Laguna Seca 8-23/24

[Spoolin]

Anyone going to the SpeedVentures Event this weekend at Laguna Seca?

I'll be there with my '14 SW 1LE. Never been to this track before.

[Orange Crush 1LE]

Great track, you're gonna love it! Take your time to learn it and work up to speed slowly, as with any track.

I'm going with the NorCal Shelby Club to an unlimited-dB day at Laguna Seca on 9/21. Both of my cars have loud exhausts, too loud for a 90 dB day, so I had to wait for this one.

Have an awesome time, looking forward to your impressions.

[Spoolin]

Thanks for the tips, to be honest I've tried to set my fastest lap from the first time my tires hit the track at my last two track events and it's come back to bite me in the arse since I didn't know the tracks at all. So maybe this time I'll try to pace myself!

I guess I'm just too excited and want to get one good lap in before i pop a tire or something! Gotta remember...patience grasshopper!!

From those who've run this track in stock 1LE's seems my target time should be 1:50!

[ZL1-V]

Originally Posted by Spoolin

Thanks for the tips, to be honest I've tried to set my fastest lap from the first time my tires hit the track at my last two track events and it's come back to bite me in the arse since I didn't know the tracks at all. So maybe this time I'll try to pace myself!

I guess I'm just too excited and want to get one good lap in before i pop a tire or something! Gotta remember...patience grasshopper!!

From those who've run this track in stock 1LE's seems my target time should be 1:50!

I will pass on a tip that was given to me when I started track days on a motorcycle. Orange Crush gave you the best advice. Learn the track. It's a mental thing that your mind has to establish first. The speed and lower times are accomplished once you KNOW the track. When you can picture in your mind, and feel every bump and irregularity in your head then you know the track. Racers do it all of the time and you sometimes see them on video with their eyes closed and head moving as they go over the circuit in their heads.


Old joke you may, or may not have heard before?

"Two bulls stood on a hill. They looked down on a valley where a dozen cows grazed.

The young bull said, "Hey Pop, let's run down there and **** one of those heifer."

"No, Son," said the old bull. "Let's WALK down there and **** ALL those heifers."

[cornerspeed92]

So bummed, got asked to come up and instruct this weekend, but there is no way i can make it. Have fun gentlemen

[Spoolin]

Originally Posted by ZL1-V

I will pass on a tip that was given to me when I started track days on a motorcycle. Orange Crush gave you the best advice. Learn the track. It's a mental thing that your mind has to establish first. The speed and lower times are accomplished once you KNOW the track. When you can picture in your mind, and feel every bump and irregularity in your head then you know the track. Racers do it all of the time and you sometimes see them on video with their eyes closed and head moving as they go over the circuit in their heads.


Old joke you may, or may not have heard before?

"Two bulls stood on a hill. They looked down on a valley where a dozen cows grazed.

The young bull said, "Hey Pop, let's run down there and **** one of those heifer."

"No, Son," said the old bull. "Let's WALK down there and **** ALL those heifers."

That was an awesome Joke! Never heard it before and it speaks the truth...now to apply this new found understanding of patience!

Originally Posted by cornerspeed92

So bummed, got asked to come up and instruct this weekend, but there is no way i can make it. Have fun gentlemen

Wish you would be here Mark, you still owe me a ride along!!

[Spoolin]

So the weekend went really really well. There were still a few issues I need to sort through but at least this time I made it through the whole weekend from first session to last session.
(My first two race weekends were cut short once by a flat tire and the other by a bent wheel)

Anywho, I have tons of video of me screwing up the racing lines but I think I got a good idea of the track, although it's gonna take a lot of seat time to get better at becoming consistent. Right now I can't put a good lap together to save my life.

Best lap of the weekend was a 1:48.751! So I beat my initial goal of getting a 1:50. Not bad for my first time at Laguna. After the second session of the first day I was moved up a group because I was faster than the next fastest guy by about 7 seconds. So after only three track days I'm only one step away from the open passing groups...which kinda freaks me out. Not sure I'm ready for that.

Only issue of the weekend was I boiled my brake fluid, which I sorta expected was gonna happen. I bought some Motul 600 and some SS brake lines but they arrived a day too late and I wasn't able to get them on so I still had the crappy DOT 3/4 fluid in there and sure enough it boiled on my third session of the first day. Tried to do one more session after a 3 hour cool down (skipped a session) and the brake pedal feel was all over the place; spongy, firm, bottomed out a few times and also alot of shuddering as if there was air in the lines. So I spent Saturday night bleeding my brake lines and putting in new fluid. It helped but I cooked the brake fluid again on Sunday, but I expected it and changed my driving style to somewhat not overcook the brakes. No biggie, still had fun and I'll get it sorted out this coming week. I did get one good session in this weekend (third session of first day) where I could go all out and not worry about brakes, wheels or tires and that's when I set my fastest lap.

Also met a Z/28 owner who was nice enough to give me a ride in his Z/28. That car is amazing!!
Honestly, my neck hurt afterwards from the braking and cornering. Was such a wonderful experience. And I learned some good racing lines and brake points/tricks from him. All in all it was a great weekend and Laguna Seca is amazing, yet challenging.

[ZL1-V]

Thanks for the report!

