map of Laguna Seca
7.2 LAGUNA
SECA, TURN BY TURN
TURN
1
The rule of thumb at Laguna Seca is to aim for
the "2" and turn-down at the "1." For most cars turn 1 is
not a turn. Set up your line through turn 1 to bring you
straight into the entrance of turn 2.
TURN
2
The line I prefer (and teach) for turn 2 is a
single, very late apex. Some people prefer a double apex
line here, but the single apex is easier to learn,
understand and master.
Enter turn 2 lined up on the outside (right) edge
of the track, just before the track turns. Do not line up
on the outside of the old course. As you drive down the
edge of the new course (with the old course to your right)
you will cross pavement changes. Use these as your braking
markers.
Turn down when you reach the end of the track (as
it starts to turn left). Do most of your turning at this
point. This line will bring you about one car width in
from the outside edge of the track by about the middle of
the straight edge of the pavement on the inside. By now
you should be getting back on the gas. The apex is such
that you can draw an almost straight line from the inside
of the track at the apex to the point on the exit where
the track veers to the right. With the proper late apex,
you should be flat out on the gas from well before the
apex.
One good way to see if you are getting the line
right is to look at where the rubber has been laid down on
the track. If you get inside the broad dark stripe, you
will apex the turn too early. If you take the turn too
wide, you will end up "in the marbles".
Turning down hard and late means you will have to
slow way down for the actual turn, but you can carry speed
off of the straight longer. This is treating the entrance
of the turn as a class two turn. Since you do all of your
sharp turning early in the turn you can get on the gas
early.
You must look very far ahead in turn 2. It is
easy to focus on the braking point, then the apex, then
the exit, but if you do this you will miss the braking
point, then the apex, then the exit. When entering the
turn you should watch the apex and still be aware of the
braking and turn-down points. As you drive through the
turn keep looking as far ahead through the turn as the
geography allows.
Reference Points, Turn 2
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURN
3
Turn 3 is a classic example of a turn between two
straights. As you pass the little kink to the right on the
exit of turn 2, aim for the number "2" marker on the
entrance of 3. As you approach the edge of the track, turn
slightly so the car travels parallel to the edge of the
track (within inches of the edge) to the number "1"
marker. At the "1", turn-down and apex a little more than
halfway around the berm. at the apex.
Your speed should carry you all the way to the
outside of the pavement on the exit. If you are not going
fast enough for your speed to bring you out to the edge of
the track, let your steering out so the car will drive out
to the edge.
Turn 3 is wide enough that some cars can take it
flat out. Do, however, work up to this. Don't attempt to
take it flat out your very first time through. If you do
find yourself going off course at the exit, keep the
steering wheel straight, do not lift off of the gas, and
gently ease the car back on the pavement. When you come
back onto the pavement, your front right tire should touch
the pavement at the same time as the rear right and your
front left should come on with the rear left.
Reference Points, Turn 3
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURN
4
From turn 3, continue down the left edge of the
track to turn 4. This is a good place to practice entering
the turn from all of the way at the opposite edge of the
track. The exit of turn 4 is extremely wide. Most cars can
take turn 4 flat out. At the number "1" marker turn-down
sharply. Note that a sharp turn-down does not mean abrupt,
it is quick but smooth.
The apex of turn 4 is slightly past the middle of
the berm. Use all of the track on the exit and continue
your arc until you are aimed at the number "2" marker for
turn 5. This gentle arc minimizes turning the steering
wheel, allowing you to gain as much speed as possible on
the fastest part of the track.
Reference Points, Turn 4
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURN 5
For many
cars, the entrance to turn 5 is the fastest part of the
course. It leads onto an uphill straight to turn 6, so it
is very important to keep as much of this speed as
possible. Get all the way to the right side of the track,
brake in a straight line, turn-down at the "1" marker, get
back onto the gas and apex just around the corner. After
the apex, let the steering out and exit all the way to the
outside edge of the track.
Since turn 5 is both on camber and going uphill,
it can be taken much faster than it appears. At first,
work on braking as little as possible to smoothly make it
to the apex. When you are carrying as much speed as you
can into the turn, work on getting on the gas sooner and
letting out on the steering until your speed carries you
to the outside edge of the track.
If you go off track on the exit of turn 5, it is
important to keep your wheels straight. If you go into the
soft sand with your wheels turned, the outside wheel can
dig in and cause the car to flip.
Reference Points, Turn 5
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURN 6
Depending on your car's handling and horsepower,
you may need to brake for 6, lift or possibly be able to
take it flat out. Get all the way to the right side of the
track, and line up on the straight section just before the
track turns left. Turn down at the number "1" marker, apex
past the middle of the berm, and exit all of the way to
the edge of the track. Carry your arc around so you are
lined up so you can go in a straight line, all of the way
up the hill to turn 7.
Turn 6 is important because the speed on the exit
is carried all the way up the hill to the entrance of the
corkscrew. This hill is quite steep, it is especially
important to maximize your exit speed in underpowered cars
that have a hard time accelerating up the hill.
Going up the hill to turn 7 is a good place to
tighten your belts and check your gauges.
