A potential three-year deal for International Speedway Corp. to operate Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca does not come with the intention of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing there, a Monterey (Calif.) County Supervisor said today.
Dave Potter, Monterey County Supervisor of the 5th District, which includes the track, said that International Speedway Corp. has 90 days to complete its due diligence before completing a deal with the county to operate the 11-turn, 2.238-mile track. The Board of Supervisors of Monterey County approved the action Tuesday.
Potter said “there is no intent to bring NASCAR racing to Laguna Seca. ISC says the configuration of the track doesn’t work for NASCAR.’’
An International Speedway Corp. official did not return requests for comment.
If a deal is completed, ISC would operate solely the track – the facility includes camping site and shooting range. The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula, a non-profit, has operated the track since its inception in Nov. 1957. The group has managed the raceway on a monthly basis since March 2014. The track is owned by Monterey County.
Potter said a permit limits the track to five events a year – a race weekend is defined as one event. IMSA’s Tudor United SportsCar Championship competed May 1-3 at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. That counts as one event.
Potter said he’s not aware that ISC officials have on site.
“To the best of my knowledge, they have not had a very extensive look at the place,’’ he said.
That process will begin soon, Potter said.
