2011

Motorsports enthusiasts have been descending on the Monterey, California peninsula each August to enjoy the world’s finest pre- and post-war race cars competing as they were originally intended on the challenging road course. The Pre-Reunion is the first event during classic car week and the two-day race kicked off the week in style and at speed. 312 beautifully prepared vintage race cars in ten race groups took on the 2.238 mile, 11 turn circuit at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Pre-Reunion.

Saturday Wrap-up

Some of the most remarkable and historically-significant race cars ever associated with Dan Gurney will come together for the first time as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion honors one of the true legends of motorsports – Dan Gurney. The feature entitled: Dan Gurney, the Cars He Built, the Cars He Drove celebrates his impacting role in shaping motorsports history. The celebration will be held August 13-15 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  

Starting from pole for the fifth time in a row, Lorenzo lost ground to his rivals at the fearsome downhill turn one and was relegated to third first time around. For the first few laps there was little he could do except hang on behind Pedrosa and Stoner but on the sixth lap Stoner ran wide and Lorenzo stormed through to take second. By now Pedrosa was nearly a second clear but Lorenzo’s pace had begun to improve and he started to push as hard as he could and exert some pressure on his fellow Spaniard.

A sun-soaked Laguna Seca welcomed the MotoGP paddock to American soil today, where Jorge Lorenzo looked on good form to finish the opening session in second and his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi made a solid start for sixth position. The Fiat Yamaha M1s are running in a special livery here to celebrate the forthcoming launch of the Fiat 500 car in the United States, which features the faces of 500 fans on both bikes and the riders’ leathers.

Yamaha and GE Capital are proud to announce that they will be adding another event to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix weekend as Yamaha MotoGP Riders Colin Edwards, Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha legends Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Kenny Roberts will meet their fans for an up close question and answer session during a live music set on stage on Saturday July 24 at 6:00 p.m.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has announced an offer for U.S. military families, both active and retired for all branches of the military. The ticket office has a special 30-percent discount on general admission tickets to the sixth annual Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 23-25, 2010. With three gifted American riders, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden to cheer on, it does not get more patriotic than this.

More than 500 entrants with over 600 significant race and sports cars from 13 countries will be arriving in the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca paddock in August for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

Before Ben Spies or Jorge Lorenzo get on track for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced that the Monterey Challenge will take place on Friday morning, July 23, 2010. The race will feature local motorcycle racers with the fastest, rising stars on the grid.

Europe has the Tuner Grand Prix, Asia has the Super Lap Battle and today Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials announced that the Global Tuner Grand Prix (GTGP) will be held October 22-24, 2010 at the world renowned circuit. The event will be the first in the world to embrace the best of the European, Asian and U.S. tuners. Global Motorsports Group (GMG) is an integral part of the event and will be working with the race track to ensure a successful weekend of racing.

Channel 11 “The Otter” Comcast Cable in Monterey/Salinas and Channel 187 in Santa Cruz has announced that they will broadcast round three of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX5 Cup that was held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 23. The broadcast will air on June 19 and July 3, both at 5:00 p.m.

Officials at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca unveiled a new logo for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion that reflects the pedigree, spirit and history of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s signature turn – The Corkscrew.

The tree in the logo is taken from a photo of the actual oak tree at The Corkscrew. It’s the exact oak tree that drivers’ drove under before the turn down The Corkscrew. The oak is still alive and well but was moved a few feet to the drivers’ left to accommodate the track modifications for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

Indianapolis native Conor Daly converted his pole position start to a victory in today’s Round 3 of the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is Daly’s second win in a row from the pole this season driving the #22 Juncos Racing / INDECK / The College Network / Merchant Services Ltd. / Tom Lange Co. Mazda; he dominated Round 2 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and heads into Round 4 next weekend at O’Reilly Raceway Park and the 125-lap ‘Night Before the 500′ with both team momentum and a solid lead in the championship points battle.

Mat Pombo, of Atlanta, continued to show just how fast he is when he put No. 01 PFM Pombo Racing/Range of Motion ATL/Carbotech MX-5 on the pole for Sunday’s SCCA Pro Racing Playboy MX-5 Cup Round Three race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, part of the American Le Mans Series Monterey Weekend. Lyonel Kent, of Knoxville, Tenn., will start second.

Guy Smith put Mazda power out front at its home track with the fastest time in Friday’s first official practice session for the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón. Dyson Racing’s English ace posted a best lap of 1:14.335 (108.385 mph) in the Lola-Mazda coupe that he will drive with Chris Dyson and Andy Meyrick.

Mention Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to anyone who has been to the famed Monterey circuit, and more often than not two words come to mind.

The Corkscrew!

Year in and year out, the Corkscrew proves to be one of the most difficult corners in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. It’s one-of-a-kind in motorsports, and here is what makes the hard-left, hard-right combination so spectacular:

• At the apex to Turn 8 (the lefthander and entry to The Corkscrew), the elevation change is a 12 percent drop.

May 12 is the date that recreational and racing cyclists will not only get to experience the thrill of riding Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but will share the track with Rabobank’s Cycling Team’s 11-time Dutch national cycling champion Lars Boom and teammate Tom Leezer.

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will mark the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first participation in the world’s most prestigious sports car race. Chevrolet will celebrate this motorsports milestone with a salute to the Corvette Legends of Le Mans at the American Le Mans Series Monterey at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 21-22.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón’s first six-hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will feature the biggest grid for a Series event at the famed Monterey, Calif., venue in a decade and one of the largest for any professional championship at the circuit. It marks the third consecutive race that the Series has seen significant entry increases over the previous year.

Highcroft Racing returns to a happy hunting ground at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – bringing back happy memories of clinching its 2009 American Le Mans Series championship.

And while the team is keen on repeating its title win in 2010, the Duncan Dayton-led squad has one eye on its next event - Highcroft’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With Simon Pagenaud aboard a Peugeot in the French endurance classic this year, Highcroft recently secured three-time race winner Marco Werner to join Marino Franchitti and last year’s victor David Brabham.

Close to 800,000 people stop by an ARCO station every day. The fuel stops will be quicker on the streets of the Long Beach Grand Prix April 17 and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca May 23rd. BP’s prominent west coast brand, ARCO, will be sponsoring the #16 Mazda Lola coupe of Dyson Racing for the second and third rounds of the 2010 American Le Mans Series. This is a continuation of a partnership started last year when ARCO branded a Dyson Racing Mazda Lola entry at the then season-ending race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.