The Racing Line at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

When a Ducati wielding European motorhead comes over to the States with a track experience in mind, only one circuit will do, and that's Laguna Seca. Famous for the Corkscrew and infamous for its draconian noise regulations, Laguna has come to represent the world-class racing facility in the United States. And while anyone that's fallen in love with a racing game already knows this track by heart, we submit a humble attempt to help enlighten you to the ideal racing line.

When it comes to the proper racing line, Al shows the most variation in the Andretti Hairpin and the Corkscrew. The Miata takes the tightest line through the hairpin, with an early second apex compared to the GT3. The Motorcycle goes in deep and runs wide at the second apex, swinging wide again before entering Turn 3.

Leading up to and into the Corkscrew, everyone takes the same line. Exiting 8A, however, the Motorcycle deviates from convention and runs a very wide exit, sticking the inside through Turn 9. This approach gains significant time during the downhill section, but loses most of it after the apex. As a result, it may be a useful passing line (just look at all that space!). The car lines through Turn 9 are pretty standard, with the Miata staying farther to the right on corner setup for maximum exit speed. From Turn 10 through the start/finish the lines mostly collapse into a single path. Note the wide arc through Turn 11; corner speed should not be sacraficed for drive out onto the back straight!