The Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion (formerly Monterey Pre-Historics) has long been the insider’s choice as a good way to enjoy the vintage racing action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca without having to fight the crowds.
Held August 7-8, 2010 on the weekend prior to the much larger Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the Monterey Pre-Reunion was officially open to the public for the first time this year, allowing spectators to enjoy a more relaxed paddock environment and a taste of the following weekend.
The Pre-Reunion is generally designed to give Monterey Motorsports Reunion entrants, many of whom have never raced on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, track time before the green flag drops the following weekend. Typically about 50-75% of the cars that race in the Reunion also attend the Pre-Reunion and 2010 was no different, with approximately 300 historic racing cars on track compared to 600 scheduled for the Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion 2010 – Saturday Results
Peter Giddings won the Pre-War and Bugatti race group in his 1930 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3. He beat out a field of beautiful Bugatti Type 35s, 39As, 43s, 51s, and 57SC and Romulus, the most successful of all privately campaigned ERAs.
Linda Mountanos won the Grand National with drum brakes race in her 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, besting 14 male drivers, including her husband Mark in a 1966 Ford Fairlane.
Don Orosco took the victory in race group three in his 1958 Lotus 15 against a field of Lotus 11, Lola MK1 and Lister cars.
Second-place starter Nick Colonna won race group four in his Parnelli Jones Lola T70. A Lola also won race group five, with Bert Skidmore in his 1976 Lola T286. Race group six was packed full of Porsches and Bruce Canepa won in his 1979 Porsche 935.
After starting fourth, Herb Wetanson of New York City won race group seven with his 1961 Aston Martin Zagato DB-4.
Pole Sitter Terry Gough started twenty-fifth in race group eight and charged through the pack of Alfa GTAs, Lotuses, Shelbys and Corvettes to win in his 1965 Chevrolet Corvette. The 1970 Dodge Challenger of Ken Epsman beat out the field of Camaros, Mustangs and AMC Javelins to win race group nine. Keith Frieser won the Formula 1 race group in his 1973 Shadow DN 1.
Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion 2010 – Sunday Results
The Pre-War group took first to the sunny track on Sunday and once again Peter Giddings dominated the field in his Alfa Romeo P3.
It was Mark Mountanos’ turn to win the Grand National race group in his 1971 Pontiac Firebird with his wife, Linda in second. Race group three had Don Orosco winning his second race of the weekend. A Lola T70 won race group four again but this time it was David Jacobs in his 1966 Lola T70. Bert Skidmore dominated race group five in his Lola T286.
Rick Knoop in his recently-restored 1984 Jaguar XJR5 won race group six and Herb Wetanson won race group seven again in his Aston Martin.
Once again, Terry Gough ruled race group eight in his 1965 Corvette and the Mustangs dominated race group nine with Forrest Straight’s 1970 Ford Boss 302 Mustang coming out on top. The lightning fast 1979 Ensign N-179 of Bud Moeller won the Formula 1 race group.
Dennis Gray was at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to document the 2010 edition of the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion, with the following 100 pictures that give a great feel for the intimate and relaxed character of the weekend. Thankfully Dennis will also be part of our team for the big events this week.
Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion 2010 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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[Source: Monterey Reunion; photo credit: Dennis Gray]
Great images Dennis, both the paddock and track shots are superb. Thanks for taking us there vicariously.