Man some folks are just full of themselves. I felt so bad for this guy over the weekend, here is what happened.

I tagged along with two friends to a Porsche event, a driver's ed, / open track day.

Well, there were some very nice cars there, including several GT3 Porsches and a 911 Turbo with the X-50 package. So we are all hanging out, when this dude shows up in a totally stock Evo. No sway bars (except the stock mickey mouse one which comes stock), no engine mods, nothing.

Fast forward to the first round. He goes out in the instructor's group, and look's pretty good. He doesn't look fast, but he is super smooth like he is out for a Sunday drive. He went out after the first line of cars, so he was in clean air. We weren't clocking, but we started to notice, he was catching and passing everything. However, as we started to pay more attention, we noticed he would lose ground on most of the cars on the straights, but close the gaps entering the corners by burying the car into the turns and using the big brakes. Well, he passed everything but a race prepped 911 twin turbo, but he was only 2 seconds per lap off of him. Later that day, he made some changes, and found the 2 seconds by messing with his line.

So, later that day, he is talking to some of the guys including me and two friends, trying to make friends with the Porsche insructors, and they are very nice to him. Then, the minute he walks off, it is like everyone there changed their tune calling him a show-off etc.

So, today, we are sitting at subway at lunch away from the track, trying to warm up, and I am eating with the Evo guy and my friends. We find out he used to race go-karts, and some other stuff in Europe, but never went pro. He mentioned he turned down an interview with an F1 team owner because he wanted to complete school. Well, during the chat, we mention the weather, and how much the rain was hurting times for the day. He said he felt as good as or better than yesterday, because the car would actually oversteer, a condition he preferred. We laughed, and he went on declaring all kinds of physics stuff none of us understood. So at this point, even the people behind us are laughing, and not the friendly chuckling kind. Evo guy stops talking, smiles, and excuses himself.

So as we are packing up, the rain had just stopped, and the instructors are on-track for their last run in the 28 degree day, on the wet track, not puddled but damp. I grab the watch, and put a time on evo guy. He was a half-second quicker, varying in times per lap by less than one-tenth. I just chuckled, through my stuff in, and headed home.

Whoever this poor soul was, got beat on because he was a better driver than anyone there. He didn't gloat, and his student told me he was by far the best instructor he had ever had. I asked how long he was a member of the club, and he said he just showed up for the event to play with his Evo, and volunteered to take a student because the group was in a tight spot. What a wonderful thanks he got for all his trouble.

Guess this shows what a great car can do in the hands of a great driver.

Has this happened to anyone else, I mean someone show up and just destroy everyone?

 

Hello,

"We weren't clocking, but we started to notice, he was catching and passing everything. However, as we started to pay more attention, we noticed he would lose ground on most of the cars on the straights, but close the gaps entering the corners by burying the car into the turns and using the big brakes..."

Its called "trail braking," and it takes a very skilled driver to execute it. Also...if he's able to control oversteer in the rain, (very desirable on some tracks) WATCH OUT!, this is a very experienced driver here.

If half of what you say is true, I would personally run out, profusely apologize for the rude group that was a Subway, and give my right arm to get his number and 'invite' him out for another track session, and see if you can learn something from him.

Good Luck,

jcnel.

 

Several friends of mine complain that the PCA (Porsche Club of America) can get rather snooty. I've never experienced this kind of thing personally, but I've only run a few events with them. Our local PCA chapter has actually stopped inviting the local BMW club to their events. I guess they don't like it when guys in "cheap" E36 M3's hand them their asses. Hell, they even debate whether the 914 should be allowed in since it's too close to their VW roots for comfort.

It's especially funny in the rain when the well-balanced E36's really give those 911's a spanking...I guess the laws of physics still apply! No one likes getting beat on their home turf by small fries. I guess I'f be pretty sore if I just dropped 100 g's on a 911 Turbo and got passed by a guy in a 4-door Japanese sedan worth less than a third of the price!

Emre

 

And that's what I bought my evo.

