Laguna Seca (Mexico)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for sponsorship reasons) is a paved road racing track in
central California Central California is generally thought of as the middle third of the U.S. state of California, north of Southern California (which includes Los Angeles and San Diego) and south of Northern California (which includes San Francisco and San Jose, ...
used for both
auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
and
motorcycle racing The motorcycle sport of racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and ...
, built in 1957 near both Salinas and
Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...
, United States. The racetrack is long, with a 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
superkart Superkart is a form of motorsport road racing that uses karts on long circuits. The bigger difference between a superkart and most other forms of kart is that they have full aerodynamic bodykits, as well as having a longer wheel base than sprint ...
s to sports car racing to music festivals. Laguna Seca is classified as an FIA Grade Two circuit. The name Laguna Seca is
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
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.


History

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 In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...
and
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
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 Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
(a maneuver area and field artillery target range) after the nearby Pebble Beach Road Races were abandoned for being too dangerous. In 1974 the property was deeded over to the
Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is ...
Parks Department and continues to be part of the park system. The first race, held on November 9, 1957, was won by
Pete Lovely Gerard Carlton "Pete" Lovely (April 11, 1926 – May 15, 2011) was a racecar driver and businessman from the United States. He was born in Livingston, Montana. Racing career On November 9, 1957, Lovely won the first ever race held at Laguna Sec ...
driving a
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
. In the intervening years, the track has hosted USRRC,
Can-Am The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an SCCA/ CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974, and again from 1977 to 1987. The Can-Am rules were deliberately simple and placed few limits on the entries. This led to a wide variet ...
,
Trans-Am The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of ...
,
Formula 5000 Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an Open-wheel car, open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel ...
,
IMSA GT IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada. History The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill Fr ...
,
CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs. A handcart ...
,
Indy Car IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis 5 ...
,
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...
, Grand American,
Monterey Historic Automobile Races The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is an annual event held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Its purpose is to provide an event in which historic racecars can compete. It takes place over the course of one weekend ...
,
Speed World Challenge The GT World Challenge America is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by the SRO Motorsports Group since 2018, and has been sanctioned by the United States Auto Club since 20 ...
, AMA (
American Motorcyclist Association The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its motto, mission statement is "t ...
), WSBK
Superbike World Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Champion ...
and
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
motorcycle races (but 125/Moto3 and 250/Moto2 are not admitted). The day-to-day operations of the track, along with the management and promotion of major racing events, are now handled by A&D Narigi Consulting, LLC. John V. Narigi is the General Manager and President. Until January 1, 2020, it was managed by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), which is a non-profit organization. With oversight by a board of local residents, SCRAMP operates with a professional staff on-site with the goal of generating income through the operations of the racetrack which is then redistributed to local charities. The track itself has undergone significant changes over the past two decades to meet evolving safety
homologation Homologation (Greek language, Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would n ...
requirements of the
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme The International Motorcycling Federation (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) or (FIM) is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 123 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six continent ...
(FIM),
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; ) is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocacy, advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automot ...
(FIA) and other sanctioning bodies. Changes include the addition of the entire infield area in 1988 (present-day turns 3, 4, and 5, eliminating the straight that started at present-day turn 2 and ended at present-day turn 5) extending the track from its original length to meet the minimum-track-length criteria of the FIM for MotoGP events, plus the more recent relocation of
pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...
bridges and embankments, and the expansion of
gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...
pits outside turns 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 for additional runoff. The original media center was demolished in 2006 to make way for additional run-off room in Turn 1. Also in 2006, the 'hump' at the top of the Rahal Straight was flattened to accommodate the MotoGP riders, though some claim that this increases the wind effects that can perturb a race motorcycle. Remnants of the old configuration can still be seen from the parking lot between turns two and five. They are found underneath a road leading to the parking area for entrant trailers and RVs. The famous Turn 8 and 8A combination, popularly referred to as 'the Corkscrew', is considered one of the motorsport world's most challenging turns, due to the drop in elevation as well as its blind crest and apex on the uphill approach. Turn 2, with its difficult and technical double-apex, has been renamed the 'Andretti Hairpin', in honor of former Formula 1 World Champion
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
, while Turn 9 has been renamed 'Rainey Curve' in honor of 500cc
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
World Champion
Wayne Rainey Wayne Wesley Rainey (born October 23, 1960) is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships in 1984 and from 1988 to 1993. He won the 500cc World Championship th ...
, a resident of nearby
Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Salt pan (geology), Salt Flats") is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County, California, Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is ...
. Also, the straight that runs between Turn 6 and Turn 7 has been renamed the 'Rahal Straight' after four-time consecutive Champ Car race winner
Bobby Rahal Robert Woodward Rahal ( ; born January 10, 1953) is an American racing driver and motorsports executive. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. As co-owner of R ...
. A
Champ Car Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing T ...
World Series weekend had been a prominent event from 1983 through 2004, when its spot on the calendar was shifted to the
San Jose Grand Prix The San Jose Grand Prix was an annual street circuit race in the Champ Car World Series in San Jose, California. The race had three different title sponsors over the course of its three-year existence, being known as the Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix ...
. On the last lap of the 1996 CART race,
Alex Zanardi Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi (; born 23 October 1966) is an Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist. He won the CART championship in 1997 and 1998, and took 15 wins in the series. He also raced in Formula One from 1991 to 1994 and again ...
passed
Bryan Herta Bryan John Herta (born May 23, 1970) is an American race strategist and former race car driver. He currently runs his own team, Bryan Herta Autosport in the NTT IndyCar Series and is the strategist for the #27 Andretti Autosport in the same se ...
on the inside of the Corkscrew to take the victory. Uruguayan driver Gonzalo Rodríguez died during the practice session of the 1999 CART race after crashing at the same corner. Because of the incident, runoff was installed at the end of the Rahal Straight. Champ Car announced on September 11, 2007, that they would be returning the Northern California race to Laguna Seca from San Jose over the May 16–18 weekend in 2008. But the subsequent merger of Champ Car and
IndyCar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
resulted in the race being canceled. On July 17, 2018,
IndyCar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
announced a return of IndyCars to Laguna Seca, with the event to be held the weekend of September 20–22, 2019. The track is also the site of the annual
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is an annual event held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Its purpose is to provide an event in which historic racecars can compete. It takes place over the course of one weekend e ...
, formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. The event features an extraordinarily eclectic mixture of race cars on the course. Each year features a different marque. Considered one of the two greatest historic racing events (along with the Goodwood Festival in England), attendance often rivals, or surpasses the professional racing events listed above. There are many permanent dry and hook-up
camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
facilities located at the raceway, which are available year-round as part of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, the county park in which the racetrack is set. The track's primary corporate sponsor is
WeatherTech WeatherTech is an American manufacturer of automobile accessories headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. History WeatherTech was founded in 1989 by current CEO David MacNeil, who did not appreciate the quality of vehicle floor mats as they ...
which began in April 2018. As part of the sponsorship, the track is now officially referred to as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Previously, the sponsorship belonged to
Mazda is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima (town), Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima, Japan. The company was founded on January 30, 1920, as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd. ...
for 17 years with the track being known as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. A 2015 study by
California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university located in Monterey County, California, United States. The main campus is situated on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, spanning the ...
and commissioned by SCRAMP states that the raceway generated $62.1 million (2015 USD) to the
Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is ...
economy and $5.2 million in state and local taxes.


