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    Apr 16, 2006 11:38:36 PM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    It is finally warm enough in Spring-time Ohio to do a little track driving. Ever since my brief track time last year at Barber Motorsports Park driving PCNA's CGTs, I've wanted to track my own car.

    I used to do a lot of instructing at DEs many years ago for the local regions of the BMW and Porsche clubs. My most recent stint was in 1988 as the "chalk talk" guy (a great job since one doesn't end up sick-to-the-stomach from riding with first time, less-than-smooth students). Nearly twenty years had gone by since I last circulated Mid-Ohio at speed and I knew there would be a little "rust" to polish off of my driving instincts.

    Boy, have DEs changed in the past decades! It seems that Porsche Club Racing has really moved the DE instructor crew upscale, equipment-wise. Check out a tiny piece of the parking lot behind the paddock garages:

    Apr 16, 2006 11:48:33 PM

    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 2

    There was quite a bit of rain in the early morning and the track didn't dry out to my satisfaction until lunch time. After lunch, I was ready to try my luck among the other instructors who were already out lapping their cars.

    I couldn't help recalling various chicken-little assertions about the wicked handling traits ascribed to the CGT by some posters on various sports car boards. I, myself, had seen a non-professional driver (like me?) spin one of PCNA's Carrera GTs right in front of me at last year's Barber event. Even though my judgement had been that the CGT was one of the best handling cars I had ever driven, a voice in the back of my head was saying that perhaps I hadn't pushed hard enough to find out, for sure.

    So, off I went to try to find out:

    Apr 16, 2006 11:51:51 PM

    JimFlat6
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Mike, are you sure thats the right picture? The trailers are nice, but is Chevy, Ford and GMC the truck of choice for Porsche DE crews? That 914 V10 looks good.

    How soon are you gonna pop for a Morgan?

    Apr 16, 2006 11:55:11 PM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 3

    After about two laps, I figured out that I hadn't forgotten which way the track went and that the weeks-old new pavement was really wonderful. The next thing I realised was that who ever said the CGT was a basket full of snakes when pushed hard was under the influence of hallucinogens

    I wish I could say something stronger, and more emphatic, without cursing. The Carrera GT is simply wonderful on a track. The naysayers are completely off base

    It is also very, very fast and sticks like glue in the corners.

    Here's a Z06 that found out (about to be passed like it was tied to a stump):

    Apr 17, 2006 12:01:43 AM

    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 4

    The CGT takes only a little adjustment from 911 driving to get going really fast. It still responds to powering out of corners, but one has to remember that there is so much power available that the rear tires can get over worked a bit.

    No problem because the pedal-travel vs. power-output relationship is really ideal for this kind of driving. The second half of throttle travel seems like it is devoted to the top third of engine output. This feel is really ideal for feathering the torque to the drive wheels on corner exits. Some really smart person must have had a great deal of input on the control sensitivities.

    Here I am squeezing down on the "loud pedal" exiting the keyhole:

    Apr 17, 2006 12:02:16 AM

    Grant
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 3

    Very nice, Mike! Any guess how much faster the CGT was compared to other cars of note (laptimes)?

    Apr 17, 2006 12:22:22 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 5

    The big deal "no-no" that is reputed to put a CGT into a non-recoverable spin is lifting off the gas in a highly side-loaded corner.

    Total BS

    My old '74 IROC 911/RS was a real pussy-cat as far as 911-lore lift-throttle over-steer. Of course it was a full-tilt race car, lift-gas over-steer was very mild, and one could drive it like a dirt-track car (something one would never attempt in a normal 911 of those days). The Carrera GT is even milder in response.

    How do I know?

    Well, I made a few driving errors, during which I felt certain would turn out to be very expensive, but turned out to be pretty sweet (Nick's voice in the back of my head was very wrong).

    Even the traction control worked so much better on the track that I could have expected. The car doesn't have stability control, but the traction control worked wonders on many occasions.

    My favorite traction control reaction is on the exit to turn 12 (or is it 13?) that leads down-hill to the "chute" under the pedestrian bridge. The apex to the corner is just before the crest of a hill and powering out leads one over the crest while still cornering pretty hard. As one flies over the crest of the hill under ever more throttle, the back end gets a bit light. My old IROC car used to light up the rear wheels if I wasn't careful and the back would step out a foot or so before the catapult effect had subsided.

    Over the same section, at an even higher speed, the Carrera GT merely flashed the traction control light and the engine seemed to stumble for an instant. That's all. The car never, ever gave any hint that the back tires were about to step out at all.

