Celebrating 50 Years of Vintage Racing @ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Classic Industries was at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to witness and celebrate 50 years of vintage auto racing history with the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2024. When the humble scribe (namely me) learned about this vintage racing extravaganza, he knew where he wanted to be from August 14 through August 17, 2024.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Celebrates 50 Years of Racing History @ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Above: Photo by T.M. Hill, lead photographer at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The race cars gathered to celebrate Monterey Historic Automobile Races Golden Anniversary - 50 Years! - include:

• 1999 BMW V12 LMR
• 2023 Chevrolet Camaro
• 1990 Mercedes-Benz C11
• 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-T
• 1985 Porsche 962
• 1979 Porsche 935
• 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
• 1963 Corvette Grand Sport
• 1965 Cobra Daytona Coupe
• 1963 Aston Martin DP215
• 1962 Lesovsky IndyCar
• 1966 Gurney Eagle
• 1978 Lotus Type 79
• 1967 Alfa Romeo Floreon
• 1960 Cunningham Corvette
• 1962 Lotus 19
• 1955 Jaguar D-Type
• 1962 Cooper Monaco
• 1952 Cunningham C4R
• 1953 Allard
• 1953 Alfa Romeo 6C 3000
• 1956 Maserati 250F
• 1927 Bugatti Type 35
• 1935 MG PA/PB
• 1926 Miller Perfect Circle
• 1949 Ferrari 166 MM
• 2009 Audi R15
• 1924 Bentley
• 1964 Chaparral 2

The event took place from Wednesday, August 14 through Saturday, August 17. If you're at Laguna Seca throughout the vintage races, it's as if you have your own time travel Marty McFly piloted and Doc Brown designed/engineered/built DMC DeLorean, as you're able to witness and hear a varied and spectacular collection of vintage racing machines from the early days of the automobile (1900-1939 sports, racing, and touring cars) right up until the model year of 2007, which Included a combination of IMSA GTPs, Daytona Prototypes, and American Le Mans Series Prototypes.

Buckle up your seat belts and check out some of the endless automotive action at WRLS for the Golden Anniversary of vintage racing at this world class road course!

Above: The Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 was contested from 11:20-11:45 am on Friday, August 16. A 1967 Mustang notchback coupe and a 1969 Camaro have just exited the Andretti Hairpin turn 2 and are approaching turn 1.

Above: Some Mustangs follow a car that had a bit of an off-track expedition in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 on Friday.

Above: There are fast race car drivers and fast painting auto racing artists. This particular artist is putting some finishing touches on his creation after perhaps 30 minutes of artistry - not a bad gig if you have the talent and creativity, which this artist has in spades.

Above: The driver of this Audi R8 ALMS LMP (American Le Mans Series Le Mans Prototype) race car was able to stay ahead of his competitors throughout the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1, which included 1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA, and World Challenge combatants.

Above: The #19 clad vintage race car ran in the Ragtime Racers Exhibition on Thursday, August 15.

Above: These Porsches raced in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 on Friday, August 16.

Above and below: This 1966 Mustang notchback coupe ran strong in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Qualifying - 1966-1972 Trans Am session on Thursday, August 15.

Above: The #20 clad vintage racing machine from the 1920's showed off with some consummate racing and navigating/on board mechanic skill in the Ragtime Racers Exhibition on Thursday, August 15.

Above: This Ryobi ALMS LMP race car has a very conservative paint scheme. Not! Of course, she raced in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 on Friday, August 16.

Above: There was an early 1970's first generation Ford Bronco that looked to be a genuine Baja Bronco by the Bill Stroppe Team parked in the paddock area. The beauteous beast was flanked by a blue Blazer on one side and a 1966 Shelby GT350R Mustang on the other, both of which are displayed later in the article for your viewing/reading pleasure.

Above: A Porsche 911 and a Datsun Z battled in the Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, FTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA race group, run on Friday.

Above: World famous racing driver, Stirling Moss, drove this 1956 Maserati 250F (chassis 2525) to victory at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where the Maserati made its debut. The car featured a canted angle engine with an offset transmission, which allowed Moss to sit eight inches lower in the seat, thus providing better aerodynamics/balance for the race car, which yielded faster lap times for Sir Stirling Moss.

