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Monterey Motorsports Reunion

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Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2008, prewar sports and touring cars class.

The Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races (or simply Monterey Historics) is an annual event held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Its purpose was to provide an event for historic race cars to compete in. It took place over the course of one weekend every mid-August. It was first established by Steve Earle in 1974 as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, who organized the meeting for his friends to race their cars at Laguna Seca.[1]

The 2010 event will take place August 12-15, under the new name Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.[2]

Sponsors

In 1995, the event acquired a sponsorship from the Chrysler Corporation. In 2001, the event adopted a sponsorship from Rolex. In 2006, Toyota replaced Chrysler as the sponsor. The Toyota sponsorship was dropped in 2009.

Celebrity participants

Most of the participants are amateurs. However, the event has attracted numerous professional drivers and other celebrities.

Anniversaries

Occasionally, the event chooses to commemorate either the event's anniversary, or the anniversary of a marque or event in motorsport history.

  • The event commemorated its tenth anniversary in 1983.
  • The event chose Corvette as the featured marque for 2002 in commemoration of the car's fiftieth anniversary, making it the first model rather than manufacturer to be featured.[22]
  • The event celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1998. The event also celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Porsche.
  • The event celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2008 by featuring its first marque, Alfa Romeo, for the third time.
  • For the thirtieth anniversary of his Formula One championship, Mario Andretti performed demonstration laps in a Lotus 79 at the 2008 event.[23]
  • The 2008 event commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of Formula Jr. by dividing the race into separate periods (1959-60, 1961-62, etc).[24]
  • The 2003 event commemorated the hundredth anniversary of Ford.[25]
  • The 2000 event commemorated the 85th anniversary of Maserati.[26]

Amateur status

Because it is an amateur event, the only reward the participants receive is the pleasure to share their prized racing automobiles with the public.

On television

In recent years the Historics have been featured on television, often similarly to professional series broadcasts.

  • Speed Channel has occasionally broadcast highlights of previous races. In 2008 the entire durations of the IMSA, FIA, Trans Am, and Formula One races from 2007 were broadcast in separate episodes.
  • In 2008, HD Theater televised highlights of the 2003 event as part of its Ultimate Car Show program.
  • Highlights of the event were also broadcast in 2008 on HD Theater's Monterey Week program.
  • In October, 2009, Speed Channel covered the Can Am, IMSA GT, and IMSA GTP races of the 2009 event as part of a one-hour broadcast.[27]

In magazines

The Historics have been featured in Autoweek magazine. It was featured in an online article in early August 2008[28] and in the September 2008 issue.

Races

Various classes from multiple eras and types of automobile racing are featured at the Historics.

The sports racing and production cars are divided into four races: under 2000cc, over 2000cc, under 2500cc, and over 2500cc. One group often features a combined class. Occasionally, some classes are omitted to make room for tribute races.

Single marque races

In recent years, exhibition races featuring a single marque have been featured.

  • In 2003, they added an all-Bugatti race known as the Bugatti Grand Prix[29]
  • In 2004 various all-Ferrari races were held
  • In 2008, two exhibition Ferrari races were held, the first featuring those with drum brakes and the second with those featuring disc brakes.[30]
  • The 2010 event will again feature a Bugatti Grand Prix.[31]

Each year since 1975, the event has chosen to honor a specific automobile manufacturer by adding vehicles of that marque to its races. Occasionally, a special marque will be honored, often featuring limited production or purpose-built racecars.

1974- none

1975- Alfa Romeo Italy

1976-Jaguar United Kingdom

1977- Bugatti France

1978- Mercedes Germany

1979- Bentley United Kingdom

1980- MG United Kingdom

1981- Cunningham United States

1982- Porsche Germany

1983- Ford United States

1984- Ferrari Italy

1985- Alfa Romeo Italy

1986- Mercedes Germany

1987- Chevrolet United States

1988- Maserati Italy

1989- Aston Martin United Kingdom

1990- Allard United Kingdom

1991- Fangio Argentina

1992- Jaguar United Kingdom

1993- Miller United States

1994- Ferrari Italy

1995- Lotus United Kingdom

1996- BMW Germany

1997- Shelby United States

1998- Porsche Germany

1999- Auto Union Germany

2000- Maserati Italy

2001- Bentley United Kingdom

2002- Corvette United States

2003- Ford United States

2004- Ferrari Italy

2005- Chaparral United States

2006- Cooper United Kingdom

2007- Indy Roadsters United States

2008- Alfa Romeo Italy

2009- Porsche Germany

Tributes

In recent years, the event has tributed marques other than the featured marque.