    Wonderful beyond words

    Here's the yellow shark about to inhale another instructor car:

    Apr 17, 2006 12:28:34 AM

    Alex18_996CC Offline
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    Alex18_996CC
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 5

    Awesome pics Mike!!!

    The cgt is still the best looking car ever made....Signal yellow is also amazing....

    It seems you had a great day!!!, must be a dream driving a cgt at track !!!

    Apr 17, 2006 12:34:05 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 6

    Aiding the traction control was the limited slip differential. One could feel it working during the times that the car was in a drift during the exit of a power-on corner. One could feel the car wiggle around just a small bit while it was try to find an optimum traction balance. Never causing any alarm, just doing its job.

    I took over a dozen other instructors out for rides and nearly all of them commented on the major acceleration out of the corners. A few of them uttered phrases that may, or may not, have been meant to flatter, such as, "Good save!" during some of my teensy-weensy driving errors. I never even approached leaving the track during the worst of them, although my presence in the mirrors of a few others lapping the track with me may have led to some over-enthusiastic maneuvers in which they spun in front of me. No big deal for them or me.

    Here are some of the other guys' cars:

    Apr 17, 2006 12:44:53 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 7

    The gearing of the CGT is just about perfect for low-stress shifting at Mid-Ohio.

    I drove the entire track in 3rd gear, except for shifting up to 4th for about half of the back straight. I could hit the rev limiter in 4th a couple seconds before having to brake for a slow 90 degree right-hander at the end of the straight. I couldn't see the utility of shifting up to 5th, just to have to down-shift a couple seconds later. I ended up just coasting at 8200 for a few seconds before braking and shifting down into 3rd gear.

    The passengers liked to point out that we hit right around 147 before needing to slow down for turn 7.

    Likewise, the entire back section of the track from "Madness" clear around to the front straight was all in third, reaching almost red-line before needing to slow for the next corner. The front straight topped out 3rd gear (117?) at the 200 foot braking marker to enter turn 1.

    Here's a shot demonstrating the lack of body roll in a sure-to-exceed 1g corner:

    Apr 17, 2006 12:51:53 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 3

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Very nice, Mike! Any guess how much faster the CGT was compared to other cars of note (laptimes)?



    Hi Grant,

    It was kind of hard to tell.

    There was an awful lot of traffic at times, and I specifically requested that people not tell me about any lap times until I was finished for the day. I did get into a couple of "racy" moments that I later had to calm myself about, since I needed to scrape off my remaining rust before I got down to any serious business.

    That may take another year or so

    There was one very well driven 944 race car of some description (#69 is all I know about it) that I couldn't seem to reel in much. He was obviously a better driver than most I saw that day, but I was never in clear traffic with him to find out much.

    Here's a pretty color blue instructor car following me around the Keyhole:

    Apr 17, 2006 12:55:55 AM

    rhino
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 7

    Too fun!!!

    Apr 17, 2006 12:58:20 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 8

    Here's one last shot of an instructor's car taken as it was having a durometer check of its tires. The track had just been repaved and no slicks were allowed. The minimum durometer reading permitted was 50.

    The softest DOT R-compound tires seemed to be from Toyo at right around 51 or 52. The stock Carrera GT compound was announced to me to be "brick-like" at 85.

    I didn't care, they still stuck like glue and I could gain a lot of ground on most cars in the corners.

    Apr 17, 2006 1:05:48 AM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    Reply to: JimFlat6

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Quote:
    JimFlat6 said:
    Mike, are you sure that's the right picture? The trailers are nice, but is Chevy, Ford and GMC the truck of choice for Porsche DE crews? That 914 V10 looks good.

    How soon are you gonna pop for a Morgan?



    Hi Jim,

    No Morgans in my future. A doctor buddy of mine has a Plus 8 that is in really great condition and he has promised me a ride!

    The DE instructors (club racers) have been impoverished by all their $5,500-per-corner suspension set-ups, cool-suite refrigeration, and 1-event tires, and don't have any money left over for fancy tow vehicles!

    That's the fastest 914 you'll ever see

    Apr 17, 2006 1:40:07 AM

    964C2
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    964C2
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 2

    Glad to see you enjoying the car in it's "true" element, it's definitely a thoroughbred

    Apr 17, 2006 4:05:57 AM

    Grant
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    Grant
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Thanks for the great write-up! That's a pretty audacious license plate you have

    Apr 17, 2006 4:20:22 AM

    Mike S
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Great photo's Mike! I can't wait till we have our next track day. I soooo envy you, must have been a great deal of fun. Thank you for sharing!

    I noticed your CGT's calipers are red. I thought they all came out in yellow. Yours is the 2nd CGT with red calipers that I have seen. Can you order them from Porsche like that or did it have to be done aftermarket?

