Since 2020, RACER Magazine and sister publication Vintage Motorsport have proudly supported the efforts of the revitalized Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation, a partnership that will be much in evidence at this weekend’s exclusive Velocity Invitational vintage racing event at the storied Monterey, California circuit.

This is the third major Laguna Seca event Foundation principals have attended in 2021, putting a fresh public face forward and kicking its fundraising efforts into high gear at the SVRA SpeedTour weekend in May, followed by the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion in August.

“We are especially excited to be here again in November, grateful for our new, very valuable partnership with Jeff O’Neill and the Velocity Invitational,” said Ross Merrill, LSRF board president. “The period-correct racing cars featured at Velocity events are truly spectacular — truly in their element here at Laguna Seca Raceway.”

Entered in the November event are several racing and custom cars from James Hadfield’s collection, cars from the McLaren Museum, and, said VI’s O’Neill, “an F1 collection second to none.”

RACER and Vintage Motorsport, too, will have a presence at the Velocity event, sharing Garages 13-14 with the Foundation and distributing copies of the current issues throughout the weekend.

On Friday night, RACER Marketing & Media founder and president Paul Pfanner will moderate the ultra-exclusive “The Future of Motor Racing” panel discussion featuring Ford’s Jim Farley, McLaren’s Zak Brown, IndyCar’s Jay Frye, MotoAmerica’s Richard Varner and Jake Hawksworth from Hypercraft.

For the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation, the Velocity event is the perfect backdrop for its stepped-up visibility, showing off its new web and social media efforts and soliciting input from potential donors, team owners, drivers, commercial partners and, of course, Raceway fans.

“We have a great working relationship with the County, with track management A&D Narigi, and with the new Volunteer Organization; but we are a completely independent group, committed to improving the “Laguna Seca Experience” for participants and fans alike,” explained Merrill. “One-hundred percent of the funds the Foundation raises will be invested in enhancements, not maintenance, all aimed at bettering that ‘user experience.’”

Several of the Foundations directors will be on site through the weekend soliciting input on enhancement projects currently under consideration,  which include a new world-class karting and events center, electronic signboard(s) for the proposed new pedestrian bridge, an improved public address system and many others.

These board members truly want to hear from you, and will at the same time share details on a pair of 2022 at-track events already in the works.

For ticket and additional information on this weekend’s Velocity Invitational, log onto velocityinvitational.com.

And, for more on the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation, check out its Facebook page or visit lsrfnd.org.