Group 1 - Mario Andretti Trophy Rolex Race - 1966-1985 Formula 1
Group 10 - Hurley Haywood Trophy
Rolex Race - 1981-1991 IMSA GTP, GTO, FIA Group C, Trans Am
2:00 - 2:10 Motorsports Hall of Fame Press Conference
2:00 - 2:15 Pagani Demonstration
2:25 - 2:50 F1 Exhibition
3:00 - 3:25
3:35 - 4:00
4:25 - 4:50
5:00 - 5:25
5:35 - 6:15
Group 2 - Parnelli Jones Trans-Am Trophy Rolex Race - 1966-1972 Trans-Am
Group 6 - Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy
Rolex Race - 1947-1960 Front Engine GT, Sports Racers, American Spl.
Group 5 - Peter Gregg Trophy Rolex Race1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA
Group 8 - Jim Hall USRRC Cup Rolex Race1963-1968 Sports Racing Cars
Group 11 - Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Rolex Mini Enduro1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA
6:20 - 6:35 Ragtime Racers Exhibition
FRIDAY AUG 15 AT 4PM I SATURDAY AUG 16 AT 11AM LIVE AUCTIONS
2024 BUGATTI BOLIDE
One-Owner Example with Less than 650 Km
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1964 SHELBY COBRA 427 COMPETITION
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1974 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 3.0 RSR
Two-Time Swiss National Champion
Chassis 911 460 9053
1972 AAR EAGLE-OFFENHAUSER INDY CAR I Gordon Johncock’s
1973 Indianapolis 500 Winner Chassis 72-17
1990 PORSCHE 964 CARRERA 4 LEICHTBAU Time Capsule Example with Approximately 500 Km from New
2019 BMW M8 GTE
First in Class in 2020 at the 24 Hours of Daytona I Chassis 1809-015
2017 PORSCHE 911 RSR-17
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2022 PORSCHE GT2 RS CLUBSPORT 25 ‘MANTHEY RACING’
Number Four of Only 30 Built
1973 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA COMPETIZIONE SERIES III
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1950 FERRARI 166 MM/195 S BERLINETTA LE MANS
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MEL HARDER
WELCOME TO MONTEREY
It is a privilege to welcome you to Monterey and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Each August, the nest authentic and historic race cars arrive on our beautiful Peninsula to challenge WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s 11-turn road course, and their own driving skills, as they celebrate motorsports history in dynamic action.
There are more than 400 race cars from various eras of motorsport present in the paddock and on the raceway. These vehicles represent the pinnacle of racing excellence, and I would like to extend my gratitude to the owners who are the custodians of these remarkable machines for allowing us to experience them.
We are honored to be one of the few international events endorsed by Formula 1® to celebrate its 75th Anniversary. The story of Grand Prix racing has early roots, but the World Championship began its current trajectory when the FIA established the rst “Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship” in 1950. Commemorating this milestone is the remarkable F1 paddock exhibition that will guide you through time, culminating with the McLaren MCL38 driven by Lando Norris to capture the 2024 Constructors’ Championship. Adding to the excitement is the collection
of original IROC cars. This series attracted the world’s best drivers from all motorsport disciplines to race in an equalized competition. Don’t be surprised to bump into driving legends such as Je Gordon, Danny Sullivan, Scott Pruett, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte and others as they renew old rivalries in a friendlier historic racing atmosphere.
Thank you to our dedicated team of volunteers who have boundless energy to ensure you have a pleasurable and safe visit. To our sponsors Rolex, WeatherTech, Tire Rack and Porsche and their enthusiastic teams, thank you for supporting the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and elevating the experience to make for a memorable week.
On behalf of the entire Friends of Laguna Seca team, enjoy the lively paddock, the engaging new promenade and the sweeping views from atop the Corkscrew. We are pleased you are here to continue building the legacy of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Sincerely,
Mel Harder President & General Manager, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca
WELCOME TO THE ROLEX MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS REUNION
Rolex is thrilled to return to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to celebrate historic motorsports at one of the most legendary circuits in the world. A paddock full of period-correct, authentic, race proven machines from all eras highlight amazing stories from the world of motorsport and the signi cance of these cars and their drivers in history.
As title sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion since 2010, we honor both the historical signi cance of these vehicles and applaud the current owners, mechanics and drivers that keep these pieces of rolling, roaring, art operational for current and future generations to enjoy and experience.
Twelve themed race groups and three featured classes will take on the infamous Corkscrew, some built as early as 1922. Formula One will celebrate its 75th Anniversary at this year’s event and fans will have the opportunity to see and hear some legendary open-wheeled vehicles that competed in the series.
The IROC (International Race of Champions) series which held races from 1973 to 2006, will return to the West Coast for the rst time in 22 years, with an incredible display of authentic IROC race cars, being driven by past IROC competitors from NASCAR, Formula One, IMSA, INDYCAR and Trans-Am.
In 2025, Rolex has expanded upon a North American sports car endurance racing legacy that stretches back to the earliest days of the sport and has been named as the new O cial Timepiece of IMSA as part of a long-term partnership, one that is exempli ed by our history as the title sponsor of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the o cial timepiece of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Rolex is proud to be a partner at the cornerstone events throughout Monterey Car Week, including RMMR, as well as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.
We are thrilled to come together once again on the Monterey Peninsula to celebrate the entire spectrum of automobile enthusiasm and the importance of motorsport on a global scale. Thank you for your continued support as both event participants and passionate patrons. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Luca Bernasconi President & CEO, Rolex Watch U.S.A.
MONTEREY – REJOICING IN MOTORING’S GLORIOUS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Each August, enthusiasts from around the world assemble on California’s stunning Monterey Peninsula for a series of events that celebrate an era of motoring renowned for its beauty and style
The week-long festival’s roots date back to the Pebble Beach Road Races, inaugurated in 1950. Over the decades, these events have become a showcase of automotive heritage, focusing on classic collector cars and inspiring similar meetings globally.
One of the high points of the Monterey week is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which, together with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, has shaped what we now know as Monterey Car Week, comprising more than 30 events across the peninsula.
This year’s edition, which runs for four days from Wednesday, August 13, will feature original IROC (International Race of Champions) series cars – many piloted by racing legends including Rolex Testimonee Scott Pruett – and 13 race groups showcasing everything from pre-1955 Grand Prix cars to more modern-day prototypes.
The meeting began life as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in 1974. Back then, founder Steve Earle impressed upon owners that cars had to be periodcorrect, authentic and have race provenance. This principle remains a hallmark today, with more than 400 cars accepted this year according to strict criteria.
The caretakers of these unique cars race hard, but always in a safe, respectful manner. At the demanding Laguna Seca circuit, they must negotiate the notorious five-and-a-half-story Corkscrew and challenging double apex Andretti Hairpin. With no winners to be declared and no prize at stake, competitors are here to fully enjoy driving at speed and share their car’s history with visitors. Rolex has been Title Sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion since 2010.
Although each is unique in its own way, the various events that comprise Monterey Car Week share a common purpose: to
‘ PARTICIPANTS AND SPECTATORS ARE ABLE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MOTOR RACING’S GRAND TRADITIONS’
shine a light on beautifully crafted and exquisitely preserved classic cars that are just as impressive today as when they were built. They highlight automotive milestones, and the human and technical skill required on this journey to excellence. Participants and spectators are able to pay tribute to motor racing’s grand traditions, immersing themselves in automobile history at a unique combination of concours, tours, racing and auctions, enabling them to marvel at the inventiveness and creativity of the designers and manufacturers of these vehicles.
Other highlights of the week include: the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex, which this year will be held on Thursday, August 14; The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, August 15; and the aforementioned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® on Sunday, August 17. This trio of prestigious contests is also supported by Rolex.
The brand’s partnerships with these events fit naturally into an unstinting support for motorsports that stretches back to the 1930s, when Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the 300 mph barrier and his own World Land Speed Record at the wheel of his car Bluebird, with a Rolex watch on his wrist.
Sharing an unwavering commitment to the highest standards of performance and the dynamic of progress, Rolex
has built an extensive presence in the sport through its support for iconic endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, as well as occasions that celebrate the heritage of the sport, including the Goodwood Revival in England.
The Rolex family includes some of the most decorated drivers the sport has known.
Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion, has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968, joined in 2010 by Tom Kristensen, the record nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. More recently, the Swiss watchmaker has partnered with Australian Mark Webber, the multiple Formula 1® race winner and 2015 FIA World Endurance Champion; Jenson Button, the 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion now in his second season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC); and Jamie Chadwick, a three-time champion of the all-women W Series and competing in the 2025 European Le Mans Series.
Throughout its history, Rolex has championed excellence and precision –in its watchmaking and all other activities, including its sponsorship roles. Motorsports, with their powerful mix of accuracy, skill, durability and elegance, have proved a perfect partner, exemplified by the legendary Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROLEX
THE TYPE OF PERFORMANCE THAT REQUIRES A MANUAL.
From the iconic, high-revving Type R of the ’90s to the thrilling, turbocharged Type S of today, the Integra has always been built for drivers chasing deeper connections to their vehicles. And though a lot has changed on the Integra over the years, one thing hasn’t: Nothing brings the driver closer to the visceral phenomenon of Precision Crafted Performance than shifting through its gears manually.
Integra Type R. Integra Type S. Both built for fun. Both built for enthusiasts. Both built exclusively with a manual transmission.
Schmidt, Kevin Knuckolls, Ulises Patino, Kerry Childers, Dominic Maynard, Kate Roberts, Osvaldo Campa, Carl Dunn, Sierra Lacey, Abner Escalante, Jazlin
Navarro, Jessica Miller, Lance Bangloy, Namraja Singh, Kiara Martinez, Leslie Robinson, Marilynn Loya, Kevin Jenkins, Carlos Fierros, Jody Turner
Abad Hughes, Latu Funaki, Rolando Oseguera, Joseph Vake, Cesar Miranda
Security Agents
Tickets & Accommodations
Lisa Saclayan Manager
Linda Rivera Coordinator
Wynette Jones, Janice Laigo
Sales Representatives
Historic Sportscar Racing, LLC
John Doonan
President
David Hinton
Reunion Technical Director
Rick Goolsby Series Manager
Steve DeBrecht
Chief HSR Steward
Dorsey Schroeder
Competition Director
Jack Woehrle
Technical Director
STEWARDS SET THE RACING PULSE
“Monterey Cars”
This vernacular term commonly refers to vehicles of unquestionable pedigree that are accepted into the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Evaluating the hundreds of submitted cars takes time and deep knowledge to settle on the approximately 400 that are annually accepted. Supporting the Advisory Council are stewards who possess historical knowledge of cars from specific eras to ensure entries maintain their original performance characteristics. Thus, “Monterey Cars.”
Returning for his fourth consecutive year as Chief Steward is Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, long-
time race participant, journalist, and last year’s Grand Marshal. Warner and his team of stewards advocate both car preparation and proper driving behaviour.
“There is not a more dedicated and energetic force in the paddock than Bill,” remarked Bruce Canepa, chair of the Advisory Council. “The entrants have enormous respect and appreciation for Bill, but there is a certain level of apprehension should they attract his attention for any infractions. Bill is an exemplary ambassador for the sport and the international classic car community.”
Warner works closely throughout the year with each steward, reviewing cars for proper preparation and talking to the
2025 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Group Stewards
Bill Warner Chief Steward
Ken Adams Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy
1966-1972 Historic Trans Am
Alan Benjamin Peter Gregg Trophy
1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTU, GTX, FIA
Brian Blain
Ragtime Racers Exhibition Pre-1920 Racers
Tom Bungay
Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy
1955-1967 SCCA Large Displacement Production
Travis Engen
Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, Grand Am, FIA, World Challenge
Ray Evernham
Unser Family Cup 1973-2006 IROC
Jonathan Feiber
Dan Gurney Saloon Car Trophy 1955-1969 Saloon
Dave Hagan
Pedro Rodriguez Trophy 1961-1975 FIA Manufacturers Championship
Andrew Larson
Juan Manuel Fangio Cup 1922-1955 Grand Prix
owners to ensure participants understand the expectations during the event. Warner emphasizes that cars must arrive in the paddock in the same livery, mechanical condition, and tires as when they were accepted. Group stewards are among the first to see the cars as they unload, frequently conducting spot checks while welcoming the drivers to Monterey.
“Our goal is for everyone to have a safe, enjoyable, and fair experience,” Warner explained. “Monterey Cars represent what they were in period, and not what they could be with modern enhancements. I am humbled to have such a knowledgeable group of stewards to help guide me. I learn something new from them every time.”
Mark Leonard Jim Hall USRRC Cup 1963-1968 USRRC
Rob Manson
Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy
1947-1960 Front Engine GT and Sports Racers
Steve Schuler
Hurley Haywood Trophy
1981-1991 IMSA GTP, GTO, Group C
Forrest Teran
Mario Andretti Cup 1966-1985 Formula One
Henry Wilkinson
John Morton Trophy 1950s-1960s Small Displacement Production
Bill Warner (L) confers with steward Ray Evernham
FRIENDS OF LAGUNA SECA
Racing toward the future
There is palatable new energy at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca since Friends of Laguna Seca embarked on its 55year Concession Agreement last August. The rising interest casts a promising new light on the historic raceway that modestly began in 1957 on the U.S. Army’s Fort Ord that then progressed into a worldwide destination.
Friends have been moving fast, and they’re just getting started. As the Master Plan takes shape, a number of capital improvement projects have already been completed to elevate the guest experience.
Perhaps the most visible improvements are the enhanced entry landscaping and the renewed scoring trilon. This was a muchneeded upgrade that now features new LED video boards covering the entire structure to enhance signage
and leaderboard readability for fans throughout the raceway.
Guests who are enjoying the High Speed Hospitality Suites in the paddock are welcomed into a completely transformed environment with new furnishings, updated restrooms, elegant ooring and modern cabinetry. New materials were adapted to enhance textures and assist with sound mitigation and viewing enjoyment.
Racers and licensees of the raceway will nd that the drainage and run-o repair at Turn 2, Turn 5, and Turn 8 provides a welcome x, along with the restoration of the Turn 5 driver’s left retaining wall, which had su ered signi cant erosion damage. Additionally, the new Turn 3 Hospitality Pavilion provides guests with incredible views and delicious catering for corporate guests.
Visitors crossing the iconic
pedestrian tire bridge between Turns 3 and 4 will notice modest upgrades and branding from new corporate partner Tire Rack. This path between the bustling race paddock and the revitalized Promenade provides a safe and convenient passageway for fans to enjoy the variety of activities.
Establishing relationships with local businesses has resulted in new food and catering enhancements throughout the raceway. Friends and raceway management believe in supporting area businesses and is working diligently to grow participation during major events.
With Friends of Laguna Seca, the future has never been brighter.
BECOME A FRIEND OF LAGUNA SECA
Friends of Laguna Seca is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to restore, revitalize and reinvent Laguna Seca Recreation Area, home to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
With its signature road course, iconic Corkscrew, storied legacy, and almost mythical location, few international raceways can match the glorious nature of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. However, it has suffered from long-term deferred maintenance and lack of investment. Friends’ capital improvement plan is reversing this trend. As a non-profit, revenue is being reinvested into the facility to ensure it remains a thriving entertainment venue and campground that will be enjoyed by many future generations.
The foundation of Friends of Laguna Seca is its long-term, self-sustaining business plan that brings complete financial independence for the park while elevating the outdoor recreational opportunities to benefit the Monterey County community and global motorsports enthusiasts.
To learn more about Friends of Laguna Seca and become a Friend yourself in support of Laguna Seca’s revival and long-term future, visit FriendsofLagunaSeca.org.
Monterey Motorsports Advisory Council set the course
The Monterey Motorsports Advisory Council consists of seven voluntary members who share a passion for and dedication to historic racing. They provide vision for enhancing the event, expertise to guide its direction, and in reviewing entries to ensure proper, period-correct, and authentic cars with provenance are accepted. Their ongoing dedication and commitment helps the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion maintain its prestige as a benchmark for historic racing events worldwide. Let’s meet them...
Bruce Canepa Chair
Bruce has been fascinated with automobiles, motorcycles, and trucks since his childhood. By age 12, his father had taught him how to drive almost everything; from his first car, a 1929 Model “A” Ford, to a ten-wheel diesel truck. He worked in the family dealership every spare moment, learning mechanical, fabrication, body and paint. Today he is passionately involved in all aspects of his companies, from vehicle design and development to historical/collector car sales, restoration and racing.
Bruce grew up as the typical California kid; into hot rods, sports cars, and racing, and started racing as soon as the rules allowed, first in Quarter Midgets and go-karts, then in Super Modifieds and Sprint Cars. In 1978 he entered sports car racing with appearances in IMSA and Trans-Am. The following year he took his own team, and his Porsche 934.5, to the 24 Hours of Daytona. Teaming up with Rick Mears and Monte Shelton they finished 3rd overall. Porsche was so impressed with his performance they offered him a new factory 935 for the remainder of the 1979 season.
Bruce found himself co-driving with Gianpiero Moretti in the famous MOMO team Porsche 935 at Daytona, Mid-Ohio, and Riverside in 1980-81. In 1982 he was back at the 24 Hours of Daytona co-driving with Bobby Rahal and Jim Trueman in the first MARCH GTP “Ground Effects” Prototype. Always up for new challenges, Bruce decided to compete at the Pikes
Peak International Hill Climb in 1981. He brought his custom-designed Porsche twin-turbo powered open wheeler. On his first visit, he qualified 1st, and finished 2nd overall. He returned 19 years later setting the course record for tandem axle big rigs in 2000, 2001, and in 2002 he crossed the line in 13:57.800 - a record that still stands.
Today, Bruce runs his own successful automotive companies, Canepa and Concept Transporters, and is also the vice president of Friends of Laguna Seca.
Murray Smith
Born in Ayrshire, Scotland, Murray Smith became an automotive enthusiast at a young age. He graduated from the London School of Economics, then began a career with a prominent advertising agency, eventually heading all its international operations.
He collected and drove historic racing cars and developed corporate support for automotive events. As a driver, he participated in the Acropolis Rally, Carrera Panamericana, and dozens of historic and vintage races, including Monaco, Le Mans, Silverstone, Monterey and Watkins Glen in Historic Formula 1 and Historic Group C.
Murray’s most significant contributions to amateur motorsports have been in event promotion. He has worked with Chrysler and Rolex supporting events at various U.S. and international tracks, and has helped in the organization of the Louis Vuitton Classic at Rockefeller Center and the Lime Rock Historic Festival.
He has also served on the motorsports committee of Chrysler to develop the Viper GTSR, on the FIA Formula 1 Commission, and as Chairman of BMP, the organizer of the British Touring Car, Formula Three and Motorcycle Racing Championships.
In 2016, Murray was presented with the prestigious Bob Akin Award for his contributions to the sport.
Bill Warner
Bill Warner has been around automobiles his whole life. As a teenager he worked at the local Volkswagen dealership in the parts department and driving the delivery truck. On weekends, he was the “gopher” for the dealership racing team. Upon earning his degree in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel, he entered the family filter business and started working on the side for Sports Car Graphic magazine.
In 1971, he began his relationship with Road & Track magazine. His photographs and writing have appeared in Road & Track, Car and Driver, Autoweek, The Atlantic Monthly, Automobile, Auto Motor und Sport, Classic & Sportscar, Porsche Panorama, and Forza to mention a few. His photography has won awards from The Los Angeles Art Directors, the Creative Arts Yearbook, and the Sports Car Club of America (1970 Photographer of the Year).
