The track layout, motels and directions are also available here:

http://coloradoscca.org/LaJunta.pdf

I went down to visit my sister over the holidays, in Manzanola, and it took about 2:45 to get there from Centennial. Weather was beautiful. The track looks a little rough. But I have never run there so I don't really know. Pretty tight track at only 1.6 miles long. I hope the weather is nice for the event, I know how nasty it can get down there.

 

Thanks for the link, Lloyd. The LaJunta track itself was resurfaced a few years back and was in good shape. The paddock is made up of concrete and we may use it for some low(er) speed driving exercises in the morning. Most SCCA tracks measure between 1.5-2.2 miles long and LaJunta is what I consider a medium speed course with some fast sweepers. It will definitely get the cobwebs blown out of your G35!

 

Time to revitalize this thread and post a few tips. First of all, while LaJunta does not look like a particularly difficult track, it is deceptive in that the transitions from throttle-to brake-and back onto throttle (with a gearchange or two thrown in for good measure) must be done as smoothly and as seamlessly as possible.

Sound fundamental footwork in performing a heel-and-toe downshift is the best way to handle this task. While I won't go into a detailed description of the entire process, I will say that by slightly turning your right foot counterclockwise and using the ball of your foot to engage the brake, while also positioning the right side of that same foot (near the heel), you can simaltaneously brake AND blip the throttle. It's like having three legs (no comments on those X-rated thoughts) and allows you to happily rev-match engine speed to road speed as you wind your way around LaJunta.

Besides being the quick way around, it's much kinder on your VQ35DE, clutch and syncros! Practice your heel-and-toe downshifts around the neighborhood TODAY to make it second nature. You'll find that once you master this technique, it frees your mind to concentrate on finding additional smoothness...and speed.

 

Let's look at LaJunta's Turn #3 (T3) which, as we'll see, is more complex than it first appears. Please refer to the link a few posts above for reference. The problem for this critical turn really stems from a lack of visual cues: there are no brake markers, trees, bushes. etc. lining this turn (and if there were, they'd have been RUN OVER by now-LOL). The track is quite wide at the entrance to T3 and you'll only see a bunch of black tire lines (skid marks!) on the surface. Nothing to indicate where you should position the car, begin braking and downshifting, etc.

IMHO, the key to managing this high speed turn is to use ALL your senses. First, as you approach at Warp Nine (you'll be practically flat out through T1-2 as we learn the line), there is a expansion joint between the two concrete slabs that make up these old runways. You'll FEEL and HEAR your suspension hit this joint (it'll unload the suspension for an instant, but I've never seen anyone get airborne because of this) and that will be your cue to ease off the throttle and smoothly engage the brakes. You'll need to erase 20-25 MPH and come down one gear to make this turn.

Positioning the car for this turn is another key: rather than looking down at that confusing entrance to T3, I advise using your peripheral vision to line up your car with a silo/farm structure that is several miles away in the distance. I'll show you this when we do the track walk through. Using this method will keep you from either starting too wide (and making a bigger arc than is needed) or cutting the corner (which will make a smaller & tighter arc and may result in a spin). Holding the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock, you should be able to turn the wheel in one smooth arc and complete this turn. If you're sawing away at the wheel, you're either catching small skids or on the wrong line. Either way, you're scrubbing off speed. Done right, you should catch the 'dirt apex' of the turn and come to the left edge of the track as you exit T3. Then, it's time to rocket down the short chute that follows and get ready to throw another shift!

That probably sounds like a lot to think about for one relatively "simple" turn at LaJunta. But those are some of the much-vaunted "secrets of speed" that I can contribute here. Hopefully, we'll all get a chance to fully integrate them as we get into our lapping sessions. There will be a few "follow-the-leader" lapping sessions to make sure everybody gets plenty of practice. Being smooth and quick really counts on this corner and as a bonus, I've found that the characteristics of LaJunta's T3 mirror some of the fastest, scariest turns at other major racetracks throughout the U.S. Bottom line: driving LaJunta at a modest speed is not difficult, but to fully explore your car's potential there is plenty of challenge awaiting you!

