Grueling Six Hour Endurance Race Puts Drivers to the Test
It’s another six hours into the darkness at famed Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca when the American Le Mans Series returns for the
ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey, Presented by Patrón September
16-18.
The Salinas Jaycees, Central Coast Young Farmers & Ranchers,
and Monterey County Young Professionals Group once again host the
greatest anticipated networking event of the year
The 7th Annual Young Professionals Mega Mixer has been
scheduled for June 23, 2011. The event will be held at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca (1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway) from
5:30-8:00pm. Cost is $10.00 per person and includes a tri-tip
dinner, raffle entry, and no-host cash bar.
The speed and elegance of one of motoring’s iconic cars of all
time—the sleek Jaguar E-Type—reveals itself as the inspiration
for the official poster art of the 2011 Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion. Jaguar is this year’s featured marque and
will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-Type at the annual
gathering of historic race and sports cars to be held August
19-21 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Classic
Car Week.
Just before the full moon rises in the sky, cyclists will take to
the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Velo Club Monterey hosts this month’s Twilight Ride Wednesday,
June 15th from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per rider and the
rides/races are always informal. A two lap time trial will be the
evening’s competition event.
Riders can experience the thrill of pedaling Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca as the race track includes a challenging 300-foot
climb and an awe-inspiring descent down the world-famous
Corkscrew.
Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) and Porsche Race Car Classic
(PRCC) jointly announced today that the organizations have
coordinated their event activities to allow all Porsche
enthusiasts to take full advantage of what will be an
unprecedented celebration of Porsche’s rich motorsport history
around the Monterey Peninsula over the third weekend in October.
Offer dad a once in a lifetime opportunity to have his own place
in race history with a Father’s Day gift that he will surely brag
about to his friends and will remember year after year. Give him
his own customized brick on the walk of fame atop the
world-famous Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Preparations for Rennsport Reunion IV continue, and Porsche Cars
North America and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today released the
latest race groupings and schedules for the fourth installment of
the now famous event to be held from October 14 – 16, 2011. This
rare occasion will reunite the cars and drivers that together
have written Porsche’s motorsports history during the last 60
years on all five continents.
The partnership between Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and ModSpace, a
leading provider of modular buildings and portable storage,
strengthened today with naming ModSpace the facility’s Official
Modular Office Supplier. Last month ModSpace became title sponsor
of the American Le Mans Series race – now named ModSpace American
Le Mans Monterey, presented by Patrón. The six-hour race into
darkness will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17 and is the highlight
of the Sept. 16-18 race weekend.
Just hours before the professional cyclists of the Amgen Tour of
California roar through the area, bicyclists of all skill levels
can test out Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for themselves.
The Twilight Ride will be held Wednesday, May 18 from 5:30 – 7:30
p.m. with a five lap circuit race starting at 6 p.m. The
rides/races are always informal and the 11 turn 2.238 mile course
is open to all levels of cyclists. The cost is $10 per rider.
In honor of National Bike Month, dust off your bike helmet, shine
up your bicycle, grab the kids and head out to Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca for a few laps around the world famous track with two
Twilight Cycle Rides scheduled for the month of May!
Approximately 550 of the finest examples of automotive history,
style, design and technology will fill the race paddock for the
17 race groups at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August
19-21. Now in its 37th year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the
historic racing event is a cornerstone of the Monterey Classic
Car Week.
Today, Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) announced the
appointment of Brian Redman as Official Ambassador to Rennsport
Reunion IV. In his new role Redman will serve as an advisor to
PCNA’s organizing team in the months leading up to the October 14
to 16 event and represent the company vis-à-vis race fans and
participants in all Rennsport related matters.
Johanna Koch, with more than 15 years of experience in marketing
communications for the hospitality industry, has been named
public relations manager at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Entry application forms to participate in Porsche Rennsport
Reunion IV, which is anticipated to be the world’s greatest
gathering of Porsche race cars and the drivers who drove them to
victory, October 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, are now
available online at www.MazdaRaceway.com.
Today, Porsche Cars North America took the veils off of the
official Rennsport Reunion IV artwork that will symbolize the
world’s greatest gathering of historic and contemporary Porsche
race cars and their drivers October 14 to 16, 2011.
