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	\|Name = Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca		\|Name = Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
	\|Nicknames = Laguna Seca		\|Nicknames = Laguna Seca
	\|Location = [[Monterey, California~~\|Monterey]]~~, ~~[[California]], [[United States\|~~USA]]		\|Location = Monterey, California, USA
	\|Time = ~~[[UTC]][[~~UTC-8~~\|-8]]~~ (~~UTC[[~~UTC-7~~\|-7]] [[Daylight saving time\|~~DST]])		\|Time = UTC-8 (UTC-7 DST)
	\|Image = ~~[[Image:LagunaSecaLogo.jpg\|200px\|center]]<br />[[Image:Laguna Seca.svg\|250px\|center]]~~		\|Image =
	\|Owner = Monterey County Parks Department		\|Owner = Monterey County Parks Department
	\|Operator = Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula		\|Operator = Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula
	\|Opened = 1957		\|Opened = 1957
	\|Construction_cost = $1.5 million ~~[[United States dollar\|~~USD]]		\|Construction_cost = $1.5 million USD
	\|Events = [[United States motorcycle Grand Prix]]<br>[[Champ Car World Series\|CART]]<br>[[American Le Mans Series]]<br>[[Monterey Historic Automobile Races]]		\|Events = United States motorcycle Grand Prix<br>[[Champ Car World Series\|CART]]<br>[[American Le Mans Series]]<br>[[Monterey Historic Automobile Races]]
	\|Surface = Paved		\|Surface = Paved
	\|Miles_first = True		\|Miles_first = True
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	}}		}}

	'''Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca''' (previously known as '''Laguna Seca Raceway''') is a paved road [[racing track]] used for both [[auto racing]] and ~~[[Motorcycle sport\|~~motorcycle racing]], originally constructed in 1957 near Monterey, California, USA.		'''Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca''' (previously known as '''Laguna Seca Raceway''') is a paved road [[racing track]] used for both [[auto racing]] and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near Monterey, California, USA.

	The current racetrack is 2.238 mi in length with a 300 foot (91 m) elevation change. It has eleven turns, including the famous "Corkscrew" at Turns 8 and 8A. A variety of racing, exhibition and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from [[superkart]]s to [[American Le Mans]] racing to music festivals.		The current racetrack is 2.238 mi in length with a 300 foot (91 m) elevation change. It has eleven turns, including the famous "Corkscrew" at Turns 8 and 8A. A variety of racing, exhibition and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from [[superkart]]s to [[American Le Mans]] racing to music festivals.

Red marquis at 11:48, 14 September 2010

2010-09-14T11:48:57Z

New page

{{Motorsport venue
|Name = Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
|Nicknames = Laguna Seca
|Location = [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], [[California]], [[United States|USA]]
|Time = [[UTC]][[UTC-8|-8]] (UTC[[UTC-7|-7]] [[Daylight saving time|DST]])
|Image = [[Image:LagunaSecaLogo.jpg|200px|center]]<br />[[Image:Laguna Seca.svg|250px|center]]
|Owner = Monterey County Parks Department
|Operator = Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula
|Opened = 1957
|Construction_cost = $1.5 million [[United States dollar|USD]]
|Events = [[United States motorcycle Grand Prix]]<br>[[Champ Car World Series|CART]]<br>[[American Le Mans Series]]<br>[[Monterey Historic Automobile Races]]
|Surface = Paved
|Miles_first = True
|Length_km = 3.602
|Length_mi = 2.238
|Turns = 11
|Record_driver = [[Helio Castroneves]]
|Record_time = 1'07.722
|Record_team = [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]] 2Ki Honda
|Record_class = [[CART]]
|Record_year = [[2000 CART season|2000]]
}}

'''Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca''' (previously known as '''Laguna Seca Raceway''') is a paved road [[racing track]] used for both [[auto racing]] and [[Motorcycle sport|motorcycle racing]], originally constructed in 1957 near Monterey, California, USA.

The current racetrack is 2.238 mi in length with a 300 foot (91 m) elevation change. It has eleven turns, including the famous "Corkscrew" at Turns 8 and 8A. A variety of racing, exhibition and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from [[superkart]]s to [[American Le Mans]] racing to music festivals.

