Friends of Laguna Seca take over track: What will it mean? | Articles

The nonprofit Friends of Laguna Seca officially took control of the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on August 1, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place August 15. So, what does that mean? We went straight to the top, speaking with Friends of Laguna Seca CEO Lauri Eberhart.

“Laguna Seca is going to remain here for the future,” says Eberhart. “It’s going to be here for decades. With Friends of Laguna Seca being the concessionaire, it allows Friends to bring the physical plant up to international stature. It’s a game changer for Laguna Seca. In the past, the county has had a lot of priorities and hasn’t been able to fund the maintenance and the capital improvement needs of the beloved historic raceway.”

Yes, the County of Monterey still owns the property. Yes, A&D Narigi will continue doing the day-to-day management of the track. However, now Laguna Seca has a group that can provide the strategic vision for the track–and the funding to back up those plans.

While a better fan and competitor experience–such as grandstands, hospitality, camping areas, concessions and bathrooms–is very high on the agenda for Friends of Laguna Seca, Eberhart acknowledges the group may need to focus on other areas first.

“The paddock, the pavement needs to be done, but before the paving needs to be done, there’s $2 million to be spent on drainage,” Eberhart explains. “[With] the infrastructure needs, you are going to spend money that you’re not necessarily going to see. It’s just like building a house. You need to build a solid foundation before we build the house up.”

Currently, FLS is working on assessing the situation at Laguna Seca and determining what should be its next steps.

“We have to have the facility assessment, and that needs to run through the county,” says Eberhart. “The master plan has to have public comment, and that has to be approved by the county. Yes, we will raise the money, build the buildings and invest in the infrastructure, but at the end of the day, the county still owns the real estate. Once the buildings will be built, it will be a gift to the county and a gift to the community.”

Lauri Eberhart, Friends of Laguna Seca CEO

Part of those plans includes a sound assessment as the result of a settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed by the Highway 68 Coalition.

“What we can do is we can live by our restrictions, we can be a good neighbor, and we can make…