Cart will race at Laguna Seca for at least 4 more years

[Flatspot]

Throw into the extension mix that Mazda basically owns the track now and CART is looking for new manufacturers in '05....

[macdaddy]

I forgot that it was "Mazda Raceway" now.

Mazda = Ford, and the track's contract lasts as long as Ford's does.

[Snrub]

As suggested there fact that the extension is for only 2 years is probably another factor Ford is using for control.

Herta was always a meek racer. Zanardi got a lot of passes done by muscling in. If the other driver wants to finish the race you've got a good chance you can get some passes done that you aren't really able to complete.

[Lee Janotta]

That's always been my take on Herta... He's a fast racer, but he doesn't same able to pull out a little something extra when the chips are down. But I don't think he blew the corner. Zanardi made a kamikaze move, and was lucky and skilled enough to get away with it.

And the track's still owned by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (hooray for non-profit co-ops!), Mazda just has the naming and, I believe, some of the promotional rights.

[Lee Janotta]

That's always been my take... Herta's a fast racer, but he doesn't same able to pull out a little something extra when the chips are down.

[Flatspot]

Actually, the track is owned by Monterey County technically making it public property. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Monterey County Parks and Rec. Department who has hired SCRAMP to manage the facility. SCRAMP in turn has done a fabulous job of convincing Mazda to throw big dollars into the track. I beleive $11MM last year alone and about $6MM the year before. Hence my use of the words "basically own", nobodys gonna throw them out soon. I beleive supporting CART is a damn good use of the taxpayers money. Don't you?

[indycool]

This must be another co-promotion deal. That'll all come out in time, I expect, as it did at Portland and Cleveland. If it's a two-year CART option, that means it has the option of taking the race over on some kind of track lease arrangement as it did in Portland. The problems of attendance at Laguna started when the race was moved from its traditional fall date to June. Laguna was given no choice because of the time-buy TV deal on CBS. CART jacking around with the schedule was the start of the problem with Road America and is also the problem at Mid-Ohio.

[The Snout]

Didn't Laguna open a brand new pit complex or something like that earlier this year ? Part of a upgrade to the place. If Mazda is throwing the big dough at the place perhaps other worthwhile track improvements for racing may also be in the pipeline.

[Flatspot]

Over the last couple of years Mazda has put money into the track to reconfigure 10-11 and the pit entrance, the top of the corkscrew (might not have except for Gonzales), new timing systems, complete new pit complex (haven't seen it yet but I hear its great), plus new and improved camping areas which are good and bummer at the same time. What used to be a free area now costs me an extra $300 a year but the motorhome sits level with no extra work and I can use the track's showers. More people stay overnight now and the party is fantastic.

[bcobbus]

Great to see that CART will be there for a while longer. We don't want another Road America! What a great track Laguna Seca is.