Omologato launches Long Beach timepiece

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, one of the most iconic events in motorsports, is partnering with Omologato, the renowned watchmaking brand synonymous with precision, innovation, and a deep passion for motorsports As a longstanding pillar in the …

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, one of the most iconic events in motorsports, is partnering with Omologato, the renowned watchmaking brand synonymous with precision, innovation, and a deep passion for motorsports

As a longstanding pillar in the racing community, the Grand Prix of Long Beach has consistently pushed the boundaries of speed, showcasing cutting-edge technology and hosting some of the most riveting races in the history of motorsports. With a rich legacy spanning several decades, the Grand Prix of Long Beach has become a cultural phenomenon, drawing enthusiasts from around the globe to witness the sheer spectacle of speed and precision.

Why the California Dial?

There are an abundance of theories thrown around at action halls and forums as to why this dial was called the “California Dial.” One theory suggests that Californians just loved the mixed numerals on wristwatches in the 1930s and 1940’s and another that California dealers in the 1980s were selling so many watches with this dial variant that the official types inherited the name. The accurate theory as to where this name originally came from comes from James Dowling. Dowling explained that in the 1970’s, when the vintage watch boom started, an LA based dial refinisher, Kirk Rich, created some unique dials with this half design. The dials became so popular that many vintage watch stores in California sent their watches to Rich. Through this link, dealers and collectors started to call the watches the “California dial.”

Using this dial was an easy decision together with the antique finish in Omologato premium Centenaire case, makes this one of the company’s most historic race watches ever.

Six of these individually engraved watches will be presented on the podium at Long Beach in April 2024 to the winners of both IMSA and IndyCar categories.

Arrives April 5, 2024 — just 200 being made. Click here for ordering information

Gil de Ferran and RACER

The contributions to motor racing by Gil de Ferran, who passed away Friday at the age of 56, went far beyond being a champion race car driver, as Marshall Pruett’s heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian makes clear. A keen student of motorsport, Gil was …

The contributions to motor racing by Gil de Ferran, who passed away Friday at the age of 56, went far beyond being a champion race car driver, as Marshall Pruett’s heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian makes clear. A keen student of motorsport, Gil was enthusiastic about racing technology and the importance of making it meaningful to the fans. This served him well in the role of Editor-At-Large for RACER magazine, where he offered incisive opinions about the past, present and future of the sport. Here is a sample of the insights he offered in the magazine and at RACER.com that add to his winning legacy:

On racing heroes and life’s lessons

Gil’s column for The Heroes III issue of RACER in 2014 took the form of a letter to his father, explaining how and why his personal heroes have shaped his life and career.  

Dear Father,

It seems fitting that I’m writing an open letter to you in this Heroes issue. It took me a great deal of soul searching and several drafts, but I feel the content of what you’re about to read is worth sharing with others who, like us, have a passion for life, cars, racing and all things mechanical. You might question why I’d share such private thoughts, and I can only hope the answer becomes clearer as you read on…

Click here to read the full column.

Raceconomics

For the Champions issue in 2015, Gil laid out a detailed breakdown of the financial aspects of motorsport, including costs of participation and the art of budgeting, sponsorship, the effect of rules on budgets and other elements that remain just as pertinent today.

Much of the recent debate in racing has focused on costs, sponsorship and the financial issues in our sport. Frankly, a lot of the commentary I’ve seen shows a lack of understanding of how the economics of motorsports really work. So, with no further ado…

Cost & Budget

Let’s begin by characterizing two different costs from taking part in a championship or event, namely cost of participation and cost of being competitive, i.e., winning!

Cost of participation is the minimum cost necessary to enter a competition. Buy your car, consumables, logistics, minimum personnel, driver, etc., and you’re on the grid. However, there’s no guarantee you’ll rise beyond the bottom 10 percent if you don’t take into account the competitive landscape, the budget and capabilities of the guys consistently winning. They set the cost of being competitive.

By the way, this isn’t me saying that, if you have the same (or similar) budget, you’re guaranteed success. You have to take into account how efficient the team is in turning dollars into car speed, and how good the driver is in turning car speed into lap time. But from a planning perspective, it’s useful to understand how much the top dogs are spending. I know that if I’m close on the finances and have a good driver and a capable team, I should be in their vicinity…

Click here to read the full column.