Warner started racing in 1978 in a Brabham BT-8 and later in the SCCA in an ex-Bob Sharp Racing Datsun B210. He finished 5th in the American Road Racing Amateur Championships at Road Atlanta in 1982 in GT-3. In 1984 he entered the International Motorsports Association Firehawk Series in a Camaro and repeatedly had podium finishes that earned him the IMSA Media Challenge (for racing journalists) in 1984, 1985 and 1986.
In 1996, he founded The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. In the 25-year history of the show, it has raised over $3.7 million for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and the Shop with Cops Program of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County.
Among the many accolades bestowed on Bill are the 1998 National Volunteer of the Year, 2002 Meguiar’s Automobile Hobby Person of the Year, the 2003 inductee into the Road Racing Driver’s Club, one of the “Top 50 Players in the Classic Car World” in 2008 by Octane Magazine, and the Lee Iacocca Award for “Dedication to Excellence in Perpetuating an American Automotive Tradition.”
Andy Prill
Owner and proprietor of Prill Porsche Classics since 1994, Andy has over 35 years’ experience of working with classic and collector cars/motorcycles and over 25 years’ experience with the Porsche marque.
He is active in all historic Porsche/Ferrari activities including racing, inspections and consultancy. He also provides advice on acquisition and sales to collectors and businesses around the world.
Andy started in motorsports at the age of eight competing in motorcycle trials. Something he is still actively doing to this day and still getting the odd win. He has ridden at Club, British Championship and World Championship level in the 1980s, and in 2023 he won his local championship riding a 1963 BSA.
Having first attended the historic races at Laguna Seca in 1998, he has attended every year since participating in a variety of cars at the Pre-Reunion, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Porsche Rennsport Reunions. He has driven or raced almost every model of Porsche car from 1948 to 1985, as well as single-seaters, sports cars (pre-war, historic and modern) and Group C. Andy is a multi-year invitee to Goodwood Members Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival.
Patrick Long
A modern-day Porsche polymath, Patrick Long is familiar to the US air-cooled scene as one of the founding fathers of the Luftgekühlt brand for lovers of air-cooled Porsches. A Porsche Brand Ambassador and competition advisor for Porsche Motorsport, Patrick also heads up North America’s young driver development program, sharing almost 20 years of international experience as a Porsche factory driver with the sports car stars of tomorrow.
His close ties to the brand were forged at the start of the new millennium, when his precocious talent in single seaters came to the attention of Porsche’s scouts. Initially recruited as a Porsche Junior, Patrick found himself on the Works roster soon after, competing initially for The Racer’s Group in the ALMS endurance series and the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003. At home aboard every subsequent generation of 911 GT3 Cup, R and RSR, Patrick has claimed class wins for Porsche at the big four endurance classics, came second in class in IMSA and won the Blancpain GT World Challenge America.
A safe pair of hands, with a well-thumbed passport, he has also tasted victory in the World Endurance Championship, twice reached the top step at Le Mans and won his class at both the Bathurst 12 Hours and the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Chris MacAllister
A grade school field trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1965 started it. Soon followed a go cart, Honda 50, a series of motocross bikes, a successful racing career and several trips to the emergency room. Cars then replaced bikes. An Indianapolis native, Chris graduated from Ball State University. He worked at the family tractor business cutting grass, rebuilding transmissions and eventually became President in 1991. Hobbies include antiques, landscaping and racing, driving, collecting and restoring all sorts of motor vehicles. Chris has been married to Sharon for 42 years. They have two kids, both competitors: Alex in cars and Laurel on horses.
Scott George
L. Scott George is the Executive Vice President of CH Motorcars and the Curator of Collections at Revs Institute® in Naples, Florida, which is home to over 100 exceptional automobiles from the Miles Collier Collections. Revs Institute is a museum and a working center for research and education. It is dedicated to the preservation, care, activation, and understanding of historically significant automobiles, with an extensive archive and library to support this mission. Scott oversees the collections and Revs’ participation in shows and historic motorsports events internationally. He presently serves on the National Advisory Board for the Automotive Restoration Program at McPherson College, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Advisory Council, and the Collections Committee for the IMS Museum.
The heartbeat of Honda Racing is having a dream and racing toward it until you are the best and at the top of your class. With every lap a step forward and every loss a lesson, driving is not just speed but a mentality we carry with us through every race and innovation. From 1965 to 2025, only one belief continues to drive us forward: Without racing, there is no Honda.
50 memorable years in the making
The 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion marked a significant milestone, celebrating 50 years of historic racing in Monterey since its inception in 1974 as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Over time, this event has grown from 66 entries to more than 400 historic cars selected annually.
Complementing the racing was an impressive, curated exhibition that featured iconic race cars representing previous featured
marques. These distinguished cars covered a broad range of eras, from the 1924 Bentley 3-litre to the modern 2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that carried the original grime from competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
While the cars captivated the attendees, the presence of notable drivers and legends transformed the event into a family reunion. Dozens of esteemed guests were seen enjoying the paddock’s ambiance, including historic racing impresario and event founder Steve Earle,
Jochen Mass, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Derek Bell, Scott Pruett, Tom Kristensen, Jenson Button, Lyn St. James, Ricky Taylor, Ray Evernham, Townsend Bell, Gunnar Jeannette, Tommy Kendall, and Grand Marshal Bill Warner who led the festivities. Participants engaged in competitive yet clean racing, reflecting the event’s original ethos of allowing drivers to experience their historic and authentic cars at speed in a safe environment. This guiding principle remains steadfast after 50 years.
2024 ROLEX REUNION REWIND
The McMurtry Spéirling, with former F1 and INDYCAR driver Max Chilton at the wheel, crushed the Corkscrew Hillclimb with a world record run of 21.958. The Hillclimb was created as an exciting complement to the Monterey Pre-Reunion weekend by racing reverse course up the iconic Corkscrew. The ascent may be unnatural, but it has proven to be an ideal and challenging route from start to finish and a growing fan favorite.
From racing in the Jim Hall USRRC Cup, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America presentation, to honoree laps and the Bugatti 100-year anniversary celebration Bolide and Type 35 drive, each day brought surprises
The Golden Anniversary Feature Exhibition was a nonstop hub of activity filled with incredible historic cars flanking the all-new paddock stage. Each car told a story of its place in history for guests to learn, appreciate and enjoy. Legendary driver Derek Bell joined the action by providing personalized tours of the remarkable collection.
The Honda RA271, the first Japanese car to win a Formula 1 race, leads the Lotus Type 19 originally driven by Dan Gurney during spirited parade laps that celebrated the full history of historic racing in Monterey
The victory champagne flowed for Corkscrew Hillclimb winners (L-R) Martin Lauber, Max Chilton and Christine Sloss
Fans enjoyed a full spectrum of activities, from watching the active pre-grid, to driving go-karts and rides in brass era cars to autograph sessions
2024 prize-giving ceremony
Camaraderie, laughter and anticipation filled the air as drivers and crew began assembling for sparkling wine, and 50th anniversary cake and cupcakes at the conclusion of another spectacular week. In keeping with tradition, prizes were given to individuals who excelled in their respective group, and not necessarily those who won the race.
The Spirit of Monterey
This award is presented to the driver or entrant who excels in the spirit of the weekend.
Marnix Dillenius
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ
Rolex Group Awards
The Rolex Awards are presented to a driver who represents Overall Excellence in each Saturday race.
Skip Barber Cup
Max Minshull
1981 Royale RP31
Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy
Nick Price
1959 Sadler Meyer Special
John Morton Trophy
Francisco Guzman Giraud
1959 Porsche 550 Durlite Spyder
Hurley Haywood IMSA GTP, FIA Group C Trophy
Duncan MacKellar
1989 Porsche 962C
Hurley Haywood IMSA GTO and Trans Am Trophy
Steve Schuler
1986 Roush Ford IMSA Mustang
Ragtime Racers Exhibition
Rick Rawlins
1920 Ford Board Track Racer
Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy
Chris Beighton
1964 Sunbeam Le Mans Tiger
Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup
Max Moritz
2010 Porsche 997
Peter Gregg Trophy
Alex McDowell
1972 Nissan Skyline GTR
Parnelli Jones Trans Am Trophy
Richard Goldsmith
1970 Dodge Challenger
Mario Andretti Trophy
John Dimmer
1971 Tyrrell 009
Pedro Rodriguez Trophy
Ethan Shippert
1969 Chevron B16
Jim Hall USRRC Cup
Amy Gould
1964 Porsche Platypus
Dan Gurney Saloon Car Trophy
David Woodhouse
1965 Austin Mini Cooper S
Marnix Dillenius shares stories upon being named the Spirit of Monterey recipient. He is one of two drivers in attendance who raced in the inaugural 1974 event.
Ken Miles Award
Michael Kaleel
1962 Lola Mk 1
Phil Remington Award, presented by Ford
Brian Garzelli
Competition Touring Cars
Henry Ford Trophy
Matt Crandall
1964 Ford Falcon
Bonhams Award
Michael Doyle
1961 Jaguar XKE
John Fitch Corvette Award
Patrick Byrne
1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Corkscrew Hillclimb
1st – Max Chilton, McMurtry
Spéirling - 21.958
2nd – Martin Lauber, 1967 Ford
Falcon - 29.004
3rd – Christine Sloss, 2022 Ferrari SF90 - 29.822
Special Recognition
Dick Sisich
PA announcer for 50 years
IN REMEMBRANCE
JOCHEN MASS 1946-2025
Jochen Mass was considered a “one-off” in the automotive world. He was as unique as they come. Everywhere Jochen went, there were abundant smiles, jokes and good-natured ribbing. Jochen always had a wry, mischievous smile that foretold something humorous was about to occur. We enjoyed his camaraderie and spirit each August in Monterey.
Born on September 30, 1946 in Dorfen, Upper Bavaria, his journey into motorsport did not begin in the cockpit, but rather on the high seas. As a young sailor, he circumnavigated the world for three years. Only after these adventures was he drawn to technology—and to the race track—completing an apprenticeship as a car mechanic.
When the regular driver at the Alfa Romeo dealer Hähn was absent due to illness in 1968, Jochen stepped in and proved his talent. It was not a longplanned debut, but it marked the spontaneous start of an extraordinary career.
His success speaks for itself: European Touring Car Champion in 1972, European runner-up in Formula 2, from 1973 he competed 105 times in Formula 1 – and won the Spanish Grand Prix in 1975. Jochen also won the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans in the mighty Sauber-Mercedes C9. Until the Schumacher era, he was one of the most successful German Formula 1 drivers by points.
Godspeed, Jochen. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
MEET THE ARTIST: BILL PATTERSON
Art in motion
The poster artwork for this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, created by the internationally renowned artist Bill Patterson, expertly captures the evolutionary history of Formula 1. Viewers can envision the speed and sound of the featured cars as they race past filled grandstands.
Patterson selected significant models to embody the essence of the 75th anniversary of the world’s premier series: The 1950 Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta, which triumphed in the first FIA F1 race; the remarkable Ferrari 156 Sharknose, driven by Phil Hill in 1961 to become the first American-born Formula 1 World Champion; and the contemporary F1 car that represents the pinnacle
of technological advancement in the modern era.
“Still life isn’t in my vocabulary,” explained Bill Patterson. “I thrive on motion, energy, and vibrant colors to create each painting that brings the viewer into that moment in time. That’s what moves me. I am a car guy at heart, and cars are meant to be in motion, which is why motorsport art fascinates and challenges me.”
Patterson’s works are owned by multiple celebrities and worldwide corporations, such as Microsoft, FedEx, BMW, Porsche and Ferrari. Patterson’s career has been at full speed since leaving the architecture profession 35 years ago. In keeping with motion and emotion in his art, Patterson
also enjoys motorcycles, vintage cars, skiing, sailing, flying, cycling, tennis, soccer, and equestrian.
Over the years, Patterson has raised more than $1 million by painting live at many charity galas, such as the Austin Hatcher Foundation (an official charity of IMSA), National Guard Youth Foundation, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital and United Way.
This year’s art is available as a 24” x 36” collectible poster that is available for purchase in the Official Raceway Store. It also will be used on merchandise to commemorate the weekend’s celebration. Patterson will be present in his paddock display to autograph posters, meet guests and conduct live art demonstrations.
A Triumph of Teamwork
The IMSA Rolex 24 At Daytona // January 25-26, 2025
Twenty-four hours. Twenty-six pit stops. Seven-hundred and twenty-three laps. No mistakes. One team, who reached the top step by chasing perfection. One year after it’s racing debut, the Mustang® GT3 achieved a first and third place finish at the IMSA Rolex 24 At Daytona, cementing Ford’s 20th win at the legendary endurance event with an eye toward continued success on the global stage. At Ford Performance, our teams and our fans belong in the winner’s circle. fordperformance.com // @fordperformance
PHIL HILL CUP EXHIBITION
CELEBRATING FORMULA 1 ROYALTY
The world’s fascination in Formula 1 racing started at the 1950 British Grand Prix, formally known as The Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix d’Europe and attended by the Royal Family, which instantly signaled the beginning of motorsports’ arms race. The momentous weekend laid the groundwork establishing Formula 1 as the world’s premier racing series.
To commemorate F1’s 75th anniversary, a very special curated exhibit comes to fruition after a yearlong exploration. This exceptional collection of authentic and historic cars spans different eras of innovative designs and advanced technologies. It includes cars ranging from the 1950 Talbot Lago T26C to the 2024 McLaren MCL38/02 driven by Lando Norris in capturing the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.
“It is a visual journey through design, technological and safety advancements, which is what keeps Formula 1 as the innovator and leader in motorsports,” said Ellen Bireley, curator of the exhibition. “We hope people will read about each car, its historical significance, and appreciate the evolution of these machines. It is through the generosity of museums and private collectors that such a high-level display can be presented.”
Integral to the exhibit is the lineup of all six American-made chassis that competed in Formula 1. Bearing names as Eagle, Parnelli, Penske, Shadow and Scarab, it also includes the lesser known 1947 Kurtis Kraft Midget that Rodger Ward drove in the 1959 United States Grand Prix held at Sebring (retiring after 20 laps).
Equally impressive are the notable drivers
who are associated with many of the cars. Legends such as Stirling Moss, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Emmerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, and Nigel Mansell are among the drivers who once climbed aboard to take on the world’s greatest.
Although these cars are no longer raced competitively, owners and guest drivers will operate some of them at speed on Friday and Saturday in the Phil Hill Cup Exhibition. This group is a tribute to Phil Hill who was the first American to win the Formula 1 World Championship and who enjoyed participating in Monterey’s historic racing each August.
Enjoy exploring the expressive history through this marvelous presentation of Formula 1 excellence and take note of the schedule when these high-revving machines return to speed in the Phil Hill Cup Exhibition.
1966 AAR GURNEY EAGLE MK 1
Often regarded as one of the most beautiful Grand Prix cars ever raced, this is chassis number 101 - the very first Gurney Eagle. Conceived for the 1966 Formula 1 season, it was designed by Len Terry, who created the Lotus 38 that won the 1965 Indy 500, and built by the All American Racers crew at Dan Gurney’s Santa Ana race shop. Notable drivers: Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Bob Bondurant, Richie Ginther
1988 McLaren MP4/4 Ayrton Senna won 8 races. Won the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship titles 2024 McLaren MCL38/02 Lando Norris won 3 races. McLaren secured the Constructors Championship
2019 TORO ROSSO STR14
The Toro Rosso STR 14 is the second most successful car in the 14-year history of the Italian team (called Minardi prior to Toro Rosso, and since renamed AlphaTauri, and today referred to as Racing Bulls). This car’s race history has a 2nd in Brazil, 6th place overall with 85 championship points and 1 podium. Notable drivers: Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon
Clockwise from top left: 1960 Scarab First American F1 chassis built to race F1 – Lance Reventlow, Venice California 1964 BRM P261 Graham Hill won Monaco in 1965
1958 VANWALL
This car is the culmination of Guy Anthony Vandervell’s quest to beat “those bloody red cars.” After a dismal 1955 season, Vandervell engaged Colin Chapman to design a Formula One car for his Vanwall team. The result: a multi-tube space frame chassis with a distinctive teardrop shape. In 1958, these cars delivered three wins apiece for Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks and secured the inaugural World Constructor’s Championship for Vanwall (and the British). But at the nal race in Morocco, Moss was seated in this car when he learned he lost the Drivers’ Championship by a single point to Mike Hawthorn of Ferrari.
PHIL HILL CUP EXHIBITION: THE COLLECTION
Exhibition & American Chassis
1947 Kurtis Kraft Midget
1960 Scarab GP-2
1966 Eagle Mk 1 Climax
1974 Parnelli VPJ-4/1
1974 Penske PC3/1
1978 Shadow DN9B
Exhibition
1950 Talbot Lago T26C
1955 Mercedes 300 SLR (W196S)
1956 Maserati 250F
1958 BRM P25
1958 Vanwall
1959 Cooper T-51
1960 Cooper T-53 9-60
1962 ATS 100
1962 Porsche 804
1963 Scirocco
1964 BRM P261
1965 Honda RA 272
1967 Lotus Type 49
1974 McLaren M23-05
1974 March 741
1974 Surtees TS16
1978 Lotus Type 79
1983 Williams FW 08C-07
1985 Tyrrell 009
1986 Benetton B186-05
1988 McLaren MP4/04
1990 Ferrari 641
1991 Footwork Arrows FA12
1991 McLaren MP4/6
1992 McLaren MP4/7
2009 Brawn
2019 Red Bull Toro Rosso
2022 Haas VF-22
2024 McLaren MCL38/02
2024 Mercedes-AMG W15 E
Exhibition in garage
1987 Williams FW11B
1984 McLaren MP4-2/01
Above: 2009 Brawn-Mercedes Jenson Button won 6 races. Won the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship titles Below: 1962 Porsche 804 Dan Gurney won the French GP in 1962. This is Porsche’s only win as a constructor in F1
THE HISTORY OF F1
Grand Prix™ racing and its evolution into Formula 1 is one of the great stories of the post-Industrial Revolution world, having captured the hearts of millions — drawn to its heartpounding tales of guts and glamour, intrigue and invention, and intertwined with the tectonic shifts of the twentieth century
1887 - 1945
Spurred on by public interest, early forms of racing first emerge in the late 19th century, contested by wealthy enthusiasts and daredevil drivers on open roads around Paris. “Reliability Trials” are soon running between Paris and Rouen. The top speed is 42km/h, and all the drivers stop for lunch.
In 1906, Le Mans hosts the world’s first international Grand Prix featuring Renault, Mercedes, and Fiat. “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” becomes the motto of the fledgling manufacturers keen to justify the value of their investment in the growing sport.
This value takes on a new edge in the 1930s as the world edges towards WWII, with Grand Prix racing - now a spectator sport - increasingly used as a new frontier for European nationalism and wartime propaganda.
1946 - 1965
With Europe still in ruins, rekindled race cars are fired up again. Silverstone hosts the first British Grand Prix of the modern era in October 1948. Other European countries soon follow suit as new thirst for racing takes hold and the FIA establishes the first ‘Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship’ in 1950.
Italy’s Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati dominate its early years, but by the late 1950s, a band of British entrepreneurs launch new race teams determined to reestablish their national pride.
