Still full from breakfast we skipped lunch, grabbed a couple of pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and headed back down the 101 with a quick pit stop at the WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca.  My Husband loves cars and while we pass by here almost every time we are in town we never get the chance to stop.  This time I insisted, and watching his eyes light up as he watched the cars race around the infamous corkscrew was a moment I will always remember.  It costs just $5 to get in to watch and I highly suggest it if you are into this sort of thing. read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

This is a great place to see some awesome racing. Weather Tech has done a fantastic job by adding additional restrooms, many exciting racing events. The track is home to the world famous "Cork Screw". Had a great time this weekend at the Monterey Rolex Reunion, a must see event for any car lover! If you haven't had the chance to go, save the date for next year. Looking forward to the return of Indy Cart. read more

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In Yelp-speak, 5 stars = "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" When it comes to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, that's 1 Hell-of-an-understatement. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is, in fact, the baddest ass racetrack in the entire U.S. Though I've only been to a handful of racetracks & only actually been on a couple (including, now, this 1 thanks to Skip Barber Racing School), I partially base my conclusion on the very telling selection of the baddest ass racing organization on the planet. Of all the different motorsports, what is the baddest ass racing on asphalt? NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1? Not even close. The baddest ass racing doesn't happen on 4 wheels, it happens on 2 wheels. Multiple drivers from each of those car racing organizations have commented in interviews that motorcycle racing is just plain insane. Of all motorcycle racing, Moto GP is universally recognized as King of the Hill, baddest of the baddest. So when Moto GP returned to the U.S. after not racing here at all for a decade, which racetrack did they pick? Oh yeah, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With the Andretti Hairpin, the World-famous Corkscrew & a deceptively difficult Turn 11, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is 1 of the most technical racetracks on Earth. Personally, after coming here numerous times for Moto GP since its return & watching Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa & Casey Stoner carve it up, I always suspected that this is the baddest ass racetrack in the whole country. Now, having driven the track, with the throttle to the floor & the rev-limiter kicking in, with the back end sliding out just the right amount in the Andretti Hairpin & with the feeling of dropping off a cliff in the Corkscrew, I KNOW this is the baddest ass racetrack in the whole country. Usually a 5 star rating on Yelp means "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" But in the case of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, that 5 star rating means "most baddest ass ever!" read more

I looooove this racetrack! A real Jewel! It is quite fun being able to walk all around this racetrack and see the race from different perspectives. The track is just over 2.2 miles long and has a 180 feet elevation change with 11 turns... YES 180 FEET FOLKS! The world famous "Corkscrew" (turns 8 & 8A) is something you have to see. The Corkscrew drops 59 feet between the entrance of Turn 8 to the exit of Turn 8A. From Turn 8 to Turn 9, the elevation falls 109 feet (just over 10 stories). I wonder how many noob racers had to change their shorts after the first time they experienced the Corkscrew? Also, the world famous Andretti Hairpin (turn 2) is quite awesome! After walking all around the racetrack checking out various vantage points, I think the best place to hunker down is from the southside of turn 2 between the start line and the Andretti Hairpin. Leguna Seca is one of the most popular racetracks in the world! Motor Trend magazine uses the track to test sportscars. I read that the prototype testing of the Nissan GT-R was conducted on this track. This racetrack is also featured in almost all of the popular racing video games. Ticket prices vary, depending on the event. Go to their website. http://www.mazdaraceway.com/ I believe the average cost for a day at the track is about $50 a ticket. What I wouldn't give to have this track all to myself for a few hours! They actually do rent out the track, but it costs some serious coin... between $8,000 to $15,000 PER DAY depending on the time of year!!! I have $500, anyone else got $7,500 and wants to rent the track with me??? lol read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - "corkscrew" - turn 8 - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

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Oh man. No need to buy me oysters. LOL This Weekend's AMA super bike race was unforgettable. World Class racers, great weather and lots of cool bikes to try out = my kind of party!! Ducati and Honda had the best tents to visit. Catching a close but super fast glimpse of Rossi, Stoner and Hayden..priceless. Riding your motorcycle here is a must for a 5 star experience. I'll be part of the bike mob next year. (I am sold on a new ninja 250!) FYI: Don't ever EVER forget to apply sunscreen when you visit. It won't be a pretty sight if you do. (I remembered :) read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Laguna Seca AMA Race July 19, 2008 - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