== 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 and equestrian uses.<ref>''Environmental Site Assessment: Laguna Seca Ranch'', Earth Metrics Inc., on file with the County of Monterey (1989)</ref>

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 (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 GT Championship|IMSA GT]], [[Champ Car]], [[American Le Mans Series]], [[Grand American]], [[Monterey Historic Automobile Races]], [[Speed World Challenge]], AMA (American Motorcyclist Association), WSBK Superbike World Championship and MotoGP motorcycle races (but 125 and 250 are not admitted).

The day-to-day operations of the track, along with the management and promotion of major racing events, are 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, 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 mi length to meet the minimum-track-length criteria of the FIM for MotoGP events, 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 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.

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.<ref>[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Mazda+Raceway+Laguna+Seca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.861942,86.308594&ie=UTF8&ll=36.584244,-121.748887&spn=0,359.997366&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=36.584343,-121.748854&panoid=udrYf4y2Ja8H454cVpYO2w&cbp=12,1.5996056991563416,,0,5 Google Street View image]</ref>

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]], 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 calendar 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 CART race to take the victory. Uruguayan driver [[Gonzalo Rodríguez (racing driver)|Gonzalo Rodríguez]] died during the practice session of the 1999 CART race after crashing at the same corner. 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.<ref>[http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=12226 Champ Car > News Tuesday, September 11, 2007]</ref> But the subsequent merger of Champ Car and [[Indy Racing League|IndyCar]] resulted in the race being canceled.

The track is also the site of the annual [[Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion|Monterey Historics]] event sponsored every August by Rolex that sees 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 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.

The official track record for the 2.238 mi course is 1 minute, 07.722 seconds, set in 2000 by [[Hélio Castroneves]] while qualifying his Marlboro Team Penske Honda/Reynard for the CART/FedEx Championship Series Honda Grand Prix of Monterey.

The all-time unofficial lap record around the current configuration is 1 minute, 5.880 seconds, set on March 10, 2007 by [[Sébastien Bourdais]] in a Panoz DP01 Champ Car, beating the previous unofficial record of 1 minute, 6.309 seconds, set by [[Ricardo Zonta]] in a Toyota TF106 Formula 1 car during the Historics on August 20, 2006.

== 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]] 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]] in 2007.<ref>[http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=119632 2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R conquers the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca] By Ed Hellwig '''Edmunds Inside Line''' 2/16/2007</ref>

The track is featured in video games such as the Gran Turismo series (including the bike version Tourist Trophy), Forza Motorsport, and the MotoGP series. In a bid to compare real life versus video games, [[Jeremy Clarkson]] of the British automotive show ''[[Top Gear (current format)|Top Gear]]'' attempted to beat his Gran Turismo time of 1:41.148 in a [[Honda NSX]] 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, reality prevailed and he managed a best time of only 1:57 on the real course.<ref>Top Gear, Season 7, Episode 6 2005.12.27</ref> However, both he and the track instructor agreed that it is possible to complete the course in 1:41 if the driver were sufficiently experienced and talented.

Laguna Seca is home to a branch of the [[Skip Barber Racing School]], which conducts race and street driver training in the paddock area and on the circuit itself on a year-round basis.<ref>[http://www.skipbarber.com/locations/mazda_raceway.aspx Skip Barber Racing School Mazda Laguna Seca webpage]</ref>

===Video games===
Laguna Seca can be raced on in ''CART Precision Racing'', ''Corvette Evolution GT'', ''Forza Motorsport'', ''Forza Motorsport 2'', ''Forza Motorsport 3'', ''Grand Prix Legends'', ''Gran Turismo 2'', ''Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec'', ''Gran Turismo 4'', ''Gran Turismo (PSP)'', ''Ferrari F355 Challenge'', ''IndyCar Racing'', ''IndyCar Racing II'', ''NASCAR Racing 4'', ''NASCAR Racing 2002 Season'', ''NASCAR Racing 2003 Season'', ''Sports Car GT'', ''MotoGP '08'', ''Race Pro'', ''Rfactor'', ''TOCA Race Driver 2'', ''TOCA Race Driver 3'', ''Race On'', ''Need For Speed: SHIFT'', ''Tourist Trophy'', MotoGP 09/10 and will be featured in the upcoming ''Gran Turismo 5''. The track has been digitally scanned and included in the iRacing.com simulation service.