There’s only “I” in team

In his column for the Great Teams issue in 2014, Gil offered a personal perspective on how race teams can bring out the best, or worst, in the characteristics of the individuals who make them up. 

Every good race team I’ve ever come across has had a strong leader. By strong, I don’t mean dictatorial; I mean a person who is visible, communicative, inspiring, and embodies everything the team stands for. This person sets the tone and culture for the whole company and leaves no one in any doubt what the company’s all about, what it’s doing and where it’s going. They live, act and breathe everything the team stands for, making the vision very clear.

Further, at a lower level, other “leaders” carry the same message and behave in the same way as the head honcho. Problems usually occur when there’s a disconnect between these influential people, and the messages start to conflict…

Click here to read the full column.

Opposing views on Formula E – Gil de Ferran and Robert Clarke

In addition to his opinions, Gil loved sharing his ideas for how racing should be and how to make it better. In this 2014 feature, he offered a rebuttal to the low opinion formed by ex-Honda Performance Development chief Robert Clarke of Formula E, which had just run its inaugural race.

When you’re putting together something so complex, you have to start somewhere, you know? If you have a car that is overly complex and expensive from Day 1, you may not be able to get the series started. If you make the cars overly simplistic or too slow, you may not create enough appeal.

So it’s unfair to look at one aspect in isolation. If you look at the Formula E chassis and say, “Well that’s not revolutionary at all,” you have to balance that out with the fact that this powertrain is the first of its kind. So would you have gotten so many teams and sponsors involved if the cost had been 10 times what it is, due to the cars also having a completely different type of chassis? That’s why I think the FIA made a good first step…

Click here to read the full Q&A with Clarke and de Ferran.

Fall 2023 RACER magazine: The Champions Issue

The star of RACER’s annual Champions Issue that’s now heading to mailboxes and available for digital subscribers is Formula 1 dominator Max Verstappen. For us, there’s something refreshingly old school about the three-time champ and shatterer of F1 …

The star of RACER’s annual Champions Issue that’s now heading to mailboxes and available for digital subscribers is Formula 1 dominator Max Verstappen.

For us, there’s something refreshingly old school about the three-time champ and shatterer of F1 records.

Not for Verstappen the endless, micro-obsessing debriefs fueled by seemingly infinite amounts of available data. Instead, his interactions with Red Bull Racing’s engineering cadre are succinct, yet obviously effective: this is what I feel, and this is what I like/don’t like. The what and the how of making his car better is left to others, and Max’s next interaction with the process is climbing aboard and performing even more effectively.

Of course, the superiority of 2023’s Red Bull RB19 was such that the team rarely struggled to find its sweet spot, a misstep in Singapore being the obvious exception. And as RACER Formula 1 writer Edd Straw notes, Verstappen’s ability to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and to thrive at the edge of RB19’s performance envelope — that arcane feel thing again — meant that the sum of driver and car was even greater than the parts.

For six-time NTT IndyCar Series champ Scott Dixon, who provides some fascinating insight to our man Mark Glendenning, adaptability is a key to his incredible longevity at the top of open-wheel racing. He won his first title 20 years ago, and despite losing out to Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou this time around, Dixon’s late-season form showed that the 43-year-old Kiwi is still very much one of the drivers to beat.

Next year, IndyCar introduces hybrid power. As always, rather than trying to bend the new tech to his will, Dixon will adapt to it — likely more quickly than anyone else — and no doubt be a major factor as he guns for that seventh title.

Also in this issue, we explore the debut season for IMSA’s GTP hybrids, celebrate Ryan Blaney’s first NASCAR Cup Series crown and look at the end of an era for Corvette Racing — all without getting bogged down in the data.

And the champions theme continues with insight on why two-time FIA World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera is scaling back his schedule in 2024 and what Robert Wickens is planning next after his inspirational title win in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class.

Plus, how Toyota got the better of a whole wave of new opposition in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s headlining Hypercar class and who Eli Tomac feels he’ll need to beat to get back on top of Monster Energy AMA Supercross after his 2023 season-ending injury.

Beyond the 2023 champions, former NASCAR Cup Series champ Kurt Busch looks back on a dead-cert Hall of Fame career, we check out a weekend of bust to boom at Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas, and NASCAR ace Kyle Larson begins his journey to the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

Enjoy the issue, and happy holidays!

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.

