Just Been Round Laguna Seca
Discussion
Hi Guys
I am currently on the Carmel stage of my honeymoon and decided a trip out to Laguna Seca was in order.
Wow! What an amazing place! Many more undulations than the Gran Turismo version.
We arrived to see they were hosting a 24 hour mountain bike race around the perimeter of the circuit. I drove down to the pit lane area to gave a look around. There is a Skip Barber racing school there, so I popped in and asked if there was anyway I could get a passenger ride. To my surprise the lady said that if I went down on the pit lane and looked sad enough one of the instructors might take me round.
So I walked through the Skip Barber garage where they had loads of Porsches, Elises and a tasty JPS Esprit and loitered around the pits. I asked one of the instructors if he could take me round and he said sure.
He took me round for 2 laps in a Mazda 3 absolutely nailing it. It was a weird sensation going around the track for real after I had done it so many times on Gran Turismo. Even although the car wasn't very powerful, Robbie the instructor carried lots of momentum around corners- and nothing can prepare you for the Corkscrew! The change on g forces is so dramatic - at one point you feel as though you are about to be thrown through the windscreen.
It was an excellent surprise, and many thanks to the Skip Barber school and Robbie for taking me round (for free!).
As an aside, Hertz offered me the Corvette HR-Z but our bloody luggage didn't fit in! So we have an Infiniti FX35 which is a mini SUV based on the 350z chassis with the 303 bhp V6 and a 7 speed flappy paddle auto which blips on down shifts. It is a hoot to drive.
Better log off before I get an early divorce : ). Pics will follow.
I am currently on the Carmel stage of my honeymoon and decided a trip out to Laguna Seca was in order.
Wow! What an amazing place! Many more undulations than the Gran Turismo version.
We arrived to see they were hosting a 24 hour mountain bike race around the perimeter of the circuit. I drove down to the pit lane area to gave a look around. There is a Skip Barber racing school there, so I popped in and asked if there was anyway I could get a passenger ride. To my surprise the lady said that if I went down on the pit lane and looked sad enough one of the instructors might take me round.
So I walked through the Skip Barber garage where they had loads of Porsches, Elises and a tasty JPS Esprit and loitered around the pits. I asked one of the instructors if he could take me round and he said sure.
He took me round for 2 laps in a Mazda 3 absolutely nailing it. It was a weird sensation going around the track for real after I had done it so many times on Gran Turismo. Even although the car wasn't very powerful, Robbie the instructor carried lots of momentum around corners- and nothing can prepare you for the Corkscrew! The change on g forces is so dramatic - at one point you feel as though you are about to be thrown through the windscreen.
It was an excellent surprise, and many thanks to the Skip Barber school and Robbie for taking me round (for free!).
As an aside, Hertz offered me the Corvette HR-Z but our bloody luggage didn't fit in! So we have an Infiniti FX35 which is a mini SUV based on the 350z chassis with the 303 bhp V6 and a 7 speed flappy paddle auto which blips on down shifts. It is a hoot to drive.
Better log off before I get an early divorce : ). Pics will follow.
In the voice from Monty Python "You lucky b
d". It's one of my favourite tracks. I'm going to America with my brother in september this year to pay my other brother a visit. He asked if there was anywhere i wanted to visit, i was quick to answer Laguna Seca and Indianapolis (sp?). If i can get a ride round there it would be days, possibly weeks till the stupid smile was wiped off my face. Top effort fella.
d". It's one of my favourite tracks. I'm going to America with my brother in september this year to pay my other brother a visit. He asked if there was anywhere i wanted to visit, i was quick to answer Laguna Seca and Indianapolis (sp?). If i can get a ride round there it would be days, possibly weeks till the stupid smile was wiped off my face. Top effort fella. It's a pretty amazing place isn't it?
I was there a month ago and they were running single seaters around the track and having skidpan sessions in the car park with RX8s and 3 series BMs
Sadly the perimiter road that goes to the corkscrew was closed, so there was no way of seeing it, but it was a good trip all the same.
