Make your Daily Porsche a Track Day Porsche
Porsche's roots are planted in the world of racing. Each model that rolls off the assembly line is not filled with oil, but the blood, sweat and tears of motorsport.
Find a venue
The first thing you need to do is get out there. This means checking out local club level events. From Autocross to High Performance Driving Events (HPDE) like Extreme Speed Track Days, it’s easier than you think. People involved are friendly. Costs are typically low and instruction is readily available.
PRO TIP: Get an instructor!!! Most track days offer ride along instruction. It doesn’t cost any additional money and it is the fast track to knocking down lap times and understanding why your vehicle behaves the way it does. The driver is the base of it all!
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
Tires
Tires are the single most important change you can make to your car. Getting on the right rubber will make your track experience much more enjoyable. Understand that there are a lot of choices and what you buy depends on how fast you want to go. A great set of high performance summer tires is a good place to start. Tires are rated by tread wear. The lower the number the faster you go.
PRO TIP: Ultra “slick” track tires and “R compounds” are great, but remember they cost a lot and typically don’t last as long. There is often a trade off between longevity and performance in preparing a car. Be realistic about how fast you want to go compared to how much money you want to spend. You don’t have to break the bank to have a good time.
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
Fluids
Just like on the street, keeping good fluid in your car is absolutely essential. All the mods in the world will not help you if your brake fluid boils off or your oil isn’t fresh. As someone who runs in endurance racing I can attest to the terror one feels when brakes go to the floor before Turn 9 at Willow Springs. Not a fun day in the office! Make sure your brakes are bled properly with no air in the lines. Install quality fluids!
PRO TIP: Flush before each track day. Yeah you did it last month, but you want to make sure it’s done each time and there is no slop in the pedal. This is where my first pro tip pays dividends. You don’t want to over work your brakes. Often times this is the one category I find people can cut the most time. You don’t have to brake as much as you think, but work up to it progressively.
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
Brake pads
Pad material determines a lot on a car. The right pad inspires confidence and consistency which is crucial to the learning process. If your brakes are inconsistent you will limit the quality of your lapping session and your progress as a driver. Brakes are incredible on newer 911s, but they do have their limitations. Porterfield and Hawk are two very trusted names in the world of brakes. A mild upgrade from stock will go a long ways towards improving your cars braking system. Brakes generate heat and heat kills performance.
PRO TIP: Safety is the most important thing on track. Speed comes from confidence and knowing that the pedal will be there every time is one less thing you have to think of.
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
Sway bars
Sway or anti roll bars hold the left and right side of a car together. They’re located at the front and back of a car and resist a car's natural desire to flex and twist. What size bars you need will depend on your application and the type of car you drive. A 911 will not want the same bars as a Boxster. As you get better and more comfortable driving fast you can fine tune these bars to your needs.
PRO TIP: When buying a new 911, if you intend to take it to the track be careful about spending money on expensive options. While Porsche has confirmed lap time reductions with systems like PDCC you will likely end up finding aftermarket bars that are tailored to your needs will be better. They may also save you thousands of dollars.
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
Have fun!
It’s easy to get caught up in modifying a car (I need the RS syndrome), but the reality is you learn the most from seat time. New 911s, Boxsters and Caymans have an extremely high limit and you would be shocked at the speed they deliver from the factory. As you gain experience the little things become more important, but in the beginning the most important thing is to have fun. Don’t feel like your 911 is a collector's item that should be stowed away in the garage. These things are meant to be driven hard. In the next article we’ll explore how to approach a new track step by step.
PRO TIP: Smile!
>>Join the conversation about making your daily Porsche a track day Porsche right here in the forum.
For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance or repair project, please visit our how-to section in the forum.