The U·s·g·p· Experience
THE U·S·G·P· EXPERIENCE
A perfect race in apertect place
RON LAWSON
FIRST, PICTURE A HILLY ROADRACE COURSE. MAKE IT challenging, fast and technical. Then place it in one of the most beautiful settings in America, with cool ocean breezes stirring the branches of craggy, ancient oak trees. Within 10 miles, build a modern, oceanside resort town with some of the best dining and hotel facilities in the world. And place all of this within an hour or so of one of America's largest population centers.
That's Laguna Seca Raceway, a venue almost too per fect to be hoped for. How could there be a better location for the first U.S Grand Prix roadrace in 23 years? The last such race was at Daytona Beach in 1965, where the leg endary Mike Hailwood lapped the entire field twice. But even that event couldn't match the Laguna Seca GP for importance. Not only was this USGP carried by two major television networks, but it involved sponsors such as Marl boro and Pepsi, who had never before been interested in motorcycle racing in this country. And perhaps most im portant of all, this was the first USGP at Laguna Seca; its overwhelming success could mark a turning point in the way America looks at motorcycle racing.
A BOTTLE ROCKET FLEW ONTO ONE OF LAGUNA SECA'S grassy hillsides, starting a small brush fire. Before - the fire trucks could even react, a crowd of spec tators ran over and stomped the fire into oblivion. "They came to enjoy themselves and had a good time. Then they left," said Laguna Seca's Public Relations Director, Art Glattke. "It couldn't have been a better crowd." It also was a knowledgeable crowd. This was not the kind of race to attract drunken mobs bent on seeing 100 mph crashes. It was a race for true enthusiasts, those who
could appreciate the show put on by Lawson and com pany. "That's Toni Mang, the 250 champion," one spec tator explained to his girlfriend during a practice session. He then delivered a short biography of Mang. That level of expertise is unheard of in most large race crowds. Estimates place the attendance at about 80,000, which means Laguna Seca Raceway was a town almost the size of Reno, Nevada, for the weekend. But those numbers, how ever encouraging to motorcyclists, are frightening to a group of local residents who call themselves the Highway
68 Committee. They contend that the traffic from the USGP, and from the three other large events Laguna Seca has in the course of a year, hampers their lifestyle. Glattke just shakes his head. “We do a lot for this community. Some residents might suffer—how can I say it?—a slight inconvenience six days out of a year, but look at all the good we do. It goes way beyond money for hotels and meals—the track is still paying bills to local businesses.” So, even if the grumpiest of locals disagrees, the USGP is one of the best things to happen to the Monterey area.
THEY CAME RIDING EVERYTHING. FROM NORTONS and Harleys to Hondas and Kawasakis. They rode up up the coast and through the canyons. in groups and by themselves. And when it was all over, they went home the same way. It wasn't just for the race that they came, it was for the event. How can a motorcyclist ask for a better weekend? A brisk ride over some of the best backroads in America, a couple of days in the sun, some of the greatest racing on earth, and another challenging ride home-all in the company of other motorcyclists who came for the same experience. Because of Laguna Seca's unique location, just getting there and back is an event in itself. From the north and. south, riders use Highway 1, with its breathtaking ocean vistas and wide, sweeping turns. From the east, they arrive on rustic Carmel Valley Road, traveling through living slice of rural America. And, of course, the race brought vistors from other lands, from Japan, Australia, Europe-it was truly an in ternational event. But no matter where they came from or how they got there, they almost certainly will come again in a year's time. And they will bring their friends.
