Boulder GT3

I was playing with the GT3 on the track yesterday and almost stuffed it. 3rd gear sweeper going down a hill. I had a good line but the cause of the near miss was excessive speed by the driver. God visited me because the track isn’t very safe and I had part of the LR tire over the curb which had about a 9” drop off on the other side and down a rocky hill. Very likely it would have rolled. Other than renewed faith (promises made shortly there after) and maybe some additional caution, a couple of thoughts have settled and a question:

I can still feel where a 911 is on the road better than any car I’ve ever driven. I’ve got track time in Z06’s and I could never get that connection. Same with my Gallardo on the road. I just don’t know exactly where it is. I knew the rear tire had about an inch to go. Of course, I knew it too late. I also know this is not because the vette is a bad car. Lot's of people have the touch in them.

I am convinced that the only thing that saved the car was focus on the next turn. Through some random fit of intelligence I practiced “don’t look where you don’t want to go” through a nasty save.

And of course, I thought about reconsidering PSM which leads me to my question. Seriously, how many of you have had a track experience in the GT3 where you wish you had PSM? I have not had the GT3 on the track much and I’m sure it wouldn’t have let me get that close to disaster but I still don’t know that I’d use PSM on the track. There are only two times when I was surprised by the GT3 and it was at 40 degrees and I was going less than 30MPH on the street.

Approaching the day with a new humility.

Bob Rouleau

How would PSM have saved you on track? Did the car oversteer or understeer? Did it simply track out too far? PSM does not perform miracles, especially at high speeds.

best,

mooty

yes, i do have times where i wish i had PSM. but the reality is those few times that i was out of shape, short of GOD's intervention, no PSM or any other gadgetry would have saved me.

Boulder GT3

Very light oversteer on exit with moderate not full throtle. Assuming the PSM would have caught the oversteeer before I did although I don't know.

Bob Rouleau

Thanks. PSM would have helped under the circumstance you describe. I bet you remember your instructor saying "progressive acceleration, never just floor it".

Best,

Boulder GT3

Actually, I was rolling it on pretty gently but it was still too much. It needed to be just above neutral to keep the back end set. I still wonder if PSM would have intervened.

Flying Finn

I've gone to the grass couple of times (in 993, not in GT3), T1 in Sebring & T1 in Homestead.

Iin Sebring I came in little too hot, tail came out and in order to "save it" I steered it out to the grass and then same back.
In Homestead, again, little too much speed and just ran out of roud, I was trying to make it turn, oversteered a little bit but then decided to just go little out and save it by doing that.

In both occasions though, and now looking back, I didn't and don't wish my car had PSM and the way I prefer to drive (often little oversteer to make the car turn), I think PSM would not be good. Haven't tried it though, just what I think it would be.

I prefer my Porsche without electronic aids, even AMS (at least in 993) IMO is not good and I'd rather have it without.

mooty

i believe PSM will cut in, but it depends on how much steering input and throttle input you got at the time. if your str wheel is turned and you had enough throttle down, you will still come around with PSM on.

ltc

Your scenario was similar to something that happened to me on the downhill at Lime Rock (964 Cup...no PSM) .....of course, it was something shared only between myself, my Nomex suit and the dry cleaner

I guess this is where PSM was nicknamed 'Please Save Me'

Bob Rouleau

Boulder, if you car oversteered under the circumstances, soften your rear bar. Are yours set -1F and -1 rear? I much prefer -1F and -2 rear. Almost all the fast guys set them this way. A little understeer in fast corners lets us get on the gas earlier.

best,

Boulder GT3

Good one!

Boulder GT3

I'm -1r and -1f. Next time out I'll tweak to your suggestion.

Holger B

My first time out in the GT3, I got too aggressive with the fun pedal coming out of a slow turn, tried to save it by counter steering (whoops, too much), counter steer other way...looped it almost a full 360 and stalled in the middle of the track.

Glad I didn't have PSM. Why? I had some bad habits from my old 996 because things happened more slowly in that car. PSM might have saved me, but then the next time elsewhere on track I'd have likely made a bigger mistake that PSM wouldn't solve and I'd have a real problem on my hands. Also, it's harder to learn to be smooth with electronics intermittently kicking in.

I also did exactly what Bob suggested and softened the rear bar a notch. Seems like a better set up to me. (I also had built up too much pressure in the rears and the grip wasn't there when I spun, but that's another issue...)

boqueron

I would like to have ALWAYS PSM on the street. THere are many ocassions were, surely , PSM would - or will - save me on a track but.... I don't want PSM on the track. The reason I bought a GT3 was that I wanted to reach the limits and be aware of the consequences beyond them...on a "safe" track with all kind of safety measures.... This is , again, not my atitude at all on the street.

On my previous 996TT, I drove on the track without PSM... Following the advise of the different instructors I had ! My lap times decreased inmediatly wich clearly means that I was stoped by it...

bora

-2r made a huge difference in confidence level for me.