Playing with Porsches

Jason is working today - something about continuing education. It's a beautiful day at El Toro and the Civic is running well. It's going to be a good day.

It's fairy typical course with some very slow sections and some very fast sections. This is a fairly technical course and I expect a wide range of times.

Folks are used to seeing us in our Lucas jerseys and come up to ask for help regularly. It's nice to be able to help others figure out how to go faster. We have a few repeat students that come asking for help again. That's nice to know that they want you to come back to help.

I start out with some 200 run tires in the back and things were ok until I went around a high speed left turn and the tail starts rotating. I feel like a FWD drifting machine with the tail hanging out for what feels like 3 seconds. It's not till the 3rd run before the tail stays in line. In the second set of runs, the tail is hanging out again and I'm wondering if the surface is dirty because of my choice of line. Here is a photo of the car drifting around the turn.



It's time to try the other set of newer Bridgestone RE-11's. They are cold and I expect the tail to hang out again, but it doesn't. The tail never let go with these newer tires. I guess it's time to retire the previous set.

It's a power course in many places and we just have to make do with speed maintenance wherever we can. There is no way to get around the slow turns. We have to slow down - just like everybody else - except we have to wait to regain our speed. Our fast time for the day ends up being 76.2. Pretty good time considering the nature of the course. I still have to get more seat time to prepare for Nationals. There aren't very many more opportunities to drive before the car is packed up on a transporter for Lincoln.

We did have the opportunity to take a few Civic virgins for a ride and they came back impressed with the handling of the car and how fast it goes. A few had a hard time believing that the car is on DOT legal Bridgestone street tires - of course one look confirms that we are on street tires.

All in all, a fun day driving, a fun day giving rides and a fun day instructing. Now for the not so fun drive to return the car and drive home. Until next time...