Whenever motor vehicle racing fanatics talk regarding the most difficult turns in a race track in the world, they will regularly mention "The Corscrew" or Turn 8 and 8A of Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The turn, which has a very good reputation among race car drivers, is pretty tough to navigate because of the apex on the approach at uphill and blind crests which leads to drop in elevation.

The 2.238 mi (3.602 km) Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has 11 turns on its paved road. However, it is not only the "The Corkscrew" that is popular in the turns of Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Race car drivers also find the "Andretti Hairpin", which is Turn 2, very challenging with its technical but very difficult double apex. Turn 2 was named after famous Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti.

Another notable turn which earned a name of its own is Turn 9 which is now known as the "Rainey Curve" after Wayne Rainey former Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Helio Castroneves set the official lap record time of 1'07.722 in the qualifiers for the CART Honda Grand Prix 2000.

The Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was built in 1956 with a cost of approximately $1.5 million. It was built after business leaders of the area realized the need for such race track at that time since the races at Pebble Beach Road, which were held through the winding roads of Del Monte Forest, were growing larger in terms of crowd and racing participants.

Instead of letting the races go somewhere else, civic minded individuals formed on November 1, 1956 the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) as a non-profit charitable organization aimed at enhancing the business climate of Monterey, California through motor sports.

True to its vision, Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has earnings that exceeded more than a billion dollars in business revenues since its inception and at the same time providing local charities over $10 million. SRAMP continues to operate the raceway to date providing professionals on-site to manage every day operations as well as the promotion and management of major events.

With drivers from all over the country participating in different events the whole year and crowds growing as time goes by, allied business services such as hotels, restaurants and diners also flourished.

Visitors and participants alike can enjoy the permanent camping facilities of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area where the race track is also located. Or perhaps they can enjoy the comfort of Monterey Hotels and Carmel Hotels nearby. There are also numerous Monterey Hotels that are quite accessible from the Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

There are several events that are held annually at Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. These include the American Le Mans Series, Moto GP, AMA Superbike, and Rolex Sports Car Series.

The Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca can also be rented if it is not hosting major events. The Sports Car Club of America holds two club races in it annually for the Bay Area Region. Also, different car clubs rent the raceway to enable their members to drive their own cars at speed. One trivia for those who love racing games, the Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was featured in the video game hit Gran Turismo and and the Moto GP series.

Upcoming events at the Monterey Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca include the Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) Halloween Twilight Cycling on October 20 of this year. Guest and participants can visit http://www.iStayGreen.org for reservations.