Page 20 - KCRPCA-JanFeb2017R1

TECH EDITOR
20
January / February 2017
Karl Wilen
KCRPCA about the 2017 Porsche Club events at Heartland Park, Topeka. With 2 high performance driving events (HPDE) on the schedule for next year, there will be ample opportunity to learn about driving your car on a race track and in a controlled learning environment. HPDE events are great for learning what you and your car can do when you push the limits, something that you can not do on the street safely.
HPDE events are geared towards the average sports car owner who may only drive their car on the street. You don’t need a fancy suspension, big horsepower car, or a full blown race car to participate either! So, lets take some time to talk about what it takes to get you and your car out to one of these well run events.
First, what does an HPDE event consist of? For the beginner, you will be paired with an instructor who will guide you through the weekend. You will have a mixture of classroom learning, in addition to the on track driving with your instructor sitting in the passenger seat. You will be out there in a group of similar skilled drivers, so no need to worry about getting run over by a fast, advanced level driver! It will be a busy weekend of learning, but KCRPCA promises your face will hurt from smiling as you are accelerating through a turn and down a straightaway. As you advance through the intermediate to advanced level, time
driving duties. Typical events will give you 4-5 driving sessions a day (plus classroom), somewhere between 20-30 minutes each.
To Participate You’ll Need:
1. Race Car: Ok, maybe just your street car!
2. Helmet: Most important item. You helmet will need to have a rating of SA2010 or SA2015. KCRPCA typically has a very small amount of loaner helmets, so it is preferred to purchase your own before hand, or make arrangements with the driving chairs to see if they have one you can borrow. Helmets are typically good for 10 years before becoming outdated.
3. Clothing: Long sleeved shirt and pants to wear while driving, in addition to CLOSED toe shoes. NO sandals, etc.
4. Seating: Typically participants will bring a chair, maybe a small cooler with water (important to stay hydrated!), Maybe some snacks etc. There is always an hour at lunch, where you can grab a sandwich from the concession stand or the local Subway if you desire.
5. Tools & Extras: Always a good idea to have a tire pressure gauge in addition to a torque wrench for your lug nuts handy. With that being said,
The Check List
PBREPARING FOR HPDE
y the time you read this, you will be focused more on the driving should have already received aspect with your instructor one on one a very exciting email from the vs. having a mixture of classroom/