There’s something about going back to where it all started.
G2 Motorsports Park in Anna, Texas was the first track I ever drove—back when I showed up in my Papaya Macan S. Yes, an SUV. G2 is one of the only tracks around that allows it, which made it the perfect gateway drug into this whole addiction.
A year later, I came back… this time in the Skipper. Lower, louder, and a lot more willing to misbehave if I asked nicely.
Despite having driven here before, I remembered almost nothing about the track. Felt like a first date all over again—familiar setting, but I still had to figure out where everything goes and how hard I could push before things got awkward.
So naturally, I did some late-night “research” and watched a few YouTube laps, including one from Felix breaking down the track corner by corner. Helpful… but like most things in life, watching someone else do it and doing it yourself are two very different experiences.
One thing hasn’t changed—G2 is stupid convenient. Thirty minutes from home with no traffic. Compared to the hour-plus trek to ECR or MSR Cresson, this is dangerously easy to justify. Like saying “just one drink” and knowing exactly how that ends.
Arrival — Coffee, Gas, and Bad Decisions
I tried to get there early. Tried.
Reality included Starbucks and Texaco—fuel for both me and the car—so I rolled in just before 7am. By then, the paddock was already buzzing.
Ran into Patrick, Joanne and Kiran, then saw Tom S and his Python Green GT4… the kind of car that makes you stare just a little too long and rethink your entire garage strategy.
Got parked in the Green group area, laid out the usual track-day ritual gear: torque wrench, tire pressure gauge, all the things that make you feel like you know what you’re doing.
Checked in, sat through the classroom session, then it was time.
Green Group — Slow Hands, Fast Learning
I got paired with Bill as my instructor, and he was exactly what I needed.
No ego. No shortcuts. Just fundamentals:
Follow the line
Turn in clean
Trail brake with purpose
Be smooth
Be patient
Basically, stop trying to impress the car and start working with it.
The first session felt rusty. Traffic didn’t help—Green group had that classic bunching effect where everyone stacks up like a bad Tinder date lineup.
But underneath that, something started to build.
The Data — When Numbers Start Talking Dirty
Running RaceChrono with the RaceBox Mini S gave me the receipts.
Session 1: ~108 mph
Session 2: ~117 mph
Session 3: ~119 mph
Final Session: ~120 mph
That’s a 12 mph gain over the course of the day.
No extra horsepower. No setup changes.
Just:
Braking later
Holding throttle longer
Getting more comfortable letting the car stretch its legs
Confidence isn’t just a feeling. It’s measurable. And in this case, it showed up every time I stayed in it just a little longer before lifting.
Here’s what the Skipper and I were doing under the surface as the day progressed:
A few things stand out:
Higher RPM means I was staying in it longer before braking
Increasing lateral G shows more cornering confidence
Longitudinal G creeping up = braking harder and accelerating better
Throttle usage improved as I stopped “feathering” and started committing
In other words… less hesitation, more intention.
The Check Ride — Things Start Getting Serious
After my third session, Bill handed me off to Dave for a Blue group check ride.
Different vibe immediately.
Less traffic. More pace. Same potential for bunching… just happening at speeds that make your brain and your right foot have a very honest conversation.
First couple laps, he watched.
Then the coaching came in:
Brake deeper
Come off the brake sooner
Trust the front
Get to throttle earlier
Basically, stop teasing it and commit.
And just like that, things started to click.
I dropped more than 8 seconds in that session.
Same car. Same track. Same day.
Just better decisions… and a little more willingness to let things get interesting.
Blue Group — Officially Upgraded
At the end of the session, Dave gave me the nod.
Blue group.
That one hits.
A year ago, I was just trying not to embarrass myself in an SUV. Now I’m out here chasing pace, managing traffic at speed, and learning how far I can push before things start talking back.
The Skipper — Ready for More
The Skipper felt planted, balanced, and honestly… a little underutilized.
It’s one of those cars that keeps asking the same question:
“Is that all you’ve got?”
And the answer, at least for now, is no. There’s still more there. More grip, more speed, more commitment—especially on corner exit where I know I’m still leaving time on the table.
I’m getting into it… but not all the way into it yet.
Fastest Lap — Proof of Concept
Watching it back, a few things stand out:
Still a touch early on brakes in places
Not quite committing to throttle as early as I could
Leaving speed on the table on exit
Which is exactly what you want.
Because it means there’s more to unlock.
What’s Next — COTA, Schnellfest, and Turning It Up
I’ll be heading to Circuit of the Americas next month for HPDE, running in the Blue group again—this time with an instructor. I’ve put in requests for Irene or Chuck, both of whom have a reputation for dialing things in quickly and not letting you get away with anything.
COTA is a completely different animal. Bigger speeds, bigger consequences, and a track that doesn’t really care about your feelings. It’s the kind of place that rewards commitment… and exposes hesitation.
Which means everything I worked on at G2—braking deeper, getting off the brake sooner, and getting to throttle earlier—gets tested immediately.
And let’s be honest… if G2 was about learning how to get into it, COTA is about learning how far you’re willing to stay in it.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just another track day.
It was progression you could feel.
And more importantly, progression you could measure.
From 108 to 120 mph.
From tentative to committed.
From Green to Blue.
From figuring it out… to starting to lean into it.
And the best part?
I’m still not at the limit.
Not even close.
Which means next time… we go a little deeper.
P.S.
Somewhere between chasing lap times and chasing apexes, I may have accidentally honored the wrong legend. Yes… that says “Senna.”
Let’s just call it a typo at speed.
Pretty sure it’s supposed to say “Cena.”