Layout history


Lap records

On August 20, 2006,
Toyota F1 Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to join Formula One in 1999, and after extensive testing with thei ...
test driver
Ricardo Zonta Ricardo Luiz Zonta (; born March 23, 1976) is a Brazilian professional racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, driving the No. 10 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for RCM Motorsport. Early career Born in ...
set an unofficial lap record of 1:06.309. The previous record time was 1:07.722, set by
Hélio Castroneves Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
in a Penske
Champ Car Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing T ...
during qualifying for the 2000 CART Honda Grand Prix of Monterey. The unofficial record was re-taken by a Champ Car on March 10, 2007, by
Sébastien Bourdais Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (; born 28 February 1979) is a French professional racing driver who currently races in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota in the Hypercar category. He is one of the most successful dr ...
, who lapped in 1:05.880 during Champ Car Spring Training. The unofficial record was again re-taken by a Formula One car on May 19, 2012, by
Marc Gené Marc Gené i Guerrero (born 29 March 1974) is a Spanish professional racing driver. He is best known as a tester for Williams Grand Prix Engineering, Williams and Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari in Formula One, Minardi Formula One driver and factory ...
, who lapped in 1:05.786 in a
Ferrari F2003-GA The Ferrari F2003-GA was a highly successful car used by Scuderia Ferrari in the 2003 Formula One World Championship. The chassis was designed by Rory Byrne, Ignazio Lunetta, Aldo Costa, Marco Fainello, Nikolas Tombazis and James Allison with Ros ...
during the 2012 Ferrari Racing Days.
Christian Lundgaard Christian Lundgaard (; born 23 July 2001) is a Danes, Danish professional racing driver who currently drives the No. 7 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar Series. He previously competed with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in No. 45 car. H ...
is the unofficial qualifying record-holder with a lap time of 1:06.4610. At the 2008 Monterey Sports Car Championships,
David Brabham David Philip Brabham (born 5 September 1965) is an Australian racing driver and one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports car racing. He has won three international Sports Car series and is one of four Australians to have ...
set a pole position time of 1:10.103 in a Le Mans Prototype. At the
2012 United States motorcycle Grand Prix The 2012 United States motorcycle Grand Prix (formally known as the 2012 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix) was the tenth round of the 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and the first of two races in the 2012 season to take place in the United St ...
,
Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three List of 500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions, MotoGP World Championships ...
set a pole time of 1:20.554 on the
Yamaha YZR-M1 The Yamaha YZR-M1 is an Inline-four engine, inline-four motorcycle specifically developed by Yamaha Motor Company to race in the current MotoGP series. It succeeded the Yamaha YZR500, YZR500 by the 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 2002 ...
. During the
2014 Superbike World Championship season The 2014 Superbike World Championship was the twenty-seventh season of the Superbike World Championship. The season saw the revision of the Superpole format: riders placed from eleventh to twentieth position in the combined classification of the ...
,
Tom Sykes Thomas Edward Sykes (born 19 August 1985 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England) is a professional Motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer who first competed in World Superbike Championship during . For the 2022 season, Sykes rejoined his former ...
set the superbike qualifying record time of 1:21.811 on the
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a motorcycle in the Kawasaki Ninja, Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine, Kawasaki, the successor to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R, Ninja ZX-9R. It was origi ...
. The 2019
McLaren Senna The McLaren Senna is a limited-production Mid engined, mid-engined sports car manufactured by McLaren Automotive. The car is the third addition in the ''McLaren Ultimate Series'', joining the McLaren F1, F1 and the McLaren P1, P1; however, it i ...
holds the current production car lap record. Driver
Randy Pobst Randy Franklin Pobst (born June 26, 1957, in Dayton, Ohio), also known as "RFP" or "The Rocket," is an American race car driver and journalist for ''Motor Trend'' magazine. Active in the SCCA World Challenge GT series and the Grand American ...
piloted the unmodified McLaren to a 1:27.62 lap time during MotorTrend's 2019 best driver car award testing. The 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS previously held the current unofficial production car lap record with 1:28.30. The
Porsche 918 Spyder The Porsche 918 Spyder is a high performance sports car manufactured by German marque Porsche. The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated V8 engine, developing at 8,700RPM, with two electric motors deliveri ...
held the previous unofficial production car lap record with 1:29.89. A Mission Motors Mission R, ridden by Steve Rapp, previously held the outright EV lap record with a time of 1:31.376. This was set during qualifying for the 2011 FIM e-Power International Championship/
TTXGP TTXGP are the official promoters of FIM eRoadRacing, an electric motorsport race series. Founded by Azhar Hussain MBE & Hersh Patel in 2008, TTXGP started life as the first zero-carbon, clean-emission race to take place at the Isle of Man TT as ...
World Series race. In 2018,
Earl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber (born 9 July 1990) is a New Zealand professional racing driver and racing team owner who currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota and Ca ...
clocked an unofficial best lap time of 1:07 around Laguna Seca in the Porsche 919 EVO, despite not intentionally trying to set a lap record. A McLaren MP4/13, driven by
Pato O'Ward Patricio "Pato" O'Ward Junco (born 6 May 1999) is a Mexican professional auto racing driver who competes full-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren. He is the 2018 Indy Lights champion. He is signed to the Mc ...
set an unofficial lap time of 1:10.24 at the 2021 Velocity Invitational festival.


