Laguna Seca Celebrates 50 Years of Racing on Pebble Weekend

When the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the history of racing August 14–17 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 12 of the 13 classes of competition will now be associated with legendary drivers.

“This year’s 50th-anniversary salute to historic racing will be a grand celebration unlike any we’ve done in the past,” believes Barry Toepke, director of heritage events for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Every aspect of the 2024 Rolex Reunion is being examined and elevated in a sense. The entire team is abuzz with new ideas and ways to honor the significance of historic racing and the addition of these gentlemen has only fueled that engine.”

They are as follows:

Mario Andretti Trophy (1966–85 Formula 1): Andretti is the only person to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula 1 World Championship (1978). The Turn 2 hairpin at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is named in his honor.

Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup (1991–2011 IMSA ALMS, Grand Am, FIA): California native Pruett began his career in karting at the age of eight. He broke the record for the most IMSA wins in 2016 when he won his 60th race (since eclipsed in 2020 by another Californian, Bill Auberlen). Pruett won at the Rolex 24 at Daytona five times. He has five Grand-Am championships, two IMSA GTO Championships, and a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He continues to win awards with wine produced at Pruett Vineyards.

Parnelli Jones Trans-Am Trophy (1966–72 Trans-Am): Parnelli Jones’ story weaves in significant accomplishments in IndyCar, Trans-Am, off-road racing, and in the history of Laguna Seca. At 90, the oldest living winner of the Indianapolis 500 had one of his most acclaimed wins in 1970 when, at Laguna, he almost lapped the entire Trans-Am field in his Ford Mustang Boss 302. He went on to win the season championship.

Dan Gurney Saloon Car Enduro (1955–69 saloon cars): Dan Gurney was a Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, and Trans-Am race winner, becoming the first of three drivers to win in each series. He also started the champagne-spraying celebration in 1967 after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, now an integral post-race ritual. In 1961, in the thick of his F1 career, Gurney rebuilt a Chevrolet Impala and entered it in saloon races in Europe where he made history outrunning the dominant Jaguars.

Ken Miles ’60s GT Trophy (1955–67 SCCA large-displacement production cars): Miles, now widely known from the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari, is a 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring race winner. Along with Carroll Shelby, Miles was deeply involved in the development of the Ford GT40 that he raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He often raced at Laguna Seca in Shelby Cobras, and he also drove Porsches for car dealer Otto Zipper.

Jim Hall USRRC Cup (1963–68 sports racing cars): Hall, 88, is one of the most successful USRRC drivers, including winning back-to-back USRRC championships and the 12 Hours of Sebring. As a race car builder, his products have won in ‘most every series they’ve competed in, which includes USRRC, Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, World Sportscar Championship, and the Indianapolis 500. He was a leader in the innovation and design of aerodynamics and ground effects, as seen through his Chaparral cars.

Peter Gregg Trophy (1973–81 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA): Gregg had many important race wins and championships across multiple series. He was the Trans-Am champion in 1971 and 1973, and he had wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1973, ’75, ‘76, and ’78. Gregg also took four IMSA GTO championships and a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Hurley Haywood Trophy (1981–91 IMSA GTP, GTO, FIA, Group C, Trans-Am): Arguably America’s greatest road-racing endurance driver, Haywood is a five-time winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and a two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner. Haywood’s record also includes a 1988 Trans-Am Series title with Audi and two IMSA GT championships.

Pedro Rodriguez Trophy (1961–75 FIA Manufacturers Championship): Rodriguez was a popular Formula 1 driver between 1963 and 1971, winning the 1967 South African Grand Prix and the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. With his brother, he won the 1961 Paris 1000km and the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans. According to the Laguna Seca track, driving for Ferrari between 1957 and 1970, he stood on the podium steps an impressive 40 of 94 races.

Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy (1947–60 front-engine GT, Sports Racers, and American specials): American sportsman Briggs S. Cunningham owned and raced Jaguars, Ferraris, Corvettes, Listers, OSCAs, and Abarths, but he is mostly known for constructing and fielding teams in the ‘50s with Cadillac- and Chrysler Hemi–powered Cunninghams. Third-place finishes at the 1953 and 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans were his highest, but Cunninghams captured impressive wins at Sebring, Elkhart Lake, and Bridgehampton. Adding to his legacy, Briggs successfully skippered America’s entry in the 1958 America’s Cup.

Skip Barber Cup (1967–81 Formula Fords): Barber is a back-to-back-to-back SCCA National Champion and back-to-back Formula Ford National Champion. He also raced in Formula 1 at the Monaco, Dutch, U.S., and Canadian Grands Prix. Upon retiring from racing, he founded the Skip Barber Racing School, the largest racing school in the world that holds programs at 10 different tracks in the U.S., including Laguna Seca. He is often credited by pro racers as laying the foundation for successful careers.

John Morton Trophy (1955–67 SCCA small-displacement production cars): After successfully competing in the SCCA National Championships, Morton’s talent and versatility caught the eye of Carroll Shelby, who teamed John with Ken Miles to drive for Shelby American Racing at Sebring. He catapulted into prominence with Peter Brock’s BRE team. He raced in IndyCar, F5000, Can-Am, and nine times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he won in class twice. Morton’s expertise and involvement in racing had an impact on the development and performance of many iconic automotive brands.

Ragtime Racers Exhibition (1920-and-earlier vehicles): It can be argued that this group, known as The Ragtime Racers, celebrates the start of motor racing. Sporting long-ago brands such as Chalmers-Detroit, National, Packard, and Franklin, the owners of these vehicles bring the history of motor racing to life for fans of all ages.

For more information on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion visit WeatherTechRaceway.com and click on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion event page.

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