6 minute read
DE 101
from Die Porsche Kassette
by Pcagcr
Story and Photos by Tom Goodmann
Mark Johnson
In the familiar words of Maverick and Goose, Mark Johnson and Fred Kohly “feel a need . . . a need for speed.”
Both men like to pilot their Porsches at speed, no doubt, but they also want the members of GCR to get back on track with DE.
PCA DE, or Driver Education, takes Porsche owners up to speed—any speed, set by instructors—in a safe, structured racetrack environment, far from the stop-and-go of heavy south Florida traffic. Towards that goal, on Saturday, November 5th Mark Johnson and Fred Kohly led two sizeable groups of GCR members through the paces of what DE is all about, and what it isn’t. The ninety-minute morning session began at 10 AM with 26 interested drivers; the afternoon session brought in another group of 28 members intrigued with the idea of driving fast—both safely and legally.
Both sessions met in a bright and well-equipped classroom upstairs at the spacious Porsche West Broward dealership, tucked just inside the eastbound exit from I-75 at Griffin Road. What a Porscheplatz it is! Thanks to Ryan Chromek, General Manager, and to Jill Bird, Customer Relations Manager, who kindly coordinated arrangements with Mark.
The course leaders came well-qualified, each bringing a passion for Porsches. One of GCR’s Directors and a frequent contributor to DPK, Mark brought organization, enthusiasm, and on-track hours, all of which Fred matched with extraordinary experience on the track and on the concours field, where he has often been a judge. A member of PCA for over thirty years with a decade of racing experience, Fred is also a competitive cyclist who regularly tops the Masters category on two wheels.
This course, DE101 however, was about going fast and safely on four wheels. When asked whether any of us had driven at high speed, most joked about navigating I-95. That’s to say that there was limited racetrack experience shared among those attending, as Mark and Fred went around the room asking us to introduce ourselves (and our cars). Some had driven AX; a few had previous experience with DE, and a couple of attendees had enjoyed lots of track time.
The sound of air wrenches floated up from Porsche West Broward’s large service area, visible through windows, below, as the “Introduction to Driver’s Education” began. A full set of race flags stood at the front of the room, as Mark shared copies of the PCA “Driver’s Education Technical Inspection Form” and a detailed outline for the course: “Why DE,” “What is DE,” “Requirements,” “Run Groups,” “Corner Workers & Flags” and “Track Etiquette” were some of the baker’s dozen of topics as our two instructors traded off at the front of the room, leaving time for Q & A.
What DE is most about is learning, as Mark and Fred both emphasized. Drivers gain a sense of their cars’ capabilities and their own, as skills grow. Not surprisingly, what you learn on the track, you carry over to daily driving. “What you learn in DE,” added Jordan Kaiser, an attendee with lots of coaching experience, “could save your life.”
Describing his own progress, Fred recalled acquiring his first Porsche in his 30s, initially disappointed in the car’s performance. “That’s because you don’t know how to drive it,” a friend told him. That direct challenge led Fred to a ten-year learning curve in DE, devoting two or three weekends a month to finding the line in each curve, followed by years of racing. As
AX—autocross—“is a great way to begin learning about car control,” Mark recommends, a productive precedent or complement to DE as solo drivers through the cones to compete against the clock. (DPK readers will know that Dottie and Steve Kidd organize AX for GCR and are always looking anywhere in our region for a large parking lot for the cone-lined courses, and for volunteers to help). In DE, of course, there is no racing, no timing, no winning.
What’s a DE day like? Costs run between $200 to $250 for a single day; $400 to $500 for a two-day event. With cars prepped in advance, and then inspected, a classroom session—a drivers’ meeting—precedes what are typically four 20 to 25-minute driving sessions. Beginners drive with beginners, and advanced drivers with advanced. Whatever their level, participants end the day exhilarated-and tired too from the intensive focus demanded to drive the best lines, to stay aware of vehicles ahead and behind, and to follow signals from corner workers communicating with flags.
Fred spoke from those years of experience, sharing that we all begin with the beginners’ group, and go from there, learning to find the line through every curve and around the track; looking and thinking ahead; striving for consistency in speed and braking. Advanced techniques, such as threshold and trail braking, come with developing skills—and track time. As Fred talked, the two instructors held up a large map of Homestead-Miami Speedway and its thirteen turns.
And while DE is not wheel-to-wheel racing, as in PCA Club Racing, featured famously at Sebring each year, the skills learned are essential to anyone wanting to take things to the competitive level where, as Fred says, “The shortest track always wins.”
Like DE sessions themselves, and all of our GCR events that fill the calendar every year, this introductory course took shape through generous voluntary efforts from the two instructors. “I’ve always liked to drive fast,” said Mark, “and have enjoyed several track training sessions. The DE program at Gold Coast needs a reboot, and President Peter Olliviere asked if I’d take on the responsibility. The club asked, and I said `yes.’ DE is a valued program that required some TLC,” adding humbly, “Then it was a big and steep learning curve. I’m just now walking, up from crawling . . . . ”
Several good questions came from attendees, who asked about the differences between braking a car with an automatic versus a manual transmission, and about heel-and-toe driving, or matching rpms. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Joe Scalia, whose 1984 Guards Red 911 Turbo—a 930—was featured in the January 2022 issue of DPK, with its slant nose conversion and engine mod done by a Kremer shop. look out for the next DE learning event, as Mark and Fred plan to schedule two more basic in classroom training events. DE102, a technical session at a local dealer to teach aspiring DE participants about prepping our cars for the track.
DE103, a day of instruction for being ready to go to the track.
The Suncoast Region holds nine events annually at Sebring International Raceway. For those of us in GCR, the closure last spring of Palm Beach International Raceway (formerly Moroso Motorsports Park) took away a potential and valued local venure, making it a challenge to schedule DE days on a local raceway. All the same, Mark hopes that 2023 will see GCR members back out there, with Homestead-Miami Speedway as the obvious location. GCR will need lots of volunteers to make a DE weekend happen, including a Chief Driving Instructor, PCA-certified coaches, registration and setup. In the meantime, Fred Kohly
And think about helping out with DE, with AX, with any and all GCR and PCA events. Thanks again to Porsche West Broward for hosting these classes, and to Mark Johnson and Fred Kohly for volunteering their time, expertise, and enthusiasm for DE.