 

Just reading that got my adrenaline levels up

 

OK, time to readrenalize W@ntonsoup (and other interested G drivers) with more details about LaJunta Raceway. LaJunta Raceway's turn #4 and 5 are an interesting complex. Some refer to T4 as the "tree turn", as you approach a modestly sized tree to driver's right as you approach this corner down the short chute or straightway between T3 and 4 (see the course diagram for more detail: http://www.na-motorsports.com/Track...nta/lajunta.gif). As you accelerate hard down this chute, stay on the left side of the track to set up for T4. As we get closer to the braking point for T4, you'll be in the top of third gear or the bottom of fourth.

It's fun to brake HARD and then turn-in to the right for the first apex. Heel-and-toe downshift down one gear (I recommend using second gear) and get the car traveling in one smooth arc towards the curbing that marks the inside of T4. Clip a late apex and you'll find yourself (hopefully) in the middle of the track between T4 and T5. You'll begin almost immediately countersteering to the left to begin getting the car to the next apex at T5. Begin feeding in more throttle slowly as you make this second turn and get ready to throw another shift as you rocket down the back straightaway.

The T4-T5 complex really illustrates another speed secret: "slow in-fast out". Get the car properly balanced and slowed down in the first part of the turn and you'll find you can accelerate better off T5 and carry more speed down the back straight. But carry too much speed into T4, you'll find that your G will push, or understeer between T4 and T5. The only option you'll be left with is to brake a second time to keep from going off the track, or possibly spin! Luckily, there's lots of runoff room, but any speed lost in this area will not be recovered the rest of the lap.

I hope these tips continue to pique some interest in our upcoming track day. Please post here if you have any comments or questions.

 

 

The weather report for the rest of February remains upbeat. While it's far from certain, the projections look good for this track day!

Let's get back to that lap of LaJunta (and thanks to w@ntonsoup for posting the layout): down the backstraight your VQ35DE is howling as you upshift to third just exiting T5. Depending on how good your exit is, you may have to throw another shift to fourth before as you reach the turn-in point for T6. This turn is best described as a high speed "kink"; enter too fast and you'll be collecting the car in the dirt at the exit. Go too slow and you'll lose time. It's a fine balance to put in a good lap.

My suggestion here is to use ALL the road by getting over to the left side of the track, with your left-side (LS) tires almost in the dirt. Aim for a late apex across the concrete berm and brake very slightly (or breathe the throttle as you gain confidence). use one smooth turn of the wheel and carve a clean arc through T6. At the limit, you'll be in a four wheel drift and your Z will just make it through with the LS tires being heavily weighted. At this point, you'll need a firm application of brakes and a heel-toe downshift to third gear.

This is where the exit of T6 and the all-important entrance to T7 blur and merge. Get the car whoa'd down and in good balance before you begin your turn-in for T7. Use neutral throttle at the entrance and feed in gas as you carve around the outside of this unusual turn. That's right- you don't hit a traditional apex as this corner opens naturally on the exit. Keep your vision up and tracking down the front straight as you come blasting off this turn. The revs will climb as you flash past the pit entrance and continue past the start-finish line as you begin another lap of this deceptively simple, but intriguing racetrack! In summary, T6 and T7 are linked and both must be done right for a quick and safe lap. The more confidence and speed you carry, the more precise the line you'll need through T6. T7 is arguably the most important turn on the track as it leads onto the longest and fastest part of the track.

Not many comments on any of these tips, but I hope that whether or not you've been to LaJunta, you find them helpful. Again, for those who don't have any track driving experience, we'll be doing several "warmup" exercises on Sunday morning to help get your feet wet. I'll be working on a syllubus and publishing it next week, so keep your fingers crossed!

