Measuring 32 feet long and 10 feet tall, the massive Mazda 787B towers above the Monterey-Salinas Highway. The road, also known as California State Route 68, passes by the entrance of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Apparently, when you buy the naming rights to a track, they let you decorate it how you like.
The mural was created by local artist John Cerney for the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), who manages the day-to-day operations of the circuit. Nearby, Cerney also created a larger-than-life mural of motorcycle racer Wayne Rainey on his bike.
“The artwork really demonstrates who we are and what we do,” said Gill Campbell, general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “In addition to being the naming rights sponsor since 2001, our track has served as the spiritual home for Mazda. The artwork cements the relationship between Mazda’s tremendous racing legacy and our world-class motorsports facility.”
That big sign would definitely have helped when I visited Laguna Seca a little over a year ago! I literally drove past it as the road signs were very non-descriptive and had very small lettering. I did drive with navigation, but the “official” address wasn’t anywhere near the entrance. Only a few miles after passing it I realized this, made an U-turn and found it on my second attempt.
Turn onto B street. That’s all you need to remember!