1966 - 1980
The increasing glamour of the Monaco Grand Prix and growing celebrity interest catapult Formula 1 into global pop culture. By the early 1960s, TV appearances and product endorsements have turned many drivers into household names. Hollywood spots an opportunity. Grand Prix, F1’s first blockbuster is released in 1966 to widespread acclaim, featuring a host of current drivers alongside movie stars. Lucrative sponsorship deals soon follow. Teams adopt the colourful logos and liveries of their corporate patrons, an eye-catching innovation that defines a new era of legendary racing and international media coverage.
1981 - 1995
Amidst a swell of uncertainty in the late 1970s, then-Brabham team boss Bernie Ecclestone spots a billion-dollar opportunity: Formula 1’s television rights. Global interest in Formula 1 has continued to grow, but is limited by the sport’s outdated structure and management.
As the independent F1 teams’ representative, Ecclestone and his ally Max Mosley secure a new agreement with the FIA and set about modernising every aspect of Formula 1 - more races, more sponsorship, and a revolutionary broadcasting operation.
With the advent of colour television and a host of new superstar drivers, Bernie’s vision is timed to perfection.
1887 - 1945
1996 – 2016
19811995
COURTESY OF FORMULA 1 ®
Clockwise from top left: French driver Louis Rigolly drives the Godron-Brillie car in Le Mans June 26, 1906, during the first Grand de l’Automobile Club de France (ACF) which became the “24 Hours of Le Mans”
Alberto Ascari (Ferrari 18), Luigi Fagioli (Alfa Romeo 12), Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo 16) and Juan Manuel Fangio (Alfa Romeo 14) at the start of the 1950 Swiss Grand Prix at the Bremgarten circuit
Chris Amon, Ferrari 312, Grand Prix of Monaco, Circuit de Monaco, May 18, 1969
F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas, November 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Brabham-Ford team principal Bernie Ecclestone and Nelson Piquet in the pits during practice for the 1981 Argentina Grand Prix in Buenos Aiures
Michael Schumacher and Ferrari at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix
1996 - 2016
After nearly 30 years at the helm, Bernie Ecclestone’s time leading Formula 1 begins to come to a close, spurred on by an unruly period that divides the sport.
Despite increasing scrutiny by international media and governments, Bernie sets about expanding Formula 1 into the Middle East and Asia. In the wake of changes introduced after the tragic events of Imola 1994, purpose-built circuits designed for safer racing soon join the calendar.
In 2000, Michael Schumacher delivers Ferrari’s long-awaited return to championship success and begins an unprecedented period of dominance. A series of scandals including 2007’s “Spygate”, and 2008’s “Crashgate”, sour relations between F1’s old guard. Again, Bernie keeps the peace, but his time is ticking down.
2017 - PRESENT
In late 2016, Liberty Media signs on to buy Formula 1’s commercial rights. The change in ownership ends Ecclestone’s reign, ushering in a new era of F1, focused on reaching wider audiences globally.
10 LEGENDS TH AT SHAPED F1
The Formula 1 world championship hits 75 this year. So who are the key influencers behind grand prix racing as we know it today? Damien Smith ranks the GP titans
Where it all
began: the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, May 13, 1950 – with a show of strength from Alfa Romeo, which headed the grid
FANGIO
Five-time
world champion who set the benchmark for the professional F1 driver
“He was the greatest of them all,” said Stirling Moss. Who are we to argue? Especially with another who could also have made this list. When ‘The Boy’ joined ‘The Maestro’ at Mercedes for 1955, he had no fears about going up against the best. He craved the comparison, he wanted to know: what was it about the great man? “The art of driving a racing car is keeping it balanced,” said Moss decades later. “Acceleration, steering and braking are all inclined to unbalance a car but Fangio could somehow go closer to the edge of disaster than anyone else because of his feel.”
Moss found out firsthand over a season of one-team domination, and it was an experience that informed his outlook forever after. He deferentially and unquestioningly accepted his place as The Apprentice to the undisputed Master as the Mercedes ‘train’ swept around Europe. Moss was probably better in sports cars, but in Formula 1 (at this stage) he knew his place.
Fangio didn’t arrive in Europe until he was 38, having forged his skills in lethal South American long-distance races, and was the least established of Alfa Romeo’s ‘three Fs’, with Giuseppe Farina and Luigi Fagioli, in the opening season of the world championship.
But while it was Farina who claimed that first title, Fangio rapidly emerged as the shining light of the immediate post-war generation.
The career stats make that clear: five world titles in seven seasons; 24 wins from 51 starts, a ratio of 47% that’s never likely to be beaten. But much more than that, it was how Fangio presented himself, how he interacted with people, how he was that made him a class act.
And canny, too. From Alfa to Maserati to Mercedes to Ferrari and back to Maserati again, Fangio knew his own worth to always land in a competitive seat. Sure, how Peter Collins gave up his own title ambitions at Monza in 1956 to hand his car to the undisputed team leader was an astonishing act of sportsmanship – but one that Fangio didn’t blink in expecting or accepting. As Moss took note, Fangio was a true professional and ruthless when he had to be. This was his life, after all. It wasn’t a game.
Juan Manuel Fangio at Silverstone in 1956, on his way to his 19th F1 World Championship win – and his sole victory in the British Grand Prix
Now here’s a man who has shaped Formula 1 in a literal sense, across a span of five decades. Adrian Newey’s shrink-wrapped Leyton House Marches of the late 1980s set F1 on its aerodynamically optimised course through the early years of the computer age.
Gloriously analogue in his drawing board methodology, Newey himself dismisses his artisan approach as nothing more than the medium for his ideas. It’s not how he does it, but what he does that counts. In reality, we’re left wondering whether he sees the world in ones and zeros, like a character in The Matrix Can he actually visualise the molecules of air he so effectively manipulates to such astounding effect?
Independent in mind and spirit, Newey might never have left Williams had Frank and Patrick Head offered him a say in major decisions – such as sacking Damon Hill. He quit the team in the same year as Renault, but Newey was surely the greater loss. A single employee more influential than a major car manufacturer? In this case, yes.
Perhaps he’d have stayed at McLaren too
if Zak Brown instead of Ron Dennis had been running the team in the 2000s. Mistakes were made at Woking under Newey’s watch as the Rory Byrne/Ross Brawn/Michael Schumacher axis gained the upper hand. But nobody’s perfect.
A breath of fresh air at Red Bull rejuvenated him – he says it was like a well-funded Leyton House – until last year that awkward schism opened up with Christian Horner amid serious questions about the team principal’s behaviour. Newey has consistently made the difference, which is why we’re so intrigued by what might happen next at Red Bull without him and where he’s going next.
A dozen constructors’ championship, 14 for the drivers lucky enough to land in his cars, across three teams – no one else comes close to that record. Now he’s fired up to do it all again as the key signing of Lawrence Stroll’s well-resourced Aston Martin superteam. Why is he pressing on? Because racing is his first love – and he just loves to win. No wonder there’s talk Max Verstappen might follow him. What could possibly go wrong?
ADRIAN NEWEY
Formula 1’s greatest, most successful designer. Now aiming to make Aston Martin a winner
It’s back to the drawing
board for Adrian Newey, who now intends to sprinkle some title-winning stardust on Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin
JACKIE STEWART
Fast and brave – in more ways than one. He refused to accept Formula 1 was a blood sport
Which Jackie Stewart are we talking about? The answer is all of them. First, he was the precocious newcomer who belonged immediately on the same piece of race track as his friend and countryman Jim Clark. How the pair might have matched up had Clark survived 1968 is among the great lost rivalries. Instead, he faced (and bested) Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson, Chris Amon, François Cevert and more in a topline career that lasted eight years – the numbers left teetering on 27 wins from just 99 races.
Already a three-time champion, he missed out on the round 100th, devastated in grief at the cruel loss of his young team-mate, friend and protégé Cevert. This is what he’d been banging on about in the face of so much resistance and disgust – including, so infamously, from our own Denis Jenkinson. Denigrated by DSJ as a “beedy-eyed Scot”, such views on the drive to make motor racing safer haven’t weathered too well. Not for the last time, JYS
would prove both aggravating and right.
Post-retirement, Stewart’s influence only expanded. He continued to bang the safety drum, while nurturing fruitful commercial relationships in an F1 world opening up to new possibilities. He was never ashamed to make money. Why should he be? Like his hero Juan Manuel Fangio before him, JYS has always known his own worth.
Eventually he’d see the sport from fresh perspectives: as a racing dad, as a team owner and ultimately a race-winning constructor. Having convinced Ford to bankroll his team, he then sold it back to them. Not bad for a “certified halfwit”, as FIA president Max Mosley contemptuously labelled him. They’d never got on ever since the March 701.
Stewart raised the bar, as a fast and naturally gifted racing driver, as a businessman and as an F1 man of rare principle. Now he’s fighting again, against his dear wife’s dementia. JYS never did know when to quit.
Emerson Fittipaldi and F1 safety campaigner
Jackie Stewart inspect resurfacing work at Zolder in 1973 – just a week before the Belgian GP
RON DENNIS
Inherited McLaren, then invented the modern Formula 1 team in his own fastidious image
A complex man, Ron Dennis wasn’t always easy to like when he was a fixture in Formula 1 paddocks. But behind the aloof air of superiority you could also sense a vulnerability. What ultimately made him easy to respect was his work ethic, the integrity and the (sometimes naive) idealism. A drive for perfection elevated Dennis beyond his peers as he created the template example of F1 excellence.
The beginnings as a mechanic at Brabham and Cooper are periods he doesn’t like to dwell upon, but they informed his ambition for autonomy. The Rondel Racing, Project Three and Project Four years in Formula 2 during the 1970s were tough, but gave him the knowledge he needed to pitch his vision to Marlboro. The alliance and eventual takeover of McLaren, in partnership with an equally complex but inspired John Barnard, was the floorplan upon which he could impose his reality and sculpt from all that he had learned.
Dennis empowered Barnard to create the first all carbon-fibre F1 chassis; he convinced Porsche to supply its potent turbo engine under the TAG moniker; he talked Niki Lauda into a return; re-signed Alain Prost, the best driver of the new generation. But more than all this, he created a business with infrastructure and methodologies that transcended its status as a mere racing team. From now on, F1 entities were elite pioneering specialists in new technology.
The 1980s heyday with Lauda, Prost and Ayrton Senna made McLaren unbeatable at times. A fresh alliance with Mercedes and new commercial relationships fuelled his vision for empire building.
The final F1 years – ‘Spygate’ churned by a vindictive governing body and a messy decoupling from McLaren – have clouded his legacy. But they shouldn’t. Ron Dennis left his mark on the whole sport. A forgotten man? Never by those who witnessed his impact.
Shades of grey: Ron Dennis at the McLaren helm for the 2002 Brazilian GP
Here’s something else Ron Dennis has to answer for. His instinct to listen and respond to the young lad who gamely approached him at an awards ceremony was another good call, perhaps his best one.
You know the story and the numbers: 105 wins, 104 pole positions, seven world championships – so far. No Formula 1 driver has been more successful. Yet somehow Lewis Hamilton remains divisive. We can’t think why.
The detractors say that for years he benefited from the best cars – just like every multiple world champion before him. They also scoff at his sense of fashion. Or his earnestness in interviews and on social media. For some, he can do no right.
But for millions of others, Hamilton is an icon and an inspiration. As the first and still only person of colour to achieve sustained success in F1, he speaks to a wider audience for whom grand prix racing meant little before he burst fully formed on to grids in 2007. They love the fact he’s upfront, honest, has no fear of expressing himself through the clothes he wears – and speaks with conviction for minorities and the disadvantaged. Only Sebastian Vettel has matched him as a racing driver with the confidence to address weighty subjects outside of their normal sporting sphere.
Hamilton’s F1 career has been so long he’s grown up in an uncomfortable spotlight. It was easy to pick holes during his tarnished final years at McLaren, but naturally he’s matured and the vast racing experience he accumulated has made him a complete sportsman. Yes, Mercedes gave him great cars, but he played his part in making them so and absolutely made the most of them. And for someone who has been around for so long, there have been remarkably few controversies. He has a reputation, unlike Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher, for racing clean. Even in 2021 when his rivalry with Max Verstappen spilled into dangerous territory, Hamilton emerged with integrity intact. He’s a great example to those who wish to follow in his wheel tracks.
Now the Ferrari adventure begins. Yes, money is a factor. It always is. But surely it’s the challenge and the adrenaline shot of what this means that he’s relishing. Whatever happens, his place as one of the greats is assured – and he remains what he has always been: box office gold. We’ll miss him when he’s gone.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Transcends Formula 1 as a cultural sporting gure, a role-model to millions
6
More than a racing driver, Lewis Hamilton’s weight of character has made him a hero to millions
SID WATKINS
Served on the frontline of saving Formula 1 lives to lead a gradual, vital revolution
If Jackie Stewart kick-started the conversation, Professor Sid Watkins was the man who put those words into action. For 26 years – some 424 races – he served as Formula 1’s doctor. For every driver through two decades and then some, Sid was a friend and the first welcome face on the scene when it all went wrong. When it wasn’t too bad, his prescription of whisky and a couple of aspirin usually did the trick.
By day ‘the Prof’, as he became universally known, was one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons working at the Royal London Hospital. Luckily he was in charge of the staff rota and kept grand prix weekends free – or used his holiday. Watkins became an F1 fixture and his eminence cannot be overplayed. Experiencing firsthand the woeful excuse for medical services at race circuits, the Prof became an increasing voice of influence as safety finally became the first non-negotiable principle of motor sport. It all seems so obvious now. Easy to forget that for decades medical
care at race tracks was considered an expensive afterthought.
Watkins first served at Watkins Glen during the 1960s, when his work had taken him to New York. Upon returning to the UK, the British GP became his beat – before a pivotal meeting with Bernie Ecclestone in 1978. They didn’t know each other, but Ecclestone approached the Prof and recognised a kindred spirit. If F1 was to become a legitimate sport on a commercial level, it had to be safer. Sid, his opinions and his expertise became an essential ingredient to a sport that was finally maturing.
The Prof’s experience of treating Ronnie Peterson at Monza in 1978 galvanised and convinced him of his mission. Improvements in facilities, circuits and the cars themselves were – and still are – a work in progress. But so much we take for granted today began with one of F1’s most-loved figures, who on one hand didn’t take life too seriously – and yet on the other cherished its value and saved so many.
The Prof, Sid Watkins, was pivotal to both improving race safety and modernising F1
COLIN CHAPMAN
Charismatic leader and innovator who shaped the so-called ‘golden era’
Can you imagine 1960s motor racing without Colin Chapman? The energy he brought to his growing Lotus empire shot through Formula 1 like lightning. BRM, Vanwall – for whom he contributed – and Cooper all got there first. But it was Chapman’s Lotus which really drove the narrative of the British F1 revolution.
Full monocoque chassis; engines as fully stressed members; the Cosworth DFV; fourwheel-drive experimentation; promising gas turbine racers; gaudy commercial sponsorship… Chapman found inspiration from wherever he could find it, never settled and never stopped, then passed it on. Adrian Newey was among the countless to be directly influenced, but practically everyone who followed carried something over from the Old Man’s example.
Through the 1970s, Lotus proved more inconsistent: brilliant one season, average the next. There were greater distractions to lead Chapman astray. But how he came back to what he did best, empowering Peter Wright, Tony Rudd, Martin Ogilvie, Ralph Bellamy and the rest at Team Lotus to push deeper into
previously only lightly chartered waters, pulled him back to where he belonged. Harnessing ground effects was a team effort – but Chapman applied the pressure behind its game-changing suction. He was the charismatic leader good people need to achieve their best, but rarely also had enough know-how to lead directly by example.
He was flawed too, of course, made terrible mistakes and didn’t always show the best judgement – but that’s why he was fascinating. Chapman represented the best of F1, and then every now and then its follies too. But for all of the Lotus 25s, 49s, 72s, 78s and 79s, we wouldn’t want to be without the 76s, 80s and 88s. His loss from a heart attack at 54 was unquantifiable. No one could replace him.
So what on earth would he make of F1 today, with its prescriptive regulations and heavy limitations? We once asked that question to the ‘Marlboro man’ John Hogan, another big-hitting F1 influencer from an increasingly distant past. “Colin?” he replied. “He’d be in it right up to here. ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be all right!’”
Colin Chapman, arms aloft after a Lotus 1-2 in the 1978 Spanish Grand Prix; Andretti and Peterson were driving Lotus 79s
AYRTON SENNA
F1’s single most inspirational gure – as much now as when he was racing
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend,” goes the old quote from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. So it is with Ayrton Senna.
His deification in the 30-plus years since the horrors of Imola 1994 has taken on the proportions of a cult. It’s a shame because the three-time world champion is becoming something of a cliché: “if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver” – and all that jazz. In reality, the complete all-too-human picture of Senna, including the flaws, miscalculations and paranoia that existed within his natural charisma and sheer racing driver brilliance, is so much more interesting.
What is it about him? That documentary – 15 years old now, would you believe? – helps, of course. Then there’s YouTube, combined with the visceral era he raced in. We’ve all checked out the onboard clips of Senna at full pelt, with the frisson of ceaseless manual gearshifts and steering inputs on bumpy tracks with little or no run-off. It’s all just so
raw in comparison to the calm and relative sanity of onboards today.
Then there’s the character. While Lewis Hamilton was inspired by him, Max Verstappen has probably more in common. They share a refusal to compromise, an attractive trait in heroes – even if in reality it can be a weakness as much as a strength. The nonconformist evokes an emotional response, certainly more than a clinical technician. That’s why Senna – the Jimi Hendrix of motor racing – is so high in this list and Alain Prost, his nemesis and equal, is nowhere to be seen.
Senna’s explosive speed and sheer intimidatory presence in that vivid yellow helmet represents the definition of what a racing driver is supposed to be, now to impressionable racers as much as then. Who else would inspire the string of tributes and celebrations we witnessed in 2024 during the 30th anniversary year? Like all who are taken far too young, Senna is frozen in his glorious zenith.
He’ll inspire for another 30 years yet, too.
Yellow helmet and the Marlboro-liveried McLaren is peak F1 of its era – here at the 1989 Italian GP
ENZO FERRARI
The myth-making titan of F1’s greatest team retains his old magic
It’ll be 27 years this summer. August 14, 1988. That’s when Enzo Ferrari left the building at the grand age of 90. Yet much like Ayrton Senna, the power of his legend somehow only intensifies the further we travel from his lifetime.
Ferrari’s aura is wrapped up in longevity. More than his blessed team’s unique status as ever-present from the start of the Formula 1 World Championship, it’s because the (original) Old Man’s history stretches back pre-war – even as far as immediately post-WWI – that carries weight. There’s old alchemy at work in the myth and gritty reality of Ferrari.
A racing driver in the 1920s, an, ahem, garagiste on behalf of Alfa Romeo in the 1930s, those opening decades forged the legend that was folded into his new endeavour as a constructor in his own right. Oh, and just how
did he pick his way through that inconvenient Second World War? Another drop of mystery to the brew.
The Michael Mann film Ferrari, released late in 2023, tapped into the aura. Adam Driver didn’t look much like Enzo, but captured something of his spirit, and each scene was like a painting – a homage to Italy, where the soul of motor racing resides. And Ferrari is Italy.
Times have changed but the old Ferrari magic still lingers. See Lewis Hamilton pictured for the first time as a Scuderia driver, black coat draped over his shoulders, outside the old house at Fiorano, in front of an F40. Which other team could create such a frisson? When he made his first laps, the ghosts were everywhere. Ferrari has still got it – whatever it is. And it’s all because of the enigmatic man in the dark glasses.