Lexus LS500 F Sport review – Long, lithe and luxurious

If you’re looking for a justification for the “Sport” name in this car’s nomenclature, forget it. The F Sport package gets you slightly more handsome cosmetic add-ons – the bumper and grille are a different pattern than standard. But the rest of F …

If you’re looking for a justification for the “Sport” name in this car’s nomenclature, forget it. The F Sport package gets you slightly more handsome cosmetic add-ons – the bumper and grille are a different pattern than standard. But the rest of F Sport, it seems, is primarily to add to the comfort and composure of the vehicle. There’s adaptive variable suspension, suede headliner, and there’s perforated leather on the steering wheel and specially bolstered front seats that can, apparently, be adjusted 28 ways.

No question that these features are welcome but they’re not upgrades that put the ‘sport’ into an already rapid full-size sedan. At 206 inches long – that’s a couple of inches more than the long-wheelbase version of previous-gen LS – this isn’t going to be changing direction like a Toyota GR86.

But to doubt this car’s sportiness is not to deny its pace. With 415hp and 442lb-ft of torque to shift just under 5000lbs of mass, the LS 500 is not slow. Expect to see 0-60mph figures just over five seconds, depending on the surface, which is fast enough for most. The problem for those who had the opportunity to drive or be chauffeured in the previous LS, this fifth generation, codenamed XF50 and introduced in 2017, saw the V8 replaced by a twin-turbo V6. However good the new unit’s alacrity (it’s a 35hp jump from its predecessor) and however admirable Lexus’s sound deadening, this powerplant switch has caused a noticeable dip in engine refinement. For gentle driving around town and up to medium inclines with only one person aboard, it’s impressively muted, and the 10-speed automatic gearbox slips between ratios, up or down, without any noticeable disruption. But extend the engine beyond 5000rpm (redline is 6400) and the 3.5-liter V6’s vigor overcomes its civility.

This becomes especially apparent when manually shifting through the 10 speeds on the well-weighted paddle-shifters. On a narrow, sinuous uphill road, it feels natural to select gears for oneself rather than leave the box to constantly change cogs according to corner and incline. Coming downhill, too, it’s nice to restrict one’s speed when necessary via engine braking rather than ride the excellent brakes – six-piston front, four-piston rear. Up or down, the car is willing to do the driver’s bidding – it won’t override your gear choices – but the engine never sounds like it’s enjoying the experience. Were this a small sports sedan, this wouldn’t be an issue but as already established, this is a swift limo, and so the engine’s coarse growl is incongruous, like walking in on your normally calm and placid 90-year-old grandmother playing air guitar to a death metal band.

Engine apart, there are few cars so refined as the Lexus LS – perhaps none at all, this side of $100k. That suspension is wondrous, both in its soaking up the worst of California’s road rash, and also, following larger bumps, the way it tightens down the chassis on the rebound but not too abruptly. If an undulation is encountered mid-bend while cornering hard, even if it is followed by smaller ridges or pockmarks in the asphalt, the outside suspension seems to magically absorb everything thrown its way. This sense of poise instills confidence and is in marked contrast to the many luxury vehicles that fail to control their mass on the exit of a hard-driven corner, as if the cabin is half a beat (or worse) behind the chassis. The LS leans moderately, as you’d expect, but rights itself as the lateral load reduces without side-to-side wobble.

It’s not perfect. The steering doesn’t provide much feel, but is accurate and it is fairly easy to attune oneself to what little feedback comes through. If you try to push it too hard into a turn greater than 90 degrees with the traction control on, the TC and all-wheel-drive system seem to have an argument in which the driver is the loser, suddenly starved of power. It is the one type of occasion when the car seems unwilling to follow directives – perhaps wisely, given that in this instance it is being deliberately provoked – and to the car’s credit, the power feeds in rapidly as you unwind the steering lock.

Turn off the traction control and it’s a different story, and unsurprisingly it’s the front Bridgestones (245/45 R20s all around) that break away first, the all-wheel drive system producing gentle, controllable understeer. Truth be told, in the mixed conditions encountered over the 800 miles that this Lexus was in RACER’s possession, the AWD’s assuredness was far more appreciated than the TC’s nannying ways were cursed.

As for the interior, there is very little to complain about in either aesthetic or practical terms. The swooping slats that divide the top and bottom of the dashboard are a pain to clean, but they are very distinctive, adding art deco elegance, and the doorcards around the doorhandles are almost over-the-top ornate. In the center console behind the gearshift lever, gone is the aged-looking trackpad, as the infotainment is provided by the touch screen that now sits forward on the dash; it’s within easy reach and it responds swiftly.

