Laguna Seca Raceway

Laguna Seca was a redirect to this article. Further meanings are listed under Laguna Seca (disambiguation) .

Laguna Seca Raceway
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey , California , USA
Route type:	permanent race track
Owner:	Monterey County Parks Department
Building-costs:	$ 1.5 million
Start of building:	1957
Opening:	November 9, 1957
Track layout
Route data
Important events:	MotoGP , Champ Car , American Le Mans Series , AMA Superbike , IndyCar
Route length:	3.601  km (2.24  mi )
Curves:	11
Records
Track record: (automobile)	1: 07: 722 min. ( Hélio Castroneves , Penske , 2000 )
Track record: (motorcycle)	1:21:229 min. ( Dani Pedrosa , Honda , 2012 )
http://www.laguna-seca.com

Coordinates: 36 ° 35 ′ 5 "  N , 121 ° 45 ′ 10"  W.

The Laguna Seca Raceway (officially WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ) is one of the most important race tracks in the USA . It is located in the state of California in Monterey County , between the cities of Monterey and Salinas .

One lap is 3,601 meters long, with a height difference of 55 m. The route consists of 11 curves and a special feature of the route are turns 8 and 8A, the famous "corkscrew", which is hidden behind a crest and is reached after a long straight at high speed, so that strong has to be delayed in order not to miss the chicane that descends steeply downwards, first to the left and then to the right.

In addition to various US racing series (e.g. the American Le Mans Series and AMA ), the Laguna Seca Raceway was also the venue for the US Grand Prix as part of the motorcycle world championship . While all classes drove in 1964, 1965 and from 1988 to 1994, only MotoGP started from 2005 to 2013 . Between 1995 and 2004 and since 2013, the Superbike World Championship has been held here every year .

history

The area was first used in 1867 with the establishment of the Laguna Seca Ranch , where pasture and horse farming was carried out for 140 years.

After the nearby course of the "Pebble Beach Road Races" was classified as too dangerous, the construction of the "Laguna Seca Raceway" began in 1957. The construction costs amounted to 1.5 million US dollars and were financed primarily by local companies and private individuals. The Monterey County Parks Department has owned all property rights since 1974 .

The first race, which took place on November 9, 1957, was won by Pete Lovely in a Ferrari .

When the Superbike World Championship races were held for the first time in 1988 , the track had to be rebuilt due to the existing rules of the FIM in order to achieve the minimum required track length. The run-off areas have also been improved. In 2006 the point at the end of the Rahal Straight was flattened a little. However, some MotoGP riders are of the opinion that this would create additional disruptions from the wind.

After Mazda became the official main sponsor of the track, the track was renamed “Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca” due to the contract.

WeatherTech has been the main sponsor since April 2018 , which led to the name being changed to "WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca".

In 2016, the race track was the destination of the fourth stage of the Tour of California road bike race .

The distance

The Ferrari F2003-GA

The starting line is on a small knoll in a slight left bend. The then sloping section bends in a wide arc (1) by approx. 15 ° to the left. The hairpin, Andretti Hairpin (2) follow a 105 ° right-hand (3) and after a short straight, a 75 ° right-hand bend (4), which is followed by a longer, slightly to the right piece of straight and a wide one 100 ° left curve (5) follows. After another straight and an 80 ° / 10 ° left (6), the vehicles accelerate up the Rahal Straight to the "corkscrew curve", Corkscrew slightly to the right (7) without any view over the crest, sharply left (8) down, immediately into a right bend (8a) further downhill into a long left Rainey Curve (9) and then an 80 ° right-hand bend (10) past the pit entrance, the last, a sharp 105 ° left (11) closes the course to the slightly uphill straight back to the goal .

The official course record was set in the CART season 2000 with 1: 07: 722, driven by Hélio Castroneves in a Penske . The fastest lap so far was on May 19, 2012, Marc Gené with 1: 05.786, as part of a Ferrari Racing Days event with a Ferrari F2003-GA , Michael Schumacher's historic winning car and winner of the 2003 Formula 1 season.

