ALMS Spotlight: The Corkscrew

Jaguar GT2 car in the corkscrew

Mention Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to anyone who has been to the famed Monterey circuit, and more often than not two words come to mind.

The Corkscrew!

Year in and year out, the Corkscrew proves to be one of the most difficult corners in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n. It’s one-of-a-kind in motorsports, and here is what makes the hard-left, hard-right combination so spectacular:

• At the apex to Turn 8 (the lefthander and entry to The Corkscrew), the elevation change is a 12 percent drop.

• By the time a race car reaches the apex of Turn 8A (the right-hander), the elevation is at its steepest – an 18 percent drop.

• The Corkscrew drops 59 feet between the entrance of Turn 8 to the exit of Turn 8A – the equivalent of a 5 ½ story drop – in only 450 feet of track length.

• From Turn 8 to Turn 9, the elevation falls 109 feet, or just over 10 stories

It’s hard enough to get right when a car is all alone and in perfect conditions. But with four classes of sports cars, changing conditions and a six-hour run into darkness – all part of next week’s American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Tequila Patr¢n – the task becomes that much more daunting!