    Apr 17, 2006 10:03:36 AM

    paczo911
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    paczo911
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Thanks a lot for the great write-up Mike! Awesome pictures, awesome review of your experience with your CGT! It's a wonderful car, I just love it!
    Can you tell us something more about the colour of the brake calipers? For me too, that's the second CGT I see with red calipers, not yellow!
    Greetings!

    Apr 17, 2006 10:12:50 AM

    The Groom
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    It's an Exclusive option.
    Speed Yellow calipers don't look good with a different (Signal) tone of yellow. That's why W8MM had them painted red.


    Thank you for the pictures, looks like you had a lot of fun.

    Apr 17, 2006 11:16:22 AM

    icon
    Pilot
    icon
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    Reply to: The Groom

    Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    mike,
    so nobody passed you?
    who did you enlist as photog? some nice shots!
    so when is your next track time, and when are you coming back to barber?
    good to hear you got comfortable on the track again!

    Apr 17, 2006 12:09:03 PM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Thanks for the great write-up! That's a pretty audacious license plate you have



    You're very welcome.

    The plate is a little less obvious than "605 HP" to normal passers by. Only cool, car-guy cops know what it means

    In Ohio, this format is much cheaper than ordinary, random-letter-combo vanity plates and is called "initial reserve". It's also more low key than something like "2FAST4U".

    Apr 17, 2006 12:11:48 PM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    Reply to: The Groom

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Quote:
    The Groom said:
    It's an Exclusive option.
    Speed Yellow calipers don't look good with a different (Signal) tone of yellow. That's why W8MM had them painted red.



    Exactly!

    Apr 17, 2006 12:29:01 PM

    W8MM
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    W8MM
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    Reply to: icon

    Re: Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Quote:
    icon said:
    mike,
    so nobody passed you?
    who did you enlist as photog? some nice shots!
    so when is your next track time, and when are you coming back to barber?
    good to hear you got comfortable on the track again!



    A) Nobody passed me unless I was on a cool-down lap. This was to be expected since the really fast cars set up for slicks were not allowed to use them. Everyone had to run on "street" tires (usually R-compound) because of the few-weeks-old new pavement at the track. Softest allowed tire compound durometer reading was 50. At 49, or below, the offending setup would be banned from the track (until later in the season). Since everyone's tires were sub-slick in capability, it was a power-to-weight day and the CGT was king @ 5 lbs/hp.

    B) The photos of me on track were taken by a club member who I had met at a Porsche Club event held at the dealership (Beechmont) where I bought my CGT. He's a really nice guy and works for Kodak. I asked him if he wouldn't mind snapping a few pix with my D2X w/F2.8 telephoto while he was shooting some of his own with a D70. The pix he shot for me turned out really well and I can't thank him enough.

    C) I don't know when I'll be back to Barber. Life with two teenage daughters can be quite time consuming

    Apr 17, 2006 12:45:53 PM

    fritz
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    When I was speccing my 997S I must have unintentionally ticked the option box for:

    YUCK Brake Caliper coated in Black Dust Euro 0.00


    Apr 17, 2006 12:49:38 PM

    rhino
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    Reply to: fritz

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    8,460 for painting WOW; OUCH

    Apr 17, 2006 2:28:22 PM

    Gary(SF)
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    Reply to: rhino

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Mike -

    That is truly an awesome car, I can only imagine how much fun it must have been on the track.

    Gary

    Apr 17, 2006 2:40:56 PM

    Ron (Houston)M
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Very nice write up and pictures.

    Thank Mike .

    Apr 17, 2006 3:25:31 PM

    edz
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 7

    W8MM: Gr8 pics, you are a lucky man. Although I have not driven the CGT on the track, with a little experience I have with the car, it's not an easy car to drive around town. As you said certianly different than any other Porsche's and driving it take some time before you learn the temperment of the car and takes a while before you can tame the beast and unleash it's power. The car is best described as Multi-Orgasm car.:)

    Not a fair comparison, but how did the Z06 do VS. your CGT?

    Apr 17, 2006 4:46:45 PM

    rhino
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    Reply to: W8MM

    Re: Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 1

    Thanks W8MM for letting us take part in your fun. Your comentary and pictures were awesome and they should be published in a magazine

    Apr 17, 2006 6:39:50 PM

    Grant
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    Reply to: edz

    Re: "Instructor Day" at Mid-Ohio in my Carrera GT - Part 7

    Quote:
    edz61 said:
    Not a fair comparison, but how did the Z06 do VS. your CGT?


    That was a 405hp C5Z, not the 505hp C6Z, but Mike passed it like it was tied to a stump, according to his post
     
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