Laguna Seca honored past champs Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson tonight with a swank party. image by wolf j adams

Honoring past Grand Prix champions has never been the work of racetracks in America. While if Eddie Lawson, Kenny Roberts and Wayne Rainey came to a race in Spain or Italy the locals would see to it that they'd be the toast of Jerez or Mugello. Here, in America, though? When they were racing and winning world championships much was made about the fact that the aforementioned trio could walk down any street in America without being recognized. Add fifteen or thirty years to that anonymity and most ex-champs might have difficulty simply obtaining a pass to enter racetracks they used to win at.

Most tracks are focused on either the here and now or the future, not in organizing and paying for tributes to past champions.

Everywhere but Laguna Seca, that is.

Last night in nearby Carmel an elegant party was held for about 100 guests to celebrate Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts being inducted into the Laguna Seca Walk of Fame; they joined Wayne Rainey who was inducted last year.

The party, fronted by Laguna Seca, was attended by a host of industry VIPs. They watched as Laguna Seca GM Gill Campbell, Yamaha's Bob Starr and Wayne Rainey paid tribute to Lawson and Roberts.

With ten world championships between them, Lawson, Rainey and Roberts were humbled by the adoration and respect given them by the crowd. All three looked vibrant and healthy, especially Lawson who underwent a tricky hip replacement surgery last year.

The '08 USGP at Laguna Seca marks the twentieth anniversary of Lawson's fairy tale USGP win on the Marlboro Yamaha.

"It seems like yesterday," Lawson said last night.