Valle, Valle, Valle!!! I saw "The Doctor" Valentino Rossi, come in 2nd place at Laguna Seca this last week. I love Valle! Moto GP was AWESOME! Rice Rockets soaring at 200 mph down the straight and taking sharp turns and 45 degree drops on the cork screw. Pure adrenaline, testosterone and crazy fun. Love it. I loved watching the pro riders like Casey Stoner, my fave -- Valle, James Tosland, and Jorge Lorenzo. Okay! And... I must acknowledge that prima donna, jockey rider, Pedrosa... Good job, little one! Valentino Rossi may have let you win this time, but next time the Doctor will beat you. Moto GP, Moto GP, Moto GP! Yeah!!! Laguna Seca is such a great track. It makes the Indie 500 track look like a downtown LA "pot hole" back alley. The track here is beautiful, well maintained and fun to be on. I took a bunch of pictures with the hubby touching the track and tire marks. Legends have ridden that asphalt giant. read more

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Awesome racing venue! It's gorgeous when driving up. Weaving around the entrance, you have the perfect view of the mountains cascaded with sun and greenery. I have come out to the track with my boyfriend for a Track Day, where we got to drive (FAST!) around the track at intervaled times. Everything was well organized and planned out. All we had to do was arrive, find a spot to park and set up, sit through a short instructional session, and drive! Definitely worth the all-day event and definitely will be back (he's been there for Track Days many times before and since my visit with him). We also went up for one of the once-a-month Twilight Ride for bicycle time. 2 hours on the track, with your bicycle, to go around and around on the world-famous track. Seriously awesome and SERIOUSLY HARD. That uphill is no joke and that downhill, corkscrew is incredible. Fast and furious? Did I mention this Twilight Ride is all for just $10?! #steal If you're bored or just need a break from racing, take a stroll around the miles of track or up the hill to overlook the entire venue. Super pretty view, too. read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

What else needs to be said about Laguna Seca? The Andretti Hairpin, Corkscrew, it's just a fabulous world class track. Besides all the major events that happen here, there's also lots of opportunities to drive here since pretty much every organization hosts track days here. This track will always hold a special place in my heart, because my first track day was here. It's a technical track without being too overwhelming. With 11 turns, you can focus on certain sections without losing track of the other corners. It's a great place for both beginners and pros, and the volume of events there make it accessible. If you're a driving enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to come here. read more

Kudos out to Ms. Wynette Jones for her superior guest service skills. Great staff, great place. Made my day! read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

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Over the years I have come for the motorcycle races, (ah, remember the days when they had SBK with AMA?) Now they have MotoGP, and so happy to attend the festivities. I'm not sure if the SCRAMP officials have taken classes on customer service, since I recall they used to holler at you for just about anything. "No tank tops in the paddock area!" (What?) I suppose they actually wanted us to come back -- and we have. Everyone has to go to any type of race at least once, just so you can take the trek to watch them come down the infamous Corkscrew, an amazing sight in person. Obvious perks are people watching, taking photos with the leggy umbrella girls, shopping, and eating the wide variety of foods. read more

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Literally made a last minute trip from SoCal (5 hrs) for the IMSA race, this track is amazing! Lots of open space and cool weather since it's close to the beach, I highly recommend this track for car enthusiasts. We had a blast and got some amazing photos with our manufacturer (Chevrolet owners) and bring ear protection, some seating is really close to the track and perfect for photos! read more

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My husband is a major car and motorcycle enthusiast and since we were staying in Carmel and heading down to SoCal, a trip to Laguna Seca was a must! The drive up the hills/mountains was very lovely even on a foggy cool summer day. We immediately found parking and there was Veteran group running down complimentary golf-cart taxis. We went during the Pebble Beach Concourse D'elegance and most of the cars were preparing for the historic race which we would miss. It was still pretty cool to see all kinds of cars. It's very loud, but not to the point of breaking your ear drums. Next time I'll bring my ear plugs. I enjoyed seeing the pre-war vehicles and can't believe that people use to race in those old vehicles. Seeing the corkscrew was definitely cool too and it was fun watching the cars do their practice run. I saw a pink and white Porsche that caught my eye! Someday I hope to return to watch my husband of future kid race! Also, if motor sports aren't your thing, they do have camping/bike trails. read more

I give this track a thumbs up. I have heard criticism about it but people need to keep in mind this is a county park and not a private venue. The racing is world class and I have had some great experiences here. My two favorites are Superbike and Festorics during Monterey car week. All the races are great though. No other track has the corkscrew or the friendly people that work there. A must see! read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

