Driving courses and handling

[ralphmusic]

I attended an enjoyable CAT session last Saturday with two others from 911uk.com. Our cars were a Litchfield GTR, 997.1 Turbo, and my Cayman S. We had one instructor rather than the normal two they would use for 5/6 participants.

The programme was as noted in one of Clive's earlier posts in this thread and as follows:

Performance Driver 'Track' Day Schedule
08:30-09:15 Coffee, Introduction, Licence Check, Scrutineering, Safety Briefing & Objectives of the Day
09:15-09:20 Drive to Circuits
09:20-10:15 Mile Straight - BRAKING TECHNIQUES
10:15-11:30 High Speed Circuit - CORNERING AT CONSTANT THROTTLE AND TRACKING - HANDS OFF AT 130mph..
11:30-13:00 Handling Circuit - SCANNING VISION, SINGLE INPUT STEERING, CLIPPING POINTS
13:00-13:45 Lunch - BUFFET
13:45-15:00 Alpine Route - PUTTING ABOVE TOGETHER
15:00-15:30 Understeer/Oversteer - ON STEERING PAD VIA UNDERSTANDING OWN VEHICLE
15:30-16:15 Gymkhana timed Shoot Out on the Steering Pad/Mile Straight Apron - CATERHAM FOR THOSE WITH SMALL FEET - SUBARU FOR BIG FEET LIKE ME
16:20 Presentation & Debrief

My objectives were to improve braking/acceleration transition and reducing the understeer that I induce. I was subsequently at a GRRC Goodwood track day on Monday so with marginal brake pads (being replaced this week) curbing my enthusiasm for late braking I was able to concentrate on techniques learnt.

No pictures of course and our phone camera lens were taped over by security on entry into Millbrook and as it was Easter weekend there was not much other activity so we had the place to ourselves with little other traffic on the Alpine or High Speed circuits.

I think others will find the day fun and instructive and the CAT team are really nice, disciplined, and helpful.

 

[garyw]

Glad to hear you had a good day at Millbrook and got to learn some new techniques.
A great place to learn down there []

It was a shame that we couldn't get a day as a register together but maybe in the future with some more planning.

 

[waxman]

Gary
I could not make the April session Ralph attended but am still looking to join a group if interest can be gathered - any other takers?

 

[garyw]

Tony, I'm not sure that it could be filled with just the members of the forum with looking at the feedback so far, but maybe if you wrote/emailed Clive(RS) who could then mention it within the Register Porsche Post article to gauge any interest within the entire register membership.
Certainly something for the future maybe..[]

 

[ralphmusic]

Tony,

You may have a better chance of joining a 911uk.com group - see the Track Days section

Ralph

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: garyw

Tony, I'm not sure that it could be filled with just the members of the forum with looking at the feedback so far, but maybe if you wrote/emailed Clive(RS) who could then mention it within the Register Porsche Post article to gauge any interest within the entire register membership.
Certainly something for the future maybe..[]

Tony,

I'm happy to place something in June's Porsche Post and give your contact details to anyone wishing to follow it up.

Is that OK with you?

Regards,

Clive.

 

[waxman]

Clive/ Gary
Yes I am more than happy to have my contact details put forward to attempt to pull something together for like minded souls

Ralph
Yes thanks I did check out the 911.com after we last spoke and will continue to do so but nothing seemed to fit - I also spoke to CAT directly -

Thanks
Tony

 

[Lancerlot]

I've placed something in the June edition of Porsche Post (out on 20th May) so we'll see what the response is.

Regards,

Clive.

 

[Stefan Wilczak]

Having started this thread, a bit of feedback on the CAT one day, one to one, advanced road and track driver training course, using my own car, which I went on last Wednesday. I won't go into the detail of the day as it is well covered both in these post and on CAT's website. I could go on for hours and have done so to anyone who would listen. Millbrook was very quite, Easter break and the weather bright and sunny "" I think they organised this especially for me!

Having gone to find out about how the car behaves on the limit and improve my driving, all I can say is "˜mission accomplished'. Or at least I know what to get better at! After a day I have become much more understanding and confident about 911s and how to adjust my driving style from years of FWD cars "" really handy that, especially on the high speed bowl.

I cannot speak highly enough about Colin Hoad's approach to my objectives "" highly professional as a trainer, never mind just as a driving instructor. He has a huge depth of knowledge about vehicle dynamics, which get translated into your approach to driving your car. Highly recommended.

The road aspect of the course is really valuable, and I have taken a lot from it. Millbrook is an excellent venue and I am not sure where you would find anything with such a range of facilities where you can practice driving on and beyond the limit. As a bonus we shared the high speed bowl and the handling circuit with a McLaren P1 going though its final tests before delivery to the customer - nice.

OK, I can practice my lines, single input steering, trail braking and power application on every drive I take whilst making sure I have escape routes available to me. But where do I practice my threshold braking and losing the rear just a bit - into Waitrose car park might raise a few eyebrows - answers in a plain brown envelope please!

Five days have gone by and I am still excited. I need to get away from this computer screen and go for a drive "" roll on the end of the day. By the way, two weeks to go and I will have owned this car for a year - feel we are both getting somewhere good - fingers crossed!