Above: In a partnership among Chevrolet, IMSA, Goodyear, Hendrick Motorsports, and NASCAR, this 2023 NASCAR Next Gen Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (chassis 02) competed at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. The NASCAR Camaro completed 2,413.1 miles (285 laps) at Le Mans. She finished 39th in the 62-car field. Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, and Jenson Button were the drivers.

Above: Here's another shot of that magnificent #2 Audi Le Mans Prototype followed by a Porsche, running in Friday's Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 - 1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA, and World Challenge contenders.

Above: The blue Chevy Blazer was looking sharp.

Above: Based upon the side vents in the Corvette's front fenders, this is either a 1965 or a 1966 Corvette. The stinger hood scoop was only on 1967 Corvettes.

Above: Since the company's rather humble inception in the 1940's, Porsche has done quite well in automotive racing. According to online blog Jalopnik, Porsche has won the second most worldwide sanctioned races, second only to the Ford Motor Company.

Battling in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 on Friday, August 16, the #92 1968 Camaro put two wheels off the track exiting the turn 2 Andretti Hairpin. The driver was able to get back on track without spinning out and hitting the K-wall that this humble scribe was standing behind and shooting this photo through a photo hole in the fence.

Above: These race cars in repose have earned their way into an esteemed racing show car retirement. The cars that battled for wins on famous road courses around the world were part of the 50th Anniversary Exhibition, presented by Motul, and Cars and Cosdel, for this once-in-a-lifetime WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca paddock experience.

Above: Competing in Friday's Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Rolex Race, an ALMS LMP car is leading a Saleen S7R and two Porsches. Did you know that Saleen S7R's competed in 235 races? They earned 154 podium finishes, 129 fastest laps, 118 poles, and 78 wins. A Saleen S7R also won in its race group at the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in the day!

Above: Some Trans Am cars are coming up to speed in the first lap of their Race 1 on Friday, August 16.

Above and two below: You can read all about this Roy Woods Javelin by reading the sign below.

Above: Roy Woods Javelin V8 engine

Above: Driven by American racing legend, Dan Gurney, this 1962 Lotus Type 19 (chassis 951) earned a first place victory at the 1962 Laguna Seca Race. Gurney also won the 1962 Daytona three-hour race by crossing the finish line with a seized engine in #96. Founder of Lotus Cars Limited, in Hethel, United Kingdom, Colin Chapman's genius behind race car building at Lotus was simply to "add lightness." Form follows function with every Lotus that has ever been envisioned, designed, engineered, and constructed.

Above: These Formula One cars from the 1970's and 80's are such a blast to watch at speed. This #35 car was shooting down the Corkscrew turn 8 and turn 8A during the Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One.

Above: The gentleman who races this orange BMW CSL has been vintage racing the Bimmer for several years. Click here to get all the details on this Ultimate Racing Machine.

Above: This must be a Corvette Grand Sport replica, since there are no battle scars. She sure looks beautiful!

Above: Sounding like a bunch of bumble bees, several Formula Fords dive down the Corkscrew turn 8, in the Skip Barber Cup Race 1 - 1967-1981 Formula Ford group.

Above and below: A BMW M1 exits the Corkscrew area of turn 8A and approaches Rainey Curve (turn 9). M1's look great going, coming, or in situ (situated in the original place, in repose).

Above: The very same 1970 Boss 302 Mustang that won the Trans Am Championship in 1970 leads the field for the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1972 Trans Am group. In 1970, Parnelli Jones was the driving champion of the #15 Boss 302 leading the pack right here.

Above: Miraculously, no harm was done to this Formula Ford, after she slid off track in the Skip Barber Cup Race 1 - 1967-1981 Formula Ford race. The driver awaited an opening in the traffic to matriculate back on track and proceed to the pits for inspection of #53.

Above: A Mazda RX8 held its own in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 - 1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA, World Challenge race group. Zoom! Zoom!

Above: Looking cool and running strong all race long, the John Player Special livery race car performed to perfection in the Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One contest.

Above: An early 1980's Fox body Mustang combated in the Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, ASGT, GTU, FIA, and looked great doing so.