== Racing ==
Major events each year include the U.S. Sports Car Invitational featuring the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, Monterey Sports Car Championships featuring a four-hour endurance race for the ALMS, Monterey Historics for classic racecars, and the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring both the MotoGP World Championship and the U.S. AMA Superbike Series. In 2006, the [[A1 Grand Prix]] brought international open-wheel racing back to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

===Race winners===
====Champ Car/CART====
{{main|Monterey Grand Prix}}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Date
! Winning Driver
! Chassis
! Engine
! Team
|-
| 1983
| October 23
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Teo Fabi]]
| [[March Engineering|March]]
| [[Cosworth]]
| [[Forsythe Racing]]
|-
| 1984
| October 21
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
| [[March Engineering|March]]
| [[Cosworth]]
| [[TrueSports]]
|-
| 1985
| October 6
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
| [[March Engineering|March]]
| [[Cosworth]]
| [[TrueSports]]
|-
| 1986
| October 12
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
| [[March Engineering|March]]
| [[Cosworth]]
| [[TrueSports]]
|-
| 1987
| October 11
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Cosworth]]
| [[TrueSports]]
|-
| 1988
| October 16
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Danny Sullivan]]
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]
| [[Chevrolet]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 1989
| October 15
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Rick Mears]]
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]
| [[Chevrolet]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 1990
| October 21
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Danny Sullivan]]
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]
| [[Chevrolet]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 1991
| October 20
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael Andretti]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Chevrolet]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
|-
| 1992
| October 18
| {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Andretti
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
|-
| 1993
| October 3
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Paul Tracy]]
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]
| [[Chevrolet]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 1994
| October 2
| {{flagicon|CAN}} Paul Tracy
| [[Penske Racing|Penske]]
| [[Mercedes-Benz]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 1995
| September 9
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Gil de Ferran]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Mercedes-Benz]]-[[Ilmor]]
| [[Jim Hall (race car driver)|Jim Hall Racing]]
|-
| 1996
| September 8
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Alex Zanardi]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Honda]]
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
|-
| 1997
| September 7
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Vasser]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Honda]]
| [[Chip Ganassi Racing]]
|-
| 1998
| September 13
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bryan Herta]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Team Rahal]]
|-
| 1999
| September 12
| {{flagicon|USA}} Bryan Herta
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Team Rahal]]
|-
| 2000
| September 10
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Hélio Castroneves]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]]
| [[Honda]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| 2001
| October 14
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Max Papis]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Team Rahal]]
|-
| 2002
| June 9
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Cristiano da Matta]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Toyota]]
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
|-
| 2003
| June 15
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Patrick Carpentier]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Forsythe Racing]]
|-
| 2004
| September 12
| {{flagicon|CAN}} Patrick Carpentier
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Ford-Cosworth]]
| [[Forsythe Racing]]
|}

====Champ Car Marlboro Challenge====
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Date
! Winning Driver
! Chassis
! Engine
! Team
|-
| 1989
| October 14
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Al Unser, Jr.]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Chevrolet]]
| [[Galles Racing]]
|-
| 1991
| October 19
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael Andretti]]
| [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
| [[Chevrolet]]
| [[Newman/Haas Racing]]
|}

