Journey To GT3: BRZ tS vs GT3 at Sonoma Raceway

Head To Head Track Battle!

After a bit of a break, Yo finally got the BRZ and GT3 out to the same track for some testing! We get to see how much of the gap we have closed with the new parts we installed on the last episode and take a few hot laps around Sonoma Raceway. Things don’t go quite to plan, but we make the best of the weekend compiling data for the BRZ.

Timestamps:

• Intro: 00:00 - 01:16
• Sonoma Raceway Info: 1:17
• SpeedSF and Coaching Opportunities: 2:08
• GT3 Laps: 3:37
• GT3 Crash Analysis: 9:17
• BRZ Warm up with 86 Challenge: 14:08
• BRZ Best Lap Commentary: 24:12
• Turn by Turn Analysis: 40:16
• Outro: 43:13
• Bonus Laps Unedited: 44:53
• Hot shoe Lap and commentary: 47:02

Intro & Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma Raceway, once known as Sears Point Raceway, is a 12 turn 2.52 mile road course nestled in the rolling hills of Sonoma county.  Those rolling hills are probably familiar to you even if you’ve never been here.  Just up the road from the racetrack is where the famous Microsoft Windows desktop background photo was taken.  Hopefully that gives you an idea of the landscape we are in when at this beautiful racetrack.  

This 1600 acre facility is a multi-use complex and is the largest motorsports facility in Northern California.  To have this and Laguna Seca within a couple hours of each other is ridiculous!  We're so spoiled to be here and able to enjoy these fantastic tracks on any given weekend.  

After a kind of timid first session, we download with Joe and identify the biggest opportunities.  There was a lot to work on for sure, there always is when chasing laps time, but you can’t really fix everything all at once.  There needs to be some focus on what you can solve and you need to be realistic about how you execute.  With that in mind, we found two big opportunities in carrying more speed in turn 1 and finding a better rhythm for more speed in the esses section of the track.  The latter opportunity alone could potentially lead to a massive 2 seconds shaved from Yo's first session.

GT3 Laps.. and Crash Analysis

Watching back the footage of Yo’s 997 GT3 going into the wall is still tough—even months after the incident. The crash carried with it all the usual emotions of track life: the sting of embarrassment, the weight of despair, and the sobering reminder of how thin the margin is when pushing the limits. For Yo, this wasn’t his first wreck, and like many seasoned track rats, he knows the risks that come with chasing lap times. Fortunately, he walked away unscathed, but the lessons that followed were just as important as the outcome.

From the beginning, Yo made it clear: this incident was entirely his fault. There were no excuses to hide behind. He was chasing aggressive lap time goals set with his coach—targets designed to push him right up against the edge of his ability. The closer a driver gets to those limits, the greater the chance for mistakes, and at track speeds, even a small misjudgment can snowball into something catastrophic.

The build-up to the crash started in the esses leading to turn 10, a rhythm section Yo had already identified as one of the biggest opportunities to gain time. On that lap, he was seeing real improvements—his Garmin flashed a green interval, showing he was up by 1.5 seconds. The problem was, that gain translated into carrying far more speed into the braking zone than expected: around 118 mph, nearly 10 mph quicker than his BRZ and about 8 mph faster than his first session in the GT3.

At that speed, he needed to brake harder, which shifted more weight onto the front tires. Combined with the oil-dry left behind by a Corvette that had expired in the prior session, the GT3 was unsettled just enough. In the in-car footage, Yo’s hands snapped quickly into countersteer, but the rear end was already gone. At that pace, there was no recovery—only the inevitable ride into the tire wall.

Could it have been saved? Maybe. But Yo admits that with little recent seat time, he simply didn’t have the muscle memory ready to respond once the car rotated past the point of no return.

Reflecting afterward, he was candid: this was a rookie-style mistake from someone who should have known better. He was doing too much at once—pushing the unfamiliar GT3 to its limits, chasing lap times, narrating on camera, and ignoring less-than-ideal track conditions. Add it all up, and the result was almost inevitable. Still, he refuses to let the incident define him. Wrecks are part of the process, and responsibility is only the first step. The real takeaway is in rebuilding, learning, and coming back sharper.

And Yo didn’t have to wait long for that chance. The BRZ was waiting in the paddock like an old friend, ready to remind him why he does this in the first place. Within a session, he was back out on track, continuing to learn, improve, and most importantly—have fun.

BRZ sessions

Lets break into the good stuff - the data

BRZ Session Data

• Turn 1 entry - 106 to 101 - Min speed - 85mph BRZ/82mphGT3 - BRZ carried more speed more easily
• Turn 5 exit - 102mph GT3 / 91mph BRZ
• Turn 6 exit - 81mph BRZ / 94mph GT3
• Turn 7 entry - top speed 98mph BRZ /113mph GT3
• Turn 7 min - the same 40 to 41
• Crossing the line 95mph brz/ 112mph gt3
• Optimal BRZ 1:56.55
• Optimal GT3 1:52.42

BRZ Session Synopsis

During this test, the best lap times came in at 1:53.92 for the Porsche 997 GT3 and 1:57.46 for the Subaru BRZ. The gap between the two was notably smaller than what had been recorded at Laguna Seca, which can be partly attributed to the ongoing modifications made to the BRZ. Still, it’s important to note that the GT3 only saw a session and a half of running before the crash, so the numbers don’t quite represent its full potential. Another factor working in the BRZ’s favor was that much of what Yo learned while piloting the GT3 translated back into sharper driving with the Subaru, giving it its best chance yet at closing the performance gap.

Turn-by-Turn Analysis

• Turn 1: Entry speeds showed the GT3 at 106 mph versus 101 mph for the BRZ. Interestingly, minimum speed through the corner actually favored the BRZ at 85 mph compared to the GT3’s 82 mph. With more seat time, the GT3 likely would have eliminated that difference, but it demonstrates just how approachable the BRZ’s performance can be.

• Turn 5: The GT3’s power advantage became clear. Both cars exited Turn 4 flat out, but by the time they reached Turn 5, the GT3 was carrying 102 mph versus the BRZ’s 91 mph. That advantage only widened through the carousel (Turn 6), where the GT3 exited at 94 mph while the BRZ managed just 81 mph.

• Straight to Turn 7: On the run leading into Turn 7, the GT3’s 420 horsepower opened the gap even further, hitting a top speed of 113 mph against the BRZ’s 98 mph. Surprisingly, the BRZ clawed some of that back, as minimum speeds through Turn 7 were virtually identical at about 41 mph.

• Front Straight: The finishing stretch again highlighted the disparity. Crossing the line, the GT3 was surging at 112 mph while the BRZ trailed at 95 mph.

The Path Forward

At this point, the story seems predictable: the GT3 has more power, so the BRZ needs more power to keep up. And eventually, that’s exactly where the build is headed. But Yo’s focus remains on refining the chassis and suspension first. Getting the BRZ dialed in to properly handle additional power is the priority, and while major progress has been made, there’s still development to go. Power upgrades are on the horizon, but don’t expect a turbo or supercharger just yet—that chapter will come later.