2003- Bugatti France

2008- Ferrari Italy, Formula Junior

2010- Bugatti France, NASCAR United States

Rules and format

Because of the high value of many of the cars used, the Historics have established the rule of removing someone from the race if that person causes damage to other cars. The driver will also be forbidden from participating in future events, but can appeal his exclusion one year after the date of the incident. Occasionally, cars will be put in seemingly-inappropriate classes, such as a car being out of period or a two liter car being put in the over 2500cc class. Reasons for these moves include the car's performance or a late entry. Each race usually lasts ten laps and the scheduling is formatted in roughly chronological order.

Future

It was announced in August, 2009, that General Racing Ltd would no longer be producing the Historics, and would allow SCRAMP a one time use of the name for 2010. General Racing will continue to organize its similar Sonoma event under the name Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival,[32] while SCRAMP will organize the Monterey event. The events will no longer be affiliated.

Event page on the Mazda Raceway website

References

  1. ^ "Monterey - The Auctions". ferrariownersclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  2. ^ http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/news-item?r=V78Z1I8K5A
  3. ^ "2005 Monterey Historics". Bakerracingpix.com. 2005-08-20. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  4. ^ Filipponio, Frank (2008-08-17). "Monterey 2008: Saturday's Monterey Historic Automobile Races". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  5. ^ "2008 Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Report and Slideshow". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  6. ^ a b "Monterey Historic Automobile Races – Saturday Results | Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal". Sports Car Digest. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  7. ^ "atspeedimages.com | 1939 Lagonda V12 Al Unser senior". Ford.atspeedimages.com. 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  8. ^ Filipponio, Frank (2007-08-15). "Pebble Beach Week 2007: Monterey Historics preview". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  9. ^ "Historic Trans Am". historictransam.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  10. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2005". classics.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  11. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2002". classics.com/lagsc02. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  12. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2000 on". Classics.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  13. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 1999". Classics.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  14. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2001". Classics.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  15. ^ Meredith, Mike (2008-08-26). "35th Rolex Monterey Historics - 2008 Pebble Beach Concours - MSN Autos". Autoshow.autos.msn.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  16. ^ http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event/212/2009-Monterey-Historic-Automobile-Races.html
  17. ^ "The Monterey Historics - 2001". Historictransam.com. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
  18. ^ http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event/212/2009-Monterey-Historic-Automobile-Races.html
  19. ^ http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event/212/2009-Monterey-Historic-Automobile-Races.html
  20. ^ http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/news-item?r=1NZUFFTXMG
  21. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM7kG_5fdCY
  22. ^ Text And Photos By Jim Mccraw. "Corvettes At The 2002 Monterey Historic Automobile Races". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  23. ^ "35th Rolex Monterey Historics Feature American F1 champion Mario Andretti". AutoTrader.com. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  24. ^ "35th anniversary Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Classic cars, Vintage Racing, Classic Rally". Classicrallies.com. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  25. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races 2003". classics.com/lagsc03. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  26. ^ "The 2000 Monterey Historics Automobile Races". www.popularmechanics.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  27. ^ http://generalracing.com/news/164-rolex-2009-monterey-historics-on-speed-tv
  28. ^ "Peninsular pleasures: A weekend in Monterey". autoweek.com. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  29. ^ "At the 2003 Monterey Historic Automobile Races". www.popularmechanics.com/automotive. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  30. ^ "Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca". Conceptcarz.com. 1907-06-17. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
  31. ^ http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/news-item?r=2S7BBDOYYX
  32. ^ General Racing - Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival

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