Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2014 Prologue

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2014 Getting Ready

Vintage, historic, car racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California

Starts: 08/14/2014

Ends: 2014-08-17

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, California

USA

"The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion" in the hills just east of Monterey California at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca that runs from Friday through Sunday on the Monterey Week is coming together for the 2014 extravaganza. Hundreds of nearly priceless vintage and historic cars race at speed around the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca putting on a show that is one of the best in the world.

Can-Am Cars return to The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Can-Am Cars returning to the track that made history in the "anything goes" era of motorsports.

In the '60s and early '70s, drivers like Mark Donohue, George Follmer, Jim Hall, Phil Hill, Denny Hulme, Jacky Ickx, Vic Elford, Bruce McLaren and John Surtees, pushed the Porsches, McLarens, Shadows and Lolas, into the history books at tracks like Laguna Seca.

They are back. Don't miss the "Thunder". Each year a specific automotive marque is featured and sections of the race weekend is built around that theme.

This year, Maserati, is the featured marque of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion as it is celebrating its centennial year. With Sir Stirling Moss and Maserati having ties from the 1950's years of competition, and with this year being the 60th anniversary of his drive in the Maserati 250F, as well as the year of Sir Stirling's 85th birthday, historian Murray Smith finds this a opportune time to engage Moss in a noontime session in the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca marketplace. A must see for race fans.

1952 Fiat 642 Maserati Transporter
Image Credit: Photo Courtesy of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Media

Italian car collector Lawrence Auriana is sending key race and passenger cars to Monterey, AND a vintage 1952 Fiat 642 Maserati race car transporter to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The factory transporter, which was used during the high point of Maserati's racing efforts in the 1950s bring its sports cars and Formula 1 cars to tracks throughout Europe.

The transporter was part of Juan Manuel Fangio's 1953 and 1957 World Championship Formula 1 seasons with a Maserati 250F. After the 1957 season, the factory sold this transporter to Lance Reventlow for his SCARAB race team. SCARAB was the first post-war American-built Formula 1 car and was used until 1962. It has now had a full restoration in Modena, Italy under the supervision of Adolfo Orsi, historian and grandson of Adolfo Orsi, owner of Maserati from 1937 to 1968.

Note: The Images on this page will be supplemented with images and stories from the actual event. Check back after the above event date.

Shadow MK IIIB 1972

Stirling Moss in a Maserati 250F
In 1954 Moss got to drive his "first proper Formula 1 car," the Maserati 250F. Moss raced against Juan Manuel Fangio for the championship with Fangio taking the title.
Image Credit: Maserati NA
Courtesy of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Maserati 250F sn-2527 Tipo 2 works car 1957
Moss's racing career spanned from 1948 to 1962. He entered 527 races and finished 375 times. His win percentage is remarkable 56.53 percent (212 victories). This spectacular record, by some twist of fate, failed to place Moss in the record book with a World Championship, which is probably the only title he did not win.

This 2014 is the 60th anniversary of Stirling's drive in the Maserati 250F, and Sir Stirling's 85th birthday that follows in September.
Sir Stirling Moss At Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2010

Maserati Tipo 151 1962

American race driver Derek Hill, son of World Champion Phil Hill, will drive a Maserati Tipo 151, the last of 3 built, in a race in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this August 14-17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

This Tipo 151 has been fully restored and since its restoration, chassis 151.006 has competed in three successive Goodwood Revivals and last year in the 2013 Le Mans Legend. This will be the car's first visit to Monterey and the challenging 2.238-mile road course. The Tipo 151 is from the collection of Lawrence Auriana.