All-time unofficial lap records


Official race lap records

As of May 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Laguna Seca for different classes are listed as:


Other use


Automotive

When not being used by the major events the track can be rented. Approximately twice a year the
Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting Autocross, Rallycross, HPDE, Time Trial, Road Racing, RoadRally, and Hill Climbs in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs ...
holds regional club races for the San Francisco Region. Various clubs rent the track throughout the year for informal high-performance driving schools that allow the public to drive their own cars at speed. The raceway has also played host to prototype testing of the
Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R (''Gran Turismo–Racing''; model code: R35; Japanese: 日産・GT-R; ''Nissan GT-R'') is a series of cars built by Japanese marque Nissan from 2007 to 2025. It has a 2+2 (car body style), 2+2 seating layout and is considered b ...
in 2007. The track is featured in
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s such as the '' Gran Turismo'' series (since the second installment, including the bike version '' Tourist Trophy''), the ''
Forza Motorsport ''Forza'' ( , ; Italian for "force" and "strength") is a racing video game series for Xbox consoles and Microsoft Windows published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise has sold 16 million copies as of December 2016 and has garnered critical ac ...
'' series, the ''
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
'' series and track in the 1999 racing game Star Wars Episode I: Racer. In a bid to compare real life versus video games,
Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for hosting the television programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), T ...
of the British automotive show ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...
'' attempted to beat his ''
Gran Turismo 4 ''Gran Turismo 4'' is a 2004 sim racing video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the fourth main installment and the sixth overall in the ''Gran Turismo'' series. It was ...
'' time of 1:41.148 in a
Honda NSX The Honda NSX, marketed in North America as the Acura NSX, is a two-seater, Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, rear mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car manufactured by Honda. The origins of the NSX trace back to 1984, with the HP-X ...
by racing the real track in the same car in 2005. During the trials, Clarkson determined that the game omitted a few details of the track, and the game's physics allowed him to brake later when coming into turns than he could in real life. As a consequence, he managed a best time of only 1:57 on the real course. However, both he and the track instructor agreed that it is possible to complete the course in 1:41 in a Honda NSX if the driver were sufficiently experienced, talented, and most importantly fearless. It was also used in 1976 for the film ''
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo ''Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo'' is a 1977 American sports film, sports adventure film, adventure comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety and written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson (screenwriter), Don Nelson. The film is the third installment in ...
'' as a qualifying track.


