MONTEREY, Calif. — The Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races presented by Toyota will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year by celebrating highlights from the event’s illustrious past. The event will take place on August 15-17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and will salute the Alfa Romeo, the first marque featured at the Historic Races in 1975.
To commemorate the event, a variety of featured marques from the past 34 Monterey Historic races will be recognized during the weekend of exciting and highly competitive races. Legendary driver Mario Andretti will be the official guest of honor for the event.
“We are extremely pleased to have Mario Andretti join us at the Rolex Monterey Historic this year. He is a living legend for all of us, and we’ll join together to celebrate the anniversary of his winning the World Championship in 1978,” said Steve Earle, President of General Racing Ltd., the event founder and organizer.
“With great cars like the Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Mille Miglia, the star of our second event back in 1975, returning; with the 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes racing in it’s 100th year; with Historic Trans-Am cars, barely retired when the event began, and racing as close as ever; with the presentation of past Monterey Cup winners; the Toyota “Race of Legends”; the Ferrari Historic Challenge; autograph sessions; and enhanced Consumer Expo, I believe that fans will find this an event they will long remember.”
Andretti, widely considered the most accomplished driver in motorsports history, will participate in a variety of events throughout the weekend, including driving a few demonstration laps in his Formula One Championship winning Lotus 79 and autograph sessions both Friday and Saturday.
Andretti remains the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula One World Championship (1978).
“The Rolex Monterey Historic is the premier historic auto racing event in the country,” said Andretti. “I am pleased to be a part of these festivities and look forward to spending time with fans and enthusiasts from across the country who travel to Monterey for this wonderful event. Laguna Seca has always been one of my favorite tracks. For a driver, it’s a truly technical and challenging course that provides immense satisfaction. For a spectator, it’s phenomenal because of the many vantage points to watch the action.”
Rolex will present its award-winning Motor Sports History Display “Moments in Time” honoring the singular achievement of a car and driver in racing history. The display, which won a 2006 Silver Event Design Award, is each year highly anticipated by enthusiasts who can experience these wonderful automobiles first-hand.
Highlighting the display is the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B Mille Miglia Spyder that Phil Hill drove to first place in the Del Monte Trophy Race in 1951 at Pebble Beach. Hill and the Mille Miglia Spyder have a long history, as he drove the Spyder again during the second Monterey Historic Automobile Races in 1975 where he took the checkered flag.
Hill sold the car in 1951 and over half a century later, the car is now fully restored back to its original 1938 specifications and race trim and is part of fashion designer Ralph Lauren’s collection. The car is one of four made and came second in the Mille Miglia in 1938.
Hill is well-known internationally for becoming the first American to win the Formula One World Drivers Championship in 1961, the ultimate competition in all of motorsports. For 17 years he stood alone with that title and today shares the title of World Champion with only one other American, Mario Andretti.
Hill
has a particularly close relationship with the Monterey Historic, having been raised in California, racing in the early days through the nearby forest at Pebble Beach. Establishing his credentials as a champion driver and a consummate car enthusiast, he raced and showed his cars with equal passion. Coming out of retirement to drive his old Alfa Romeo 8C-2900 for then owner Brooks Stevens in 1975, Hill thrilled the fans.
Additional historic automobiles featured in the “Moments in Time” display will include the 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes owned by former Oregon State Senator and vintage racer George Wingard, and the 1927 Delage Grand Prix of the Collier Collection in Florida.
Formula Junior, the original “support series” for Formula One, will also be taking part in the festivities by celebrating its 50th anniversary through its Golden Jubilee series. Monterey serves as the Series’ fourth stop, with the Series taking place across the globe in New Zealand (Pukekohe), Australia (Philip Island), Europe (Monza, Brands Hatch GP and Nurburgring), USA West Coast (Monterey), USA East Coast (Lime Rock), with the grand finale in South Africa (Killarney). Historic Formula One cars from 1967-1978 will be one of the fourteen groups take part in race activities throughout the weekend.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, August 15 7:00 a.m., Raceway Gates Open 8:45-11:10, Practice by Group: 1A - 5A 11:00, Historics to Quail Run (Selected race cars depart the track for The Quail) 11:10-noon, Practice by Group: 1B - 2B Noon-2:20 p.m., Practice Toyota Race of Legends 12:15-1:15 Lunch Break 1:20-1:45, Practice Group 3B 1:45, Mario Andretti Honor Laps 2:00, The Quail to the Historics Return Run (Race cars return to the track.) 2:00-3:55, Practice by Group 4B -7B 4:10, Ferrari Historic Group A Race (Drum Brakes) 4:35, Ferrari Historic Group B Race 2 (Disc Brakes)
Saturday, August 16 7:00 a.m., Raceway Gates Open 8:45-noon, Warm-Up by Race Group 1A - 8A Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch Break 12:15, Toyota Race of Legends (8 Laps) 1:10, National Anthem 1:15, Race 1A (10 Laps) Group 1A Pre-1940 Sports & Touring Cars 1:30, Race 2A (10 Laps) Group 2A 1925-1950 Racing Cars & Indy Rdst. 2:00, Race 3A (10 Laps) Group 3A 1958-1959 F-Jr. Celebration Race Part 1 2:30, Mario Andretti Honor Laps 2:45, Race 4A (10 Laps) Group 4A 1955-1960 Sports Racing Cars over 2500cc 3:15, Race 5A (10 Laps) Group 5A 1959-1960 F-Jr. Celebration Race Part 2 3:45-3:55, Toyota Exhibition Laps Eagle GTP, Celica GTU, 2000GT 4:00, Race 6A (10 Laps) Group 6A 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am Cars 4:30, Race 7A (10 Laps) Group 7A 1966 -1974 Historic Can-Am Cars 4:55, Race 8A (10 Laps) Group 8A 1964 -1975 FIA Sports Racing Cars
Sunday, August 17 7:00 a.m. Raceway Gates Open 9:00-11:50, Warm-Up by Race Group 1B 7B 11:55- 12:55 p.m. LUNCH BREAK 12:10-12:25 Parade Laps 1:00, Race 1B (10 Laps) Group 1B 1947-1955 Sport Racing & Prod. 1:30, Race 2B (10 Laps) Group 2B 1956-1961 Sport Racing Cars under 2500cc 2:00, Race 3B (10 Laps) Group 3B 1955-1962 Production Sports Cars 2:30, Race 4B (10 Laps) Group 4B 1963-1966 Production Sports Cars 3:00, Race 5B (10 Laps) Group 5B 1961-1963 F-Jr. Celebration Race Part 3 3:25-3:35, Toyota Demonstration Laps GTP-GTO-GTU 3:40, Race 6B (10 Laps) Group 6B 1967-1978 Historic F-1 Cars 4:05, Race 7B (10 Laps) Group 7B 1972-1983 Historic IMSA GT Cars 5:00, Prize Giving at Red Bull Energy Center
