© Mike Meredith, Automotive Content Experience
Racing History
A centerpiece of the Monterey Motoring Week, the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca brings together hundreds of historic race cars spanning more than a century of racing. This year the event focused on the track itself, spanning 60 years of history at California’s beloved 11-turn natural terrain road course with the famous Corkscrew turn, located in the rolling hills east of Monterey. For this significant milestone, organizers created a display of past winners and significant vehicles that have raced at Laguna Seca over the last six decades.
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© Rod Hatfield
1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa
Pete Lovely drove this Ferrari to victory in 1957 at the first ever race held at Laguna Seca. The car continued to race into the 1960s and is owned today by Pete Lovely and Fred Armbruster.
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© Rod Hatfield
1963 Shelby King Cobra
Winner of the 1963 Monterey Pacific Grand Prix, driver Dave MacDonald started 13th in this Shelby King Cobra and moved through the field to take first place in the 100-lap race.
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© Rod Hatfield
1970 Mustang Boss 302
Built by Kar Kraft and Bud Moore Engineering, this Mustang Boss 302, driven by George Follmer, contended the 11-race 1970 Trans Am Championship series. Follmer’s teammate Parnelli Jones won the first race of the season in April at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Jones went on to win five races that season and the 1970 driver’s championship.
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© Rod Hatfield
1973 Porsche 917/30
Champion driver Mark Donahue won the 1973 Monterey Grand Prix and the 1973 Can-Am championship driving this 1973 Porsche 917/30, one of the fiercest cars of all time. The turbocharged flat 12-cylinder engine in the 917/30 produces 1500 horsepower and the car is capable of a 240-mph top speed.
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© Rod Hatfield
1983 March Indy Car
Driven by Teo Fabi, this 1983 March was the first Indy Car to win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca when Fabi won the 1983 Monterey Grand Prix. Fabi earned 7 podium finishes during the season and finished second in the championship.
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© Rod Hatfield
1985 Porsche 962
Al Holbert won the 1985 Laguna Seca 300 Kilometers in this Lowenbrau Porsche 962, one of the most successful cars of the IMSA GTP era, and he went on to win the 1985 and 1986 IMSA Camel GTP driver’s championship. Holbert also won the 1986 and 1987 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Lowenbrau Porsche 962.
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© Rod Hatfield
1990 Yamaha YZR500
Wayne Rainey won the 1990 U.S. Grand Prix Laguna Seca riding this 1990 Yamaha YZR500 and went on to win the 1990 500cc World Championship, the first of three consecutive World Championships.
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© Rod Hatfield
1993 AAR Toyota Eagle MkIII
P.J. Jones, son of 1970 Trans Am winner Parnelli Jones, won the 1993 Monterey Camel GT race driving this 1993 AAR Toyota Eagle MkIII. Built by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers, the 1993 AAR Toyota Eagle MkIII is powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 800 horsepower.
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© Rod Hatfield
1999 BMW V12 LMR
JJ Lehto and Steve Soper won the 1999 Visa Sports Car Championship in this 1999 BMW V12 LMR. Powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine, a sibling car won the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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© Rod Hatfield
2005 Audi R8 LMP
One of the most dominant cars in the history of sports car racing, the Audi R8 LMP won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times and the American Le Mans Series title six times. This example, driven by Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, finished second in the 2005 Monterey Sports Car Championship.
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© Rod Hatfield
2016 K-PAX McLaren 650S GT3
Alvaro Parente drove the K-PAX McLaren 650S GT3 to victory in the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With the victory in Monterey, Parente clinched the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GT championship.
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