sides and one fully enclosed, along with a separate
washroom trailer. Under the open tent were parked all
the cars we would be driving. The instructors were busy
getting them prepared for us and making sure they were
running properly. Inside the closed tent we confirmed
our registrations, showed our drivers licences and signed
the applicable waivers. There was an orientation in a
classroom with the other students where the track was
explained and general information about performance
driving was given. I would estimate there were over 50
students taking part in this session.
Shortly after getting our USB keys we are handed our
helmets and head condoms. Technically the condoms have
more in common with shower caps or food service head
covers but since they are there to put a protective barrier
between our heads and the lining of the helmet I believe
the term appropriate. After our helmets are on we are
instructed to wait in line until our name is called.
Finally it’s our turn to drive! Out to the cars we go and
once at the Cayman R we get to meet our instructor. I sit
in the car and my instructor introduces himself as Richie.
He asks what I drive at home and I tell him about my 911
Turbo. I ask what he drives and he says he has a Toyota
Corolla with over 250,000 miles on it. Since that isn’t
the kind of car I would have expected a driving instructor
to talk about I had to ask him where he got his track
experience from. He looked puzzled, as if not sure what
to say, and said “I’m Richie Hearn, I used to race Indy
Cars and raced the Indy 500 seven times”. Whoops! I
was a little embarrased and I imagine my ignorance would
have been comparable to asking Jack Nicholas if he’s ever
played the game while standing at the tee off box of one
of his golf courses. However, Richie took it in stride and
before you know it we were under way.
After school, we were then taken to a waiting Porsche
Cayenne GTS and given a couple hot laps around the track
by a professional driver. Needless to say the laps were
“brisk” and I still marvel at how a 4 x 4 can perform like
they do. It was evident that not everyone was comfortable
at speed as one lady started hyperventilating and turning a
shade of green not often seen on a human.
Having never driven a Cayman before, or a car with paddle
shifters for that matter, at first everything felt wrong. On
my first gear change I grabbed the windsheild wipers by
mistake. Richie gave me instructions on where to turn,
when to brake and what I should be looking at. At the end
of the 5 laps I still wasn’t “one” with the car but at least I
was getting faster and feeling more confident in knowing
the track. I was definitely glad I took their advice and
booked more than one car. Back in the pits Richie gave
me some further advice and then it was Mary’s turn to
drive. She was also intimidated by being on the course for
the first time in a strange car, even hitting the windsheld
wipers in the same place I did. We both got a laugh out of
that. Bring on the Lambo’s!
My impression of the track was that it was very smooth
with several tight corners and one decent straight where
you could open up the cars. It was definitely a lower speed
track than our own departed Race City. The layout was
such that cars entered the track straight out of the tent and
people could watch the cars from behind concrete barriers.
Soon it was my turn in the Ithaca Green Aventador. My
instructor in this car was a younger guy who raced locally,
had competed in drifting events and drove a Mitsubishi
Eclipse. Due to the excessive heat, over 40 degrees
celcius, he had me drive the car over to a cool down bay
where he could run cold water over the oil coolers.
All the cars have automatic or paddle shifting gear boxes
so no worries about any money shifts - an accidental
downshift into the wrong gear the result of which is
expensive transmission damage hence the name.
My first impression on the Aventador was how big and
imposing it was. It looked like a bright green fighter from
some sci-fi movie. The interior, while nice, upon close
examination didn’t look like what I would expect in a
Mary and I go back inside and the first thing we get is our
Fall 2012
The Rambling Rose
cont’d page 13
11
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$400,000 car. I had no problems with the seating position
and the digital gauges were easy to read. My preference
would still be for a nice set of analogue gauges but there is
no doubting the digital evolution is here to stay.
At low speeds the steering on the Aventador is very light,
almost too much so as it took excessive movement of the
wheel to get the car to turn. The engine puttered around
with minimal fuss or noise. Once on track that all changed.
At speed the steering was much more direct and the big
V12 came to life. For me the car was much easier to drive
than the Cayman R as it felt familiar right from the get go.
Later on I reflected on this and think it might be due to the
similarities of the Aventador and my 911 Turbo (4WD,
high horsepower and weight). Basically the Cayman R is
a momentum car with a fine balance that rewards a good
driver with lots of practice whereas the Aventador and my
Porsche are horsepower machines with tons of grip
Fall 2012
that muscle their way around the track. Additionally,
ergonomically the Aventador felt better to me. The paddle
shifters are much bigger and fixed in one spot unlike the
Cayman shifters that moved with the steering wheel. This
made it easier to change gears and not once was there a
shift “malfunction” causing the wipers to dart across the
windshield in search of non existant rain.
The 5 laps in the Aventador were definitely my fastest and
seemed to be over much sooner than I wanted them to be.
My final impression of the car was although it’s a visual
delight and on the track it’s more than capable it didn’t
blow me away. Even it’s straight line performance didn’t
meet my expectations. I fully expected a 700 hp V12 car
to feel like a monster that slammed you in the
The Rambling Rose
cont’d page 15
13
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The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012
seat and turned your face into silly putty every time you
put your right foot down. Unfortunately this wasn’t the
case. Perhaps it was the excessive heat or maybe the mode
the car was in - I assumed it was in race mode but admit
that I didn’t check. Even the engine note seemed subdued.
I know if I had just stroked a $400,000 cheque for one
and this was my first drive I would have had a bad case
of buyers remorse. Good thing I guess that cheques my
bank will cash tend to have fewer zero’s in them. Guess I
will have to track down a place that rents Carrera GT’s to
confirm where I will spend my future lottery winnings.
When I got back to the tents I found out that Mary had just
finished her drive in the Gallardo. She was thrilled and
also felt better driving the Lamborghini. Her instructor
had a strong French accent, with that most un francophone
of names “Warren”, and was currently racing in a Nascar
lite series hoping to make the big show some day. She
said during her laps he would make her laugh and relax.
He would say things like “Step on the Gaaaaaaaaaaas”
or “ Step on the braaaaaaaaaaaaake” which in his accent
sounded like being instructed by Inspector Clusoe.
had some interesting insight into the industry. He used
to manage a serious driving school along the lines of
Bondurant or Skip Barber. These schools are typically a
two day affair and cost upwards of $3000 to attend. People
who go to these schools want to learn the craft of driving
fast and car control. He told me that these schools are
currently struggling whereas businesses such as Exotic
Racing are thriving. Exotic Racing appeals to the car
enthusiast who is looking for an inexpensive way to drive
a machine that they may have only dreamed of owning
some day. Based upon the attendance while we were there
it appears he’s onto something. If you get the chance I
recommend you check them out.
Erik
PS: They told me the fastest car around their track is the
911 Turbo S. Pretty impressive considering the hardware
they own.
One last thing we ended up doing was going for laps with
a professional drifter. Rudy won the Japan Drift Nationals
and now spends his time driving a Corvette Z06 sideways
around the track trying to scare his passengers to death.
However, with his amazing car control you never feel in
danger.
After getting our video discs and buying some t-shirts
we sat down to wait for our ride back to the hotel. While
waiting I got to talk to the manager of the business. He
Even the Dutch Police like their
Porsche’s with the roof down. I don’t
know about their judgement on
when to put it down thought!
Fall 2012
The Rambling Rose
15
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16
900 Werks is in no way associated with Dr. Ing H.C.F. Porsche AG, PC N.A.
Ltd. and its Dealers
The Rambling Rose
Fall 2012