Laguna Seca angling for extension of IndyCar deal

In the wake of having its September 19-20 NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader cancelled, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca says it wants to continue with the open-wheel championship and forge a longer contract with the series.

“IndyCar has got one more year on their contract here,” Monterey circuit manager John Narigi told RACER. “We're actually in discussions, serious discussions, regarding a three-year extension. I want them. They want to come back.”

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IndyCar’s return to the Monterey Peninsula in 2019 came after an absence of more than a decade, and was among the most popular events on the Laguna Seca calendar. With the ongoing revisions to IndyCar’s 2020 schedule due to event cancellations and postponements due to COVID-19, the original mid-September date in Northern California was modified to host a doubleheader event as a means to make up one of the series’ lost dates until IndyCar removed both West Coast tracks from its immediate plans.

Despite the loss of IndyCar, Laguna Seca has a number of major events that remain on its 2020 calendar, with Ferrari Challenge, Moto America, IMSA, and Trans Am slated to make use of the 2.2-mile road course. Although it’s unclear if more races will be removed from its schedule, Narigi is preparing to run the races without fans in attendance.

“I doubt, with COVID, we will have any spectators this year, to be honest,” he said. “California obviously is tightening down the screws, but we do hope to do some non-spectator races in '20. Like many other tracks, this has not been a good year, nor for the various racing series. Right now, we still have a full slate of scheduled races, obviously, and IndyCar has made their decision.”