The advice given with my 2015 Z06 was to never, ever track the car without the PTM (nannies) set at a high level. The PTM was related as being for VERY EXPERIENCED drivers only and if you took them off at the track you'd die a terrible death and go to Hell for it. I'm not some certified FAI driver so I followed that advice.

Whoa...! I had problems tracking the car last year. I've had problems getting the car off the line at autocross and making it handle with the nannies on. My trip to VIR this year was essentially a bust because I was having problems on the track. The car didn't seem to want to really move. It was sluggish. Turns were not easy under throttle. My instructor thought there was a tire or alignment problem. Wait...

On one session I forgot to turn the nannies on and did the whole session in Touring Mode. What...! Yes, and the car performed flawlessly and so did I and I didn't die a miserable death and I didn't go to Hell. At least, not yet.

Now I'm no really experienced driver but I am experienced and I'm wondering why the conflict between needing the nannies and just turning them off. Its going to take me a while to sort this out and test each one of the PTM modes to see what is what and what to set it at but I'm wondering: has anybody had a similar experience with the PTM? Do you do IT with or without?

 

When you say "set at a high level" I'm not sure what you consider high level. I always use PTM at the track. Generally I use Sport 1, Sport 2, or Race, depending upon conditions and frame of mind. If its raining I use Wet. I've hit no issues with this at all.

 

What I did learn at Spring Mountain was to always go to Track Mode and then press the center button twice. I assumed this was a generalized setting and only REALLY experience drivers should ever think of not using it. I must be a REALLY experienced driver and PTM is only for FNGs and clueless potential owners in the show room. If I can race like hell in Touring Mode at my experience level there is a disconnect between how the PTM is offered or advised by some instructors and others. I did notice when asking around that many instructors are not well informed about PTM and how it should be used. Most of them demur by just saying they don't get the whole PTM thing.

 

You don't seem to know what you are talking about. I would think your issue was you were in PTM wet.

Dial to track and press the button twice, put the car INTO PTM mode. You can then dial in Wet, Dry, Sport1, Sport2 , or track (or race?).

Each level of PTM reduces the level of traction control and stability intrusiveness. Wet being full nannies, and track (race?) being almost none.

PTM default is wet. Low power, and very aggressive TC/SC.

In normal Tour, you get moderate nannies.

 

I would highly recommend you read the discussion of PTM by Tadge in the "Ask Tadge" section, where he explains its operation and how it works in some detail.

I'd put your car in "PTM/Sport 1" for most track duty. That keeps stability control on but TC will be off and not in your face all the time.

Sport1 is also what Spring Mountain runs all of its student cars in, so there's that...

 

If you're not going for 10/10 expert level lap times: Ptm dry for first laps first session for tires to warm up. Ptm sport 1 for most of the time. Ptm sport 2 if you're comfortable, sport 2 will just give you a bit more rotation before kicking in. You can still spin out in both modes. The difference is mainly seen on turn exit traction. 2nd video you'll notice I do just a bit more control on steering while leaving turns (listen for power cutoff sound on first video)

here's sport 1:


here's sport 2:

 

Thanks. Of course I don't know what I'm talking about, that's why I made the post. If what you say is true, that makes it easier.

 

Thanks. As I recall from Spring Mountain, we were taught to push the the center button twice and I don't remember any discussion about PTM. I don't recall being asleep when all this was going on. I also was there in early 2015 and they may not have been delivering full instruction about the PTM at the time. Of course, my memory of it may be a bit rusty. I'll check the Tadge video tonight.

 

Thanks. Wow. That is really helpful.

 

I was at Spring Mountain in Jan and we ran the cars in Sport 1. They said dry mode was too intrusive and that Sport 2 and Race made it too easy to lose control. I've done a couple track days in Sport 1 and it worked out quite well. I want to get more experience before trying Sport 2 but I don't plan to every use Race as I like the added insurance of having some intervention. I would advise against using non PTM modes such as Tour on the track. In addition to cutting power the car will also apply the rear brakes for stability control and thus you could burn through your brake pads quickly that way.

 

Just so we're on the same page, Sport2 does not have "intervention" either, at least in the sense that Active Handling (Stability Control) is OFF.

 

I was at Spring Mountain in Feb 2015 and they recommended that most people should use Sport 1. Tour is far too intrusive compared to Sport 1. Sport 1 will free the car up quite a bit. In April of last year I met a guy at VIR who had been having trouble with his new Z06 while running in Tour Mode. Traction Control was killing him. I asked if he had read the manual or attended Spring Mountain and he said no. That is when I mentioned using Sport 1 and showed him how to get it. He immediately went out and turned a 2:03.

Bill

 

it definitely intervenes. Listen to my video above. Still has intervention.

 

I guess we should clarify, then, what you mean by "intervenes". I was fairly clean I meant DSC-Stabillitrak. What do you mean by it?

All PTM modes modulate power, that's the M part. But I meant intervening with stability control to save your butt. The manual says it will not do so Sport2, unless I read it wrong.

 

Dave you read the manual correctly but according to the Spring Mountain guys only race turns everything off. Sport 2 still has some, although very minimal, stability control. It's one last transition level before going to Race where you have full control of the car. With that said I think Sport 1 is probably best for most people doing track days.

 

Race doesn't turn everything off. Sport 2 and Race are similar but just a different level of traction management. Neither has any active handling.

If you want to turn everything off, that's not a PTM mode, that's OFF mode, which you set differently.

 

Question: is that turn the **** to track mode and than just push the center button twice.

 

What if you just turn the **** to Track mode and don't push the center button. Does that work well on the track??? Does that give you all the help from the nannies? I have a 2017 Grand Sport and plan to track it for the first time next month. I want all the nannies working until I get more experience.

 

if you don't go into ptm, the normal track mode uses fairly strict stability and traction control, I think it may be the same as sport mode. Run it like I said in my previous posts. Dry, then sport 1 when comfortable.

 

no. That's to enter PTM modes, hold the center button to turn everything off. Don't do this, it's how you end up with your car wrapped around a tree. There absolutely no reason to this for 99.99% of drivers.