I Took My $600 Porsche To A Track Day At Road Atlanta

"Joe6pack" (joe6pack)
12/20/2016 at 11:45 • Filed to: None

And here is what I learned.

After my trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway and 159.6 mph, I thought I had missed my calling as a professional race car driver. But my first track day at Road Atlanta quickly put that notion to rest.

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Now, we all know that Road Atlanta has a bit of a reputation for taking even experienced drivers and chewing them up and spitting them out. With its elevation changes, tight corners, long straights and blind crest curves, it’s almost like it was designed to kill you. I had driven Road Atlanta before in parade laps in both my 911 and my 944, but that doesn’t compare with being surrounded by other much faster cars with the ability to pass (with point by on the straights).

I was driving in the Novice/Instructed class and there were five classes – Novice/Instructed, Novice-Solo, Intermediate, Advanced and Racer. Novice/Instructed and Novice-Solo would be on the track at the same time.

The day started with a driver’s meeting. This was a loose affair where they went over a few ground rules most of which I was praying I could remember. Immediately after the meeting we were introduced to our instructors. My instructor was a great guy. He was there with his wife who was also driving. Now, I don’t know what they give these guys to be instructors, but it probably isn’t enough. The idea of getting in the right seat of someone’s 30 year old street car while they try to drive one of the most dangerous road courses in the world with no experience boggles the mind.

Two sessions of classroom instruction were also provided. But, what was a little unnerving is that we went out for our first stint prior to the first class. Presumably, this was some people’s first time driving at RA ever.

Needless to say, I was slooooowww. The turns 2-3-4 combo really flummoxed me. I kept coming out of turn four and turning in too early thinking the entry to the motorcycle course was the entry into the esses. Each time I realized my mistake, I would drop anchor which I am sure thrilled the stack of cars behind me. Fortunately, this eventually went away as I learned to just stay left coming out of four.

The next problem was the climb coming out of turn five. With only 147 Bhp and 144 lb-ft of torque, I was at a decided disadvantage compared with most of the other cars on the track (a subject I will get to in a minute).

Once on the straight between turns five and six, it was time to let everyone pass as I was helpless due to the lack of power. Turn seven is the slowest turn on the track, but once again my lack of power coming out meant that I was being overtaken by pretty much everyone. Turns eight and nine are hardly turns as you can pretty much go flat out.

The approach to turn 10A is downhill coming off the back straight and is probably the fastest point on the track. Heavy braking is required to slow down to take 10A and my stock brakes faded pretty quickly. 10A is a quick left hander followed by 10B which is a quick right. Then, it’s uphill to turn 11 and the bridge. Once again, my lack of power meant that I had cars stacked up behind me heading up the hill. Turn 11 is a crest curve and you cannot see the other side until you crest it. It also happens to be a sea of asphalt with the entry to the pits to the left and the pro pits to the right. You have to use markers on the bridge to set up and begin making the turn at the crest. My instructor told me that the last time he instructed a student in a 944, on the first two laps, they went into the pits. I think he was having PTSD style flashbacks in that zone. I wasn’t that bad, but it took a while for me to get comfortable. Then it’s downhill to turn twelve which is a fast sweeper onto the front straight where I kept imagining my left front wheel falling off. It’s possible to carry a lot of speed here, but once on the straight, it was time to be overtaken by the train of Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaros again.

After my first stint it was off to a short classroom session. It was mainly a film review of turns 11 and 12. We also reviewed the corner flags. In the second even shorter class, we watched a video of an M2 going around the track which helped show the racing line.

My instructor’s car was a fully prepped 1995 BMW M3. It had a full cage, seats and harnesses and most of the interior had been stripped. The drivetrain was mostly stock with the exception of a larger MAF, a chip, a tune and an exhaust. The brakes were also upgraded and you could really tell. I rode shotgun with his wife at the wheel during one of the intermediate session and I was impressed. I also rode shotgun with my instructor at the wheel during an advanced session and he really impressed as well. I’m not sure I am ready to unleash that level of abuse on my car just yet, but it definitely let me see some areas where my car needs improvement - particularly in safety.

As the day wore on, I got better. I didn’t exactly master 2, 3, and 4, but I did manage to at least know where I was going without being surprised. I continued to be overtaken on the straights and I think I could have gotten out and pushed the car up the hills at 5 and 11 faster than the 2.5 liter could muster. In retrospect, I probably should have downshifted to second going into 5 and 10A. I also tended to coast around corners rather than doing all my braking on the straights and driving through the corners. This is something to work on.