Because this year’s event will feature as a special highlight the
decades-long success story of the 911 race cars the poster
depicts two of the most exciting protagonists, the 1981 factory
935 long tail in Martini colors and Al Holbert’s 911 RSR from
1974.
An unprecedented gathering of Porsche historic and modern race
cars from around the world, and many of the famous drivers who
piloted them to victory, will descend on Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca for three days of racing, story-telling and camaraderie at
the Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV on October 14-16, 2011.
Sponsored by Porsche Cars North America, the weekend will be
punctuated by on-track racing, an open paddock for visitors to
get up close to the cars and talk to their owners, and a variety
of other activities that celebrate the legendary history of
Porsche.
One of the more popular community events held at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca is the monthly Twilight Cycling Ride, which gives
rare access to the 2.238-mile undulating road course. This month,
for a low entry fee of $10, cyclists of all ages can hit the
track on Wednesday, February 16 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
No prior experience is necessary to ride and cyclists will have
the opportunity to go where racing legends typically speed by.
The Twilight is informal and helmets are required
Today’s AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race at the Red Bull
U.S. Grand Prix was won by a rider who loves everything about
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and he has the record here to prove it.
Ben Bostrom and his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha team culminated
a very special weekend by winning from the pole position to
capture his third career AMA Pro SuperBike victory. Bostrom also
won here last year in Daytona SportBike and also a World
SuperBike race here in 1999.
As the final day of racing action concluded at the Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion, entrants representing 13 countries and
competing in more than 600 historic cars gathered to celebrate
their accomplishments at the Rolex Awards Ceremony at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca. Sunday afternoon’s awards ceremony was
hosted by Mike Joy from SPEED and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s
CEO/General Manager, Gill Campbell.
A resident of nearby Carmel Valley, Greg owns a utility company
that contracts and operates private water systems. As the crew
chief for the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Pace Car Team, he is
responsible for keeping all the pace cars in top racing
condition.
A resident of Saratoga, Calif., Matt is the vice president of a
transportation systems integration and construction firm. He is
also an instructor for Your Private Track Day and has instructed
at SpeedVentures and Porsche Club of America.
A resident of Scotts Valley, Calif., Robert is a successful
business owner, an instructor for the Jim Russell Racing School,
and an outstanding competition cyclist. Robert logged 43 road and
criterium races in 2009 with 10 top 10 finishes and more than
6,800 miles on his bike.
The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula
(SCRAMP), the not-for-profit organization that operates major
racing events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, announced the
officers for the 2011 season.
SCRAMP officers for 2011 are Dean Fewtrell of Salinas as
president, Kathy Hayworth of Del Rey Oaks as vice president of
administration, James Alit of Manteca as vice president of
operations, Lee Shepherd of Monterey as treasurer, Gregg Curry of
Carmel Valley as secretary and Ken Lofink of Monterey will serve
in the position of past president.
The storied racing heritage of one of Britain’s legendary motor
car companies will be celebrated, as Jaguar will be the featured
marque of the 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Porsche’s storied history in GRAND-AM Road Racing was underscored
this week, with the announcement that it has returned as an
“Official Promotional Partner” of GRAND-AM for the second
straight year.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s goal with its monthly Twilight Rides
is to create a safe, fun place to ride for cyclists of all ages
and skills. The season kicks-off with its first ride for 2011 on
January 19 from 4-6 p.m. For only $10 per rider, cyclists will
have the opportunity to go where racing legends typically speed
by. The rides are informal, helmets are required, and the track
will be open to recreational cyclists throughout the entire time.
The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula
(SCRAMP) has been operating for over 50 years and created what
the racing circuit, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is today.
Before the first of the fabled Pebble Beach Road Races over 50
years ago, the Monterey Peninsula was not the destination for
hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world that it
is today. It was hardly known outside of California, other than
by soldiers who got their Army basic training at nearby Fort Ord.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced today that Connor Barr
was promoted from Sales & Marketing Coordinator to Business
Development Manager at the world-renowned race track.
Ryan Dalziel won the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Action Express
Racing, and finished second with Peter Baron’s operation in the
2007 event. Sunday, Dalziel served notice that Baron’s Starworks
Motorsport is a team to watch in the 49th running of the Rolex 24
later this month, unofficially breaking the Daytona International
Speedway track record with a lap of 128.194 mph (1:39.973)
in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care Ford/Riley.
