The annual historic races at Laguna Seca once again serve as a time capsule to eras bygone.
Photos by Mitchell Weitzman
Another year, another Monterey Car Week. A permanent staple in my routine each year is attending the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, a historic racing event featuring the race cars of generations past. A racing car was born and bred for the sole purpose of its fury held within, and instead of being shut-up in some museum for eternity, it's a blessing to have owners of these wonderful, imaginative machines take them back to where they yearn for: the race track.
Utilizing the incredible natural landscape and elevation of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Reunion offers the chance to see these valuable motorsport icons lapping the famed coastal tarmac instead of parked on the lawn at Pebble Beach. The event is also quite affordable in comparison to the several hundred dollars needed for a pass to any of the main shows on the Peninsula. A ticket gets you access to nearly every part of the circuit, plus the paddock to see the racing cars prepped and worked on by their entrants. Owners and crew are usually more than happy to talk with fans about their favorite vintage race car. If the glitz and glamor of other shows are a little too stuffy, or you're looking for a break from the crowded streets of Ocean Ave. in downtown Carmel, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a must-see each year. Looking at cars is one thing, but watching them race by at full-tilt, with raucous V8 or wailing V12 noises is definitely worth the price of admission alone.
Below you'll find my photographic highlights from the 2023 Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca.
