Healeys at Laguna Seca

North America's Most Iconic Racetrack

The Monterey Peninsula’s connection with world-class motorsports traces its beginnings to the running of the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950. These sports car events quickly outgrow the public roads of the Del Monte Forest and a new road racing facility is born on November 9, 1957.

Since then Monterey has been visited by some of the most prestigious racers in history, including Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Kenny Roberts, Bobby Rahal, Wayne Rainey, and Valentino Rossi. The late 1960’s and 70’s may be remembered as the Can-Am Years, but it was also the debut of Trans Am, IMSA and AMA motorcycle racing. CART Indy Car racing and Grand Prix Motorcycling put their stamp on the track in the 80’s and 90’s. More recently, the evolution of MotoGP has created a phenomenal global following for the track.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosts five world-class race weekends each season. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a non-profit organization run by the Sports Car Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP). Each year SCRAMP donates approximately $400,000 to charities and groups in the area. Along with these donations, it is estimated that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca brings in about $200 million dollars to the local economy with the help of its five major events scheduled annually.

On August 20, 2006, Toyota F1 test driver Ricardo Zonta sets a new lap record of 1:06.039. The previous record time is 1:07.722, set by Helio Castroneves in a Penske Champ Car during the 2000 CART Honda Grand Prix of Monterey. Sébastien Bourdais retakes the record in a Champ Car on March 10, 2007 with a 1:05.880 lap during spring training.

The Corkscrew

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is an 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course in California’s beautiful central coast. While the track is a favorite of racers and fans worldwide, many focus on one specific section: officially Turns 8 and 8A or, more commonly, The Corkscrew. The turns are like no other racetrack in the world. Here’s why:
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• At the apex to Turn 8 (the lefthander and entry to The Corkscrew), the elevation change is a 12 percent drop.
• By the time a racecar reaches the apex of Turn 8A (the righthander), the elevation is at its steepest – an 18 percent drop.
• The Corkscrew drops 59 feet between the entrance of Turn 8 to the exit of Turn 8A. That’s the equivalent of a five-and-a-half story drop in only 450 feet of track length.
• From Turn 8 to Turn 9, the elevation falls 109 feet, or just over 10 stories.

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John Turney said:

Here's Dougie from the outside:

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