====American Le Mans Series====
{{main|Monterey Sports Car Championships}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Class
! Winning Drivers
! Platform
! Team
|-
! rowspan="3" | [[1999 Monterey Sports Car Championships|1999]]
| LMP
| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[JJ Lehto]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Steve Soper]]
| [[BMW V12 LMR]]
| [[BMW Motorsport]]
|-
| GTS
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Olivier Beretta]] / {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Karl Wendlinger]]
| [[Dodge Viper GTS-R]]
| [[Dodge Viper|Viper]] [[Oreca|Team Oreca]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Johnny Mowlem]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[David Murry]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RSR
| [[Reiser Callas Rennsport]]
|-
! rowspan="3"| [[2000 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2000]]
| LMP
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rinaldo Capello]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Allan McNish]]
| [[Audi R8 (race car)|Audi R8]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport North America]]
|-
| GTS
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Olivier Beretta]] / {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Karl Wendlinger]]
| [[Dodge Viper GTS]]-R
| [[Dodge Viper|Viper]] [[Oreca|Team Oreca]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Hans Joachim Stuck]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Boris Said]]
| [[BMW M3|BMW M3 GT]]
| [[Prototype Technology Group]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2001 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2001]]
| LMP900
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Frank Biela]] / {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Pirro]]
| [[Audi R8 (race car)|Audi R8]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport North America]]
|-
| LMP675
| {{flagicon|VEN}} [[Milka Duno]] / {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Didier de Radigues]]
| [[Reynard Motorsport|Reynard]] 01Q-[[Judd (engine)|Judd]]
| [[Dick Barbour Racing]]
|-
| GTS
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Terry Borcheller]] / {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Franz Konrad]]
| [[Saleen S7]]-R
| [[Konrad Motorsport|Konrad]] [[Saleen|Team Saleen]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[JJ Lehto]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Müller]]
| [[BMW M3 GTR]]
| [[BMW Motorsport]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2002 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2002]]
| LMP900
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Pirro]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Frank Biela]]
| [[Audi R8 (race car)|Audi R8]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport North America]]
|-
| LMP675
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chad Block]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Knight]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Claudia Hürtgen]]
| [[MG-Lola EX257]]
| [[KnightHawk Racing]]
|-
| GTS
| {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Tomáš Enge]] / {{flagicon|NED}} [[Peter Kox]]
| [[Ferrari 550 Maranello]]
| [[Prodrive]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Lucas Luhr]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Sascha Maassen]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RS
| [[Alex Job Racing]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2003 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2003]]
| LMP900
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Frank Biela]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Marco Werner]]
| [[Audi R8 (race car)|Audi R8]]
| [[Infineon]] [[Joest Racing|Team Joest]]
|-
| LMP675
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[James Weaver (racing driver)|James Weaver]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Butch Leitzinger]]
| [[MG-Lola EX257]]
| [[Dyson Racing]]
|-
| GTS
| {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Jan Magnussen]] / {{flagicon|AUS}} [[David Brabham]]
| [[Ferrari 550 Maranello]]
| [[Prodrive]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Sascha Maassen]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Lucas Luhr]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RSR
| [[Alex Job Racing]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2004 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2004]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Johnny Herbert]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Pierre Kaffer]]
| [[Audi R8 (race car)|Audi R8]]
| [[ADT Security Services|ADT]] [[Champion Racing]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Clint Field]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Rick Sutherland]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Robin Liddell]]
| [[Lola B2K/40]] - [[Judd (engine)|Judd]]
| [[Intersport Racing]]
|-
| GT1
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Ron Fellows]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny O'Connell]]
| [[Chevrolet Corvette C5-R]]
| [[Corvette Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Marc Lieb]] / {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Romain Dumas]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RSR
