Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128382
Laguna Undergoes Changes
Iy four times rts original size.
Riders will immediately
see changes through Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca's signature "Corkscrew" (turns
8 and 8A). The safety barriers between turns seven
and eight along rider's right
have been moved as much
as I 5 feet from the racetrack, increasing the line of
sight into the turn. Should a
The new curbing on the inside of turn two.
rider have an incident upon
entering turn eight, he will
find that the runoff area has been improved
with an uphill slope to help slow his slide.
Runoff has been increased on both rider's
left and right through turn 8A.
The runoff area for "Rainey Curve" (turn
nine) has increased from 135 feet to over
310 feet by removing more than 3S,000
The runoff area in turn two at Laguna Seea has been
increased nearly four times its original size.
W
th the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix dates
of July 8-10 fast approaching, the
landscape at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
has begun to change - literally.
Track improvements required by the
FIM to homologate the track for the July
event are nearing completion, according to
Laguna. While no changes were made to
the racing surface itself, the most significant
upgrades are an increase and improvement
in runoff areas and the installation of more
motorcycle-friendly curbs.
Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr.,
the 2000 World Champion, visited the circuit recently as a riders' safety representative and was very positive about the
changes made to the circuit.
"Laguna Seca has done 100 percent
within their capability to make the track as
safe as possible for the MotoGp," the
Modesto, California-native Roberts Jr. said.
"They have made significant changes in all
areas that they were able to make changes
in. In my opinion, they have done the best
job on the curbs in comparison to any other
racetrack, and this will significantly reduce
the riders' risk and workload. I believe from
a riders' safety representative
standpoint, that barring any
freak accidents, then Laguna
will be a very safe MotoGP
circuit."
Work began on the 2.238mile, I I-turn road course
back in January with the relocation of the turn-nine bridge
and excavation of the hillside
on the outside of the turn.
Following the rainy season,
Ditto for the runoff on the outside of Rainey Curve.
an intense 4S-day period of
construction began on May
2. The $2-million improvement project is
cubic yards of dirt from the existing hillside.
being funded by Yamaha Motor Company
The previous relocation of the walkover
and includes improvements in virtually every
bridge from the middle of Rainey Curve to
turn around the circuit.
150 yards up toward turn 8A, coupled with
Just after the start/finish line, the bank of
cutting back the hillside banking on rider's
the hill on rider's right has been cut away to
left dramatically increases the visibility
allow more runoff area through the very fast
through the turn.
turn one. The runoff area there has been
The right-side wall on the front straight
increased and features a 13-percent uphill
exiting turn I I has been moved between 8
grade designed to slow speeds in case of an
and 10 feet away from the track. Artificial
incident. A gravel bed has been installed in
turf, 6 feet deep, has been installed just
turn one, and the gravel bed in turn two (the
behind the exit curbing to keep riders from
'i'lndretti Hairpin") has been enlarged to nearextending the radius of the corner and using
Roberts To World Superbike?
Three-time World Champion and
Proton team owner Kenny Roberts
w
en
.8
'"
would
neither
confirm
nor
deny
rumors that he plans to move to World
Superbike racing with a production ver~
sion of the Proton KR V-five.
>