Laguna Seca

Monterey, CA

Length

2.238 miles

Turns

11

No public description is available for this track.

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Track Character

Speed: mediumBraking: highElevation: extreme

The Corkscrew (T8-8A) is a blind, downhill left-right with massive elevation drop. Brakes are critical into T2 and T11. The track has significant camber changes — T3 is heavily banked, T6 is off-camber. Setup for strong braking and mid-corner stability. Run slightly more front camber for the high-speed T5-T6 complex.

Frequently Asked Questions: Laguna Seca

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“A car going uphill has better traction than one going downhill, as the forward motion of the car tends to push it into the track surface, increasing the vertical load on all four tires. Your goal is to do as much braking, turning, and accelerating as possible on the uphill sections, and as little as possible on the downhill portions.”

Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley

The Corkscrew drops five and a half stories in seconds. Bentley's principle is critical here: traction vanishes on the descent through T8-8A. Brake earlier and lighter on the downhill approach, and exploit the uphill run out of T11 where the car is pushed into the pavement.

“As you enter a corner, before you even get to the turn-in point, you should be looking at and through the apex. You have to know where you are going before you can know how much to turn the steering wheel at the turn-in point. Look as far through the corner as possible.”

Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley

The Corkscrew is blind over the crest — you cannot see the second apex from the entry. Vision discipline is non-negotiable: commit your eyes to the left apex before cresting, then snap them to the right apex the instant the car drops. Hesitation at the top means a missed line through the entire complex.

“The term "trail-braking" undoubtedly comes from explaining the process of trailing away the braking loads as the car decelerates while turning. In corner entries where the brake-turn segment is longer, you try to find a specific combination of braking and cornering effort that slows the car and puts it on the right path for the apex.”

Going Faster! — Carl Lopez (Skip Barber)

T2 and T11 are heavy trail-braking corners. Lopez's extended brake-turn technique applies perfectly: carry moderate brake pressure past turn-in at T2, gradually releasing to rotate the car toward the late apex. At T11, the downhill approach amplifies speed — trail braking lets you manage the excess entry speed while maintaining directional control.