Above and three below: The magnificent 1955 or 1956 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing coupe here was a sight to behold. Check out the 1950's hot rod style pinstriping on the dashboard.

Above: Whether at full-pop on a road course or on display in the paddock, the 2009 Audi R15 (chassis T 101) is a thing of automotive engineering and design excellence - and of course, a thing of beauty. Piloted by Mike Rockenfeller, Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr, Allan McNish, and Tom Kristensen, this car debuted at the 2009 Sebring 12 Hours where she finished third overall.

Above: More Trans Am race action, with several Fords leading the fray.

Above: This Ken Tyrrell Ford Racing Team Formula One car was driven by famous British racing champion Jackie Stewart back in the day. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three Drivers' Championships and one Constructors' Championship with Jackie Stewart piloting this #4 Tyrrell Ford.

Above: The double 0 Porsche raced in the Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, FTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA on Friday.

Above: A 1968 Camaro is followed close by a 1967 notchback Mustang in Friday's Trans Am race action.

A BMW M1 and a BMW 3.0CSL battle almost side by side in the Friday Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, ASGT, GTU, FIA.

Above and below: A Corvette C3 convertible with its removable hardtop in place, ran strong in Friday's Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, ASGT, GTU, FIA. The racy red Chevy Monza below competed in the same race.

Above: Pulling away from the field in the Friday Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One was like taking candy from a baby in the #14 clad Candy F1 car (couldn't resist).

Above: These three Ford Mustang road racing variants all campaigned in Friday's Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, ASGT, GTU, FIA. Which one is your favorite?

Above: A quartet of Porsches sung in that sweet mechanical Porsche'esque symphony of mechanical brilliance down the Corkscrew in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 - 1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA, World Challenge race group.

Above: The #034 289 Shelby Cobra with the Sunburst wheels is a USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) sanctioned race car. Notice the luggage edges on the trunk lid's top? That's for accommodating an USRRC dimensionally specified piece of luggage to qualify for USRRC-sanctioned races. Remember the scene in Ford v. Ferrari where the actor playing the part of race driver/engineer Ken Miles (actor Christian Bale) takes a hammer to the underside of the deck lid to permit accommodating a piece of luggage stowed in the trunk? That Hollywood movie dramatization scene probably didn't occur in real racing history quite that way, but it makes for an entertaining scene in a fun movie.

Above: The 289 Cobra rear trunk lid accommodates a USRRC-sanctioned and specified piece of luggage.

Above: Another contender in the Peter Gregg Trophy Race 1 - 1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, ASGT, GTU, FIA - this baby is an uber sweet 3.0 CSL (L stands for lightweight) BMW.

Above: The #17 Villiger Formula One race car looked sweet during the Friday Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One.

Above: The #5 clad John Player Special was a crowd favorite in the Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One, held on Friday, August 16.

Above: It's always cool to see a Trans Am prepped Mercury Cougar and a Camaro doing battle in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1972 Trans Am group on Friday, August 16.

Above: A Dodge Challenger is caught in the middle of three Camaros and one Mustang in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1972 Trans Am group on Friday, August 16.

Above and below: A 289 Shelby Cobra USRRC race car, #146, piloted by none other than Dan Gurney back in the day, awaited her next race in the paddock. Notice there's a California black plate license plate in the nose, #013. This baby's street legal. Just take the tape off the headlights, and you're good to go street cruising. The engine in Dan Gurney's #146 Shelby Cobra is a 289-cubic inch Ford mill fed by four Weber two-barrel carburetors, just as she was setup back in the 1960's for winning road course races. That's Dan Gurney pictured on the side of someone's race car trailer. Dan Gurney for President! RIP Mr. Dan Gurney.

Above: Dan Gurney's office - the #146 Shelby Cobra 289, looks to be all business!

Above: #146 looks awesome from every perspective.

Above: If you blow up the above image, you should be able to read all about the #146 Dan Gurney raced 289 Shelby Cobra.

