MONTEREY >> Mazda Raceway opens its racing season this weekend, but the question remains — what does the raceway do without MotoGP?

For some, the loss of the MotoGP World Championship Series, one of the top motorcycle race series in the world, seems like a big deficit for the track and the community. Although Gill Campbell, chief executive officer and general manager of the raceway, realizes that MotoGP created a void in the schedule, her main focus is keeping the raceway alive and well.

“We haven”t run out of fuel; were just changing tires,” Campbell said. “MotoGP put our track on the map as one of the most technically demanding motorcycle road racing circuits in the world. We”ll capitalize on that and move forward.”

Campbell is no stranger to adversity in racetrack management. She adroitly brought in MotoGP to fill the gap left by the departure of the popular Champ Car series in 2004.

Once again, Campbell is shifting gears with next weekend”s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix and the introduction of the new Tudor United Sports Car Championship.

“Many may be surprised, but it was our decision not to go with MotoGP in 2014,” she said. “The increased sanctioning fee to $3 million dollars would have created an $800,000 deficit. The view from the office is very different than the view from the top of the corkscrew. Particularly when we have to compete with subsidized facilities like Indianapolis and Texas,” that are hosting MotoGP events.

The loss of MotoGP will reverberate throughout Monterey County. The impact on local business was valued at $100 million dollars, according to Campbell.

But MotoGP with its worldwide appeal and coverage was not the raceway”s flagship event. That has always been the Historics, more formally known as The Rolex Monterey Motor Sports Reunion.

“The Reunion is the oldest and the most successful event on our calendar and we build our season around it,” Campbell said.

Next week”s Continental Grand Prix starts a new era in sports car racing. The race is the fourth round for the newly created series featuring Prototype, Grand Touring and Touring Car classes.

The new TUDOR United Sports Car Championship is the culmination of a sale and merger in 2012 between the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-AM Rolex sports car championship. IMSA, the International Motor Sports Association, is the sanctioning body for the series and is a subsidiary of NASCAR.

The Tudor Championship will preview cars and drivers with a Mini Grand Prix of San Jose around Plaza de Cesar Chavez on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m., including the SRT Viper, Aston Martin, Ferrari and BMW, along with the Corvette, Mazda and Honda-powered prototypes. Racing will get under way at 12:30 p.m.

San Jose Earthquakes defender Jordan Stewart will serve as Grand Marshall for the Mini Grand Prix of San Jose.

Mazda Raceway”s season continues with the Ferrari Challenge May 16-18. The FIM World Super Bikes return July 11-13 and for the first time in 46 years, the Sports Car Club of America”s National Championship runoffs travels west of the Mississippi.

“It”s taken nine years trying to convince the SCCA to bring the runoffs out west,”

Campbell said. “And I”m very pleased Mazda Raceway was chosen.”

The Championship runoffs are scheduled for October 10-12.

Continental grand prix

What type of vehicles: High-tech prototypes from Chevrolet, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Honda and production-based GT cars from Audi, Corvette, Porsche, SRT, Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin.

Average MPH: 105 mph (average lap). Prototypes can reach speeds up to 200 mph.

Points leaders: Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi (Prototype); Bill Auberlen, Andy

Priaulx (GTLM); Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler (GTD); Colin Braun, Jon Bennett (PC)

Biggest race: Tequila Patr?n North American Endurance Cup events (Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, Sahlen”s Six Hours of The Glen, Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.)

Where are we in season?: The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda is the fourth race on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule following season-opening Tequila Patr?n North American Endurance Cup events, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, and the 100-minute sprint race at Long Beach.

What to watch for: The best drivers in North American endurance sports car competition race against each other for the first time since 1997 on Mazda Raceway”s 2.238 mile circuit. Combining the best of both worlds from the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr?n and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the IMSA-sanctioned TUDOR United SportsCar Championship brings close competition to Mazda Raceway with separate two-hour events featuring some of the top sports cars and drivers in the world.

— Tony Karis