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-First track day in a Porsche,
-First track day in a car that was mid engine
-First track day running cup 2 tires
-First track day in my 981 GT4.
I probably took this car to 10% of its limit because I'm a beginner and have maybe 7 total track days worth of experience (yesterday was my first day back on a track in 10 years so I'm basically brand new and rusty). Track was atlanta motorsports park in GA via JZilla Track days.
-First session review: In the morning session it was still a bit cold, in the 40's, and the track was slick due to slight rain so had to be careful. My goal for this session was to very simply get comfortable with being on a track again, to find the braking points, to find what gear to be in for X turn and so forth, and really just build comfort. I gave probably 10 cars a point by to pass me (about 20 cars in each run group I think) because I was not focused on pushing myself or the car yet.
-2nd session review: Now it was about 10am, the track temps were in the 50's, it was sunny, track was dry, and now I started to have confidence in the tires grip and the car. I started to progressively drive faster in each corner to feel things out and in this session I overtook about 8 cars with ease (with pointby of course).
3rd session review: with the temps in the 60's now and the the track warm I felt like I was superman, lol. The grip and control I felt I had was beyond words. This car, I mean wow. Porsche is amazing at what they do. I had a blast
4th session review: This session went smooth and fun, however the end of it was cut short due to a black flag incident. Unfortunately a blue Subaru STI tried to overtake me on turn 16, the fastest corner of the track where speeds are 100+, and without a point by. This problem with that was, after the apex on turn 16(right turn) I carried a bit too much momentum through the corner to maintain the racing line so I went towards the left side of the track where the inertia took me. Me knowing that my car was going to the left side of the track, as soon as the turn was complete and I had a free hand I was going to give him the point by to pass me on my right side. However, the Subaru for whatever reason initiated a pass to my left before the corner was complete, and before I gave him the point by. In our beginner run group, you are only allowed to pass in straights, and WITH a point by. He attempted a pass without either of those criteria met. Unfortunately when he started to initiate the pass to my left he must've realized there wasn't the track space to do so, then he veered right abruptly to I think pass to my right side, keep in mind speeds are 100+ here, he spun to the right with the rear coming around, and he went head first into the wall. In my rear view it happened so fast but I saw the collision he made with the wall and parts fly everywhere. It looked awful. Session was black flagged and we all went to paddock, luckily I heard the driver was okay. They talked to me and said I was not at fault but I was shaken from seeing that so I decided to cut my day short, quit while I was ahead an go home.
Was there an instructor in both your car and the Subaru? If I had been the instructor in the Subaru, and it had been driven like that for the first three sessions, there would not have been a fourth session.
Was there an instructor in both your car and the Subaru? If I had been the instructor in the Subaru, and it had been driven like that for the first three sessions, there would not have been a fourth session.
Here's the passing and run group info below. There was not an instructor in my car, not sure if the subaru had one or not.
Green - Beginner Group (0-4 track days) - drivers may pass with a point by on designated straightaways. Instructor is mandatory.
Blue – Beginner Group (5-10 track days) - drivers may pass with a point by on designated straightaways. Instructor is optional.
Red– Intermediate Group (10+ track days) - drivers may pass anywhere on the track with a point by
Yellow – Advanced Group - drivers may pass anywhere on the track with a point by
This is literally written in rule #1 for the track day event rules and regs:
"Aggressive driving or passing without a point by is prohibited, and will result in penalty to the driver"
Glad you had fun in your first day with the GT4 on track (Shake off the Subaru incident, it happens and was driver error on his/her part). Keep enjoying the car like it was meant to be enjoyed!
Glad you had fun in your first day with the GT4 on track (Shake off the Subaru incident, it happens and was driver error on his/her part). Keep enjoying the car like it was meant to be enjoyed!
Suggest you find a PCA sponsored event which will obviously have instructors. There are other groups similar to PCA but the one you ran with is clearly not. You don't want the risk associated with this group.
Suggest you find a PCA sponsored event which will obviously have instructors. There are other groups similar to PCA but the one you ran with is clearly not. You don't want the risk associated with this group.
This wasn't a PCA event, but did have instructors. If you're trying to imply PCA events aren't risky or that an instructor is some type of safety net against wrecks........have YOU been to any PCA events or used google? I can assure you aggressive drivers over driving their cars is not something that PCA is without:https://jalopnik.com/driver-dies-aft...ash-1822938194
Instructors optional after potentially 2 to 4 events would not happen in any PCA region I’ve run with. Also, for you to be without an instructor with your list of 1st’s is irresponsible. Your link is indeed unfortunate for driver and instructor but a lot of information may not have had time for discovery and review at time of writing. But, you do you and I’ll look to stay with PCA regions I trust.
