Laguna Seca Announces Long Term Relationship

MONTEREY, Calif., Dec. 4 -- The future of the prestigious Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races is assured as a new long-term agreement between Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and General Racing Ltd. was reached today after months of negotiations. Kathryn Hayworth, president of the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) and Steven J. Earle, president of General Racing, signed the agreement that sees the 28-year tradition continue. "The Monterey Historics is a major event. It brings together automotive enthusiasts of all levels from all over the world," said Earle. "General Racing Ltd. and SCRAMP have worked together from the beginning, combining their talents to bring the event to the level of success it enjoys with enthusiasts and to the Monterey community by way of its economic impact." "The Monterey Historics is a celebration of historic automobiles and the people who were responsible for their place in history," Hayworth said. "We are genuinely pleased to have Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca continue to play an important role with Steve Earle in bringing motorsports history to life for generations of racing enthusiasts." The races began in 1974 with just 66 cars and a handful of spectators. The next year, Earle began the tradition of naming a featured marque to recognize its motoring heritage and to move old race cars out of the garage and onto the race track where they belong. Since that time, the Monterey Historics has grown and is credited with being the driving force behind the surging popularity of vintage racing worldwide. Together with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance as the two cornerstone events, the largest classic car weekend in the country emerged, annually attracting enthusiasts, celebrities and racing legends. The 29th Annual Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races, presented by Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge, will take place on Aug. 16 - 18, 2002 and will continue the honored marque tradition by featuring one of America's sports car icons -- the Chevrolet Corvette. More than 375 historic race and sports cars will be entered in race groups that span nearly every era of motorsports history. For information on the Monterey Historics, please visit http://www.montereyhistoric.com or http://www.laguna-seca.com.