The Laguna Seca has been gilded in the history of motorcycle racing thanks to the epic battles fought by legends like Kevin Schwantz, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and the latest sensation, Marc Marquez. One of the premier tracks in the US, the Mazda Speedways Laguna Seca has been the hub for amateur as well as professional racing on both two and four wheels in California.
Sadly, 17 years and millions of dollars later, Mazda has not renewed the contract for the naming rights and the track will now only be known as the Laguna Seca. And it wasn’t an easy decision for Mazda. With its sales numbers going south every month, it seems that retaining the naming rights of the Laguna Seca would have been too much of a stress on the balance sheets of the Japanese car maker.
In its statement, Mazda has wished the facility managers and the administrators of the Laguna Seca a bright future and has promised to continue its participation in the various racing events around the calendar. Mazda organises the MX5 Cup, the open-wheel SCCA F-Mazda, as well as is the chief sponsor for the prototype team Mazda Joest which runs the Daytona Prototype Championship.
