The world-renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced its 2008 calendar on Wednesday with the 52nd season of racing kicking off May 16-18 featuring a doubleheader weekend with the Champ Car World Series on Sunday and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series on Saturday. source: champcarworldseries.com "We are proud to enter our eighth season in partnership with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca," said Jim O'Sullivan, CEO & president, Mazda North American Operations. "We're especially pleased to see the return of the Champ Car World Series, along with the Mazda powered Atlantic cars, bringing world-class open-wheel racing back to the Monterey Peninsula." Champ Car announced earlier this month it would be returning to the famed 2.38-mile circuit on the Monterey Peninsula after a three year absence. The return to Laguna Seca drew high marks from 2003 Champ Car titlist Paul Tracy. "It's great news that we'll racing again at Laguna. It's a drivers' track with some tricky corners and a lot of elevation changes. It always seems to be a big event when we run at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, even for testing like we did earlier this year. We had a good crowd and I'm sure that they'll come out in droves for our 2008 race." Tracy isn't the only driver excited to have Laguna back on the schedule, Graham Rahl is looking forward to racing on the famed layout. "I'm thrilled to get a chance to race Champ Cars Mazda Raceway. My dad [three-time champion Bobby Rahal] won there four times in a row, but of course that was before I was born! However, I still have memories of going out to the track with him when I was a kid. The track's a really great layout and I ran pretty well there in A1GP, but that was nothing like when I tested the DP01 there in March. It's a very fast circuit that is really demanding." Along with the drivers, Champ Car team owners are also look ahead to the return to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Paul Stoddart, Team Owner Minardi Team USA said, "Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most famous tracks in America. The layout is very European and it really tests the drivers. I'm certain we'll have a great event there in 2008, as I know our team, and Robert Doornbos in particular, enjoyed the testing there earlier this year. "I'm glad that Champ Car is seeking to create a balance of street and permanent road courses, and U.S. and international venues, on the schedule. The diversity keeps everyone in check, and is one of the important aspects of Champ Car that helps distinguish it from other racing series." While Team Australia Co-Owner Derrick Walker added: "I think it's important that Champ Car has a good balance between the street courses and the traditional road circuits. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has been a part of Champ Car's history for a long time and it's great to be going back there, especially since they have made a lot of great improvements to the track. It's really a nice place and the fans are going to enjoy our racing there again."
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