Article by Ben Kuhl
As the first day of the 2023 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion began to unfold, there were clear and present signs of vibrant renewal all around the illustrious Weathertech Laguna Seca racetrack, with standouts such as the repaved track surface and the brand-new bridge that crosses the start/finish line over front stretch. Resounding reports from the participants’ paddock comments indicated ultra-positive feedback. The new racing surface attributes now exhibit a smoother pave, while not suffering from a lack of grip effect for the racecars, as some tracks often exhibit during early stages of post-renewal. All this, amid an extraordinary variety of epic racecars delivered a sight-sound feast of racetrack energy at a hallmark event.
A closer look revealed significant repairs to corner working stands, a fleet of new track utility vehicles and additional photography portals for media. There is the all-around sense that the much talked-about new investment in Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway is starting to show in myriad ways – for racers, paddock personnel, track workers and enthusiastic visitors of all kinds – including enhancements for spectators.
In a show of the uplifting tides for the track, Management and a growing cadre of dedicated sponsors and supporters, including the Laguna Seca Foundation, today confirm in unison updates on long-term contracts involving the county of Monterey and track stakeholders. These active commitments are projected to keep Laguna Seca secure and operating successfully for decades to come, with an eagle eye toward a 50-year upswing. Ultra-positive updates are being conveyed by a hands-on and boldly transparent President and General Manager of Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway, John Narigi.
Immediately notable in practice sessions for both the 2023 Pre-Reunion and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, a first-class repave of the track surface has been augmented with repainted curbing and new fencing along the track, offering a robust mixture of aesthetics, structure and safety.
As a direct result, on-track action vaulted to exciting competition from the outset, staging a milestone year of renewal features that presents the cars as the stars. The featured marque for 2023, Corvette, celebrates 70 proud years of motorsports history, and for this year’s Reunion brought together an impressive stable of stunning original prototypes and important milestone-setting cars, including the class winning 2023 Corvette C.8R.
Impressive new additions to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion included the 1981-1991 IMSA Trans Am/GTU class, comprising enough entries to justify its own group of high horsepower monsters. This class featured Corvette royalty in the person of multi-year champion Ron Fellows, who piloted a Protofab-bodied Corvette, race-prepped by the equal Corvette royalty and former Corvette Racing team boss, Dan Binks. With all due respect, this combination annihilated a field that was already stacked with masses of horsepower and super talent among drivers and race teams.
To the surprise of few, the Formula 1 field with its veteran line-up of drivers and legendary cars produced record-threatening speeds, with Steve Romak from Walnut Creek, CA driving a 1985 Tyrrell 12 while the likes of Charles Nearburg (1981 Williams FW07C) and Danny Baker (1976 McLaren M23) rounded out the top three. Astonishingly, spectators were able to witness the likes of former IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and current F1 McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown racing head-to-head, bringing legend alive.
In stark contrast, front engined single-seat F1 and other open-wheeled cars from 1927-1955 brought forth eras of racing that enthusiasts today might otherwise never experience. Representing the legendary cars and drivers of yesteryear, the raw sounds and speeds of these cars incited awe among onlookers and brought chills to enthusiasts.
Ground-pounding Formula 5000 cars, representing the late 1960s to the mid-1970s time periods, provided a visceral demonstration of racing power and pure dynamism that to this day speaks RACECARS to people of all ages that would thrill to the notion of experiencing car racing first-hand. The sheer beauty and brawn of the Formula 5000 cars was unmatched.
As if the Formula 5000 cars were not explosive enough in their impact, Can Am and Trans Am cars of the 1960s and early 1970s saw eclectic fields of cars that few people rarely if ever see, racing at full speed and fantastic intensity. McLarens, Lolas and other iconic marques were present as etchings that came alive at speed for the 2023 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
And amidst the racing majesty, an epic celebration of Corvette, representing 70 years of America’s premiere sportscar. In the “Corvette Heritage” mega-tent, as well as on the track were displayed incredible Corvette masterpieces of design and engineering of myriad colors, styles and time periods of innovation in design and engineering development. A breathtaking time capsule in the flesh.
And the racing public noticed, with aplomb. Attendance gushed, with multiple car clubs represented in featured display space, plus parade laps experienced by car owners on the recently-repaved Laguna Seca race course. The parking lots were filled on Friday and further swelled for Saturday’s main events.
More to come!
