WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (formerly known as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Laguna Seca Raceway ) is a paved road racing track in central California that is used for both racing cars and motor racing, built in 1957 near Salinas and Monterey, California, USA.
The 2,238 mile (3,602 km) racetrack, with a 180 foot (55 m) altitude change. The eleven turns are highlighted by the circuit's signature, "Corkscrew" which declines in Turns 8 and 8A. Racing events, exhibitions and entertainment are held in the racecourse, from superkarts to sports car racing to music festivals.
The name Laguna Seca is Spanish for "dry lagoon": the area where the current path is the lake, and the field is built around a dry lake base. After the re-course, two artificial ponds were added.
Video WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Histori
The earliest development of the local area occurred in 1867 with the establishment of nearby Laguna Seca Ranch, which has been operating continuously for 140 years with the use of grazing and horse riding.
The track was built in 1957 at a cost of $ 1.5 million raised from local businesses and individuals in parts of the US Army Fort Ord (area of ​​maneuver and field artillery target) after the abandoned Pebble Beach Road Races were abandoned for being too dangerous. Since 1974, the property was handed over to the Monterey County Park 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 following 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 Championships and MotoGP motor racing (but 125/Moto3 and 250/Moto2 are not accepted).
The day-to-day operation of the track, along with management and promotion of major racing events, is handled by the Monterey Peninsula Sports Car Racing Association (SCRAMP), which is a non-profit organization. With supervision by the local council, SCRAMP operates with on-site professional staff for the purpose of generating revenues through horse racing operations which are then redistributed to local charities.
The trajectory itself has undergone significant changes over the past two decades to meet the growing safety homologation requirements of the Fédéal Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), FÃÆ' Â © dation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and other sanctioning bodies. Changes included the addition of the entire infield area in 1988 (today alternating 3, 4, and 5, eliminating the straight starting on the 2nd today's turn and ending in the turn of the day 5) extending the path from the original 1.9 miles (3.1Ã, km ) length to meet FIM minimum-length-track criteria for MotoGP events, plus relocation of pedestrian bridges and newer embankments, and the expansion of outside pit gravel 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 for additional runoff. The original media center was destroyed in 2006 to pave the way for additional space in Turn 1. Also in 2006, the 'hump' at the top of the Straight Rahal was leveled to accommodate the MotoGP riders, although some claimed that this increased wind effect could disrupt motorcycle races. Remnants of the old configuration can still be seen from the parking lot between turns two and five. They are found under a path leading to a parking area for trailers and RV arrivals.
The famous Turn 8 and 8A combination, popularly referred to as the Corkscrew , is considered one of the most challenging changes in the motorsport world, due to an 18- drop meters in height as well as blind peaks and peaks in the uphill approach.
Turn 2, with its difficult and technical double apex, has been renamed to Andretti Hairpin , in honor of former Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti, while Turn 9 has been renamed 'Rainey Curve' in honor of the 500cc Grand Prix racing bike, World Champion Wayne Rainey, resident of Salinas, California. Also a straight run between Turn 6 and Turn 7 has been renamed 'Rahal Straight' after four-time Champ Car race champion Bobby Rahal.
A Champ Car World Series weekend has been a prominent event from 1983 to 2004, when its place on the calendar was moved to the San Jose Grand Prix. In the final round of the 1996 CART race, Alex Zanardi passed Bryan Herta inside Corkscrew to clinch victory. Uruguayan driver Gonzalo RodrÃÆ'guez died during a 1999 basket racing training session after crashing in the same corner. Because of the incident, runoff is installed at the end of Rahal Straight.
Champ Car announced on September 11, 2007 that they would return the Northern California race to Laguna Seca from San Jose over the weekend of 16-18 May 2008. However, the incorporation of Champ Car and IndyCar subsequently resulted in the race being canceled.
The track is also the annual location of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. The show features an incredible mix of eclectic racing cars in the field. Each year features a different marque. Considered one of the two greatest historic racing events (along with the Goodwood Festival in the UK), the presence is often rivals, or goes beyond the professional racing events listed above.
There are many permanent camping facilities and hook-ups located on the raceway, which are available year-round as part of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, the county park where the racetrack is organized.
The company's main track sponsor is WeatherTech which begins April 2018. As part of the sponsorship, the track is now officially referred to as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Previously, Mazda's sponsorship for 17 years with a track known as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
A study by California State University, Monterey Bay and commissioned by SCRAMP states that the raceway generates $ 62.1 million for the Monterey County economy and $ 5.2 million in state and local taxes.
Maps WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Racing
Major events each year include the American World Superbike Championship rounds (held in conjunction with MotoAmerica championship rounds), Monterey Sports Car Cars (SportsTech SportsCar Championship), and Monterey History for classic racing cars.
Formula One
In 1989, the year after the last Formula One race in Detroit, the choice for a new location for the US Grand Prix came to Laguna Seca and Phoenix. The 1988 improvements mentioned above for the tracks were made partly to lure the F1 race. In the final decision, Laguna Seca is considered too far and too small for the F1 crowd, so Phoenix awarded the Grand Prix.
