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Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track (used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing) originally built in 1957 near Monterey, California, USA.

The current racetrack is 2.238 miles in length (3.58 kilometers), has eleven turns, including the famous (and gut-wrenching) “Corkscrew” at Turns 8 and 8A, and a 300 foot elevation change. A variety of racing, exhibition and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from superkarts to American Le Mans racing to music festivals.

The track was built in 1957 at a cost of $1.5 million raised from local businesses and individuals on property 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. In 1974, the property was deeded over to the Monterey County Parks Department and continues to be part of the park system to this day.

The first race, held on November 9, 1957, was won by Pete Lovely (who still races vintage cars to this day) driving a Ferrari. In the intervening years, the track has hosted USRRC, Can Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), Champ Car, ALMS, Grand American auto races, and AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) and MotoGP motorcycle races.

The day-to-day operations of the track, along with the management and promotion of major racing events, is handled by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), 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 requirements of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and other sanctioning bodies. Changes include the addition of the entire infield area in 1988 (present day turns 3, 4, and 5) extending the track from it’s original 1.9 mile length, plus the more recent relocation of pedestrian bridges and embankments, and the expansion of gravel pits outside turns 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 for additional run off. 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.

The famous, or infamous, 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 it’s blind apex.

Turn 2 has been renamed the ‘Andretti Hairpin’, while Turn 9 has been renamed ‘Rainey Curve’ in honor of 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion Wayne Rainey, a resident of nearby Salinas, California. 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.

A Champ Car World Series weekend had been a prominent event from 1983 through 2004 when its spot on the calender was shifted to the San Jose Grand Prix. Perhaps one of the most famous moments of racing took place at Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew when Alex Zanardi passed Bryan Herta on the inside of the Corkscrew on the last lap of the 1996 Champ Car race to take the victory.

There are many permanent dry and hook-up camping 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 Mazda, who hold some of their own events there and display their products at major racing events. As part of the sponsorship, the track is now officially referred to as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

[Source: Wikipedia]