[fpena944]

At VIR now and just ran on the track with the new track car.

Let's just say the car exceeds the capabilities of the driver

It did a great job with handling and aside from a few misplaced upshifts I felt ok using the tiptronic.

I figured as the day wears on I'll hopefully improve but for now I'll be Mr. Slow.

(and no I didn't wear shorts on the track, I had my fire suit on!)

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[Cuda911]

Excellent! I'm one of the very small minority that tracked a tip for many years. Took 1st in class 4 years in a row. It requires a bit different driving technique than manual cars. Would be glad to provide "tips."

[David993S]

Hey.......where's my WVU Alumni sticker?? And no more sponsorship from Gardner Motorsports for you.

Can't wait to hear the details of the weekend. Be safe and take it easy if it's wet tomorrow.

[N_Jay]

Where is it living?

You didn't make your wife park the Cayenne outside, did you?

[linderpat]

Nice Fernando! The tip is great because you can (if you want) just focus on the track and line and speed, without the distraction of thinking about shifting. Manuals are fun (mine are all manuals) but I've driven automatics on track, and they are fun too.

[fpena944]

Excellent! I'm one of the very small minority that tracked a tip for many years. Took 1st in class 4 years in a row. It requires a bit different driving technique than manual cars. Would be glad to provide "tips."

The transmission itself did a great job but for me there were two things that I need to get used to:

1. The gears are spaced differently than on my 6-speed 996. So I found myself a few times thinking I had to shift when in fact I was still within range. This is probably because there are only 5 speeds compared to my 6. But for the most part it seems most of the tracking is done between gears 2-4 as first gear is way too low for anything and at least how I was driving 5th gear would only be used on the longest straight for a very short period of time.

2. I accidentally would hit the upshift button on the steering wheel between turns 1-2. This would really bog the engine down and I'd find I had no power coming out of the turn and would have to downshift thereby creating some delay in setting up for the next turn.

As I'm going to get into below, I need a lot more practice at the track (VIR) I was at. I'm going to my "home" track of CMP in about a month which is where I've run the majority of my events in the past. There I should be able to get a much more comfortable shakedown of the car since I'm already familiar with the track.

Hey.......where's my WVU Alumni sticker?? And no more sponsorship from Gardner Motorsports for you.

Can't wait to hear the details of the weekend. Be safe and take it easy if it's wet tomorrow.

I actually felt bad removing those stickers!!! And unfortunately the "Open Road" sticker I ordered for the front windshield was supposed to have a white background instead of transparent so you can barely see it. But I'll get another one ordered in time for the next event.

Where is it living?

You didn't make your wife park the Cayenne outside, did you?

It's been nomadic since I've had it

It was at the mechanic for a while since I had to get new harnesses installed and they had to order some parts to do that, then it's been in my garage, the little side driveway I have, and also in my garage. But yeah I need to figure out long-term plans.

This weekend though had me thinking more about purchasing a trailer for it as if I had a tire choice I could have run a lot more since Sunday was wet.

Nice Fernando! The tip is great because you can (if you want) just focus on the track and line and speed, without the distraction of thinking about shifting. Manuals are fun (mine are all manuals) but I've driven automatics on track, and they are fun too.

That's exactly why I didn't hesitate purchasing this car. I know many would argue I'm missing out on faster lap times but going this route but at this point in life I just want to build up my skill and have fun, I have no issue with putting ego aside (as you'll read about below) and just learning the basics to build from there. I still have my other 996 which is manual when I need my stickshift experience.

[fpena944]

Ok so here is how the weekend went...

First I have to say, VIR for a person who has never been there is an overwhelming experience!

The straights are faster, the elevation changes are unlike anything I've ever experienced, and the level of talent around me was quite noticeable.

I had a couple of strikes against me as this was my first time at a new track and I was of course in a different car. Oh and let's not forget to add in that aside from the DE I did last fall in my Cayman this was only my 2nd event in ten years!

So to summarize succinctly - I need a LOT more practice.

The last event I ran in the fall was at a track I am very familiar with. But since I was in my Cayman instead of my 996 cabrio I still had some reservations around pushing it. But at least I knew every corner and turn of the track I was at so I could go at a comfortable pace and keep up with traffic. My run group at that event in the fall was "white" which is below the black and red advanced run groups.

For this event at VIR I originally was going to sign up for blue with an instructor but it got filled up (since I registered late) which left me to sign up for the white group. I figured since I had a lot of familiarity running in a 996 then moving to this car would be a natural progression for me but just with higher limits. Well in terms of the car itself I was right, but the track was the big wildcard that I didn't quite expect.