The area where the trackpad used to be now comprises buttons for heating and cooling the seats, heating the steering wheel and raising and lowering the back window shade. The cabin heating controls also mercifully remain outside of the infotainment system, sitting just beneath the central air vents and can therefore be accessed rapidly. This leaves the screen as your home for Apple Carplay – and the $1940 optional 23-speaker Mark Levinson stereo is very good.

Straight ahead, the speedo and rev counter are clear and adjustable according to taste, while the heads-up display, a $1220 option on this car, is the boon that you’d expect. That said, the compass – which appears whenever navigation isn’t being used – is surely a waste of HUD space for most.

The parking assistance cameras and sensors are helpful, although thanks to excellent visibility this large car is surprisingly easy to place when slotting into gaps in traffic or parking lots. Cars as spacious on the inside as this Lexus are usually large SUVs, that can feel horribly cumbersome in urban settings and parking lots, like competing in dressage while riding a drunk donkey. The LS’s excellent visibility and accurate steering make it easy to wheel around city-scapes.

The LS’s cabin, as well as being a treat for the eyes, is also commodious in the front, and despite this reviewer’s 6’3” frame, the incredibly comfortable driver’s seat didn’t have to be all the way back on its runners. Even had it been so, there would have remained enough legroom for a 5’10” person to be comfortable in the rear seats. Anyone taller than that may struggle for headroom, although the panoramic moonroof ($1000 option) will ease claustrophobia.

If the styling on the inside is inspired, few are going to feel the same about the car’s external shape. The LS looks like a big Camry in basic shape and outlines, albeit sprinkled with premium details, such as the elegant wing mirrors that incorporate silver trimming that echoes the F Sport logo. This cross-Toyota/Lexus family resemblance isn’t a bad thing, in this instance: the Camry has never been better looking than in its current XV70 form. But more concerning is that from the front the LS would easily be mistaken for its smaller brother, the ES (hard to believe there was, until 2020, a GS sitting between these two siblings) since that distinctive Lexus grille is so similar across the range. This model muddle isn’t unique to Lexus – see Audi, see Mercedes-Benz – but that does mean the LS is perhaps too discreet for some. Then again, presumably some misguided folks believe that BMW’s latest 7 Series is aesthetically acceptable.

In isolation, the LS is handsome and classy, and with the caveats of rear headroom and growly engine when pushed, it is a very appealing alternative to the German cars. The fact that it is such a capable performer, handling so well for its size without sacrificing comfort, and the knowledge that it can be had for less than $90k as specced here, should persuade those in the market for a full-size car to put the Lexus high on their shortlist.

Speed degree: Purdue University’s Motorsports Engineering Program

Doctors go to medical school; lawyers go to law school; motorsports engineers go to? Most engineers of the past and present earned generalized degrees in mechanical engineering, aerospace or applied physics and then put that broad-based background …

Doctors go to medical school; lawyers go to law school; motorsports engineers go to?

Most engineers of the past and present earned generalized degrees in mechanical engineering, aerospace or applied physics and then put that broad-based background to work in racing. It’s a scenario that by and large has worked well. But times are changing.

Today, motorsports engineering is either operating within a very restrictive ruleset where gains can only be found at the very edges of the margins. Or, in a series where the rulebook is more open in limited areas or where new technologies like electrification are taking hold.

Whether it’s the former or the latter, racing organizations are looking for specific expertise. That is where the Motorsports Engineering Program at Purdue University in Indianapolis begins to fill the void.

“I tell the students, ‘You’ve been trained through your whole education for me to ask you questions. As soon as you graduate from this program, no one’s going to ask you questions. You have to ask the questions,’” says Christopher Finch, the program’s director and veteran engineer of the IndyCar and IMSA paddocks. “When I look at it from a race engineering standpoint, I’m constantly asking the ‘what if’ question:  ‘What if it rains? What if the ambient is 90 and the track temp is 130 degrees (which is different than earlier in the month)? What if it’s cloudy with the wind gusting out of the east?”

Not your typical dorm room driving game. Simcrafts SIM Rig is vital to student’s foundational understanding of vehicle dynamics.

When a graduate of the program shows up for their first day on the job at the race shop, they’re ready to get to work.