Awesome track, definatly wear comfortable shoes as you walk a lot here. There are some nice areas to watch from although you have to haul a chair up some big hills. Alot of great events here that I would reccommend attending. read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Bike on show case here - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

This is by far, my favorite track in the whole U.S.! Laguna Seca is a legendary track that flows better than any other track I have ever driven. It has some very fast areas as well as some extremely technical parts that can scare the shit out of you if you get out of whack. Most people who enjoy automotive sports know about the corkscrew. This is perhaps the most famous turn in all of motor sports and for good reason. The first time you drop into this turn, you feel your stomach drop. It gives you a sensation you get from a roller coaster. The facility is top notch as well. For big race days, parking can be a dusty dirty mess, but for smaller events like open track days, SCCA or NASA, you generally get to park in the paddock, where the pro big rigs normally park. If you ever get a chance to drive this track, do it. You will have the time of your life and the experience will be well worth it, trust me! read more

Great iconic racetrack to visit if you're into motor sports and cars. I came here for a Ferrari Racing Days event back in May. I've always wanted to visit the place but never really had the opportunity to go. I had always experience the track on numerous video racing games, and unfortunately I haven't raced on it either. I like the fact they the track has many difficult turns, namely the corkscrew. I never knew all these great spectator viewpoints existed on the real track. The only downside of attending the event was the amount of noise you will be subjected to, especially close up. Bring ear protection if you have it! It's also recommended that you get a bring a wide hat if you plan to be outside the entire time. I got sunburned pretty up top. Nonetheless, it was an experience to see these incredible Ferrari's on this track. I was even able to witness a Ferrari 458 that slid off track! Wow. I also got to see some great mobile racing garage setups in the pit area. Not sure if I'll be back soon; great track though! read more

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Great event place. Sea Otter classic. Kids and families loved it. Will always come back. Thanks read more

I haven't been here for some time, but I'm glad that it hasn't changed. The Lotus Cup brought us back this weekend. Everyone is always so nice here! The weather is amazing, especially on the hills, in the shade! And like everyone else mentioned, the fences go so close up to track that you can feel the rumbles of the cars/motorcycles/whatever else. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the pulled pork is at the Cruisin' Café. Also, the slush puppies (icee/slurpee) is nice on a hot day. This is the place to be for anyone who loves cars/motorcycles/etc! read more

I went to see the 2010 Le Mans Race and then the 2012 MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix. I had an amazing time. Great track. Great Staff. I will be going to MotoGp and World Superbike in 2013. read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

Come down for the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge at Laguna Seca. Christina Nielsen was driving and she won 3rd place with her #7 car. Christina on instagram is christinaracing (http://www.instagram.com/christinaracing). Here's what I learned: If you have pit passes, be sure to wear long sleeves, jeans and closed toe shoes (no sandals). They don't let people enter this area with short sleeves and exposed tootsies. You can go up to the very top of the mountain where you'll see "corkscrew" up on the side of the hill like the Hollywood sign. From here you can see cars take the corkscrew part of the track as well as watch the entire course from a birds eye view. Bring your own folding chairs if you're going to hang out up here. There are golf carts driving around that will offer you a ride so that you don't have to walk as much. This is great if you're there on a hot day. Oh, Do bring ear plugs! read more

You hike quite a bit from the parking areas to the racetrack and vendor area, but today, it was worth it! I was here at the Sea Otter Cycle Fest and wow ~ we had fantastic weather. This isn't what Laguna Seca is known for. Even today, in the 70's, everyone was expecting the wind and fog and lower temps in the afternoon, but didn't happen. Many people came and there was plenty of room for all of the activities like: downhill, mtn. biking, road racing, pump trax, exhibits of skilz and killer bikes everywhere.....soooooo much to see and do. See ya on the road! read more

We LOVE Laguna Seca. We are here 4x this year: the Monterey Grand Prix, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the Porsche Rennsport Reunion, and the Pirelli world challenge. I can say one thing. I'm so glad that guy sitting there at the top of the hill all day brought an air horn up to the corkscrew to blow whenever cars go by. Said no one, ever. The 99 other things I have to say about this racetrack are 100% positive! But if you're going to come see a race here, and you bring an air horn, you are the one star missing from this review. read more

