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News Flash

Anatole Lapine Dies at 81 »Anatole Lapine, Former Porsche Chief Designer, Dies At 81 (http://www.9magazine.com/anatole-lapine-former-porsche-chief-designer-dies-at-81.html)- Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, is mourning it’s chief designer of many years, Anatole Carl Lapine, who died on 30 April 2012 Friday, 06 April 2012 20:22

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche dies »Ferdinand Alexander Porsche dies (http://www.porsche.com/usa/aboutporsche/pressreleases/pag/?pool=international-de id=2012-04-05-03): Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is mourningProfessor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The Honorary President of the Supervisory Board died on 5 April 2012 in Salzburg, aged 76. Friday, 06 April 2012 20:22

PCA launches new Web store on www.pca.org »Get the latest PCA clothing, promotional/print products as a gift for a PCA enthusiasts or for yourself. Porsche, PCA DE Instructor and Club Racing logos are available on most items. PCA gift certificates are also available. For those attending the 2011 Parade, there are a few limited production items currently for sale. We hope you enjoy the convenience of ordering your favorite PCA items online. Check back regularly as we plan to expand our offering. MORE (http://www.pcawebstore.com/) Wednesday, 25 May 2011 04:05

Porsche is now available on your Ipad »Now you can also discover the fascination of Porsche on your iPad. (http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/porsche-pad-cinema/id412874213?mt=8) The Porsche Pad Cinema allows you to access a wide range of up-to-date Porsche videos directly. So you always have the latest information at your fingertips. Tuesday, 12 April 2011 06:59

Engineered for Magic - Every Day. »Born from racing, built to be driven every day, a Porsche is an icon of pure purpose, whatever your day's purpose happens to be. http://www.porscheeveryday.com Tuesday, 12 April 2011 06:41

Driver Education Tips

More Thoughts on Drivers’ Education

Ed Merry

First Settlers just had a wonderful and well-executed 3 day Drivers Education at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), just east of Danville, VA. Jessica asked that I write a short article on the who, where, when and how. But especially the why of a DE.

The “who” is any Porsche owner who likes his/her car and wants to know more about how it drives and handles. Porsches simply were made to be driven. That overall philosophy started with Ferry Porsche in 1948 and continues today. Sure some people buy a Porsche for the prestige or to have a trophy in their garage. But for me, the real pleasure is driving a Porsche. There is something special about the tactile feel and feedback and responsiveness of a Porsche that is pure enjoyment.

The “where” is a bit of problem. Porsches have much more capability than will be realized on a public road. Triple digit speeds on back roads in Virginia is simply very high risk. The alternative is a DE on a

closed course with an instructor. There are limited cars on the track at each session. Passing is permitted only in certain low risk parts of the track and only with a "point by" by the car in front. There are other tracks. I did a DE at Watkins Glen in July 2010 just to drive the Formula 1 Course that I saw on TV. But VIR is the favorite of our region. For the record, eventually I plan to do DEs at Road Atlanta, Lime Rock, Sebring and Daytona. Anyone else interested in such a excursion?

The “when” is easy. Our next DE is September 24-26 at VIR. Two days on the VIR short course and one day on the Full Course. Other regions have dates at VIR and Summit Point as well. Look at your calendar and pick a suitable time and then go on line to find one you like and then register.

The “how” is also easy. You need to have an approved helmet, and a pre-event professional Tech Inspection which usually includes flushing your brake fluid (which attracts moisture over time). This inspection assures your Porsche is ready for more spirited driving. If you have more questions, contact any of the more active members of our region. Show up early on the DE date and clear everything loose out of your car. There is an on-site tech inspection to make sure everything is ship-shape before you drive quickly.

The “why” needs some explanation. Essentially, your everyday driving style will change after a few DEs. First you will become more aware of what is going around you as you look as far as you can see versus the tendency these days

in traffic to drive looking at the tail lights in front of you. This makes you more safe on public roads. Second, the DE experience over time will demonstrate much more of the capabilities of your Porsche. For example, I now know what maximum braking feels like in my Porsche. I hope I never have to use it, but I know how to use it when I need to. And third, your everyday driving will be

much more smooth. As I learned as a novice, smooth is fast. Jerky and tire smoke and such seem dramatic, but smooth is fast. Furthermore, when I come in after a DE session, the car just feels good. Almost like it likes being driven hard.

But the best reason is that it is fun. I drive home tired, at the speed limit, mellowed out, and with a big smile. I often mutter: "Wow, so that is what a Porsche is like!" BUT, be warned. DEs are addictive. I tried one and then began driving them several times a year. And it does consume tires, brake pads

and gas. Drive safe and I'll see you at the track.

First Settlers just had a wonderful and well-executed 3 day Drivers' Education at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), just east of Danville, VA. This is a short article on the who, where, when and how. But especially the why of a DE.

