Zone 1 Watkins Glen 2000

We start off on Sunday, and it’s cloudy, but not raining. I meet Don, Ned, Brian, Steve, and Rod en route. It’s discovered that one of my brake light bulbs is out, which will prevent me from passing tech. Rod gives me a new bulb, and Ned helps me replace it in the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. Soon, we’re blasting through beautiful Crawford Notch, up the highway to Montreal.

There’s excited chatter on the walkie-talkies. (This is gonna be cool!) Don's trailer tire blows out in St Johnsbury, but everyone pitches in to change it, and we're off again in no time. Don says, "That's why we travel in packs!” We arrive at Mt. Tremblant just in time to do a track walk with Canadian pro-driver Rick Bye. 2.65 miles and 2 hours later, I return to my B&B, introduce myself to my hosts, and crash into bed.

Registration begins Monday at 7am. I sign the waiver, and complete the tech inspection. Brake light works, but my right front wheel bearing is loose. Ned adjusts it for me on the spot and I pass tech. At the driver's meeting, I find out that my run group (novice, or green) has been combined with the yellow and blue drivers. What was originally a group of nine is now 26, with me the only new driver! I meet my instructor, Lynn, (not a woman, rats!) but an ex-surgeon from Connecticut with 60-thousand track miles on his 911! He asks, "Do you want to drive the track like Audrey Hepburn or Sophia Loren?” I think it's a trick question. He sets us up with an intercom so we can communicate as we drive, but I think it makes my helmet feel too tight.

Showtime! We line up with the other cars and get flagged onto the track. Dr Lynn drives my '77 911 for a few laps. He likes the car and can slip it into that crunchy 2nd gear far better than I ever do. I'm comfortable as he sweeps a smooth curvy line around the course…the Diablo: a cliff with an off-camber right at the bottom, the Esses: Long open bends of turns five, six, seven, the Carousel: a big, 180-degree right. Then comes a long straight with The Hump, turn ten, brake, hard right then left, up a hill looking at a concrete wall and hard left through the narrow tunnel of the Bridge Turn, twist right through thirteen, down and up the hill to a hairpin right called Namerow, then the long straight and do it again. Sophia Loren!

Now I get behind the wheel…Panic! I try to follow Lynn’s instructions as a group of impatient cars fills my mirrors. "Wait, wait, wait, turn! Set the wheel and hold it! Brake! Smooth transition from brake to gas! Aim for the apex! Gas to the floor! Doesn't that feel good? Lift! Not so much! Passing signal! Again! Again! Hold the line!" I start to freak…I can't do this! We pull into the pits to talk.

PCA Driver Education can put YOU in the driver's seat...on the track! This is DER's own Rod Carr in his 951 making it look so easy.

I'm upset because the other cars are all over me while I'm trying to learn the line, I can't concentrate and it feels dangerous. It was…because I had given a right-pass signal to a guy in an Audi then cut him off, because the line crosses the straightaway and he had no room. Lynn couldn't see which side I was signaling on. The session ends so we go in. Humbly, I find the Audi driver and apologize. Later I ride with Lynn in his car, (red run group) and I get the daylights scared out of me. I had no idea what these cars are capable of! It's our job to drive the cars in a way that keeps them happy, which usually means a lot of throttle, smooth braking, and commitment.

Tuesday begins with me thinking about bailing out. It's cold, raining, there's no place to eat or get warm, and I'm gonna get killed out there! At the driver's meeting, I talk with the organizers about the combined run groups. As a novice, I feel put in a dangerous situation with all of the faster drivers. They listen to my concerns and seem to care. So now we get ready to go out. Our run group is small this session because the guys with slicks decide to stay in. The track is covered with water, and we decide to take it slow and concentrate on the line. Without the other cars to worry about, I get into a nice groove at times. It feels good. Hey! Maybe I can do this!

The organizers put me together with the pro. He goes over the track, the line, passing, setting the car up into the turn and steering with the throttle. We have a long talk, not just about driving either. Out on the track I begin to develop a feel for the car and the line. "You show some potential”, he says after our session together on the track. That makes me feel good.

That night we have a big group dinner up at the mountain. The room is filled with the roar of enjoyment, with the possible exception of the Bimmer driver who spun into the wall in the rain! Wednesday is rainy and snowy. A lot of drivers head for home, but I decide to stick it out. I work with a new instructor, Bill, and I'm getting more familiar with the track, hitting the line more often, slowly improving my technique. The other cars don’t concern me anymore. I can now concentrate on my driving, and I have learned how and where to let faster cars by. Towards the end of the day, the sun comes out. Now we’re down to two manageable run groups, we take turns driving and doing flag work until late in the day. I leave Mt. Tremblant happy! I celebrate by following Yvon in his BMW M3 down the highway to Montreal at 100mph in the lavender of a Laurentian sunset. This track stuff is fun!!

First Day at the Track!