A cornerstone of Monterey Car Week, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) is undoubtedly one of the preeminent vintage racing gatherings in the world. Spanning four days, the sheer breadth of machinery on display and racing on track is mind-bending, even for ardent enthusiasts of yesterday’s automotive stars. If you think seeing a 1976 Porsche 935 belch fire from its exhaust is “old school,” try watching a 1908 Locomobile make its way around the circuit, hissing and popping every few feet of the way. The Trans Am group featuring late 60s muscle cars is always a crowd-pleaser, as are the soft-serve ice-cream cones in the pits. Where ever you turn, something is stopping you in your tracks.
Sports cars and the Monterey Peninsula have gone hand and hand since the first Pebble Beach Road Races sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) in 1950. After six years of racing through the dangerous Del Monte Forest, the Laguna Seca Road course was built early in 1957 using decommissioned Fort Ord land. In 1974, sports car enthusiast Steve Earle decided the need for exercising these unique machines had grown to the point where he established the Monterey Historics, held during the same weekend of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A new era in vintage racing was born, eventually transforming over time into what is referred to as the Rolex Reunion.
If ever there was a “Baseball and Apple pie” story on wheels, it would be the Chevrolet Corvette. Born in the early 1950s with a fiberglass body and inline 6-cylinder engine, the 150 hp convertible was more on the “sporty” side than being a genuine sports car. Competition would soon enter from Ford’s Thunderbird, among others, and a V8 soon became available, further popularizing the Corvette.
Often ahead of their competition, Corvettes utilized disc brakes, fuel injection, and large displacement engines that were hard to beat on track. As early as 1960, a Corvette won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; an extraordinary feat it would earn no less than nine times. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Corvette, and this weekend’s racing showcased Corvettes from numerous eras giving fans a front-row seat to the evolution of an American icon.
Situated under a large tent in the paddock, fans this year got to walk through dozens of famous Corvettes, each with a story. Several were owned by the General Motors Heritage Collection, meaning they are one-of-a-kind milestones representing a chapter in Corvette’s legacy. For the ultra-rare, both CERV I and CERV II were on display (CERV stands for Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle).
Unlike attending a professional race weekend, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion offers spectators an “up close and personal” look at various racing cars spanning a century in time. Each group has a unique personality and offers something the others don’t. Some of my favorite groups included:
1955-1967 SCCA Production—Small Displacement
Post-WWII Sports car racing in America was built on small-bore European cars, and Group 1 exemplifies this with Porsche Speedsters, MGs, Alfas, etc.
1927 – 1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel Single Seat Racing Cars
While these cars may date before WWII, don’t let that fool you in their technology and speed. Many are supercharged and utilize overhead-cam engines, far ahead of their time. It’s exciting to watch the Bugatti racers approach turns as some use the hand-brake lever on the outside of the car to help slow it down.
The Canadian American Challenge Cup will always be remembered by its brutish-powered racers built to a minimal set of rules. American fuel-injected V8s ruled the earth until Porsche decided to spoil the fun with its turbocharged 917.
Think of America’s version of Formula 1 in the 1970s. Push-rod V8s ruled the earth, and primitive wings front and rear gave downforce. While looking pretty fancy, most of these cars are primitive in nature that were physically demanding to drive.
Undoubtedly, this group represents the pinnacle in open-wheel racing during an era of innovation. Most cars use a Cosworth V8 engine to help minimize disparity and maintenance costs. Friday’s race was a fan favorite, especially with IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown competing.
Group 12 – 1947-1960 Front-Engined Sports Racing and GT
“Backyard specials” and V8 transplants were infamous in the 1950s for spoiling the fun of the refined European sports cars (like the Ferrari below) that often cost two or three times as much. Many used inexpensive flat-heads, while the more competitive entries ran overhead-valve engines like the Buick “Nail-head” or Cadillac 331. Using primitive drum brakes, these cars slide a lot in the corners and are an authentic link to the golden era of sports car racing.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion annually recognizes the spirit of competition with extraordinary cars during the prize-giving, and not who finishes first. This year’s recipients were:
Peter Giddings Memorial Award – Ivan Zaremba in his 1935 Railton Light Sport Tourer
Ken Miles Award – Nick Grewal for his 1959 Lotus
Phil Remington Award, presented by Ford – Pedro Vela of the REVS Institute
Henry Ford Trophy – Philip Kadoorie in his 1963 Shelby Cobra
Bonhams Award – Alastair Chalmers for his 1975 Chevron
Motul Best of Show – Kevin McKay for his Number 9 Sunoco Penske 1966 Corvette L88
John Fitch Corvette Award – Wally Owens and driver Ron Fellows in the 1987 Profab
Rolex Group Awards – The Rolex Awards are presented to a driver who represents Overall Excellence in each Saturday race.
