SCRAMP Will Continue to Manage Laguna Seca

The battle for who would manage Laguna Seca going forward has finally been put to rest, for at least the next three years, as the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula, better known as SCRAMP, has signed a three-year agreement with Monterey County to manage the historic Californian race track.

To get to this point has been a tumultuous process, with SCRAMP’s now 60-year role at Laguna Seca challenged by NASCAR’s International Speedway Corporation (ISC), and other local groups like the Friends of Laguna Seca.

Ultimately though, SCRAMP’s bid for the management agreement with Monterey County won out, and the non-profit organization will continue to operate the venue, which plays host to the World Superbike Championship’s only stop on US soil, among other racing events and activities.

“We have been working very closely with County Staff over the past several months to develop a plan that builds upon this iconic facility’s heritage of delivering significant economic impact to the Central Coast,” said Michael Smith, President of the SCRAMP Board of Governors, in a statement from SCRAMP.

“We will celebrate this heritage throughout the year with 60th anniversary celebrations, culminating in a Racing Through the Decades feature at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August.”

Interestingly, a recent study by the California State University, Monterey Bay College of Business says that Laguna Seca brings in $62.1 million of direct spending to Monterey County, and produced $5.2 million in state and local taxes – all from race fans from outside of the county limits.

This economic impact of the historic race track will be an important talking point in the coming years, as Laguna Seca is in need of major improvements and maintenance to its facility – money which will likely have to come from Monterey County.

For now, we are simply content to see the management issue of Laguna Seca resolved for the near-term. Hopefully this means many more two-wheeled racing seasons to come.