The nonprofit Friends of Laguna Seca officially took control of the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on August 1, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place August 15. So, what does that mean? We went straight to the top, speaking with Friends of Laguna Seca CEO Lauri Eberhart.
“Laguna Seca is going to remain here for the future,” says Eberhart. “It’s …
good, perhaps they can take over that one karen that whined about the track noise but not the gun noise.
“Laguna Seca is going to remain here for the future,”
That reminds me way too much of when our company was bought and the CEO's first announcement was that there wouldn't be any layoffs...
In reply to kb58 :
I definitely think it's fair to be cautiously optimistic.
While this might not be everyone's impression, everything I've read and seen so far gives me the impression that the people who see Laguna Seca as a good thing for the area outweigh the people who don't.
Also, it can't really be sold for megamansions as it's not privately owned land. That bodes well. So does the presence of some real motorsport folks on FOLS instead of just dirt pimps and VCs.
It's always felt like a little podunk track that happens to have a massive reputation. Looks like they're trying to bring the reality a little bit into line.
If I had to describe the overall vibe at Laguna Seca this week, it's "reenergized." It also feels a heck of a lot friendlier than in the past. The board for Friends of Laguna Seca has incredible business people who love racing. For Laguna Seca to survive as a racetrack, it needs to focus on the business aspect of this sport. But, you must have a love for it, too, or you risk alienating the racing community. The board of Friends of Laguna Seca seems to have that right mix. We'll see what they come up with in the future, but keep in mind that major changes won't come overnight. If it requires pulling a permit, it'll be a process to do that, but it will be doable because the County and most of the locals seem to support it as well.
Keith Tanner said:... dirt pimps ...
Today, I expanded my vocabulary
Keith Tanner said:It's always felt like a little podunk track that happens to have a massive reputation.
Is it safe to lump Sebring into this category as well?
Love the track, but boy is it isolated from just about everything. (That's probably a good thing.)
In reply to Colin Wood :
I started going to Sebring in '88. If you think it's isolated now...
I get a little worried at all the houses I see near the backstretch now.
In reply to Colin Wood :
I wasn't thinking so much about the location as the nature of it. Not a whole lot in the way of infrastructure at the track, for example. No functioning wifi last time I was there, even in the garages. The difference between Laguna and, say, Le Mans is huge.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
You hit the nail on the head. Laguna Seca is a fine track - when you look at it as purely a racetrack. However, it lacks a lot of the creature comforts that many other facilities have - such as Wi-Fi - and that's just a small thing compared to many other items that major racetracks require these days.
Keith Tanner said:In reply to Colin Wood :
I wasn't thinking so much about the location as the nature of it. Not a whole lot in the way of infrastructure at the track, for example. No functioning wifi last time I was there, even in the garages. The difference between Laguna and, say, Le Mans is huge.
Even The difference between Laguna and Thunderhill is huge. Shade, maintained bathrooms, RV electric hookups, decent WiFi, a building where a big groups can sit and eat or relax in air conditioning.
Maybe it is a good thing they are starting with drainage first, if it means they have a plan to do things right.
On the other hand, an assessment that will take a year for a track they are already involved in and should know... seems a bit long.
Hopefully they'll address some other issues like the wifi in the meantime, even if not in their final form.
RX8racer said:Keith Tanner said:In reply to Colin Wood :
I wasn't thinking so much about the location as the nature of it. Not a whole lot in the way of infrastructure at the track, for example. No functioning wifi last time I was there, even in the garages. The difference between Laguna and, say, Le Mans is huge.
Even The difference between Laguna and Thunderhill is huge. Shade, maintained bathrooms, RV electric hookups, decent WiFi, a building where a big groups can sit and eat or relax in air conditioning.
Laguna doesn't need shade, at least not the way Thunderhill does, due the different climate in Monterey vs Willows. :) Similar for AC.
They have RV hookups, in the camping spots. You supposed to camp there, not in the paddock.
I agree the wifi could stand to be improved.
Laguna is a "pro" track, and shade canopies would be in the way when they fill the paddock with Indycar/etc big rig haulers. Thunderhill is a club track and doesn't have that issue.
Limiting fields to 45 cars... well, any hope I had of running there with Champcar went out the window. They'd need $5000 entry fees to break even at 45 cars...
racerfink said:Limiting fields to 45 cars... well, any hope I had of running there with Champcar went out the window. They'd need $5000 entry fees to break even at 45 cars...
The limit on cars on course is imposed by the county -- goes along with the sound limits.
Lucky Dog runs there about once a year, IIRC entry fees are about 30% more than Thunderhill. So yes, it's more expensive, but not outrageously so.
You'll need to log in to post.
