Leading the pack in Group...
Leading the pack in Group 6A was the Corvette-powered '58 Scarab Mk 1 owned and driven by Rob Walton of Paradise Valley, Arizona. Power and grace defines this car, fierce on the track but a rare beauty in the pits.
Extended dates aren't the only changes to the Monterey historics for 2010. SCRAMP, the 50-some-year-old racing association of the Monterey Peninsula, is producing the event this year, which has been renamed The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Legendary racer Dan Gurney is being honored, and there will be special races for vintage Formula 1 cars (to celebrate F1's 60th anniversary), Trans-Am cars, a Bugatti Grand Prix, and, for the first time ever, '59-'75 stock cars. To get you in the Monterey mood, here are a few highlights from the 2009 race weekend, plus a historic look at Laguna Seca from GM's photographic archive.
Favorite Races Fifteen separate groups raced at the 2009 Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races, about equally split between Saturday and Sunday. Whether caused by imprinting in childhood or not, the following groups were my favorites to watch. All of these, with the exception of the Trans-Am group, included Corvettes. When you are scheduling which races to watch in 2010, look at the group description, as the group number can change from year to year.
Group 1B 1947-1955 Sports Racing and Production Cars: This included the '54 Corvette that has raced here for more than 30 years.
Group 3B 1955-1962 Production Sports Cars: Corvette battles against Morgan, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Triumph, Porsche, and MG.
Group 4A 1955-1960 Sports Racing Cars over 2500cc: The winner in 2009 was a Corvette-powered '58 Scarab Mk 1. Competition also included Maserati, Devin, and Lister.
Group 4B 1963-1966 Production Sports Cars: Competition is exciting with Grand Sports, Cobras, Shelby G.T. 350s, Lotuses, and Ferraris in the field.
Group 6A 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am Cars: Another hugely popular class with many Camaros, Mustangs, and Javelins, along with assorted BMWs and Alfas.
Group 7B 1973-1980 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT Cars: Even more fierce and fast, look for the likes of Greenwood Corvettes to challenge the Porsches filling this class.
Corvette parking was available...
Corvette parking was available at a special Corvette Corral above Turn 5, which provided a great viewing area. Nearly all the track was visible, as was the infield and vendor area. Turn your head and you could view the spectator traffic on the perimeter road. Porsches and Ferraris were as common as daisies.
Due to the age of the cars-or...
Due to the age of the cars-or perhaps more due to the age of the owners and drivers-the pits are laid back and fun. Garrett and Ted's Excellent Adventure is a sign of that. This fuel-injected Z06 is owned and driven by Garrett Waddell of Richland, California.
By no means were all the Corvette...
By no means were all the Corvette race cars coupes. The sound coming from this serious '64 made for a visceral high. The roadster is owned and driven by Tommy Thompson of Phoenix.