Results

The corkscrew curve

Home stretch of the Laguna Seca Raceway

Rick Mears on Penske

Champ Car

season	winner	chassis	engine	team
1983	Teo Fabi	March	Cosworth	Forsythe Racing
1984	Bobby Rahal	March	Cosworth	Truesports
1985	Bobby Rahal	March	Cosworth	Truesports
1986	Bobby Rahal	March	Cosworth	Truesports
1987	Bobby Rahal	Lola	Cosworth	Truesports
1988	Danny Sullivan	Penske	Chevrolet - Ilmor	Penske Racing
1989	Rick Mears	Penske	Chevrolet - Ilmor	Penske Racing
1990	Danny Sullivan	Penske	Chevrolet - Ilmor	Penske Racing
1991	Michael Andretti	Lola	Chevrolet - Ilmor	Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing
1992	Michael Andretti	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing
1993	Paul Tracy	Penske	Chevrolet - Ilmor	Penske Racing
1994	Paul Tracy	Penske	Mercedes-Benz - Ilmor	Penske Racing
1995	Gil de Ferran	Reynard	Mercedes-Benz - Ilmor	Jim Hall Racing
1996	Alex Zanardi	Reynard	Honda	Chip Ganassi Racing
1997	Jimmy Vasser	Reynard	Honda	Chip Ganassi Racing
1998	Bryan Herta	Reynard	Ford-Cosworth	Team Rahal
1999	Bryan Herta	Reynard	Ford-Cosworth	Team Rahal
2000	Helio Castroneves	Reynard	Honda	Penske Racing
2001	Massimiliano Papis	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	Team Rahal
2002	Cristiano da Matta	Lola	Toyota	Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing
2003	Patrick Carpentier	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	Forsythe Racing
2004	Patrick Carpentier	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	Forsythe Racing

Champ Car Marlboro Challenge

season	winner	chassis	engine	team
1989	Al Unser, Jr.	Lola	Chevrolet	Galles Racing
1991	Michael Andretti	Lola	Chevrolet	Newman / Haas Racing

American Le Mans Series

season class winner dare 1999 LMP JJ Lehto Steve Soper BMW V12 LMR GTS Olivier Beretta Karl Wendlinger Chrysler Viper GTS-R GT Johnny Mowlem David Murry Porsche 993 Carrera RSR 2000 LMP Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish Audi R8 GTS Olivier Beretta Karl Wendlinger Chrysler Viper GTS-R GT Hans-Joachim Stuck Boris Said BMW M3 GT 2001 LMP900 Frank Biela Emanuele Pirro Audi R8 LMP675 Milka Duno Didier de Radiguès Reynard 01Q / Judd GTS Terry Borcheller Franz Konrad   Saleen S7 R GT JJ Lehto Jörg Müller BMW M3 GTR 2002 LMP900 Emanuele Pirro Frank Biela Audi R8 LMP675 Chad Block Steven Knight Claudia Huertgen MG-Lola EX257 GTS Tomáš Enge Peter Kox Ferrari 550 Maranello GT Lucas Luhr Sascha Maassen Porsche 996 GT3 RS 2003 LMP900 Frank Biela Marco Werner Audi R8 LMP675  James Weaver Butch Leitzinger MG-Lola EX257 GTS Jan Magnussen David Brabham Ferrari 550 Maranello GT Sascha Maassen Lucas Luhr Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 2004 LMP1 Johnny Herbert Pierre Kaffer Audi R8 LMP2 Clint Field Rick Sutherland Robin Liddell Lola B2K / 40 -Judd GT1 Ron Fellows Johnny O'Connell Chevrolet Corvette C5-R GT2 Marc Lieb Romain Dumas Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 2005 P1 Tom Chilton Hayanari Shimoda Zytek 04S P2 Sascha Maassen Lucas Luhr Porsche RS Spyder GT1 Olivier Beretta Oliver Gavin Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 2006 P1 Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish Audi R10 TDI P2 Romain Dumas Lucas Luhr Porsche RS Spyder GT1 Stéphane Sarrazin Pedro Lamy Aston Martin DBR9 GT2 Mika Salo Stéphane Ortelli Ferrari F430 GT 2007 P1 Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish Audi R10 TDI P2 Romain Dumas Timo Bernhard Porsche RS Spyder Evo GT1 Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 Mika Salo Jaime Melo Ferrari F430 GT

