California’s Laguna Seca circuit is considered one of the best race tracks in the United States and has been racing there since 1957. But 67 years later, some Monterey County residents living near the highway are suddenly alarmed by the noise it generates.
A neighborhood group called the Highway 68 Coalition says noise levels have gotten worse in recent years, and attorney Richard Rosenthal, who represents the highway, said the highway is now in use 340 days a year and is almost never quiet.
At the same time, the racing circuit, a third of the shares of which belong to the provincial authorities, makes a very noticeable contribution to the economy of the region: in 2022 it was valued at 246 million dollars. 350 thousand people attended the races in Laguna Seca, as well as other events. This includes the Motorsport Reunion, a world-famous festival of historic racing vehicles, and in 2022 visitors alone spent around $65 million.
Overall, the growing popularity of the circuit is very profitable for the local economy, and every year Laguna Seca attracts more and more tourists from different countries. But this is exactly what the people united in the Highway 68 Coalition don’t like, and they plan to restrict various types of racing activities on this highway – i.e. exactly what it was built for.
As there is currently a change in the company that will operate the track, no lawsuit has been filed yet, but apparently this will inevitably happen after some time.
A Monterey County spokesperson said, “We do not acknowledge the allegations in the indictment and look forward to a favorable outcome in the lawsuit.” He also stressed that what happens will not affect plans to hold the competition in 2024.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