Above and below: During the Friday Mario Andretti Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1985 Formula One, we were all treated to witnessing the #27 Leyland F1 car flying on land in person. The #1 clad Formula One car below was Niki Lauda's primary race car for most of the 1976 F1 season, which has been proclaimed as Formula One's greatest year. Director Ron Howard's film 'Rush' in 2013 is a biographical sports Formula One auto racing movie about the rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One World Championship. If you haven't watched the movie, you're missing out big time. Mauro Forghieri and Franco Rocchi designed the 1,268-pound (dry weight) Ferrari F1 car that sports a Ferrari flat 12 engine - 4 camshafts, with 48 valves, Lucas fuel injection, and a Magneti Merelli electronic ignition. The displacement is 2,992 cubic centimeters (almost three liters). The Ferrari Flat 12 mill has 11.5 to 1 compression and makes 500-horsepower at 12,200 rpm. Fuel capacity is 42.9 gallons. The Ferrari's wheelbase is 100.8 inches. Power gets to the tarmac via a Ferrari transverse mounted five-speed manual transaxle. Watch the movie to get the full scoop on this fabulous Formula One two-man battle in Formula One's most spectacular racing season of 1976.

Above: You're looking at the last of six 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe's produced (chassis CSX 2286). The Daytona ran as high as third place overall at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans before she had to retire due to a clutch failure after 15 hours of endurance racing at the most famous street road racing circuit in the world. Jerry Grant and Dan Gurney drove the Daytona at the event.

Above: Though this 1963 Corvette Grand Sport has chassis number 004, she was the very first Grand Sport to run on a racetrack. John Mecum Jr. entered his Corvette Grand Sport under his privateer racing team's flag at Nassau Speed Week in 1963. The drivers were Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan.

Above: A 1965 Shelby GT350R spec Mustang is flanked by a 1970 Trans Am Camaro, a Porsche 911 race car, and another Porsche road car. The race vehicles are just waiting for their next excursions on Laguna Seca's world famous racetrack.

Above: The legendary race team Ecurie Ecosse was the overall winner of the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans in this #4 clad 1954 Jaguar XK D-Type. The beautiful D-Type is the only Le Mans-winning C or D-Type that has survived intact and is essentially original to its race winning form.

Above and two below: The lead mechanic for this jet black 1966 Shelby GT350 race specification Mustang was warming up the 289-cubic inch Ford V8 mill to make sure that she was running strong for her next race. Shelby Mustangs campaign in the B Production classification (notice the BP above the G.T. 350 on the front fender). From 1965 through the 1967 racing seasons, the Shelby GT350R won the B Production championship in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) racing - three championships in a row!

Above: Someone has a super clean restomodded BMW 3.0 CSI. Although, it appears that the fuel filler door is missing on that passenger side quarter panel.

Above: When you go to a vintage race like the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, there's a great chance that you'll see cool cars parked in the paddock as well as the spectator parking lot, like this fine as wine Alfa Romeo coupe.

Above: Friday's Trans Am race action included a Ford Falcon giving chase to a 1968 notchback Mustang and a 1969 Boss 302 Mustang fastback.

Above and below: Friday, August 16, 2024, from 3:00 pm - 3:25 pm, the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Race 1 took place. Here, two ALMS (American Le Mans Series) LMP (Le Mans Prototypes) are driving down the Corkscrew (turn 8), after the short contest. Notice the driver in the Martini car is waving to the spectators, track personnel, and photographers. These LMP cars are awesome to witness in person running full tilt. They literally fly on land.

Above and below: Big Oly, built by Bill Stroppe and Parnelli Jones, won the Baja 1000in 1970 and 1971 as well as the Mint 400 in 1973. Big Oly and Lil Oly Broncos were on display one-day in the paddock at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Many auto racing spectators believe that vintage racing, whether it's drag racing or road course action, is the absolute most fun to watch at tracks around the globe. There is such a wide variety of racing machines that are battling on track and resting or being wrenched on in the paddock, awaiting their next run for glory. Such was and is always the case for the spectacular racing action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Golden Anniversary of vintage racing (first on track in 1974). Check out the vintage racing results for the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

Video of Featured Marque for 2025 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion @ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - Formula One

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Above: It's always a hoot to witness Trans Am racing! The drivers really compete. Look how close they're running together in the Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy Race 1 - 1966-1972 Trans Am group on Friday, August 16.

Above: Photo by T.M. Hill, lead photographer at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca