Assessment of Porsche Observe Expertise/Manthey Racing GT Trackday Racecar Drive of the 911 GT2RS Clubsport at Purple Bull Ring on October 7, 2024 – A 700 Horsepower Rocket Ship
Final Monday, October 7 at Purple Bull Ring in Austria, house of the Austrian Grand Prix, I drove probably the most highly effective non-street authorized buyer racecar Porsche has each constructed for over 350 kilometers on monitor – the 700 horsepower 911 GT2RS Clubsport whereas collaborating within the Porsche Observe Expertise (“PTE”) GT Trackway Racecar program, which is run by Manthey Racing. To completely exploit this uncommon and highly effective automotive, I employed the identical PTE teacher I had for the Grasp Racecar program at Spa I took half in within the earlier month – the all the time wonderful Stefan Schmucker.
SUMMARY: This was a thoughts blowing expertise, maximized additional by the truth that PTE/Manthey Racing had rented out the monitor completely for the occasion.
I can’t advocate driving the 911 GT2RS Clubsport strongly sufficient. The facility and velocity of the 911 GT2RS Clubsport are on one other degree from every other Porsche race automotive in addition to the 963 hypercar. At 700 horsepower, a weight of simply 3,000 kilos, and no inside and with slick tires, the automotive is a rolling teleportation machine. I used to be pulling arduous on all the things else on monitor, passing different Porsche race vehicles on the straights like they have been standing nonetheless provided that this beast has no less than 135 horsepower greater than all the things else from Porsche on monitor – a full 200 greater than the 718 GT4RS Clubsport, 190 greater than the 992 GT3 Cup automotive and 911 RSR, and 135 greater than the 911 GT3 R that competes in WEC and IMSA.
The 911 GT2RS Clubsport is so quick and so comparatively good natured in its dealing with that, if you’re unafraid of its huge velocity and keen and capable of brake HARD when wanted in brake zones (as in 90 to 120 bar of brake stress on preliminary brake software), it is going to make you appear like a greater driver than you in all probability are. It positive did for me.
To me, the 992 GT3RS that I drove for two monitor days within the subsequent program felt so underpowered and so gradual and missing in torque by comparability though it was quicker by means of the excessive velocity corners as a result of it has virtually double the downforce of the 911 GT2RS Clubsport. I didn’t discover the GT3RS practically as thrilling, as far or as rewarding because the 911 GT2RS Clubsport. After all, if you’ll be able to purchase the GT3RS at retail (and few are) it’s virtually half the cash however they’re really promoting for nearly the identical cash on the 911 GT2RS Clubsport. And as a monitor automotive I’d by no means choose the GT3RS over the 911 GT2RS Clubsport. However I’m a lover of Turbo energy and that’s me.
By the final of the 5 45 minute stints I had within the automotive (which was my first full day within the automotive and on this monitor), I used to be reliably lapping Purple Bull Ring at 1:37-1:38. My finest lap was 1:37.23 – about two seconds slower than the teacher’s reference lap and solely 5 seconds slower than the quickest race lap set by the automotive in a GT2 race this 12 months on the monitor (a 1:32). Merely put, I beloved this automotive, which was not a shock to me as I owned a 911 (991.1 era) Turbo S for 5 years that I had modified to 750 horsepower and I used to trace it, drag race it and do plenty of mountain move drives in it.
This was an impressive sooner or later program, which maximizes your monitor time. As such, within the 5 45 minute stints I had within the automotive, I managed to drive about 350 kilometers and over 80 laps round Purple Bull Ring.
The optionally available instruction I bought was invaluable. My teacher, Stefan Schmucker, a former Porsche racer, was very educated concerning the automotive, how you can get its tires into the working window, what driving strategies to make use of to get probably the most out of the automotive and what widespread errors to keep away from (as errors in a automotive this quick and highly effective might have very critical penalties).
Given the automotive’s immense energy and torque, this could NEVER be the primary racecar that somebody drives on monitor. And certainly, I used to be not capable of lease this automotive till I had been by means of the 2 day PTE/Manthey Racing Grasp Racecar coaching final month at Spa Francorchamps (which gave PTE/Manthey Racing a possibility to judge if I used to be a protected sufficient pair of arms during which to entrust this extraordinarily uncommon, $500,000, 1 of 200 ever constructed automotive).