Other non-automotive events

Laguna Seca and the part of the old
Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
that is now
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
land annually host the
Sea Otter Classic The Sea Otter Classic is a bicycling and outdoor sports festival and exposition held each spring since 1991 at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The four-day event is considered the world's largest cycling festival, ...
"Celebration of Cycling". The event has now become the largest cycling festival in the United States, bringing in over 10,000 racers and over 100,000 spectators – and is now the first major event of the year, typically held in April – for both the
road bike The term road bicycle is used to describe bicycles built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Some sources use the term to mean racing bicycle. Other sources specifically exclude racing bicycles from the definition, using the term to mean a ...
and
mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...
professional seasons. Several times each year, bicycles are permitted on the track for 2 hours. The admission fee is $10 per bicycle rider. Laguna Seca served as the finish line for Stage 4 of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California and Stage 3 of the 2018 Amgen Tour of California bicycle races. The raceway has been occasionally as a venue for concerts and other non-sporting events. The
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
performed on the racetrack in May 1987; later that night, the band filmed their music video for "
Touch of Grey "Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is from the album '' In the Dark''. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive." It combines dark lyrics in the verses with upbeat pop instrumentation. A simple p ...
" there. On September 17, 1987,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
celebrated mass at Laguna Seca Raceway, where 72,000 people had gathered to see him. In the 1990s, the raceway was the venue for the Laguna Seca Daze music festival, which featured performances from music acts in the
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and
jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts and live albums substantially feature improvisational "jam session, jamming". Typically, jam bands will play variations of pre-existing songs, extending them to musical improvisation, improvise ove ...
genres. Artists who performed at the festival include
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...
,
Blues Traveler Blues Traveler is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1987. They are known for their extensive use of segues in live performances, and could be considered a key part of the re-emerging jam band scene of the 1990s, sp ...
,
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs are an American alternative rock band founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four albums that c ...
,
Big Head Todd and the Monsters Big Head Todd and The Monsters is a rock music, rock musical ensemble, band formed by Todd Park Mohr, Brian Nevin, and Rob Squires in 1986 in Colorado. The band has released several albums since 1989; their 1993 album ''Sister Sweetly'' went pla ...
,
Meat Puppets Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar/vocals), and Derrick Bostrom (drums). The Kirkwood brothe ...
,
4 Non Blondes 4 Non Blondes was an American rock band from San Francisco, active from 1989 to 1994. Their only album, '' Bigger, Better, Faster, More!'', spent 59 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 1.5 million copies between 1992 and 1994. They hit the ...
,
Jeff Healey Norman Jeffrey Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008) was a Canadian blues, rock and jazz guitarist, singer and songwriter who attained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He reached No. 5 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with " Ang ...
,
The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...
,
Gin Blossoms Gin Blossoms is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, '' New Miserable Experience'', and the first single released from that al ...
and
Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...
. On June 24, 2011, John Mueller of Muellerized Suspension Systems married Sheila Stone on the top of the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. This is the location where the ashes of Lee Mueller (4-time SCCA National Champion, IMSA GTU Champion, 3-time winner of the
24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...
, and
12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race for Sports car racing, sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in S ...
winner), John Mueller's father, were spread. In spring 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, graduation ceremonies took place at the raceway. Local schools participating included
Carmel High School Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...
(June 3, 2020) and
Pacific Grove High School Pacific Grove High School (PGHS) is a public high school located in Pacific Grove, California, between Carmel and Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located ...
(May 29, 2020). After collecting diplomas, graduates and their families were able to drive around the track in celebration.


