MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO CONTINUE AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
. By Bikeland Staff
Contract Extended for Five Additional Years
The sound of MotoGP race bikes will
continue to reverberate from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at least through
2014, as Dorna Sports, organizers of the MotoGP World Championship,
agreed to a five-year extension of the contract previously slated to end
after the 2009 race.
The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship is
Northern California's largest motorsports event since it debuted in
2005. MotoGP bikes are purpose-built prototype race bikes made by
competing manufacturers Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Ducati.
Last year's race winner, Australian Casey Stoner, also went on to win
the World Championship. The "Kentucky Kid," American Nicky Hayden, won
the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix in 2005 and 2006.
"This is tremendous news on so many levels," said Gill Campbell, CEO of
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. "MotoGP is the world's premier motorcycle
racing series, and we now have the pleasure of hosting it for the next
six years. Everyone from the fans, to the track, to the local community
will benefit greatly from this extension."
"We couldn't have this contract extension without the assistance of our
major sponsors including Red Bull, Parts Unlimited and, of course,
Yamaha, who funded the major track improvements that have allowed us to
continue hosting MotoGP," said Campbell.
"We are pleased to continue the relationship between the MotoGP World