As a result of it is a “Clubsport” automotive, the Porsche motorsport specialists attending the occasion defined to me that the dealing with is geared extra towards the “gentleman driver” and as such, is much less snappy (i.e., much less liable to snap oversteer) (and due to this fact barely much less quick) than it could possibly be. That being stated, I might definitely see than an overeager software of throttle with the steering wheel turned too far might simply spin the automotive and a half-hearted software of the brakes in a brief braking zone attempting to decelerate from the 250 kph that this automotive was doing as I entered every of the braking zones on the finish of the of the three longer straights (about 25 kph greater than the GT3RS) might simply ship one into the wall/off the monitor.
Should you like driving race vehicles and love the immense torque and energy starting from the low finish that solely a turbo Porsche 911 can ship then that is the automotive for you. However if you would like a extremely snappy, extra oversteer-biased extra traditional feeling 911 that should rev very excessive to make energy, then a GT3 Cup automotive would doubtless be extra for you.
Should you like driving a Porsche racecar on a traditional F1 monitor, that is the course for you. Photos from my expertise within the course are under. I’ll submit in automotive GoPro and VBOX movies from my quickest laps within the automotive subsequent so you may get an thought what it was like.
PROGRAM SUMMARY: The Porsche GT Trackday Racecar program lets you lease a Porsche racecar from Manthey Racing and drive it on monitor or use your individual Porsche race automotive. This isn’t actually a course however a trackday for Porsche race vehicles that alternates stints with the same program that PTE/Manthey Racing runs for Porsche highway vehicles referred to as GT Trackday.
You probably have ample expertise or have efficiently accomplished the Grasp Racecar course from Porsche Observe Expertise, you don’t want to rent an teacher. Nonetheless, though I’ve accomplished that course, I employed a Manthey Racing teacher as I used to be unfamiliar with each the monitor and the automotive and have way more to be taught. I requested and obtained the identical wonderful teacher I labored with within the Spa Grasp Racecar course – Stefan Schmucker.
Sadly (for me anyway) PTE/Manthey Racing solely supplied sooner or later for this race automotive program. I’d have most well-liked two days as I used to be actually getting higher within the automotive throughout my final 2 stints.
DEDICATED RACECAR AND MECHANIC FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (RENTING THE SERVICES OF AN INSTRUCTOR: Every participant who rents a racecar from Manthey Racing will get their very own race automotive and race mechanic. I used to be lucky to get the identical mechanic with whom I labored throughout final month’s Grasp Racecar course at Spa, Philip.
To get probably the most out of the automotive and the monitor, each of which have been new to me, I rented the providers of my excellent Porsche teacher who had taught me in the course of the Grasp Racecar course at Spa in September – Stefan Schmucker. Stefan labored with me completely throughout all the day. Stefan, as he was at Spa, was excellent right here. He has important prior Porsche racing expertise and knew his stuff. His steering was invaluable and he’s an actual skilled and an amazing particular person as well. He additionally has immense Porsche product data as he sells Porsches of their Stuttgart showroom. Extremely really useful.
SIGNIFICANT TIME ON TRACK – 350 KILOMETERS DRIVING – AND TWO OF SETS OF SLICK TIRES: Because of the undivided time in my racecar, I drove 5 45 minute stints within the automotive, driving over 80 laps at Purple Bull Ring or over 350 kilometers. I went by means of two units of slick tires. There was no further cost for the tires.
Word that the rental charge for the automotive, and all different Porsche race vehicles on this program, solely contains 250 kilometers. Beware that 250 kilometers is NOT sufficient to fill all 5 race automotive stints if you happen to drive all of them as I did. Reasonably, 350 kilometers is. Above 250 kilometers, PTE/Manthey Racing expenses you an additional charge for each 50 kilometers. For this automotive, it’s 999 Euros for each 50 kilometers. Accordingly, along with my rental charge, participation charge and the charge for my teacher’s time, I paid roughly 2,000 Euros for the additional 100 kilometers, which have been value each penny because the automotive is solely unimaginable and it was in these further two stints that I drove my quickest laps as I discovered how you can drive the automotive quicker.