Enzo Ferrari with the Scuderia’s rising star Phil Hill at the 1958 Italian GP – the American’s first Formula 1 podium
Bernie Ecclestone, No.1 – and, according to those who worked with him, a perfectionist. F1 owes him a great deal
BERNIE ECCLESTONE
Creator of modern F1 as we know it – for worse, but mostly for better
What would Formula 1 look like today without the influence of ‘The Bolt’? The reality is F1 was too rough around the edges, too lawless to thrive in a fast-changing world back when Ecclestone was the boss of Brabham. It had to evolve. Bernie quickly identified the flaws once he had a place at the table after buying out Ron Tauranac in 1971, and recognised before anyone else just how much untapped potential existed in grand prix racing. Like the best racing drivers, he was faster, sharper and had a wider capacity to understand the bigger picture.
Money – that was always what it was about for Bernie. Even so, there’s a case to be made that his biggest contribution was on safety. It was Ecclestone who approached Sid Watkins and instigated significant change to reduce the death toll.
He’d seen the worst of F1 by the time he grabbed a stake in the game. Bernie knew F1, and from its early days. The loss of friends Stuart Lewis-Evans in 1958 and Jochen Rindt in 1970 informed his perspective on F1 as a blood sport. But this was no bleeding heart.
John Watson’s account of how Bernie bluntly told him to get back in his car after the death of François Cevert shouldn’t be interpreted as callous. He was hardened to the reality that the show must go on. Death was bad for business, which is why he took an approach to at least try to eradicate it.
The power grab to snatch control away from race promoters and the governing body was ugly, but necessary. By the late 1990s F1 had been redrawn in Bernie’s own image. The alliance with old March chum Max Mosley at the FIA was key, but the pair misfired when they colluded to sell F1 to the highest bidder and allow it to fall into the hands of private equity asset strippers. By the end, Ecclestone – who had the foresight to trigger the original TV revolution and brought riches into the sport that left his rivals forever in his debt –looked out of touch, like an embarrassing uncle. By 2017 his time really was up.
But how it ended doesn’t take away how Bernie shaped every detail of F1 across 40 years. Yes, he took a great deal – but he contributed so much more.
Pete Biro captured this portrait of Niki Lauda in his March F1 car in the early 1970s. Forty-five years later, Lauda provided the afterword for F1 Mavericks
F1 MAVERICKS IN FOCUS
THE LAGUNA SECA FAN WHO TOLD THE STORY OF HOW FORMULA 1 BECAME FORMULA 1
WORDS_ GEORGE LEVY
PHOTOGRAPHY_ PETE BIRO/REVS INSTITUTE ARCHIVE
My dear friend Pete Biro (1933-2018) was one of the most celebrated motorsports photographers of the 20th century. He shot for LIFE, Sports Illustrated and just about every car magazine. Racing enthusiasts saw his work regularly in Autoweek and Car and Driver in the 1960s and ‘70s. During those halcyon days of the David E. Davis-led “C and D,” Pete was essentially the motorsports artist in residence, supplying the text and unforgettable photos for countless stories.
He was a magician with a camera. Literally. Throughout his adult life Pete maintained two careers: photography and prestidigitation. He was renowned in the magic world for his creativity and delivery. How good was he? Enough that he was once invited to appear on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. (He missed the gig because he didn’t get the message off his answering machine until after he returned from several races.)
Good enough that a young Jerry Seinfeld— yes, that Jerry Seinfeld—opened for him.
The two disciplines are not as dissimilar as you might think. In both, timing is crucial. And creativity. Pete was never happier than when he came up with a shot that left other photographers wondering how he pulled it off. And magic and photography both require an ongoing awareness of exactly what the audience will see at all times.
In the ‘60s, Pete did the disappearingtablecloth trick in a Las Vegas restaurant at a table filled with McLaren luminaries including Bruce himself. For years afterward Bruce tried to get Pete to explain how he’d pulled it off.
Pete made news again in his final years with the first in a series of books we collaborated on featuring images from his archive of nearly 300,000, including 2016’s Can-Am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out with North America’s Greatest Race Series 1966-74 and the evergreen F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing (2019).
What many didn’t realize about this magician with film was that he was local here to Northern California. He lived for years at 2618 35th Ave. in the Allendale Park section of Oakland. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was his home track.
Pete loved shooting here. The races, the people. The stories poured out of him.
Pete was here in 1966 when Jim Hall’s highwinged Chaparral 2Es scored their dominant—
and surprisingly only—Can-Am win at the track’s first race in that series.
He was here three years later when the Texas legend’s Chaparral 2H sprouted that enormous, centrally mounted basket-handle wing, perhaps the largest such device ever seen on a race car. Or, as Laguna Seca’s track announcer put it, “If that wing was any bigger, they’d have to carry a stewardess.”
And Pete was not just here but part of the action when Jackie Stewart came for the 1971 CanAm round, driving Carl Haas’ cigarette-pack Lola T-260. After practice, Stewart commandeered the pace car and signaled Pete to hop in. Their mission? Photograph the barriers at The Corkscrew, which the Scot, then the world’s leading proponent of track safety, was unhappy about: there were trees in front of them. “My goodness, Pete,” the eventual three-time world champion told him, “the guardrail isn’t there to protect the drivers from the trees. The trees are there to protect the guardrail from the drivers.”
After Stewart went to track officials armed with Pete’s photos, the situation was rectified. Long before most of the other major tracks followed Laguna Seca’s lead.
The two of them had bonded over a moment of kindness years before at Pete’s first
overseas F1 race, the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix. Pete had arrived at the packed hotel near the Spa-Francorchamps circuit after a Transatlantic flight to discover there was no record of his reservation. Stewart overheard the standoff and offered one of the rooms in his suite. They remained friends for life.
F1 Mavericks began with a conversation shortly after the launch of our award-winning Can-Am book, which garnered plaudits from the original competitors, including racer and broadcaster Sam Posey who said, “The book is just fantastic. You’ve got the facts exactly right, which must have been a product of a lot of hard work and good thinking.”
Pete called one day and said, “Let’s do a book about F1.”
It was not the slam-dunk it might have been. Unlike his friends Bernard Cahier and Rainer Schlegelmilch, Pete had concentrated on American racing — and virtually all forms of it: Indy, NASCAR, sprint cars, sports cars, off-road, Formula 5000. He was a mainstay at the Brickyard for more than three decades, back when covering the 500 was a monthlong proposition.
His Formula 1 archive, by contrast, consisted of occasional races from the 1960 United States Grand Prix at Riverside to the last Long Beach
The late, great Pete Biro
His sense of timing and composition were exquisite. A second later and the moment — that’s
would have been gone
Lorenzo Bandini behind his Ferrari —
Above: Photographers risked all then, too. Pete, with back to traffic, takes aim at Dan Gurney at the 1964 Mexican Grand Prix.
Right: Pete captures the intensity and focus of John Surtees from that same spot at the Mexico hairpin.
Left: Pete loved Laguna Seca and captured some of his greatest images there. Here, Jim Hall (66) leads teammate Phil Hill at the 1966 Monterey Grand Prix Can-Am.
Below left: Three-time Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart and Pete bonded early in their careers over a kindness at the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix.
F1 race in 1983. (By that point, Pete had relocated to the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles with the love of his life, Linda. Their stunning home had been designed in the 1920s by “Architect to the Stars” Paul Revere Williams.)
What we needed for the book was an organizing principle. An idea that would connect those races in a compelling narrative. The time period comprehended by Pete’s F1 photos coincided almost perfectly with the 25year period when Grand Prix racing became the Formula 1 we know today.
In the span including the 1958 through 1982 seasons, a gentle stream of innovation became a torrent. The cars that showed up for the first Formula 1 race in 1950 didn’t look especially different from the ones that appeared eight years later. But from that point forward, holy cow. From front engines to rear engines. From carburetors to turbos. From flexible-flyer space frames to carbon-fiber monocoques. From cars that went around corners on tiptoes to ones that generated so much downforce they could literally drive on the ceiling.
That innovation happened for a number of reasons, but the main one, of course, was the people. A proud band of geniuses and revolutionaries unrivaled in the history
BERNARD CAHIER/THE CAHIER ARCHIVE
of the sport: Chapman, Cooper, Forghieri, Murray, Barnard, Hall and Sir Patrick Head. F1 mavericks all...
Once we had the idea, Pete began to choose the images that would best illustrate it. The cover photo is a magnificent shot of All-American Racer Dan Gurney on his day of days: the moment in 1967 when he captured the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix in his beaked Eagle. The first Grand Prix victory by an American in an American car since Jimmy Murphy won the 1921 French GP in a Duesenberg. The only win by a U.S.-built car in the now-75-year history of modern Formula 1. Dan and Pete were close. When Chris Pook and Gurney formed the Long Beach Grand Prix, Dan hired Pete to head the public relations duties.
Pete’s friends contributed heavily to the book. The Foreword and Afterword were written by Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda. All you had to do was mention Pete’s name and others followed: Bernie Ecclestone, John Barnard and more.
Ironically, Laguna Seca was also the place where, at the end of a long career, Pete largely decided to hang up his cameras.
“When I started shooting,” he told Car and Driver’s Peter Manso in 2015, “there were no corporate decals. Drivers, photographers, the
writers, everybody knew each other, and there was a level of cooperation, of interaction, that simply doesn’t exist anymore.”
The magic that Pete and others achieved with their cameras simply wasn’t possible any longer. During the Mavericks Era, Pete would stand on the edge of the track, on the outside of a turn if that’s what it took to get a great shot. Now photographers’ access is restricted to areas where telephoto lenses are necessary just to feel close to the action. Drivers and engineers, pit boxes and haulers are cordoned off.
Even if that were not the case, still photography wouldn’t be as essential as it once was. Today, even the smallest races are broadcast, using the latest high-def technology. During the Mavericks Era, you rarely saw races in real time. You had to wait for the next issue of Autoweek, Car and Driver or Road & Track for clear, compelling images of Monaco, Spa, Silverstone or Laguna Seca.
Pete passed away just as F1 Mavericks went to press. He kept a mockup of the cover by his bedside to the very end. That the book remains read and admired by so many is a testament to the men and machines he captured on film and the humor, brilliance and imagination he brought to the sport he adored.
Images from Biro’s archive are available from the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida (revsinstitute.org). You can find F1 Mavericks and his most recent collaboration with Motorsports Hall of Fame of America President George Levy, 2024’s Texas Legend: Jim Hall and his Chaparrals, at enthusiast bookstores everywhere. Biro’s greatest hits compilation, Motorsports Mavericks, will be published by Motorbooks in 2026.
“
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT”
PAUL LANZANTE
INTERVIEW_ KERRY MORSE
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY_ BRUCE BENEDICT
The location isn’t a secret, however, it isn’t that well known either.
Paul Lanzante’s reputation is steeped in knowledge and guided by a passion for doing a job right. His list of clients includes those at the pinnacle of the current motorsport world in addition to those with world class automotive collections. Lanzante has earned something that cannot be bought and that is trust. Whether it be suggestions for a suspension set up for a track day or researching the correct components for a restoration, he has earned the respect of a culture that is demanding with expectations of excellence.
Kerry Morse – How did this begin for you, go back to the beginning.
Paul Lanzante – When I was 13, I knew precisely what I wanted to do. I was just besotted with racing cars, I never used to buy comics, all I bought was magazines and Autosport. At 15 I left school on a Friday and began an apprenticeship in a garage the following Monday. Once I passed my apprenticeship, which was five years later, I’m now 20 and I went to work for Maranello Concessionaires at their historic Tower Garage site.
You worked for Colonel Ronnie Hoare?
Yes. Ivan Bishop who was the chief mechanic, Colonel Hoare and Mike Salmon, who was a test driver and also a salesman.
Mike Salmon’s participation record at Le Mans is historic all on its own.
Right. So, I did about four or five years there and then I went to work at Tyrrell, I was Patrick Depailler’s mechanic for two seasons and also did the P34 six-wheeler.
Did you just go up to Ken Tyrrell and say ‘Hi there, this is my experience, I want to work for you?’
No, I wrote in saying I was interested in being an F1 mechanic and they wrote back and said when they had a workshop opening, they would let me know. About three months later they contacted me to come in for an interview and offered me the job where I’d start in the workshop and when I was ready, they’d put me on the racing team. After only four weeks in the workshop, they put me on the racing team. I was Patrick Depailler’s mechanic for two seasons. I met George Harrison at the Long Beach Grand Prix and we became very close friends. He’d come out to all the Grand Prix’s and just hang out. He used to tell me I should go out on my own, start a business, be my own boss. He kept
going on and on about it and one day he turned up at my house with a bag full of cash.
Sounds like a Guy Ritchie film. Yeah! I thought to myself, this guy can see something I can’t see, so I’m going to give it a try. In January 1978 I started working on my own and things progressed from there. I actually started by doing Ferrari work because that was my background, service on Daytona’s, 365’s, Dino’s, all that sort. Then a customer who was also a friend, said ‘You have a little bit of racing background, would you like to restore a McLaren M1B.’ ‘What’s one of those?’ I asked, and he showed me. It was a frame and all the bits and pieces. As I didn’t have much work at that time I thought, wow, I’ll do this, and I took it on. Halfway through the restoration, the owner sold the car and the new owner asked me to finish it off. I finished it and he wanted to go test. I told him I’d do the testing but I’d given up racing. He said he’d have his own team. ‘I just want you to do a shake down with the car and make sure everything is okay.’
So, we did the shake down, he didn’t have a team. I did the first race, then I did the second race, then he bought another car and then it just went on and on. Nick Mason was also a customer of mine, one of the first to have a Tyrrell 008. He bought two of them from Ken, I restored both of them for Nick and then it just progressed from there.
We were doing Can Am cars left, right and center. Then we started doing some work for Ron Dennis privately for some of his collections.
On the cars for Ron Dennis, was this prior to going to Le Mans with McLaren in 1995? Yes. We did bits and pieces for him for about five years prior to doing Le Mans. And it was Can Am cars, some Indy cars, a few older F1 cars. Just little trickling in, filler jobs. Then the Le Mans thing came and he called me in for a meeting. We went to the factory and he
PL confers with design wizard Adrian Newey on the set up of the Lotus 49
Clockwise from above: JPS Lotus - one of the most recognizable liveries in F1 history; another item gets marked off the pre-race checklist; marked in time with an ageless beauty; rules of the house; a one of only oneSerenissima racing prototype
said to me, ‘You may not know this but most of your clients are friends of mine, and not one of them has never said a bad word about you. Would you be interested in running a McLaren at Le Mans?’ We won and that was it.
You gathered a hell of an education in a really short span to be given that responsibility.
The thing is, even at the age of 13, all I ever wanted was my own little garage but I knew to get the experience I needed to go right up to the top of things with an apprenticeship. So, I did my bit of Ferraris and I thought, well I need to move on to the next level, and that was the pinnacle, Formula 1. ‘I’m going to do a few seasons in Formula 1’ All part of the journey for me working on my own. All I wanted to do is get all this experience under my belt.
Knowing that some people would have found it really difficult to leave F1, my point is that you already had a clear and defined idea of what you wanted to do at an early age. Based on the experience of working at Maranello Concessionaires and then through Tyrrell you were already versed in a background of the expectations of dealing with the higher-end cars and certainly the higher-end clients.
Yes. The other thing is, Kerry, if I had started working on Ford Escorts, that’s all I’d be doing today. I was fortunate enough to be associated with Ferrari owners, well connected people, and those are the sort of clients you end up having because they talk to another client, and they talk to some other friends, and that’s how it all progresses.
Success in the field you are in does not come from digital classrooms, it cannot be taught from afar.
( Laughs ) Many would like to think it can be done that way. Experience is not easily replicated.
What’s your completed car count on F1 cars up to now, the last we spoke it was over 25. At present we’ve done 35 Formula One cars. I am going up to Silverstone to run Zak Brown in his Williams FW11 just before the British Grand Prix.
What’s in the shop right now that you are working on?
We have three McLaren MP4/8’s, a Schumacher Benetton, a Lotus 49, an MP4/13 that just arrived yesterday, we are doing Goodwood with a Leyton House for Adrian Newey, we always have at least one or two McLaren F1 road cars, and a Porsche GT1.
You are also maintaining non-McLaren Formula 1 cars, correct?
Oh yeah, I mean, McLaren for the past seven years have been pretty full on but we have always managed to do other things as well, I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. I knew the McLaren deal was going to come to an end, so we made the best of it, did all the cars and they’ve all been signed off. Now we are just picking up the work, the odd person that wants to do an event, or this and that, or we get the odd phone call. So, we hope to be around to maintain these cars that we have restored.
You bring up an interesting point in that, because it’s certainly a problem over here is we have fewer and fewer people that have the talent to do the simplest mechanical jobs. I walked into a shop the other day to see a friend and he happened to be working on a 356SC and I asked what he was doing and he said I’m setting the points. When was the last time you heard anybody say that? So is this the future of where all this is going, it all can’t be done electronically.
I know. The trouble is nobody wants to get their hands dirty. That skill is now on par with plumbers, bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, electricians. Nobody goes into it anymore, and those people are so thin on the ground, there are very few good apprenticeships. We always have at any one time at least a couple of students, from either university or for work experience, that sort of stuff. I hope that we can move this knowledge and skill to younger people.
What kind of reaction are you getting?
It’s difficult for me to explain. You get some real petrol heads that want to learn the mechanics, but unless you have a deep passion to become a great motor-mechanic, you are never going to do it. It’s got to be something you are passionate about. Like football, or baseball, whatever it is, unless there is the passion, you cannot train anybody. If they are passionate it will sink in, they’ll never forget it.
It’s something that has to have a feeling, almost an unknown destination.
I’ll tell you something else Kerry, the majority of people that try and do what we do think there is a lot money in it. Forget it. Those people will always fail because they are preoccupied with trying to make a killing and they rarely get off the ground. The last thing on my mind is the money. I just want to work on great cars. The money is a byproduct. If you are passionate about what you do, you will be successful. You will earn plenty of money if you do a great job, you are
Clockwise from above: PL in a stationary moment in a workshop that is always in motion; if you have to ask...; occasionally youth gets served; French representation by way of the Peugeot and a Bugatti; a Schumacher Benetton with a series of Marlboro MP4 tubs await their turn
going to get a lot of work, and if you get a lot of work, you will have a nice living out of it.
You can apply that to riding a horse, being a writer, a photographer, it does take a certain amount of luck but you put yourself in a position where you make your own luck through dedication and experience. Had you not already done good work for Ron Dennis, that call for Le Mans might have never happened. Absolutely. But look, it’s an ego thing, it’s not about money. We all have a degree of ego, it’s what gets you out of bed in the morning. For me, being associated with Sebastian Vettel when he says ‘I want you to run this for me.’ Mate, it doesn’t get better than that!
In addition to yourself, how many people do you have in your workshop?
Six mechanics
What does it take to be hired by Paul Lanzante, what is your criteria, how does someone get to work for you?