Events

; Current * May:
IMSA SportsCar Championship The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (I ...
'' Motul Course de Monterey'',
Trans-Am Series The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of ...
''Laguna Seca SpeedTour'',
Michelin Pilot Challenge The Michelin Pilot Challenge is a grand touring and touring car racing series run by the International Motor Sports Association. Originating from the Canadian Motorola Cup, the series was taken over by Grand-Am in 2001 to become the Grand-Am Cup ...
''WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120'', Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America,
IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge The IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge is a one-make sports car racing series held in the United States that features Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race cars. The series is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association. History The unveiling ...
, Trans-Am West Coast Championship,
Sportscar Vintage Racing Association The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is an American automobile club and sanctioning body that supports vintage racing in the United States. The organization was founded in 1981, and is regarded as the premier vintage racing organiza ...
* June:
Formula Car Challenge The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is a National Auto Sport Association-affiliated car racing series, operating in four different regions across the United States: West Coast, South West, East Coast and Mid West. There is also a ...
* July:
IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
''
IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is an IndyCar Series race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, United States. The event dates back to 1960, and became an American open wheel race in 1983. The race was part of ...
'',
MotoAmerica MotoAmerica is the organization that promotes and organizes the AMA Road Racing series. Formally known as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship, it is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the ...
''MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey'',
Indy NXT Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American Minor league, developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step ...
, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West * August:
International Race of Champions International Race of Champions (IROC) was a North American auto racing competition, created by Les Richter, Roger Penske and Mike Phelps, promoted as an American-motorsports equivalent of an all-star game. Despite its name, IROC was primarily ...
'' Monterey Motorsports Reunion'' * September: Ferrari Challenge North America ; Former *
A1 Grand Prix A1 Grand Prix Operations Ltd. operated as A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themse ...
(2006) *
AMA Grand National Championship American Flat Track is an American motorcycle racing series. The racing series, founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1954, originally encompassed five distinct forms of competitions including mile dirt track r ...
(1972–1976, 1980–1986) *
AMA Superbike Championship AMA Superbike Championship is an American motorcycle racing series based in the United States. The series is organized by MotoAmerica and is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) as well as the Fédération Internationale de ...
(1976–1988, 1992–2013) *
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...
** '' American Le Mans Monterey'' (1999–2013) *
Atlantic Championship Series The Atlantic Championship Series is an American open-wheel racing series with races throughout North America. It has previously been called Champ Car Atlantics, Toyota Atlantics (after its then engine supplier for sponsorship reasons), or just ...
(1976, 1984–1988, 1990–2004, 2008–2009) *
Barber Pro Series The Barber Dodge Pro Series was an American open-wheel auto racing series promoted by the Skip Barber Racing School from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were pri ...
(1991–1994, 1996–2003) *
Can-Am The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an SCCA/ CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974, and again from 1977 to 1987. The Can-Am rules were deliberately simple and placed few limits on the entries. This led to a wide variet ...
(1966–1973, 1978–1982) *
Championship Auto Racing Teams Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 CART season, 2003 season. CART was founded in 1979 by team owners formerly ...
/
Champ Car World Series Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), ...
** ''
Marlboro Challenge The Marlboro Challenge was an All-star game, all-star race in the Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART series race held from 1987 to 1992, sponsored by cigarette brand Marlboro (cigarette), Marlboro. After 1992, the race was discontinued, in part b ...
'' (1989, 1991) ** ''
Monterey Grand Prix The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is an IndyCar Series race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, United States. The event dates back to 1960, and became an American open-wheel car racing, American open wheel race ...
'' (1983–2004) *
FIA GT Championship The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...
(1997–1998) *
Formula 750 Formula 750 was a FIM motorcycle road racing series based on a 750 cubic centimeter engine capacity. History The series began in 1971 as a collaboration between the American Motorcyclist Association and the Auto Cycle Union. The FIM adopte ...
(1978–1979) *
