Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2015

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2015

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

Starts: 08/14/2015

Ends: 2015-08-16

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, California

USA

PROLOGUE

Images© and story provided by George McClure Contact Photographer For Information on Photos of this Event

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is about race cars that are rarely seen, authentic and historic. They are not on a lawn but run and raced at speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the world-famous 2.238-mile circuit just our of Monterey California.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the Shelby GT 350 Mustang. In addition there is a 100 years worth of historic cars competing on the Laguna Seca track which is one of the original events of the Monterey Peninsula's Classic Car Week.

John Atzbach of Seattle brought his 1965 Shelby GT 350 Mustang along with three of nine GT 350s (from 1965 and '66) showcased in this year's Heritage Display for the featured marque.

When the old racing cars first began racing at this track back in 1974 it was just a group of car enthusiasts, and the spectators were friends and family gathered for two days of fun racing around the Laguna Seca track.

In addition to the featured GT's Jan Voboril who began racing here in 1979 brought his 1925 Bugatti Type 35, which was originally raced in the 1920s by the famous Czechoslovakian racer Madame EliŠka Junek. In 1926, Madame Junek lead the Targa Florio in this car and was ahead of the great Tazio Nuvolari and all other great racers of that time. However, water pump problems caused her to finish fourth or fifth.

"I love it when I see my former cars racing here," said three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart, and a spokesman for Rolex and is perhaps the most recognizable and beloved personality mixing with the motorsports crowds. "They may not go as fast as we did in the day but it is wonderful to see them."

Stewart joined Scott Pruett, a five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner (last win in 2013), on-stage at this years "Picnic" in the Marketplace, with a crowd of nearly a thousand, shared colorful stories about his past while Pruett lent his own entertaining perspective on car racing as a passion.

Some of Pruett's early racecars were there, perfectly prepped for vintage racing. Zac Brown bought Pruett's IMSA GTO Championship car, the 1986 'Motorcraft Mustang' which he raced in the Rolex Race Group 7A for 1981-1991 FIA / IMSA - GTP, GTO class. Also on the track was Zak Brown's Lola T332, James Hunt's McLaren M26, Niki Lauda's Ferrari 312 T2 from Ron Howard movie Rush (released in 2013) and Dick Deluna's 1917 Hall-Scott.

Also in attendance was Hurley Haywood (who, until Pruett caught him, held the record for five Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona victories), Derek Bell, Brian Redmond, Lynn St. James, Bob Bondurant, David Donohue, Bill Auberlen, Bobby Rahal, and Howden Ganley. Truly a collection of champions.