A talk with new Friends of Laguna Seca CEO
Mary Eberhart was a controller who worked for Roger Penske, the former owner of Michigan International Speedway. Her teenage daughter Lauri needed a high school summer job and she was hired to facilitate media credentials.
A few decades and a long work history in the hierarchy of several of the country’s iconic facilities later, the former summer intern has assumed new responsibilities in a long and varied career. She knows well the racetracks in Pennsylvania to Michigan and North Carolina to Virginia.
Eberhart, who earned her law degree from Wake Forest University, ran the day-to-day operations of Charlotte Motor Speedway for three years. She also served as General Counsel of Speedway Motorsports and Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than 12 years.
In early May she was named to run Friends of Laguna Seca. The non-profit organization, which began in 2016, recently signed a 50-year concession agreement lease to manage Laguna Seca Recreation Area.
The industry veteran and her husband, parents of two adult sons, will soon relocate to the Monterey Peninsula. She officially became the CEO on May 1 but the plan is to have the concession agreement operational beginning July 1.
“I’ve had a long career in motorsports; I’ve done every single job,” said Eberhart from Charlotte during a recent telephone interview. “I’ve done media credentials. I’ve sold tickets. I’ve taken out the trash. I’ve done corporate packages. I’m passionate about it and I really love it.”
Just before traveling to the Indianapolis 500, Eberhart spoke with The Herald about her legacy in the industry and her new position.
Question: Friends of Laguna Seca recently signed a 50-year lease with the County of Monterey. That’s a long lease. Can you provide some insight?
Answer: It’s called a concession agreement but it’s to manage and operate the facility, the entire facility, the raceway plus the associated recreation area. It does not include the rifle range, but it includes everything else.
The reason that it is a 50-year lease and why it’s important for the Friends of Laguna Seca that it’s a 50-year lease is because historically Laguna Seca has been underfunded and it has lacked proper investments. Friends felt it was important to have a long timeframe so that we could raise the money.
Q: Do tracks have personalities or a certain vibe?
A: 100 percent. I think speedways do have personalities. Each facility has its own characteristics that makes it something people want to experience. I really cut my teeth at Michigan International Speedway, which is a 2 1/2-mile oval in a rural area in the middle of nowhere Michigan. It’s 90 miles from Detroit, which is the epicenter of the automotive industry.
Charlotte is a mile-and-a-half, a high-bank NASCAR track in the epicenter of motorsports. Its history almost goes back as far as Laguna Seca. It has its distinct characteristics. And look at Richmond, which is a three-and-a-quarter-mile fast track. But it’s in an urban center, with its own set of issues, noise, neighbors and traffic. And then you have Laguna Seca. It has its own look and its own vibe.
Q: You spent a lot of time on and around racetracks. Have you ever competed in motorsports?
A: I am not a racer. I’ve driven on the speedway. I went on lap rides with Dale Earnhardt back in the day. That was a lot of fun.
Q: What exactly is Friends of Laguna Seca and what is your job?
A: Friends of Laguna Seca is a single-purpose entity. It’s a 501 (c) (3) and a non-profit and its sole purpose of existing is to invest and improve Laguna Seca Raceway. That’s its charter. It’s singularly focused. We are not going to cure cancer.
But it’s very inspirational. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. Our goal is to restore, revitalize and reinvent Laguna Seca Raceway. There’s a lot to be done and I am the leader of those efforts. To goal is to return Laguna Seca to its glory days.
Q: If you could look in the crystal ball, let’s say five years from now, is there something you’d really like to see at Laguna Seca? Do you have a super project in mind?
A: I do have something in my mind that I would like to see, but we have to do a full assessment of what’s there, what we can use, what we can’t use. There are a lot of permitting issues we have to work through and deed restrictions we have to work through. I don’t want to put anything out there. But it would be something on par with the (international) events at the Monterey Aquarium or in Carmel By The Sea. That’s the three- to five-year plan.
Q: Moto GP was held a Laguna Seca in recent years but hasn’t returned. Any chance of that?
A: Anything is possible. What we are going to do is take a look at the physical plant. We are going to assess the property and the facilities. We are going to assess the schedule. We are going to take a look at everything. As a non-profit, we have to make sure we are making as much money as possible to invest in the facility. And we have an obligation to make sure we have the highest and best use of the facility. But everything is on the table.
Q: What is your experience at Laguna Seca?
A: I’ve been there many times. My last experience was last year at Rennsport (Reunion) to take a look at that event. That was super fun. I’ve been to the IndyCar races. I have been to the Historics. I’ve been out there quite a bit. The skeleton, the bones of the facility, are fantastic. You’ve got the corkscrew. You’ve got the ups and downs. You’ve got the elevation. From the back side of the course, you can see the ocean.
There are so many wonderful things to see in the topography. I think we can leverage that to turn it into an international showcase. It gets me excited. I am a race fan. I like to go to races. I like to go to sporting events. And I like to gather ideas wherever I go.
