MONTEREY, Calif. — George Follmer and Parnelli Jones will share the track once again.
Two of the most competitive drivers during the formative years of the Trans-Am series, Follmer and Jones will be reunited as co-grand marshals at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Aug. 12-15 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The pair are scheduled to be honored guests Saturday, Aug. 14 – which includes taking part in the Picnic in the Paddock, where they will participate in a Q&A session with race fans – as well as taking a few honorary laps around the track.
As Ford in Trans-Am celebrates its 55th anniversary, Follmer and Jones are the perfect featured duo. They competed head-to-head and as teammates in Ford Mustang Boss 302s, fighting for the championship throughout the 1960s and ’70s.
Some of their most heated battles occurred in Monterey. In the 1970 Laguna Seca Trans-Am Championship for Sedans race, Jones took the checkered flag, just edging Mark Donohue and Follmer. However, Follmer would go on to win the 1972 Monterey Castrol GTX Grand Prix Laguna Seca.
“These are two of the most legendary figures in Trans-Am racing, and it’s only fitting that they would join us for this special occasion,” said John Narigi, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Both men had storied careers, including many memories at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and we’re looking forward to giving the fans a chance to acknowledge and celebrate them.”
Jones is closely associated with the famous No. 15 Ford Mustang Boss 302. He had numerous wins using the familiar Bud Moore orange Ford in 1970, en route to capturing the Trans-Am championship that year. Jones won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 as a driver, and then won it twice as an owner, in 1970-71, with driver Al Unser. He retired with six IndyCar wins and four wins in 34 NASCAR starts, and is inducted into more than 20 Halls of Fame.
Follmer was famous for driving the No. 16 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 in the 1969 SCCA Trans-Am series. In 1965, he was victorious in the SCCA United States Road Racing Championship, and won the Trans-Am championship in 1972. Follmer also raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1967-1971 and 1974 seasons, with 25 career starts, including the 1969-1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He gathered 11 top-10 finishes, including a 1969 win at the Phoenix International Raceway.