First issue I had was even before I got on to the track. During the driver meeting the lead instructor told us about the passing zones. Ok no biggie I know about those but what I didn't expect is that they change based on what the next corner is going to be. At my home track of CMP we always pass on the right of the slower vehicle. Here at VIR, at least with this region, they change based on the apex of the upcoming turn. So the slower car keeps the line, the faster car passes off-line.

Seems easy in theory, right? Yeah when you know the track and know what corner is upcoming. But since I didn't I was at a huge disadvantage. I mean yes I studied the track, played it in a simulator, watched YouTube videos but that's so different than when you are out there and all is lost at that point.

I did two runs with the white group and in a couple of instances pointed by faster cars coming up behind me in the wrong direction. The cars in this group were FAST and I can tell those around me knew this track like nothing else. I felt I was learning more and more each lap but with vehicles coming up so quickly behind me, I was unable to focus on what I needed to.

This wasn't sitting right with me so after our class I spoke with the lead instructor and asked to be demoted to Blue solo. I would have preferred to have an instructor sit with me but they were short of them but I figured with this group I should have fewer passing me.

I was right and was able to enjoy the next two sessions without as much stress.

Next time I'm on this track I will either ask for an instructor or hire a coach. This track has way too many hidden features that I still need to learn before I can start to build real speed.

In hindsight I should have probably done an event at my home track first to get used to the car and then go to VIR. But I'm glad I got the experience and was able to see what the car can do.

Not going to post video because it'll be awful viewing as I know I really should have had someone with me before taking on this track. I didn't run in the wet because I knew it was a risk I shouldn't be taking. If I was familiar with the track I would have attempted it but no thanks, not yet!

So I won't be taking Patrick Long's job any time soon but hey it's a journey, right?


@David993S - great build on this car! It remained flat through all of the turns and never gave me any issue with understeering or feeling like the back end was going to kick out on me. You were right about the lower tire pressure as once I got to later laps they started feeling a little greasy but once I let out some air we were on point.

I did get a misfire once along with a "low oil pressure warning" coming out of turn 1 and 2 but I don't know if it happened because of an accidental upshift in the middle of a corner or an actual issue. I cleared the codes and went back out for two more sessions without incident so hopefully it was just a glitch but I'll have it checked out again before going out.

[David993S]

Sounds like you still had a good time despite the unfamiliarity with the track and Region protocols. Also sounds like you learned a lot. It's not easy in a new car and on a track you've never driven.

Don't feel bad. When I first started tracking the 996, I too would occasionally accidentally hit the "up" button at an inopportune moment, just like you did. It suddenly makes the car feel like it just ran out of power and died. The first time I did it I thouht "Oh, shit!" It only takes a few times, and without even thinking about it, you'll naturally position your hand (thumb) where it won't do that. With any new track car, it takes some time before you can drive it at its limits. Don't worry, it will come with seat-time. But once you get there, believe me the car is capable of lap times as quick as any three-pedal 996. ......OK, not GT3's but you know what I mean. Although occasionally I could keep up with some poorly driven GT3's. Probably smart you didn't run in the wet with those Nitto NT01's.

I never had it misfire or got a low oil pressure warning light, so that's a little puzzling. If you recall, we discussed running it about a quart low as running it full of oil will give you AOS issues. It may have had something to do with lateral g-forces in turns 1 and 2, but I don't know VIR so I can't speculate. Are turns 1 and 2 long sweepers? But again, I never had an issue with low oil pressure in high-G corners. The Tarret deep sump and baffles are supposed to take care of that. Not sure about the misfire. I would have your shop take a look at that.

With a little track time in the car under your belt now, going to CMP should be a much better experience.

Feel free to give me a call and we can discuss and de-brief.

Dave

[linderpat]

Love the debrief. Go ahead and post the vid. Those of us engaged in this thread have all been there, many times before (not necessarily to VIR, but in similar circumstances). We cann all still learn from watching vids, and we will be very gentle with you

[amdavid]

To me this was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow as you "journey". Pure gold Fernando!

[fpena944]

Sounds like you still had a good time despite the unfamiliarity with the track and Region protocols. Also sounds like you learned a lot. It's not easy in a new car and on a track you've never driven.

Don't feel bad. When I first started tracking the 996, I too would occasionally accidentally hit the "up" button at an inopportune moment, just like you did. It suddenly makes the car feel like it just ran out of power and died. The first time I did it I thouht "Oh, shit!" It only takes a few times, and without even thinking about it, you'll naturally position your hand (thumb) where it won't do that. With any new track car, it takes some time before you can drive it at its limits. Don't worry, it will come with seat-time. But once you get there, believe me the car is capable of lap times as quick as any three-pedal 996. ......OK, not GT3's but you know what I mean. Although occasionally I could keep up with some poorly driven GT3's. Probably smart you didn't run in the wet with those Nitto NT01's.

