There's one word that should excite every Porsche driver — autocross. For those who may not know what I mean, allow me to explain.

An autocross is a race, but it doesn't meet the usual concept of "race." Only one car goes around at a time, and drivers race the clock. There are different classes for different cars, and the fastest one with the fewest faults is the winner.

Autocrosses are known to be done on different terrains in other countries. But in America autocrosses are often done on big patches of pavement — like a deserted parking lot — and there's a set course mapped out with big orange cones. Drivers who have autocrossed can tell you all about how horrible things happen when you hit a cone or two or 10. (Just kidding, but the point is to stay within the boundaries of the orange cones.)

If you've never autocrossed, I'm sure you're wondering by now what the big point is. Why would I explain this bizarre type of race to you? I'll let you in on the big secret, the main reason to autocross. (Drum roll, please.)

It's fun.

Now, there are loads of other reasons to autocross, too. Driving through an autocross can teach you about the limits of your car and how to get yourself out of trouble in a split second. You can become a better driver in a controlled environment and, if it suits your fancy, you'll also be preparing yourself for a race track.

After you tackle an autocross a couple of times, your confidence behind the wheel of your favorite Porsche can skyrocket, and when it's time for track day, those tight turns are no longer intimidating.

I realize there are some more experienced Porsche drivers out there who have no idea what I mean when I say tight turns can be intimidating, but there are also others like me who are slowly learning everything a Porsche is capable of. After all, a Porsche is a car that spans all generations and types of people. For those who aren't quite sold on my point that you should try an autocross, allow me to take you through my own experience.

Let's travel back in time a few years. I was 16, ready to autocross with my Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately called "Peanut." But before I took my turn behind the wheel on the course, I hitched a ride in a Porsche Boxster.

The best way I have to describe that car completing the course was like a hot knife slicing through butter. I psyched myself up for my own turn. There was no need to be nervous — I could do this, too. Right?

I was halfway through my first course before I remembered I had other gears besides first. (I recommend doing an autocross with a manual transmission. I think it adds to the fun.) Everything happened so fast that in a heartbeat I was finished. Only six cones had gotten in my way, but I hadn't gone off course.

I sat with "Peanut" waiting for my next round, and I replayed the course in my mind again. My feet had flopped all over the place, like I'd been trying to stomp a spider behind my pedals, and I'd knocked my knees on the steering wheel too many times. No matter how I demanded, it seemed like my hands could never move fast enough, and I had those cone penalties to prove it.

There was plenty of room for improvement, and I was ready in the next round. My hands actually did move faster, my feet didn't freak out as much, and after gunning through the finish line, a little thrill made my hands tremble. In spite of all the madness, this was actually fun! (Just don’t forget to get those tires and brakes checked afterward.)

I didn't get a chance to autocross again until my most recent Porsche Parade in Traverse City, Michigan. This time, the purpose of the autocross was to see if drivers realized a difference autocrossing Porsches with Michelin tires.

Instead of my favorite little Beetle, this time I got behind the wheel of a Porsche Cayman. Saying I was excited was an understatement. I'd never gotten a chance to autocross an actual Porsche before.

Everything on the interior was light brown leather, and smelled just as beautiful as it looked. The steering wheel was cool and sensitive in my hands. I waited for my guide to tell me to go, and then we were off. The Cayman surged right into my hands, and I wasn't quite sure what to think of the incredibly sensitive gas and brake pedal. It was a giant step up from Peanut.

This autocross course included a stop-and-go segment to avoid hitting an imaginary pedestrian. I mention that because it became the highlight of my second lap. I was encouraged not to be afraid of the car and to see what it could really do, so I upped the acceleration in the S-curves, and started to fishtail a little in the slaloms. I couldn't get the grin off of my face, but I think I scared my poor guide.

When it was time to throw on the brakes to narrowly miss the wandering pedestrian — the imaginary one, don't worry — the ABS lit up under my braking foot and the Cayman squiggled to a stop. The car probably didn't actually look that way, but that's what it felt like.

I hit the gas again to pull forward, but the Cayman didn't respond, and my guide admitted to sliding the car into neutral because she had been worried I'd spin. I laughed, not because my guide was scared, but because I would have loved that experience.

Just like Porsches, autocrossing is made for everyone. Porsches are nice to look at, may be passed through generations or even be a symbol of social status, but I think autocrossing connects a driver's heart with a Porsche's true purpose.

Richard Petty said it well: "We drive for the sheer fun of driving." And the reason to autocross a Porsche is for the sheer fun of driving.