Track day with PGA Cars, BDO executives
I’VE HAD the opportunity to drive some of the best cars in the world on some of the most challenging racetracks you can ever imagine. Indeed, every time I am given the chance to do so, I can’t stop pinching myself, half-nervous that I’ll suddenly wake up from a very cruel dream. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened yet.
For quite some time, I wasn’t able to drive anything fancy on our local racetracks. I’ve raced a Vios in the Vios Cup and driven a Lexus IS350—both in Clark International Speedway—and have countless memories on my old Evo IV around Batangas Racing Circuit, and on an Evo X and Subaru STI on the now closed but not forgotten Subic International Raceway.
That was until last Saturday, June 22, when PGA Cars, together with the country’s largest bank Banco de Oro (BDO), organized a track day for BDO executives and its choice clients, plus a select group of media practitioners.
What made it extra special, especially for me, was that I got to drive my personal favorite sports car, a Porsche 911, from PGA’s headquarters in Greenhills all the way to Clark, then around the track and back home to Manila. That the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet I had for the day was owned by none other than PGA Cars chair Robert Coyiuto Jr. himself certainly gave me the extra pressure of being über careful.
I was codriving the 911 with Porsche Philippines head Roberto Coyiuto III, who showed me the secrets, tips and ways of getting the most out of the 911, particularly gunning it to 3,500 rpm and hearing the sonorous, raspy and aggressive flat-six wail all the way to the redline. The drive from Green- hills to Clark was worth the very early wake-up call already in itself.
The track day was divided into a series of activities. Heading the action was the German Christoph Klapper, the countrybased Audi-certified high-performance driving instructor who has called our shores home since he first visited in 2006 for the Audi Quattro Driving Experience. He was assisted by racing legend George Ramirez and nephew Stefan Ramirez, himself a fantastic driver, punching well above his weight in the local racing circles and the son of another racing legend Kookie Ramirez, all from the Ramirez racing family.
Fun activities for guest
There were a slalom, emergency lane-changing maneuver and emergency-braking exercises, followed by guided lapping sessions for the guests. Afterwards, there was an awarding for drivers who showed exemplary driving skills, followed by a barbecue lunch.
After lunch, there was a freestyle lapping session for the media and clients who brought their own cars, for them to savor Clark International Speedway’s full course. Getting back to my own adventures, I asked Caroline Ramirez, George’s wife and master of ceremonies for all the activities during the day, if we could sneak in some fast laps around the full track while following Stefan, just to make sure he keeps us safe by controlling our speed through the damp sections of the track (it had rained quite hard during the day, making sections tricky and dangerous) and guiding us through the correct racing line around Clark’s technical sections.
Finally, after much waiting and with guests heading up for lunch, four cars lined up on pitwalk: the Audi A1 driven by Stefan Ramirez, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet driven by this writer, the Cayman S driven by Roberto Coyiuto III and a Porsche Cayenne filled with PGA Cars personnel who wanted an uncensored experience around Clark.
On the out lap, Stefan pinned the throttle as the A1’s 120.33 horsepower and 200 Newtonmeters of torque would soon be outgunned by the more powerful Porsches behind it. Not surprisingly though, it was the bow or arrow versus the Indian argument as Stefan kept us well at bay for most of the entire first lap. He expertly guided the A1 through the twisty bits and was braking much later than we had courage to do.
Time to rock ‘n’ roll
But that wasn’t important for me. What lay ahead was the challenge: an empty track, a 911 Carrera S with 394.52 HP and 440 Nm of torque driving the rear wheels via Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission, and oodles of grip at my disposal. I pressed the SPORT buttons for the engine/transmission, and another SPORT button for the suspension, and it was time to rock ‘n’ roll!
The 911 feels alert as we round out the final corner. Because it was wet and I was driving a car that wasn’t mine, I didn’t bother taking it flat-out. But as soon as the straight was upon me, I banged off third, fourth and, eventually, fifth gear, hitting roughly 200 kilometers per hour before braking 100 meters before corner entry into the tricky, decreasing radius and offcamber Corkscrew Turn 1.
The 911 faithfully followed the line set by Stefan, and everything after was, honestly, a blur. The 911 felt fabulous and faithful, alert yet not hyperactive. The soft top wasn’t the best variant for the track but body rigidity was impressive.
Onthe third lap, as I was beginning to remember my Vios Cup racing lines pounded on me by the instructors of Tuason Racing School, I was taking turns faster, braking more aggressively and powering out sooner, nailing all my clipping points on every apex. And the brakes were truly phenomenal: Despite utilizing standard steel discs, the 911’s brakes hauled the car down repeatedly and without fade for five hot laps.
The steering felt alive and organic, despite being the first 911 to utilize all-electric steering. The long-travel throttle was super precise: You can get the rear to rotate gracefully by progressively stepping on the gas. After our laps, Coyiuto III, behind in the Cayman, told me that the 911’s arse looked really great: It would slide gracefully as I powered out from the tight corners, and the 911 would also do a four-wheel drift through the faster sections of the track. I felt like a hero!
And it wasn’t just me who felt great driving or being driven around the track in the various Porsches and Audis present. Those from BDO and PGA Cars who have yet to experience the products they sell were all smiles as they left their seats. Christoph Klapper and George and Stefan Ramirez gave taxi ride/hot laps to those brave enough to sample the cars with a pro behind the wheel.
Events like these enrich us all: We get proper driving training in a safe, closed course, given by properly trained professionals, and continually repeat some of the driving exercises, making us more confident behind the wheel of our own cars. We also get to try cars which many of us cannot afford (yet, I’d like to hope) and, ultimately, have a great time on the track.
Here’s hoping that more manufacturers also organize more track days and driver training programs.