Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, host of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, has announced that this year’s event, scheduled for August 12–15, will honor one of the true legends of motorsports, Dan Gurney.
“We are proud that Dan has accepted our invitation to be our first featured guest at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
This will be only the second time in the 37-year history of the event that a man rather than a marque has been featured. The first occasion was when Juan Manuel Fangio was so honored in 1991.
Titled “Dan Gurney—the Cars He Built, the Cars He Drove,” the weekend will feature a selection of racing cars fitting that description, with examples from Formula 1, Indycars, GTP, Can-Am, Trans-Am, and other categories. A highlight of the weekend will be the public interview and autograph sessions on Saturday, August 14, where Gurney will share some of his favorite memories with the fans.
Among those tales may be his participation in Laguna Seca’s very first professional race, the Pacific Grand Prix of 1960, driving the Arciero Brothers Lotus 19, one of the cars that will be on display. He also raced at the track in Can-Am and Trans-Am competition, and his dominant Toyota Eagle MkIII GTP car made its competition debut there in 1991.
The organizers have also announced that the “Pre-Reunion” held at Laguna Seca the weekend before the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be open to spectators for the first time. This event has proven to be a valuable low-key opportunity for drivers to shake down their cars and accrue some useful track time.
Tickets for the Pre-Reunion will be available only at the gate, but to purchase advance tickets for the actual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, please visit www.MazdaRaceway.com or call (800) 327-7322.
