Porsche Track Experience

The other day, I participated in the Porsche Track Experience (PTE) held at the former Nanki-Shirahama Airport in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture here, driving a Boxster GTS (MT). The course I took was the Precision program, a full-day schedule from 8:15 AM to 5:20 PM, packed with intensive training.

Since the start was early, I arrived the day before, but I was worried about the weather on the day. Fortunately, the rain that began the evening before stopped by dawn, and when I woke up, the sky was clear and blue. What a relief…

I usually have terrible luck with Mount Fuji and always seem to encounter heavy rain there, but strangely, whenever I visit Shirahama or Kumano, it often clears up even if rain is forecast.

I left the hotel early just in case, but when I arrived at the venue, it was only 7:30 AM, and there was still plenty of time before registration opened at 7:50. However, some participants had already arrived. Everyone’s so punctual!

After parking my car and wandering around until registration started, someone approached me saying, “Are you the person who runs the Porsche blog…?” Apparently, they had been reading my blog for some time and even bought their current Porsche based on it.

I rarely get to meet readers in person, so hearing that directly really made me feel grateful for keeping the blog going. Thank you so much.

Soon registration began, followed by the opening ceremony and photos, and then the program officially started.

The program began with a classroom session led by the instructors. The last time I attended the Warm UP Light+ course, which was a special half-day program, there wasn’t much classroom time, but this time there was a session to learn the basics of driving, including videos.

First, they explained the purpose of the Precision program, saying, “As the name suggests, it’s about improving precision.” That was the first time I really understood the meaning of “Precision” (laughs).

The goal is not to succeed “once out of ten attempts,” but to improve from 5, 7, 9 times out of 10, so that you can deliver consistent performance every time.

They emphasized that repetition is key to improving precision, so the program involves repeating the same training over and over.

They also gave a clear explanation about weight transfer when cornering. When you’re on the accelerator, the car’s weight shifts to the rear, making the front lighter. Since the front tires are responsible for changing direction, if they’re light, the car won’t turn well.

Therefore, when cornering, you must either brake or lift off the accelerator to shift weight to the front and help the car turn.

This is something my husband often tells me, but hearing it from an instructor made me think, “Ah, it really is true!” (Not that I doubted him… haha)

They also explained that cars move in three dimensions—front to back, up and down, left and right—making their behavior quite complex. To control the car well, it’s crucial to set your driving position properly before you start driving.

They taught that your body should be firmly fixed in the seat, you should be able to operate the steering wheel without issues, and you should always be ready to control the car no matter what. (Again, something my husband often reminds me of… haha)

Professional drivers even adjust their driving position daily to match their physical condition. If the position isn’t right, lap times can be slower by 0.1 or even 1 second, so they make fine adjustments every time.

Wow… professionals are amazing.

We also watched videos explaining the correct driving position and how to hold the steering wheel. I realized I was much more tense than I thought. They looked so relaxed that I wondered, “Can they really drive fast like that?”

I clearly saw how wrong my usual position and grip were, and how much unnecessary tension I was putting in my body. I even gripped the steering wheel so hard that veins popped out on my arms (laughs).

(Gripping too hard ↑)

By holding the steering wheel correctly and staying relaxed, you can handle sudden evasive maneuvers smoothly. That really made sense.