A cornerstone of Monterey Car Week, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) is undoubtedly one of the preeminent vintage racing gatherings in the world. Spanning four days, the sheer breadth of machinery on display and racing on track is mind-bending, even for ardent enthusiasts of yesterday’s automotive stars. If you think seeing a 1976 Porsche 935 belch fire from its exhaust is “old school,” try watching a 1908 Locomobile make its way around the circuit, hissing and popping every few feet of the way. The Trans Am group featuring late 60s muscle cars is always a crowd-pleaser, as are the soft-serve ice-cream cones in the pits. Where ever you turn, something is stopping you in your tracks.

Background

Sports cars and the Monterey Peninsula have gone hand and hand since the first Pebble Beach Road Races sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) in 1950. After six years of racing through the dangerous Del Monte Forest, the Laguna Seca Road course was built early in 1957 using decommissioned Fort Ord land. In 1974, sports car enthusiast Steve Earle decided the need for exercising these unique machines had grown to the point where he established the Monterey Historics, held during the same weekend of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A new era in vintage racing was born, eventually transforming over time into what is referred to as the Rolex Reunion.

Corvette turns 70

If ever there was a “Baseball and Apple pie” story on wheels, it would be the Chevrolet Corvette. Born in the early 1950s with a fiberglass body and inline 6-cylinder engine, the 150 hp convertible was more on the “sporty” side than being a genuine sports car. Competition would soon enter from Ford’s Thunderbird, among others, and a V8 soon became available, further popularizing the Corvette.

Often ahead of their competition, Corvettes utilized disc brakes, fuel injection, and large displacement engines that were hard to beat on track. As early as 1960, a Corvette won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; an extraordinary feat it would earn no less than nine times. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Corvette, and this weekend’s racing showcased Corvettes from numerous eras giving fans a front-row seat to the evolution of an American icon.

Heritage display

Situated under a large tent in the paddock, fans this year got to walk through dozens of famous Corvettes, each with a story. Several were owned by the General Motors Heritage Collection, meaning they are one-of-a-kind milestones representing a chapter in Corvette’s legacy. For the ultra-rare, both CERV I and CERV II were on display (CERV stands for Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle).

Favorite Race groups

Unlike attending a professional race weekend, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion offers spectators an “up close and personal” look at various racing cars spanning a century in time. Each group has a unique personality and offers something the others don’t. Some of my favorite groups included:

1955-1967 SCCA Production—Small Displacement

Post-WWII Sports car racing in America was built on small-bore European cars, and Group 1 exemplifies this with Porsche Speedsters, MGs, Alfas, etc.

1961-1971 FIA Manufacturers Championship

1927 – 1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel Single Seat Racing Cars

While these cars may date before WWII, don’t let that fool you in their technology and speed. Many are supercharged and utilize overhead-cam engines, far ahead of their time. It’s exciting to watch the Bugatti racers approach turns as some use the hand-brake lever on the outside of the car to help slow it down.

1972-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, Trans Am

1966-1974 Can-Am/1963-1968 USRRC

The Canadian American Challenge Cup will always be remembered by its brutish-powered racers built to a minimal set of rules. American fuel-injected V8s ruled the earth until Porsche decided to spoil the fun with its turbocharged 917.

1966-1972 Trans-Am.

Fender rubbing road racing using American muscle cars powered by iron block push-rod V8s with open exhaust. Talk about excitement!

Formula 5000.

Think of America’s version of Formula 1 in the 1970s. Push-rod V8s ruled the earth, and primitive wings front and rear gave downforce. While looking pretty fancy, most of these cars are primitive in nature that were physically demanding to drive.

1955-1967 SCCA Production – Large Displacement

1966-1985 Formula One – non-turbo.

Undoubtedly, this group represents the pinnacle in open-wheel racing during an era of innovation. Most cars use a Cosworth V8 engine to help minimize disparity and maintenance costs. Friday’s race was a fan favorite, especially with IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown competing.

Group 12 – 1947-1960 Front-Engined Sports Racing and GT

“Backyard specials” and V8 transplants were infamous in the 1950s for spoiling the fun of the refined European sports cars (like the Ferrari below) that often cost two or three times as much. Many used inexpensive flat-heads, while the more competitive entries ran overhead-valve engines like the Buick “Nail-head” or Cadillac 331. Using primitive drum brakes, these cars slide a lot in the corners and are an authentic link to the golden era of sports car racing.

Group 13 – 1981-2007 GTP, Group C, DP, WSC, LMP & GT1

Photo Gallery Coming Soon

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