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So back in February 2008 I got a last-minute oppurtunity to attend a Laguna Seca trackday through a group called Speed Ventures, which I went for. It was my first (and, given the difficulty of arranging it, maybe the last) time driving on this famous race course, and what a delight it was. Though not especially technical, it’s flowing and rhythmic to drive; a truly amazing experience.

After the break are plenty more snapshots from that day, as well as impressions of the famous track and other musings.

This rather peculiar machine had me scratching my head for awhile, though I think I finally figured it out. At first glance I thought it was a Datsun 510, then I realized it was an old Chevy of some sort; Corvette is what my gut said but my friend said Camaro. As far as I can tell, this is actually a C5 ‘vette with a bodykit that makes it look like a ’67 Camaro, but with lots of modern detailing (the rear bumper and lights looked like they were lifted directly off of the new Camaro concept). In any case, it was loud and fast:

One of many GT3s at the track (996 & 997 and RS & non-RS were all represented at least a couple times over each):

360 Challenge Stradale:

Fast, heavily modified Mustang:

One of two black M6s present (the other was a convertible):

Elise:

See? Another GT3 RS:

A positive gaggle of performance metal:

GT3 RS in foreground, Boxster S & Ferrari 360 CS & Elise in middle, M3 Competition Package & C6 Corvette in background:

Pretty Cobra replica. Sounded divine:

One of many, many, many S2000s…the only Evo in the background, with a Supra, Miata, and 325Ci in back:

Radical SR3s in the paddock. There were roughly a dozen of these, there at that same day for a sprint race in a Radical series:

Another look at that weird Chevy. Loud 993 in background:

Action on turns 9 and 10 of the track:

Most of the paddock from up above (there’s more to the right):

Race-prepped Cayman S:

New STi making a showing:

The owner of Speed Venture’s car, a beat-up Spec Miata:

Exige S. One of two or three there that day:

Lined-up on the front straight in a double-pass. Happy accident:

Cars in foreground are lining up to get on track. From front to back = C5 Corvette, S2000, Ferrari 360 Modena, C6 Z06, Audi A4:

One of the Radical SR3s during qualifying around lunchtime:

Another shot of the before-seen Cayman:

996 GT3 in profile:

New STi at rest:

And late in the afternoon, it rained. Made for a fun last session:

My wet car, all packed up and ready to go home after the last laps of the day:

The following pictures were taken by my friend Branden, who was so kind as to hang out for the first half of the day with me:

In terms of the hit to the wallet, this particular trackday was $260; Laguna Seca is higher cost than many others because it’s in such high demand. Some tracks are as little as half that. Add in a night’s motel the night before, a bite to eat and a bottle of water the day of, and the gas to drive to, on, and from the track and it all added up to about $350.

The track’s actually pretty straightforward, really. Unlike Buttonwillow (one of the other tracks I’ve been to), there really is only one proper way to do each turn, so you spend less time figuring out what to do and more time refining your technique. But don’t confuse “straightforward” with “boring”…it is a very flowing track, where each turn is paced to come at you nicely, and it’s just flat-out fun. I could definitely see first-hand how Laguna is one of the world’s most famous racetracks.

The corkscrew’s not as daunting and people make it out to be. The key is braking earlier than you think you need to because braking over the crest before the turn makes you all squirrely on the entrance, and then you turn in normally, hold the wheel for a constant radius turn, roll out of the left turn when you see the short oak tree (it’s one of many, but after one lap I knew it instantly) and then you drive toward it until the bottom of the turn opens up in front of you and then just apex the curbing on the right and roll out toward turn 9. The gearing on my car (and, I assume, many others) forced a 2nd-3rd upshift right at the bottom of the corkscrew that was awkward, but other than that, the corkscrew is more sheer entertainment than sheer terror. Of course, my opinion would change if I were working to make up that last tenth of a second here or there, but I was just there to make clean, quick laps and have fun.

This was also my first experience driving on a racetrack in the rain. Fortunately for me, I had just invested in a brand new set of Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 tires just a couple weeks before this trackday and they excelled in the wet and slipper conditions. I felt like I barely had to slow down at all from dry pace, and they were immensely confidence inspiring. Suddenly cars that had been quicker than me all day were struggling to match my pace (I even pressured an S2000 into spinning off turn 6, sorry man, didn’t mean to do that).