Turn 6 is interesting in that it is nicely banked
at the apex, but not on the outside. This means, if you do
it right, you can go a LOT faster than if you miss the
apex. It also means that missing the apex can be a lot
worse than in a turn with constant camber.
Reference Points, Turn 6
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURNS 7-9
Turns 7
through 9 must be treated as a sequence. This is a classic
situation of having to sacrifice the line and speed in
earlier slow turns to maximize the speed exiting the fast
turns onto the straight. Turn 9 is the most important, 8A
the second most important and turn 8 is the slowest, and
least important.
When you crest the hill coming up from turn 6,
line up on the left side of the track going into turn 7.
Turn down at the “1" marker on the left to line up next to
and parallel with the the right side of the track where it
is straight between the “2" and "1" markers at the entrance to turn
8.
Turn 8, the top of the corkscrew, is one of the
most picturesque turns of any racecourse in the world. It
is also the least important turn on the whole track. The
only purpose of the line through turn 8 is to set you up
for 8A so you can get a good entrance to turn 9.
First, slow way down. Practically to a stop. To
get the late apex you need on 8A, you will have to get an
extremely late apex in 8. The apex in turn 8 is so late
that it is actually beyond the turn and where the road
straightens out!
As if it isn't enough of a challenge making it to
this extremely late apex, the turn is completely blind.
You can not see the apex from the entrance. You must use
speaker poles and trees on the hill across the track as
reference points.
Once you have slowed and turned the car, get back
onto the gas. A trick for the corkscrew is to leave the
car one gear higher than you think you will need (usually
third). The hill is so steep that if you downshift the
extra gear, you will need to shift back up while still
trying to turn the car to get to the apex in 8A.
Stay to the left side of the track on the exit of
8 long enough to get a late apex in 8A. There is a lot of
temptation to apex earlier, so you can go faster through
8A but you will need all of the track at the exit. This,
however, will screw you up for the entrance to turn 9,
which is really the important turn in this sequence. Exit
8A in a smooth arc that will take you about halfway across
the track, then back to about three feet from the right
hand edge of the track for the entrance to turn 9. You can
tell how close to the edge of the track to get by looking
at the camber of the surface. The outside 3-4 feet are off
camber, so you want to be as far to the right as you can
get, and still stay on the on camber portion of the
track.
It is very important to turn-down fast
enough for 8A. It can almost be described as "snapping"
the wheel. This is a classic case where doing something
smoothly does not mean doing it slowly. If you do not
turn-down fast enough, it will be impossible to make it to
the apex.
On the exit of 8A, let your speed carry you
towards the left hand side of the track. The track is wide
enough here that if you go all of the way to the left
side, you may find it difficult to get back to the right
side of the track before the entrance of turn 9.
Do not come quite all of the way back to the
right edge of the track at the entrance of turn 9. The
rightmost four or five feet of the track are off camber
and it is actually faster to use the narrower, on-camber
portion of the pavement.
All of the turn-down markers for turn 9 are way
off to the right side of the track, at the point when you
have to be looking to the left. A very good clue to the
area in which to turn-down, is the dark stripe of rubber
from all of the race cars turning down. To more precisely
identify your turn-down point, choose some feature of the
edge of the pavement that cannot move. Don't choose a rock
which can get knocked down the track. Chunks missing from
the edge of the pavement work very well.
Even if you are not on the gas at the entrance to
9, you should be accelerating before the apex. Cars are
more stable under acceleration, and this is one place
where your car needs all of the stability it can
get.
The apex for turn 9 is just beyond the bridge.
The berm is high and steep, so put your left wheels just
at the base of the berm. When 9 is done correctly, your
speed will carry you all of the way to the outside edge of
the track. If you are not carrying enough speed so the car
goes there by itself, let the steering out and drive out
there. This way you will be used to driving there once you
do build up your speed.
Reference Points, Turn 7
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
Reference Points, Turn 8
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
Reference Points, Turn 9
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
TURNS 10 -
11
Turn 10
is much faster than it looks. It is well banked, and the
track levels out at the apex, which pushes the car into
the track, giving it a lot more traction. As you exit turn
9, aim for the number "2" marker. Straighten the car out
next to the left hand side of the track and brake. Let off
of the brakes and turn-down at the number "1" marker.
There is a car wide patch of pavement on the inside of the
white line at the apex. Use it.
Turn 11 leads onto the longest straight, so it is
necessary to sacrifice a little speed on the exit of turn
10 for a good setup into turn 11. A good late apex will
take you about two-thirds of the way across the track.
Carry this arc around until you are aimed at the number
"2" marker.
Line up on the right hand side of the track just
before the number "2" marker, brake hard and downshift. To
make a good late apex at turn 11, it is important to slow
down enough. If you don't think you slowed down more than
you needed to make the turn, you probably tried to enter
it too fast.
Your speed should carry you out to the wall, a
bit past the tires. The start-finish straight is a good
place to check your belts and your gauges.
Reference Points, Turn 10
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes
Reference Points, Turn 11
Gear at entrance Shift to gear
Braking Point
Turn-Down Point
Apex
Exit
Notes