There is something, however, I have been conflicted about and that is the substantial differences between the cars. Here is a sampling of the cars that were on track at the same time as my lowly 944:

2016 Chevrolet Camaro, 2009 Chevrolet Corvette, 2015 Ford Focus ST, 2008 FFR Thunder Roadster, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z51, 2015 Volvo V60 Polestar, 2016 Ford Focus ST, 2005 Lotus Elise, 2015 Ford Mustang GT, 2016 Porsche Cayman GTS, 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, 2008 Chevrolet Corvette, 2000 Chevrolet Corvette, 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 2014 Ford Mustang, 2016 BMW 328i, 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, 2016 BMW M4 GTS, 2007 Audi S4, 2008 Lexus IS-F, 2017 Subaru WRX STI, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, 1997 BMW 328i, 2008 Lexus IS-F, 2002 Mazda Miata, 1999 BMW M3, 2013 BMW M3, 1993 Ford Mustang, 2007 Nissan 350Z, 2002 Chevrolet Corvette, 2004 Dodge Viper

A 1988 BMW 325is and a 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe were the closest things to what I had.

I felt like I had brought a knife to a gunfight. Even my instructor commented on it as he feels that speeds have gotten a little out of hand at the novice level. It’s hard to concentrate on the road ahead when there is a line of cars stacked up in your rearview mirror. I also didn’t get to work on my passing - for obvious reasons. Some of these are street cars with over 400 hp that are capable of close to 200 mph with (presumably) street safety equipment. But, what to do? These were all beginners just like me who happen in some cases to have bought their cars new the day before.

Which brings me to the 2004 Dodge Viper that was on track at the same time. From looking at the roster, this car/driver was signed up for the intermediate run group, so I don’t know what he was doing on track with the novices. He was also the only driver of the day who couldn’t wait for his point by because he was too busy riding the bumper of the corvette that I did point by. This is the kind of thing that worries me. We are all ok as long as we follow the rules – same goes for street driving.

And, as I was writing this piece, I stumbled on the following Jalopnik article which told me what I already new.

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If I plan to continue doing this, I need to spend a few bucks on safety equipment before worrying about speed. I estimate that I can get a Redline harness bar, seats and 6 point harnesses and maybe a HANS for around $2,000. I know a full cage would be the way to go, but for now this is a street car and a cage just isn’t practical. These are fully reversible mods that I could install and remove as necessary. And I may go ahead and upgrade the brakes as well.

I have already signed up for my next track day which will be at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Munford, AL in February. My instructor suggested this track as it was designed for motorcycles and has large runoff areas and no walls. It is also short at 1.33 miles and 9 turns and is better suited to my (slow) car. Because of this, at least according to my instructor, it is shunned by the bigger horsepower guys.

One of the best things I can say about the day is that the $600 Porsche survived and did quite well. The only failure of the day came when the outer windshield molding came loose on the passenger side. My instructor held onto it outside the window and I finished the stint. Some duct tape later and I was back in business – just like a real race car.

DISCUSSION (20)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 11:53

Have you changed your brake fluid to something fresh with a higher boiling point and better pads? Makes a dramatic difference for practically no money. I’ve never had brake fade in my (albeit much lighter) MR2 using otherwise stock brakes.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 11:56

Good write up. Speed is all relative, and around town, I love that my 944 can be wrung out a little without being a complete menace to society. But among the cars you listed, it’s a bit behind the curve.

Go get some new brake lines, fluid and maybe nicer pads and your braking should be more than enough.

Thomas Donohue > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 12:07

You, the 2002 Miata and 1993 Mustang sound like a novice class. That’s some list of cars...glad they are taking them to the track.

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4....they couldn’t afford to rent the whole track to themselves?

Also, 2004 Dodge Viper + novice = look out!

Great write up. I’m now off to drive the 944 at Road Atlanta in Forza...

Arrivederci > Thomas Donohue
12/20/2016 at 12:20

LOL - thanks to Forza I knew exactly what sections of course he was referencing with each turn.

Chasaboo > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 12:30

That’s a crazy collection of cars on track. I’d have loved to have been there just to see them dealing with each other.

DeLM > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 12:35

I live like 10 minutes from there. I love it!!! For a lower HP car I would suggest a track day at Atlanta Motorsports Park. It is a lot more technical and is more about proper technique and lines than power. Find Jzilla trackdays online for the dates. Also.... Enjoy your track days and thank you for going to the track to drive hard! BTW, idk if you are part of the 944/924 club, But if you were, that was me in the black Miata going up Blood Mountain with you guys. Well I was with my group but i liked your guy’s pace better so I jump in with your train till the store at the top.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 12:40

Here’s the thing about safety and track days. Unless you are doing a full cage, do not do harnesses. They need to be used with a cage, end stop. If you roll over (which is very rare for a track day) your car is designed to crumple which is ok because the stock belts give you the ability to also move with the action. If you are in there with a harness it’s a different story. Having a half built build is less safe than the stock setup.

