Round 17: Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, Laguna Seca, CA. September 9 - 11.
Here we are, at the final race of the season. 17 rounds doesn't seem enough but that's a matter for a separate discussion.
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After a fifteen-year hiatus IndyCar returned to Laguna Seca, replacing Sonoma as the season finale for 2019. In 2020 the race was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic but was back last season, though as the penultimate race on the calendar, with Long Beach being put back and hosting the seaon finale. This year, Laguna Seca is back as the season's finale.
Track History:
Laguna Seca's origins go back to the sports car races held at Pebble Beach in the 1950s, which used public roads through the Del Monte pine forests on the Monterey Peninsular. When racing was abandoned on safety
grounds in 1956, organisers sought an alternative, purpose built race track. $1.5 million was raised from local businesses and individuals, with the track being built in 1957, on part of the manouver area and field artillery target range of the U.S. Army's Fort Ord.
The first race was held on November 9, 1957 and was won by Pete Lovely driving a Ferrari. Sportscar racing has always been a mainstay but since opening, the track has hosted rounds, of other racing series, including Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT, CART, American Le Mans Series, Grand American, Monterey Historic Automobile Races and Speed World Challenge, as well motorcycle series including the FIM Superbike World Championship and MotoGP.
The Monterey Grand Prix dates back to 1960 and has traditionally been held in the autumn/fall, either in September or October. The race was first run on October 23, 1960, as the final round of USAC Road Racing Championship and was won by legendary British driver Stirling Moss, in a Lotus 19-Climax.
After USAC's road racing series ended in 1962, the event became a non-championship sports car race for three years and then became part of the Can-Am schedule from 1966-1973. After the initial demise of Can-Am in
1974, the event shifted to Formula 5000 for two years, then to IMSA for two more years. The revived Cam-Am series returned from 1978-1982 and then became a perenial on the CART/Champ Car calendar, from 1983
through 2004. The first CART race was won by Italian Teo Fabi, for Forsythe Racing, in a March 83C-Cosworth DFX, on October 23, 1983. The last race was won by Canadian Patrick Carpentier, for Forsythe Racing, in a Lola B04/00-Ford Cosworth XFE, on September 12, 2004.
After a brief hiatus from 2005-2007, the race was set to return as part of the Champ Car World Series in 2008. However, after series unification between Champ Car and the IRL, Sonoma, which had been part of the IRL
season from 2005 took preference.
Sonoma is roughly 115 miles, as the crow flies and held a "geographical exclusion" clause, which effectively precluded IndyCar races from being held at both venues. In 2018 Monterey County and the track owners,
pushed for IndyCar to return to Laguna Seca and with Sonoma having run at a loss, Laguna Seca was added for 2019, signing an initial three-year deal and taking over the spot as the IndyCar season finale.
Some Trivia:
The driver with the most wins: Bobby Rahal, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987.
Team with the most wins: Team Penske, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000.
Track Layout:
Since 1957, the track has undergone some very significant changes, the first one in 1988 being the most notable, as it redefined the visual layout of the track. The original left-hander at Turn 2, became a 180º hairpin, which created an infield loop that also extended the track from its original 1.9-mile length to 2.214-miles.
The second most significant change, was in 1996, when Turns 9-10-11 were re-profiled. This had the effect of slightly overextended the start-finish straight, as well as the run-off for the final turns.
Further upgrades were funded by Yamaha, in time for the tracks hosting of the 8th round of the 2005 MotoGP season. An additional $7 million of major improvements were made in 2006, to boost safety and facilities for
motorcycle races.
The entire track was resurfaced, while extra run-off was added to Turn One, which meant that a portion of the hillside, as well as the former media centre building that was above it, was removed and a state-of-the-art hospitality center with commanding views of the venue replaced it. There was also a change to the track from Turn 6 to Turns 8 and 8A, otherwise known as the Corkscrew, with run-off added to both sides of the straightaway and the dip just before the Corkscrew, flattened.
The Corkscrew is considered one of motorsport's most challenging corners. At the apex to Turn 8 (the left-hander and entry to The Corkscrew), the elevation change is a 12 percent drop. By the time a race car reaches the apex of Turn 8A (the right-hander), the elevation is at its steepest, with an 18 percent drop. In total, the course drops 59 feet between the entrance of Turn 8 to the exit of Turn 8A, in only 450 feet of track. From Turn 8 to Turn 9, the elevation falls 109 feet. It was at the Corkscrew, in 1996, that Alex Zenardi audaciously pulled of what became known as "The Pass", on Bryan Herta, on the last lap to win.
Original 1957 layout:
1988 layout:
1996 to now:
Length: 2.238 miles (3.602 km)
Turns: 11
Lap record:
Hélio Castroneves.
September 9, 2000. 1:07.722, 118.969 mph (191.462 km/h)
Reynard 2KI-Honda HR-0
FedEx Championship Series
Last Year's Race:
https://www.indycar.com/news/2021/09/09-19-laguna-race
Pole:
Colton Herta 1:10.7994, 113.798 mph (183.140 km/h)
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Dallara IR18-Honda HI21R Indy-V-6
Winner:
Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian
Dallara IR18-Honda HI21R Indy-V-6
Laps: 95
Distance: 212.610 Miles (342.163 km)
Race Time: 2:02:31.5444
Average Speed: 104.114 mph (167.555 km/h)
Fastest lap: osef Newgarden, Team Penske, Lap 10, 73.0826 sec. 110.242 mph (177.417 km/h)
Cautions: 1
Laps: 2 - 3
Practice and Qualifications
Practice 1
Friday, Sep 9
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM ET
Practice 2
Saturday, Sep 10
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM ET
Qualifications - Round 1 Group 1
Saturday, Sep 10
5:05 PM - 5:15 PM ET
Qualifications - Round 1 Group 2
Saturday, Sep 10
5:25 PM - 5:35 PM ET
Qualifications - Round 2
Saturday, Sep 10
5:45 PM - 5:55 PM ET
Qualifications - Firestone Fast 6
Saturday, Sep 10
6:05 PM - 6:20 PM ET
Broadcast:
NBC. Sept 11, 3:30pm ET, 7:30pm UTC, 8:30pm BST
Sky Sports F1. 8:00pm BST