Editorial Note: The following is an open letter issued by the Corporate Partnership Team of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to track sponsors and exhibitors.

Dear WeatherTech Raceway Partners,

As you may have heard by now, on Nov. 19th Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to replace long-time track operator SCRAMP as the managing body for our storied facility. In 2017 the Board of Supervisors granted SCRAMP a 3-year agreement in hopes that the struggling organization could get itself back on track with some directive. Unfortunately for the 62-year old organization, its continued financial misgivings and mass exodus of top-level staff were key factors for the change in management. The County has selected A&D Narigi Consulting as the new Facility Management Group beginning Jan. 1, 2020.  Principal, John Narigi, brings a strong hospitality industry background to the table coupled with an impeccable business acumen. Narigi intends to retain many of the current staff, including facilities, operations, ticketing, souvenirs and marketing. Our team that oversees Sponsorship, Sales, Hospitality, and Exhibitors/Vendors, has already been aligned with the County since January 2019.

There has been great care and discussion already with the leaders of the volunteer organizations who have built this amazing facility. The volunteers are the life-blood of this facility and everyone is fully appreciated for their dedication to the raceway. New management is making sure the volunteers know how much the County is committed to improving the facility they have helped build over the decades while communicating how much they recognize the volunteers’ hard work and dedication supporting the facility.

Looking Forward:

We want all our valued Partners, Exhibitors, and Sponsors to know that we do not foresee any changes that will negatively impact our respected clients, but rather support a positive shift in customer experience, continued facility improvements, and strengthened events and attendance. The County has put in over $5.5M in improvements and another $1.3M in new equipment over the past two years. There are plans for a $20M capital improvement project to kick off in 2021 with the revitalization of the Paddock.

We also understand that there may be questions you have concerning this transition so we have taken the liberty of answering what we think may be commonly asked questions below.

Q: Will we be working directly with someone new?

A: No. You will be working directly with the same Exhibitor Services team as before. We may be adding to the team in the near future, but the core will remain unchanged to deliver consistency.

Q: Will renewals and preferred Exhibitor Locations be honored?

A: Yes. As always, we will do our absolute best to honor previous locations based on the submission of agreements and deposits by any outlined deadlines as our normal process.

Q: Will this effect pricing in 2020 and beyond?

A: As any business, the cost of doing business is dictated by many factors and we cannot guarantee that pricing will always stay the same, but we are confident that are fees will be competitive and fair. Although we are still in the process finalizing the agreements for distribution, we hope to have them to you within the next few weeks.

Q: Does this change affect the Race Season Calendar?

A: No. As always, our Event Schedule is influenced by many factors, but our goal is to offer as many quality events as possible and continue to work with Sanctioning Bodies and Promoters to bring the best racing and events to our globally recognized facility.

2020 Race Season Calendar:

·       May 1-3, Trans Am SpeedFest

·       July 12-14, Motorcycle Event (TBD featured series)

·       July 24-26, Ferrari Racing Days

·       August 13-16, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

·       September 11-13, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

·       September 18-20, Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey

We understand that there may be additional questions you may have so we encourage you to reach out if needed and as always, we are here to help.

We look forward to another great race season in 2020 and truly appreciate your partnership!

Sincerely,

Your WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Corporate Partnership Team

Aaron Tharpe | Connor Barr | Steve Fields