01
Novice · HPDE 1
First
Track Day
In-car instructor every session. Point-by passing on straights only. Classroom between every session. We teach line, vision, and threshold braking. Not lap times.
HPDE, instruction, and racing licenses at California's best circuits. Laguna Seca, Sonoma, Thunderhill, and Buttonwillow. From your first track day to your competition license, taught by working pro drivers and SCCA-licensed instructors.
Every Apex driver moves through the same ladder. You move up when an instructor signs you off. Not when you've paid for enough seat time. That's why our HPDE 1 graduates regularly qualify on pole in their first wheel-to-wheel race.
In-car instructor every session. Point-by passing on straights only. Classroom between every session. We teach line, vision, and threshold braking. Not lap times.
Drive without an instructor on board. Point-by in marked zones. Data review with VBOX after every session. Most drivers spend 4–6 events here before stepping up.
Open passing with point-by. Full-pace lapping with traffic. Race-craft coaching. Most drivers move into TT (time-trial) or club racing from here.
Right-seat coaching certification. Communication, escalation, and emergency procedure. NASA Instructor I + II testing.
SCCA Comp School, NASA CCR, or PCA Club Race licensing. Race-start drills, flag-station procedure, written + behind-wheel exam.
We rotate through California's signature road courses so every Apex driver leaves the season fluent in elevation, blind crests, fast esses, and tight infield. Not just one home track's quirks.
The Corkscrew at Turn 8 drops nearly 60 feet in a blind left-right. Apex's signature briefing track. Bring brake fluid you trust. Most graduates rate Laguna their proudest event of the season.
The Esses (T3a/4/4a) reward commitment and punish lift-off. Our intermediate progression's favorite teaching tool. The downhill 11 carousel is its own master class in patience.
The 5-mile configuration is the longest road course in North America. Endurance lapping, blind crests, and the West Bypass. Where we run our 25 Hours of Thunderhill prep clinic each fall.
+ Buttonwillow Raceway Park (#13 CW · 3.1 mi) added for SoCal residents. 4 events per season.
Every Apex instructor holds an active SCCA or NASA competition license, has logged at least 200 right-seat hours, and is certified by NASA as an HPDE Instructor. You learn from drivers who race the same weekend they teach.
Former Trans-Am TA2 driver. 14 podiums at Laguna in PCA Club Racing. Founded Apex in 2011 after retiring from professional competition.
NASA Pro Racing Champion, Spec E46 class (2022). Mechanical engineer at a Bay Area EV manufacturer. Coaches our women-led HPDE cohort.
SCCA National Champion, GT-Lite (2019, 2021). Owns a fab shop in Hollister. Runs our SCCA Comp School weekends at Thunderhill.
Skip Barber graduate. Spec Miata regional champion 2020. Heads our VBOX / AiM data coaching curriculum and in-car video review.
Karting national finalist (2017). PCA Club Race instructor since 2020. Leads our corporate event days and 16–18 Junior HPDE program.
SCCA Regional Tech Inspector. 18 years FIA-rated steward. Runs our pre-grid technical inspection at every Apex event.
Every Apex event is open to drivers from HPDE 1 through Race License. We run mixed groups so you can move up mid-season once your instructor signs you off. Wait-lists run 60–90 days out from Laguna and Sonoma.
| Date | Track | Level | Chief Inst. | Spots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JUN 142026 · Sun |
Laguna Seca | HPDE 1 + 2 | Reeve | 9 / 48 | Register |
JUN 282026 · Sun |
Sonoma Raceway | HPDE 2 + 3 | Park | 3 / 40 | Register |
JUL 11–122026 · Sat–Sun |
Thunderhill 5-mile | SCCA Comp School | Halloran | 14 / 24 | Register |
JUL 262026 · Sun |
Buttonwillow #13 CW | HPDE 1 + 2 | Reyes | 22 / 36 | Register |
AUG 092026 · Sun |
Laguna Seca | HPDE 3 + TT | Reeve | 0 / 48 | Wait-list |
AUG 232026 · Sun |
Sonoma Raceway | HPDE 1–3 | Volkov | 11 / 40 | Register |
SEP 132026 · Sun |
Thunderhill 3-mile | HPDE 2 + 3 | Park | 17 / 36 | Register |
OCT 04–052026 · Sat–Sun |
Laguna Seca | NASA CCR + License | Halloran | 7 / 22 | Register |
OCT 182026 · Sun |
Sonoma Raceway | HPDE 1 + Junior | Reyes | 26 / 36 | Register |
NOV 082026 · Sun |
Buttonwillow #13 CCW | HPDE 3 + TT | Volkov | 19 / 36 | Register |
Half our first-day arrivals show up with too much gear and not enough fluid. Here's the only kit list Apex requires. Everything else is optional until HPDE 3.
If you remember one thing from your first track day, let it be this. Your street brake fluid will boil. Bleed Motul RBF600 the night before. Bring a spare bottle in the trunk.
Reserve a spot at Laguna Seca next month, or get on the Sonoma wait-list. New drivers. Book a 20-minute consult and we'll match you to the right tier.
About this design template
This is a design template that shows how Albertson Designs approaches motorsports websites. The structure, photography, typography, and copy were built around how a real motorsports business actually operates. Generic about-services-contact patterns are not here.
When Albertson Designs builds your site, we use designs like this as a reference for color, structure, and category vocabulary. Every line of code, every photo, and every word is custom for your business. Most full builds ship in four to eight weeks depending on scope.
Book a free consultation