Getting Started in Porsche Driver's Education Events

One of the most frequent topics people ask me is how to get involved in driving their Porsche on the track. There are two ways to do this: one is called PCA Driver's Education (DE), the other is PCA Club Racing. We will focus on DE since it is where to get started. Different regions of PCA host DE events at racetracks. In Florida the racetracks are Sebring, Homestead, Palm Beach International Raceway (Moroso), and Daytona. There are also events hosted by Florida Regions of the PCA at Roebling Road in Savannah. The Florida regions of PCA that host DE are Goldcoast Region (http://www.goldcoastregion.org/), Suncoast Region (http://www.suncoastpca.org/forum/) , Florida Citrus Region (http://www.flcitrusregion.org/), and Florida Crown Region (http://www.pcafcr.org/). The sites all link to pages regarding DE including rules, forms, and schedules. http://www.pca.org/drivers_ed/ is also a good source of information.



At a DE you drive your own car on a racetrack with a certified high performance driving instructor in the passenger seat as your coach. You don't have to be driving a Porsche to participate. Richard Newton and I often take our Corvettes. My Dad even drove our SUV once. Different groups of drivers based on levels of experience go out on the track at different times, usually for sessions lasting 25-30 minutes. There are generally 3-4 sessions per group each day. Novice drivers also have classroom time. You drive a pace you are comfortable with and you can speak to your instructor through a microphone in your helmet. Most clubs require you have to provide your own helmet, but you may be able to borrow one from a friend, and some clubs do provide loaner helmets. Check each club's site for these specifics.



There are usually over 100 drivers registered for these events. In order to register for an event you need to first set up an account at http://www.clubregistration.net/ and http://www.driverregistration.com/ . You set up an account with specific club affiliations (PCA, all Florida regions) and when you log in you will be given a list of upcoming events you can register for instantly using a credit card or paypal account. Some clubs use these sites to host registration for other events like socials, autocross, rallys, concours, etc. Once registered you need to print a tech form and a medical form. You can fill the medical form out yourself. Take the tech form to your mechanic and have them fill it out. You may or may not have to pay for this, but it should not be expensive. Once you get to the track for the event, you sign in and get a packet including the schedule. Then you have your car teched at the track. This is a 2 minute safety inspection by PCA volunteers. It is immensely less stressful to get to the track the afternoon before the track day so you can register and go through tech Friday instead of scrambling to get it done Saturday morning. The first session is generally on track by 8 am.



Everglades Region does not plan on hosting any DE anytime soon because there are not many region members that are active in DE right now, plus there are usually a lot of events hosted by neighboring regions, as well as Chin Motorsports (http://www.chinmotorsports.com/), Porsche-BMW Owners Club (http://www.pbocflorida.com/) NASA-FL (http://www.drivenasafl.com/), and Safe Motorsports (http://www.safemotorsports.com/). If more people want an Everglades Region DE, we could organize one in the future. Once the 2009 schedules for these DE events come out I will list them on the blog with relevant links.



We are in the early stages of planning an event where members interested in a track day can meet locally and caravan over to Homestead in March for a Chin Motorsports track day. You do not have to register with Chin. The group would drive to the track together, and meet at my trailer there. You would get to see what it is like at a DE and if you want to go for a ride on track you can by paying Chin $20 and getting the proper wristband. A passenger wristband allows you to ride along with any qualified driver in the advanced solo or instructor group. Lunch would be provided by our region.



If you have any questions about DE or would like to learn more, send me an email, turbojaeger934@yahoo.com