The charge for the additional distance pushed will depend on the particular Porsche raced automotive you rented, starting from about 500 Euros for every further 50 kilometers within the 718 GT4RS Membership Sport to 2499 Euros for every further 50 kilometers within the range-topping 911 RSR (a automotive with a lot downforce that the Porsche racing drivers there on the program advised me you’ll be able to take Eau Rouge completely flat in it (and which nobody rented on this monitor day – a full day rental is 48,000 Euros for that super-rare, ultra-expensive machine and a 2 stint check drive of 1 hour is, I consider, 10,000 Euros). The opposite Porsche race vehicles are all a lot much less with the 911 GT3 R (the automotive that Porsche at present makes use of within the LMGT3 class in WEC and the GTD Professional and GTD courses in IMSA) being about half that value at 24,000 Euros per day to lease and the opposite vehicles all being cheaper than that).
THE PORSCHE RACE CARS: Every participant rents no matter Porsche race automotive they need supplied that PTE/Manthey Racing believes they’re certified to lease it. All first-time prospects (assumedly aside from these with substantial documented prior racing expertise in a Porsche) should drive the 718 GT4RS Clubsport the primary time they drive a PTE/Manthey Racing race automotive.
As a result of it was my second race automotive program with PTE/Manthey Racing and since I had beforehand accomplished the Grasp Racecar program at Spa Francorchamps to PTE’s/Manthey Racing’s obvious satisfaction, I used to be free to lease no matter Porsche race automotive I needed from PTE’s/Manthey Racing’s fleet.
The fleet begins with the bottom racecar, the 718 GT4RS Clubsport with 500 horsepower, mid-engine and the least downforce of the Porsche race vehicles, which is about 6,000 Euros a day to lease along with a program charge. That is the race automotive model of the 718 GT4RS highway automotive.
Subsequent up the meals chain is the 911 GT3 Cup automotive with 510 horsepower, the best-selling buyer race automotive on the earth based on Porsche. The charge for that’s, I consider 9,000 Euros a day.
Above that’s the automotive I rented, the 911 GT2RS Clubsport with 700 horsepower from a 3.8 liter twin turbo flat 6 cylinder engine, and virtually 1,000 kilos of downforce at full velocity (a bit over half that of the 992 GT3RS highway automotive), the rental charge for which is 10,000 Euros per day. That automotive is a race automotive model of the 991.2 GT2RS highway automotive. The powertrain is similar or just about the identical because the highway automotive.
The 911 GT2RS Clubsport is closely modified from the highway automotive model and virtually 200 kilos lighter with the inside ripped out and changed with a cage and race automotive inside, slick tires, carbon fiber physique panels and different carbon fiber elements changing most of the heavier highway automotive elements. The brakes are straight up racing brakes out of the GT3 R and are metal. And they’re very loud. The suspension can also be out of one among Porsche’s race vehicles. The aero bundle is way more radical than the highway automotive model of the GT2RS with an enormous rear wing and an enormous downforce-producing hood scoop and ducts changing the entrance trunk. Mainly, it is a race automotive model of the GT2RS with huge acceleration and grip. It is a very uncommon and particular automotive and solely 200 have been ever made. Porsche subsequently made an “evo” bundle for the automotive to, amongst different issues, enhance aerodynamics for 85,000 Euros however the 2 PTE/Manthey Racing GT2RS Clubsports current lacked the “evo” bundle.
As was the case in Spa, the vehicles have been glowing clear once they arrived and have been meticulously maintained by Manthey Racing. Manthey Racing is, for individuals who don't know, one of many high GT racing groups in Europe in addition to the main efficiency/racing bundle provider for Porsche, which is almost all proprietor of the corporate.
That being stated, my teacher’s 911 GT2RS Clubsport suffered a gap in its radiator (maybe from an object on monitor) and was knocked out of service so my teacher then had to make use of a 911 GT3 Cup Automotive which was not capable of preserve tempo with my GT2RS Clubsport within the straights though it was greater than a match for me and my GT2RS Clubsport within the corners particularly with my teacher’s far superior race driving abilities.