Visited Laguna Seca twice for the Historic Races. It's a great place to spend the day taking pictures and watching some cool cars fly around the track. They could use some more places to watch a race underneath some shade though. After walking around and up the hills, some shade would be most welcome. The souvenir stand could be a little bigger, too. It's elbow to elbow in the place with a long line of people to the register. Get there early to park your car on the hill and leave a little early to avoid to jam getting out and you'll be glad you did. read more

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What a weekend at the races. The facility is so clean, and very fan accessible. You can walk around the entire track and view the action from every turn. The shaded areas along the corkscrew are fan favorites. Plenty of seating and food options for everyone's needs. I did think that $10 for a hot dog was borderline ridiculous. read more

The best track in CA but can also be the most dangerous! Ive been to Buttonwillow and Infineon but Laguna Seca to me is more challenging because of the elevation drops and sharp turns. Its also the most fun Ive had doing an HPDE event. The track has brake markers for beginners and advance drivers and the staff is good! Ive seen numerous crashes here and Ive spun out and hit a barrier myself!! Just when you think you mastered the track it fools you and you need to relearn it again! Ive seen a couple of ALMS events here also but not a MOTO GP. The events they have here are always nice because depending if you have full access, you get to go to the pits and check out the cars close up! I will definitely be planning on returning here without crashing of course! read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - My track day! - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

I went there about a month ago for a bike race. On that particular weekend, the weather was cool and foggy. My supervisor who is so used to the constantly sunny SoCal weather got stunned by that, and hated it. I was taking it as it was, since I used to live in SF Bay Area for a while. The thick fog however prevented an early morning practice session for a bike tournament, so it definitely had some shortcoming. The place was crammy and looked somewhat disorganized in terms of the placement of vendors. The audience size was markedly bigger than the circuit near Salt Lake City, so that might've played the role. The race themselves were pretty exciting, especially with MotoGP coming to the US. There were lots of people who know the world championship riders, but not the US championship riders, which made me sad for them. The biggest thing against the audience was traffic. There was only one road for people to go to parking lots. Those who used the shuttle service had to endure out-of-nowhere route. When my supervisor and I tried to drive out the venue, a traffic worker navigated us to a route different from where we ran in the morning, which got us confused for 20 minutes. So... you have to be pretty passionate about races, or be determined to work hard for races to endure such shortcomings. My rating reflects that. read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - At the end of 08 Formula Xtreme - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

Fabulous Recreation Grounds for Adults! Excellent location to camp, take in a concert, watch the races or practice at the range. Beautifully maintained grounds with an on sight medical center, thank goodness. We have been fortunate to play spectator at more than one event here. Check it out! read more

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MotoGP 2013 review long overdue. Turn 4 suite and things are as they always are - great. :) Marquez and Rossi at the corkscrew was beyond words and made this year's visit an unforgettable one. Watching history in the making was an incredible experience. Sadly, the races will not be returning in 2014, so I'm glad I was able to watch the race one last time and ride the amazing roads to and from Monterey. All previous reviews stay the same and catering was great. This year featured a whole roasted pig. Tender and tasty. The festivities felt a bit lacking this time around but it didn't take away from my weekend. Sad that it's now July 2014 and I don't have the race on my calendar and the usual excitement that builds every year. FIM SBK has taken the slot and though SBK is often very exciting to watch, I haven't kept up this season or last season so I'm not up to date with who's who. Would still be fun to go but would pale in comparison. Fingers crossed for a second comeback to Laguna. Until then, it's been a great ride. :) read more

I was at the Laguna Seca track on September 8th & 9th for the IMSA Monterey Grand Prix event and I had a great experience. General parking was easy on both days and facility was well maintained. I definitely enjoyed seeing race cars going through the corkscrew turn and will be back to watch more events in the future. read more

How do you rate a raceway? Loved being here for the first time, even if I was working!

A great track with a rich racing history. I have been here twice so far and have had so much fun. I have to say being in a quicker ride made the experience much more enjoyable. I recommend hitting this track. It is amazing! Negatives: 90db limit, going off course means $300 tow truck fee, rumble strips were just painted last time I went and no one told us... one word: sideways! read more

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - RIP Audi A4 - Race Tracks Near Me - Salinas, California

STAND YOUR GROUND, THEY WILL REFUND THE PROCESSING FEE! An event was cancelled, Laguna Seca will not honor their policy of full refunds! I alerted them to their posted policy, they again decline to adhere to their own policy. Policy on 7/28/20 "Please be aware that given the ever-changing COVID-19 situation, events may be held without spectators. If this occurs, your ticket purchase will be credited to the next year or fully refunded." https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/weathertech-raceway/ticket-information In the end, after three phone calls and two emails and proof that they were wrong, they did refund my entire purchase including the processing fee. read more

