In a surprise announcement, the new General Manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, John Narigi, announced the return of several key staff members to the track’s management team, including event manager for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Barry Toepke.
Returning to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after seven months in San Diego is Barry Toepke, who becomes Director of Marketing and Communications and the event manager for the annual and highly anticipated Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which is one of the pillars of Monterey Classic Car Week held each August. Toepke spent 10 years internally at Laguna Seca managing communications and historic racing and was integral in growing the event’s popularity. He first became involved in the historic racing event in 1989.
According to Narigi, the management team is stepping right into place and have played integral roles in the success of not only the Rolex Reunion, but the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and last year’s inaugural Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey that welcomed IndyCar back to the storied race circuit.
The new management team includes a number of member’s from the previous administration. The new team is comprised of (in alphabetical order):
Matt Brady, Track Manager
Brandy Falconer, Communications Manager
Steve Fields, Sr. VP of Sales
Rick Garcia, Director of Facilities
Mark Mathe, Director of Operations
Kathy Muller, Retail Manager
Lisa Saclayan, Ticket Manager
Jeanie Sumners, Marketing Manager
Aaron Tharpe, Director of Sales and Sponsorships
Barry Toepke, Director of Marketing and Communications
Judy Varley, Track Rental Coordinator
The track’s 2020 season kicks off April 16-19 with the Sea Otter Classic; Trans Am SpeedFest returns May 1-3; MotoAmerica Superbike SpeedFest at Monterey July 10-12; Ferrari Challenge Series July 23-26; the Monterey Pre-Reunion August 8-9; Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 13-16; and Monterey SpeedWeek consisting of Monterey SportsCar Championship (IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) September 11-13 and the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (NTT IndyCar Series) September 18-20.
Visit WeatherTechRaceway.com for event information.