Nonetheless, as a result of I got here up the educational curve in a short time on the 911 GT2RS Clubsport and since this automotive was SO a lot quicker than the GT3 Cup automotive by the point of the braking zone on the finish of the lengthy three straights (a 190 horsepower distinction can’t be pushed round on a protracted straight), I requested to drive in entrance for the rest of the day, which by the purpose of that call was someplace by the 4th or fifth stint.
VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE RISK OF LOSS OF THE CAR REMAINS ON PTE/MANTHEY RACING: Not like personal racecar leases, the chance of lack of these vehicles for collision harm (though not for legal responsibility for harming others) is NOT on the members however stays with PTE/Manthey Racing apart from a modest deductible in relation to the worth of the automotive – 10,000 Euros for the GT4RS and 25,000 Euros for the GT3 Cup Automotive and, as I recall, additionally for the GT2RS Membership Sport. Because of this, in contrast to personal racecar leases, you don’t want to purchase monitor insurance coverage, which could be very costly.
THE INSTRUCTION METHOD – HOW THEY TEACH YOU: After an preliminary security briefing, my GT Trackday racecar program with my teacher consisted of 5 45 minute driving stints on monitor, separated by roughly 45 minute durations the place my teacher and I took a break and reviewed the information and video from my automotive and the teacher's automotive (the road/highway automotive monitor periods have been held throughout these intervals). Throughout these periods, my teacher gave me pointers as to what I used to be doing improper and the way I might enhance in addition to what our growth targets have been for the following stint. At the start of the day, my teacher had a plan for each one among our 5 stints, which he executed.
THE RACING GEAR: For this program, members can lease racing gear from PTE/Manthey Racing. I introduced all of my very own racing gear – the helmet, HANS machine, firesuit, gloves, boots, balaclava, in ear headphones, and so on.
SUPPORT FROM YOUR DEDICATED MECHANIC: My devoted race mechanic, Philipp, was superior. Not solely did he guarantee my race automotive was working in tiptop form, however he helped me strap into the automotive in order that the harness was very tight and correctly positioned over the HANS machine (if the shoulder harness straps should not correctly positioned over the HANS machine, the HANS won’t work and shield you) in addition to helped to attach my helmet communication techniques to the automotive's radio. He additionally assisted with entry and exit, eradicating the steering wheel and placing it again on.
THE RISK LEVEL: Driving race vehicles on monitor isn’t with out threat. Folks will generally make errors and push their vehicles past their very own driving capabilities or the capabilities of the vehicles. Throughout our 5 stints there have been about three crimson flags because of racecar members going off the monitor. Nobody hit the wall and there have been no heavy crashes however these 3 or so members did go off into the gravel and wanted to be pulled out by the protection vehicles.
The Spa occasion, in contrast, produced extra heavy crashes and collisions with the wall – not stunning as Spa is a tougher, larger velocity and customarily extra harmful and difficult monitor than Purple Bull Ring.
As for me, I had no offs, spins or crashes. I had no oversteer moments aside from a slight one exiting the storage throughout my first stint when my slick tires have been ice chilly and it was about 40 levels F. I barely touched the fuel pedal however that was sufficient to get the rear finish sliding barely. This was a threat my teacher had warned me about. I actually babied the accelerator till the slicks have been within the correct working window of about 1.6-1.7 bar minimal.
Additionally, as soon as going into flip 1, I overcooked my entry into the braking zone, knew instantly that my automotive wouldn’t make the nook and used the paved escape highway as I had been educated to do. Simple, fast and painless. You steer onto the escape highway as you brake straight after which take the highway and rejoin the monitor on the finish of flip 1.
GROUP MEALS AND GIFTING: PTE/Manthey Racing provided very nice hospitality and catering for the occasion in a devoted very giant tent, supplying a really high-end, breakfast, lunch and dinner the place members of this program and the simultaneous GT Trackday program for roadcars (the highway vehicles and race vehicles have been by no means on monitor collectively and alternated stints on monitor) in addition to instructors, might eat, speak and mingle (the identical hospitality tent they used at Spa). On the finish of this program, every participant in this system obtained a certificates of completion, a Porsche cap and a mannequin of the primary 930 Turbo. A pleasant contact.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: This was a improbable program and I extremely advocate it. I look ahead to rejoining PTE/Manthey Racing subsequent 12 months. They may have open signal ups I consider in November 2024.
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