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One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from beginning driver
education participants’ concerns safety. They want to understand the risks
associated with driving their Porsche on a race track with lots of other
drivers at speeds higher than they might encounter on the highway. I typically
respond that driver education events are very safe but that they are not
without risk. I go on to state that most typically beginning drivers in
particular can expect to drive their Porsche home from an event none the
worse for the experience.
We’ve just returned from our first three-day driver education event of the year, hosted by the Zone 2 PCA regions at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). There some 235 drivers spent a combined 1050 hours on the track driving at rapid speeds through corners and down very long straights. So what carnage ensued over the three days, you might ask? Well with the exception of a very few off road excursions through the grass, not one driver bent or broke anything on the track. The well run event featured terrific weather, great cooperation amongst the participants, and a strong focus on the part of everyone to participate within the guidelines set for the event. Was the unusual for an event, you might further inquire? I’d respond that no this kind of result typifies most region driver education events. I’d further bet that the participants had more close calls or problems getting to and from the track than they experienced on the race track. At the track at least everyone is playing by the same rules, and going in the same direction! I was pleasantly surprised with our trip to VIR. We’d not attended an event since last July, so I was fully prepared for a problem with our truck or trailer, or more likely that our track driving skills would be a bit rusty. Wonder of wonders our truck and trailer performed flawlessly while we drove at a relaxed pace down to Danville, then again a few days later back home. Our midway stop in Hershey, PA at a wonderful B&B we discovered during last year’s Porsche Parade was very pleasant and comfortable – with plenty of parking space for the truck and trailer. We had to stay in Roxboro, NC as all the hotels in Danville, VA were full of NASCAR fans, but that worked out fine also. My student for the weekend started slowly, having only participated in three previous events, all at Carolina Motorsports Park – a much smaller, flat, and easier to learn track than VIR. But by Sunday morning he’d progressed significantly, driving the line consistently while demonstrating generally good car control. The kind of progress that’s not at all unusual for new DE participants. He particularly liked my suggestion that he participate in lots more events at a wide range of tracks to enhance his learning, something he was going to convey to his wife when he got home. Turning our truck and trailer around in our long driveway has been a tricky proposition for several years. When we first purchased our 48 foot trailer I had several trees removed along the driveway to facilitate the turnaround. Even with those trees removed the process still required lots of back and forth movements to clear other trees along the pavement. So after we returned home from VIR I had five more large pine trees removed, clearing what I hope will be an easier path for the turnaround. Fortunately our earlier efforts never resulted in our getting stuck or in having the trailer or truck damaged by contact with a tree. When we return from Mid-Ohio in June I can update my report to detail whether or not the latest forestry project was a success. We live in what is nearly a twenty year old house, with as you would expect twenty year old appliances and heating and cooling equipment. I probably should have expected that everything would wear out at nearly the same time, but I didn’t. Two years we replaced our oven and microwave, as they’d reached their expected life span of use, and we were updating aspects of our kitchen. No big deal on that. But now within the last eight weeks we’ve had to replace the garbage disposal, the hot water storage tank (replaced before it failed on the advice our Central Heating and Cooling), and now our washer and dryer (the washer stopped working with a full load of clothes and full of water). Our dishwasher is starting to make funny noises so I expect it’s next to go. That will leave the refrigerator as the last major appliance still original to the house. We’ve spent lots of money improving our heating and cooling system so I hope they last at least a few more years. I’m told I should be happy that we got twenty years of useful life out of those appliances, but for some strange reason I’m not. Must have something to do with the impact of the checking account! This past weekend I hauled out the pressure washer and tackled some early spring cleanup tasks. Our decks and railings were turning green from the moss and mold growing on them over last fall and winter. No problem as I blasted them clean. Then I hauled out the deck furniture and powered off the dirt and grime on the chairs and tables. It was lots of wet cold work, but it left me with a smile on my face. There’s something rejuvenating about getting ready for warmer weather and the ability to spend time outside after being cooped up indoors all winter. Next weekend I convert the garden tractor from snow blower to lawn mower, and haul out the flower pots! I’ll be really happy then! |
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