I Drove a Porsche 911 at Laguna Seca. It Was a Dream Come True
Key takeaways
- Porsche Home News I Drove a Porsche 911 at Laguna Seca.
- My first memory of Laguna Seca Raceway came through the pixelated lens of Gran Turismo 2.
- Known as the Porsche Track Experience (PTX), the academy also operates near Birmingham, Alabama, as well as 11 locations in Europe, including Germany's Hockenheimring racetrack.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Porsche Home News I Drove a Porsche 911 at Laguna Seca. It Was a Dream Come True I Drove a Porsche 911 at Laguna Seca. It Was a Dream Come True Porsche brought its Track Experience to California and let me live out my childhood fantasy in one glorious day of driving school.
My first memory of Laguna Seca Raceway came through the pixelated lens of Gran Turismo 2. The racing video game features a series of license tests, including one that requires conquering Laguna Seca's famous Corkscrew with a Dodge Viper GTS. It took my 9-year-old self days to master the daunting downhill chicane within the time limits, but I had the determination of the late Alex Zanardi and several liters of Mountain Dew to eventually help me succeed. I vividly remember that triumphant feeling, and ever since, I've dreamed of one day driving on that iconic racetrack.
Lucky for me, I have a job that often makes the dreams of a lifelong car nerd come true, most recently when Porsche invited auto journalists to its newly opened driving school held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. Known as the Porsche Track Experience (PTX), the academy also operates near Birmingham, Alabama, as well as 11 locations in Europe, including Germany's Hockenheimring racetrack. That's where PTX—originally called Porsche Sport Driving School—was introduced in 1974 as a launchpad for the OG 911 Turbo.