Laguna Seca Raceway
| Laguna Seca | |
|---|---|
  |
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| Location | Monterey County, near Monterey, California, United States |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (UTC-7 DST) |
| Coordinates | 36°35′03″N 121°45′13″W / 36.58417°N 121.75361°WCoordinates: 36°35′03″N 121°45′13″W / 36.58417°N 121.75361°W |
| Owner | Monterey County Parks Department |
| Operator | Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula |
| Opened | 1957 |
| Construction cost |
$1.5 million USD FIM World Superbike ChampionshipPirelli World Challenge IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion |
| Surface | Paved |
| Length | 2.238 mi (3.602 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:05.786 (Marc Gené, Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari F2003-GA, 2012, Formula 1) |
$1.5 million USD
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (previously known as Laguna Seca Raceway) is a paved road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, built in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, United States.
The racetrack is 2.238 miles (3.602 km) long, with a 180 feet (55 m) elevation change. Its eleven turns are highlighted by the circuit's signature turn, the downhill-plunging "Corkscrew" at Turns 8 and 8A. A variety of racing, exhibition, and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from superkarts to sports car racing to music festivals.
The name Laguna Seca is Spanish for "dry lake": the area where the track now lies was once a lake, and the course was built around the dry lake bed. After the course was reconfigured, two artificial ponds were added.
The earliest development of the local area occurred in 1867 with the founding of the nearby Laguna Seca Ranch, which has operated continuously for 140 years with grazing and equestrian uses.
The track was built in 1957 at a cost of $1.5 million raised from local businesses and individuals on part of the US Army's Fort Ord (a maneuver area and field artillery target range) after the nearby Pebble Beach Road Races were abandoned for being too dangerous. Since 1974, the property was deeded over to the Monterey County Parks Department and continues to be part of the park system.
The first race, held on November 9, 1957, was won by Pete Lovely driving a Ferrari. In the intervening years, the track has hosted USRRC, Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT, CART, American Le Mans Series, Grand American, Monterey Historic Automobile Races, Speed World Challenge, AMA (American Motorcyclist Association), WSBK Superbike World Championship and MotoGP motorcycle races (but 125 and 250 are not admitted).
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