Part 2 of the American LeMans race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
There were 9 races over the weekend in 6 different classes but even if you just attend one, there was much to see and do. The main race is the 3rd longest race in the series and unfortunately even the new date in May vs. October didn't bring much better weather. Although temperatures were bearable in the sun it was quite windy. I know people that stayed home thinking it was going to rain.
Some highlights:
A tribute to racing Corvettes, past and present and serial # 001 2011 commemorative Z-06 in the paddock area.
Walking the starting grid before the main race was a treat, meeting the drivers and seeing the cars up close.
Taking the path up to the corkscrew made for some terrific views and is easier than going straight up. As it turns out, there were more spectators on the hillside than in both grandstands combined. Makes for a great although limited view, louder and protected from the wind. How could you go wrong?
The car corrals were interesting. Ferrari seemed to be missing, BMW looked like a parking lot of sedans, the Porsches were primarily drab colors and the Corvette contingent was quite large again. Acura NSX had a much smaller showing than past years which is inevitable since Honda stopped making sports cars, truly fast ones even longer than that.
The manufacturer displays are always worth a visit. Chevrolet had a great display of a Corvette ZR1 skeleton with the suspension, transaxle and engine. It was the first I've seen such a display and revealed much. It was absolutely fascinating.
The vendor area again had good variety, Piloti shoes has new styles and some leather models that are very cool and classy. Don't forget about the clothing and auto-themed jewelry. There were even purses made from seatbelt straps.
The track souvenir shop has an excellent variety of clothes and styles but I have one problem with much of the items. Despite Mazda's excellent contribution to the track and it's upgrades, I do not want "Mazda" on any of my clothing no matter what I drive unless it's a Mazda. And even then it's debatable. If Ferrari bought the naming rights, what if you drive a Porsche or Corvette? The line has to be drawn somewhere.
Of course, the English beer tent and again the quesadillas from Sundance Southwest Quesadilla and Sausage company deserve special mention. Again.
Got kids? A nice play area and big field of well manicured grass looked especially fun and even inviting for a nap. Yes, a nap is possible at the race track. Those glorious sounds can get you either very excited or lull you too sleep.
The series and the track have put on a first class event. Even the media materials are exceptional and could be offered to the public for sale. However, a six hour race is quite long and while an excellent test for teams and drivers, it's tough on the fans. The beauty is if you stay for only a few hours, there is so much to see and do.
Interestingly the television coverage was scheduled for 2.5 hours on CBS. It was actually 1 hour and while beautifully filmed with various profiles and features, there was a lot of racing action that wasn't shown to the viewing audience.
Links:
Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca
American LeMans Series results page
_____
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc.? Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!
There were 9 races over the weekend in 6 different classes but even if you just attend one, there was much to see and do. The main race is the 3rd longest race in the series and unfortunately even the new date in May vs. October didn't bring much better weather. Although temperatures were bearable in the sun it was quite windy. I know people that stayed home thinking it was going to rain.
Some highlights:
A tribute to racing Corvettes, past and present and serial # 001 2011 commemorative Z-06 in the paddock area.
Walking the starting grid before the main race was a treat, meeting the drivers and seeing the cars up close.
Taking the path up to the corkscrew made for some terrific views and is easier than going straight up. As it turns out, there were more spectators on the hillside than in both grandstands combined. Makes for a great although limited view, louder and protected from the wind. How could you go wrong?
The car corrals were interesting. Ferrari seemed to be missing, BMW looked like a parking lot of sedans, the Porsches were primarily drab colors and the Corvette contingent was quite large again. Acura NSX had a much smaller showing than past years which is inevitable since Honda stopped making sports cars, truly fast ones even longer than that.
The manufacturer displays are always worth a visit. Chevrolet had a great display of a Corvette ZR1 skeleton with the suspension, transaxle and engine. It was the first I've seen such a display and revealed much. It was absolutely fascinating.
The vendor area again had good variety, Piloti shoes has new styles and some leather models that are very cool and classy. Don't forget about the clothing and auto-themed jewelry. There were even purses made from seatbelt straps.
The track souvenir shop has an excellent variety of clothes and styles but I have one problem with much of the items. Despite Mazda's excellent contribution to the track and it's upgrades, I do not want "Mazda" on any of my clothing no matter what I drive unless it's a Mazda. And even then it's debatable. If Ferrari bought the naming rights, what if you drive a Porsche or Corvette? The line has to be drawn somewhere.
Of course, the English beer tent and again the quesadillas from Sundance Southwest Quesadilla and Sausage company deserve special mention. Again.
Got kids? A nice play area and big field of well manicured grass looked especially fun and even inviting for a nap. Yes, a nap is possible at the race track. Those glorious sounds can get you either very excited or lull you too sleep.
The series and the track have put on a first class event. Even the media materials are exceptional and could be offered to the public for sale. However, a six hour race is quite long and while an excellent test for teams and drivers, it's tough on the fans. The beauty is if you stay for only a few hours, there is so much to see and do.
Interestingly the television coverage was scheduled for 2.5 hours on CBS. It was actually 1 hour and while beautifully filmed with various profiles and features, there was a lot of racing action that wasn't shown to the viewing audience.
Links:
Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca
American LeMans Series results page
_____
Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc.? Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!
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