Every summer, automotive aficionados flock to the California Central Coast to behold the lemons and luxuries of Monterey Car Week. Too busy attracted to the shimmering shiny sheet metal, many who fly into the regional airport probably never noticed that TSA participates in the annual automotive homage as well. How? Reppin’ a ghost of Laguna Seca’s past: Mazda.
Being a teeny, five-gate airport, passing through the security checkpoint at the Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is quick and surprisingly painless. Dare we say it’s a Zoom-Zoom process? Because that’s what the stanchions used by TSA agents say. They are literally emblazoned with the Mazda logo and its old “Zoom-Zoom” marketing catchphrase.
How does that even happen? Was there a fire sale at the former Mazda Raceway? Or a “free” sign affixed to the posts? I wish the backstory were that juicy, but honestly, I think someone on the events team simply forgot about them.
Since 1957, Laguna Seca Raceway has been the Monterey Peninsula’s go-to venue for auto racing. But from late 2000 to early 2018, Mazda held naming rights to the track, which was officially referred to as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. During that partnership, the track also showcased an iconic visual distinction: blue and white track curbing.
Disclaimer: I worked for Mazda during a portion of those partnership years. One of my most coveted swag items during that time was a VIP ID badge that allowed me access to almost anything. Baller level access, truly.
Anyway, although the Mazda name was on the track, the corporate presence was felt throughout the peninsula, mostly in the form of vehicle displays at hotels and, of course, the airport. I’ve already set up how small MRY is, so it’s a blessing that Mazda’s lineup of vehicles (then and now) doesn’t include full-size SUVs. Maneuvering a behemoth three-rower through a lobby smaller than the living room of the area’s mansions would be…silly.
In speaking with a former events manager, Mazda displayed popular vehicles like the MX-5 and CX-5 in a high-visibility corner of the airport lobby and possibly in other areas, like the one next to TSA, which highlights the region’s aviation history and other notable factoids.
When aftermarket accessories manufacturer WeatherTech took over the track’s corporate sponsorship, that included renaming it WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as well as reverting the track curbing to the standard red and white. That left Mazda to pack up its belongings. For the most part, other than the display stanchions, the automaker did.
Its trackside activations all but ceased outside of official races, despite corporate assurances that the brand would continue to support club and professional racing. Mazda eventually left the pro circuit altogether after the 2021 IMSA season, but the MX-5 Cup is going strong (whew). As if hinting at some sort of comeback, even if just in the heritage race cars sense, Mazda had a large trackside presence at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
If the reality is that all we have in the foreseeable Mazda motorsports future is MX-5 Cup racing, know that a little airport in Monterey keeps a piece of Zoom-Zoom history alive. Move too quickly, and you’ll miss it. Stop and smell the stanchions and, no, wait, don’t. That would be gross, and the friendly TSA agents (they really are) might flag you for an enhanced screening and pat down. If anything, feel free to chuckle and smile like I did. It’s a left-behind marker of Laguna Seca’s past that, for some, brings back fond, albeit faded, memories.