2018 Performance Driving

Performance Driving School (PDS) at Texas World Speedway (TWS), where a brute races my little Porsche Cayman

In 2017 I got introduced into what I know now as High Performance Drivers Education (HPDE) by the Performance Driving School (PDS) at Texas World Speedway (TWS) here in Texas.

I had no idea how much fun it would be or what great folks I’d meet. I gotta say, I’ve been blessed to be in four organizations that each challenge the next for having the best people you’ll ever meet:

1. Boy Scouts of America
2. The US Military (all of it, but especially the USAF)
3. Recreational pilots (especially Vans RV folks)
4. Performance Driving folks

This is a story about the last time I got to run at Texas World Speedway.

Starting at the end, after I left the track after an amazing weekend of driving fast I learned by email that I wouldn’t be going there again the next month. They had officially closed the track. I had forgotten my camera, so I had no record of that amazing weekend, and the end of an era.

BUT HURRAY FOR YOUTUBE!

That Sunday evening I searched Youtube and found that Neil Churaman had posted dash video from his bad-assed Boss Leguna Seca Mustang. In this video I saw him driving a great line, and at one point a little silver Cayman pass him. I tried to remember who else was driving a silver Cayman, and then realized it was me.

Here’s the story of that run…

My third trip there on the weekend of August 12th I got promoted from the novice “green” group to the faster “blue” group on Saturday afternoon.  The first run of “blue and yellow” groups (yellow is even faster than blue) was Sunday morning.  I didn’t want to be over arrogant, but I really was looking forward to running with the fast group and I jumped into that first run of the morning, even though I was a little intimidated to be out there with those fast “yellow” cars

My 2007 Porsche Cayman Base

My little 240hp Cayman 2.7L Base was probably one of the lowest horsepower cars out there.  She is my daily driver, is the lowest horsepower Porsche made, and has no speed modifications.  She was the only “base” Cayman out there.  Worse, her driver had just been promoted out of the novice group…  But we had a blast!  I peddled as fast as I could and my little under-horsepowered girl did well defending her honor.

My only disappointment was that I forgot the mount for my phone to record any of the runs….  It’s hard to explain what it’s like.

Neil’s 2013 Boss Seca Mustang (aka Goliath)

The guy was driving a limited edition Boss 302 Laguna Seca edition Mustang with 450hp.  I loved watching his video.  It’s a very modified track car.  He’s FAST!  He was driving a great line (means good technique) and he was really having a good run.

I though it would be cool to watch, and just maybe I’d see some cars I recognized.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE….  At 4 min 49 sec into the video (4:49) a litte underpowered silver Cayman passed him after turn two!

I watched in disbelief.  I thought, “Wow, there must have been a fast dude out there in a silver Cayman “S” that I didn’t remember…”  Then I watched closer, and it was me.  I loved seeing that.

VIDEO TIMELINE:

• At 4:49 Goliath gave me a “point by” to pass, because I was going faster than him.
• I pulled away slowly from him until we got on the back straight at 5:20. 
• On the back straight he shows that he has 210hp more than me, and he closes on me.
• At 5:30 I’m going into turn 7 as quick as I can to get away from him.  (Notice he enters the turn at 100mph)
• At 5:50 we are entering a series of tight turns, and I’m going to use them as best I can to get my little girl away from this dang brute!
• At 6:30 we are on the banked straightaway of the World Speedway.  What a famous straightaway!  (I’m running my girl to her redline to keep this darn ‘Stang from hurting her feelings!)
• At 6:41 I’m right on the butt of a slower car, who lets me around.
• At 7:51 my little girl passes a much more powerful BMW.  (My little girl is doing herself proud!)
• By the way, here’s a shout-out to good judgment on the Mustang’s part at 7:25.  He gets a “point by” from that same BMW, but it’s too tight to take it before the turn and he waives it off and waits.  He is driving very well.
• By 8:20 I’ve pulled away out of sight.

I checked and this was one of my slower laps for the weekend.  But that was because we were both tangling with lots of other cars, which slows down your time.  But I’m glad I got this one on video! 

After watching all of Neil’s videos my ego was reset a bit as I saw other videos showed him passing my little Cayman. So there was clearly some give and take. But I was proud to see that my little low-horsepower Cayman defended her honor well.