season class winner dare 2008 P1 Marco Werner Lucas Luhr Audi R10 TDI P2 Franck Montagny Tony Kanaan Acura ARX-01 B GT1 Olivier Beretta Oliver Gavin Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 Dominik Farnbacher Dirk Müller   Ferrari F430 GT 2009 P1 Gil de Ferran Simon Pagenaud Acura ARX-02a P2  Adrián Fernándezbr /> Luis Díaz  Acura ARX-01 B GT2 Jörg Bergmeister Patrick Long Porsche 997 GT3 RSR GTC  John Baker Guy Cosmo Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2010 P1 Simon Pagenaud David Brabham Marino Franchitti Acura ARX-02a Pc Scott Tucker Christophe Bouchut Mark Wilkins Oreca FLM09 GT1 Jörg Bergmeister Patrick Long Porsche 997 GT3 RSR GTC Tim Pappas Jeroen Bleekemolen Sebastiaan Bleekemolen Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2011 P1  Adrián Fernández Stefan Mücke Harold Primat Lola-Aston Martin LMP1 P2 Scott Tucker Christophe Bouchut Luis Díaz HPD ARX-01g Pc Eric Lux Elton Julian Mike Guasch Oreca FLM09 GT1 Jörg Bergmeister Patrick Long Porsche 997 GT3 RSR GTC Duncan Ende Spencer Pumpelly Peter Ludwig Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2012 P1 Klaus Count Lucas Luhr HPD ARX-03a P2 Scott Tucker Luis Díaz Franck Montagny HPD ARX-03b Pc Jonathan Bennett Colin Brown Oreca FLM09 GT1 Oliver Gavin Tommy Milner Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTC Emilio Di Guida Bret Curtis Jeroen Bleekemolen Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 2013 P1 Klaus Count Lucas Luhr HPD ARX-03c P2 Scott Tucker Marino Franchitti HPD ARX-03b Pc Luis Díaz Mike Guasch Oreca FLM09 GT1 Jan Magnussen Antonio García Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTC Nick Tandy Henrique Cisneros Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

A1 Grand Prix

season	Sprint race winner	Main race winner
2005-2006	Salvador Durán	Salvador Durán

Superbike World Championship

season winner machine 1995 Anthony Gobert Troy Corser Kawasaki Ducati 1996 John Kocinski Anthony Gobert Ducati Kawasaki 1997 John Kocinski John Kocinski Honda Honda 1998 Troy Corser Noriyuki Haga Ducati Yamaha 1999 Anthony Gobert Ben Bostrom Ducati Ducati 2000 Noriyuki Haga Troy Corser Yamaha Aprilia 2001 Ben Bostrom Ben Bostrom Ducati Ducati 2002 Troy Bayliss Colin Edwards Ducati Honda

season winner machine 2003 Pierfrancesco Chili Rubén Xaus Ducati Ducati 2004 Chris Vermeulen Chris Vermeulen Honda Honda 2013 Tom Sykes Eugene Laverty Kawasaki Aprilia 2014 Marco Melandri Tom Sykes Aprilia Kawasaki 2015 Chaz Davies Chaz Davies Ducati Ducati 2016 Jonathan Rea Tom Sykes Kawasaki Kawasaki 2017 Chaz Davies Jonathan Rea Ducati Kawasaki 2018 Jonathan Rea Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Kawasaki

season winner machine 2019 Jonathan Rea Jonathan Rea Chaz Davies Kawasaki Kawasaki Ducati

Motorcycle world championship

500 cc class

season	winner	machine
1988	Eddie Lawson	Yamaha
1989	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha
1990	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha
1991	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha
1993	John Kocinski	Cagiva
1994	Luca Cadalora	Yamaha

MotoGP class

year	winner	team	machine
2005	Nicky Hayden	Repsol Honda	Honda RC211V
2006	Nicky Hayden	Repsol Honda	Honda RC211V
2007	Casey Stoner	Ducati Marlboro	Ducati Desmosedici GP7
2008	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha Motor Racing	Yamaha YZR-M1
2009	Dani Pedrosa	Repsol Honda	Honda RC212V
2010	Jorge Lorenzo	Yamaha Motor Racing	Yamaha YZR-M1
2011	Casey Stoner	Repsol Honda Team	Honda RC212V
2012	Casey Stoner	Repsol Honda Team	Honda RC213V
2013	Marc Marquez	Repsol Honda Team	Honda RC213V

Web links

Commons : Laguna Seca Raceway  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• official homepage

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Detailed course map by Whitson Engineers ( memento of the original from September 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Ferrari claims unofficial lap record at Laguna Seca. autoblog, May 23, 2012, accessed August 4, 2012 .