Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca officials announced the Selection Committee for the 2010 Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
Jay Amestoy, vice president of public and government affairs for Mazda North American Operations, Bruce Canepa, president of Canepa Design and Concept Transporters, John Lamm, editor-at-large, Road & Track, Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and Steve Earle, president General Racing Ltd. – will comprise the Selection Committee responsible for selecting the marque, classes and cars that will run in the 2010 event.
Jay Amestoy is a 35-year veteran of the automotive industry. He began his career with Road & Track magazine and later became a journalist and editor for a number of import automotive publications. He has held executive public relations positions with Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Nissan and Infinity. He was also vice president of Recaro Industries, an automotive and aircraft seating manufacturer. In 2008, Amestoy was named “Public Relations All-Star” by Automotive News magazine. For the last 18 years, he has served as corporate vice president for Mazda North American Operations.
Bruce Canepa has been fascinated with automobiles, motorcycles and trucks since his childhood. Today he is passionately involved in all aspects of his companies; Canepa Design and Concept Transporters, from vehicle design and development to historic/collector car restoration and racing for over 30 years.
Canepa is also a racer starting out in Quarter Midgets, then in Super Modifieds and Sprint Cars. He began sports car racing in 1978 in both the IMSA and Trans Am series. He finished third at the 1979 Daytona 24 Hours with co-drivers Rick Mears and Monte Shelton. In addition to fielding his own Porsche 935 he also drove for Gianpiero Moretti’s MOMO team. He also raced with Bobby Rahal and Jim Truemen in the first MARCH GTP car. Canepa began racing at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1981 and set the hill record for Big Rigs in 2000, 2001 and 2002; a record that still stands today. Currently he vintage races numerous cars including the 1970 Penske Trans Am Javelin, Gulf Porsche 917K and the very same 935 that he raced in IMSA in 1979.
John Lamm has been an automotive journalist for over 40 years. Lamm began taking photos of race cars at the age of 15 when he attended his first race at Elkhart Lake’s Road America. He has been at every single Monterey Historic Automobile Race, including the first one in 1974. Lamm started his career at Motor Trend magazine and went on to Road & Track magazine where he has been for the past 34 years. Lamm is Editor-at-Large for the magazine. In addition to Road & Track, Lamm is a correspondent for Japan’s Car Graphic and France’s Automobiles Classiques.
Lamm was the first two-time winner of the West Coast Motor Press Guild’s Dean Batchelor award. The late Dean Batchelor was one of the most highly respected automotive journalists in the U.S. He also has received the East Coast International Motor Press Guild’s Ken Purdy award and was honored with the International Automotive Media Association’s lifetime achievement award.
Bill Warner is founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Additionally, he owns Race/Torations, a company that restores collectible cars. Warner won the 2002 Meguiar’s Award for Collector Car Hobby Person of the Year.
Warner was voted into the Road Racing Drivers’ Club, one of road racing’s highest honors, by British racing champion Brian Redman. He was honored with the Lee Iococca Award for his dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition.
Steve Earle formed General Racing Ltd. in 1970 to encourage the restoration, preservation and the use of historic sports and racing cars. Earle envisioned an event that would unite former racing greats with enthusiastic amateurs who owned some of the rare motorcars that once graced road courses worldwide and lead General Racing Ltd. in creating the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in 1974 and successfully produced for 36 years.
Tickets for the 2010 Monterey Historic Automobile Races, which will be held on August 13-15, will go on sale November 17, 2009 by phone (800) 327-7322 or at mazdaraceway.com.
[Source: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca]
All save this Jay fellow are well known and well respected in the community. Jay Amestoy appears to have impressive creds, but why is he such an unknown after so many years? Mazda must have insisted on a corporate presence (to control the choice of featured marques?). Too bad.