Laguna Seca
3.602 km of hillside track near Monterey, California, with 55 m of climb and one of the most famous corners in the world. At the Corkscrew the track drops 18 m through a blind left-right, with the apex hidden over a crest. Learn how the lap works, then open it in the designer and make your own version.
The track at a glance
Laguna Seca Raceway is a permanent circuit in a county park near Monterey, California, in the United States. It is 3.602 km long with 11 turns and runs anticlockwise. The first race was held in 1957. Today it races under the sponsored name WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The lap runs down to the Andretti Hairpin, then climbs through the infield and up the Rahal Straight to the top of the hill. From there it falls away through the Corkscrew and the sweeping Rainey Curve back to the pits. In total the track rises and falls by 55 m.
Laguna Seca has hosted sports cars, IndyCar and motorcycle Grands Prix, and it is a favourite in racing games, which has made the Corkscrew famous far beyond California.
A lap of Laguna Seca, corner by corner
Several corners at Laguna Seca are named after drivers and riders. Turns 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11 are marked on the map.
- T2Andretti Hairpin. A slow left-hand hairpin at the end of the front straight, named after Mario Andretti. The main overtaking spot.
- T3The infield. The start of a section added in 1988, with a right-hander leading into Turns 4 and 5.
- T5Up the hill. An uphill left that starts the climb towards the top of the circuit.
- T6Onto Rahal Straight. A fast left onto the Rahal Straight, which climbs to the top of the hill.
- T8–8AThe Corkscrew. A blind left-right over a crest, dropping 18 m in a short distance. Drivers aim at a tree on the skyline because they cannot see the track.
- T9Rainey Curve. A long, fast downhill left after the Corkscrew, named after Wayne Rainey.
- T11The final corner. A slow left onto the front straight. A good exit matters for the run down to the hairpin.
Racing at Laguna Seca
The circuit was built in the 1950s to replace a dangerous road course in the nearby forest at Pebble Beach.
- 1957The first race is held at Laguna Seca.
- 1974The land is handed to Monterey County, and the track becomes part of a county park.
- 1988A new infield section adds Turns 3, 4 and 5 and brings the track to its current length.
- 2005Motorcycle Grand Prix racing returns to the United States at Laguna Seca, until 2013.
- 2012The fastest lap ever recorded at the track, 1:05.786, is set by a Grand Prix car in a demonstration event.
Designed by the hillside
Laguna Seca packs a lot of height change into a short lap. The climb up Rahal Straight hides the Corkscrew until the last moment, and the drop that follows tests the car’s balance under braking and turning at the same time.
Most overtaking happens into the Andretti Hairpin and the Corkscrew. For more on how hills shape a lap, read designing for elevation change or our guide to hairpin design.
Ideas for your remaster
The Remaster button opens the traced layout in the designer. You can move any point and the lap time, speed trace and corner analysis update as you go. A few places to start:
Build your own Corkscrew. Copy the idea of a blind, dropping corner somewhere else on the lap. What does it do to the lap time?
Lengthen the lap. At 3.6 km it is a short lap. Add a section in the hills without losing the climb to the Corkscrew.
Name your turns. Group and name the turns in the designer, and they will show on your exports and share link.
Finish it properly. Add track width, kerbs, run-off and a pit lane so it reads like a real venue.
When you’re happy with it, share your version with its own link. The original stays here for the next person to remaster.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Laguna Seca?
It is 3.602 km (2.238 miles) long with 11 turns.
What is the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca?
The Corkscrew is Turns 8 and 8A, a blind left-right that drops 18 m (59 ft) over a crest. It is one of the most famous corners in motorsport.
Which way does Laguna Seca run?
Anticlockwise. The lap runs from the front straight into the Andretti Hairpin, through the infield, up the Rahal Straight to the Corkscrew and down through Rainey Curve to the finish.
Why is it called WeatherTech Raceway?
It is a sponsored name. The track has carried a sponsor’s name since 2001 and has used the current one since 2018. Laguna Seca means “dry lagoon” in Spanish.
Is the remastered Laguna Seca an exact copy?
It is a close trace of the centreline using 51 editable points, within a few metres of the mapped circuit. Track width, kerbs, run-off and the pit lane are left for you to design.
Layout traced from OpenStreetMap data, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via open-racetrack-db. Circuit facts: Wikipedia. RaceTrackDesigner is not affiliated with the circuit, its owners or any racing series.