Hi guys - I like to share an awesome experience I enjoyed last Tuesday at the Nürburgring GP circuit. Was a bit frustrated because a trackday last Friday at NoS (which I was very much looking forward to) turned into a watersports event at 6.5 °C and puring rain all day long Smiley So I needed a little bit of a consolation and the weather gods were very friendly again early this week providing blue sky and nice Spring temps Smiley

So I was joining a trackday very well organized by my local PZ (40 cars only).

The icing on the cake was that they brought two excellent pros as instructors: Marc Hennerici and Marc Basseng Smiley

Of course I couldn't let go the opportunity to enjoy some laps with Marc Basseng (both as an instructor on the passenger seat and as a "testdriver" of my car). A little bit like my own supercar test (I'm sure you recall the thread about Marc testing the CGT, Enzo, Zonda etc. at the NoS last year). Needless to say that he knows the GT3 like his pocket: 19 victories on the Land-Porsche (GT3 RSRS) in the VLN series, P3 in the 24hr 'Ring race in 07, great performance in the 24hrs of Daytona and Spa-Francorchamps, ALMS, FIA-GT, GT-Masters etc. Also he does the testing and shake-down for all Porsche racecars delivered to customers in Weissach (maybe W.R.'s successor in this respect).

He's a very friendly and nice guy Smiley

Excellent to have him as an instructor on the passenger seat and needless to say that I felt somewhat humble behind the steering wheel (somehow like Pavarotti teaching you how to improve your singing in the bathroom Smiley ). Anyway he gave some great advise how to drive the GP-circuit - unfortunately I was running out of time in the afternoon to try all the little tricks myself, but I made some mental notes for the next time Smiley

When he finally got behind the wheel of my car I even felt more humble but I will never forget this simply awsome experience Smiley

He was not simply re-acting by playing with the steering wheel and dancing on the pedals, but he was always anticipating what the car would do within the next fraction of a second - actually it seemed like he always was a bit in front of the car at any given moment Smiley

He looked at me and said: don't worry - I never drive a customer's car at 10/10. LoL - for me it felt like 11/10 already Smiley Though at some points when I thought we might end up in the gravel he grinningly admitted: O.K. that was rather sporty - don't try to repeat it afterwords on your own Smiley

When we reached the end of the straight (where you have to brake very hard as a hairpin is to follow..) I watched the speedo indicating 234 km/h and we already flew by the 150m sign without Marc bothering with the brake pedal Smiley I thought we might fly from the GP circuit right towards the Hatzenbach section of the NoS Smiley but of course Marc had everything under control and the new Cup discs and Pagid Yellows are properly bedded in now Smiley

What I was must curious about were his comments on my car, as it is still on the odd factory set-up (aka housewife setup Smiley). To my astonishment he was very happy with the setup and said: everything feels just perfect - I can use the same turn-in points as with my RSR Smiley Indeed he had so much fun that after two hot laps he smilingly asked: should we go for another one ? What a question....Smiley

He also tested two customer 997 GT3 RS the same day, but was faster with my car Smiley

He said: if I were to get a private GT3 for having fun on the NoS I would spec the car like yours - you don't really need a rollcage, these cars don't tend to roll over anyway Smiley

Looking over from the paddock to the NoS: "the GT3 is fun on a GP circuit but there is only one place for which it is the absolute perfect car..." Smiley

We had some gasoline chat after the laps and he talked a little bit about the Supercar test last year: "the CGT is more tricky at the limit compared to the GT2 though the CGT I tested was a garage queen, which could have had a negative effect" "GT2 with some suspension finetuning will be as fast on NoS as the Maser..." "R8 looses time in the corners..."

Big laugh at the end of the session: my wife was taking some pics at a corner and hence she didn't realise that Marc got behind the wheel of my car. When she returned to the pitlane she was staring at me in shock: It can't go on like this with your GT3 & track-madness, you have to see a psychiatrist to check whether you suffer from suicidal tendencies - you're driving like a madman SmileySmiley

 

 

 


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public roads: Porsche 987 S Seal/Cocoa, toll road Smiley : Porsche 997 GT3 Arctic/Black