The “who” is any Porsche owner who likes his/her car and wants to know more about how it drives and handles. Porsches simply were made to be driven. That overall philosophy started with Ferry Porsche in 1948 and continues today. Sure some people buy a Porsche for the prestige or to have a trophy in their garage. But for me, the real pleasure is driving a Porsche. There is something special about the tactile feel and feedback and responsiveness of a Porsche that is pure enjoyment.

Track Ready Tech Session

FSR Members enjoyed a "Track Ready" Tech Session on Saturday, March 26th, at LMN Motorsports in Virginia Beach. Lutzo provided coffee and doughnuts and covered great info about Porsches. The information provided was very helpful as we prepare for the upcoming DE season. Stay tuned for images from the tech session.

LMN Motor Sports:

567 Central Dr., Ste 105

VA Beach, VA 23454

757-233-0558

Top 10 Reasons

topten Reasons to Attend a Drivers’ Ed Event at VIR in 2011

10. The May DE is the weekend before Memorial Day! So this year, your wife won’t eradicate you for abandoning her on a holiday. (May 20-22nd).

9. Better yet…bring your wife to the Single-Session-DE-Intro on the track for only 50 bucks.

8. Prove once and for all that your Porsche is faster than your buddy’s BMW.

7. You could bring your car to the tech line with all your stuff in the trunk and get to hear Chris Stanley (our trusty Tech Chair) yell at you.

6. You can brag about how you went to “the track” in front of all your office friends.

5. You can find out which car John Carey will bring next to the track.

4. You can keep your local race prep shops in business.

3. You might get to see our new co-registrar, Kevin, work harder at cleaning his car than driving on the track.

2. In September, you can do it all again with 2 days on the South Course and 1 day on the Full Course (Sept 24-26)

1. …and the #1 reason to come to VIR this year …

See if Don Bryant is really a better cook than he is a driver at the September Cookout! Attention… food will not be overly “spun” like his driving!

Paying Attention

Paul Oberdorfer and “Inner Speed Secret # 20”

There are two important mental activities at work when driving on the track: focus and attention. In discussing attention, we are actually referring to focusing our concentration. When working on our attention, we are also attempting to leave our mistakes or weak performance on previous turns behind us, and forcing our minds to plan for the next event: a turn, straight, or, perhaps, a pass.

There are two types of attention, broad and narrow. Broad attention is being aware of everything around us, i.e. the track ahead, location of a bump, position of a flag station, or cars in our vicinity. Narrow attention refers to focusing on one specific thing, such as a turn-in point or braking marker. Controlling a high performance car on the track is a very complex task requiring a high level of multitasking ability. The complexity increases significantly in competitive driving. When driving a car at speed on the track by ourselves, we can rely primarily on narrow attention. However, when racing or on the track with other cars in a DE event, we must constantly switch back and forth from narrow to broad attention and do it rapidly. We must juggle the small details of our line, turn-in points and handling traits, as well as the position of other cars and the intent of the drivers.

In considering the above, we must be relaxed when concentrating in a track car. Excitement or confusion will only limit our ability to handle the multiple attention levels required. There will always be the requirement to split our attention from inside the car (narrow attention) to outside (broad attention), at the same time, keeping track of other cars and track condition, aka, the big picture.

There is a limit to the amount of attention we can allocate to any given event and time. This is another reason why driving should be almost automatic, or subconscious (as tennis players put it, “in the zone”). If we are consciously thinking about working the shifter properly or our heel-and-toe technique, we’ll have little attention left for more urgent items requiring both broad and narrow attention, like grip, the line, and other cars around us. If we are processing things on a conscious level the speed and acuity of all required outputs will suffer.

There are many strategies to improve the second portion of this topic, focus, which we will discuss in the next issue. In the meantime I would suggest reading Inner Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley and Ronn Langford. This book contains many exercises to improve mental performance while driving. See you at the track!

Concentration & Achieving the Most from Track Time

With excerpts from The Bondurant School training manual

boxster-spyder

Contrary to popular belief and casual understanding of high performance driving and motorsports in general, studies show that the fastest drivers are capable of high levels of concentration. In fact, drivers often report of being “in the zone” similar to athletes in tennis, golf or other sports.

Those who are successful in this demanding endeavor are those who have the ability to focus on the task at hand and visualize in their mind where they want their care to be in the next instant. This ability is not only important in a racecar, but also a skill to nurture and develop for any driving situation. Typically, the greatest enemies of concentration are adrenaline, heat, and exhaustion, all of which you are more than likely to experience during Porsche Club DE events.

Your ability to recognize that you are beginning to lose concentration is paramount. You can then react to this potential liability by simply taking a break or relaxing your intensity level (an art in itself!) in the vehicle. This can often spell the difference between successful learning or a wasted event.