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Track guide · road course
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca at a glanceChecked 2026-10-29
- Length
- 2.238 mi3.602 km
- Turns
- 11
- Opened
- 1957
- Location
- Salinas, California
- Type
- road course
- Direction
- anti-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Elevation change
- 180 ft
- Owner
- Monterey County
- Address
- 1021 Monterey-Salinas Hwy
- Phone
- +1 831-242-8201
- Website
- weathertechraceway.com
Track map and layout
Laguna Seca's 2.238-mile, 11-turn lap runs anti-clockwise (seven left-handers, four right-handers) around a small lake bed in the hills east of Monterey, with about 180 feet of elevation change. From the start the track runs downhill to the Andretti Hairpin, a double-apex left added in 1988, then loops through the flat infield (Turns 3 to 5) before climbing to Turn 7 and the crest of the Corkscrew. The Corkscrew falls 59 feet in 450 feet of track through a blind left-right, and between Turns 8 and 9 the road drops 109 feet in all. Rainey Curve, a sweeping downhill left, leads on to Turn 10 and the tight Turn 11 onto the front straight. The compact footprint and the blind commitment at the top of the hill make it a bucket-list track for drivers and riders, even though it is short by modern standards.
Named corners and sections
Andretti Hairpin (Turn 2).
A double-apex left-hand hairpin, created in 1988 when the infield section was added and named for Mario Andretti at his last race here in 1994. One of the few big braking zones on the lap.
The Zanardi Corkscrew (Turns 8/8A).
Officially renamed the Zanardi Corkscrew on 4 September 2026, the 30th anniversary of Alex Zanardi's last-lap pass on Bryan Herta. A blind, downhill left-right that drops 59 feet in 450 feet of track.
Rainey Curve (Turn 9).
The sweeping downhill left-hander after the Corkscrew, named for three-time 500cc world champion Wayne Rainey, who won the US motorcycle Grand Prix here three years running (1989 to 1991).
Configurations
Full Grand Prix Circuit
2.238 mi11-turn configuration used for all major professional racing
Events and race weekends
Laguna Seca's calendar centres on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the spring, MotoAmerica Superbikes in the summer, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during Monterey Car Week each August, and IndyCar's Grand Prix of Monterey in September, which was the IndyCar season finale in 2019 and 2026. The Porsche Rennsport Reunion is a separate, occasional event that has been held here in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2023.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
IMSAAnnual eventWhenMAYMotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest
MotoAmericaAnnual eventWhenJULJulyRolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Vintage racingpart of Monterey Car Week; held since 1974
Annual eventWhenAUGAugustMission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey
IndyCarIndyCar season finale in 2019 and 2026
Annual eventWhenSEPSeptember
Getting there and parking
Laguna Seca sits in the hills above Salinas and Monterey, roughly 8 miles from downtown Monterey and about 80 miles south of San Jose. Most visitors fly into San Jose or Monterey Regional Airport and drive in via Highway 68. Race weekends, especially the IndyCar finale and Car Week events, bring heavy traffic on the two-lane approach roads.
- MRYMonterey Regional Airport (MRY)about 20 mindrive
- SJCSan Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)about 75 mindrive
Parking
General parking is included with most event tickets; premium and RV parking areas sell out ahead of major weekends, particularly during Car Week.
TipBook accommodation and campsites for Car Week and the IndyCar finale many months in advance, as the entire Monterey Peninsula fills up during those weekends.
Hotels and camping near WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
The Laguna Seca Recreation Area itself is one of the most popular trackside camping destinations in American motorsport, with hundreds of campsites overlooking the circuit. Visitors who prefer hotels typically base themselves in Monterey, Salinas, or Seaside, though rooms across the entire Peninsula sell out and prices spike heavily during Car Week in August.
Where to look
Monterey, Salinas, Seaside, and Marina are the main hotel bases; Carmel-by-the-Sea offers a higher-end alternative a short drive away.
Camping
Laguna Seca Recreation Area offers over 250 campsites, many with direct views into the track, available for both race weekends and year-round recreational camping.
RV
Dry camping and RV sites with hookups are available within the Recreation Area; sites for major events are reserved well in advance.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Laguna Seca hosts a busy calendar of open-lapping days and structured HPDE events run by third-party organizers, alongside professional racing schools that use the circuit as a home base. The Corkscrew and the blind uphill esses make it one of the more intimidating tracks to learn, so most providers strongly recommend instructed novice groups for first-timers.
Who runs days here
- Skip Barber Racing Schoolcar
- Hooked on Drivingcar
- LightSpeed Track Eventscar
New to track days? Our beginner guides, costs and gear →
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar (outright) | 1:08.4168 | Alex Palou | Dallara IR-18 | 2023 |
| IMSA GTP (qualifying) | 1:12.445 | Sebastien Bourdais | — | 2024 |
| MotoGP | 1:21.539 | Marc Marquez | — | 2013 |
Drive WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in a sim
These racing games and simulators include WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as official content. Mods and community tracks are not listed.
iRacing
paid trackLayouts—
Assetto Corsa Competizione
DLC: Intercontinental GT PackLayouts—
Le Mans Ultimate
DLC: US Track Pack 1Layouts—
rFactor 2
paid trackLayouts—
Assetto Corsa
base gameLayouts—
Assetto Corsa EVO
base gameLayouts—
Automobilista 2
DLC: Racin' USA Pack Pt1LayoutsLaguna Seca 2020 [DLC]
RaceRoom Racing Experience
freeLayouts1 layout (count shown on store page)
Gran Turismo 7
base game or free updateLayoutsFull
Forza Motorsport
base gameLayoutsFull; Short (layout names as printed in release notes; list may be incomplete)
Building a sim rig? Four example setups from $279 → · Every real track in sim racing games
Checked against each publisher’s track list in October 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026).
