Laguna Seca Raceway - Beginner's Guide 

thanks Lee!

It all depends where they are measuring from. Remember you enter the corkscrew essentially blind as your climbing the hill if you havent spun out after turn 7 and or on your approach to the corkscrew, turn 8. The Corkscrew drops 59 feet between the entrance of Turn 8 to the exit of Turn 8A, that’s actually a 5½ story drop in a distance of only 450 feet of track length. From Turn 8 to Turn 9, the elevation falls 109 feet, which is over 10 stories. It’s unique in a few diff ways obviously the elevation drop you get that stomach in your throat feeling, the vertical G’s on your body from the elevation drop. How you approach the corkscrew is probably the most difficult. It's a left hand corner at the top, and untraditionally you start breaking or start approaching the corner from the left hand side, which at a normal corner would be wrong. Then you sort of drift from left side of the road over to the right side once you come over that crown. But once you get the car slowed down and turned, and you get to that apex there on the left, the corner's kind of about over from there. Just don’t underestimate some of the other corners that are equally if not more difficult than the corkscrew and crucial for track time and passing.

Thanks Greg! In the Bay Area, CA track days vary from $150 to $350 depending on the organization. On average, the ones I attend are about $200-$250. It includes 5 x 20 minute sessions so you get plenty of seat time. It may seem like a lot of money but you get your money's worth. Not only do you get to drive at the limit in a controlled environment (no cops, no traffic, etc), you get to test/appreciate your modifications, and you also get to learn to become a better driver on track and on the streets. At least that's how I position it to my wife. LOL

Thanks for the reply. That to me sounds like a reasonable amount considering the seat time seems generous and it must be a huge cost to maintain a real track. Keep up the great content. If I have any thoughts for things in the future I'll let you know too.

Yes, the "M clunk" is normal on the E46 M3. On the SMG you can slightly lift in between shifts which helps a little bit. The M clunk doesn't sound that bad unless you're windows are up, radio off, and you're listening for it. If it sounds out of the "ordinary" than check your diff bushings - if they are bad the diff will move more. You can check your diff bushings by keeping the car in gear, say 3rd gear cruising. Without changing gears, punch the gas- let it coast, punch the gas let it coast. If you hear a clunk when you get on and off the gas than most likely your diff bushings are bad. The M clunk should only happen in between shifts.