Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is home to the 2011 Monterey Sports Car Championships, featuring dramatic races for the Playboy Mazda MX5 Cup, Cooper Tires prototype Lites Championships, the Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama and Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.
What is the American Le Mans Series?
The American Le Mans Series is a unique style of race. Four classes of car, Le Mans Prototype 1 and 2 and Grand Touring 1 and 2, compete in American Le Mans races. Each class has different specifications and different top speeds, but multiple car classes are on the track at once. Racers must not only compete with cars in their own class, but navigate the track while cars faster or slower than theirs swarm around them. The highlight is the race presented by Patron on Saturday night, which begins in the afternoon and continues as the sun sets.
The Monterey Sports Car Championship Experience
The Monterey Sports Car Championship will be filled with unique, technologically innovative vehicles. The diversity of auto manufacturers whose cars appear in the Monterey Sports Car Championship are simply unmatched by NASCAR, Champ Car and the IRL. Unlike other motorsports series, the American Le Mans Series has an open paddock, allowing fans to get an up-close look at the cars that burn up the race track. This unmatched access continues at the pre-race grid; once the cars line up on the grid in preparation to race, fans are allowed on the grid for a half hour to check out the cars, take photos and ask questions of the drivers and teams.
The Races
Like any Le Mans weekend, the Monterey Sports Car Championship is packed with thrilling races, featuring the American Le Mans Series Saturday afternoon-into-evening six hour race into the darkness. Sunday's action features the Cooper Tires prototype Lites Championships, the IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama and Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.