The Monterey Peninsula traded its usual calm for a weekend of V8 thunder from October 2 to 4, when the 2026 Mission Foods Racing America at Laguna Seca rolled into WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The event bundled a Trans Am Series by Pirelli Western Championship doubleheader, a sprawling Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) SpeedTour and International GT competition into one family friendly festival. The promise was 850 horsepower Trans Am machines, classic Corvettes, Alfas and Porsches, plus historic Formula One and Indy cars, all sharing one of the most famous ribbons of asphalt in America.
A Track With a Reputation
Opened in 1957, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca stretches 2.238 miles across 11 turns and 180 feet of elevation change. Its signature moment is the Corkscrew at Turns 8 and 8A, newly renamed the Zanardi Corkscrew in honor of Alex Zanardi and his legendary 1996 pass on Bryan Herta. Turn 2 is the Andretti Hairpin, while the Rahal Straight runs between Turns 6 and 7. Over the decades the circuit has hosted Can Am, Formula 5000, CART, IndyCar, IMSA, the Rolex Monterey Historics, and two-wheel royalty such as MotoGP and World Superbike. The weekend delivered unseasonably warm temperatures across the Monterey Peninsula. With no fog rolling in, the skies stayed clear, and the top of the track offered views all the way to the coast.
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