#185, West Coast Bike Week set for Monterey Peninsula debut

Motorcycle racing and lots of related activities will add to the always-full calendar of motorsports with the debut of West Coast Bike Week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The community-focused, 10 days of racing and fan interaction will be geared toward those who enjoy all things on two wheels. Barry Toepke, Director of Heritage Events & Public Relations for the raceway, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. The inaugural West Coast Bike Week will be held July 9-18 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and other Monterey Peninsula locations. Co-hosts James Raia and Bruce Aldrich discuss with Toepke the new series as the racetrack's future as pandemic restrictions have been upgraded. Activities will begin July 9 at the MotoAmerica in downtown Pacific Grove from 5-9 p.m. The new showcase of events will be highlighted by the GEICO Motorcycle MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey, July 9-11, followed by exciting vintage racing with the AHRMA Classic Motofest of Monterey, July 16-18. West Coast Bike Week: Family Fun "It's going to be fantastic," said Toepke of the Superbike Speedfest. "They were here last year during the pandemic to a close paddock and had some super racing. "There were some people who came into the park to watch. But now that we are open to the public, we are selling tickets. As of now, we are open and mask-free for those people who are vaccinated. We are excited." For the Pacific Grove event, Lighthouse Avenue will be shut down between Forest Avenue and Congress Avenue, where live music, merchandise and other surprises await at this free event that is presented by the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. Fans are encouraged to bring their motorcycles to help launch West Coast Bike Week. The inaugural West Coast Bike Week will be held July 9-18 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and other Monterey Peninsula locations. Toepke is enthusiastic about all things at Laguna Seca, but he stressed the unique "bagger" competition. It's called "King of the Baggers." Harley-Davidson and Indian touring bikes – complete with saddlebags – compete. "To see these bikes go through the corkscrew and accelerate out of that is something you actually have to see," said Toepke. "It will bring a smile to your face. People are enjoying their bikes." During the podcast, the co-hosts and Toepke also discuss the year-long calendar and the new racetrack management. It has revitalized the racing calendar and improved marketing, public relations and community outreach programs at the famed track and surrounding recreational area. Please join for a comprehensive look at the new West Coast Bike Week in Episode #185 For additional information on West Coast Bike Week, visit: www.weathertechraceway.com. The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us. Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site. If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews. The podcast is in its third year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions. Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: james@jamesraia.com. All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below. Amazon.com Google Play iheartradio iTunes Spotify