I was there a month ago and they were running single seaters around the track and having skidpan sessions in the car park with RX8s and 3 series BMs
Sadly the perimiter road that goes to the corkscrew was closed, so there was no way of seeing it, but it was a good trip all the same.
Cheers Guys.
I will get the pics up when we get home.
I totally recommend a visit to the circuit if you are in the area. There is a great informal and friendly atmosphere at the circuit, and the Skip Barber guys were only too willing to let me look around and get a passenger ride.
I will get the pics up when we get home.
I totally recommend a visit to the circuit if you are in the area. There is a great informal and friendly atmosphere at the circuit, and the Skip Barber guys were only too willing to let me look around and get a passenger ride.
Edited by Ecurie Ecosse on Sunday 7th June 14:29
Congratulations!
I did exactly the same thing last spring, backpacking up the west coast i thought that it would be rude to not stop by...
2 free laps later i was a happy little boy! Did you get to walk the track? Standing in the middle of the corkscrew is something ill never forget.
Happy days!
I did exactly the same thing last spring, backpacking up the west coast i thought that it would be rude to not stop by...
2 free laps later i was a happy little boy! Did you get to walk the track? Standing in the middle of the corkscrew is something ill never forget.
Happy days!
Great tip here OP so thanks...
I was in the area today - I'd been talking to the Skip Barber school about a driving day but it would have taken a whole day out of the holiday. So instead we went to the Monterey Aquarium with the kids in the first half of the day then I went down to the circuit for a gander and the off chance of a ride on my lonesome in the mid afternoon.
The place is very open - no access restrictions at all which was so nice in an old fashioned kind of way. It's also a beautiful and spectacular location. I approached the guys in the paddock, had a chat with them and they offered me a couple of hot laps. It was a Mazda 3 but there's nothing quite like an average saloon scraping it's wing mirrors especially around this circuit. Great fun and as above - thanks to the Skip Barber school for reminding us that a bit of kindness and generosity goes a long way.
I was in the area today - I'd been talking to the Skip Barber school about a driving day but it would have taken a whole day out of the holiday. So instead we went to the Monterey Aquarium with the kids in the first half of the day then I went down to the circuit for a gander and the off chance of a ride on my lonesome in the mid afternoon.
The place is very open - no access restrictions at all which was so nice in an old fashioned kind of way. It's also a beautiful and spectacular location. I approached the guys in the paddock, had a chat with them and they offered me a couple of hot laps. It was a Mazda 3 but there's nothing quite like an average saloon scraping it's wing mirrors especially around this circuit. Great fun and as above - thanks to the Skip Barber school for reminding us that a bit of kindness and generosity goes a long way.
Olf said:
Great tip here OP so thanks...
I was in the area today - I'd been talking to the Skip Barber school about a driving day but it would have taken a whole day out of the holiday. So instead we went to the Monterey Aquarium with the kids in the first half of the day then I went down to the circuit for a gander and the off chance of a ride on my lonesome in the mid afternoon.
The place is very open - no access restrictions at all which was so nice in an old fashioned kind of way. It's also a beautiful and spectacular location. I approached the guys in the paddock, had a chat with them and they offered me a couple of hot laps. It was a Mazda 3 but there's nothing quite like an average saloon scraping it's wing mirrors especially around this circuit. Great fun and as above - thanks to the Skip Barber school for reminding us that a bit of kindness and generosity goes a long way.
Good work and to the OP. Wish I'd known this when I was there- I obviously didn't look sad enough. I was in the area today - I'd been talking to the Skip Barber school about a driving day but it would have taken a whole day out of the holiday. So instead we went to the Monterey Aquarium with the kids in the first half of the day then I went down to the circuit for a gander and the off chance of a ride on my lonesome in the mid afternoon.
The place is very open - no access restrictions at all which was so nice in an old fashioned kind of way. It's also a beautiful and spectacular location. I approached the guys in the paddock, had a chat with them and they offered me a couple of hot laps. It was a Mazda 3 but there's nothing quite like an average saloon scraping it's wing mirrors especially around this circuit. Great fun and as above - thanks to the Skip Barber school for reminding us that a bit of kindness and generosity goes a long way.
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