Learning from a Champion

For Bruce Dereschuk the big moment arrives after only a few minutes. On his very first lap of the Hungaroring, the Californian entrepreneur sends his Guards Red 911 GT3 RS (992) sliding across the grass, stopping only centimeters from the guardrail. “The tires were still cold. I hit the throttle too early coming out of the corner, the rear stepped out, and then things got a little stressful,” he recalls later with a laugh in the paddock. 

Jörg Bergmeister can’t suppress a grin either. “I could see your eyes getting bigger and bigger in my rearview mirror,” the former professional racer and current Porsche brand ambassador teases. Driving an identical GT3 RS, Bergmeister had been leading the way around the Formula 1 circuit just outside the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The exercise is called lead-follow driving, with the instructor setting the pace while the student follows at speed. It forms the core of the two-and-a-half-day Master GT3 RS course offered through the Porsche Track Experience. 

The Porsche Track Experience generally offers a variety of driving courses, from beginner classes to racing driver training, on some of Europe’s most famous Formula 1 and GP circuits. This time, Dereschuk opted for a fully personalized experience with Bergmeister as his exclusive personal instructor. The American had neither driven the Hungaroring before nor studied any videos of it in advance. “Unfortunately, I just don’t have time for that kind of preparation,” says the founder and CEO of an investment firm. The fact that his very first lesson didn’t end prematurely is thanks to his well-honed reflexes and years of experience behind the wheel of a high-performance sports car. “The way you caught the car and guided it back onto the track showed excellent vehicle control,” Bergmeister praises.

Both T-shirt and helmet are soaked with sweat – hardly surprising, as the temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius on the Hungarian plains. In addition, the 4.3-kilometer Hungaroring offers little opportunity to recover. Long straights are virtually nonexistent, with one corner leading immediately into the next. 

After three theoretical workshops, two full days of track driving are on the Master GT3 RS agenda. Participants alternate between lead-follow driving, with the instructor leading, and shadow driving, where the instructor follows behind to evaluate the student’s technique. Two groups take turns driving laps for 30 minutes each. 

Bruce Dereschuk and Jörg Bergmeister, however, are following their own customized program. Between sessions, they pore over telemetry collected by the VBox data logger mounted in the passenger footwell. Bergmeister overlays data from both GT3 RS cars. Just like a thoroughbred sports car, dozens of individual sensors can be analyzed. “But we focus on the essentials,” says the former professional. “Throttle position, brake pressure, steering angle, lateral acceleration, gear selection, and speed.”

Based on this selection, Bergmeister analyzes the differences between his own reference lap and Dereschuk’s performance. First observation: In some turns, his student actually enters the curve a few kmh faster than he himself does, but exits more slowly. “At the Hungaroring, you often have to think of two corners as one sequence,” Bergmeister explains. “You’re carrying plenty of speed into the first one, but because of that you compromise your second corner. That’s where you’re losing a few tenths of a second every lap.” 

So the first task is clear: Hit the ideal racing line every time. To demonstrate, Bergmeister invites Dereschuk into the passenger seat. A few laps later, Dereschuk climbs out of the six-point harness visibly impressed. “Jörg makes it look so effortless. Because he’s perfectly positioned in every corner, he can get back on the throttle much earlier than I can. His steering corrections are minimal, and every lap follows exactly the same line – you can tell he’s nowhere near the limit.”

His favorite racetracks are the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Spa-Francorchamps, while Mugello and Zandvoort are still high on his bucket list.

For now, however, his focus remains firmly on the Hungaroring, where the next session is about to begin: lead-follow driving. The 911 GT3 RS offers an extraordinary range of chassis adjustments. Settings that would normally require lots of work for mechanics on a race car can be altered in seconds using four rotary controls on the steering wheel. Dereschuk can individually adjust the dampers, rear differential lock, traction control, stability management, and active aerodynamics within seconds. This means that subtle changes can influence how the agile 911 GT3 RS takes corners.

While they’re on the track, Bergmeister and Dereschuk remain in constant communication via radio – “Try increasing the rear differential lock by one step and softening the front dampers slightly on rebound,” Bergmeister advises during an easier stretch on the main straight.

After another 30 minutes of track time, it’s back to the telemetry. Dereschuk’s lap times continue to improve steadily, but Bergmeister can still see untapped potential. The brake pressure curves still differ significantly from one another. “Your braking point is fine. But use ABS only at the very beginning of the braking zone. After that, modulate the pedal right at the threshold of wheel lock. You’ll achieve stronger deceleration there than if the ABS is intervening,” instructs Bergmeister.

He knows his student can put the advice into practice. “Bruce is a quick learner. I really love working with him,” Bergmeister says with respect. The two get along exceptionally well. Despite the intense concentration, laughter is a constant companion during their sessions. 

Dereschuk seems incapable of having a bad day – which is remarkable, considering how little sleep he’s getting in Budapest. While the other participants sleep, Dereschuk has to take care of his business back home. The nine-hour time difference means his calls rarely interrupt the day and continue well into the night instead. “Last night, I had a video call until 3 a.m.”

Apparently, fun on the track more than makes up for the lack of sleep. Before the final laps, the mechanics fit a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires for him. The tires used during the Porsche Track Experience were developed specifically for the 911 GT3 RS. Between the laps, the technicians fine-tune the tire pressure with the speed and precision of a professional race team. 

With the optimal pressure of 2.1 bar, Dereschuk heads back onto the circuit for one final race against time. By the end of the course, he has shaved almost four seconds off his original lap time. “I never would have thought that was possible. I owe that improvement entirely to Jörg.” The little excursion onto the grass during his opening lap is long forgotten – it was his only one during his two days at the Hungaroring.