Picking up where he left off last year, Scott Pruett ran the
fastest laps Friday at Daytona International Speedway to lead the
opening day of the “Roar Before the Rolex 24″ in the car that
dominated last year’s Daytona Prototype championship.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is sharing the love this Valentine’s
Day and will be sending ticket purchasers very special M&M’s.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and
M&M’s have teamed up to offer race fans special M&M’s
with the track outline on the chocolate candy.
The first major event on the international motorsports calendar
will take place this weekend when GRAND-AM Road Racing rings in
the new year with the “Roar Before the Rolex 24,” a three-day
test featuring a star-studded lineup at Daytona International
Speedway.
For Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato, defending their hard-fought
GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask
No. 16 GT Championship of 2010 is high on the priority list for
the 2011 season.
MAZDASPEED announced the 2011 SCCA Pro racing Playboy MX-5 Cup
Schedule and a new prize payment structure on Wednesday via a
live webcast on www.justin.tv/mazdausa. The 2011 schedule
features single events and doubleheaders at many of the iconic
tracks and events across the United States.
Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S. in conjunction with its performance line
GYTR and Roland Sands Design proudly unveiled a specially crafted
WR450F Supermoto bike for MotoGP Rookie of the year Ben Spies.
Former Yamaha AMA 250cc National Champion Roland Sands,
world-renowned for his custom designed motorcycles, was
commissioned by Spies to build a bike for “quick runs to the
grocery store.” The bike features a host of genuine Yamaha GYTR
accessories and a host of other high performance accessories.
Ferrari Racing Days is returning to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on
May 20-22, 2011, the raceway and Ferrari North America announced
today. Headlining the three full days of racing are the Ferrari
458 Challenge and the series rarely brought to the U.S., the F1
Corse Clienti program.
A diverse list of race groups for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports
Reunion have been determined and entry request forms are now
available online at www.MazdaRaceway.com. The Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion is a cornerstone of the Monterey Classic Car
Week held August 19-21, 2011 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
“We are keeping the event fresh with new race groups such as
Can-Am,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca. “It was a free-wheeling era in motorsports
when all the rules were pushed to the extreme.”
MotoGP Rookie of the Year and Team Yamaha Factory MotoGP pilot
Ben Spies is scheduled to make a special fan appearance at the
Long Beach Progressive Insurance International Motorcycle Show
next Friday, December 17.
Fresh off a spectacular first test session on the Factory Yamaha
M1, Ben will be in the Yamaha booth from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday
signing autographs and he’s anxious to see his Southern
California friends and fans once again.
One of the biggest supporters of grassroots racing in America has
joined forces with INDYCAR’s Road to Indy as Mazda announced a
multi-year partnership with the INDYCAR developmental ladder.As
the title partner of the Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda will provide
scholarships to the 2011 champions of the three affiliated series
– the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship
powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by
Goodyear and Firestone Indy Lights – to graduate to the next
level of the sport.
For the third consecutive year, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will
host bicyclists for monthly Twilight Rides. The raceway’s
Twilight Rides is a partnership with community cycling clubs to
create a safe, fun place to ride for cyclists of all ages and
skills.
“The thousands of area cyclists who have tackled the challenging
11 turn 2.238 mile course are pleased that we are continuing this
program,” said Ann Bixler, vice president event operations of
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “The raceway’s beautifully smooth
pavement with no traffic concerns is a dream for any cyclist.”
After four exciting days of driving education, invaluable
seminars, nail biting on track sessions, and much deliberation,
the winners of the 14th Annual Skip Barber Karting Shootout were
announced. Forty-four exceptionally talented karters competed at
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for over $200,000 in scholarships to
further their motorsports career, courtesy of MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development and the FIA Motor Sport Safety
Development Fund.
It was no easy task for the panel of judges including Team USA
Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw and Speed Channel personality Bob
Varsha.
Just in time for the holidays Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is
offering race fans the opportunity to score tickets to the 2011
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MotoGP World Championship, July 22-24,
and receive a $15 gift certificate for the track’s always-popular
souvenir store.
