Tech Tips Your First Driver’s Education

by scott mcilvain photos by christina mcilvain

Every week or so I am asked a question by a customer or a friend, “Why would you drive a DE?” Typically this turns into a long conversation that outlines the benefits of a well-organized driver’s education.

As we know, Porsche cars are direct descendents of racecars. Even the latest Porsche GT3 RSR uses an engine that is based on the original flat six design. Whether you have a 356 or the newest Boxster, you can learn a lot about your car and yourself by participating in a PCA DE.

Driving on a local racetrack with the PCA will let you explore your Porsche at your own speed. Driver education is not racing. It is not timed and everyone drives at a speed they are comfortable with. You will not be alone while you are on the track. The PCA supplies highly qualified and experienced instructors to help from the moment you put on your helmet to the last cool down lap of the day.

In addition to having a ton of fun, your first DE will help you become a better driver on the street. You will get to know the basic limits of your Porsche and I will bet you will be very surprised with what a street Porsche can do. The biggest skill that translates to driving on the street is “looking down the road,” which means you are not as concentrated on the 15 feet in front of your bumper but looking way ahead to spot potential trouble. I have had many past DE students tell me that they use this skill every time they drive a car.

Participating in your first DE can be intimidating. Here are some helpful hints to get you ready for your first DE. The most important first step is to have a Porsche car that is mechanically sound. You don’t want to be worrying about whether your car is going to make it through the first lap on the track. Any Porsche shop that advertises with the PCA will be more than happy to complete a Driver’s Education Tech Form (http://az.pca.org/ application/themes/azpca/pdf/AZPCA_DE_TechForm.pdf), which will cover the basic mechanical systems of your Porsche. The great thing about this service is that it is free.

Once you have your Porsche up to snuff, the next thing is getting yourself prepared for the event. I like to get to the track early. This alleviates any pressure that comes with arriving late. Once you arrive at the track you will want to check in, register, and then go through a quick check of your car. Then you will go to a drivers meeting where you will be paired up with a PCA instructor. After the meeting, you will go though an awesome classroom session where you will learn the basics of driving on the track.

Then the fun really begins! You and your PCA instructor will get in line, “grid up” and enter the track, and complete your first session. Depending on the event, you will have up to 6 sessions on the track with each session helping you learn more and more about how to drive your Porsche.