 

I'm a newb to the track so I've been following these. I must admit it's a little intimidating since I've never done this before but all the more reason to go. How's the turn out looking?

 

Hard to tell the real interest from the wanna-bes on some of the boards. There are at least 5-6 hardcore 350Z drivers, 2-3 G35Cs and 3-4 G20s. We'll try to do another headcount next week...

 

I thought it might be nice to see the track from a driver's seat before I get there. Here is a link to a video of a 'little' ITS 944 doing a hot lap around the La Junta track. Scroll down towards the bottom and you will see a link to the video on the right under the section titled Race Laps of the Colorado Race Tracks. Good video, good view, fast track.

http://snydermotorsports.tripod.com/movies.html

 

That was great - thanks for linking it.

 

Despite some snow a week before our 2006 track day, we remain on course to head down to LaJunta next weekend. For all those who are planning to stay overnight and sample the exotic nightlife in LaJunta, here's the plan: we'll leave on Saturday, Feb. 18th at 1 p.m. from the rest stop just south of the Larkspur exit on I-25. (it's about five miles south of Castle Rock). We'll continue south down I-25 to Pueblo before taking US-50 East to LaJunta. It's about a 160 mile trip, one way. A word about speed limits: the towns we go through on US-50 are well-known speed traps and a convoy of G's and Z's will be easy game. So when the speed limit goes from 65 to 50 to 35- pay attention! We haven't had anyone to my knowledge get a ticket on one of our drives and I'd like to keep that record intact!

There is a good Mexican restaurant in LaJunta that I'd recommend for Saturday evenings meal. If it's OK with the group, I'll make some reservations for around 6 p.m. Wish I could make some other suggestions for nightlife in LaJunta, but the best I can do is mention a local bar called the Hogsbreath Saloon (no kidding). As I said before, keep in mind that Sunday will be an early start, so plan accordingly.

Sunday will be a good long day at the track. let's plan to leave for the track at 8:30 a.m. and meet the track manager there to pay our "test and tune" fees. This will again be $35/car (remains THE lowest track fee in the country) and we will need to bring our own helmets, drinks, lunch and/or snacks (no concessions). Please unpack your cars on the south end of the concrete paddock as we'll be using the north end for the driving exercises. For those driving up on Sunday, you'll need to go through the town and then head north about 5-7 miles to the LaJunta airport. You'll take the first left after entering the airport grounds and look for signs directing you to the racetrack. Plan to meet us there by 9 a.m. As we've done in the past, we will have an agenda for high-performance driving exercises in the morning and then tour/walk the track a bit. After that, we'll assign instructors and play "follow-the-leader" to gradually work up to speed in increments. We'll take a lunchtime break and allow folks to refuel (it's amazing how much gas you can use at 100 MPH)! As we get into the afternoon sessions, we may need to discuss and implement passing rules for everyone's safety.

Two final points: this day is intended to provide an introduction to performance driving and exploring the envelope of your vehicle's performance. It is NOT a professional driving school and you are not paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for the privillage. I can assure you you'll be learning and processing a LOT of the same information! Second, you will be signing a waiver when you pay your track fee and will be taking responsibility for your own safety. This means that by participating in this event, that you agree that neither I, nor any of the instructors helping you, will incur any liability for any personal injuries or property damage caused in the course of the day. This is a standard disclaimer and we've never had any serious damage during any of our past Colorado track day events. Let's all do our part to keep that particular record intact as well!

 

Just a quick head count: jl9618, Lloyd and w@ntonsoup are the only G35C pilots who are committed to going to LaJunta?

 

As of a week before the scheduled event, an ever-changing weather forecast has taken a slight turn for the worst. Next weekend went from being sunny and in the 50's to a chance of snow showers and being in the 30-40's! While this is reason for concern, let's not get too excited one way or the other YET. I'll track this carefully over the next few days and post more as the forcasts become more definitive later in the week...