soloracer
10-05-2015, 11:15 PM
In August I hauled the 355 Challenge to Laguna Seca to attend a two day track event with the Ferrari Club. My friend Paul came with me and signed up for the event too. We left on a Friday after work and drove straight down arriving at 2 AM Sunday. Can't say I want to do that again. LOL
The event had us broken up into different groups. I signed up for the novice group and Paul was in Intermediate. We each got five 20 minute runs a day. I would drive the car in Novice and then hand the car off to Paul who ran it in Intermediate. So the car ran 200 minutes flat out on the track each day for two days.
When we first went out we had instructors with us to give direction around the track. After my first session my instructor told me I was in the wrong group. He said that novice is for guys with no track experience and who didn't know what an apex was. Since I had some experience he said I should have been in Intermediate. I didn't care as I was just there to have some fun with the car around a famous track. Paul had an instructor too and after a couple laps, one where he drifted a couple corners when he came in too hot, he too was told that he was in the wrong group. He was told that he was an Advanced driver and should move to the Advanced group. He said that since it wasn't his car and he wasn't familiar with the track that he would prefer to stay in Intermediate. Besides that he was having too much fun passing 430's, Scuds and 458's in Intermediate whereas in Advanced he would have to watch his mirrors much closer.
The cost for this fun? $1000 USD per driver not including the costs to get there, accommodations, etc. Although it did include one dinner at a nice hotel in Monterey.
For me it was a bucket list item and I am glad that I went and that Paul decided to do it too. Always better to do things with your friends. Besides, I could get some laps with him to see what the car really could do and learn where I could push harder.
We took a bunch of photographs and had GoPro's mounted front and rear. Just have to get the video's synched up and I will get them posted for all to see. Until then here are some pictures.
The event had us broken up into different groups. I signed up for the novice group and Paul was in Intermediate. We each got five 20 minute runs a day. I would drive the car in Novice and then hand the car off to Paul who ran it in Intermediate. So the car ran 200 minutes flat out on the track each day for two days.
When we first went out we had instructors with us to give direction around the track. After my first session my instructor told me I was in the wrong group. He said that novice is for guys with no track experience and who didn't know what an apex was. Since I had some experience he said I should have been in Intermediate. I didn't care as I was just there to have some fun with the car around a famous track. Paul had an instructor too and after a couple laps, one where he drifted a couple corners when he came in too hot, he too was told that he was in the wrong group. He was told that he was an Advanced driver and should move to the Advanced group. He said that since it wasn't his car and he wasn't familiar with the track that he would prefer to stay in Intermediate. Besides that he was having too much fun passing 430's, Scuds and 458's in Intermediate whereas in Advanced he would have to watch his mirrors much closer.
The cost for this fun? $1000 USD per driver not including the costs to get there, accommodations, etc. Although it did include one dinner at a nice hotel in Monterey.
For me it was a bucket list item and I am glad that I went and that Paul decided to do it too. Always better to do things with your friends. Besides, I could get some laps with him to see what the car really could do and learn where I could push harder.
We took a bunch of photographs and had GoPro's mounted front and rear. Just have to get the video's synched up and I will get them posted for all to see. Until then here are some pictures.