The Motorsports Engineering Program began in 2008 as a joint project between Indiana University and Purdue University Indianapolis (commonly known as IUPUI). The program evolved over time and when the two universities separated, the motorsports side of it fell under the control of Purdue. Presently, the program typically sees around 120 students entering the freshman class, from which around 30 will typically graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Motorsports Engineering. It is the only ABET- (a nonprofit, ISO 9001 certified organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology) accredited program in the U.S. and one of three in the world that awards degrees with a specificity in motorsport.

It’s not all fun with racecars. Students spend the first couple of years studying the theory of standard STEM classes like calculus, chemistry and physics. The second half of the program gets into the practical side of motorsports engineering.

“By their junior year, they’re really starting to get into the heart of the program,” Finch explains. “The first stepping stone for them is vehicle dynamics. That’s the grandfather of all things vehicles, all things racing. They do systems engineering, or what we call data acquisition, during the junior year. We lay a little more foundational work in control theory, or what you might call vibrations. From there, we get into motorsports design, which teaches core design principles utilizing motorsports vehicles as the foundational topic.

Practical experience in vehicle dynamics comes through taking part in events like the SCCA runoffs.

“By senior year they’re in aerodynamics, motorsport powertrain, which includes topics in internal combustion engines, hybrid systems and electric motors,” he continues.  “And then every engineering program requires a senior capstone design class. Senior capstone is the culmination of every engineering class as students are grouped in threes or fours and given a project. We’ve done all sorts of different things from upright dyno design to differential dyno design to full vehicle suspension design. The essence is getting them to understand how to draw upon the education they have just finished and apply it to a real-world problem.”

In this context, the only real-world problem they must solve is as eternal as time itself: how to go faster.

Where do they go?

Not every graduate goes into a motorsport role. Some have gone on to engineering jobs at companies like Caterpillar, Harley Davidson and Space X. But plenty more have fulfilled their destiny in the rarified air of the motorsports world.

Of the teams competing in the 107th Indianapolis 500, well more than half employed at least one Purdue University Motorsports Engineering alumnus.

Beyond IndyCar, program grads can be found throughout IMSA and NASCAR, as well as at manufacturers like GM Motorsports, Honda Performance Development (HPD) Toyota Racing Development (TRD), specialists like Pratt & Miller and at suppliers like X-Trac.

“Our students can step into a team and be ready to work, but they face stiff competition from any good mechanical engineering program in the nation,” says Finch. “But I think what a lot of team managers are recognizing that our students can come in and understand the vehicles from the start.”

Learn more about the Motorsports Engineering program at Purdue University.

RACER June/July 2023: The Heroes Issue

There’s a theme running through the three drivers we’ve chosen to put in the spotlight for RACER magazine’s annual celebration of some of the heroes of racing. Fernando Alonso, Tony Kanaan and Bobby Rahal all tick the box on career longevity, but …

There’s a theme running through the three drivers we’ve chosen to put in the spotlight for RACER magazine’s annual celebration of some of the heroes of racing. Fernando Alonso, Tony Kanaan and Bobby Rahal all tick the box on career longevity, but it’s the relentlessness and ongoing will to win that comes with that longevity which sets them apart for us.

Kanaan led laps in his first Indianapolis 500 back in 2002. He led laps and finished third in his 21st start last year. And TK being TK — still driven, still focused, and loaded up with all the experience and smarts that so many Months of May bring — he’ll likely lead more laps, and maybe even provide racing’s feel-good story of the year, in what he definitely, absolutely promises will be his final Indy 500 start on May 28.

Alonso hasn’t hinted at any sort of end date for his Formula 1 career, and why should he? The soon-to-be-42-year-old Spaniard is having a standout season after moving to upwardly-mobile Aston Martin. While some regard it as a rebooting and re-energizing of the two-time world champion, he sees it differently. For Alonso, nothing’s changed within himself and what he brings; it’s just current circumstances allowing others to see that, too.

Speaking of feel-good stories of the year, what odds would you give on him winning a grand prix in 2023? It might take the perfect storm (literally), and a Red Bull Racing meltdown, but don’t rule it out.

Rahal made his CART debut in 1982 at the age of 29, winning two races and finishing second in points. Three championships and a 1986 Indy 500 win followed, and despite taking on the added responsibility and pressure of team ownership, the guy finished top 10 in points for 16 of his 17 seasons racing Indy cars. That’s staying power.

