MONTEREY, Calif. – Each year the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the greatest achievements in motorsport by accepting only the best of the best historic race cars to compete like they once did.
On Wednesday, Aug. 17 through Saturday, Aug. 20 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, four of the groups will pay tribute to the most famous race in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans to kickoff its yearlong centenary celebration.
These featured groups will span the full century of Le Mans, from 1923 sports cars through 2005 prototypes. The Le Mans grids will be dedicated to authentic, period-correct cars that have participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans or were eligible to compete in period.
There are 170 different makes eligible, ranging from Abarth and Alfa Romeo to Talbot and Triumph, in addition to Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Toyota.
This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion groups are:
1923-55 Le Mans
1956-71 Le Mans
1972-82 Le Mans
Le Mans Prototypes (1981-2005)
1966-72 Historic Trans-Am
1966-85 Historic Formula One
1958-63 Formula Junior
1955-69 Saloon
1955-66 SCCA Sports Cars
1981-91 IMSA GTO, Trans Am
1974-79 Formula Atlantic
1920-55 Grand Prix
To fully celebrate the rich history of Le Mans, the Rolex Reunion will curate the largest exhibition of winning or historically significant Le Mans cars assembled for display and exhibition laps.
These cars are currently in private collections or museums and no longer driven in competition, yet they represent the best of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Featured in a massive structure, the story of Le Mans will emerge through video, period images and storyboards to entertain and educate visitors.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will also feature the popular pre-1920 era cars, collectively known as the Ragtime Racers, which has become a staple of the week’s activities. The Ragtime Racers will not be a static display of antique race cars, which last year was the largest single gathering of pre-1920 racers assembled in Monterey.
Owners and riding mechanics wear the racing gear of the day, fire up their cars’ engines and will participate in daily race exhibitions to show fans these antiques and original racers are not for show, but can still come alive in the hills of Laguna Seca.
Members of the Monterey Motorsports Reunion Advisory Council will scrutinize each entry — open to entrants this week — to determine eligibility based on the car’s provenance, mechanical- and period-correctness and authenticity.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is one of the founding cornerstones of Monterey Car Week, having begun in 1974 as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
Every year the most significant historic and authentic race cars — and the legendary drivers who drove them to victory — attend to celebrate the shared passion for motorsports with tens of thousands of guests.
For tickets or more information, visit WeatherTechRaceway.com.