[Orange Crush 1LE]

Originally Posted by Spoolin

So the weekend went really really well. There were still a few issues I need to sort through but at least this time I made it through the whole weekend from first session to last session.
(My first two race weekends were cut short once by a flat tire and the other by a bent wheel)

Anywho, I have tons of video of me screwing up the racing lines but I think I got a good idea of the track, although it's gonna take a lot of seat time to get better at becoming consistent. Right now I can't put a good lap together to save my life.

Best lap of the weekend was a 1:48.751! So I beat my initial goal of getting a 1:50. Not bad for my first time at Laguna. After the second session of the first day I was moved up a group because I was faster than the next fastest guy by about 7 seconds. So after only three track days I'm only one step away from the open passing groups...which kinda freaks me out. Not sure I'm ready for that.

Only issue of the weekend was I boiled my brake fluid, which I sorta expected was gonna happen. I bought some Motul 600 and some SS brake lines but they arrived a day too late and I wasn't able to get them on so I still had the crappy DOT 3/4 fluid in there and sure enough it boiled on my third session of the first day. Tried to do one more session after a 3 hour cool down (skipped a session) and the brake pedal feel was all over the place; spongy, firm, bottomed out a few times and also alot of shuddering as if there was air in the lines. So I spent Saturday night bleeding my brake lines and putting in new fluid. It helped but I cooked the brake fluid again on Sunday, but I expected it and changed my driving style to somewhat not overcook the brakes. No biggie, still had fun and I'll get it sorted out this coming week. I did get one good session in this weekend (third session of first day) where I could go all out and not worry about brakes, wheels or tires and that's when I set my fastest lap.

Also met a Z/28 owner who was nice enough to give me a ride in his Z/28. That car is amazing!!
Honestly, my neck hurt afterwards from the braking and cornering. Was such a wonderful experience. And I learned some good racing lines and brake points/tricks from him. All in all it was a great weekend and Laguna Seca is amazing, yet challenging.

Man I love to hear about this kind of experience. That's what it's all about- having fun, and it doesn't hurt that you put down a smokin' lap!
Hard to believe it's your first time at Seca with that lap. You know I'll be there 9/21 with the NorCal Shelby Club, come and show the Mustangs what a stock 1LE will do.

[Spoolin]

Originally Posted by Orange Crush 1LE

Man I love to hear about this kind of experience. That's what it's all about- having fun, and it doesn't hurt that you put down a smokin' lap!
Hard to believe it's your first time at Seca with that lap. You know I'll be there 9/21 with the NorCal Shelby Club, come and show the Mustangs what a stock 1LE will do.

THANKS so much!!! I had a blast and learned alot. I know you guys were telling me to take it slow and all but on my first session on my own (sans instructor) my fastest lap was 1:48.902 and during my second session I got my 1:48.751. Everything after that was just minimizing any hard braking and learning the track.
Looks like I ran down the Valley and ****ed only one of the Heffers!

Originally Posted by ZL1-V

Thanks for the report!

I was thinking about your joke when I was there... I 'ed




Can you link me to their registration page? I'd love to go back with some better brake fluid, pick your brain, get some seat time and possibly improve my times. I've only done Speed Ventures events up till now but up for some different events.

[Spoolin]

Here's the GoPro of my second session.

Part 1


Part 2



And here are my times posted for that session, I'm at the top.


Here is the third session where I got my fastest lap times and also cooked my brakes...

Part 1



Part 2



And here are my times from that Session, I'm second from the top...




Looks like on my fastest lap (about minute 8:30 on the third video) I pushed wide in Turn 2 and missed my apex, got lose on 5 and ran wide, ran a bit wide on 6(my favorite turn that I usually just kiss the bumper), and missed turn 10 as well.

Also, I'm still driving with all the nannies on, I haven't gotten the confidence yet to turn off Traction Control or Stabilitrac. I don't feel stabilitac ever kick in but I do sometimes feel the Traction Control kick in.
Do you guys run with or without it?

[hcsi99]

Great driving, lots of traffic. I like the F40 MR2 lemons car.

[Orange Crush 1LE]

Originally Posted by Spoolin

THANKS so much!!! I had a blast and learned alot. I know you guys were telling me to take it slow and all but on my first session on my own (sans instructor) my fastest lap was 1:48.902 and during my second session I got my 1:48.751. Everything after that was just minimizing any hard braking and learning the track.
Looks like I ran down the Valley and ****ed only one of the Heffers!





I was thinking about your joke when I was there... I 'ed




Can you link me to their registration page? I'd love to go back with some better brake fluid, pick your brain, get some seat time and possibly improve my times. I've only done Speed Ventures events up till now but up for some different events.

I hear you, I couldn't resist pushing the go pedal hard my first time at Laguna Seca. But I did a bunch of hot laps in a video game first, doesn't that make it ok?

Here's the 9/21 unlimited-dB track day I'm going to:

http://www.norcal-saac.org/lagunablast/

A group of us will be having dinner at Tarpy's Roadhouse the Saturday 9/20 prior to the track day. Shoot me a PM if you'd like to join us.

[ZL1-V]

I haven't set foot on that soil since 2011 while there for MotoGP. Great course to race on. Thanks for sharing them. I'm almost there with my car being ready for track days. I would love to go to the unlimited db sessions there. I have been attending events there since 1998.