California Track Trip in a Porsche Cayman GT4!
All of us Northwest racers have fantasized about the idea of going south and hitting a group of those marquee race tracks the Golden State has to offer. We aren't going to take all the blame, but we may have been a bad influence on our good friend and customer, Michael Chang. After some logistic planning and a few conversations, the California track day adventure went from an idea to a reality. Michael is having his car stored down South throughout the winter to come and go as desired.
"I've wanted to drive the Cali tracks for a few years after driving our NW tracks since 1995," says Michael. "I've estimated I've logged over 40,000 laps at PIR. It took me several years to venture away to ORP and the Ridge, and after encouragement from Martin, I finally decided to make the trek south."
The thrill of not only driving but seeing new tracks is something all motorsports enthusiasts desire. Every track has its unique character that sticks in our minds when we first visit them. Michael's plans include hitting three of California's most iconic tracks: Sonoma Raceway (formally Sears Point), Laguna Seca, and Thunderhill.
Michael started his trip in Wine Country at Sonoma Raceway in late August. "Sonoma appealed to me the most since it seemed to be the most technically challenging track. Plus, Martin told me it was his favorite." We asked Michael if he had prepared before arriving, and similar to many these days, he turned to a racing simulator with his Xbox to familiarize himself with the layout. "YouTube has been beneficial with all the videos posted on track tutorials," he also mentioned. When Michael started driving back in 1995, there were no track tutorial videos. There was hardly any onboard footage readily accessible outside of pro-race TV broadcasts. These days, a driver visiting a new track for the first time can hit the ground running after studying laps found on platforms like YouTube and LapMeta. We can access hundreds of videos from any track with a simple search. We all take this luxury for granted, but we certainly benefit from all the knowledge available to the public.
Michael was quick to tell Martin that "He was right about the fun nature of the Sonoma layout and how it keeps you fully focused! I asked Martin if it was worthy of a back-to-back track event, and he enthusiastically replied, "Absolutely!" I now fully agree!" he told us. Michael is already excited to return to the pretty and twisty 2.5-mile circuit to continue improving on his first few days there. Not only is the track technical and flowy, but the views from the top of the hills in Turns 1 and 4 that look out on the rolling hills of Napa Valley are phenomenal. You can even see the Golden Gate Bridge from the back side of the track.
His next stop took him a few hours south to Monterey Bay to visit WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He was lucky to experience the fresh pavement completed just a few months ago. We're told the new asphalt is far grippier than the original surface, which was severely polished. Michael tells us, "Laguna has been a favorite since I was able to run it once in Lucky Dog, but unfortunately, my stint was mainly under a lengthy yellow flag. Combined with the new resurfacing, it has motivated me to return, and I loved it last week.
Not every track is conquered the same way, whether it's driving style or the car's handling requirements. "The recent additions of my MCS dampers and the new aero that AR installed give me lots of adjustability for the different tracks I visit. Next up, Michael will be visiting Thunderhill in Willows. "It's an added incentive to spend time in NorCal since my son has relocated there to start a new job. Since our track season mostly ends here in Sept. I can practically run year-round in Cali. I can now visit family and friends in both Northern and Southern California. On top of that, it's been so much fun to reconnect with an old track friend who relocated to the SF area, and it was also nice to meet new track hobbyists in Cali. Friends who track together stick together!"
We're sure Michael will have a great time tearing it up down there. In the meantime, we will continue to envy that he will be doing track days in December while we try to scrape frost off our cars every morning, waiting for it to be Spring again.