No Laguna Seca MotoGP in 2014

[triangleforge]

Well this just blows:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Sep/130930nomotogp.htm

There's no prettier sight in motorsports, in my opinion, than the prototype bikes flicking through the chicane at the top of the Corkscrew and then free-falling down the face of it. I hope they can work it out for 2015.

[Jester]

That's really unfortunate.  Its such a cool track.  I'd really like to see Indy taken out to be honest.  Hopefully they can figure out funding to bring it back someday.

[zooom]

a comment that was made on A&R I think makes the most sense as to why this came to be...

Unfortunately, there is a lot more to hosting an international race than the configuration of the track. LS doesn’t have paddock infrastructure to handle all three GP classes, and the ownership structure is not prepared to make capital investment decisions quickly or effectively. The surrounding area does not have the hotel capacity to accommodate fans, meaning anyone coming in from a distance has to make reservations far in advance and get gouged on price. And then try to fly into an airport close to the track or drive out after the race.

There is NO DOUBT that LS is the more enjoyable stretch of asphalt, so hold your flame throwers, but Indianapolis has plenty of hotels, you can book a room the week before the event if you want and pay $99 for the room. You can easily drive to the track on an interstate highway that drops you off within minutes of the track. You can fly in and take a ten minute cab ride to the track. Indy’s traffic control is so well coordinated, that when you leave after the race with tens of thousands of co-attendees, you barely get held up. Rush hour in many cities is worse.

There is also more to attending the race than the race. Everyone knows the best vantage point to actually VIEW a race is on TV. We attend in person to enjoy a motorcycle related weekend. The city of Indianapolis throws out the red carpet for motorcycle fans. The Indy Mile runs, the downtown looks like Daytona Bike Week for sport bikes, except the police are not busting everyone’s balls. In fact, the Indy police pretty much look the other way at a lot of things.

Lastly, IMS has promised to make track improvements and has the cash to do it. Organizers look at everything I just listed and they figure that it all outweighs the corkscrew.

[duccarlos]

^ This

I attended both Laguna and Indy. For pure pleasure of racing it's hard to beat watching bikes fly down the corkscrew. But to say that the facilities are lacking is an understatement. If it wasn't for my brother being stationed there, I would not have been able to stay remotely close. You're also paying 5 star prices for 2 star hotels. Many say that you don't spend much time at the hotel, which is great if I wasn't paying for it. Let's be frank, Indy did not win the race for the second MotoGP race in the US, LS lost it. If only Monterey would invest in their own infrastructure instead of depending solely on the track attracting enough fans to line the city's pockets.

[Speeddog]

They can't really develop the track due to noise constraints/road access/and likely no available adjacent property.

[Triple J]

Zoom's quote is spot on. I've seen races at Laguna (GP), Austin (GP & F1), and Miller (WSBK). While the track is very cool, Laguna is my least favorite and I won't return. Hotels anywhere close are stupid expensive, and traffic is miserable. Plus it's far from an airport. No thanks.

I'd still be going to Miller if they had the WSBK races, and will likely return to COTA for GP and maybe for F1. Both had cheaper places to stay, and better traffic management. COTA is my favorite due to Austin...Chicken & Waffles and BBQ FTW!! 

[duccarlos]

Zoom's quote is spot on. I've seen races at Laguna (GP), Austin (GP & F1), and Miller (WSBK). While the track is very cool, Laguna is my least favorite and I won't return. Hotels anywhere close are stupid expensive, and traffic is miserable. Plus it's far from an airport. No thanks.

I'd still be going to Miller if they had the WSBK races, and will likely return to COTA for GP and maybe for F1. Both had cheaper places to stay, and better traffic management. COTA is my favorite due to Austin...Chicken & Waffles and BBQ FTW!! 

I have not gone to COTA, but my experience in Indy was only slightly better than Laguna. The actual race in Indy was terrible, but the Indy Mile and some of the other stuff around the weekend makes it worth the visit. I would volunteer in Ducati Island to get general admission tickets. It sounds like COTA will definitely be my choice if I had to pick one race to attend.

[Spidey]

Laguna is hands-down the best track to spectate (ok, take that with a grain of salt -- don't get all e-thuggy about it).  That said, I stopped going to GP a couple of years ago because it is such a clustermake the beast with two backs. I'll miss waiting until the morning-of to see if I'm going to go to a GP race.  That was always cool.  And I'll miss watching it on TV.

At least WSBK is there.  That's pretty awesome, particularly since AMA no longer exists.  

[m9hundo]

This is a real downer, I went this year with my wife and 1yr old son and we had a blast. My wife loved it so much that we were looking forward to 2014.  Road trip to Texas I guess

[ab]

I would have liked to watch a Motogp race there.  Kind of a mini vacation.  Damn