If you purchase your MotoGP tickets between now and December 31,
2010 you will score the largest discounts we will be offering on
Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix general admission tickets.
Example:
Three-day (Fri/Sat/Sun) general admission purchase before Dec.
31, 2010 $70 – purchase at the gate $100
Former Yamaha Racing executive and current president of Yamaha
Motor Manufacturing Company in Newnan, Georgia, Mr. “Tony” Iio
was celebrated in retirement yesterday at Yamaha’s corporate
headquarters in Cypress, California.
In an age where aspiring race car drivers have to work harder
than ever to find adequate financial support, Skip Barber Racing
School has consistently provided scholarships over the years to
assist young drivers in pursuing their dreams. In its 14th year,
the Annual Skip Barber Karting Shootout is a four day event that
allows young karters to strap into a Formula Skip Barber open
wheel race car and compete for $200,000 in scholarships.
Last year, thirty-six drivers gathered to compete at Sebring International Raceway in the 13th Annual Skip Barber Karting Shootout. Florida teens Spencer Pigot and Felix Serralles went home with the biggest prizes of the event, both winning scholarships to compete for the entire 2010 season of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda. These Scholarships are provided on behalf of MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development and the FIA Motor Sport Safety Development Fund.
Josh Hayes and his Team Graves Yamaha Team captured this year’s
closely fought AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Championship at
the final race of the season. AMA Pro talked to Hayes while he
enjoys his off season before he begins preparation for his
defense of his title in 2011.
A large contingent of Yamaha’s supported racers descended upon
Yamaha Motor Corporation’s headquarters in Cypress, Calif.
to recognized by Yamaha employees for their hard work and
amazing accomplishments during the 2010 racing season, and to
participate in Yamaha’s fourth annual Feed the Children Charity
Day with the Star Touring and Riding Association.
The Don Chapin Monterey Bay Racing Team (MBRT) will be hosting
the next Twilight Cycling ride at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on
Wednesday, November 17 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Circuit riders will experience the thrill of pedaling Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca as the race track includes a challenging
300-foot climb and an awe-inspiring descent down the world-famous
Corkscrew.
The cost is $10 per rider and all riders must have a helmet. The
Twilight Rides are informal and the 2.238-mile track will be open
to all levels of cyclists.
Scott Shelton proved that persistence and practice makes perfect.
Shelton will follow in the footsteps of Andrew Caddell, Brad
Rampelberg, Justin Piscitell, and Nick Evans, the four previous
Mazda shootout winners. He also joins the MAZDASPEED Motorsports
Development Driver ladder program class of 2011. The MAZDASPEED
ladder has been a critical part of the success of up-and-coming
racers including Raphael Matos, John Edwards, Conor Daly, Joel
Miller, Connor De Phillippi, Dane Cameron, Jason Saini, Todd
Lamb, Eric Foss, Adam Christodoulou, Sage Karam, Spencer Pigot,
and Felix Serralles.
The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear today made the
first in an upcoming series of major announcements with the
release of the series’ 10-weekend, 11-race schedule (with one
TBA) for the 2011 season; included are fiveIndyCar weekends, two
with American Le Mans, one with USAC and one where Star Mazda
will race a double-header as the co-feature. Rising racing stars
from around the world will hone their driving skills at three
road courses, four street circuits and three ovals.
I am very pleased to announce that Yamaha has won the 2010 MotoGP
“Triple Crown” of Rider, Team and Manufacturer titles for the
third year in a row, following our 2008 and 2009 Triple Crowns.
As in years past, we feel that this great achievement was made
possible by the strong support of Yamaha fans around the world
and the corporate sponsors that have backed our teams. For this
support, I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation.
Former Yamaha worldwide President Mr. T. Kajikawa was presented a
specially commissioned painting today to commemorate his years of
service during a brief stop at the headquarters of Yamaha U.S. in
Cypress California.
The special painting features Valentino Rossi at the top of the
famous corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the
inaugural MotoGP event at the facility in 2005.
The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal
Cask No. 16 is returning to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July
8-9, 2011, the raceway and GRAND-AM announced today.
“It is great to see the return of the Rolex Sports Car Series to
the West Coast and particularly to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the
home of sports car racing,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general
manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “These drivers put on one
of the best shows, the racing is great and the drivers are very
approachable.”