Formula BMW Americas In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...
(2004–2005, 2008) *
Global MX-5 Cup The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is a single-make motor racing championship sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in the United States. Mazda MX-5 Cup is the professional Spec Miata series of Mazdaspeed#R ...
(2004–2017, 2019, 2021, 2023–2024) *
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...
** ''
United States motorcycle Grand Prix The United States motorcycle Grand Prix was a round of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship. History The first United States Grand Prix was held in as a non-championship race at the Daytona International Speedway on the 2-m ...
'' (1988–1991, 1993–1994, 2005–2013) *
GT World Challenge America The GT World Challenge America is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by the SRO Motorsports Group since 2018, and has been sanctioned by the United States Auto Club since 20 ...
(1990, 1999–2007, 2009, 2011–2012, 2015–2019) *
IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada. History The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill ...
** ''
Monterey Grand Prix The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is an IndyCar Series race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, United States. The event dates back to 1960, and became an American open-wheel car racing, American open wheel race ...
'' (1976–1977) ** '' Monterey Sports Car Grand Prix'' (1974–1987, 1989, 1991–1994, 1997–1998) *
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama (also known as IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge) was a one-make racing series based in the United States using Porsche 911 GT3s. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama entered its 16th & final season i ...
(2005–2016, 2019) *
IMSA Prototype Challenge IMSA Prototype Challenge (formerly IMSA Prototype Lites) was a racing series featuring two classes of single-seat prototype cars racing simultaneously. The series was sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Most races we ...
(2007–2008, 2010–2013, 2016) *
Intercontinental GT Challenge The Intercontinental GT Challenge is a sports car racing series developed by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, SRO Group in 2016. It consists of international Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance races for grand tourer racing cars complying w ...
** ''
California 8 Hours The California 8 Hours was a sports car endurance race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, United States from 2017 to 2019 as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The inaugural edition was open to GT3 and GT4 ...
'' (2017–2019) *
NASCAR Winston West Series The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series, NASCAR Winston Transcontinental Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series ow ...
(1973, 1975–1977, 1980–1981, 2000–2001) * North American Touring Car Championship (1996–1997) *
Pacific Grand Prix The Pacific Grand Prix () was a round of the Formula One World Championship twice in the mid-1990s and non-championship events in the 1960s. The non-championship events were held at Laguna Seca in the United States from 1960 through 1963. The ...
(1960–1963) * Porsche Carrera Cup North America (2022–2023) *
Porsche Rennsport Reunion The Porsche Rennsport Reunion is an automotive event and the world's largest meeting of classic Porsche racing cars and their drivers. Porsche has been organizing the Rennsport Reunion since 2001 to honor its Porsche in motorsport, own motorsport t ...
(2011, 2015, 2018, 2023) *
Rolex Sports Car Series The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...
(2005–2009, 2011–2013) *
SCCA National Championship Runoffs The SCCA National Championship Runoffs is the end-of-year championship race meeting for Sports Car Club of America Club Racing competitors. Divisional champions and other top drivers from the SCCA's 116 regions are invited to participate at the ...
(2014) *
SCCA National Sports Car Championship The SCCA National Sports Car Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America from 1951 until 1964. It was the first post-World War II sports car series organized in the United States. An amateur championship ...
(1957) * SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship (1968–1975) *
Sidecar World Championship FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949. It was formerly named Supersi ...
(1989–1991) *
Superbike World Championship Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette road racing series based on heavily modified production sports motorcycles. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Champion ...
(1995–2004, 2013–2019) *
Supersport World Championship The Supersport World Championship, abbreviated to WorldSSP, is a motorcycle racing competition on hard-surfaced circuits, based on mid-sized sports motorcycles. Competition machines were originally based on production-based motorcycles with 600& ...
(1998–1999) *
United States Road Racing Championship The United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) was a Sports Car Club of America series for professional racing drivers. SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create the series in 1962 to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC R ...
(1963–1968) *
USAC Road Racing Championship The USAC Road Racing Championship was a sports car racing series in the United States held from 1958 until 1962. The series was organized by the United States Auto Club as a fully professional alternative to the Sports Car Club of America's SCCA Na ...
(1960–1962)


