WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Racing Circuit

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca winds through the hillsides of the Monterey Peninsula on California's Central Coast and is long regarded as one of America's finest road courses. Its name means dry lake in Spanish, reflecting the dry lake bed around which the circuit was built. The track grew out of the popular Pebble Beach road races of the 1950s, which were abandoned after a fatal accident in 1956, prompting the newly formed SCRAMP organisation to build a permanent venue on land at the US Army's Fort Ord. Raising funds by public subscription, they constructed a nine-turn course in just 60 days, and it opened on 9 November 1957 with Pete Lovely winning the first race in a Ferrari. Relatively short but fast, the circuit features dramatic elevation changes totalling around 55 metres over the lap. Its signature feature is the Corkscrew at Turns 8 and 8A, a plunging left-right that drops roughly 18 metres in a very short distance and is one of the most recognisable corners in world motorsport. It was here that Alex Zanardi made his famous four-wheels-in-the-dirt pass in 1996 and Valentino Rossi out-braked Casey Stoner in 2008. The infield section was added in 1988 to extend the lap to meet the FIM minimum length for motorcycle racing, bringing the circuit to its current 3.602 km over 11 turns. Today it hosts the IndyCar Series, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, MotoAmerica and a strong programme of historic racing. The natural bowl of the terrain gives spectators views of most of the circuit.

Operated by: Friends of Laguna Seca (non-profit) / Monterey County