Here's my short (for a good reason) race recap of my experience at Mt Tremblant.
I was way up (500 miles from home) in Canada for the PCA Club Race held after the Porsche Parade. The weekend was a lot of fun. I have to thank the Rennsport region for running a fantastic event. They did a super job.
Anyway, my racing started on Friday, at the ‘Track Reconnaissance’ or Driver Education event. I had never driven the track before, so I wanted as much track time as possible. I was lucky enough to get a ride with a friend, then it was my turn. Of course it started to rain, lightly at first, then pretty hard. The track held up nicely, good grip, but it was tough to see. The track is very difficult – long, bumpy, lots of elevation changes, blind corners, off chamber, high speeds, you name it, Le Circuit has it!
So I was going slow, in the rain, just learning the track on Friday. Had some fun. Tried to get an English language weather report, but was unable to do so. At the track early on Saturday, the weather is gray, but getting better. Go through tech, no problems like last time, then to the driver meeting. Monte Smith, club racing chief, says about 10 words, then we’re off to start the event.
I drive the first session, and I remember where the turns are, well most of them anyway. My car is working very well. I just replaced the head gasket, and the motor is working better than ever. I stumble my way around the track, and it feels great. The track is so long that I’m not going to bother with a description, search for ‘Le Circuit’ on the internet if you want one. The run ends, it was long, about 30 minutes, and I check the results. Hey, something’s wrong, I’m 5th overall, and first in class. Must be a mistake. I guess that Friday’s practice paid off. Either that, or I was the only one stupid enough to try and go fast right away. I knew the times wouldn’t hold up, but it was nice to be at the front of the grid
Next session I remember the track some more, and push hard in some corners, and remember to go easier in others. There are few very scary corners, so I went easier in there. The track reminds me of my old home track, Bridgehampton. It’s like the Bridge in that the pavement is worn out and bumpy (it almost makes the Bridge look smooth), and the elevation changes made me feel right at home. The second session ends, and I’m still in the lead in my class. The others are getting closer, but I’m starting to get a good feeling.
I’m relaxing before the next session, when I get a visit from Darryl Troester, the national scrutineer. Darryl informs me that the want to check the boost level of my car (a 944 turbo S). "Great" I tell him, "I’d love you to check all the cars." I know my car is stock, and I love to see them checking cars. So Darryl spends about 5 minutes connecting a Stack boost recorder to my car, and I run the next session with it collecting data. "Don’t sandbag, because we’ll be watching lap times too" he tells me. Fine with me. I have an excellent session. Mike Piera is my only real competition in class E. Mike has a 72 911 RS, and he’s been faster than me at every event. I’m pretty sure that he’ll be faster than me at this track too, but I want to make him earn it. He’s behind me, so I turn up the wick and try to keep him there. The car is working well, but I’m over driving, and getting way sideways in some of the corners. Then I overcook it into the last corner and almost slide off the track. I save it, but decide that I can’t hold Mike up anymore. Might as well let him pass and study his lines. He passes me, and I press him for the rest of the session. It was major fun to see where each car was stronger. I was better in the turn 1, 2, 3 complex, and I was watching him lock up his RF tire under braking leading into the esses. He was faster in the carousel section. We were even on the back side, then I thought I was faster through the Gluch and the Bridge turn. That session was the most fun I’ve had in quite a while.
The run ended, and I stopped at impound so they could measure my turbo boost. Darryl loaded the data from the recorder into a PC, then they reviewed the data. Max boost for my car is supposed to be 1.8 bar. My car showed sustained periods of 1.84 bar, which is within specification. So I passed with flying colors.
Next up were the practice starts, and a 5 lap fun race. It turns out that Le Circuit is a narrow course, and I didn’t like the starts at all. Normally I get a good jump at the start. My car makes good power, and I can use it well at the beginning of the race. My technique is to try and go low when the green flag falls, and use my power to pass as many cars as possible. That was not an option at Le Circuit, the track was too narrow. So when the green flag flew, I got on the gas, and just tried to stay out of every one’s way. I lost a position in each of the first three starts. During the practice race I watched some guys spin out, and I started reeling in the guys who passed me. I was getting held up by a red E class 911, but I finally got him. I was running down a D class 944 turbo cup car when the checker flew.
