Maserati will serve as featured marque of the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, scheduled for August 14-17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California. The 100th anniversary of one of Italy’s iconic sports car brands will be celebrated at the annual Monterey Classic Car Week event.
“Maserati is a definition of not only luxury road cars, but some of the most remarkable sports cars and Grand Prix cars ever constructed,” says Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Additionally, it is the 60th anniversary of the sleek Maserati 250F that first competed in the 1954 Formula One season with Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss dueling behind the wheels of their respective 250Fs.”
Maserati was founded in Bologna, Italy and officially started operation on December 14, 1914. The nucleus of the company was then represented by Alfieri Maserati and two of his brothers, Ettore and Ernesto. Though engaged in all matters technical and commercial of their new enterprise, they all at one point sat behind the steering wheel of their racing cars in the golden days of motor racing. A fifth brother, Mario, is credited with designing the famed Maserati logo, drawing inspiration from the Neptune fountain in downtown Bologna.
Maserati produced its first car in 1926 – a race car named Tipo 26. It debuted with a victory in the 1926 Targa Florio, the first of an endless string of wins which include two editions of the Indianapolis 500, nine wins in Formula One and the 1957 F1 World Championship.
“Maserati is celebrating its anniversary at key venues around the world, and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in Monterey is unquestionably one of the highlights on the international calendar,” says Peter Grady, President and CEO of Maserati North America, Inc. “We look forward to showcasing the modern Maserati in the context of a heritage of century of building inspired automobiles that break the norm and define ‘The Absolute Opposite of Ordinary.’”
A field of 550 historically- and period-correct race cars will compete in 15 different race groups at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Tickets to the event are on sale, and include a variety of options, from single day tickets to multiple-day and hospitality packages. For more information, visit MazdaRaceway.com or call the ticket office at (800) 327-7322.
[Source: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca; photo: Dennis Gray]
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