MONTEREY, Calif. – Most of vintage car week leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance involves shiny cars on verdant lawns with people wearing bright colors sipping wine. At the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion it’s the opposite.
Racecars from all eras – many of them just as rare and valuable as the concours displays – take to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and turn laps in the spirit of competition. Okay, it’s not exactly paint-trading duels, but seeing these racers at speed again is quite an experience. This year about 550 cars were spread out over a range of classes, from pre-1940 sports and touring cars to 1981-91 IMSA GTP cars. The 60th anniversary of the racetrack and the 70th anniversary of Ferrari were also among the featured events this year.
As usual, thousands of race fans watched from the stands, paddock and suites, soaking in the roars of the engines and colorful liveries from days-gone-by. We stopped by on Saturday, where gray skies gave way to a sun-drenched afternoon and enjoyable competition.
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