Twice in a row CVR AutoXer’s dodged the looming rain and snuck in a dry event. Days leading to the June 7th event predicted moderate, heavy, moderate, then light precip., only to end up being none. True driving enthusiasts, CVR AutoXers showed up in force despite the uncertainty and were treated with the second running of the 5-Ring course. A very rare occurrence, but the course was just too good not to run again.
Laying out the course precisely with my “Chalkster 2.0” string-compass, the 69’, 53’, 105’, 53’, 53’ diameter sequence of connected skid-pads was the perfect complement to the previous AutoX course. Instead of long straights leading to tight turns that required great braking skills, now it was all about steady speed and throttle steering. AutoX-U Instructor, and multi-time Hoffman Cup winner, George Comenale gave us nice tips to take advantage of the unique course and refine our driving skills. Holding a tight line around each skid-pad corner, as close to the grip limit as possible, produced the best times. Drifting (understeering) even a foot wider stretched the clock several tenths of a second around each corner. As class winners found out, the course made it easy to add time but very hard to subtract it. Just look at the results and you can see the super-tight spread in times of the experienced AutoX drivers.
With the Porsche Parade just a week later, and with my concours prep having already consumed many hours, I couldn’t bear the thought of having to re-do all that effort. Parade Judges wouldn’t care that the new dust would have been well earned. So, accepting the graceful offer from Mike Appel, I switched classes and co-drove his car. My re-washing dread turned into reinvigorated driving delight. I often contemplated the 718S to be one of the top choices for a fast streetable AutoX ride. I was right – the car was awesome, allowing me to end up with my second second. This time with a stock car on upgraded tires, my score was ½ percent better than I managed at the first event in my modified 911, and only 1.4% behind the fire-breathing Mod car skillfully driven by our chief instructor. Wow, let that sink in a moment. Mike, you made my day, thank you!
My experience reinforced advice I give to everyone, drive what you have! There’s little to be gained by changing your car in the pursuit of speed. Stock Porsches are crazy-good just the way they are. Improving the Nut-Behind-The-Wheel is the best way to go fast. Our unique CVR AutoX scoring method (a percentage of FTD) is a remarkably consistent way to track your driving skill progression over many years. Carefully selected changes after that can be cool, but do so deliberately after you have earned the driving experience to see the difference. That’s what AutoX-U is all about.
Come celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday at our next AutoX on July 5th. Much better than watching a parade, and the adrenaline will be like your personal fireworks! As always, go to our CVR AutoX web page (AutoX – Connecticut Valley Region PCA ) for details but hurry, registration closes TODAY (Wed July 1st) at 11:59pm!
