50 Years of Trans-Am Racing to be Recognized at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
History will be celebrated as a thundering herd of 36 historic Trans-Am cars, which were coined Pony cars after the original Mustang, will assemble in Monterey August 18-21 for the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The historic race gathering, held at the spiritual home of sports car racing Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, is widely considered mecca for fans wanting to see, and hear, authentic and historically accurate race cars competing as they once did.
The Trans-Am series not only captured fans’ interest 50 years ago with some of the most exciting, ground-pounding road racing in history, but also that of renowned drivers who climbed behind the wheel. Among the Who’s Who of the racing world who took the wheel in anger were Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, Mark Donohue, George Follmer, Sam Posey, Dick Guldstrand, Peter Revson, Bob Tullius, Tony Adamowicz, Parnelli Jones and so many more.
The caretakers of these rolling museum pieces are a tight-knit group of men and women who meticulously preserve each car’s heritage by ensuring its authenticity, right down to the period-correct advertising decals. As like-minded friends who want to restore and preserve these national treasures, the owner/drivers meet before each race to discuss the sporting, yet gentlemanly, driving mindset to ensure an entertaining and safe race.
The Trans-Am group will be on track Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the four-day historic racing event.
Each year the highlight of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is its featured marque presentation. This year BMW will celebrate its 100th anniversary in remarkable fashion through its paddock display, historic race cars and several surprises that are in the works. It will be a presentation in keeping with the marque’s illustrious racing history.
Rolex is an avid supporter of the internationally acclaimed Monterey Classic Car Week and has been title sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion since it was renamed in 2010. Every year a driver from each group is selected for their overall excellence in the race and receives a Rolex Award of Excellence. The event’s top honor of a specially engraved 18-karat yellow gold and stainless steel Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is awarded to the driver who excels in the Spirit of the Weekend. Rolex’s involvement with motorsports runs deep, having been associated with the famed Goodwood Revival since 2004 and, most recently, as a Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1.
A maximum of 550 historic race cars are being accepted for entry in the 15 race groups that will swell the paddock with rolling automotive history. Each car will be evaluated for its authenticity, race provenance, and documentation that it is period and mechanically correct from when it originally ran. From early pre-war cars like a 1916 National AC and 1927 Bugatti T37A Grand Prix, to the in-your-face Can-Am cars.
SCRAMP celebrates 60 consecutive seasons of hosting world-class motorsports events in 2016. This year’s schedule continues the decades-long tradition of showcasing national and world championship series’ of sports car, open wheel and motorcycle racing, as well as one of the most prestigious annual historic car racing events in the world.
Tickets for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and every major event on the 2016 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca calendar are on sale now. Click HERE for more information or call the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Ticket Office at 831.242.8200.
Photo Credit: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Source: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca