Getting ready for the run
'Hooked On Driving' Laguna Seca on the 4th of July, 2012: The Experience
By Frank Cunningham 2012
Images by Clara Cunningham unless noted
I have just finished off on a long time dream of mine. Well not exactly as I had framed it but close enough. When I saw my first SCCA sports car race in Salt Lake City, I said that I wanted to do that also. Now 64 years later I have made it as close as I am going to thanks to a program called 'Hooked on Driving'.
Hooked on Driving is a high speed track experience for almost anyone who wants to have a go at high speed driving on the many different tracks around the US. There are many "drivers schools" sponsored by different auto clubs and tracks and I would believe that most are well run and provides a great driving experience, but I think 'Hooked on Driving' can be considered one of the best.
I decided I needed a first hand understanding of just what the 2005 911 Carrera S was made to do. Well I knew that I could not actually drive to the limits of the Carrera S, but I knew that the Carrera would take me to my limits, and an open race track with no speed limits would be the best place to learn about where this edge was.
The track event I chose was at Mazda Raceway at the famous Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Driving a Porsche down the "Corkscrew" is a drivers dream. From my signing up for the event on-line to signing in at the track was as smooth as anything I have done. I had chosen, due to my track experience (none) and many other factors to list myself as a beginner, which I was. Being a beginner, I received a personal driving coach, classroom time, in addition to the ample track time. I also got lunch.
I signed in and returned to my car to find a friendly guy waiting for me, who introduced himself to me as Gregg Peterson. When Gregg wasn't driving cars on race tracks, Gregg also drove a 911/996, and coaching for 'Hooked on Driving' he is dedicated to providing top-line service to Porsches and other quality cars at his day job as the owner of De Laveaga Service Center, in California's Santa Cruz area. Nice. I had a 'ticket to ride' , a top Porsche driver, to show me the proper way around one of the top race tracks in the USA, and it was only 7:30 AM.
The paddock filled up with an excellent cross section of cars and people. First-timers like myself in the car they drove in with to professionally decked out car carriers. There were Porsches, Ferraris, Audis, VWs, Lotus, a large abundance of Miata's, and a representation of most all other cars on the road.
The group was broken up into A, B, C, and D with 'A' being the beginners and "D' being the fast guys. Each group was scheduled to have 5 track times at 20 minutes each. This all worked out with much precision, until the last scheduled run of the day. More on this later. Demo rides were also provided by several drivers to let us rookies see how the hot-guys did it. Classes were held for the beginners between each run to review the track safety procedures and answer questions.
Gregg was very patient with me as I struggled to find the proper braking 'style' coming into the corners and cheered me on when I hit the line through the corners. "Fast is smooth" he repeated as I jerked at the wheel and over turned instead of drifting out of the corners. Going slower allowed the car to hold it's line and smooth out the transition of slowing-turning-accelerating, but I wanted to hammer on that 380 HP and make that flat 6 scream, that was fun. So I was a bit jerky, I was at the edge, maybe even over my head, a little. Greg finally got me to see the "line" through the "Corkscrew" by aiming for 'the' tree. All I could see coming into the 'drop' was the top of the trees, and trying to look for the apex of the bottom right hander only slowed down the car and put it off line. After Greg's tip, the "Corkscrew" was just plain fun.
Gregg Peterson and 'crew'
That's me in the 997 through the "Corkscrew"
Image Credit: Dito Milian of gotbluemilk.com 2012
Speaking of 'fun' corners, Gregg and I had some laughs as I struggled with the crest of the Start-Finish straight, and the entrance into Turn 2. I have the Porsche cresting at the 'I-can't-see-over-the-top' straight-away into a left hand kink at over 100MPH, which causes me to hold my breath. Now we are flying down hill with the third-gear Turn 2 in full view, Gregg is repeating into my headset "stay on the gas", "stay off the brakes", as I reflexively keep lifting from the throttle.
Passing is allowed and encouraged, but only under certain rules at marked places. I was in the beginners group so we were all beginners on the track, right. Right. So we were all capable of messing-up and I am certain that I failed to do many proper things, so the only issue I had all day was, on one run being distracted for at least 2 laps while being held back at every passing zone by 2 different slower drivers. But, isn't that just like "Real Track Racing"! Oh yes, thats right, we were "not racing".
Lunch Time
I will share 2 examples under the concept "Just because you can do it maybe it still is NOT a good idea"
Example 1. My partner Clar and I watch a couple of guys trying to determine what the strange snapping noise was all about when they droved their car around in the paddock while trying to get it ready for their last run group.
We left them and made it back to get ready for my last run. All ready to drive onto the track Greg and I sat. Then we were told that a car had gone off and our day was over, the track was closing. As Clar and I drove out of the paddock we passed that 'clicking car' with it's front end smashed in. I guess the 2 guys decide that as long as they could not find any reason NOT to take the car onto the track, they therefore CAN take it on to the track.
Example 2. This one is a bit more esoteric, but it also happened to me this day. Car gas-filler pipes have been in constant change, probably since the first models. First there was a filler tube with a cap. Then a locking cap. Then a hidden location of the cap. A cap under a flap with a finger opening for lifting the flap up. A cap under a flap with a manual cable release allowing the flap to flip up. And the latest greatest idea from Porsche for the gas cap:
A cap under a flap with a electronically controlled release to allow the flap to be lifted up when the engine is off and the door is not locked. (Except when it doesn't.)
I left the Laguna Seca track with less than a half of tank of gas for a drive home that required more than a half tank of gas. At the nearest gas pump in fading light, cool sea breeze coming in, the latch on the gas cover flap would not release to allow the flap to lift and I am thinking: Just because some engineer can make this 'Dam thing" work off the key/lock switch, maybe it still is NOT a good idea.
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