I recently participated in SpeedSF’s event at Sonoma Raceway on February 1st and 2nd, taking my stock GR Corolla to the track for the first time. Leading up to the event, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, especially upon learning that rain was forecasted. 

During my initial two sessions, I kept the car in sport mode and followed a driving instructor who demonstrated both dry and wet lines around the track. This guidance was invaluable in helping me identify braking zones and the locations of track marshals.

In the third and fourth sessions, despite the track still being quite wet, I decided to explore the limits of the car’s mechanical grip. I turned off the traction control to fully experience the GR-Four AWD system, choosing turns 7 and 7a for this experiment due to their lack of nearby walls. I achieved a personal best lap time of 2:08.5, which I’m proud of for a first-time track experience.

The GR Corolla’s grip was impressive; I never lost traction, even when pushing hard through the turns. Accelerating early out of the corners allowed me to pass GT4s and Corvettes. I’m officially hooked and plan to participate in track days at least four times a year.