There will be an apprenticeship. Then it has to be someone that you can reach in passion and feel it’s worth the investment or someone with mechanical experience. The worst mechanics that you can employ are from Formula 1. The modern mechanic is not a mechanic at all, they never had the opportunity to learn to be one. They don’t know anything about engines, anything about gearboxes, all they do is follow instructions on a piece of paper. They can’t even ask why, they don’t even know why they are doing it. The car has been segregated to so many factors. One man only does the front left, the other does the front right, if a guy has to change the ratios, the mechanics will pull the gear box off the car but then there is a guy that undoes the ratio pack and he does the
ratios and then gives it to the mechanics to fit into the car. You have to look for people who have done racing with analog rather than digital. Those are the best mechanics.
As I said earlier, those individuals are becoming fewer. For instance, of the six mechanics that you have, who has been there the longest and who is the most recent hire?
At the moment, we had one guy who retired several weeks ago. He’d been here thirteen years. Then the rest of the team, the longest now is seven years and we have a new guy that started only a couple of months ago. The rest have been here over three years.
The fellow who just retired, what was his background when he came to work for you?
I’ve known him for over forty years, he worked at Tyrrell and Brabham and then at McLaren for 25 years.
I would call that an education. Very few people have hands on experience in dealing with so many areas and that’s not something you get by watching a film or in a remote classroom.
When I left school, the apprenticeships we had then, we got a job in a garage and did everything. We did trucks, lawnmowers, cars, everything. We didn’t specialize just in Ford or Vauxhauls. It was a country garage run by a family in those days. We had four day’s work in the garage and one day at a technical college being trained and doing calculations. I went to Brooklands Technical College. Then at the end of the year you’d take an exam, and if you passed, you could then do the second year. If you didn’t pass you had to do that year again.
It’s earning respect and lessons well learned. You certainly have achieved that.
MICHEAL ALAN ROSS
The long haul of the best of McLaren to California for days of demonstration at Sonoma Raceway
FAMOUS PAIRINGS
From Fangio and Moss to Alonso and Hamilton there are plenty of examples of champions, winners and highly rated youngsters teaming up in the past. As F1 celebrates its 75th year, we look back on some notable pairings from the many decades of competition…
ALONSO & HAMILTON
McLaren’s 2007 line up saw upcoming talent Lewis Hamilton hitting the ground running and taking the fight to two-time world Champion Fernando Alonso from the very first corner of their very first race as team mates. While the McLaren drivers squabbled and took points off each other, Ferrari rival Kimi Räikkönen quietly kept himself in contention, capitalising on race-ending drama for Alonso in Japan and Hamilton in China to secure the championship at the Brazil finale by a single point.
Amid the added controversy of that year’s ‘Spygate’ scandal, Alonso’s multiyear deal with McLaren was scrapped after just one season, while Hamilton continued and cemented himself at the team who had supported him since his karting days.
COURTESY OF FORMULA 1 ®
PROST & SENNA
Alain Prost had won two drivers’ titles at McLaren when the team and new engine partner Honda brought in young hotshot Ayrton Senna as his sidekick, with the world-beating 1988 MP4/4 and ‘89 MP4/5 designs putting them in a battle of their own for title glory.
After Senna edged out Prost for the ’88 championship, underlying tensions came to the fore through ’89. Despite reclaiming the title, Prost decided that enough was enough and left McLaren for Ferrari, but his rivalry with Senna was far from over – the pair going head-to-head for the ’90 title before the Brazilian’s controversial first-lap tactics at Suzuka took the relationship to a new low.
FANGIO & MOSS
We go all the way back to 1955 when superstar Juan Manuel Fangio and rising star Stirling Moss were paired at Mercedes.
The master and apprentice showing plenty of respect for each other at very different stages of their respective careers while winning five of the six Grands Prix™ the Silver Arrows contested that season.
Fangio’s four victories aboard the W196 challenger saw him comfortably claim the world title, with Moss – wholed his more experienced team mate home by just 0.2s in a statement Mercedes 1-2-3-4 finish at the British Grand Prix –placing second in the standings.
CLARK & HILL
Jim Clark and Graham Hill were both F1 World Champions when they joined forces at Lotus midway through the 1960s. The ‘67 season turned into a fast but unreliable affair for the team, when they launched their new Lotus 49 car and also debuted the groundbreaking Ford Cosworth DFV engine, leaving Clark third in the championship on four wins and Hill seventh with a couple of podiums.
After regrouping over the winter, Lotus came charging out of the blocks in ‘68 with a 1-2 finish at the South African opener, only for the year to take a tragic turn when Clark lost his life in an F2 accident at Hockenheim – Hill stepping forward in his absence and taking the title
FITTIPALDI & HULME
In 1974 McLaren created a ‘super team’ when Emerson Fittipaldi joined their ranks alongside fellow champion Denny Hulme. Hulme’s inherited victory at the first round in Argentina and Fittipaldi’s win on home soil next time out signalled a strong start in what would be a milestone season for McLaren – ‘Emmo’ scoring their first drivers’ championship and the team also earning the constructors’.
While Fittipaldi stayed at McLaren for ‘75 and finished as that year’s runner-up, Hulme walked away from F1 amid g rowing fears over the sport’s dangers, which were reinforced when his friend and former team mate Peter Revson died in a testing crash.
GRAND PRIX
A JOHN FRANKENHEIMER FILM
WORDS_ GREG N. BROWN
Grand Prix is a singular cinematic experience, one that immersed audiences in the action of motor racing in an entirely new way at a time when Formula One was unknown to most Americans. Especially thrilling when seen in its original Cinerama 70 format, Grand Prix’s stature has become even more grand over the almost half century since its release. And, somewhat amazingly, that general acclaim has cultivated an enormous “back-story” fan base that analyzes every square millimeter of every 70-millimeter frame of finished film in the way that others dissect the movies of Hitchcock and Kubrick.
And neither the “reality” of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” nor the modern technological wizardry of “F1” can diminish Frankenheimer’s achievement. If anything, the heightened interest in Formula One will draw new viewers to Grand Prix from among cinephiles and motorsport enthusiasts alike, each group marveling at how it was made; indeed, that it ever got made.
Grand Prix, by his own reckoning, is not JF’s best film, but it was the most fun he
ever had making a movie and arguably is his greatest contribution to the art of filmmaking. Frankenheimer’s favored set was on location, not in a studio, and Grand Prix allowed him to range across nine European countries with a cast and crew of over 205 people, 65 race cars, and 33 professional drivers—and not one frame of Grand Prix was filmed on a set. Nor was there a single “process shot” among the 850,000 feet of 65mm Eastman Color Negative that was turned over to the six editors at MGM, who along with Frankenheimer reduced the footage to its final three hours of running time.
The making of Grand Prix was an astonishingly quick affair. Frankenheimer started shooting in May and wrapped in the first week of October. This truncated schedule was primarily due to Frankenheimer’s need for crowds when his crew and cars used the tracks before, after, and in between the real F1 practices and races. The other reason for rushing the film to completion was a request from the head of MGM to have it ready for the Christmas season. Frankenheimer reckoned his camera team had exposed
“... a quarter million feet of film ... ten or twelve times what you’d expose for a normal film, and close to a hundred times what you’d use in the finished print,” so the director fairly lived at the studio for the three months it took to cut the raw stock. Surprisingly, JF never got to see the final version before it debuted in theaters, but, even so, the toil paid off with Academy Award wins for editing and for sound editing and effects.
The finished film was first shown on December 21, 1966, at the Warner Cinerama Theater in New York City; a day later it debuted at the Pacific Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles. In its first year, including the U.S. and Canada, Grand Prix sold a few more than 19 million tickets and made almost $21 million, a pretty decent return on the $8 million or so the film cost MGM.
The idea for a movie about Formula One was gestated during Frankenheimer’s filming of The Train (1964) starring Burt Lancaster. Called upon to replace the film’s initial director, Irving Penn, Frankenheimer arrived in Europe to find a production in disarray with an unshootable script and technical challenges that had yet to
Compared to the lightweight equipment for present day lmmaking it took considerable thought and talent to design the mounts for the big cameras
be addressed. Threatening to take the next plane home, Frankenheimer’s successful negotiations with the French producer included a rather curious but revealing demand: “I want a silver Ferrari 250 2+2 with red seats in it outside this hotel by ve o’clock tomorrow morning.” With apologies, the car was not delivered until early next evening, and Frankenheimer went to work.
Demonstrating the agility of thought and action that Frankenheimer developed while he was working (to great success) in live television, when the rst take was the only take, he completed the lm that changed his professional life. Primarily known for his political thrillers (The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May) and intimate examinations of persons in di cult circumstances (The Young Savages, Birdman of Alcatraz, Seconds), the tremendous action sequences in The Train suddenly made him a director of action pictures, and this new element of his already stellar reputation helped Frankenheimer’s chief partner and producer, Eddie Lewis, secure the funds for Grand Prix More importantly, it gave Frankenheimer the con dence that he could pull o one of the most ambitious projects in movie history.
Just listing the equipment used is a technophile’s dream. John Stephens, second-
unit and helicopter cameraman for the lm, wrote, “The main challenge would be to rig some sort of camera car that could keep up with the racing cars going at up to 180 miles per hour while actually running on the circuits in Europe.” To meet that challenge, technicians and engineers both within and outside of the Hollywood industry were called upon to develop mounting rigs that could withstand the rigors of racing and cameras that were capable of remote operation for control of the pan, tilt head, followfocus, change of aperture and more. The primary mounted cameras were Super Panavision 65mm units, specially adapted to prevent jamming, and they used lenses developed by Panavision to Frankenheimer’s specs, including a 17mm Hyper-wide for almost distortion-free wideangle shots (critical for projection on Cinerama screens) and a 1000mm telephoto lens with a deep eld of focus.
Four months of development led to a rst test at Riverside Raceway with Bob Bondurant and Phil Hill at the wheel, both of whom would be instrumental in the making of Grand Prix
A Ford GT-40 was the camera car at Riverside, and it worked out so well that it was used as well during the European tour, though highly modi ed to accomodate the electronics for the
camera operator. A boon to all this preparation was the hiring of Lionel Lindon as Director of Photography. Not only was he extremely accomplished (he won an Oscar for his color cinematography on Around the World in 80 Days), like Frankenheimer he was a racing enthusiast who competed in SCCA events throughout the ‘50s in Southern California.
Because Frankenheimer demanded “complete realism,” the shooting was exceptionally di cult, particularly because he wanted the actors playing drivers to actually drive the cars, which were Formula Three Lotus machines altered in appearance, by Jim Russell and crew, to make them look like the three BRMS, three Ferraris, two AARs, two Brabhams, two Lotuses, three Yamuras, and one Maserati that lled the real F1 grids. The skill sets of the actors—James Garner, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford, and Antonio Sabáto—varied widely. Garner was by far the most accomplished. Ritchie Ginther, after seeing the lm, praised his performance: “He drives like a pro and talks like a mechanic.” Montand did okay, Sabáto less so, and Bedford was so hopeless that a wee Scot named Jackie Stewart was enlisted to do his driving scenes, both men hidden behind goggles and balaclavas to complete the subterfuge.
James Garner did not t Frankenheimer’s idea for the role loosely based on Phil Hill. JF’s rst choice was Steve McQueen and second in line was Robert Redford. Even Paul Newman was asked and also deferred, so MGM suggested Garner. They’d like his role in The Americanization of Emily, and he came at the right price: $400,000. Frankenheimer wasn’t thrilled. “I tried to point out that Garner is wonderful when he’s playing a shit.” But, continued JF, because Garner had undergone driver training by Carroll Shelby, Bob Bondurant and John Timanus of the SCCA, “He drove very, very well.” At the start, it was supposed to be Garner’s picture, but in the editing process Frankenheimer felt the most compelling story line belonged to Yyes Montand, “perhaps the nicest man, along with Rock Hudson, I’ve ever known,” said Frankenheimer. With his nely honed sense for how audiences react to characters, JF knew that “Montand was the one you had sympathy for.”
Frankenheimer has always contended that every actor was based on a real person and that the racing action echoed real events on track. Bedford was based on Stirling Moss; Montand was a blend of Fangio, Wolfgang von Trips, and Jean Behra; and even Eva Marie Saint’s journalist was based on a woman named
Louise King, who was married to Peter Collins’s best friend, another Ferrari driver who was killed in an accident. She later became involved with Mike Hawthorne. The other signi cant female characters, played by Jessica Walter and Francoise Hardy, are e ective in their roles as foils to their male counterparts, and Adolfo Celi’s Agostini Manetti is a suitably sti and arrogant surrogate for Enzo Ferrari.
If there’s a weak aspect of Grand Prix, it’s in the human story lines. Frankenheimer had hired Robert Alan Arthur to write the screenplay based on JF’s story, but Arthur’s dialogue was, said JF, “not what I wanted,” so he brought in an uncredited Bill Hanley to massage that part of the lm. There are some very good lines, to be sure, but many critics have decried some of the acting to be wooden or excessive. Fortunately, there is always more racing to come, and the cars again become the deserved center of attention.
To avoid the banalities of cars going around
“JOHN FRANKENHEIMER HAS A WAY WITH OBSESSION” VARIETY MAGAZINE
in circles, Frankenheimer employed a number of visual e ects he’d previously encountered, many converted into montages by the suitably acclaimed Saul Bass. “I got the idea for the split screen and the multiple images from Francis Thompson and his lm To be Alive at the New York World Fair. It impressed me a great deal as did Charles Eames’s lm for IBM.” These techniques allowed him to present each race in a di erent style and also allowed breaks in the very loud action scenes. Maurice Jarre’s musical score manages to cut through the turmoil e ectively in spots, but it’s almost a tertiary pleasure in this lm that is so visually commanding. Grand Prix is Frankenheimer’s rst color lm, and the rst he shot for 70mm screening, and he professed to be very challenged by the prospect and ruefully pondered the fate of black-and-white movies.
There is so much to be said about Grand Prix that it’s somewhat surprising a book has not yet been written about the exceedingly demanding and complex process. How did Frankenheimer pull it o ? Well, “demanding” is a word often used to describe JF’s work ethic, well illustrated by a journalist who witnessed the shooting of the race in Monaco. “On a clear day you can hear Frankenheimer half the length of the Monte Carlo waterfront.”
Grand Prix was not the only race lm to use a GT40 as a camera car as it proved to be such a stable platform that another GT40 was modi ed for use in the lming of Le Mans
FOREVER FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Often a seminal moment in time, one tightly ingrained in our personal memory, will have a profound effect on life’s trajectory. Film can be influential in that regard and when John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix arrived in theaters in 1966, the groundbreaking work inspired a generation of racing, film, and literary enthusiasts.
Lizett Bond
Growing up in Los Angeles in the ‘60s I was an avid sports fan. My father, Lewis Kaplan, had been an enthusiastic, self-financed SCCA driver competing alongside the likes of Dan Gurney, Richie Ginther, and Phil Hill. The arrival of each new issue of Road & Track was a highly anticipated event. I loved reading about the European circuits, cars, and drivers in a technical, informative way. What little televised motorsport coverage there was back then was reserved for an occasional race in grainy black and white on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” holding little of the allure to being trackside while attending local races with my Dad.
So, in January of 1967 when he offered to take me and a group of friends to see Grand Prix at the Cinerama Dome as an eleventh birthday present, I was beyond excited! When the lights went out and the screen came to life with the rousing fanfare, thundering engines, and split-screen images of the cars firing up for the start of the Monaco GP, I was transfixed. The racing scenes captured by the innovative use of car-mounted cameras and helicopter shots revealed what it must be like to be in the thick of a European Grand Prix. It was exhilarating. Some of the nuances of the very adult romantic plot points were no-doubt lost on an eleven-year-old, but the allure of Eva Marie Saint, Jessica Walter, and especially Francoise Hardy were not. Her Lisa’s existentialist ennui was mesmerizing, and left me with a crush on Ms. Hardy to this day. Love, life, ego, betrayal, mortality, Grand Prix had it all in near-biblical proportions.
My group spilled out of the theater buzzing with excitement. I remember thinking it would take one hell of a racing movie to ever top this. Decades later, and with over a dozen subsequent viewings, the film remains my most potent motorsports madeleine.
Lee Kaplan Arcana: Books On The Arts
I became totally hooked on racing after my parents took me to the Indy 500 in 1964. When Grand Prix premiered in 1966 my Dad knew the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood would be the only place for a young race fan to see the new film.
Grand Prix captivated me because it really put one in the middle of the highest level of motorsport. With the amazing camerawork, I felt I had witnessed what it would be like to drive a Grand Prix car. I came out absolutely aligned with the process.
The sophisticated camera rigs changed the way I saw racing and left me wanting to learn more about the craft of cinematography. I became immersed in the reality of the sport rather than a fantasy version.
Grand Prix not only launched a fascination of Formula One, but at the same time motivated me to capture the visuals associated with the sport.
As a storyteller, Frankenheimer forced the audience to engage through his immersive style of filmmaking, not just Grand Prix, but with later films like Ronin which had a common high speed automotive theme that kept us on the edge of our seats. To have walked into the Cinerama Dome at such an early age and to continue to be inspired by Frankenheimer’s work to this day really says something about the window he opened to a sport that I love.
Jeffrey R. Zwart
Author, film director, racer, photographer
By the time John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix was released in 1966 my Dad and I had already attended two Formula One events at Watkins Glen. At age 11 I could name nearly all the F1 drivers of the era. In 1965 I got to sit in a real Ford GT40 and
witnessed Phil Hill driving the camera car for the upcoming movie. Needless to say, I was primed and excited when we made the hour and half drive to Syracuse, NY–dressed in jacket and tie, as people did back then–to see Grand Prix on a Cinerama screen.
The room went dark and then came one of the most stunning movie openings I’ve seen…ever. The blipping of throttles, fuel injector venturis opening and closing, wrenches turning. From full frame to four images, to eight, to thirty-two, with the sound only F1 cars could make in that era. None of the “blat” of the current cars, or the high-pitched sewing machine-like whines of the early 2000s, but actual throaty growls of mechanical genius.
Its visceral raw beauty still floods tears down my cheeks. Better yet, many of the personalities intermixed with those of the actors were faces I’d actually seen at Watkins Glen: Bob Bondurant, Jochen Rindt, Bruce McLaren, with many more listed in the credits. They could have played those opening five minutes over and over, but the rest of the movie didn’t disappoint and has become the standard by which all other racing movies are compared…nearly all of them failing.
To say Grand Prix alone fueled my desire to follow, be near, and involved with motor racing would be an exaggeration, but not a wild one. But Grand Prix, along with the book, The New Matadors, by Ken Purdy with photography by Horst Baumann, inspired a feeling so many self-described “gear heads” miss when describing the sport: its sheer beauty, and a life I never wanted to be far from.
Sean Cridland, Ph.D. Author, Publisher Brumos: An American Racing Icon
GEORGE FOLLMER
ALEX JOB
CHIP GANASSI
The worst moment in my career happened in the 1979 Can Am race during qualifying. I was setting the fastest lap in the Lola Profit and the throttle stuck and I crashed coming down the corkscrew. I cleared the corkscrew but went straight and hit the drainage ditch and flew over the top of the hill where some spectators were sitting. The spectators pulled me from the car and saved my life. The best moment was in the 1972 Can Am race driving the 917/10 for Penske. I clinched the 1972 Championship by winning the race beating teammate Mark Donohue.
LAGUNA SECA:
Monterey has always been one of my team’s favorites. My personal favorite memory of Laguna Seca has to be the 2015 IMSA race when IMSA awarded me with a special Rolex watch during the drivers meeting for AJR’s 10th Sebring 12 Hour race victory that year. A close second favorite memory has to be the 2016 IMSA race where my Heart of Racing Team was P1 in all the practice sessions qualified on pole and won the race. I could not be there since I was home with Holly when she was very ill.
