Thanks to our FSR Driver's Education program, I've had the chance to realize driving a Porsche on a real racetrack. It has been the single most exhilarating thing I've ever done. Nothing else has ever topped the adrenaline rush I receive by driving my car on the track. In spite of this, I quickly learned after going to VIR for the first time in September of 2007, that driving fast is much more than simply matting the accelerator pedal. The DE's provide new drivers with a chance to begin learning the importance of so much more...the driving position, BRAKING, vehicle dynamics, high speed vision, smooth shifting and inputs... the list goes on and on. And after a couple of events at VIR, I was surely hooked. (How many times have we heard THAT before?)

That’s when I learned that Porsche, yes the actual Porsche, also has its very own school for introducing young scholars to the fine art of going fast...Porsche Sport Driving School. (And like every other cool thing on the new Porsches, there's an acronym for the school...PSDS.) At around $3000 for a two-day course, the price tag was hefty. So, just like I began saving for my first Porsche in 1992, I set out to accrue money for furthering my driving education. Nearly two years later, I set-off for Barber Motorsports Park, a world-class facility in Birmingham, Alabama, home to the only official Porsche driving school in the United States. For a PCA DE, you bring YOUR car. At PSDS, you use THEIR cars...current model year Carreras, Carrera S's, Cayman S's, and Boxsters.

There's even a brief introduction to off-road entertainment in a 6000 pound Porsche Cayenne Turbo that can – get this – beat the Carreras around the track for a few laps before the brakes get too hot! And since so many people don't want to travel with their helmets, these are provided as well. The food and accommodations are first class, and you are even provided with a memory stick upon leaving which contains the course materials along with two in-car videos of your Day 2 afternoon track sessions. Even better, at PSDS, you are learning from a handful of only 26 factory-authorized instructors in the nation who do not teach at any of our PCA events. And while they are familiar with the PCA DE program, the PSDS instructors are trained and certified in Germany by Porsche, making them truly unique. Their biographies are incredible, and their ability to transfer skills is just as incredible. If there's a predominant theme for the 2-day Performance course, it's that speed is a reward for proper technique. In other words, speed automatically comes when you do everything correctly.

This is a fundamentals course designed to introduce the student to sport driving techniques. It is not a DE...there will be no point by's, no passing zones, etc. It is, however, one of the best investments you can make in your sport driving education. Overall, this is a must do, especially for anyone who thinks they might be interested in seeing what it's like to put their car on a track, but just can't get over the fear of trying it. I'd even go so far as saying that this course would be ideal prior to your first PCA DE event, taking the following aspects into consideration:

• Learn using Porsches provided by PSDS • Learn to correct oversteer and understeer beginning the first day • Learn vehicle dynamics first hand on a skidpad and autocross • Learn proper braking technique, including how to stop your vehicle inside a box • Learn heel/toe downshifting • Learn from Porsche factory certified instructors • Keep the course material for review and refreshing prior to DE events Regardless of when you take it, the PSDS provides you with invaluable information and insight into the latest models of this incredible marque, all at one of the most beautiful road courses anywhere. If you can get to this course, especially if you're a beginner or novice, you will not be disappointed. If you're interested in more information on the course, visit http://www.porsche.com/usa/. See you at the track!