Driver Education Activities

 2023 DRIVER EDUCATION SERIES

What is HPDE, you ask?

"High-Performance Driver Education" is nothing more than a group of friends gathering together to enjoy their cars at speed on a professional road course. The most common question is, what modifications do I need to prepare my car for the track? The answer is, nothing. More than half of our drivers have made no modifications to their cars and have been driving them at the track for years.

Preparation is nothing more than your regular maintenance service. Have the garage change the oil, bleed the brakes, and check the brake pads and tires for wear. We even have loaner helmets available, so there is no need to make that purchase until you’re ready. We do ask that you place a number of your choosing on both sides of your car.

We have two events on the books for 2023, and both events are at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The first event is June 2-4, and the second event is October 6-8. At both events, Friday is reserved as a lapping day for our advanced drivers and instructors. To qualify, you must have driven at least 10 DE weekends with one of those weekends being at Mid-Ohio. Saturday and Sunday are the traditional driver education days with classroom time and instructors for newer drivers.

We have been fortunate enough over the past several years to fill our weekends well in advance. When that happens, we purchase additional run-time on Saturday so each group gets more time on track. With that in mind, keep your eye on Clubregistration.net for registration to go live for both events. We don’t want you to be the one who is turned away because your run group has already been filled.

When registering for one of our events, please be aware that you must pay within seven days or your registration will be canceled. Once payment is received, then you will be assigned a run group. If you delay payment and a run group has been filled, you will be put on the waitlist for that group. The link for registration is: https://clubregistration.net/login.cfm

Before we get too far along, if you have any questions regarding registration, please contact our registrar Dennis Okin: hpde.registrar@ovrpca.org

If you have any general questions regarding the event, please contact our event chairman Jeff Woodard: hpde@ovrpca.org

If you would like to rent a garage and have never done so, please email Dennis to be put on the waitlist. Those who have rented garages previously get the first option for our 2023 weekends.

Our host hotels are Quality Inn and Comfort Inn, Bellville Ohio. When registering at one of these hotels, please mention that you’re with OVR for that weekend to take advantage of the group rate.

The mission and purpose of the Porsche Club of America's Drivers Education Program is to provide a safe, structured, and controlled teaching and learning environment. The PCA DE Program is designed so that participants can improve their driving abilities and acquire a better understanding of vehicle dynamics and driving safety. Participants will experience first-hand the capabilities of high-performance automobiles in a controlled, closed-course environment and acquire skills that will enhance safer vehicle operation in all driving situations.

One giant word of caution:

This adventure can become very addictive. Our instructors will teach you to drive your Porsche the way Stuttgart designed it to be driven. PCA DE schools are run in a safe and controlled environment on a closed course. Like any new sport your instructor will guide you into this exciting world of high performance driving. These weekends are great sources of stories for the Monday morning coffee break. You will have dreams about various turns and wake up with memories of your instructor yelling "BRAKE" or "DON'T LIFT". These schools are truly the only safe way to learn the engineering dynamics that went into the development of this famous racing marque. However, it is noted that PCA DE events are not racing, nor preparation for racing. No times or placings are recorded, and no awards or prizes are received by the participants of PCA Drivers Education events...just a lot of fun and camaraderie. Any conduct considered by the Porsche Club of America to be either unsafe or inconsistent with the spirit or purpose of the Drivers Education Program will not be permitted. This approach keeps the events safe for all participants!

Ohio Valley Region is fortunate to have a large number of incredible instructors in our region. To achieve the level of instructor, there is a minimum number of tracks days they must have as well as multiple tracks they must have attended/learned. They must then be recommended by a Chief Driving Instructor and go through (and pass) PCA’s national training program. This team of instructors --and the Chief Driving Instructors that lead them-- exist to help you, as a driver, improve your skills throughout the weekend.

Weekends for students usually begin on Friday evening with a social event, registration, and technical inspection. On Saturday morning, you will meet your instructor and learn the specifics of driving on track. Safety is key. Passing is only allowed when given a signal on pre-designated sections of the track, and aggressive driving is not tolerated. By Sunday, there is a good chance that your instructor will sign you off for solo laps to work on everything you’ve learned over the weekend.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

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