To say Laguna Seca has a special place in my heart would be an understatement for a number of reasons. First, THE PASS by Alex Zanardi is one of the greatest moments in racing history let alone our race team’s history. In addition, what a lot of people forget is moments later, we were celebrating Jimmy Vasser’s Championship and our team’s first Championship which ultimately became our first streak of four consecutive. So, Laguna Seca will always be very special to me.
MOMENTS & MEMORIES
What is it about Laguna Seca that creates so many vivid memories and recollections for so many? Monterey Historics founder Steve Earle was on point when asked why he chose Laguna Seca for his event, answering, without a pause, “I never had a date that didn’t want to go to Carmel.” For many others it was a place of magic
WORDS_ ELLEN BIRELEY & KERRY MORSE
THE PASS
In the unlikeliest of moves on the last lap of the Monterey Grand Prix, the final race of the 1996 PPG Indy Car World Series, a hard charging Alex Zanardi was desperately looking for a last gasp groove to overtake race leader Bryan Herta who was skillfully defending his line. With just four turns remaining on the final lap, Zanardi took a gamble and charged into the Corkscrew taking to the inside dirt to complete an unexpected pass to win the race. The move is simply known worldwide as “The Pass.”
STEVE SOPER
I came over with Nelson Piquet to represent BMW for the Historic event back in 1996. Yeah, 1996. I was looking forward to driving the Benetton B186 that had the BMW turbo that could put out almost 1500 horsepower for a few seconds. It almost didn’t happen. When they were adjusting the pedals for me to t into it, they saw this blooming crack and they said, ‘oh that’s it we can’t run, it’s too dangerous,’ and I said, ‘look, I’ve come all the way here, this is my only time I’m ever gonna tick a box in a Formula One car and you’ve got to let me out in it and which they did. So they sort of let me out to have a go but they said after three or four laps to come in and we’ll look at the crack and if it’s got any worse, it’s over and if it hasn’t got any worse you can continue. It’s disappointing knowing that it had a sort of crack going up to where the top mounts of the suspension to the chassis
DEREK BELL
How about this one, the Toyota Charity race. I started on the third row, and everyone pulled across to the right for turn two in a massive group and I stormed through on the left and took the lead down inside, I recall, on Johnnie Rutherford and led the next 20 laps! Bobby Rahal was second. The prize was $50,000 for the charity of my choice. (Not me though!) Everyone was amazed, none more than me though, as it was the biggest shock of my life!
and I’m in an F1 car with all that power. I was back in 1998 to drive a Riley & Scott with Hans Stuck and it had a BMW V8 that proved to be completely unreliable. We started off revving the thing to 10.5 and by the end of the season we were revving it to 9 and it was still breaking so it was just a disaster. Funny, in that race, if you had to change the engine between practice, qualifying and the race, you then had to start at the back of the grid and that was in the IMSA regulations. Anyway, we changed the engine after qualifying and I started at the back of the grid and it was wet and rainy, it was a horrible day and I was making quite good progress up the grid and about halfway through the race I came to a corner and there was oil all over the track and right on the racing line and I nearly went off. Then oil at the next corner and I’m cursing under my breath that some idiot has driven around peeing oil out everywhere. So anyway, I then moved off line to nd a different line where it didn’t have this oil trail on it and the next lap that oil had also moved off line. So guess who was putting the oil down?
JUSTIN BELL
That would be the FIA GT race in 1997. The Oreca Chrysler Viper Team had been dominant all season long between the lead car of Oliver Beretta and Philipe Gache and our car we had won pretty much everything. The goal was always to bring home the rst Championship for Chrysler in the hands of the often faster Beretta driven Viper, but a situation was brewing that was in my favor. I had a roster of brilliant teammates that year, and we played our supporting role to perfection. If they won, we were second, if they had an issue, we won. And the latter had happened more than they planned, so heading into the nal round at Laguna Seca, the only way Chrysler could win the Manufacturers Championship was if I nished ahead of the sister car, as well as in front of the leading Porsche entry. So the entire race strategy pivoted around me winning the race, (much to certain people’s annoyance), and so on the nal lap I barged past the Porsche going into the corkscrew and the victory was ours! So not only did Chrysler win their rst International Championship, but I won the FIA GT2 Drivers Championship - alone at the top of the points! A good day all around.
DAVID BRABHAM
Laguna Seca has always been a special place for me. The track itself is incredibly enjoyable to drive and far more challenging than the flatter circuits
I’ve raced on. The Monterey area, with its stunning sunsets and unique energy, makes it a truly unforgettable destination.
I’ve had many incredible moments there, but if I had to choose one, it would be clinching the 2009 ALMS Championship at the season nale. It was not only my rst championship with the team, but it also capped off an unforgettable year in my career, having also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans that same season. The combination of those two achievements made 2009 a year I’ll always cherish.
Above: 1999 American Le Mans Series
The inaugural season of the ALMS was a resounding success with the top class disputed by Panoz and BMW. At Laguna Seca, BMW leading pair, JJ Lehto and Steve Soper, manged to pull victory out of the hat.
WAYNE RAINEY
Competing at the Laguna Seca race track on a grand prix bike was the most challenging event in the circuit during my career. Among all my Grand Prix victories, winning at Laguna Seca was at the top. The physical and mental demands of this track were challenging, and to win three consecutive years there was very satisfying. Achieving this success in my home country and state, and in the presence of my family, made the accomplishment especially meaningful.
DAVID RICHARDS CBE
Laguna Seca has a very special place in the history of Prodrive and my personal memories. We took the Prodrive 550 GTS Ferrari to Laguna Seca in 2002 and it was one of our early race victories in America prior to coming there in later years with our Aston Martin. It’s one of those iconic tracks that sticks in your memory and I have always enjoyed returning to.
TERRY KARGES
In 1982, I was working with Dan Gurney and we were looking for customers for our Eagles that would likely be racing Indy cars. So we decided to go to Laguna Seca for the Can Am race as we heard that Al Unser Jr. was going to Indy car to race with Rick Galles, so we went up and met with Galles on Saturday. That night we were invited to an event that would have had a lot of people, racers, team owners – potential customers. Well, Dan, being Dan as we were getting ready to go and almost out the door he said, ‘We don’t want to go to this, do we?’ I wasn’t going to argue with Dan, he knows what he’s doing. He’s been to this rodeo before. So he said, ‘Why don’t we just go talk.’
We went to the end of Ocean Ave. in Carmel at the bottom of the hill and found a log on the beach and sat there. Dan started talking about Formula 1 and his experiences and the drivers that he’d met and the drivers he admired. The guys he worked with, the guys on his teams, it was remarkable. I was spellbound. I’m number one fan boy with Dan. In fact, that’s how I got to work with him. I went and knocked on the door and said, ‘Hi, I’m Terry. I want to work with you.’
You know, as a kid from Illinois who had
been out in California for a short time and you’re on the sunny hills and trees above the ocean, with these magical sounds coming from the engines, Castrol R in the air and I remember leaving the track that day saying, ‘Dad, we gotta do this!’ and nothing ever sparked interest in me like that. I returned to that later when I was trying to figure out what to do. But again, Laguna Seca is a very special place. I’ve had a number of experiences there but in terms of a moment in time sitting with Dan is my favorite memory forever. There are so many things that stand out in terms of that evening on the beach. You know, we went up for a purpose, which was to go get a customer. We got Galles and ended up putting Al Jr. in his first Indy car.
While I best like those times when I won the race, two standout memories of Laguna Seca involve near misses. The first was in 1973 when I was on the podium with Mark Donohue and Jackie Oliver in that year’s Can-Am race. Though the car was a handful at the beginning of the season, by year’s end I’d mastered its power and handling and finished the season strongly, besting many of the more seasoned competitors. But more than the trophy, I remember the old circuit layout with a very fast turn one and two
combination with a large embankment on the outside. We were going so fast through that section and so close to the hill that if anything happened you were in big trouble. Luckily, it never happened to me.
The other time was in 1976. I was driving a very fast 934 for Vasek Polak in the IMSA race. That car was a rocket ship, and we were running away with the race, but had to make a late pit stop and finished third. It was a really fun car and we always loved coming to Laguna Seca because of the ambience and the great food and lodging nearby.
DINDO CAPELLO
Laguna Seca is my favorite race track in the USA and in my personal ranking, one of the top five in world. Best memory is of course the win by a few tenths of a second in the ALMS race in 2007. Porsche RS LMP2 was faster than us under braking and more agile in the mid corners, we were much faster with acceleration and top speed, so in the last few minutes of the race I had to defend myself from Dumas, especially from the corkscrew to turn 11. Dealing with traffic in the dark and trying to avoid mistakes wasn’t easy but at the end Allan McNish and I won one of the best races in ALMS history.
HELIO CASTRONEVES
Winning there was the ultimate goal. It’s an iconic track with the corkscrew. Just an incredible place to race. Winning for the first time, feels like it was yesterday. I won the IndyCar race in 2000 for Team Penske and in IMSA 2020 for the Penske Acura team. It’s a place you want to conquer in your career.
MIKE HULL
Alex Zanardi’s mentalist demeanor deserved far more credit than it ever received. His mindfulness matched his immense driving talent, backed by a can-do spirit that still lives on in every Chip Ganassi Racing team member. He showed us that what most considered impossible could be overcome—together. On the grid, he would often remind the crew: ‘I’ve saved a little bit in my pocket.’ That unforgettable pass at Laguna Seca proved just how deep those pockets really were.
HURLEY HAYWOOD
MARINO FRANCHITTI
It’s funny you should write to me about Laguna, my son was just showing me his efforts around the original layout on his simulator. He’s way faster than me!
I’ve been lucky to have some very special moments there, but the one that sticks out more than any was the IMSA (ALMS) race in 2010. I was in Duncan Dayton’s Highcroft Acura with David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud for the six-hour race into the dark and that thing around there with all the downforce was mind blowing. Add in working with such incredible, open, kind and fast teammates and you have the recipe for a fun weekend. My stint was the last one and Pag told me after his first stint that he thought later on the race, as it cooled down, that Rainey Curve could be flat and he was not wrong! That was when it was very bumpy through there and it was so thrilling. Crossing the finish with all the fireworks going off and celebrating with Brabs and Pag was something I’ll never forget.
RICK KNOOP
As a local, some of my best memories are of watching my dad race at the former Pebble Beach road circuit, and then at the brand-new Laguna Seca as a kid. But my biggest thrill was the first time driving a McLaren M6GT at the Historic races in 1975. I’d driven smallerbore cars, but getting in the seat of the rare and fast McLaren was a thrill. For a kid mostly driving tractors on the family farm, the power going up the hill, the broad tires biting the road down through the corkscrew, and the speed through the pit straight and back around were astounding. When I passed the legendary Bob Bondurant, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.
BOBBY RAHAL
A favorite moment would be winning my fourth Indy car race in a row there, that was pretty special. Although, I’ve had a lot of good fortune at Laguna. My first big professional win was Can Am at Laguna in 1979. We’d convinced the sponsor I had in Europe, in Formula 2, to sponsor me there at Laguna and then to win in front of them, that was obviously a big deal. It was Ampex Corp, in Redwood City, Calif., and they made cassettes, studio recording equipment, television cameras, you name it. That was a big deal because that was my first big professional win.
But let’s face it, to win four Indy car races in a row was pretty special and I basically won two of my championships at that race, so two of the three Indy car championships. Those wins were very important to my
career but aside from wins, who doesn’t love going to Monterey and Laguna Seca, Carmel, you name it? To me, going to Laguna was more than just the race, it’s traveling to a fabulous part of the country, home to great golf courses, restaurants, wines. I don’t think anybody ever rues going to Laguna. It’s just a fabulous place. I can tell you that my wife generally insists on going to Laguna Seca and doesn’t have the same feeling towards any other circuits.
2000 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES
The arrival of the Audi R8 in 2000 changed endurance racing forever. Allan McNish was in supreme form during the second half of the season, taking the titles with Dindo Capello.
JOHN BROOKS
So many moments to ponder even in my short time at Laguna Seca, most of them positive, as there is a vibe about the track and its locality. One race morning, back in 2002, it was an early start as usual. The mandatory photo briefing had to be attended and endured. The reward was heading up to Turns 8 and 8A, aka Corkscrew, and seeing Mr. Le Mans, Tom Kristensen burst into view in his Audi R8, framed by the mists rising in the Salinas Valley. A moment of harmony kicking off just another day in motorsport paradise.
GUY SMITH
I always loved racing at Laguna Seca. It felt so far away from the UK and I always find California has a vibe all of its own. Of course the circuit is one of the best and one I particularly enjoyed and went well on but didn’t always get the results that we deserved mainly due to mechanical issues. But I would always visit the Old Monterey Cafe for breakfast as part of my routine. It was a popular choice for many drivers who would gather there and chat and it was just a great way to start the day before it all got crazy at the race track. That’s what I love about racing in the U.S., there are these kind of places that all the teams would naturally hang out at and everybody get together. The Old Monterey Cafe was my place of calm for every visit to Laguna Seca.
DAVID DONOHUE
It must have been more than 15 years ago that this ‘thing’ happened at Laguna Seca. It may have been a test day because, thankfully, there were no crowds, but for some reason, I needed to get to the other side of the track quickly. With no scooters available at the track, I hopped on a golf cart and headed for the front straight bridge. When I arrived, I found two columns that were installed to prevent golf carts from crossing over the bridge. I eyeballed it up, got a running start, and easily forced my way between them and continued on my merry way.
On the other side of the bridge was what looked to be the same arrangement of columns. There didn’t appear to be anyone around, so using my newly gained experience, I got another good running start on the bridge and BAM! The strategy to get between the columns didn’t work so well this time. Worse, as I approached the columns at speed, Erin Cechal, who was doing some PR for the Porsche Cup series, was walking towards the bridge and witnessed the whole scene of me almost going over the front of the cart. Even worse, I got the front tires through, but not the rears, which were now wedged between the columns.
As she continued walking towards me,
it became clear to both of us how stupid the whole idea was. I got the rear tires free by going backwards, but I couldn’t generate enough momentum in reverse between the wheelbase of the cart to get the front through.
She never paused to help; she just kept walking right past me, clearly amused at my idiocy, but not at all surprised, and muttered something like, ‘That was brilliant’ as she went on her way, without looking back. After all, if you spent time in this business, scenes like this are more frequent than we care to admit.
I don’t remember how long I was there. I think I had to deflate the front tires to free the cart and then reverse back. Once again, I had to get a running start in reverse to get completely free of the bridge. I had never met Erin before that incident, but now she works for Mazda, so I see her in race control during the MX-5 races. It is a constant reminder, and I can only guess what she thinks of me. First impressions are everything – right? Dumbass comes to mind.
KLAUS LUDWIG
JIM BUSBY
Definitely one of my favorite places, but sometimes it’s the crazy moments you remember most. That Zakspeed Mustang was very fast and unfortunately very fragile. We had a 1.7 turbo running against 3.0 Porsche 935’s. In 1981 I qualified 4th ahead of a new Lola T600 GTP and got halfway through the race before it broke. The next year I qualified ahead of the Porsches and split the Lolas to take 3rd but the race results show zero laps as I had a big crash.
ALLAN McNISH
Of course the drives in the Audi R8, but the drive in 2007 with the R10 Diesel against the lighter LMP Porsches is a special one. It was a race that Dindo and I were not supposed to win or be competitive as the R10’s strengths were not suited to Laguna. It all came together for us with it being the most memorable win of that season. Then there is the FIA GT race of 1997 where I took the lead at the start over the leading Mercedes, the first time a Porsche GT1 had led that season.
JACK ATKINSON
I remember the early days when the pit area was on the outside of the circuit. You had to be pretty brave to stand on the exit of Turn 9 as the cars came roaring down the hill and charging for position just before they launched onto the front straight. The other is my last Laguna Seca outing with Peter Gregg in 1980. Our car was always the best handling car because of the years of research I’d done to make it that way. It could get the power down better than any of the other 935s. But by 1980, the Kremer cars were more powerful and were starting to figure out the suspension. Peter and John Fitzpatrick went at it tooth and nail for 100 miles. We didn’t win, but I always said that it’s better to race well and finish second than it is to race poorly. That was one hell of a race and we had given it our all.
I’ve had a tremendous amount of success at Laguna. I won several races in the top class of the IMSA series and drove for Porsche and BMW with their factory efforts. I started the 1980 season with a March BMW M1, which was supposed to have a turbocharged inline 6 in it. Well, it doesn’t materialize, and I get a normally aspirated 6 that won’t get out of its own way. So for Riverside I put a Chevy in it that really pissed off a lot of people. During the race the front end falls off the car. We do the repairs and head up to Laguna Seca for the following race. I knew that running the March any further didn’t make any sense, so I made a deal in the paddock with Gianpiero Moretti to buy his MOMO 935. I get Coors and Ocean Motors to put up the money. We strip it down and put the Cox Newspapers and
Coors stickers on. I now have the funniest looking Porsche 935 at Laguna Seca, all BMW’d out with Ocean Motors BMW across the windshield.
The car had the Le Mans body work and no downforce so we put a splitter on it, stack the rear wing and lower the car. It was really good except I had to start last. I got up to third and could see the back of Hurley’s car. I am coming down the hill and a fire starts at the side of the track and all of a sudden I lose all power, no boost and I’m done. I coast into the pits and stop to get out of the car and look back up and the hill is burning. The hot side wheel on my turbocharger on the left hand bank had gone out through the exhaust pipe, sheared off and cut the boost off to me, which means no horsepower, end of race; but it rolled across the track into the dry brush and lights Laguna Seca on fire.
That’s just one of my experiences at Laguna Seca and why I love that race track like no other.
2005 MONTEREY HISTORICS
Motorsport legends were in every corner of the 2005 event. From Phil Hill preparing to head out on track to Sir Stirling Moss running Jay Leno around in the 1995 Mille Miglia winner with “El Maestro” looking on with approval. Then rumbling through The Corkscrew was Jim Hall in the Chaparral 2E, truly motorsport heaven.
1998 FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP
Laguna Seca was going to be the nal race for Klaus Ludwig, after a long and successful career behind the wheel, including three victories at Le Mans. Would he secure the Driver’s Title in his swansong event? The answer was a resounding yes, and standing on the end of the pitwall waiting to salute the victor was Stéphane Ratel, the championship’s founder.
ROGER PENSKE
I have been fortunate to have many great memories and special ‘Monterey Moments’ at Laguna Seca Raceway, both when I was racing, as well as with our Team Penske race teams. I had some memorable wins at Laguna Seca as a driver in the 1960s and Team Penske has produced nearly 20 victories there across IMSA, ALMS, Can-Am, Trans Am Series and INDYCAR SERIES competition. So, it is challenging to try and select one favorite moment across our history at the track. One of the special memories that I have at Laguna Seca is the nal weekend of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Our team entered the weekend with a chance to win the series championship, and it turned out to be a historic weekend.
In qualifying on Saturday, Will Power won the pole position with the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet team and that marked the 68th career pole for Will as he passed Mario Andretti for the all-time INDYCAR record.
