WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Track Information
1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway
Monterey, CA 93908
USA
Track Length: 2.238 miles
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the jewel of Laguna Seca Recreation Area, is located less than 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful town of Monterey, and 15 minutes from both downtown Carmel and sunny Carmel Valley. Visitors from around the world come to this scenic destination to sample its fine wines, incredible restaurants, golf courses, beaches and this iconic and historic road course.

The Monterey Peninsula’s love affair with world-class racing traces its beginnings to the inaugural running of the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950. The track was built in 1957 at a cost of $1.5 million raised from local businesses and individuals on a part of the US Army’s Fort Ord (a maneuver area and field artillery target range) after the nearby Pebble Beach Road Races were deemed too dangerous. In 1974, the property was deeded 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 driving a Ferrari. In the intervening years, the track has hosted Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, USRRC, IMSA GT, IndyCar (Champ Car), American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am, Superbike World Championship and MotoGP motorcycle races and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

The track itself has undergone significant changes over the past few decades to meet evolving safety homologation requirements of various sanctioning bodies. The most significant change was 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 1.9-mile length to its current 2.238-mile, 11-turn configuration.

The race track is world-renowned for its extraordinary racing history and the Corkscrew. The Corkscrew’s elevation change makes it a one-of-a-kind turn in motorsports. In a distance of just 450 feet the elevation drops 59 feet, and continues to drop another 100 feet in the following 3 turns.

Perhaps one of the most famous moments of racing took place at the Corkscrew when Alex Zanardi passed Bryan Herta on the inside of the Corkscrew on the last lap of the 1996 CART race to take the victory.

Reserved and General Camping are available in six different locations around the track, and premier camping allows guests to experience major events from the comfort of a hillside campsite and be a part of the thrilling action. Laguna Seca Recreation Area also offers adjacent biking and hiking trails and a rifle & pistol range.

With a policy of kids 15 & under free, enjoying a day or weekend of racing experiences is an affordable option for families.