Laguna Seca has long been a motorsports destination. New management says it needs to be more.

Since taking over operation of Laguna Seca Recreation Area on Jan. 1, 2020, John Narigi has not seen a spectator-attended event at the park’s world-renowned WeatherTech Raceway. That’s set to change this summer with waning pandemic restrictions and a full lineup of motorsport competitions at the track; however, over the year-and-a-half lull, Narigi and his team found the facility needs millions of dollars in immediate upgrades if Laguna Seca is going to continue to compete as a motorsport destination.

But Narigi, who was an executive at the Monterey Plaza Hotel before his consulting firm, A&D Narigi, took over management of Laguna Seca, also reached another conclusion: Laguna Seca needs to be more than a racetrack. He told the county Board of Supervisors on June 8 that they need to place more emphasis on, and resources into, the park’s campground and hospitality amenities and pushed for a $200,000 master planning process.

The park and racetrack need $60-70 million in improvements, about $8 million of which are track improvements that need to happen immediately, Narigi said. The necessities are highlighted by an estimated $5 million track resurfacing – something which hasn’t been done since 2007. Other infrastructure upgrades include more track safety repairs, radio replacements, track cameras and the bridge that hangs over the start and finish line.

Narigi said continuing to defer maintenance would threaten the future of the 65-year-old track, which hosts an annual lineup of world-renowned motorsports events, such as the Firestone Grand Prix, as well as local events such as the Sea Otter Classic. He warned brand recognition alone would not carry the track into the future. Ross Merrill, president of the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation, told supervisors that events like the Porsche Rennsport Reunion are shopping around for other venues due to the conditions of the track and surrounding area.

Supervisors appeared to largely agree. Supervisor John Phillips lamented that the county has not offered enough support to the recreation area and track in the past, saying the county could no longer afford to ignore its needs.

Supervisor Mary Adams, whose district surrounds Laguna Seca, said the track is a driving force for tourism that has, for too long, suffered from deferred maintenance.

“I’ve been going out to the track for the last 50 years. I’ve seen everything from the Grateful Dead to the Pope at Laguna Seca,” Adams said. “It really matters to me, a lot. Clearly it is the most important, the most significant asset the county owns within my district, and I think within the whole county.”

Tourism interests are also pushing for upgrades. Frank Geisler, CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, told supervisors Laguna Seca is responsible for more overnight visitors than any other business and that shying away from investment into the track could hurt businesses throughout the county.

How the county will finance these improvements remains unclear. The 2021-22 budget is scheduled to be approved on June 22 and Adams said the county will have to zero-in on its capital improvement program to see where Laguna Seca fits in.