The last stop of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Experience Tour was this past weekend at Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington. I had never been to Seattle before, so I was extremely excited to visit both the city and the track, which I had heard great things about.
Spotted! Mount Ranier… Amazing!
Straight off the plane, I could begin to appreciate the beautiful Northwest scenery, with mountains in view almost all the time and the incredible evergreens. It was like an outdoor adventurer’s dream come true!
The MX-5 Experience Tour, Seattle style!
Pacific Raceways was really unique. I didn’t realize until I got there that the circuit was originally built in the 1950s. Historically, the track has hosted Can-Am and all kinds of sports car racing. Right now the facility is best known for its NHRA drag strip, and the main part of the road course front straightaway runs both parallel to and on the strip.
Another aspect that made the track a standout were the elevation changes and the beautiful surroundings. The tree line comes right up to the track, so we had the changing fall leaves next to us, making it feel more like a winding road than a race track.
We even had sunshine both afternoons of the event!
The MX-5 Experience participants absolutely loved the driving opportunity, not only because the MX-5 is so impressive to drive but also because of the challenging circuit. Not to mention that it was wet on Saturday morning – typical Northwest weather! – so the track was even more exciting.
I was really impressed with the number of enthusiasts who came out for the event. Both days were well attended, even on Friday. I was also impressed with how many of the participants are already MX-5 owners. My impressions of the track and the city now have me looking forward to coming back in the future!