Laguna Seca track day, July 16-19

[Grant Heathman]

Speed Ventures is running Laguna Seca July 16-19. I'm headed up there to drive a pretty quick full race miata I'm renting. The event is open to all drivers (Beginners allowed on Saturday). The price is $310/day, but they're willing to cut really good deals for groups of 3 or more drivers, so you should contact them if you're interested. For more information: http://www.speedventures.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[Kurt Rahn]

Speed Ventures is running Laguna Seca July 16-19. I'm headed up there to drive a pretty quick full race miata I'm renting. The event is open to all drivers (Beginners allowed on Saturday). The price is $310/day, but they're willing to cut really good deals for groups of 3 or more drivers, so you should contact them if you're interested. For more information: http://www.speedventures.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Laguna Seca is one of the tracks on my bucket list. Can't do it this time, but good to know Speed Ventures runs there.

[Lily Liu]

First 10 Hondas to sign up get $40 off the regular entry. I wanted to go but couldn't take time off work

[Ken Motonishi]

Fun track. Definitely worth doing.

While running my 99 Miata on R comps years ago at LS with Speed Ventures, Chris Grivas was trying to keep up in his VR6 Golf on street tires and missed his braking zone at the entry to the corkscrew. His car jumped over a small ridge (water drainage?) but stopped before hitting anything bad. Put a few buckles on top of his roof. Also ruptured his cooling system and felt bad for him so I drove him to the VW shop to get some necessary things the following day...

His Golf wasn't short of character after that.

That was also the day J Rho introduced his driver adjustible active rear wing on the S2000:

http://www.nsxfiles.com/sv_radical_challenge.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.nsxfiles.com/fame_thunderhill_backwards.ht" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kurt Rahn]

While running my 99 Miata on R comps years ago at LS with Speed Ventures, Chris Grivas was trying to keep up in his VR6 Golf on street tires and missed his braking zone at the entry to the corkscrew.

I've done that about eight million times in Forza Motorsport. I'd love to see that complex in real life and feel the physical forces working on the car when you drop in. Gotta get myself a dedicated track day car first.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Isn't missing that brake point called a Gonzalo?

[Aaron Goldsmith]

Isn't missing that brake point called a Gonzalo?

Zanardi!!!

[Ken Motonishi]

Isn't missing that brake point called a Gonzalo?

Gonzalo's ending wasn't pretty. Zanardi's was.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Gonzalo's outcome was about the most horrific scene imaginable. Photogs and medics at scene including Terry Trammell had to turn away. He suffered a massive basil skull fracture (base of skull shattered as the head tries to leave the body). The sharp bone edges completely severed the blood vessels and he completely bled out before the car ever landed upside down on the slope. Probably a pretty instant and painless death though.

[Ken Motonishi]

What sucked was that Greg Moore had just died in one of the previous CART races.

I was just happy to be able to run a stock S2000 with a passenger faster than Phil Hill's son could in a stock RX-8 considering I don't know LS as well.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

Gonzalo's ending wasn't pretty.

Just found it. WOW!! The ONLY upside is he died quickly.

Gonzalo Rodriguez fatal practice lap at Laguna Seca - short version

Gonzalo Rodriguez fatal practice lap at Laguna Seca - intro with longer video

[Kurt Rahn]

What sucked was that Greg Moore had just died in one of the previous CART races.

That was a horrific crash too. He basically contacted the wall with the top of the drivers pod/his head. Everytime I see it I cringe. Another driver died that season in a plane crash (can't rememeber who). Kinda like the weekend Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna died at Imola. Just a horrible stretch.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Plus that same year, the IRL killed three spectators at Charlotte. Ugly year for American open wheel.

The next year Petty and Irwin died at Loudon and Roper at Texas as NASCAR took over for open wheel in killing drivers.