Porsche Track Experience (PTX) Program at Laguna Seca

THERE IS NO RACING GROUND in the West more hallowed than Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Nestled among the golden foothills of California’s Central Coast, the track opened in 1957 to replace the perilous (and fatal) road races that took place between 1950 and 1956 through the narrow, forested roads of nearby Pebble Beach.

In the decades that followed, many memories were made on the now-2.230-mile, Il-turn circuit.

It’s where the late, great Alex Zanardi overtook Bryan Herta in the 1996 open-wheel CART series finale, cutting across the grass of the famous Corkscrew in a move that would forever be known as the “Zanardi line.” It’s long been host to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (as well as its predecessor, the Monterey Historics), and the venue for multiple racing series, including IndyCar and the IMSA Sports-Car Championship.

Porsche, too, has its own love story with Laguna Seca. In addition to the marque’s many racing victories at the circuit, it also has been the site of the past four Rennsport Reunions, with the most recent in 2023 drawing 91,000 attendees-the largest Porsche-only event ever staged.

It seems natural, then, that Porsche would choose WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for its expansion of the Porsche Track Experience (PTX), the marque’s high-performance driving school.

(For more information or to register, go to porschedriving.com/ laguna-seca.)

“Porsche’s legacy at Laguna Seca is extensive,” a Porsche spokesperson said. “Porsche can now provide customers in the Western U.S. a conveniently located opportunity for track-focused driving experience at one of America’s most iconic tracks.”

The Porsche Track Experience was founded in 1999 at Road Atlanta before moving to Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Alabama, in 2003, where it evolved into Porsche’s largest driver-training operation in the United States. Porsche enthusiasts may already be familiar with its programs, which range from one-day novice schools to invite-only intensive racing programs. While Porsche also operates a West Coast driving program at its Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California, instructors stress that PTX programs are separate from the PEC’s and offer a much higher level of experience and instruction.

At Laguna, the entry-level program is the one-day “Precision” course ($3,500), which covers basic vehicle driving dynamics via a morning classroom session, braking exercises, a skid pad, an autocross course, and lead-follow time on the main track.

Another program is the two-day “Performance” program ($6,500), which includes everything covered during the one-day program, plus more advanced dynamic exercises and a lot more track time.

Classes are capped at 24 participants, with 10-12 instructors, which means a high instructor-to-student ratio.

In the Performance Program, the day begins with breakfast in the suites above the Laguna garages and a classroom session that covered proper seating position, safety information, the track line, and specific details about each exercise and what principles they were designed to teach.

Students in the group normally range from first-timers to seasoned track drivers. The program then splits into smaller groups and rotated through sessions, with a wet skid pad, autocross, and braking exercises set up in the infield lake bed. The cars for the driving exercises included the Cayman and Boxster GTS, as well as the 992 Carrera S. Instructors always give thorough explanations and demonstrations before you get behind the wheel, and offer personalized feedback and suggestions via radio during each student’s turn.

At the conclusion of each exercise, students have a few minutes to talk with the instructors about what they learned and an opportunity to ask any further questions.

(Robb Todd, Porsche 992 Cup Champion, Lead Instructor, chatting w PTX customers)

For the “on track” portion of the program, instructors take small groups of two to four participants in a  “lead-follow” (each in their own car) with each car taking turns being directly behind the instructor. After a reconnaissance lap, the group gradually increases the on track speed, with the instructors adjusting to the skill and comfort level of the participants. Normally, currently, for the on track portion, you normally drive the 992 Carrera S on track and are also were given USB sticks to record their own driving footage via the in-car cameras (all cars are equipped with the V-box video and data acquisition system)

(Robb Todd, Lead Instructor, leading group into the famed Laguna “Corkscrew”)

For those who have gone through other high-performance courses, the PTX program might sound cookie-cutter: But in many ways, Porsche’s program surpasses others in terms of track time and level of personalized feedback. Each instructor has a extensive background in competitive motorsports, hailing From IndyCar, American Le Mans Series, Porsche Carrera Cup and others.

Most are also longtime instructors from other driving schools, including the Skip Barber open-wheel program that used to operate at the same track. It’s a relatively small and cohesive group, with one instructor noting that “many of us taught together at Skip Barber 20 years ago. Coming back here was like a big high school reunion.”

The caliber of instruction was often praised by fellow students, including a Ferrari owner who had gone through several other manufacturers’ schools. “It was better than I expected,” he said. “I did the Corvette school, and it was more classroom than track. Here there was much more driving, and it felt like these instructors trusted us more.”

Breakfasts, lunches, and an off-site welcome dinner are also included, and the usual track fare of dry hot dogs and rubber chicken are nowhere to be found. Instead. the included catered meals are surprisingly high quality and varied, with accommodations for many dietary needs.

Another factor that sets the Performance program apart is its encouraging, non-judgmental environment. Instructors check in with each
student throughout the day and discreetly adjust run groups to make sure nobody feels held back or left behind. While there is a group autocross competition at the end of the second day, no single driver will ever be publicly timed or singled out. Porsche’s program focuses on personal improvement, not peer pressure.

But for those who want to step it up, the Porsche Track Experience offers more advanced programs upon completion of the two-day Performance school. A two-day Masters course ($9,000) offers more track time and open lapping, while the three-day Masters RS course ($14,000) provides one-on-one coaching and more technical analysis using video and telemetry data. The latter also qualifies participants for an SCCA racing license. For all programs, drivers must be 21 years old with a valid driver’s license.

AS COMPELLING as the track is, the surrounding Monterey Peninsula area is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also blissfully less crowded when it’s not Monterey Car Week. A perfect setting should any of your family or relationships desire to join you. Participants enrolled in a PTX program are eligible for a discounted rate at InterContinental Monterey, an upscale property on Cannery Row with sweeping bay views and a convenient location steps away from the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Meanwhile, Porsche has been strengthening its relationship with the track beyond its driving programs. Last year, Porsche was named the official car of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a partnership that includes branding around the property and operational use of Porsche vehicles around the circuit. Porsche is also supporting the nonprofit organization Friends of Laguna Seca in broader revitalization efforts around the facility, including restoration work, infrastructure improvements, and upgrades to areas around the circuit. In short, in a place where so much history has been written, Porsche is helping to add a few more chapters.