Group 1: 1955-1967 SCCA Production-Small Displacement – William Lyon in his 1960 Porsche RS60 Spyder
Group 2: 1961-1971 FIA Manufacturers Championship – Remo Lips in the 1969 Ferrari 312P
Group 3: 1927-1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel Single Seat – Conrad Stevenson for his 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C2500
Group 4: 1981-1991 GTO/Trans Am – Rick Jeffrey in his 1986 Profab Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Group 5: Ragtime Racers Exhibition – Julien Pearl driving his 1911 White Speedster
Group 6: 1972-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU – Glenn Chiou in his 1971 Datsun 240Z
Group 7: 1966-1974 Can-Am / 1963-1968 USRRC – Chris Springer for his 1972 McLaren M8F
Group 8: 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am – Jim Hague in the 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
Group 9: Formula 5000 – Bruce Leeson in his 1969 McLaren M10B
Group 10: 1955-1967 SCCA Production-Large Displacement – Jeff Abramson for his 1964 Chevrolet Corvette
Group 11: 1966-1985 Historic Formula One – Steve Romak in his 1985 Tyrell 12
Group 12: 1947-1960 Front-Engined Sports Racing and GT – William Rooklidge driving his 1955 Jaguar D-Type
Group 13: 1981-2007 GTP, Group C, DP, WSC, LMP & GT1 through 2009 – Jim Norman in his 1985 March 85-G
Group 14: 1955-1969 Saloon – Allan Thom for his 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti
The Spirit of Monterey – This award is presented to the driver or entrant who excels in the spirit of the weekend – Ron Erickson driving his 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
Charles Nearburg – 1980 Porsche 935K3 heads a group into Turn 2 during the Group 6 – 1972-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, Trans Am race – [email protected]
Todd Willing – 1968 Ford Escort leads the Group 14 – 1955-1969 Saloon Cars field into Turn 11 for the start of Saturday’s 1 Hour Endurance race – [email protected]
Nathanael Greene – 1925 Bugatti Type 35 leads Kurt Engelhorn – 1955 Maserati 250F and William Lyon’s 1927 Bugatti Type 35B through Turn 2 – [email protected]
Alex MacAllister – 1971 McLaren M8F takes the inside line into Turn 3, taking the lead in the Group 7 – 1966-1974 Can-Am/1963-1968 USRRC race – [email protected]
Jonathan Feiber – 1963 Ford Lotus Cortina leads a gorup out of Turn 11 during the 1 hour Group 14 – 1955-1969 Saloon Cars endurance race – [email protected]
Brian Antle and Curry Pre Runner at the Corkscrew Hillclimb – [email protected]
Dave Hagan – 1960 Porsche 356 Roadster descending the Corkscrew – [email protected]
Dave Hagan negotiating Turn 6 in his 1967 Porsche 910 – [email protected]
John Hildebrand – 1985 Pontiac Firebird turning into Turn 11 followed by Chris Liebenberg – 1991 Roush Mustang – [email protected]
William Lyon – 1973 Porsche RSR heads Rob Walton – 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR through Turn 2 – [email protected]
Zak Brown accelerates out of Turn 3 in his ex-Dan Gurney 1970 McLaren M8D – [email protected]
Group 9 cars lining uo for Turn 11 pruior to start of Formula 5000 race – [email protected]
Lorne Leibel – 1965 Shelby Cobra passing George Wright – 1963 Chevrolet Corvette as they approach Turn 9 – [email protected]
Kevin Weeda – 1982 Lotus 91 accelerates out of Turn 5 – [email protected]
Kaiden Marouf – 1951 MG TD heads a group on the exit of Turn 11 – [email protected]
Allan Thom – 1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti Super leads Dennis Racine – 1966 Morris Mini Cooper S and Geir Ramleth – 1960 Austin Mini Cooper on to the start/finish straight – [email protected]
Cameron Healy – 1955 Cooper Porsche Pooper powers through Turn 6 – [email protected]
Kevin Buckley – 1967 Porsche 911S follows Jeff Wysard – 1969 Porsche 911T IMSA GTU through the Corkscrew – [email protected]
Octavio Rincon – 1986 Dillion Camaro and Rick Jeffery – 1986 Protofab Z/28 accelerate out of Turn 11 – [email protected]
