The MotoGP World Championship will not be making "its annual July stop at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca" in Monterey, Calif. in '14, according to the MONTEREY COUNTY HERALD. After a week of "speculation on motorcycle racing websites, the raceway confirmed the news Monday, marking the end of nine straight years Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway has played host to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, one of the track's biggest events." Laguna Seca GM Gill Campbell said that the decision, which will mean the MotoGP circuit "will have U.S. stops next year only in Indianapolis and Austin," was a "mutual agreement between Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and MotoGP parent company Dorna Sports." Campbell said that three U.S. events "is one too many." Campbell: "There is, frankly, not enough of everything to go around for three world championships in the United States." Though the event has "steadily drawn weekend crowds of 150,000," Campbell said that the event "has not been profitable for the past four years." Attendance "dipped this year and the licensing fee with Dorna is going up by $800,000 next year." Campbell said that it takes about $9M "to put on the event" (MONTEREY COUNTY HERALD, 9/30). The EFE reported the "mythical U.S. circuit is off the MotoGP World Championship 2014 calendar." Laguna Seca "had been the host of a race every year since '05." Campbell said, "Our proposal is to work hard to return the event to Monterey in the near future." In regards to the MotoGP World Championship, "it is expected that motorcycle governing body FIM will announce its provisional calendar for next year later this week" (EFE, 10/1).
