I'm not sure where I should post this. I'll try here first. Where is the best place to watch the Historic races at Laguna Seca? Looking at the track map, I'm thinking that turn 10 or turn 11 might be best. But, turns 5 and 6 look pretty cool also. Turn 11 looks like the key to fast lap times, but i'm concerned that it might be too crowded. On the other hand, I'm guessing that the place will be a zoo anyway, so what's the difference? Dale
Good question Dale. As another side question, where is the best place for photos with a normal digital camera? Dont have a super long zoom range...
Right at the top of the hill where the Corkscrew is, i believe is the best spot to take pictures! I al ways sit up there, u can see almost the whole track from up there
Turns 10 and 11 are not very good spectating areas, the topography just doesn't work for good sight lines. The corkscrew is great, but you only see a small section of track, although it's a great one! I also like the braking area into turn 2, you can see a good bit of the track, and the grandstand at turn 4 is decent, but one overlooked area is the outside of the track at the entrance to turn 6. You're up high with a great viewing angle. The nicest thing about Laguna is the ability to walk around the track and find your own favorite spot. Gary
Here is a photo I took last year at the historics standing on the hill above turn 2. You can see Turns 2 through 5 from here(only see turns 2 and 5 in the photo, however) Image Unavailable, Please Login
And if you have eagle eyes, you can also see the back straight from the same vantage point. Look closely just to the right of the telephone pole. ;-) Image Unavailable, Please Login
Many thanks for the tips. What about hearing the cars? That is,what will be the best place to hear 17 GTOs bark in anger? thx, Dale
I would say the entry to turn 6, outside of the track. You'll hear them coming up the hill toward you, then accelerating out of 6 toward the corkscrew away from you. Exit of turn 4 in the grandstands would be good. And they are on the power for a few seconds out of the corkscrew down the hill toward 9. Sound is amplified in "corkscrew valley", so as I'm typing I'm thinking that may be the best single spot. Gary
That would be anywhere you can get as close to the track as possible. Also being on one of the bridges(such as the Michelin bridge pictured above) can give you some auditory thrills(as well as vibratory ones) that you will not be able to experience anywhere else at the track.
Another really good place to hear the cars is between turn 4 and the footbridge before turn 5. The cars are accelerating hard out of 4, then off the gas for turn 5, and the fence line is quite near the track. The best spot is off the walkway over the pond (above the 'Official Souvenirs' on the official track map), as the fence is a bit lower there. The grandstands at turn 4 are good. The area above turn 2 is better, past the media center. There is a deck there which has the best view, but I'm sure it will not have public access for this event. I don't like the main grandstands across from the pits (or the tower there), as you can't see much, and the cars go by so fast you don't see/hear them for long. See you there! Jon
Top of the hill by the Cork screw. You can walk back and forth.....or run if the action is hot. At the FIA races/Montery Historics in 97, we watched up at the top and could see the last 2 turns, most of the front straigtht, turn 2, 3, 4 and 5....we would then walk back to the corkscrew in time to watch the leaders into the corkscrew and down the hill. Then we'd jog back up the hill in time to see them going into the last 2 turns. On top of that, we had a radar gun! It was Mercedes vs Porsche vs Mclaren. Interesting to see which car carried speed deeper, which gained speed fastest out of the turn and which had top speed in straight during the dog fight that pursued. The photos you can get in the cork screw are like no place else.