If you want the support and stability of them, get a CG-Lock and use the stock seatbelt.

yamahog > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
12/20/2016 at 12:53

Seconded. And paging Santiago for a third.

yamahog > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
12/20/2016 at 12:57

Fwiw, I run RBF 600 and ebc bluestuff pads on the widemaro with no issues. I still can’t believe that car left the factory with DOT 3 fluid.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 12:59

Like another comment said, you might rethink that harness bar plan. Beyond not being an great idea, some sanctioning bodies will not allow a car to run harnesses on a track without a roll bar or better. My 18 year-old self can confirm that a full cage is not terribly livable on a street car, but a roll bar can work fine for street usage. Auto power probably sells something that may or may not be any good, but a good race shop should be able to fab up a single hoop roll bar with a diagonal brace, harness bar and a set of rear support tubes that would tremendously improve the safety of the car on a track, and that would probably still have some nice gains in chassis rigidity. You really, really want something welded in vs. bolt in.

If you’re set on (and allowed to) to running harnesses without a cage or roll bar, you might consider looking at a Scroth 3 point set up. They are usually run using the lap belt mounting points for the driver’s seat and the upper point attaches to the upper rear seat belt mounting point. They use a simple buckle, allow use of the original belts on the street, and they may even be DOT approved for street usage. While they are nowhere near as good as an SFI rated 5 or 6 point belt and a single piece race seat (with a cage) in a crash, but they are superior protection to your OEM belts and they’ll hold you in place well in a factory seat.

https://www.schrothracing.com/products/rallye-belts#1576

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 13:09

Definitely do not use fixed back seats without a roll bar. Normal seats are designed to collapse during a rollover so your head isn’t crushed.

4 point harnesses are pretty much always a bad idea because of submarining (0:25)

If you want to hold yourself in better, one way is to move the seat all the way back, lock the belt, then move forward again to tighten it more

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
12/20/2016 at 13:22

If you really do want to go with that route, get something like this https://www.vividracing.com/catalog/-p-153438.html?utm_cmp=FullFeed&gclid=Cj0KEQiAyuPCBRCimuayhb3qqvwBEiQAgz62kanrOdwenChhZQ0pjtHqTxKJheMvXfPD7ukTWzGuobMaAlp68P8HAQ

A 4 point like that will help in a rollover, but won’t do anything for front impact. Also make sure you get some kind of neck restraint. Harnesses keep your body very rigid, but your head will keep moving forward and you can hurt your neck

Joe6pack > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
12/20/2016 at 20:48

Sorry for the late replies. My company’s IT policy considers Oppo “Entertainment”. Interestingly, the FP loads just fine. Take that FP.

Anyway, I hear what you are saying, but as you point out, a rollover is very rare. However, hitting a wall or another car probably isn’t. The point of fixed seats, six point harness and the harness bar is to keep you in place better than stock seats and belts as the impact occurs. I really don’t see how this is a bad thing, but I am prepared to be enlightened.

Joe6pack > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
12/20/2016 at 20:50

I bled the brakes just prior and I only live a mile from the track. I use the Valvoline DOT 3&4 synthetic in the blue & white bottle. The pads are unknown as they are new, but came with the car.

Joe6pack > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/20/2016 at 20:56

I think it will be awhile before I am forced to run with anything more than stock equipment. Both PCA and Just Track It (JTI) are fine with even the stock safety equipment as long as it is not an open car.

Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

Joe6pack > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
12/20/2016 at 20:58

This is true. I think it would be fun if there were a group of Miatas, 944s and other small displacement, normally aspirated cars on track.

My pads are of unknown origin, but they are new.

Joe6pack > DeLM
12/20/2016 at 21:00

I’m not part of that club, but I think I know some folks who are. I would like to try AMP. I know PCA runs there sometimes. I am going to try this small track in Alabama. Road Atlanta is coming back up in March as well.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Joe6pack
12/20/2016 at 21:18

It’s all or nothing. More and more groups are not allowing harness bars because they are middle ground and aren’t real safe anywhere.

If you can’t do at least a roll hoop (full cage being better) you are safer with stock equipment.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Joe6pack
12/21/2016 at 08:22

Yeah, that’s not the type of fluid you need. Still has a low boiling point (300ish degrees) even if new. Motul RBF600 or similar is what you need. That will take up to 600 new, and will still do 400 and change once it absorbs water. The Motul will be more hydroscopic, so it will absorb water faster and thus need to be changed more often, but it’s better than getting to the end of a straight to find that you don’t have brakes.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > yamahog
12/21/2016 at 08:28

Yep, that’s what I run too. Never had brake fade ever. Does need to be changed more often though, which could have played into GM’s decision to put Dot3 in. Also could have required years of committees to change the fluid.