Lap Note
On August 20, 2006, Toyota's F1 test racer Ricardo Zonta set an unofficial lap record of 1: 06.309. The previous time record is 1: 07.722, set by HÃÆ'Ã… © lio Castroneves in Penske Champ Cars during qualifying for the 2000 Honda Grand Prix Monterey Monterey. The unofficial record was taken back by Champ Car on March 10, 2007 by SÃÆ' Â © bastien Bourdais, who was trapped at 1'05,880 during the Champ Car Spring Training. The unofficial record was again taken back by Formula One car on May 19, 2012 by Marc GenÃÆ'Â ©, who was trapped at 1'05.786 at Ferrari F2003-GA during the 2012 Ferrari Racing Days.
Officially, Castroneves is still the record holder for the Zonta, Bourdais and GenÃÆ' Â © periods set during exhibition and testing sessions, and official records can only be set in race conditions (whether in practice, qualifying, or at racing).
At the 2008 Monterey Sports Car Championships, David Brabham set pole position 1: 10,103 in the Le Mans Prototype.
The fastest lap in the 2006 A1GP race is 1: 17.951, set by Nicolas Lapierre.
At the United States Grand Prix motorcycle 2012, Jorge Lorenzo set a pole time of 1: 20,554 in Yamaha. During the 2014 Superbike World Championship season, Tom Sykes set a time of 1: 21.811 at Kawasaki.
The Porsche 918 Spyder holds the previous production lap record with 1: 29.89.
The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR holds the current production lap record with 1: 28.65.
During qualifying for the 2011 FIM International/TTXGP World Series championship, Steve Rapp drove the Mission Motors Mission R to an electric vehicle record with 1: 31.376.
Other uses
Automotive
When not used by big events, tracks can be rented. Around twice a year Sports Car Club of America held a regional club race for the San Francisco Area. The clubs rent tracks throughout the year for an informal high-performance driving school that allows people to drive their own cars quickly. Raceway also hosted a prototype test for the Nissan GT-R in 2007.
The song is featured in video games such as the Gran Turismo series (including the bike version Tourist Trophy), Forza Motorsport, and the MotoGP series. In an attempt to compare real life versus video games, Jeremy Clarkson of the British auto show Top Gear attempted to beat Gran Turismo 1: 41.148 at Honda NSX by racing on the car's actual track in 2005. During the trial , Clarkson decided that the game eliminates some details of the track, and the game physics allows him to brake later when it comes to a turn than he can in real life. As a consequence, reality succeeds and he succeeds with the best time only 1:57 on the actual path. However, both he and the instructor track agree that it is possible to complete the course at 1:41 pm on the Honda NSX if the driver is experienced enough, talented, and most importantly fearless.
It was also used in 1975 for the movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo as a qualifying song.
Other non-automotive events
Laguna Seca and parts of the old Fort Ord now the Land Management Bureau annually host the Sea Otter Classic "Celebration of Cycling". The event is now the largest cycling festival in the United States, carrying over 10,000 racers and over 100,000 spectators - and is now the first major event of the year, usually held in April - for professional road bikes and mountain bikes.
Several times each year, bicycles are allowed on track for 2 hours. The entry fee is $ 10 per cyclist.
Laguna Seca serves as the finish line for Phase 4 of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California bicycle race.
On September 17, 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated mass at Laguna Seca Raceway, where 72,000 people gathered to meet him.
On June 24, 2011, John Mueller of Muellerized Suspension Systems married Sheila Stone over Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. This is the location where ash Lee Mueller (4 times SCCA National Champion, IMSA GTU Champion, 3 times 24 hour Daytona winner, and 12-hour Sebring winner), father of John Mueller, scattered.
Races
Main events
- The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix is ​​powered by Mazda; 1957-present; SCCA Nationals, USRRC, IMSA GT, American Le Mans Series, United SportsCar Championship
- United States motorcycle Grand Prix; 1988-1991, 1993-1994, 2005-2013; MotoGP
- World Superbike Championships; 1995-2004, 2013-present
- The Monterey Grand Prix; 1960-2004; USAC Road Racing Championship, Can-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA, CART
- The Marlboro Challenge; 1989, 1991; CART
Other events
Grand Prix A1
MotoGP
Superbike World Championships
Formula 750 World Championships
AMA_Grand_National_.2F_AMA_Road_Racing "> AMA Grand National/AMA Road Racing
AMA Superbike/MotoAmerica
Rolex Sports Car Series
Trans-Am
Intercontinental GT Challenge
References
Further reading
" Laguna Seca Raceway: 40 Years Through Corkscrew: 1957-1997 " (David and Mary-Ellen Wright-Rana, 1997) - ISBNÃ, 0966024818
External links
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca's site
- Sea Otter Classic
- Trackpedia guide to drive Laguna Seca
- Steve McQueen raced in Laguna Seca in 1959
- Laguna Seca - A Look Back
- Course Map 1963
- Insider tips for visiting Laguna Seca
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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