Globe Drive

Say goodbye to the old boy’s club.

Porsche is breaking down barriers and revving up a new set of drivers, a group of smart, sexy, successful women. They’re part of an all-ladies track day at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, just east of Toronto.

It’s called the Porsche Ladies Day Advanced Driving School and it’s the only one of its kind in Canada. It’s the brainchild of Helen Ching-Kircher, president and GM of Downtown Porsche in Toronto.

“We find this to be one of the best sales tools we have. Not only do we invite our customers, we also bring prospective customers, and we bring some of the latest cars out here for everyone to sample," Ms. Ching-Kircher says.

"Nothing sells a Porsche better than driving one at Mosport.”

While most Porsche buyers are men, the all-day course is intended to attract more women into the showroom. It seems to be working. After the first class last year, several women returned to buy their own Porsche.

The day is jam-packed. It starts with a brief in-class session, followed by four track exercises: slalom, a collision avoidance, acceleration and then cornering tests designed to improve drivers' vision and smoothness on the track.

The adrenalin is already pumping for Kelly Murumets in anticipation of the day ahead.

“I’m passionate about it, but I can’t afford to do it too often – it’s rather an expensive sport,” says the president and CEO of Participaction, referring to the $499 price tag.

Some of the exercises, especially the collision avoidance with emergency braking manoeuvres, prove a bit challenging for Ms. Murumets.

I squeeze into the rear seat of her 911 and instructor Bob Armstrong takes the front seat, doling out instructions. The exercise is straightforward – drive directly towards a series of orange pylons and when the instructor shouts “left” or “right,” brake and steer in the desired direction without hitting the surrounding cones.

Ms. Murumets guns it down the stretch, quickly shifting from first to second. “Steady. Steady,” says Mr. Armstrong.

Seconds later, she flattens all the cones.

“You didn’t say anything did you?” laughs Ms. Murumets.

“No. Because you were still accelerating – at some point you have to stop accelerating,” says Mr. Armstrong.

She tries again and follows the instructions perfectly, flinging her Porsche sharply to the left, knocking down two cones in the process. “I’ve taken a pylon on every trip now,” she laughs.

Most of the women drive a stick – some better than others, like Elisa Weinstein. She drives a 2009 Porsche 911 Targa – a 50th birthday present from her husband, a Toronto periodontist.

“I wanted one since I was a little girl; I’ve always loved these cars. The only downside is you don’t get a chance to drive the car like you’d like to.”

So that’s why she’s here – to push it. “I wanted to learn how to better handle my car. When you’re in the city there are so many obstacles you want to make sure you can handle the car and anything that comes your way.”

She starts with the slalom – a little slow; her hand position a little off, but she makes it through without knocking down a cone or stalling the car.

“I think I’m more into cars than my husband,” confesses Ms. Weinstein. “He’s like ‘why would you want to have a Porsche – it’s so hard?’ Because it’s an amazing handling car!

"If you want a sports car you got to feel it!” she says passionately. “When (my husband) drove this he said, ‘when I turn 50 can you buy me a Porsche, too?’”

Her husband’s daily driver is a Mercedes-Benz CLK.

In the afternoon, the ladies let loose on the track. The stench of burnt rubber fills the air and the sound of more than 30 women chatting and giggling overtakes the exhaust note from the Porsche engines.

Ms. Weinstein is one of the first out of the gate. Beforehand, she was a little nervous. After several laps, she’s all smiles.

“I didn’t kill anybody yet – I’m happy! I survived, there are no dents in the car so I’m okay,” she says excitedly.

“I should have bid on the tires,” she says referring to the charity silent auction at lunch. One of the items up for grabs a $1,000 set of tires.

Amidst a sea of male instructors is a sole female teacher, Kelly Williams. Ms. Williams rides in the passenger seat of a Porsche Cayman S while I take the wheel.

“I look at it as a dance with the track. You’re racing around the track and connecting the dots – there’s an apex cone, exit cone so you’re going to make sure your car is beside each of those cones. If your car is not beside one of those cones you’re not in the right spot,” says Ms. Williams, before asking me politely, “If I gently guide your steering wheel will you take offence to that?”

We take off – speed progresses with each passing lap.

“They’re not online – don’t follow them,” she says, gently guiding the wheel closer to the apex cone.

When it’s safe, we pass several other Porsches on the track. On the Mario Andretti straightaway she shouts, “On the gas! On the gas! Faster! All the way to the floor!”

I glance down as the speedometer hits 220. We exit the track – my heart pumping fast, sweat pouring down the small of my back.

“Were you breathing?” asks Ms. Williams.

“Nope.”

We laugh. It’s not our first encounter – we’ve met at several track days held by different manufacturers, but this one is different. Normally we’re the minority, but not this time. Now, the girls outnumber the guys. It’s an unusual but refreshing sight I hope to see again soon.