I was at this track for the AMG Driving Academy. I will say watching it on TV, playing this track on a video game does not prepare you for actually taking a vehicle at high speed on this track. Not only is the track a joy to drive, its intense yet provides such great scenery making it somewhat relaxing and less stressful. You're actually able to concentrate on what you need to do. The track is nestled well thus just the right amount of breeze goes through. The track is also huge providing enough space for multi driving events going on. One area was track, another area was skidpad driving, another area was braking, another area timed slalom, etc. The track has clear and visible signs to get in, funny thing is getting out, there were no exit signs, I found myself riding around in circles when leaving, but taking in all the lovely views. They should put exit signs with arrows to visitors can find their way out. Navigation proved useless when trying to exit. read more

We went here for the 2010 MotoGP event. The event is 4 days or so but we only went for the final day on Sunday. Since it was going to be 6 of us, buying the $550 fancy tickets was out of the question for the suite tickets. We bought our tickets from Costco and we tried at the last minute to buy a parking ticket. I heard in previous years that parking is a nightmare there. Tickets for parking were no longer for sale, so we had to slum it. This didn't end up nearly as bad as it sounds and is really not a bad idea at all. They really cleaned up the process. We drove to the CSUMB parking lot which is pretty near the track. Once parked in a massive asphalt parking lot (the parking at the track is dirt) we boarded one of those fancy tour buses with the huge airplane style seats, overhead air conditioning, etc. I did a bit of research about where we should watch the race from since we didn't fork out a ton of money for a suite and after reading about many of the grandstand seats, that sitting in the dirt on the hill above Turn 2 was the best option. We arrived very early in the day though there were still plenty of people around the track. We did our walking around, got some coffee, bought some souvenirs, and checked out all the vendors. On our way back from checking out Ducati Island (Dave is a huge Ducati fan) I ended up buying a new motorcycle jacket from the RoadRider booth. Now RoadRider normally has good prices and is another local shop that gets a 5* review, but they had even better prices here. If you're looking for a good shop for motorcycle gear, check them out. We walked back to where we had set up a large blanket in the spot that gave us the best available view. I'm glad we went early, because there were so many people pouring into the venue. We could see the top of Turn 1, which shows the extreme lean that the riders will take while coming over the hill at up to 180 MPH. After that, they hit the brakes hard for Turn 2, Andretti Hairpin. They would roll on the throttle, hit turn 3 and turn 4, and go out of view for a moment, and then we could see them hit turn 5 (where a lot of crashes happened) and head up the hill. The next time we would see the riders was when they were coming out of Rainey curve for a brief moment, but this is so far its hard to see whats going on without binoc's and even with them, not much happened at these curves. The riders go out of view again, but we see them for a brief moment at turn 11, a sharp left turn that opens up to the long straightaway and the finish line. Repeat this for a total of 32 laps, and you've got one exciting race. Even though the air was decently cool, Dave got pretty sunburnt. There was a lot of fog in the morning, but it cleared up quickly and we all got a lot of sun. We left after the MotoGP race, which means we saw 3 races, and missed the 4th. We left early so we could make it to dinner, and then head back to Tracy. Considering we left the house at 4 AM it was already a long day. Everyone in our group loved the experience and we are all looking forward to going again next year. Laguna Seca is clearly not just a world class track for the competitors, but offers a 5* experience for the regular visitors. Go Rossi! read more

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After driving on both the "Streets" and the "Big Track" at Willow Springs Raceway (near LA) many times, I received the phone call of a life time... "Hey, do you want to come run your car with us at Laguna Seca?" "OMG... REALLY??" So Thanksgiving weekend (a few years before Yelp) I put the Mustang on a trailer and headed North. Laguna Seca is an AWESOME, but at the same time scary track. So much fun, but VERY unforgiving if you make a mistake and go off almost anywhere. Lots of walls and trees on places it would be nice NOT to have any. Fortunately I wasn't pushing my car hard enough to have any problems (except when it was raining, wipers on, going thru the corners and the tail stepping out more then once). Fortunately I did not have any reasons to soil my underware. Unfortunately however, my buddy with the '79 Porsche 930 Turbo wasn't so lucky. He was cooking it a little too hot into turn 10, hit the brakes when he shouldn't have... and went ass end first into the wall, then spun around and smacked the front end too! What a fricken drag! It made for a very expensive weekend. Oh and then there is also the woman with nothing better to do but sit in that little shack between turns 4 and 5 with a db meter. (Yes folks, there is a STRICTLY ENFORCED 92db noise limit!) Fortunately my car was not loud enough to get her attention! Overall, if you have the chance to run Laguna Seca, do it, you won't regret it! Just remember, at the top of the corkscrew aim for the big Oak tree straight across the track! read more