If you need any more info on specifics of the day please PM me or respond to this post.

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: Stefan Wilczak
...But where do I practice my threshold braking and losing the rear just a bit - into Waitrose car park might raise a few eyebrows - answers in a plain brown envelope please!

That's easy - track days!

Chris.

 

[Stefan Wilczak]

Thanks Chris - track day insurance arranged through Mannings from 8th May. Which of the tracks on the PCGB calendar has the biggest run offs! My local track is Castle Coombe but I have been told it might not be the best for a novice. I'm sure there must be a thread for this somewhere else on this forum.

 

[ralphmusic]

Stefan,

If you take instruction at each new track (generally £25 for 20 mins with an ARDS instructor) and talk to other participants (we are a friendly lot) you will be well equipped to enjoy your day.

 

[spyderman]

ORIGINAL: Stefan Wilczak
Thanks Chris - track day insurance arranged through Mannings from 8th May. Which of the tracks on the PCGB calendar has the biggest run offs! My local track is Castle Coombe but I have been told it might not be the best for a novice. I'm sure there must be a thread for this somewhere else on this forum.

I've never been to Castle Coombe but of the circuits I've done, Bedford, Silverstone, Donington and Snetterton have the biggest run-off areas.

 

[spyderman]

BTW, Colin is also prepared to coach drivers on track, especially at Silverstone which is closest to Millbrook.

I can also recommend Gary Marsh (who is very familiar with 911s) and Malcolm Edeson (my coach). Both are far better at coaching than updating their websites!

Chris.

 

[JasonB]

ORIGINAL: spyderman

BTW, Colin is also prepared to coach drivers on track, especially at Silverstone which is closest to Millbrook.

I can also recommend Gary Marsh (who is very familiar with 911s) and Malcolm Edeson (my coach). Both are far better at coaching than updating their websites!

Chris.

I had a 1 to 1 day with Gary Marsh, I can certainly attest to the quality of his instruction. I have heard him described as a data logger and that is a fair assessment. He will remember what you did and where and then relay the information in such a way that I, personally, learnt from very quickly.

He is also a very friendly chap. After the day's instruction he took me for a spin in his lovely GT3, through the Cotswolds.

I gained some real confidence to manhandle the C63 around a track, so much so that some more nimble cars were slowing me down in the corners.

Highly recommended

 

[Stefan Wilczak]

Hi All

Thanks for the posts - I will follow up Garry Marsh at some stage as he is pretty local to me. Jason/ did you do your 1 to 1 with him at Castle Combe?

 

[waxman]

Stefan
Can you expand on what was valuable from the road session at CAT - I was considering this may be of limited use compared to the track/ circuit time?
Thanks

 

[JasonB]

ORIGINAL: Stefan Wilczak

Hi All

Thanks for the posts - I will follow up Garry Marsh at some stage as he is pretty local to me. Jason/ did you do your 1 to 1 with him at Castle Combe?

No Stefan, I did it at Abingdon. Gary uses an area seperate from the track day. The advantage being you can do some learning and then go onto the track, put it into practice and then back to the private area for more learning. I will be going back to Gary again for some more advanced training.

Within 10 minutes I felt I was driving better, faster and smoother.

 

[Stefan Wilczak]

Hi Jason

Thanks for that - will look into this - sounds very good.

 

[Stefan Wilczak]

Hi Tony

The road work was a significant benefit to me to get someone to assess my driving after 40 years with one assessment about 20 years ago. The reference for this part of the day is the police driving manual "˜Roadcraft' and additional exercises, which take you into the higher speed track work, like single input steering and finding the clipping points (rather than just spotting the apex) on different types of turn. Making sure you have an escape route in all circumstances, motorways and in urban areas also featured strongly as did observation, long and short distances. I read and practiced "˜Roadcraft' in 1970 (!) and it is pretty well ingrained but to be updated and made to switch off autopilot was stimulating. My 90 mile trip back from Millbrook the following day was probably the fastest, most enjoyable, smoothest and safest I have ever driven that piece of road - mainly country after breaking out of Milton Keynes. The road session I could have done in my Golf and it would have been just as useful; the learning from it is something I can practice and get better at on every drive I take on the road in whatever car. As an aside the instructor finds it really useful to see how you drive before you get thrown into Millbrook. If you are an advanced driver or don't wish to do that aspect of it just do a session at Millbrook.

Millbrook was an eye opener for me, never having done track days or any other type of motor sport. Threshold braking from 90 is not what most people do, nor exploring the handling beyond the limit in normal, sport and TC off modes on the steering pad or 130 round the bowl not interfering and letting the car sort itself out. Then moving that newly found understanding on to the high speed and alpine circuits. This has increased my confidence in the car and in my own abilities massively.

If you are already comfortable with all of that anyway then I suspect a more track focused training session will be more useful. Obviously CAT and others will do this.

Although linked, the road and track sessions have given me quite separate things to work on and improve. Next step for me is what has been suggested "" a bit of track instruction to do the bits I can't do on the road (I will look into the options with Gary Marsh) and maybe do the RoSPA Advanced Driver training and test.

Hope that helps.

By the way to all, good discussion here "" helping me to decided what I do next!