IndyCar swapping Sonoma Raceway for Laguna Seca on 2019 schedule
IndyCar will sever its relationship with Sonoma Raceway after September’s season-ending race and will return to Laguna Seca in Monterey next year.
The open-wheel series has been a fixture at Sonoma since 2005 and has been the championship-determining race on the calendar since 2016.
But this year’s race is still without a sponsor — GoPro did not renew its ties to what is now simply called the Grand Prix of Sonoma — and, with auto racing dealing with declining attendance, the business aspect of the race apparently became the primary issue.
“Sonoma Raceway has invested heavily to build IndyCar’s brand and following in Northern California over the last 14 years, and we would be happy to continue that effort, but only under a sustainable business model,” Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway’s president and general manager, said in a statement.
“If the series determines their long-term interests are better served by moving the Sonoma race to another venue, that is a business decision they are obviously entitled to make, and we will turn our attention to other opportunities.”
Laguna Seca hosted Indy races from 1983-2004 under the auspices of CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) until its final year, when it was part of the Champ Car World Series. Sponsors of the race included Champion Spark Plug, Toyota, Honda and Bridgestone.
The first Indy race at Laguna Seca included legends Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt. Canada’s Patrick Carpentier won the final Bridgestone Grand Prix of Monterey in 2004.
The move to Laguna Seca still needs the approval of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors — the county owns the track — but the decision is expected to get the green light Tuesday morning. The contract is expected to be for three years.
“It will be the Board of Supervisors’ decision, which we expect will be unanimous in favor,” said Tim McGrane, CEO of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “From the moment that IndyCar left here, there’s been a desire to get it back.”
McGrane said next year’s race does not have a sponsor or date yet.
“The date is still to be confirmed by IndyCar as they put their 2019 schedule together,” he said. “We also have some major events going on and Monterey County will be involved. We have to sort out and get all those things aligned and that will happen once we have the formal approval.”
The final Grand Prix of Sonoma is the weekend of Sept. 14-16. Laguna Seca’s remaining schedule includes an IMSA race (Sept. 6-9) and the Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI (Sept. 27-30).