I grew up literally across the street and I could hear the lovely sounds of the races and events that are held there ever so often. It's amazing, this raceway is world renowned and I've met several people who ride that actually come up for the day to get a taste of the track. Super expensive though. I think a couple hundred or so... I'm sure it is worth it though. Living so close you'd think I've attended many events but not so much. Just a handful ranging from a couple races to a hot air baloon show?!? I don't know... maybe not... I was like 5 or 6 years old at the time. I just moved back to the area after being gone for 10 years and now I can't wait to take advantage of living so close. Hit up Moto GP yesterday and look forward to going back tomorrow. Pure Sex! read more

This raceway has one of the craziest tracks ever. I love it and fear it. During the Ferrari challenge, one of the Ferraris spun out during the first lap at the bottom of the corkscrew and a tow truck had to take it to the side. Then, a couple laps later three more Ferraris spin out and stalled by getting caught in the hairpin turn. To make it even more suspenseful, my cousin's car was almost hit during the last lap by one of those spinning cars. I was completely freaking out at this point. The entire venue is three times bigger than the Infineon raceway in Sonoma. There's a food court area with food stands, a peuso-track on pavement for people to drive go-karts, and lots of venders. It looked like a carnival! & definitely shows that racetracks can be family friendly :) I watched the race from VIP lounge patio area which is probably one of the highest points &you get a view of most of the tight turns. It was a bit far away and you need to cross a foot bridge to get to it- one of the people working there was nice enough to give me a lift in his golf cart :). At the lounge you there's a nice dining area with a buffet (salad, lamb, cupcakes), drinks (non-alcoholic), and you can meet alot of people closely affiliated with the drivers like coaches and their family. Yay! read more

The good: Laguna Seca is a world-class track that offers challenges & quality to drivers; the raceway typically offers locals special "perks" such as free/low cost entrance on practice days; the facility includes a great conference center, group areas, & target range. The bad: There is no place (other than from a blimp or space station) that offers a view of the entire track; other than the press area, there is no location that allows view of more than half the track; there is NO shade other than near the corkscrew; ticket prices for race day are outrageous considering the lack of view. read more

This is one of the only places I've ever come to any sort of car/motorcycle racing. Consequently, I think I'm pretty spoiled. It's really an amazing track. I couldn't fathom sitting in stands and watching cars drive in an oval for hours on end. I think I'd prefer watching the grass grow. This track is very different. It wraps around a hill and has many twists and turns full of exciting action. The "corkscrew" of course being one of the more famous/popular/exciting. Watch cars take corners at 60+mph that I'd be sketched out on going 30mph. The coolest part is that walking around the track is itself a fun little hike. You're in natural Monterey setting nestled in some trees/brush. You can enjoy a few areas from bleachers/seats, but I think it's more fun to bring your own and just stake a seat anywhere you want(except on the track). Bring sunscreen and Claritin D. The paddocks are pretty interesting to check out, I tend to get those passes because you can literally walk right up to the car, they often have drivers signing autographs(for kids or groupies). Lots of food options usually(although it seems like beer tends to be the main lunch menu for most). The parking is usually not the most fun. You usually have to park a good distance away(on dirt) so you'll need to plan to hike as well as wash your car afterward. The tickets of course vary in pricing depending on the event, but I'd say if you've never experienced it, come check it out. read more

How can you not appreciate this famous track? The home of the corkscrew! We sat on the grandstands in front of turn # 4 and I think, aside from the corkscrew, this was the perfect location to watch the races. If you sit in the main grandstand by the start/finish line you're only able to see the straightaway. If you sit by turn # 4, you're able to see the turn, followed by a straightaway, then another turn, in addition to seeing the starting straightaway off in the distance. Next time I plan to hike up the hill to the corkscrew!!! I watched some damn fast and impressive historic Formula 1 race cars on this track, in addition to many other amazing cars at the Monterey Historic here. Awesome, I tell ya, awesome! read more