Georgia Magazine - November 2024 - 35

Left: An engine is on display in the Heritage Gallery at the Porsche Experience
Center Atlanta near Hartsfi eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Above: On display in the Heritage Gallery is this Porsche 911 GT3 R raced
under the Wright Motorsports banner.
legendary racetracks such as Laguna Seca in Salinas,
Calif.; Nürburgring in Nürburg, Germany; and the
famous circuit in Le Mans, France. In the West
Track's Handling Circuit, drivers fly through 26
corners and 48 feet of elevation change and, for
good measure, are swept into a corkscrew corner,
reminiscent of its namesake in Laguna Seca, that
features a rise of 30 feet and a drop of 25 feet.
According to Porsche, the whole of the circuit was
inspired by the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch
of wild road with 318 curves that begins near
Deals Gap, N.C., and ends in Tennessee.
The PEC Atlanta may be the only place where
Georgia drivers can experience an icy mountain
road year-round. On the West Track's Ice Hill,
drivers and their Porsche driving coaches face an
8 percent slope on a low-friction surface wetted
down from water jets controlled by computers to
maximize the thrill as well as the challenge.
Samantha Alexander, sales and special events
manager, has a favorite track. While both the West
Track and the South Track offer challenges, " the
South Track is more [about] driver development. It
has the various modules that mimic everything from
hydroplaning [and] black ice to winding country
roads. And you get a chance to do a little bit of
everything ... learning those things you could
actually use in real life. "
The 1.6-mile South Track consists of six
elaborate modules. In the Dynamics Area, drivers
can test speed and nimbleness on a spacious asphalt
pad that replicates real situations that drivers may
encounter.
Over on the Handling Circuit the focus is on negotiating curves,
applying proper braking technique and efficient cornering of snake-like
backroads compressed into its 1-mile length. The next two modules are the
Low-Friction Circle and the Low-Friction Handling Circuit. Both spaces
utilize a polished concrete surface where drivers learn to control over-steer,
in which the rear wheels lose traction before the front wheels. But the
Low-Friction Handling Circuit throws in a variety of challenging curves and
corners on similarly slippery concrete.
In the Kick Plate, a driver's vehicle control is tested when faced with a
skid or spin. As Porsche's fact sheet describes it: " The Kick Plate is a
flush-mounted, hydraulically actuated plate placed before a wet epoxy
surface. As a vehicle travels over the plate at a safe speed, sensors move the
plate randomly left or right to mimic sliding that might occur during
inclement weather conditions. "
The Off-Road Circuit for Porsche's Cayenne SUV features a slope,
some rough terrain and a 45-degree vertical descent.
For those ages 16 to 21 who hold driver's licenses (not permits),
Porsche offers a Young Drivers Experience. In the four-hour course, the
focus is on defensive driving in two-door models, four-door sedans and
an SUV.
Going off track
Non-drivers are not left on the sidelines. Those who want to
experience the track without being behind the wheel can take a
demonstration ride in the passenger seat as a Porsche driving coach
unleashes the machine's power and handling.
But there also are activities off the track.
A 90-minute guided tour gives visitors a briefing of the Porsche brand
and its history in the United States.
In the Simulator Lab, six virtual pods let visitors loose on 34 race
circuits from around the world in their choice of nine street cars and
13 race cars.
MORE
www.georgiamagazine.org
35
SUE KELLY
JIM KELLY
http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Georgia Magazine - November 2024

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