First it was off the schedule, now it’s back on—and completing what may be WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s most significant racing lineup in recent years.
On Wednesday morning, track officials announced the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship will indeed return to the storied track on a one-year deal. The race weekend is set for July 12-14, coinciding with MotoAmerica and the Monterey Motorcycle Festival.
"This means we can continue to build and keep momentum going for one of our most popular and exciting events," says Brad Littlefield, Laguna Seca’s public relations manager. "People come from all around the world to enjoy the race and all of the amenities that Monterey County provides while boosting local business and broadcasting coverage to an international audience."
The premier international motorcycle racing series joins a 2019 schedule that includes the return of IndyCar and Trans Am, the International GT Challenge California 8 Hours, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Ferrari Challenge and two weekends related to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
A fixture on the Laguna Seca schedule since 2013, World Superbike had previously decided to skip their North American round next year when a new date could not be agreed upon after the addition of the IndyCar race. While there was talk of a revisit to Laguna Seca in 2020, the announcement of the 2019 absence was confirmed in November.
But things changed this week.
"Laguna Seca is such an iconic circuit for motorcycling and its sport that it is always a pleasure to confirm that World [Superbike] will continue racing in California," said World Superbike executive director Daniel Carrera in a statement. "We are starting a new relationship with the County of Monterey, owners of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca."
Carrera indicated that although the current agreement was for a single 2019 event, discussions were underway to extend the contract.
The July weekend will be round nine of the championship series, following the UK World Superbike Round at Donington Park.
World Superbike riders have competed at Laguna Seca since 1995, with a break from 2004-2013. IndyCar returns after a 15 year absence.
The announcement came following reports that advance ticket sales for the 2019 IMSA and Motorsports Reunion weekends were well ahead of the previous year—up 24 percent for the Reunion and 32 percent for IMSA.
Signaling a strong start to the 2019 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca season, first week of advance ticket sales increased over the previous year for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The new 2019 schedule opens with the California 8 Hours (March 29-30), followed by the Trans Am weekend and the Ferrari Challenge, both in May; motorcycle racing in July, the Pre-Reunion and Reunion in August, wrapping up with Speedweek—IMSA and IndyCar on back-to-back weekends—in September.