The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), which built Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 1957 and has operated the world renowned facility on behalf of the County of Monterey since 1974, has completed a reorganization of its overall business structure through the creation of a board of governors.
The newly created SCRAMP Board of Governors will have full fiduciary governance, including financial oversight and short- and long-term planning, for the not-for-profit 501(c)(4) organization. The voting board consists of local business and industry leaders along with three existing SCRAMP officers.
The renamed SCRAMP Race and Events Committee will continue to oversee the myriad aspects of operating Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s five major motorsports events. The areas covered by the race and events committee includes: admissions, camping, communications, concessions, credentials/registration, governmental affairs, guest services, hospitality, information technology, medical, paddock operations, race operations, site development, transportation, and vehicle control.
“SCRAMP determined that to meet the needs of a modern business and the demands of the racing industry, as well as in the best interest of the county, reorganization of the board was vital to the future success of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Gregg Curry, president, SCRAMP Race and Events Committee.
The local industry and business leaders are:
Mairead Hennessey – Resident District Manager, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif.
Michael Plitkins – Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former Nest Labs and Tellme Networks Engineer
Mike Smith – Entrepreneur, business turnaround consultant, past president of the board of directors for Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, Calif.
The existing SCRAMP officers who are also members of the Board of Governors are:
Gregg Curry – retired fire service, Navy Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.; current Fire Chief, Cachagua Fire Protection District in Carmel Valley, Calif., Chairman
Dr. Dean Fewtrell – Optometrist, Dean Fewtrell OD APOC, Salinas, Calif., Vice Chairman
Gregg McWilliams – Information Technology Manager, County of Monterey, Calif., Secretary
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca contributed $62.1 million to the Monterey County economy during the 2015 five-race major event season through direct trip spending of non-county visitors and produced $5.2 million in state and local taxes, according to a research study by California State University Monterey Bay. Since 2002, SCRAMP has invested $23 million in facility improvements including a hospitality center, suites and garages and new grandstands.
SCRAMP celebrates 59 consecutive seasons of hosting world-class motorsports events in 2016 on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. This year’s major event schedule continues the decades-long tradition of showcasing national and world championship series’ of sports car, open wheel and motorcycle racing, as well as one of the most prestigious annual historic car racing events in the world