I'm Not Always This Slow...

And in the future I promise I will keep to a better blogging schedule. Good thing no one is reading this!

The PCA event at Summit Point's Shenandoah track was my first time on track in the new car. It was a completely different experience from the Ferrari. With the F-car, I'll admit that I was scared. Not of getting hurt, but of breaking something expensive. My last time out, at Watkins Glen, I spun out and glanced off a tire barrier. I was paralyzed at the thought of having crunched the car. (When I called my wife to tell her about the shunt, her first question was whether it would cost a lot to fix. True story.) It turned out to be a minor scrape; everyone at the track said it would buff out and it did.

Also, driving a car as powerful as the Ferrari not a good way for a novice (that's me) to learn. Race cars are generally considered either "power" cars or "momentum" cars. The difference is how they are driven through the corners. A power car can enter a turn relatively slowly, then blast through the apex and exit. High speed on the straights can make up for the slower entry. In fact, power cars can make up for a lot of things, including mistakes, which is one reason rookies shouldn't learn on them.

Momentum cars are the opposite. Low in both torque and horsepower, they can be fast only by carrying speed into and through the corners. Smoothness is of paramount importance, because every deviation from the optimum line through the corner slows the car. Since the car lacks the power to catch up on the straights, any loss of momentum can be costly. This, of course, is what makes momentum cars perfect for novices: mistakes are obvious, and immediately punished by the gods of physics. Also, since the cars are slower, and in my case cheaper, there is much less risk of getting injured or impoverished.

Now, one might think that, despite the advantages of a momentum ride as a rolling classroom, a more powerful car provides a proportionately greater rush. Not so. There is no denying that pulling 150 or so down the back straight at Watkins Glen and then pounding through the "Bus Stop" chicane turns the adrenaline up to 11. Problem is, there are 9 other corners at the Glen, not all of which are as much fun as the Bus Stop when you alternately overbrake and overpower them. So I am perfectly happy with my 147hp Porsche, a car I drove flat for a good portion of the Shenandoah course.

Also, I soloed after the first run on Sunday (Yay!!) It was going to take a loooong time to get signed off in the Ferrari, simply because the car was so damned difficult to drive, but I really felt like I had a handle on what I was doing in the 944. My instructor obviously agreed. By the way, he did something that I think was very smart and should be standard for instructors: He had me do a run solo, then got back in the car for a session just to make sure I hadn't let the red mist of soloing affect my driving. After that run he signed me off officially.

My Builder had urged me to do this event because he wanted me to experience the car in street trim. I think this was worthwhile for me, and great salesmanship for him. Bone stock, on (new) street tires, the car had plenty of grip but not nearly enough. Point taken: R-compound tires it is. The car is wonderfully balanced, but still leaned more than it should in the corners. Point taken as well: major suspension surgery should take place next month.

The whole race prep exercise has opened my eyes to some interesting differences among Porsche drivers. Guys who are into speed on the street (not a good thing) seem to focus on engine modifications and body work (including wheels). Racers focus more on the suspension and, to some extent, brakes. One reason is that the racing class rules are intended (in most classes) to avoid an arms race between builders and focus instead on the relative skills of the drivers. That isn't to say that turning a street car into a class racer is inexpensive, but most engine and body mods, which can get very expensive, are prohibited.

Interestingly, most Ferrari owners don't modify their cars at all. Partly it's the expense, and partly it's that class rules for Ferraris are very strict (basically, if you want to race, you buy a race car), but mostly, I think, Ferraristi think it's just wrong. As arrogant as F-car owners can be, most don't think they are better engineers or designers than the ones who work in Modena.

Next time, a couple of stories from Shenandoah and, I hope, news of the budget for the suspension.