The dust has settled on this year’s Monterey Car Week and that means the results are in from four days of vintage racing (six for those participating in the Pre Reunion) at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The latest installment of the storied event highlighted 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette with a display of magnificent machines detailing the racing history of “America’s Sports Car.”
The race cars throughout the paddock were once again the stars of the week with groups featuring cars that raced at Laguna Seca in the early 70s like Can-Am, Trans Am, and F5000. Look for more stories and photos in the next issue of Vintage Motorsport Magazine.
First on track throughout the week, Group 1 – 1955-1967 SCCA Production Small Displacement racers often faced a burning marine layer as an added element around the 2.238-mile circuit. Chip Fudge nabbed the win in Friday’s race behind the wheel of his ’60 Huffaker Genie MK IV, with Horatio Fitz-Simon (’64 Lotus 26R) and Cameron Healy (’55 Cooper Porsche Pooper – above) close behind. Saturday’s race saw Fudge and Fitz-Simon swapping places with Healy finishing on the podium again.
The Group 2 – 1961-1971 FIA Manufacturers Championship podium results were identical for both races with Remo Lips (above) leading wire-to-wire behind the wheel of the remarkable looking (and sounding) ’69 Ferrari 312P. Gerad Lopez (’69 Lola T70 MKIIIb) and Alex MacAllister (’66 Ford GT40) rounded out the podium.
The diverse Group 3 – 1927-1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel Single Seat field saw battles throughout the grid, but it was a pair of ERAs that distanced themselves in both races. Paddins Dowling (’34 ERA A-Type) led Friday and Saturday with Charles McCabe (’36 ERA R6B) close behind. Kurt Engelhorn (above) took P3 aboard his ’55 Maserati 250 F.
The fast and competitive grid of Group 4 – 1981-1991 GTO/Trans Am racers saw close battles throughout the field, but nobody could match Ron Fellows in the ex-Greg Pickett ’87 Protofab Corvette recently restored by Binks Motorsports. Fellows won both races by a wide margin. Chris Hines (’87 Chevrolet Camaro) qualified P2 for Friday’s race, but a starter issue on the grid meant he would have to start from the back following a push start to get moving. Hines carved through the field to find himself back in second place when the checkered flag waved. A drivetrain issue kept Hines from a repeat Saturday and Octavio Rincon (’86 Dillion Camaro) moved up two positions to take P2. Rick Jeffery (’86 Protofab Z/28) came home third in both races.
The podium was identical for Friday and Saturday for the Group 6 – 1972-1981 FIA,IMSA,GT,GTX,AAGT, GTU races as Cal Meeker (above) could not be caught in his ’73 Lola T294. James Davenport (’76 Chevron B36) and Mike Sweeney (’70 Chevron B16-Spyder) claimed second and third respectively.
A stout Group 7 – 1966-1974 Can Am/ 1963-1968 USRRC field was a welcome sight at this year’s Rolex Reunion with 18 entries filling the thunderous grid. The Rev’s Institute’s go-to hot shoe, Gunnar Jeannette, seemed to have things in hand throughout the week. After racing the ’69 Porsche 917PA to a win in Friday’s race, Jeannette started on pole Saturday, but Alex MacAllister (’71 McLaren M8F – above) pulled into the lead at the start and held it to the end. Chris Springer finished P3 in both races behind the wheel of his ’72 McLaren M8F.
Another loud and plentiful grid was the ever-popular Group 8 – 1966-1972 Historic Trans Am field. Joshua Feiber (’69 Chevrolet Camaro) and Chad Reynal (’69 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28) finished 1-2 in Friday’s race and swapped positions for Saturday. Peter Klutt (’67 Ford Shelby 289) finished P3 in both races.
Celebrating 55 years of Formula 5000, the Group 9 racers from around the globe gathered at Laguna Seca for a racing reunion. Top qualifiers Kirt Bennett (’76 Lola 332 – above) and Paul Zazryn (’74 Lola T332) battled fiercely throughout the week, with Bennett coming out on top in both races and New Zealander Glen Richards (’75 Lola T400) rounding out the podium.
The trio of Cobras could not be caught in the Group 10 – 1955-1967 SCCA Production-Large Displacement races. Ford CEO Jim Farley took Friday’s win in his ’64 Ford Cobra 289 with Philip Kadoorie (’63 AC Shelby Cobra) and Lorne Leibel (’65 Shelby Cobra) close behind. Saturday saw Farley and Kadoorie swap positions and Leibel finished on the podium again.
The 20-car Group 11 – 1966-1985 Historic Formula One races made for some spectacular afternoon theater Friday and Saturday with Steve Romak (’85 Tyrrell 12 – above), Charles Nearburg (’81 Williams FW07C), and Danny Baker (’76 McLaren M23) completing the podium in both races.
It was another tale of consistency with the Group 12 – 1947-1960 Front Engined Sports Racing and GT races. Greg Meyer (above) walked away with a pair of wins with his ’59 Sadler MK4 while Al Arciero (’58 Lister Knobbly) and Brian MacEachern (’56 Lotus Xl) finished P2 and P3.
The penultimate run group throughout the week was Group 13 – 1981-2007 GTP, Group C, DP, WSC, LMP, and GT1 through 2009 which displayed iconic sports car greatness at full speed around the circuit. Patrick Long finished first in Friday’s race aboard the ’88 Leyton House Porsche 962, but an issue Saturday kept him from finishing that race. Friday’s P3 finisher, Spencer Trenery (’06 Riley Gen 1 Daytona Prototype), seized the opportunity at the start of Saturday’s race and never yielded – Even as P2 finisher Travis Engen (’05 Audi R8 LMP – above) pressed him throughout. Malcolm Ross completed the podium behind the wheel of his ’85 Porsche 962.
Friday’s Group 14 – 1955-1969 Saloon endurance race saw drivers pushing the limit for over an hour on a warm afternoon in Northern Calif. The required 5-minute pit stop, with optional driver change and/or fueling, added a strategic element to the race. Though, nobody could catch Todd Willing (above) in his ’68 Ford Escort, who won the race from pole position. Richard Stuart Milne and Troy Ermish (’68 Alfa Romeo GTA) took second, and Dennis Racine (’66 Morris Mini Cooper S) captured third. Willing took the win during Saturday’s sprint race as well with Racine finishing P3 again. This time it was David Murray (’67 BMW 1600) grabbing second place to finish out the event.
The full list of results from testing to races can be found HERE.