There have been no shortage of historic victories earned on track at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway, but the win that will have the biggest impact on its future just happened off track. The world-famous racetrack is celebrating a “favorable resolution” to a lawsuit brought against it in recent months with concerns about its impact on nearby residents.
“The future of the track and the amazing recreation area, which is a premier County Park, is bright,” said Nick Pasculli, the communications for the County of Monterey. “Laguna Seca is loved by local, national, and global car enthusiasts and also by the tens of thousands of people who enjoy the beauty of the recreation area.”
Although racecars first started powering around Laguna Seca in 1957, a group describing itself as a “social welfare organization” called the Highway 68 Coalition recently launched a lawsuit against the track, accusing it of violating noise regulations, zoning laws, and the California Environmental Quality Act, while also causing traffic for nearby residents, the majority of whom moved in long after the track was built.
Read: Residents Sue Laguna Seca Because It’s Too Noisy And Creates Traffic
The Highway 68 Coalition brought its lawsuit against the County of Monterey, which operates the track, and the nonprofit group, Friends of Laguna Seca (FLS), which is in the process of taking over management of the facility.
The groups have now reached an agreement, though, and the Highway 68 Coalition has dropped its suit. Monterey County Weekly reports that, in return, the county will cover $75,000 in attorney fees for the social welfare group, and FLS will retain an acoustical consultant to conduct a sound impact study after it assumes control of the track.
Friends of Laguna Seca say they were planning to conduct a sound quality study long before this suit arose, so the agreement is no great burden for it. The settlement also stipulates that FLS will only take mitigation measures recommended by the consultant that are feasible, permitted under regulation, and cost less than $2 million.
“FLS is pleased that the litigation was dealt with quickly and we’re looking forward to our next steps toward Laguna Seca’s long-term success for the benefit of the community of Monterey County and the entire racing world,” said Friends of Laguna Seca President Ross Merrill. “We know these improvements will take time, but we are committed to ensuring the success of Laguna Seca for decades to come.”
Now, FLS and the county say that they are working to complete their management handover, which was interrupted by this lawsuit. The former is expected to invest $10 million in the track in the first phase of operations. It will also pay 10 percent of annual net revenue to the county, starting in 2028.