| [[Alex Job Racing]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2005 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2005]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tom Chilton]] / {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Hayanari Shimoda]]
| [[Zytek 04S]]
| [[Zytek|Zytek Engineering]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Sascha Maassen]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Lucas Luhr]]
| [[Porsche RS Spyder]]
| [[Penske Racing]]
|-
| GT1
| {{flagicon|MON}} [[Olivier Beretta]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Oliver Gavin]]
| [[Chevrolet Corvette C6.R]]
| [[Corvette Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Long]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Bergmeister]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RSR
| [[White Lightning Racing|Petersen/White Lightning Racing]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[2006 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2006]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rinaldo Capello]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Allan McNish]]
| [[Audi R10 TDI]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport]] [[Champion Racing|North America]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Romain Dumas]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Lucas Luhr]]
| [[Porsche RS Spyder]]
| [[Porsche in motorsport|Porsche Racing]]
|-
| GT1
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphane Sarrazin]] / {{flagicon|POR}} [[Pedro Lamy]]
| [[Aston Martin DBR9]]
| [[Aston Martin|Aston Martin Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Mika Salo]] / {{flagicon|MON}} [[Stéphane Ortelli]]
| [[Ferrari F430 GT2]]
| [[Risi Competizione]]
|-
! rowspan=4 | [[2007 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2007]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rinaldo Capello]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Allan McNish]]
| [[Audi R10 TDI]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport]] [[Champion Racing|North America]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Romain Dumas]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Timo Bernhard]]
| [[Porsche RS Spyder]] Evo
| [[Porsche in motorsport|Porsche Racing]]
|-
| GT1
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Oliver Gavin]] / {{flagicon|MON}} [[Olivier Beretta]]
| [[Chevrolet Corvette C6.R]]
| [[Corvette Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Mika Salo]] / {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Jaime Melo]]
| [[Ferrari F430]]GT
| [[Risi Competizione]]
|-
! rowspan=4 | [[2008 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2008]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Marco Werner]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Lucas Luhr]]
| [[Audi R10 TDI]]
| [[Audi|Audi Sport]] [[Champion Racing|North America]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Franck Montagny]] / {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Tony Kanaan]]
| [[Acura ARX-01B]]
| [[Andretti Green Racing]]
|-
| GT1
| {{flagicon|MON}} [[Olivier Beretta]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Oliver Gavin]]
| [[Chevrolet Corvette C6.R]]
| [[Corvette Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Dominik Farnbacher]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Dirk Müller]]
| [[Ferrari F430 GT2]]
| [[Tafel Racing]]
|-
! rowspan=4 | [[2009 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2009]]
| LMP1
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Gil de Ferran]] / {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Simon Pagenaud]]
| [[Acura ARX-02a]]
| [[de Ferran Motorsports]]
|-
| LMP2
| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Adrian Fernández]] / {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Luis Diaz]]
| [[Acura ARX-01B]]
| [[Fernández Racing]]
|-
| GT2
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Bergmeister]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Long]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]-RSR
| [[Flying Lizard Motorsports]]
|-
| GTC
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Baker]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Guy Cosmo]]
| [[Porsche 911 GT3]]
| [[Orbit Racing]]
|-
! rowspan=4 | [[2010 Monterey Sports Car Championships|2010]]
| LMP
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[David Brabham]] / {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Simon Pagenaud]] / {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Marino Franchitti]]
| [[HPD ARX-01]]
|[[Patrón]] [[Highcroft Racing]]
|-
| LMC
| {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Tucker / {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Christophe Bouchut]] / {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Mark Wilkins (racing driver)|Mark Wilkins]]
| Oreca FLM09-[[Chevrolet]]
| [[Level 5 Motorsports]]
|-
| GT
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Bergmeister]] / {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Long]]
| [[Porsche 997 GT3]]-RSR
| [[Flying Lizard Motorsports]]
|-
| GTC
| {{flagicon|USA}} Tim Pappas / {{flagicon|NED}} [[Jeroen Bleekemolen]] / {{flagicon|NED}} Sebastiaan Bleekemolen
| [[Porsche 997 GT3]] Cup
| [[Black Swan Racing]]
|-
|}