Spectator guide
The natural hillside terrain at Laguna Seca gives spectators unusually good sightlines for a US road course, especially around the Corkscrew, where crowds gather to watch cars drop into the blind downhill section. General admission hillside viewing is included with most tickets, while grandstands line the front straight and start/finish area for a closer view of the racing action.
Seating
Grandstands along the front straight and start/finish; general-admission hillsides around the Corkscrew and Turn 5 are the most popular free-roam viewing areas.
Best places to watch
The hill above the Corkscrew is the single most iconic vantage point in American motorsport, offering a view of cars committing to the blind drop.
Weather
- May: mild coastal weather, highs around 65-70°F with morning fog common
- August-September: warmer and drier, highs in the 70s-80s°F, cool mornings and evenings
History of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
From a dry lake to a permanent circuit
Laguna Seca (Spanish for "dry lake") opened in November 1957 on a seasonal lake bed in the hills of the US Army's Fort Ord. Sports cars had raced on public roads through the Del Monte Forest at Pebble Beach since 1950, but those races ended after Ernie McAfee was killed when his Ferrari hit a tree in April 1956. Local businessmen formed the non-profit Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), leased Army land in August 1957 and built the track in about 60 days. Pete Lovely won the opening race on 10 November 1957 in a Ferrari, in front of 35,000 people. The original layout was 1.9 miles with nine turns. The land was deeded to Monterey County in 1974, the same year the historic races that became today's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion began.
1988: the layout that exists today
The modern track dates from 1988. To host the United States motorcycle Grand Prix, Laguna Seca had to meet the FIM's 2.2-mile minimum, so the fast old Turn 2 sweeper was replaced by a left-hand hairpin and a new infield section (today's Turns 3 to 5), taking the lap to about 2.2 miles and 11 turns. Eddie Lawson won that first Grand Prix in April 1988, and Wayne Rainey won the next three. The infield was meant for motorcycles only until Mario Andretti insisted the Indy cars use it too, and Turn 2 was named the Andretti Hairpin when he retired in 1994. Later changes brought the lap to its current 2.238 miles.
The Corkscrew and the modern era
The Corkscrew (Turns 8 and 8A) drops 59 feet in 450 feet of track. It is where Alex Zanardi passed Bryan Herta on the last lap of the 1996 CART finale, Valentino Rossi passed Casey Stoner in 2008 and Marc Márquez passed Rossi in 2013. After Zanardi's death in May 2026, the track renamed it the Zanardi Corkscrew on 4 September 2026. Indy cars raced here from 1983 to 2004 and returned in 2019, when Colton Herta, Bryan's son, won. The motorcycle Grand Prix was held in 1988 to 1991 and 1993 to 1994, and MotoGP returned from 2005 to 2013. The track was Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from 2001 and has been WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca since April 2018. SCRAMP ran it until the end of 2019, and since August 2024 the non-profit Friends of Laguna Seca has operated it under a long-term agreement with Monterey County, which owns the site.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Laguna Seca?
The Grand Prix circuit is 2.238 miles (3.602 km) with 11 turns, one of the shortest tracks on the major US racing calendar.
What is the Corkscrew?
The Corkscrew is Laguna Seca's signature corner (Turns 8 and 8A), a blind, downhill left-right that drops 59 feet in 450 feet of track. Since 4 September 2026 its official name is the Zanardi Corkscrew, after Alex Zanardi's famous 1996 pass there.
Can the public drive Laguna Seca?
Yes. Organizers such as Hooked on Driving and LightSpeed Track Events run regular HPDE and open track days, and Skip Barber Racing School bases driving instruction there.
Is there camping at Laguna Seca?
Yes, the Laguna Seca Recreation Area has over 250 campsites, including RV hookup sites, many with views into the circuit.
What is the Monterey Motorsports Reunion?
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is Laguna Seca's historic racing event, held during Monterey Car Week each August since 1974 (it began as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races), with genuine on-track competition among vintage race cars.
What racing series visit Laguna Seca each year?
IMSA, IndyCar, and MotoAmerica are the main professional series, alongside vintage racing during Car Week.
Has the Laguna Seca layout changed?
Yes. The original 1957 track was 1.9 miles with nine turns. In 1988 the fast old Turn 2 was replaced by the Andretti Hairpin and an infield section so the track met the FIM's 2.2-mile minimum for the motorcycle Grand Prix. Today's lap is 2.238 miles with 11 turns.
Which racing games and sims have WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca?
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is officially available in iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Le Mans Ultimate, rFactor 2, Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa EVO, Automobilista 2, RaceRoom Racing Experience, Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport. Some of these include it in the base game and others sell it as paid content; the table above shows which.
Other tracks nearby
Facts checked against 25 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-10-29.