SpeedSF Presents: The Heads Inside the Helmets - Featuring Pam Alarcon
MEET PAM ALARCON!
Name a great turbo sedan that’s great for flogging around the track. Go ahead. We’ll wait.
You probably thought about something German. Typical.
Now, imagine being in that fancy getting overseas sedan only to get passed by a stateside rocketship: a Cadillac ATS-V, driven by none other than Pam Alarcon!
She’s been a frequent guest of SpeedSF Track Events and one of the more visible female track drivers in recent memory, but maybe that’s because she’s been excited to track her ATS-V ever since she purchased it back in 2018.
I Haz Track Car
Pam always had an interest in tracking on road courses but never felt like she had a track-capable car before. Prior to her ATS-V, she had a modified MKIV 20th anniversary Volkswagen GTI that she never thought about tracking because “it was old, and it would probably fall apart on the track. It had way too many #VWproblems”.
Soon after the acquisition, the siren call of car modifications was answered by Pam, wallet be damned. Upgraded stabilizer bars and adjustable end links, G-loc brake pads, intake, downpipe, upgraded BOVs and nice tune rounded out the list, along with some exterior mods for A E S T H E T I C S paired with 19-inch forged wheels to make sure the car looked even better especially in the summer. Stock wheels wrapped with RE-71Rs are the preferred track rubber.
Pam began her track day junkie life 2 years ago with her first SpeedSF event, but she credits Rona for interrupting her attendance streak. Attacking the track with a vengeance after everything improves seems to be her future, though!
As with many people, Sonoma Raceway is Pam’s favorite track, though seat time has been scarce there compared to Laguna where she managed to put down a personal best of a 1:43 lap time. She yearns for the opportunity to put down a proper personal best lap time at Sonoma once the calendar offers more chances for her.
The Thrill of the Drive
The enjoyment of driving and the love of the adrenaline rush experience are reasons why Pam enjoys going to the track. A self-confessed introvert, she rather likes meeting new people and those she has been friends with along the way have been super cool. Pam surely makes us gush when she compliments us with “I like going to SpeedSF events because they seem to have the most track days out of every [track day] organization. They also always have good photographers ;)”
Pro tip from Pam: “If you are going to the track for the first time, please do your homework. Prep your car properly and drive the track with a coach or take classes for the first few outings. Before I ever started, I took some classes and although I already had an idea of what to expect, it still helped tremendously. It’s a learning experience every time a driver is out there, and I definitely still consider myself a noob.”
Pam currently has no plans for the ATS-V in the future until she can beat Randy Pobst’s PB at Laguna Seca (1:39.65 in an automatic, 1:40.18 in a manual) and until she gets better at driving Sonoma Raceway while putting down a satisfying PB in the process. While she does plan on getting a Viper ACR in the future, she “will be keeping the ATS-V til the wheels fall off”.