WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca now has the green flag to resume its race and event season after the settlement of a lawsuit brought by a local nonprofit group had threatened to hold up operations. 

A settlement was reached last week between local residents represented by the nonprofit Highway 68 Coalition and the County of Monterey, along with the nonprofit group that has signed a concession agreement to run Laguna Seca, known as Friends of Laguna Seca, or FLS. 

Highway 68 Coalition sued the county and Friends of Laguna Seca in December after objecting to the environmental review process, arguing that sound levels at the auto and motorcycle racing track needed to be further studied and mitigated.  

The settlement clarifies and stipulates noise mitigation measures that were agreed to as part of the track’s change in management but were not formally outlined or considered in environmental reviews. 

Friends of Laguna Seca President Ross Merrill said the group was pleased to have the matter resolved. 

“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.” 

The suit had held up the full takeover of the raceway by the group, which signed a concession agreement with the county last summer to run the racetrack and recreational areas on the property off Highway 68, near Corral De Tierra in unincorporated Monterey County. 

A sound agreement

The March 20 settlement includes an agreement for Friends of Laguna Seca to hire an acoustic engineer within 30 days of taking control to study sound levels. The group must spend at least $2 million on the study and mitigation measures that are identified, according to the settlement. The study will review noise levels at and around the track during race days and during weekend rental events. 

The acoustic study will be written into the facility’s master plan, which must be presented to the County Board of Supervisors within the first year of operation. 

If Friends of Laguna Seca does not complete the sound study, the county must complete it, according to Highway 68 Coalition attorney Richard Rosenthal. 

Highway 68 Coalition’s legal fees of $75,000 were also agreed to by the county. 

Rosenthal said Highway 68 Coalition was happy with the outcome. 

“My client is extremely pleased with the terms of the Settlement,” Rosenthal wrote in an email. 

“Either FLS, if they take operational control, or the County is now committed to an acoustical assessment of the sound impacts from race car Motorsport events and rental of the race car track when there are no events and a commitment to mitigate noise impacts agreeing to spend up to $2 Million for the study and feasible mitigation measures over a 5 year period,” he wrote. 

The 3-day Otter Classic bike expo is scheduled to be held at the track from April 18-21. The next race event of the 2024 season will be the Laguna Seca SpeedTour from May 2-5.