Wheel-to-wheel historic racing at Laguna Seca
20190820191756)
Dawn Patrol is great to see concours cars on the move, but the real place to see cars in their natural environment during Monterey Car Week is at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. More than a dozen classes of vintage and not-so-vintage race cars fired up their engines and tackled the technical turns of Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca as drivers pushed the cars and themselves to shave a few tenths off their lap times.
Many of the 20-minute heats are done with deliberate care and mechanical sympathy, although several classes, particularly Trans Am, is legit racing for series points and had real competition with several lead changes.
If you missed this year’s Reunion, don’t blame us. We’ve been proselytizing about the event for ages. However, as consolation, we do have a gallery of photos of some of our favorite cars in action.
20190820191430 "Javelin Trans Am")
Bill Ockerlund, from Holland, Michigan, was often at the front of the pack in his ’71 Javelin. Which is appropriate, as it’s the same car that Mark Donohue used to dominate the 1971 Trans Am season, winning seven of 10 races.
20190820191417 "Grey Ghost Tempest Laguna Seca Rolex Historics")
Pontiac engineer Herb Adams turned a daily-driver 1964 Tempest into a privateer Trans Am racer that held its own among the big-money factory teams in 1971. It’s now owned by John Hildebrand, who could always be found just behind the lead pack in fifth place. It certainly stands out among the curvy pony cars.
20190820191633 "Martini Lancia Laguna Seca")
Some of racing’s most storied liveries were on full-speed display on the track, including Wynn’s Porsche 962, Penske blue on both Porsche and Camaro, and of course Martini’s famous red, white, and blue 1984 Lancia LC2, piloted here by Zak Brown.
20190820191853 "Vintage Sports Cars Rolex Historics")
The 1955–61 Sports Racers class had some of the most colorful and shapely entrants. The field included Lotus, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Devin, Aston Martin, and Jaguar.
20190820191300 "Bugatti Grand Prix racers Laguna Seca")
Where else but the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will you see Bugatti Grand Prix cars racing wheel-to-wheel?
20190820191151 "1911 Fiat S74 Laguna Seca")
20190820191203 "1963 Corvette Laguna Seca")
20190820191221 "1966 Bizzarrini GT America Laguna Seca")
20190820191231 "1967 Corvette")
20190820191238 "2002 Ferrari 550 GT1")
20190820191252 "2003 Corvette C5R")
20190820191311 "Castrol E9 BMW Laguna Seca")
20190820191339 "Cobra #98 Laguna Seca")
20190820191348 "Cobra Laguna Seca Rolex Historics")
20190820191356 "Corvette Laguna Seca Hairpin Exit")
20190820191408 "Eagle")
20190820191513 "Laguna Seca Endurance Racers Rolex Historic")
20190820191529 "Laguna Seca pit row")
20190820191601 "Laguna Seca Porsche Endurance")
20190820191613 "Laguna Seca Rolex Historics Cobra")
20190820191624 "Laguna Seca Rolex Historics Corvette")
20190820191649 "Mirage M12")
20190820191702 "Monza Laguna Seca")
20190820191719 "Pre-War sports cars Rolex Laguna Seca")
20190820191737 "Riley Pontiac Laguna Seca 2")
20190820191818 "Spirit of America Greenwood Corvette")
20190820191835 "Vintage Sports Cars Laguna Seca")
20190820191923 "Wynn_s Porsche 962")