So Saturday ended with the car in great shape, and I was feeling very good about myself. One of my friends was there with a new exhaust pipe. This was an open pipe that replaces the muffler. It would save some weight (which would not help me, as my car is at the minimum weight) but might give a little more power. So I spent an hour that evening bolting the pipe on. My family and I stayed at the track that night (in the motorhome), and it was really great. The weather was beautiful, and the track was deserted and very quiet. We had a nice BBQ dinner, played with the kids for a while, then put them to bed. My wife and I stayed up, but it was cold, so we turned in early ourselves. I reviewed some track notes, wrote some new notes, and tried to sleep.
Getting some 'help' installing the open pipe.
This is my younger daughter Janine, age 22 months.
Sunday, race day. The weather was great, best weather all week. Clear, cool, dry, bright sunshine. Perfect driving weather. I did the morning warm up, and the car seemed a lot louder, but not really any more powerful. I could hear the turbine spooling up, and that sounded cool, and the car did sound more like a race car, but it wasn’t too loud. The warm up went well, my lap times were getting slowed, not faster, but what can you do? Qualifying came, and I wanted to get a good lap in. Alas, I didn’t. I got caught up with some cars and didn’t get a clean lap. Then I let some cars go by, I drove easy to cool my tires, then went for it. I thought I got a very good lap, so I decided to come in, get weighed, and save the car. The results showed that I turned a 2:02.2. Not bad, but .5 seconds slower than my other laps. Oh well, I was still second in class, and I felt very good about my chances.
Getting Ready:
Race time. On the grid early. Prepare mentally. It’s going to be a 30 minute race, plenty of time. My plan is to run real hard for 5 minutes, see if I can get in front of Mike P. Then save the tires for the next 20 minutes, and run the final 5 minutes hard if it will make a difference.
On the grid:
Pace lap, warm the tires, check track conditions, everything is great, let’s go! Pace car pulls in, follow the crown around the last turn (Namerow), onto the front straight. Strain to see the flagger, then there it is, the green flag drops, and we take off. I get on the power early and start moving up on the cars on front of me. Uh oh, getting too close the car in front of me, no where to go, get on the brakes (not a good thing to do at the start of a race). Move to the right and get back on the power. OK, I haven’t lost any positions, the field is now in a single row. Come onto a straight, get a good run and pass a 944 turbo cup car. Mike P is now ahead of me. A vintage 69 911 passes Mike, and the three of us run down the back straight. I’m gaining on them, and I’m feeling very good. Go through the Gulch and the make a excellent turn on the Bridge turn. I fly out of there, and I pull alongside Mike P, then pass him heading toward Namerow. I’ve got a great run going, so I decide to pass the #88 69 911 under braking going into Namerow. I pull over to the inside (right) and pull next to him. I am all over the brakes, trying to get the car slowed enough to make the turn, I feel the ABS pulse. I’m even with the 911, and as I start to make my turn I see him start to turn right into me. Oh no! The flagger is frantically waving the blue flag as the 911 moves over, then crunch, his car hits my left front fender. He does a ½ spin in front of me, and I then push him off the track sideways. CRAP!!!! My race is over, my car is damaged, and I’m depressed.
About 2 seconds before impact:
I pull into the pits, and the scrutineers come over to see if I’m OK. Now I get the incident forms to fill out, an inquiry has to be completed, and so on. What started out so great did NOT end the way I hoped. Depressed, I just loaded my stuff and left as soon as I could.
I don’t think my car is that bad, the LF fender is destroyed. The other fender has a large dent, and the front bumper cover is a little cocked, but I think it will be OK. Some time and some money, and it should be good as new. My next event is a practice day at Lime Rock, Sept 22, followed by a club race at Summit Point on October 10.
Epilogue
First item - I received notice from the club race steward that I was not at fault for the incident, and did not receive a 13/13 violation.
Second item - my car is just about
fixed. The body shop was able to repair both front fenders. I had them
repaint the entire front of the car -nose, spoiler, headlight covers, hood,
fenders. The cost was $1200, and the car looks
better than when I first bought it.
I have purchased new front tires, which have to get mounted. Finally, I
have to get the car realigned.
I did the realignment my self, with
the string method. The car tracks straight, but the frame might be bent.
That will ge handled later, much later.