New Member
 

I am a novice track driver who will be at Laguna Seca this month. Discovered the site while looking for driving line maps for Laguna Seca. Hope to drive more tracks and gain more experience, have previously driven Road America.

Re: New Member
 

Welcome Gerry,

Will you be running in the Skip Barber race series or just lapping days and what cars will you be driving, the MX-5's, open wheel cars or something other than Skip Barber?

At Laguna everyone comes to experience the corkscrew but turn 6 leading up the hill to the corkscrew and turn 9, the turn after the corkscrew are both more challenging and important to a fast lap. Laguna is fun to drive but tough to race because there are few passing opportunities.

Road America is one of the great road courses in the country.

Re: New Member
 

Patrick,

Thanks for the note. The Laguna trip is part of the Ferrari Club of America National Meet. I will be driving my 1987 328 GTS in the white run group.

I downloaded the Nor Cal SACC guide and another I found on this site, both have been very helpful. There will be some amazing cars in all of the run groups. My plan is simple, learn the track, have the instructor sign off so I can drive solo and enjoy the driving experience.

While the corkscrew will be fun, thanks for the heads up corner 6 and 9. The course guides make note of the challenging nature of those turns. Any other reference material you would recommend?

Gerry

Re: New Member
 

Carl Lopez primer "Going Faster"
Ross Bentley's "Ultimate Speed Secrets"

At Laguna there are apex curbs you can use but on the back sides of those curbs are red blocks that deter you from shortening the corners. Those red blocks will damage your car and end your day so get close but not too close.

Don't know how much track time you have in your Ferrari but I'm reminded of the Ferrari Club event at Lime Rock about 12 years ago where a Ferrari driver scared himself through the downhill and lifted sharply off throttle causing classic trailing throttle oversteer. He spun and crashed heavily into the inside tire wall. The car was flat bedded into the paddock with both front and rear left side suspension broken and dangling and all the left side body work from headlights to tai lights wrinkled badly.
The visual irony was the entire nose of the car had been covered with painters tape to prevent stone chips.

I share that story to suggest if you don't have a lot of track time it's always a worthy investment to practice car control in someone else's car at a racing school, car control clinic or high performance driving school before putting your own valuable car at risk.

I may be preaching to the converted but figured I'd mention it.

Good luck, have fun, go fast and be safe. :-)

Pat

Re: New Member
 

Pat,

I have some experience on the track with my car and have attended the AMG basic driving school. But am clearly I am a novice. So I appreciate all of the advice, thank you.

Gerry

Re: New Member
 

Well, I am still getting my basic driving lessons at a popular Port Macquarie Driving School. So I can’t give you any advice but dear you can ask my driving instructor. He is very helping and will definitely tell you about it.

Re: New Member
 

Back from trip and it was a blast. Laguna Seca was very fun. While I spent a lot of time studying the track, reading about the correct driving line and watching videos, there is no substitute for driving it in person. My instructor was great help and Pat's advice about turn 6 and 9 was spot on. It also took me a few laps to get use to taking main straight fast up the hill past the blind drop to turn 2. Here are a few photos from the day.

Thank you all for the assistance, it was a memorable day.

Re: New Member
 

Glad you enjoyed it! You make a good observation that driving the track in person gives you a level of appreciation that can't be obtained from videos or track notes. It's one of the great US tracks and I know people who regularly fly across the country to drive it. I'll second Pat's suggestion of visiting Road America and offer Watkins Glen International as another track to add to your wish list.