The Global Tuner Grand Prix (GTGP) on October 22-24, 2010 is the
only event of its kind in North America where both the best
tuners and racers in the world will compete around this legendary
circuit, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The GTGP is the season finale
for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and features the Global Tuner Grand
Prix, Challenge Race, Pirelli Drivers Cup and historic stock car
races.
Here is a brief overview of each class competing in the GTGP:
Patrón Highcroft Racing’s remarkable back-to-back championship
success in the American Le Mans Series has drawn praise from the
Governor of Connecticut, M. Jodi Rell, key industry leaders,
media experts, team partners and motorsport legends. Victory in
the LMP2 class by David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino
Franchitti clinched the LMP title for Highcroft at Saturday’s
Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta.
Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Graves Motorsports are
pleased to announce that Josh Herrin has signed an agreement
which will keep him with the team for the 2011 and 2012 racing
seasons.
American junior formula car standout Connor De
Phillippi ended his 2010 race season in perfect fashion on
Friday (October 1), winning the Round 13
season-finale of the Star Mazda Championship Presented by
Goodyear at Road Atlanta. With his first series victory, the
MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver from California
secured the prestigious Rookie of the Year award via third
place in the overall championship standings.
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd is delighted to announce that it has reached
an agreement with Jorge Lorenzo whereby the Spaniard will remain
with the factory for the next two years.
23-year-old Lorenzo, who joined Yamaha in 2008, has won an
impressive seven races so far this season and is on target to
take his first premier-class crown. He currently leads the
standings by 56 points with five rounds remaining.
Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Graves Motorsports would like
to congratulate Josh Hayes on his first AMA American Superbike
Championship. The Championship is also the first for Yamaha in
America’s premier road racing class since 1991 when Floridian
Thomas Stevens won the title aboard a Vance & Hines
Yamaha-prepared FZR750RR OW01 works bike.
“I cannot thank Yamaha and my crew enough for giving me this shot
at the Superbike Championship,” said Josh. “I am glad I was able
to add my name to the record book and bring home the R1’s first
AMA Superbike Championship”.
The 2011 American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón
event returns to its traditional fall schedule on September
16-18, 2011 with a four hour endurance race at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca.
Aboard his Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R1, Josh Hayes claimed his
first career AMA Superbike championship at Barber Motorsports
Park in Birmingham, Ala. on Sunday, Sept. 26. The championship is
also the first for Yamaha in America’s premier road-racing class
since Thomas Stevens took the crown in 1991. Meanwhile Team
Graves YZF-R6 mounted Josh Herrin finished third in the AMA
Daytona SportBike championship, while Austin Dehaven won the AMA
SuperSport title on his R6.
The Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) will be hosting
a Halloween-inspired Twilight Cycling ride at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca on Wednesday, October 20 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Circuit riders will experience the thrill of riding Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca as the race track includes a challenging 300-foot
climb and an awe-inspiring descent down the world-famous
Corkscrew. The Twilight Ride is on the paved race track and no
part of the ride will be off road.
Track officials today announced a multi-year agreement naming VP
Racing Fuels the Official Fuel of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. As
part of the agreement, VP will be the exclusive supplier of race
fuels on site at the track.
Nestled just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, Miller Motorsports
Park played host to the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series
season-finale. For SpeedSource the race marked an important step
in the company’s 15 year history through the claiming of the GT
Team and Driver’s championships. Additionally, SpeedSource’s
direct involvement in constructing the Mazda RX-8 helped bring
Mazda its first Grand Touring Manufacturer Championship since
1991.
The MotoGP World Championship returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca on July 22-24, 2011 with the rising stars of AMA Pro Racing
Series for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. The 2011 race marks the
seventh consecutive visit for MotoGP and AMA racing together at
the historic Monterey circuit.
The Velo Club Monterey Racing Club will be hosting the Twilight
Cycling ride at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Wednesday, September
15 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Circuit riders will experience the thrill of riding Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca as the race track includes a challenging 300-foot
climb and an awe-inspiring descent down the world-famous
Corkscrew.