I never had it misfire or got a low oil pressure warning light, so that's a little puzzling. If you recall, we discussed running it about a quart low as running it full of oil will give you AOS issues. It may have had something to do with lateral g-forces in turns 1 and 2, but I don't know VIR so I can't speculate. Are turns 1 and 2 long sweepers? But again, I never had an issue with low oil pressure in high-G corners. The Tarret deep sump and baffles are supposed to take care of that. Not sure about the misfire. I would have your shop take a look at that.

With a little track time in the car under your belt now, going to CMP should be a much better experience.

Feel free to give me a call and we can discuss and de-brief.

Dave

Funny thing is this morning I was driving my Cayman with the PDK and for a split second I completely forgot how to downshift! You see on the PDK the downshift is behind the steering wheel but on the 996 it is under the upshift button.

As for the oil, it was half-filled but after that incident I put in one more quart but before my next event I'll probably change the oil again. The turn I mentioned is a bit of a long sweeper but I am sure I wasn't anywhere near the limits of the car so it may have just been a combination of factors. In any case I'll make sure to get it checked out before the next event just to make sure nothing is amiss.

I'll give you a call probably tomorrow as I have a full list of things I still have to get through at work.

Love the debrief. Go ahead and post the vid. Those of us engaged in this thread have all been there, many times before (not necessarily to VIR, but in similar circumstances). We cann all still learn from watching vids, and we will be very gentle with you

I actually haven't even watched the videos yet! I was mad at myself for forgetting to turn off my GoPro after my 2nd to last session of the day. So when my last session started I had run out of battery and heard it turn off when I was leaving the pits! So of course my best session was not recorded.

But let me see when I can download them from the camera and post up my version of "most embarrassing moments"

To me this was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow as you "journey". Pure gold Fernando!

Thank you, it really is a journey as I have a lot of improving to do! But hopefully with time I'll be able to share some decent lap videos with all of you...we'll see!

[Cuda911]

Some Tip tips:

1. The power band is rather narrow, so you need to work at keeping the RPMs up. Much harder to get them back up when lost than in a manual. Keeping the RPMs up is KEY to tracking a Tip in my opinion.

2. Always drive it in M mode.

3. I nearly always try for the lowest gear it will accept. I bet I hit the down-shift button a 100 times or more per lap to make sure. Don't worry, it won't let you money-shift.

4. As David says, you will learn to position your hands so that you don't accidentally hit the shift buttons. You will also eventually get used to shifting with the steering wheel in a hard turn where the buttons are now on the underside of the wheel.This is especially common at autocrosses.

5. In most any turn, keep "goosing" the throttle throughout the turn to keep the RPMs up. It sounds like the transmission will implode, but it won't. A very robust transmission.

6. As has been mentioned, you can focus on your lines and not your shifts.

7. Keep your tire pressures at about 30 hot.

8. Have fun!


As a commentary, I don't like the passing rules you have. Here, it is the slower car that decides which side the overtaking car will pass on. Generally they prefer that the slower car stays on the line. For me, it depends on whether or not I feel that I am on a "crucial" lap (i.e. establishing a fast lap time for Time Trials). If not, I generally move offline to let the faster car keep its line.

[David993S]

^^ Cuda is on point with the above, and I think we discussed much of that. The only other thing I would add, and again I think we covered it, is shift at 6k rpm. Above 6k it runs out of torque and you're just stressing the engine with no gain in lap time. I know you discovered the hot tire pressure thing. When you get a new set of track tires, if they're not the same Nitto NT01's you'll have to play around with hot pressures again. Different brands can require slightly different pressures to work when hot.

I like how Cuda mentions hitting the downshift button 100 times a lap. At Mid-Ohio, for example, at the end of the back straight I would be in 4th. Start to brake and downshift to 3rd, and it would immediately downshift. As I approached the turn-in point (pre-Apex) and still braking (in a straight line) I'd start hitting the downshift button for 2nd. It would never let me go into 2nd until I had slowed enough. So like Cuda, I'd be pressing the down button over and over in rapid succession. The only time it can create a problem is if you miss your braking point and brake too late. Then you're carrying too much speed into a corner and when it finally does let you go to 2nd gear, you'll probably get some oversteer. Happened to me occasionally, but with your car, the resulting initial oversteer is so controllable you can (usually) avoid a spin. Usually.

You'll get used to all this and it will become second nature.

(more long-winded than I intended)