====A1 Grand Prix====
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Sprint Race Winner
! Feature Race Winner
|-
| 2005–2006
| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Salvador Durán]]
| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Salvador Durán]]
|}

====Rolex Sports Car Series====

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Class
! Winning Drivers
! Platform
! Team
|-
| [[2005 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2005]]
| DP:
GT:
| {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Luis Diaz]]/ {{flagicon|US}} [[Scott Pruett]]
{{flagicon|US}} [[Tom Milner]]/ {{flagicon|US}} [[Justin Marks]]/ {{flagicon|US}} [[Bill Auberlen]]
| DP: [[Lexus]]
GT: [[BMW M3]]
| DP: [[Chip Ganassi Racing]] with Felix Sabates
GT: [[Prototype Technology Group]]
|-
| [[2006 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2006]]
| DP:
GT:
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Max Angelelli]] / {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Jan Magnussen]] / {{flagicon|US}} [[Wayne Taylor]]
{{flagicon|GER}} [[Wolf Henzler]] / {{flagicon|UK}} [[Robin Liddell]]
| DP: [[Pontiac]]
GT: [[Ferrari F430]]
| DP: [[SunTrust Racing]]
GT: [[Tafel Racing]]
|-
| [[2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2007]]
| DP:
GT:
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Patrick Long]] / {{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Bergmeister]]
{{flagicon|US}} [[Andy Lally]] / {{flagicon|US}} [[R.J. Valentine]]
| DP: [[Porsche]]
GT: [[Pontiac GTO]]
| DP: [[Alex Job Racing]]
GT: [[The Racer's Group]]
|-
| [[2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2008]]
| DP:
GT:
|{{flagicon|UK}} [[Ryan Dalziel]] / {{flagicon|US}} [[Henri Zogaib]]
{{flagicon|US}} [[Paul Edwards (racing driver)|Paul Edwards]] / {{flagicon|US}} [[Kelly Collins]]
| DP: [[BMW]]
GT: [[Pontiac G6#Motorsports|Pontiac GXP.R]]
| DP: [[SAMAX Motorsport]]
GT: [[Banner Racing]]
|-
|[[2009 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2009]]
| DP:
GT:
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Jon Fogarty]] / {{flagicon|US}} [[Alex Gurney]]
{{flagicon|UK}} [[Nick Ham]] / {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Sylvain Tremblay]]
| DP: [[Pontiac]]
GT: [[Mazda RX-8]]
| DP: [[GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing]]
GT: [[SpeedSource]]
|-
|}

===Formula One===
In 1989, the year following the last [[Detroit Grand Prix|Formula One race in Detroit]], choices for a new location for the [[United States Grand Prix]] came down to Laguna Seca and [[Phoenix street circuit|Phoenix]]. The aforementioned 1988 improvements to the track were in part made to lure the race. In the final decision, Laguna Seca was thought to be too small for an F1 crowd and too remote and Phoenix was granted the Grand Prix. It proved to be highly unsuccessful and only lasted three years.

===Lap records===
On August 20, 2006, [[Toyota F1]] test driver [[Ricardo Zonta]] set an unofficial lap record of 1'06.039.<ref>[http://www.toyota.com/montereyhistoric/history.html Zonta breaks the record, part three...]</ref> The previous record time was 1'07.722, set by [[Helio Castroneves]] in a Penske [[Champ Car]] 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]], who lapped in 1'05.880 during Champ Car Spring Training.

Officially, Castroneves is still the recordholder as Zonta's and Bourdais' times were set during exhibition and testing sessions, and official records can only be set in race conditions (either in practice, qualifying, or during a race).

[[Motor Trend]] has recently begun to use Laguna Seca as a benchmark in much the same way [[Car and Driver]] had used Virginia International Raceway in recent years. The track was the site of their "America's Best Handling Car" and "Best Driver's Car" comparisons. In total, over 30 street legal cars have set laps on the track in the hands of Motor Trend. The 2010 Dodge Viper ACR is the current leader.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motortrend.com/features/laguna_lap/index.html|title=Laguna Lap|accessdate=2009-12-12 |author=Ron Batt |date=2009-10-29}}</ref>

== See Also ==

{{Champ Car tracks}}
{{Grand-Am circuits}}
{{ALMS circuits}}
{{FIA GT circuits}}
{{A1 Grand Prix circuits}}}
{{Atlantic Championship circuits}}}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.MazdaRaceway.com/ Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca official site]
*[http://store.MazdaRaceway.com/ Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca official Online Store]
*[http://www.americanlemans.com/home/index.asp American Le Mans Series]
*[http://www.seaotterclassic.com/ Sea Otter Classic]
*[http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Mazda_Laguna_Seca Trackpedia's guide to driving Laguna Seca]
*[http://www.mcqueenonline.com/lagunaseca.htm Steve McQueen raced at Laguna Seca in 1959]
*[http://www.roadcarvin.com/laguna-seca-a-look-back Laguna Seca - A Look Back]

[[Category:Champ Car race tracks]]
[[Category:A1 Grand Prix venues]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in California]]
[[Category:Pacific Grand Prix]]
[[Category:Mazda]]
[[Category:American Le Mans Series circuits]]
[[Category:IMSA GT Championship circuits]]

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Revision history

Red marquis at 11:50, 14 September 2010

Red marquis at 11:48, 14 September 2010