That was a pretty special accomplishment, certainly for Will as he became the greatest quali er in INDYCAR history, and also for Team Penske as he won almost all of those poles while competing for our team. To have Mario there to congratulate Will and pass along the torch as he broke the record was something I’ll never forget. And then on Sunday, all three of our drivers - Will, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin – were all ghting for the series championship, which made the historic weekend even more exciting. Doing what they did all year – run a smart and consistent race – Will and the No. 12 Verizon team nished on the podium and clinched the INDYCAR championship, along with Will’s second series title. That performance delivered Team Penske’s 17th INDYCAR championship, and we were very proud to add to our winning tradition and legacy in the sport at a place that has meant so much to our team over the years – Laguna Seca Raceway.
STEVE EARLE
Obviously, I have a lot of memories, and good ones, of Laguna Seca and in Monterey from 36 years of the Monterey Historics. From a purely personal standpoint, my best memory is of a drive back from San Francisco. I’m not sure what year it was but I’m thinking 1973. I had a Ferrari GTO and we stopped at Laguna. It was almost evening, but I wanted to go around the track for a couple of laps to get some idea of Laguna Seca. So, we stopped in to see if we could do that.
John Trusdale was working there then and I’m not sure what his title was or position was during that time. At any rate, when I asked about doing a few laps he just kind of looked and then said, ‘That’s alright, it’s ne, go ahead, but I have to leave.’ So, he tossed me the keys to the place and said, ‘Just lock it up.’ Here are two guys who just show up in their car. Now that’s real trust on his part and I’m not sure how we might have earned that but whatever it was, I was stunned and delighted and kind of not believing it all. Pat, an old friend of mine, and I went out and drove a couple of laps and then stopped up at the Corkscrew and got out and were just looking out towards the bay, such a great sight. It was evening so the light was dimming and there wasn’t a sound anywhere. It was just magical and I thought, well, okay but let’s just do a couple more laps and lock up and get out of here before something happens, and that’s what we did. But it was that element of surprise that makes for such a great memory.
WHERE CHAMPIONS BECAME CHAMPION
IROC SERIES TRACKS ITS JOURNEY TO MONTEREY
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL WARNER
It was more than 50 years ago that Roger Penske, Les Richter and Mike Phelps were having a friendly debate. This was around the same time as the technologically-advanced CanAm series was attracting the notable drivers of the day but was on its last lap due to rising costs and waning sponsorship. So how do you determine who is the best driver?
From that initial discussion, they took a chance and thus began the International Race of Champions (IROC). The format involved four races, with the final race determining the champion. Phelps was responsible for packaging and selling the series as a TV attraction to ABC Sports, while Penske was responsible for cars and drivers, and Richter was series director.
The concept was simple, pick the top drivers from each discipline of motorsports (NASCAR, USAC, sports cars, Formula 1, etc.), and let them race each other in identical cars. That would theoretically prove once and for all, or at least on any given day, which racing group attracted the best drivers.
IROC debuted at Riverside International Raceway October 27, 1973 racing identical Porsche 911 RSRs. The all-star driver lineup included Mark Donohue, Peter Revson, George Follmer, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, David Pearson, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi and Denny Hulme.
Mark Donohue, who was fresh off a dominating Can-Am championship season driving for Penske in the Porsche 917/30, won the first and third races at Riverside, as well as the fourth race held at Daytona Speedway in February 1974, securing the title that year and becoming the first IROC Champion.
After using expensive Porsche RSRs in season one, Penske racing prepared a fleet of production-based steel bodied Camaros for season two. The cars were powered by a 350 cubic inch TRACO Engineering small block V8 delivering 440 horsepower.
Oval tracks at Michigan and Daytona were added for the second year, with Bobby Unser winning the 1975 championship. A.J. Foyt dominated in 1976 and 1977 to become IROC Champion both seasons.
Due to the increased speeds at Daytona
and Michigan, with driver safety in mind, IROC had legendary NASCAR car builder Banjo Matthews build 15 tube frame Camaros for the 1978 season. TRACO Engineering continued to supply the V8 engines.
The 1978–79 IROC season introduced a new format. Separate races for NASCAR, USAC and road racing with eight drivers in each. The top four from each advanced to a two-race finale, one oval and one road course with 12 competitors. The top driver in the finals became the IROC champion, receiving the largest share of a $1 million purse. Mario Andretti won the 1978–79 season with Neil Bonnett second. The next year, while Darrell Waltrip won the road racing finale at Riverside, Bobby Allison won the oval race at Atlanta and the championship.
Even though the 1980 IROC season was extremely successful and exciting, IROC suspended activities until 1984 due to not being able to renew its television package with ABC.
With a new television partner in CBS, along with sponsorship from Chevrolet and Budweiser, IROC kicked off the 1984 season at Michigan International Speedway. The series now used 15 brand new Banjo Matthews, NASCAR style chassis, bodied
Opposite: A happy AJ Foyt Jr. accepts the 1976 IROC Championship check with Benny Parsons looking on Clockwise from top: Bobby Rahal atop the podium; ABC Sports interviewing Bobby Allison and Rick Mears, Scott Pruett settling in; the new Camaro arrives at Penske Racing; Mario Andretti and Al Unser on pit lane at Mid-Ohio; Al Unser Jr. and Al Unser share a pre-race laugh on ABC Sports
as Camaro Z28s. The cars were assembled by IROC President Jay Signore and his sta of 25 mechanics, metal workers and fabricators. The V8 small block engines were built at Chevrolet race engine specialist Katech Engineering’s facility.
Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Cale Yarborough won the 1984 IROC title. This marked the beginning of NASCAR drivers dominating IROC as the series increasingly used low-powered NASCAR style cars on oval tracks. The original concept of diversity, equity and inclusion was somewhat lost in the quest for television ratings. Thanks to the notoriety of NASCAR personalities IROC would be televised live on CBS from 1984 to 1986, then tape delayed on ABC from 1987 to 2003 before ESPN and SPEED channel took over through 2006.
The 1985 season champion was NASCAR’s Harry Gant. For 1986, a road race at Watkins Glen was added to the schedule and CART Champion Al Unser Jr. was the IROC champion. For 1987, the IROC championship went back to NASCAR when Geo Bodine won the title.
Riverside, the original IROC venue, returned in 1988 where Al Unser Jr. won becoming the
last non-NASCAR IROC champion. NASCAR ace Terry Labonte went on to capture the IROC championship in 1989.
For the 1990 season, the cars retained the same chassis, but the Chevrolet Camaro bodies were replaced with Dodge Daytona sport coupes and the Katech Chevrolet engines were replaced with 355 cubic inch Dodge NASCAR V8s. Formula One driver Martin Brundle won the road course event, but Dale Earnhardt won the IROC championship.
The Dodge Daytona bodies were used until 1994 when Jay Signore and his team again rebodied the original Banjo Matthews chassis with new Dodge Avenger bodies.
Those original 1984 Banjo Matthews chassis with the new Dodge Avenger bodies were used for the 1994 and 1995 IROC seasons with NASCAR stars Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt winning the 1994 and 1995 championships, respectively.
For the 1996 season, IROC had Laughlin Racing Products build brand new NASCAR style tube frame chassis tted with Pontiac Firebird bodies and used GM-supplied 350 cubic inch NASCAR style V8s. Mark Martin won his second championship that year, which would turn out
to be the rst of three consecutive titles, an honor no other IROC driver would ever hold.
The 1999 and 2000 champion Dale Earnhardt was leading the 2001 series when he tragically lost his life in the 2001 Daytona 500.
The IROC series continued using Pontiac Firebirds through 2006 crowning a tting champion and one of the most diversi ed racers in the sport, Tony Stewart.
The growth of other race series, con icts with driver scheduling and di culty securing sponsorship, as well as broadcast partners, put IROC in hiatus for the second time.
For 30 race seasons the International Race of Champions provided the stage for the best drivers in the world to compare their skills and entertain race fans worldwide. The series stands alone as one of the most entertaining forms of motorsport in history. The authentic IROC race cars driven by the legends of motorsports have become a prized possession for collectors to own and now return to the track in friendlier competition.
For attendees of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, it is an opportunity to enjoy these historic cars and meet the drivers who helped bring Penske’s, Richter’s and Phelp’s “debate” to life.
Bobby Allison signals the eld of all-stars to start the pace laps formation at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in the nal race of 1980
Join us throughout 2026 for a year packed with concours, auctions, parties, behind-the-wheelexperiences, and so much more — all built to take your car love to the next level.
See the full schedule at hagerty.com/events
The Amelia California Mille Greenwich Concours d’Elegance Motorlux RADwood
KURT BUSCH
ELLIOTT
AUTOGRAPH CORNER
MEET THE IROC LEGENDS
MARK MARTIN
BILL
SCOTT PRUETT
KEN SCHRADER
BOBBY LABONTE
IROC SERIES RACE CARS
1973-1974 Porsche RSR
IROC Gen 1 Camaro 1978-1980 IROC Gen 2 Camaro
IROC Gen 3 Camaro 1990-1993 Dodge Daytona
Dodge Avenger
Pontiac Firebird IROC
SERIES CHAMPIONS
JEFF GORDON
AUTO ALLEY
Successful automakers define their future by embracing their past. This is certainly the underlying philosophy for companies participating in Automotive Alley. Here’s where enthusiasts will discover some of the finest examples of automakers’ heritage side by side to evolutionary technology showcased in today’s, and tomorrow’s, models. A visit to Automotive Alley, conveniently located under the suites in the paddock, is a must for guests to engage with knowledgeable product specialists. The ensuing pages provide a glimpse into some of the incredible vehicles that await.
When Ayrton Senna famously climbed behind the wheel of the red NSX prototype for a few hard laps of Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, Acura and its Precision Crafted Performance mantra was fast changing the premium car market in America. It was February 1989, and on that day, one legend would help create another.
With feedback from the three-time world champion in hand, the car’s R&D development team completed crafting the groundbreaking 1st-generation NSX, the world’s first mass-production car with an all-aluminum, monocoque body, titanium connecting rods, a VTEC™ valvetrain and levels of quality and daily driving comfort unheard of in sports cars of the time. The revolutionary NSX entered production the following year, further catapulting Acura into a true performance brand delivering pinnacle levels of world-class engineering, driving dynamics and technology.
This year, Acura marks the 35th anniversary of the NSX, as the performance brand celebrates the rich history of the iconic supercar both on and off the race track. Acura began winning on
Acura celebrates 35 years of the iconic NSX supercar
the track soon after its founding in 1986, and two generations of championship-winning NSX race cars have been a big part of the brand’s 40-year legacy of motorsports success.
RealTime Racing’s championshipwinning, 1st-generation Acura NSX, piloted by American sports car racing Hall of Famer, Peter Cunningham, made its racing debut on May 4, 1991 in the World Challenge Series and secured the 1997 SCCA World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship. The team and machine returned in 2001, winning another six races including its final event the following year at Virginia International Raceway. In total the RealTime Racing NSX won 14 races and finished on the podium 26 times. It’s arguably the most winning single chassis in the history of SCCA Pro Racing’s SPEED World Challenge GT series. Racing success continued with the 2ndgeneration NSX. From 2017-2023, the Acura NSX GT3 took 45 class wins; 5 manufacturers’ championships, five drivers’ titles and four teams’ championships in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and SRO GT World Challenge America competition. This included back-to-back drivers’ and teams’
championships In the IMSA GTD class in 2019 and 2020 with Acura also claiming the manufacturers’ title in 2019.
Every NSX GT3 chassis was built* alongside the production NSX at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, and the production-based 3.5-liter, twinturbocharged V6 racing engines were assembled alongside their production-vehicle counterparts at the Anna Engine Plant in Anna, Ohio.
The NSX forever changed the sports car world by combining exotic car styling and performance with a new dimension of quality, exceptional ergonomics and dynamic poise. Moreover, the supercar introduced and defined the Acura brand’s approach to “Precision Crafted Performance,” with its cutting-edge design and innovative technology that provided exotic car performance for real drivers in the real world.
Today, 35 years later, the NSX remains a performance and engineering icon, and Acura continues to deliver on its promise of Precision Crafted Performance with an emotional lineup of exciting cars and SUVs for the road and victories on the race track. *
RACING THROUGH TIME:
Ford’s modern racing pedigree echoes through Laguna Seca’s vintage legends
BY PIERCE SHELBY
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the greatest eras in racing history and this August at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, enthusiasts will witness key chapters of Ford’s motorsports legacy in motion. During the week, Ford powered race cars from 1965 to 1984 will take the track, while a handful of contemporary models will run demonstration laps between races. This is a rare chance to see both vintage Ford race cars and contemporary high-performance machines in action.
TRANS AM HERITAGE DRIVES MODERN ONE-MAKE RACING
Few cars capture the spirit of American motorsports like the Ford Mustang. Its success in the 1960s and ‘70s Trans Am era lives on through Boss 302s and classic Mustangs competing for the Parnelli Jones Trophy. That legacy was recently echoed at the Le Mans Invitational, where 40 Mustang Dark Horse R race cars charged down the Mulsanne Straight in a modern display of Ford’s racing commitment.
“The Mustang has always been an incredible crowd pleaser,” said Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. “Its distinctive roar already resounds on IMSA circuits.” From the curves of Laguna Seca to the straights of Le Mans, the Mustang continues to represent Ford’s dedication to production-based racing that remains fast, fierce, and accessible.
GT40 REBORN: 2016-2019 FORD GT GT40s entered by Chris MacAllister and Rob Kauffman in the Pedro Rodriguez Trophy class are more than just vintage race cars; they are reminders of Ford’s iconic endurance race heritage. Nearly six decades after the GT40 first defeated Ferrari at Le Mans, Ford returned with the 2016 to 2019 Ford GT program to battle again.
“It’s where we took on Ferrari and won in the 1960s, and where we returned 50 years later and shocked the world again,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chair. The emotional and technical legacy of those original GT40s helped shape one of the most ambitious factory racing efforts in modern racing history.
IMSA BRIDGE, THE MOVE INTO PROFESSIONAL RACING
The 1981 Ford Zakspeed Mustang and 1984 Ford Mustang competing in the Hurley Haywood Trophy class highlight Ford’s transition from grassroots racing to professionally engineered competition. These IMSA GTO and GTP era
cars were early examples of Ford’s focus on aerodynamics, advanced suspension systems, and factory-level preparation.
That influence is still felt today. The No.65 HRT Ford Performance Mustang GT3 recently earned a Pro-Am class victory at the Nürburgring. “This is a testament to having great people and partners who share the same determination to win,” said Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Global Director. It was also the only Pro-Am car to finish in the top ten overall, a strong example of how Ford’s racing pedigree continues to evolve while staying true to its roots.
LEGACY IN MOTION
From Trans Am to Le Mans, from vintage iron to carbon-fiber precision, Ford’s racing legacy is more than history, it’s a living force. At the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, that legacy comes full circle, giving fans a rare chance to witness the machines that built a legend and continue to shape its future.
Every August, the California coast transforms into a playground for the automotive elite. From the polished lawns of Pebble Beach to the adrenaline of Laguna Seca, Car Week is where legacy, luxury, and engineering come together—and where details matter. Among the parade of collector cars, bespoke watches, and tailored blazers, one element quietly completes the picture: what you wear on your feet.
That’s where Piloti comes in. A footwear brand born from motorsport and evolved for modern life, Piloti delivers a rare fusion of racing heritage, design sophistication, and everyday wearability. It’s a brand made for those who live to drive—and demand more from the gear they trust.
Global Pedigree
Piloti was founded in 1999 by a professional racer and biomechanics expert who saw a gap in the market: high-performance footwear that
Crafted for the drive, built for the moment
could handle the demands of a race car, yet transition seamlessly into post-drive life. The result was a breakthrough—Piloti’s patented Roll Control™ heel technology, which enhances pedal feel and reduces fatigue, quickly made the shoes a favorite among pro drivers and discerning enthusiasts.
From its earliest days, Piloti has stood apart not just for its function, but for its form. Today, it sits at the intersection of technical innovation and timeless design, drawing fans from pit lanes, concours events, and city streets alike.
Designed
for the Journey
What makes Piloti truly special is its balance: shoes that perform on a drive along 17-Mile Drive yet look sharp at a private dinner overlooking the Paci c. Every pair is handcrafted using premium European leathers, suedes, and sustainable materials, and nished with motorsport-inspired touches—like tire-tread soles, and tail light hand stitches.
Culture, Not Just Craft
Piloti is more than a brand—it’s part of the automotive lifestyle. It’s found on the feet of Le Mans champions, weekend racers, and collectors who appreciate the subtle art of engineering. The company has collaborated
with motorsport icons and events, releasing limited-edition drops that pay homage to racing history. At Car Week, where every detail tells a story—whether it’s the stitch on a 1960s steering wheel or the patina of a barn- nd Jaguar—Piloti ts e ortlessly into the narrative. It’s a brand that understands the value of legacy and knows that performance doesn’t end at the nish line.
So when the day winds down, the track cools off, and attention shifts from throttle to conversation, Piloti wearers stay grounded—confident, comfortable, and unmistakably prepared.
For Those Who Know the Difference
As the sun sets over Monterey and another day of automotive splendor winds down, the Piloti wearer isn’t rushing to change shoes before cocktails. These are shoes that were built for the drive—and built for what comes after. They re ect a lifestyle where precision meets presence, where craftsmanship is quiet but unmistakable.
In a world that often prizes ash over authenticity, Piloti keeps its focus—re ned, purposeful, and always in motion.
Piloti shoes are available online at piloti.com and select luxury retailers. For those walking the lawns of Pebble Beach or cruising Paci c Coast Highway, there’s no better way to arrive in style.
Soichiro Honda believed that machines, like people, can’t evolve without being tested, and no test was greater than Formula One. Long before Honda became a global powerhouse, it was just one man’s dream: to build a machine that could compete and win at the pinnacle of motorsport.
F1 grid brie y gave way to broader innovation across motorsports and production, our focus never drifted. We were still building, still learning, still waiting for the right moment to return and put the dream to the test.
In 1964, that dream took shape in the form of the RA271, Honda’s rst Formula One car. The debut season was unforgiving—three races, three retirements—but for Honda, failure wasn’t defeat, it was the foundation. Honda’s team of engineers dissected every setback, stripped the machine to its bones, and came back hungrier. The result: the RA272, a lighter, faster car born from the bruises of its predecessor.
A year later, in 1965, the RA272 crossed the nish line rst in Mexico City, delivering Honda its rst Formula One victory. In just our second season, with only two production cars to our name, Honda had made the impossible real.
For some, tasting victory might have been enough. For Honda, it sparked a deeper obsession to push our machines further, prove ourselves on an even larger stage, and evolve through competition. While our time on the
CHASING GREATNESS
In the 1980s, that moment arrived. As Formula One evolved into a turbocharged battleground of power and precision, Honda’s second F1 era began with a glimpse of what was possible: the Williams Honda FW11. In 1986, equipped with the howling RA166E 1.5-liter V6 twin-turbo and piloted by Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet, it delivered nine victories in a 16-race season and earned Honda our rst Constructors’ Championship and a belief that we were capable of setting the pace. Just two years later, the stage was set for something historic.
Legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost joined McLaren-Honda, and together they delivered one of the most dominant campaigns the sport has ever seen. Their weapon? The MP4/4, powered by Honda’s iconic RA168E—a machine that rede ned what a Formula One car could be. That season, 15 of 16 races were won in a display of speed, precision, and total engineering control. Driver and machine, working as one, pushed the sport to its limits.
Without racing, there is no Honda
That record stood for over 30 years. Until, of course, we broke it ourselves.
