Monterey County enacts resolutions to congratulate SCRAMP and Mazda North American Operations
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Monterey County community have been linked closely throughout the 60-year history of the iconic road course. In that time, the track founded as Laguna Seca further enhanced its international reputation by forging a partnership with Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) as the track’s naming rights sponsor for the past 16 years. On March 23, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors enacted separate resolutions to congratulate Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on its 60th anniversary and to recognize the contributions of Mazda North American Operations as a partner of the track over the past 16 years.
The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), the non-profit 501(c)(4) corporation with the purpose of managing the County of Monterey-owned Laguna Seca Recreation Area, built the track on Ford Ord property in 1957 to continue road racing in the Monterey Peninsula among safety concerns with the Pebble Beach circuit that held the annual Pebble Beach Road Races. In that time, the now 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit has become world famous and brought racers and fans from around the globe to the Monterey Peninsula, creating a measureable economic impact to the Monterey community in the process.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca annually hosts world-class motorsports events that bring thousands of unique visitors and generate millions of dollars of revenue to Monterey County. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca also contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities throughout Monterey County annually.
Mazda North America became the naming rights sponsor in 2001. Since then, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has become a spiritual home for the multinational auto manufacturer.
Monterey County District 5 Supervisor Mary Adams presented the resolution to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with Michael Smith, president of the SCRAMP board of governors, and Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, accepting on its behalf. Robert Davis, senior vice president special assignments for Mazda North American Operations, and Jeremy Barnes, director of public relations and brand experience, accepted the resolution recognizing Mazda.
“It means a great deal for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and our title sponsor to be recognized by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors,” said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “The resolution expresses their appreciation and gratitude of our efforts. In turn, I must thank them for their tremendous efforts in allowing us to put on these great events for the past 60 years that have benefited the local community and raised the international profile of a truly magnificent part of the country. We will all continue to work closely together to bring world-class events to the Monterey Peninsula for another sixty years.”