Sorry to hear about your first day mate but you did the exact right thing, take it as a sign and 'pull up stumps' as they say (well they do here in Australia). You were certainly not at fault, the red mist clearly took over. More importantly, when is your next track day? Great photos btw.
Instructors optional after potentially 2 to 4 events would not happen in any PCA region I’ve run with. Also, for you to be without an instructor with your list of 1st’s is irresponsible. Your link is indeed unfortunate for driver and instructor but a lot of information may not have had time for discovery and review at time of writing. But, you do you and I’ll look to stay with PCA regions I trust.
I appreciate your feedback. I also do hope to check out more PCA events in the future as well.
Originally Posted by Miles3719
Sorry to hear about your first day mate but you did the exact right thing, take it as a sign and 'pull up stumps' as they say (well they do here in Australia). You were certainly not at fault, the red mist clearly took over. More importantly, when is your next track day? Great photos btw.
Thanks! Already making plans for the next one, I can't wait!
Good on ya. I can’t tell you the number of times I realized by the end of Session 4 that I was done, and that staying for Session 5 was risking something happening to me and the car, and I wasn’t even going to really enjoy myself the last session. I’ve even gone out and come back in after a few laps on Session 4 when I realized I was done. And, I’ve stayed out for 5 sessions and wished there were three more also. Every day is different.
Peachstate PCA events are indeed well run and classy, usually at either AMP or Road Atlanta. But so are plenty of other options.
And great photo! I’ve never seen a PTS GT4 at a track day. Do you remember the name of the driver of the blue 982?
Good on ya. I can’t tell you the number of times I realized by the end of Session 4 that I was done, and that staying for Session 5 was risking something happening to me and the car, and I wasn’t even going to really enjoy myself the last session. I’ve even gone out and come back in after a few laps on Session 4 when I realized I was done. And, I’ve stayed out for 5 sessions and wished there were three more also. Every day is different.
Peachstate PCA events are indeed well run and classy, usually at either AMP or Road Atlanta. But so are plenty of other options.
And great photo! I’ve never seen a PTS GT4 at a track day. Do you remember the name of the driver of the blue 982?
Yeah track days are fun but intense so I want to make sure my mind and body are in proper form before going out there, never know what will happen whether it's my car, another car, or just a dang unforeseeable event that pops up out of no where. I don't regret missing the last session, but am excited to get back. Going to sign up for road atlanta next and see how this does on a faster track.
Funny story with those gt4's. I don't remember the owner of the shark blue one's name, but the green one's owner was named Frank. The Blue GT4 didn't register for the track day but came to the track just to check the scene out and see some friends of his. On the way there, he ran into the green GT4 at a gas station, not knowing him he invited him to check it out and he came along. I thought that was really cool, porsche guys inviting others to come out to the track and get exposed to it. And I actually gave Frank a ride along on my session #3, which actually coincidentally got black flagged a bit short as well because a BRZ went into a tire wall at the carousel.
And great photo! I’ve never seen a PTS GT4 at a track day. Do you remember the name of the driver of the blue 982?
I don't think any of these are PTS. One is a 718 GT4 in python green and one is a 718 GT4 in shark blue (both are great colors). Having said that, I have taken my PTS 981 GT4 to track days and autocross it regularly in the PNW.
Instructors optional after potentially 2 to 4 events would not happen in any PCA region I’ve run with. Also, for you to be without an instructor with your list of 1st’s is irresponsible. Your link is indeed unfortunate for driver and instructor but a lot of information may not have had time for discovery and review at time of writing. But, you do you and I’ll look to stay with PCA regions I trust.
Time was I could have concurred with this, but those days are long past in my region. Too many Inexperienced guys driving fast cars, many of them not Porsches, show up pushing to get promoted to solo after the first weekend, let alone the second or third.
This wasn't a PCA event, but did have instructors. If you're trying to imply PCA events aren't risky or that an instructor is some type of safety net against wrecks........have YOU been to any PCA events or used google? I can assure you aggressive drivers over driving their cars is not something that PCA is without:https://jalopnik.com/driver-dies-aft...ash-1822938194
If that is the incident I'm thinking of, it had nothing to do with overly aggressive driving. The driver had a medical emergency which led to the crash.
03-18-2024, 12:34 PM
Post-First-track-day-in-a-GT4 thoughts
Great photos btw.