The 26-year-old American, who won the World Superbike
Championship with Yamaha in 2009, is enjoying an impressive first
season in MotoGP. He is currently the leading rookie and the top
satellite rider, lying seventh in the championship.
Over the years, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and its Corkscrew have
taken on an almost mythical status in the world of racing,
despite the fact-or perhaps because of it-that the circuit wasn’t
the creation of a famous designer like Hermann Tilke. Instead,
the track was the brainchild of a humble Salinas architect named
Wallace Holm and his Equipment Operator, Jerry Blair. Holm is no
longer with us, but track’s PR manager, Jennifer Capasso,
recently tracked down Blair and asked him to recall the process
of creating a legend.
As the final day of racing action concluded at the Rolex
Monterey Motorsports Reunion, entrants representing 13 countries
and competing in more than 600 historic cars gathered to
celebrate their accomplishments at the Rolex Awards Ceremony at
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Sunday afternoon’s awards ceremony was
hosted by Mike Joy from SPEED and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s
CEO/General Manager, Gill Campbell.
Ducati and Valentino Rossi have signed a two year agreement for
the nine-times World Champion to race with the “Rossa” of Borgo
Panigale in the Ducati Marlboro Team from 2011.
The arrival of Valentino in Ducati opens a new and exciting
chapter in the Italian factory’s sporting history and, indeed, of
the whole MotoGP Championship. The opportunity of lining-up such
an extraordinary rider and character is considered by Ducati to
be a huge value to the whole Ducati MotoGP project.
Moving into its first weekend day, the four-day Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion generated tens of thousands of spectators at
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where 600 historic automobiles are
racing just as they did “back in the day.” The action started
this morning with the balance of 19 different competition groups
completing their qualifying and segued into lunchtime parade
laps, a picnic for the public with famed driver Dan Gurney, and a
flyover by four Nanchang CJ-6A aircraft before the Star Spangled
Banner signaled the official start of competition for today’s 10
scheduled groups, which
Northern California has provided cooler-than-normal temperatures
for the 2010 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which started
yesterday and runs through Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,
so fans have been thankful when morning mist has lifted,
seemingly on cue, by noon each day to let the sun shine on more
than 600 historic automobiles racing in 19 different competition
groups. The event has now put two days of practice and qualifying
behind it, and the races that count will kick off after lunchtime
over each of the weekend days ahead.
When it’s Classic Car Week in Monterey, automobile enthusiasts
from around the world make California their destination. And
while a plethora of swanky events-including Concours gatherings,
rallies, auctions, and parties–vie for audience attention, it is
only the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion that delivers the
thrill of full-on racing, organizing 600 of the world’s most
significant cars into 19 competition groups that recreate a
timeline of historic automobile racing reaching back to the early
1900s.
“I remember the GTP cars of the 1980s,” said Dempsey. ‘It will be
fantastic to drive the most powerful Mazda IMSA car built in that
era and compare it to my current RX-8 race car.”
Dempsey’s current team, which competes in the Grand-Am Rolex
Sport Car Series GT class, fields Mazda RX-8 sports cars. He
drives when his filming schedule allows it and other drivers take
his place when he can’t. The Mazda RX-792P will be joined by 23
other GTP cars in the FIA Mfg. Championship & IMSA GTP race
group at the event.
Vintage Racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a celebrated
yearly tradition on the automotive calendar that is a must-see
for any car nut or motorsports enthusiast that can get to
California in August. With the latest chapter of that tradition
ready to unfold this weekend, Piloti has unveiled a new model to
celebrate its involvement in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports
Reunion.
There is so much to see and do when visiting Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca, whether it’s making a quick overnight stop to see a race,
or if you’re making a weekend of it and checking out all the cool
attractions in the Monterey County area.
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the experience of any
racing event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is to stay overnight in
the Laguna Seca Recreation Area campgrounds.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca offers some of the coolest apparel in
all of motor racing, from wind-breakers and sweatshirts, to ball
caps and jackets. Be sure to visit the track souvenir store
and make your choice.
There are numerous ways to get your brand noticed through a
marketing and advertising program with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,
either through a custom-built official partnership all the way up
to an event title sponsorship.
See what’s happening at the track all year ’round. Whether
you’re looking to rent our facility for an event or just attend
something cool, this is the place to look.