And speaking of staying power, it’s the centenary running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 10-11, and RACER’s taking a look at the world’s most famous endurance race, past and present.

For the present, we run the rule over a manufacturer-stacked Hypercar class and assess the chances of Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche and Vanwall against serial winner Toyota and its tried-and-proven GR010 HYBRID package. Plus, we set the scene for some serious NASCAR rumble at La Sarthe when a lightly-modified Next Gen Chevy Camaro takes the Garage 56 slot.

And for the past, we count down the 24 Hours’ winningest marques (replete with some stunning illustrations by RACER’s in-house artist, Paul Laguette) and recall a few of the race’s greatest driver partnerships.

Add in a look back at NASCAR’s 1995 Cup Series season and a changing-of-the-guard duel between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, a head-to-head assessment of the World Rally Championship’s title-hogging Sebastiens — as in, Loeb and Ogier — some fascinating insight on what elevates an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver pairing from good to great, and a lot more, and we hope you enjoy reading RACER No. 322 as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.

The six times Ayrton Senna graced the cover of RACER magazine

On this day 29 years ago, Ayrton Senna succumbed to injuries sustained during the San Marino Grand Prix. In his memory, here’s a look at all of the times this racing legend appeared on the cover of RACER magazine.

On this day 29 years ago, Ayrton Senna succumbed to injuries sustained during the San Marino Grand Prix.

In his memory, here’s a look at all of the times this racing legend appeared on the cover of RACER magazine.

WeatherTech Raceway: Back-to-back action

Hot on the heels of celebrating its 65th anniversary, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca keeps the momentum rolling into the 2023. The venerable track, one of the jewels of the Monterey Bay area, will host an exciting lineup of events, capped off at …

Hot on the heels of celebrating its 65th anniversary, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca keeps the momentum rolling into the 2023. The venerable track, one of the jewels of the Monterey Bay area, will host an exciting lineup of events, capped off at the end of September with the return of Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7.

Before we get there, back-to-back weekends of sports car racing are on tap.

First up is the Trans Am SpeedFest, May 5-7. Headlining the weekend will be the thundering TA class V8s in the Trans Am presented by Pirelli Western Championship, plus a roaring field in the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. Those hankering for a dose of Trans Am history will also be treated to some action featuring old school American iron with the SVRA’s Historic Trans Am class, along with the SVRA collector car show to enjoy in between action on the track.

A week later, on May 12-14, the emphasis shifts from the unfettered rawness of Trans Am to the future forward high tech of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Motul Course de Monterey powered by Hyundai N leads with GTP class prototypes from Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche in all their high-power, hybrid glory followed by the delectable manufacturer array of GTD and GTD Pro cars going door-to-door with anyone’s guess as to who’ll win from one race to the next.

Underpinning the events are a number of facility improvements that began at the end of last year. Already in progress is the construction of a new bridge over the front straight that will enable a greater connection between the outfield spectator areas and the infield paddock.

The track itself is also slated for a major overhaul. Drivers from Trans Am and IMSA will be the first to take advantage of improved curbing around each of the track’s 11 turns. Following the Motul Course de Monterey, the entire circuit will be repaved in time to welcome the MotoAmerica Superbike SpeedFest at Monterey, July 7-9.

“We are thrilled to reopen WeatherTech Raceway to teams, our community and international visitors to experience the rebirth of Monterey County’s iconic track,” said John Narigi, the track’s president. “Trans Am and IMSA are ideal partners to lead us into an action-packed 2023 season.”

Springtime along California’s Central Coast can be one of remarkable contrasts. The sea cliffs and pines can be cloaked in a velvety morning fog that gives way to sunny skies and balmy afternoon temperatures. The changing conditions often make car setups tricky, but for spectators it doesn’t get much better. Add in the gamut of sports cars racing and the only difficult choice is which to attend.

Both seems like a great idea.

Advance tickets for the Trans Am SpeedFest, May 5-7, start as low as $10 for Friday General Admission, with a full three-day admission at just $55. On site camping and reserved parking packages are also available.

The Motul Course de Monterey, May 12-14, also has $10 Friday General Admission tickets available, while a three-day ticket starts at $90. Plus, there are a range of VIP Hospitality packages along with camping and reserved parking packages.

In addition to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Motul Course de Monterey also features the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo on a packed weekend bill.