Ducati Monster Forum

Heading to Laguna for a track day in 2 weeks for 1st time. Any advice, tips or tricks from LS vets?

I’m experienced track day rider and know the local tracks well but wanted to see if any tips out there to make the LS day better.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Don't racers, more or less seriously, prepare by playing computer games.....

You could do that or study Youtube videos - if possible with commentaries  [Dolph]

I doubt anything can prepare you for the first time you go down the corkscrew. I was seriously impressed how steep that drop is when I was just walking it. I can't imagine when you crest the top.

The corkscrew really isn't all that scary. Getting the entrance right is key. The instructors should give you key braking/downshifting markers, and where to line yourself up for the initial left, then powering out of the right at the bottom is a blast.  

I was more concerned with the dip in turn 6. I'm not sure if the track has changed since I did a day there, but if you didn't hit the apex of 6 just right, the bike got all kinds of unsettled. You carry much more speed though there than at the corkscrew.

11 is easy to get wrong too.

Just take the morning sessions easy, learn where your markers are, then blast the afternoon sessions.

That being said, it's a very demanding track with little relaxation time while on it. It kicked my ass, so much so, that I sat out the last session. It was hard to walk the next day ;D

If you are doing Laguna with Reg and Gigi's ClassRides, tell Reg Joel in Bakersfield said hi.

I’ve actually done a couple parade laps at LS at a Moto GP race a few years back and walked the track with Ben Bostrom, so I have a little perspective. He spent a lot of time explaining the whole section from 6 through the corkscrew. Very technical for something that almost looks like a straight line. Looking forward to experiencing that with a bit more speed.

I’ve been watching videos and when I watch races, 2 always seems a bit sketchy. Not sure why I feel that way but I will experience it soon enough.

Any suggestions on where to pit, fueling, etc. or any neaunces specific to LS. Little things you don’t know until you’ve been to a track a few times.

Thanks!

Fuel at the track was really pricey. Bring your own if you can.

I don't remember where we pitted, I think it was kinda close to the driving school and or a gift store/office.

Turn one takes balls to do it right. Turn two is almost two separate corners with lots of lean angle. Turns 3,4 and 5 are all kind of the same. One of the instructors crashed in front of me at 5 (I'm not sure why. I got to drive the track later to pick up his bike) 6 to the corkscrew is a straight shot but because it's uphill, it's blind. I remember there was some sort of hanging visual aid used as a marker to line yourself up for the corkscrew entrance.

Oh, and short-shift near the noise nanny stand.

I've got inserts in the termis, put the stock clutch cover back on and replaced the open air box lid.  I'm going to download a db level app and run her up the hill in the hood this weekend. Hoping the noise police won't catch me!

What an incredible track and experience!! If you have a chance to ride LS, do it. The track is so nice and the turns really flow nicely all around the circuit. I tried a lap without my DB killers and got blacked flagged! [laugh] I was really surprised as other bikes were so much louder.

I took it pretty easy the whole day since it was my 1st time there, I hadn’t ridden in almost 18 months and I just wanted to insure I made it home in one piece. Spent a good portion of the day only braking hard at the final turn going onto the front straight. Going over the rise on that straight “wide open” was pretty fun and I literally giggled ever time I went through the corkscrew. I took a lap time from one of the videos and that lap was 2:02. Lap record is 1:21.  [Dolph]

If you can make it there it is well worth the effort!!!

My bud has some GoPro video I’ll try to post up as soon as he forwards it.

Good job!

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