In 2023, Honda and Oracle Red Bull Racing reset the record books in Formula 1’s hybrid era with the RB19. The car was precise, relentless, and built to win. Beneath it, the Honda-powered RBPTH001 delivered the most dominant season the sport had ever seen. Cars running the Honda power unit won 21 of 22 races, a near-perfect 95% win rate.
The record-breaking campaign delivered back-to-back Constructors’ Championships for Oracle Red Bull Racing, solidifying their place as a bona de force in Formula One.
The driver at the center of that success was the mighty Max Verstappen, who claimed 19 victories and secured his third consecutive Honda-powered Drivers’ Championship, followed by a legacy de ning fourth in 2024.
From the RA271 to the RBPTH003, every machine in our lineage is a test of belief, a vessel of ambition, and proof that the pursuit of perfection never ends. “Powered by Honda” isn’t a slogan, it’s a statement of intent, a reminder of what happens when we dare to dream and then put that dream to the test.
GROUP ENTRIES
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO
1922-1955 GRAND PRIX
Long a staple in Monterey, this group represents the single-seat Grand Prix era prior to the establishment of Formula 1. These cars dominated the pre-war racing circuits with such marques as Bugatti, ERA, Talbot-Lago, and Delage. When racing resumed after the war, established marques Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes all strived to beat each other and sell more cars based on their success in a race. This had become the best place to demonstrate performance and reliability in the post war sales boom.
MARIO ANDRETTI
1966-1985 FORMULA ONE
Famous, established big budget manufacturers took on the low budget ‘Garagistas’ in this era who often got the better of them.
An era in which the minos had access to the Ford DFV, an engine that changed and de ned Grand Prix racing for three decades. Mix that with a revolution in aerodynamic development and car design and you have a recipe for some of the greatest racing and competition between innovative designers like Colin Chapman and Gordon Murray. Perhaps the most versatile driver in history, Mario Andretti became America’s second and last Formula One world champion in 1978.
THE RUN GROUPS
BRIGGS S. CUNNINGHAM
1947-1960 FRONT ENGINE GT, SPORTS RACERS, AND AMERICAN SPECIALS
Briggs Cunningham was a competitor, patron and pioneering champion of road racing in America. This race group named in his honor celebrates a golden era of racing in America. Exotic European imported GT and sports cars did battle with home-built backyard specials at tracks and air elds all over the U.S. laying a foundation that has lasted to this day.
JOHN MORTON
1955-1967 SCCA SMALL DISPLACEMENT PRODUCTION CARS
KEN MILES
1955-1967 SCCA LARGE DISPLACEMENT PRODUCTION CARS
JIM HALL
1963-1968 SPORTS RACING CARS
Maverick sums up the honoree and the cars in this group. Small engined, light and nimble production sports cars race against Group 7 monsters with unlimited engines and aerodynamics. Texan Hall was a great driver who became a race car constructor who built some of the most innovative cars of their time. Watch the small, light and nimble take on the unlimited giants from a time that rede ned sports car racing.
A time when you drove your car to work on weekdays and raced it on the weekends, we can all relate to these cars. The SCCA provided an opportunity for aspiring self-funded drivers who wanted to race. It became a breeding ground that produced many exceptional drivers that went on to compete at the highest level at home and abroad. James Dean and Steve McQueen were notable participants in period.
DAN GURNEY 1955-1969 SALOON CARS
Racing driver, team owner and constructor, Gurney won races in almost every category including racing the giant Ford Galaxy in the British Saloon Car Championship.
Racing cars usually used only for daily transport makes for close, exciting and often door handle to door handle battles. Diminutive Mini Coopers taking on Ford Cortinas and Alfa Romeos always provides a spectacle, and anyone can win. Never has there been a better display of “win on Sunday, sell on Monday.”
A mechanic from Birmingham (UK) moves to the U.S. and becomes a champion racing driver who almost wins Le Mans. Miles was outspoken and brash just like the cars racing in this group that pays homage to the great man. American muscle takes on Europe’s best that will provide some great racing echoing the battles of the past.
HURLEY HAYWOOD
1981-1991 IMSA GTP, GTO, FIA GROUP C, TRANS AM
Many regard this period of sports car racing to be the best. Freedom of regulation led to legendary, monstrously powerful but ef cient racing cars decked with some of the best liveries ever to grace a race track. This group is named in honor of one of the most successful and versatile drivers to race these cars at the highest level with wins at Sebring, Daytona and the toughest of all the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
PARNELLI JONES
1966-1972 TRANS AM
If any race series typi es racing in the U.S. it is Trans Am. Loud, raucous and unforgiving, the best drivers of their generation battled it out in deafening, re breathing production based American cars. The major manufacturers with famous drivers battled each other on tracks all over the U.S. in cars that looked like the cars you could buy from your local dealership. Parnelli Jones, the 1970 Trans Am Champion driver, was a gritty determined driver universally respected by his fellow competitors.
AL UNSER JR.
1973-2006
IROC SERIES
RAGTIME RACERS
1904-1920 PRE-WAR VEHICLES
PETER GREGG
1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA
A period of amazing racing and development in which Peter Gregg exploited his engineering background, his natural driving ability and determination to win multiple championships. In this race group you will see a multitude of different production GT based racing cars that stretched the rules and regulations to their limit. The interpretation was different, but the objective was the same - win or die trying. The racing is guaranteed to be close.
The International Race of Champions was designed to determine the best driver pitted in identically performing cars. The series did just that, attracting the best of the best from NASCAR, Formula 1, Trans-Am, and sports car racing. Through the years, IROC featured Porsche RSRs, Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Daytonas, Dodge Avengers, and Pontiac Firebirds. Under new leadership, the IROC series is returning to a thunderous life and will be making its debut at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion with one of America’s most famous racing families as its namesake, Unser family.
SCOTT PRUETT
1991-2011 IMSA, ALMS, GRAND AM, FIA
The most modern of our race groups, we celebrate an era of sports car racing on both sides of the Atlantic. Inspired by the Le Mans 24 Hours prototypes and GT cars, the battle for class honors was brutal. See cars such as the dominating Audi R8, ever present Porsche 911s and look out for the Panoz and Mazda with its screaming rotary engine. Honoree Scott Pruett is a multiple Grand Am champion and we are proud to be celebrating this most popular drivers’ success.
One of the most popular groups is also the oldest. These cars were at the formation of motor racing, and are still going strong thanks to the caretakers of these incredibly lean machines. Long-ago names of Napier, Locomobile and Lexington are joined by more “modern era” names of Buick, Ford and Packard. Be sure to visit them in the paddock and revisit history with the owners who always provide an engaging and informative experience.
PEDRO RODRIGUEZ
1961-1975 FIA MANUFACTURERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
Prototypes and productionbased sports cars many of them homologation specials racing for an FIA World Championship at tracks around the world. The series attracted manufacturers that wanted to prove their cars with the best drivers at the wheel. Many of them like Rodriguez were also Grand Prix drivers lured to the series to drive cars like the legendary Porsche 917 in long distance races of 6, 12 and 24 hours.
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO CUP
1922-1955 GRAND PRIX
Considered one of the greatest drivers of all time, Juan Manuel Fangio is a tting honoree for this group of historic Grand Prix cars. Fangio, “The Maestro,” was a ve-time World Champion with an astounding 47.15 winning percentage during his illustrious career. Fangio was also the honoree at the 1991 Monterey Historic Automobile Races. These single seat cars dominated the pre-war era of racing with such marques as Alfa Romeo, Auto Union, Bugatti, ERA, Delage, Maserati, Mercedes and Talbot leading the way.
MARIO ANDRETTI TROPHY
1966-1985 FORMULA ONE
Mario Andretti is a motorsport legend. The Italian-born American driver is the only person to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967) and the Formula One World Championship (1978). He is the last American Driver to win the Formula One World Championship or even a race in the Series (yes, it’s been that long!). Andretti was the rst driver to have won IndyCar races in four different decades. Andretti’s name is synonymous with speed and has the Turn 2 hairpin named in his honor at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Driver
Chassis 6 / CC
Douglas Mockett Chassis PC4-01 / CC 2998
SCOTT PRUETT LEGENDS OF ENDURANCE CUP
1991-2011 IMSA ALMS, GRAND AM, FIA
Scott Pruett is one of the best sports car racers of all time. A California native who began his career karting at the age of eight years old. Pruett broke the record for the most IMSA wins in 2016 when he won his 60th race. He has ve Rolex Grand Am Championships, two IMSA GTO Championships, two IMSA GT Endurance Championships and three Trans-Am Championships.
PARNELLI JONES TRANS AM TROPHY
1966-1972 TRANS-AM
Parnelli Jones’ story weaves in signi cant accomplishments in IndyCar, Trans Am, off-road racing and Laguna Seca’s history. An incredibly erce competitor, Parnelli became known for helping drive the IndyCar series into the national spotlight. One of his most memorable wins of his racing career came at Laguna Seca when he lapped almost the entire eld in his Ford Mustang Boss 302. That was the opening race to the 1970 Trans Am season where he went on to win the championship.
Driver
Driver
KEN MILES SIXTIES GT TROPHY
1955-1967 SCCA LARGE DISPLACEMENT PRODUCTION CARS
Ken Miles, now widely known around the world from the 2019 lm “Ford v Ferrari”, is a 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring race winner. Along with Carroll Shelby, Ken was deeply involved in the development of the Ford GT-40 that he famously raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ken frequented Laguna Seca driving Porsches for Otto Zipper and Shelby Cobras.
HURLEY HAYWOOD TROPHY
1981-1991 IMSA GTP, GTO, FIA, GROUP C, TRANS AM
Hurley Haywood is arguably America’s greatest road racing endurance driver. He is a ve-time overall winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner. He is the third driver to complete the informal Triple Crown of Endurance racing. Haywood’s record also includes a 1988 Trans Am Series title with Audi, and two IMSA GT championships.
Driver Chris Liebenberg Chassis 1 / CC 2600
Driver Mac McGarry Chassis 78 / CC 5866
Driver Alex Kirby Chassis 139 / CC 2884
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PETER GREGG TROPHY
1973-1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA
Peter Gregg has a multitude of important race wins and championships across many series. He was the Trans-Am Series champion in 1971 and 1973. In 1973 he also won the 24 Hours of Daytona before retiring. He came back from retirement and won the 1975, ‘76, and ‘78 24 Hours of Daytona. Peter also has four IMSA GTO championships in ‘74, ‘75, ‘78, and ‘79. And at the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, he nished 1st in class and 3rd overall.
Driver Patrick Byrne Chassis 8 / CC 6997
JIM HALL USRRC CUP
1963-1968 SPORTS RACING CARS
Jim Hall is one of the most successful USRRC drivers, is a back-to-back USRRC Champion (1964 and 1965), and 12 Hours of Sebring winner. As a race car constructor, his cars have seen wins in every series they’ve competed in which includes USRRC, Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, World Sportscar Championship, Autoweek Championship, Canadian Sports Car Championship and INDY 500. Jim was a leader in the innovation and design of aerodynamics and ground effects, as seen through his Chaparral cars.
Driver
DAN GURNEY SALOON CAR TROPHY
1955-1969 SALOON CARS
Dan Gurney is a Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, Can Am and Trans-Am race winner, becoming the rst of three drivers to win in each racing series. He also started the champagne celebration in 1967 after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an integral post-race ritual in any series. In 1961, in the thick of his F1 career, Gurney got a wild idea to rebuild a Chevrolet Impala and enter it into saloon races in Europe where he made history outrunning the Jaguars that were winning at the time. Gurney founded All American Racers designing and constructing dominating cars that went on to win multiple championships. Gurney was the 2010 honoree of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
Driver Jonathan Burke Chassis 10502A 603203 / CC 1598
ALFA ROMEO GTA
Driver Frank Zucchi Chassis 0 / CC 1600
ALFA ROMEO GUILIA TI
Driver Gary Drean Chassis CA2S7L676741 / CC 1275
MINI COOPER S
Driver John Breslow Chassis 613535 / CC 1779
Driver Greg Wold Chassis CA2S7L552182 / CC 1275
Driver Evan Hoobchaak Chassis S / CC 1310
JOHN MORTON TROPHY
1955-1967 SCCA SMALL DISPLACEMENT PRODUCTION CARS
After successfully competing in the SCCA National Championships, John Morton’s talent and versatility caught the eye of Carroll Shelby, who teamed John with Ken Miles to drive for Shelby American Racing at Sebring. He continued racing and catapulted into prominence with Peter Brock’s BRE team. John’s proven skills took him to race in F5000, Can-Am, nine times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans where he won class honors twice, and three years in IndyCar. Morton’s expertise and involvement in racing had an impact on the development and performance of many iconic automotive brands.
BRIGGS S. CUNNINGHAM TROPHY
1947-1960 FRONT ENGINE GT, SPORTS RACERS, AND AMERICAN SPECIALS
American sportsman Briggs S. Cunningham owned and raced Jaguars, Ferraris, Corvettes, Listers, OSCA, and Abarths, but he is mostly known for constructing and elding teams in the ‘50s with Cadillac and Chrysler Hemipowered Cunninghams. Third place nishes at the 1953 and 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans were his highest, but Cunninghams also captured impressive wins at Sebring, Elkhart Lake and Bridgehampton. Adding to his legacy, Briggs successfully skippered America’s entry in the 1958 America’s Cup.
Driver Mike Silverman Chassis #2 / CC 5424
Driver Robert
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PEDRO RODRIGUEZ TROPHY
1961-1975 FIA MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Pedro Rodriguez was a popular Formula 1 driver between 1963 and 1971, winning the 1967 South African Grand Prix and 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. He won with his brother in the 1961 Paris 1000km and the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driving for Ferrari between 1957 and 1970, Pedro was on the podium steps an impressive 40 of the 94 races.
Driver Steve Walker Chassis GS 05/76 / CC 1996
UNSER FAMILY CUP
1973-2006 IROC SERIES
The original International Race of Champions (IROC) series held races from 1973 to 2006 and attracted the greatest drivers from all forms of motorsport to race purpose-built, identical cars. Many of these Porsche Carrera RSRs, Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Daytonas, Dodge Avengers, and Pontiac Firebirds will be piloted by past IROC competitors. Al Unser Jr. will represent the Unser family as the honorary pace car driver.
Drivers William E. (Chip) Connor II, Hans Hugenholtz, Gregor Fisken Chassis 9114600075 / CC 1600
RAGTIME RACERS EXHIBITION
1920 & EARLIER PRE WAR VEHICLES
It can be said that this group, fondly known as The Ragtime Racers, started motor racing. Sporting long-ago brands such as Chalmers-Detroit, National, Packard and Franklin, the owners of these wonderful vehicles bring the history of motor racing to life for fans of all ages.
Driver Sandy Blain
Driver Shawn DeLuna
2025 ENTRY LIST BY CAR NUMBER
OO Peter Gregg Trophy 1977 Porsche 934.5 Timothy Pappas Patrick Long
11 Jim Hall USRRC Cup 1962 Lotus 23B Travis Engen Travis Engen
11 Parnelli Jones Trans-Am Trophy 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Ken Adams Ken Adams
11 Scott
12
12
12 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2008 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Kevin Roush Kevin Roush
12 Unser Family Cup 1980 IROC Chevrolet Camaro Roger Penske Roger Penske Jr
13 Mario Andretti Trophy 1979 Tyrrell 009 Dwight Matheson Dwight Matheson 13 Parnelli Jones Trans-Am Trophy 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Dennis Singleton Dennis Singleton
14 Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy 1966 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada John Fudge John Fudge
14 Juan Manuel Fangio Cup 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Charles McCabe Charles McCabe
14 Mario Andretti Trophy 1979 Tyrrell
14
14
No. Race Group Car
Driver Name No. Race Group Car
22 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2005 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Michael Potapow Michael Potapow
22t Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2006 BMW M3 GT Thomas Plucinsky Travis Okulsy
23 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2006 Porsche Riley Daytona Prototype MK X1 Ernie Spada Ernie Spada
23 Pedro Rodriguez Trophy 1965 Ford GT40 Rob Kauffman Rob Kauffman
23 Jim Hall USRRC Cup 1965 Lotus 23B Jeffrey Mayer Jeffrey Mayer
O23 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2011 Porsche 911 Bill Sweedler Jeff Segal
23 Mario Andretti Trophy 1982 Alfa Romeo 182 Tim de Silva Tim de Silva
23a Pedro Rodriguez Trophy 1969 Chevron B16 Jonathan Rosenthal Jonathan Rosenthal
24 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1959 Rejo Mk VI Mark Osborne Mark Osborne, Brad Baker
24 Mario Andretti Trophy 1972 March 721G Todd Willing Todd Willing
24 Juan Manuel Fangio Cup 1935 Alta Grand Prix Michelle Voboril Michelle Voboril
24 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 1996 Porsche 993 RSR Brady Refenning Brady Refenning
24 Peter Gregg Trophy 1976 DeKon Monza Kiel Hogan Kiel Hogan
24a John Morton Trophy 1964 Porsche 901 Steve McCord Steve McCord
25 John Morton Trophy 1958 Austin Healey 100-6 BN4 Paul Freestone Paul Freestone
25 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1953 Tatum GMC Special Robert Manson Robert Manson
26 Jim Hall USRRC Cup 1965 McLaren M1A David Smoker David Smoker
26 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2014 Audi R8 GTM Bruce Leeson Bruce Leeson
215 Dan Gurney Saloon Car 1951 Holden GMH FX/215 Paul Freestone Paul Freestone
219 Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy 1966 Shelby GT350 Charles Mckee Charles Mckee
231 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup Laurent Parmentier Thomas Parmentier
241 John Morton Trophy 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster David Lalonde David Lalonde
247 Pedro Rodriguez Trophy 1967 Porsche 911 S Karl Durkheimer Karl Durkheimer
272 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1959 Lotus 17 Nick Grewal Nick Grewal
277 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 Marc Montour Marc Montour
289 Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy 1966 Shelby GT350 Tom Fry Tom Fry
347 Dan Gurney Saloon Car 1965 Alfa Romeo GTA John Breslow John Breslow
391 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1960 Lola Mk 1a Robert Davis Robert Davis
491 John Morton Trophy 1962 Porsche 356 B Edward Hugo Alec Hugo
555 Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup 2014 Ferrari 458 Italia Bill Sweedler Bill Sweedler 681 Dan Gurney Saloon Car 1968 Alfa Romeo GT Jr Anthony Rimicci Anthony Rimicci
718 John Morton Trophy 1958 Turner 950S Daniel Schwartz Daniel Schwartz
771 Pedro Rodriguez Trophy 1971 Lola T212 Matt Schiefferly Matt Schiefferly
791 Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy 1965 Shelby GT350 Forrest Straight Forrest Straight
814 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1955 Elva Mk 1 Kevin Adair Kevin Adair
960 Dan Gurney Saloon Car 1967 BMC Mini Cooper Greg Hoff Greg Hoff
X15 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1955 Kurtis Sorrell GMC Special John Mote Sr John Mote Sr
791 Ken Miles Sixties GT Trophy 1965 Shelby GT350 Forrest Straight Forrest Straight
814 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1955 Elva Mk 1 Kevin Adair Kevin Adair
960 Dan Gurney Saloon Car 1967 BMC Mini Cooper Greg Hoff Greg Hoff
X15 Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy 1955 Kurtis Sorrell GMC Special John Mote Sr John Mote Sr
*Information correct at time of going to press
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