Formula One

In 1989, the year following the last Formula One race in Detroit, choices for a new location for the
United States Grand Prix The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...
came down to Laguna Seca and Phoenix. The aforementioned 1988 improvements to the track were made in part to lure the F1 race. In the final decision, Laguna Seca was thought to be too remote and too small for an F1 crowd, and so Phoenix was granted the Grand Prix.


Fatalities

* Gonzalo Rodríguez
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
Honda Grand Prix of Monterey *
Dani Rivas Daniel Rivas Fernández (13 March 1988 – 19 July 2015) was a Spanish Motorcycle racing, motorcycle racer. At an international level, he competed in the European Superstock 600 Championship, the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship, Superstock 1000 ...
– 2015 MotoAmerica (SBK meet) *
Bernat Martínez Bernat Martínez Mas (10 January 1980 – 19 July 2015) was a Spanish motorcycle racer. At international level, he competed in the European Superstock 1000 Championship, the Superbike World Championship, the Supersport World Championship and th ...
– 2015 MotoAmerica (SBK meet)


References


Further reading

"''Laguna Seca Raceway: 40 Years Through the Corkscrew: 1957-1997''" (David and Mary-Ellen Wright-Rana, 1997) —


External links

*
Sea Otter ClassicTrackpedia's guide to driving Laguna SecaLaguna Seca Street and Race Car Lap Times
*
Laguna Seca – A Look Back1963 course mapInsider tips for visiting Laguna Seca
{{Navboxes , list = {{Circuits of United SportsCar Racing {{MotoAmerica circuits {{Indy Racing League {{Indy Lights racetracks {{Global MX-5 Cup tracks {{Ferrari Challenge North America circuits {{Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America circuits {{Trans-Am tracks {{International Race of Champions tracks {{MotoGP circuits {{SBK circuits {{Sidecar World Championship circuits {{NASCAR K&N Pro Series racetracks {{Pirelli World Challenge circuits {{Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA tracks {{IMSA Prototype Challenge racetracks {{Atlantic Championship circuits {{Pro Mazda Championship race venues {{USF2000 National Championship race venues {{Can-Am circuits {{Champ Car tracks {{IMSA GT circuits {{ALMS circuits {{Grand-Am circuits {{FIA GT circuits {{A1 Grand Prix circuits {{Barber Pro Series tracks {{Formula 750 circuits 1957 establishments in California Champ Car circuits Buildings and structures in Salinas, California A1 Grand Prix circuits Motorsport venues in California Grand Prix motorcycle circuits Pacific Grand Prix Superbike World Championship circuits American Le Mans Series circuits IMSA GT Championship circuits NASCAR tracks Sports venues in Monterey County, California Sports venues completed in 1957