 

The evo is a great car to trail brake with. It's very controled and I was catching and passing everything in my class as well and my instructor would destroy everything in his group even the race prepped cars. I have not had a chance to get oversteer in the rain on a track but I know the evo can do it. I added about 130 more HP to keep up with the 996tt's and the Z06 and vipers. I have also left the suspension stock. And these brakes on this car stock are perfect and need nothing else. Do some track events and you will see that there really is no other car that can beat the evo unless it is a 100% race car, but anything no matter what the power the evo will kill with a good driver. P-car F-car whatever.

 

Actually, it's my experience that trailbreaking with the Evo creates a very slow and controlled oversteer that is much easier to handle than it was in my previous car (type R)... So while being able to trailbrake properly may indicate a good driver, it's not nec an indicator of an expert...when driving an Evo at least!


I did a few PCA autocrosses at Giants Stadium in NJ a few years ago. While there with my ITR, I did sometimes feel some of the Porsche snobbery. They had classes for the Porsches but everyone else was put into the 'other' category. The club members really didn't want us there, but they couldn't afford the event without our entry money. There were usually more 'other' classed cars than Porsches!

SC~

 

I went to two local PCA auto-x's (i am a member...914 w/ chevy v8) with my evo.... I have only done 3 total auto-x's (including these 2).... anyway... i finished 2nd the first time and 1st by almost 2 seconds the second time I went.

The first time I ran in the first group which was wet, then the winner ran about 1 hour later when it had dried... he beat me by 1 second......they said no to a "runoff" in the dry.

the 2nd time I ended up beating everyone on street tires including both TT996's and the rest were just c4 996's and c4 993's mostly.

some guys were cool about the evo and others were calling it names....... PCA guys are alittle full of themselves....

o ya... one of the 996 turbo driver's name was "RACE"... everyone was talking like he was a god of driving (including himself)..... lame.

 

it's certainly fun to watch someone who knows how to shoe a car drive the EVO.

As far as the PCA is concerned, take it from the source. They figure that $$$$=ability.

Hi performance driving require practice, understanding of many aspects (Car, track, conditions, driving ability, etc)

To become a really good driver, you need to become a "Student of the game" as I explain to my students.

Driving the car in the wet is also a fun experience

 

I agree 100%. The Evo is very, very forgiving and is very mild at the limit. Try trailbraking in the wet in a track-prepped E30 with that old semi-trailling arm suspenson. I doubt you'd try it a second time

Emre

 

Porsches are one of those things I dont think people will ever understand untill they own one and all most no one knows how to drive them.

But you have to appreciate even the old 911's power to weight ratio of 11+/- to 1 infanately adjustable stock suspension you can raise lower ride height and corner balance the thing out of the factory every thing we pay for in 1600 coilover sets.

And driven right they can go deeper into corners longer in races than anything in the world because of that weight balance, they also can get on the gas alot sooner than anyone else for the same reason.\

Once you look at the engineering in a porsche and what it can do out of the box you'll understand why those guys are such snobs, as for the BMW thing I have been to thier schools and PCA events with my dad- the BMW dont go to the porsche schools any more because its like bringing and evo to a Subaru schoo or a WRX to a mitsu day think of the hostility.

 

"Actually, it's my experience that trailbreaking with the Evo creates a very slow and controlled oversteer that is much easier to handle than it was in my previous car (type R)... So while being able to trailbrake properly may indicate a good driver, it's not nec an indicator of an expert...when driving an Evo at least!"

True...yet I come from a sportbike background, and believe me...trail braking is one of the 'last' things you want to learn. "One" wrong trail brake maneuver = rashed fairings, and maybe a DNF. I'm so glad the EVO has '4' tires.

What irony! A Porsche is the right hands (humble/teachable driver) can be a weapon of track destruction! This is evidenced by the GT series of races...But who buys them?? Older "gentlemen" that have more ego than brains?

Oh well...different strokes for different folks.

Later,

jcnel.