An automobile museum that bursts to life is one way to describe
the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. It is an international
gathering of rarely seen race cars that spans decades of racing
history by returning them to the race track to compete as they
once did. Entering its 37th year, the event is a cornerstone of
the famed Monterey Classic Car Week that annually attracts
thousands to the picturesque Monterey peninsula for concours
events, auctions and a sundry of activities.
A war veteran who flew B-29s, an oil roughneck, a chicken
farmer…Carroll Shelby was a man of diverse talents. But he will
forever be remembered as an automotive icon who transformed
sports car racing and brought American pride to the international
motorsports stage.
This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 17-19,
celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra. But the
featured marque honor becomes more poignant with the recent
passing of the man who was simply known to friends as “Shel.”
When Carroll Shelby, along with chief engineer Phil Remington,
finished the very first Cobra, neither imagined that history was
being written. Shelby just wanted to go race and win…right away,
but Shelby American’s incredible efforts between 1962 and 1967
resulted in 998 Shelby Cobras being constructed. It’s estimated
that 120 of these Shelby Cobras were competition cars, and they
forever changed sports car racing.
It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of auto and
motor racing legend Carroll Shelby, who died Thursday night at
Baylor Hospital in Dallas. He was 89 and the longest living
double transplant recipient.
The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca family will miss the Texan who
forever changed the sports car racing landscape with the iconic
Shelby Cobra, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year at
the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
For a complete story on the life of Carroll Shelby, read Pete
Lyons’ wonderful tribute at AutoWeek.
With a dramatic swoop of the cloth shielding the painting from
view, the official poster art of the 2012 Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion was unveiled today at the Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager Gill Campbell and
the race track’s official artist, Bill Patterson, were on hand
for the reveal which took place in front a crowd of race
enthusiasts and motorsports journalists.
Shelby Cobra is this year’s featured marque and is a name that
evokes images of muscle, brute power and American ingenuity. This
year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 17-19 at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca, is expected to be the largest 50th
anniversary celebration of the esteemed marque.
“The Cobra represents more than a car. It represents an era, the
best of American can-do ingenuity and bench top engineering. It’s
the perfect marriage of brawn and brains and an unapologetic
demand to win,” said Bill Patterson. “It launched a copy cat war
that continues unabated 50 years on, and inspires a generation of
enthusiasts and artists, including this one.”
This year’s poster captures the Shelby Cobra as it crests The
Corkscrew, the signature turn of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and
site of many breathtaking racing moments. The artwork will be
featured on the souvenir magazine and limited-edition posters
that will be sold exclusively through the Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca souvenir store.
A highlight of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which will
include 550 of the finest authentic, period-correct, sports cars
in the world in 17 race groups, is bound to be the dedicated race
of 45 authentic Shelby 289 and 427 Cobras. Their thunderous
engines will surely turn heads as the green flag waves and they
power past the start line.
In addition to the bustling race paddock filled with pre- and
post-war cars, visitors can stroll among hundreds of classics in
the Yamaha Marketplace and adjacent car corrals. While Shelby
Cobras will be taking center stage in the race paddock and car
corral (they are, after all, the most replicated cars of all
time), there will be car corrals for nearly every marque,
including Mustang, Alfa Romeo, Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, Mazda,
Pantera and many more.
Advance purchase general admission tickets start at $50 with a
three day pass for $130. Children 12 and under are free with a
paying adult. Hospitality options start at $200 per person.
Free parking is available and VIP parking can be purchased for
$75.
Shelby Cobra. The name evokes images of muscle, brute power and
good ol’ American ingenuity. This year’s Rolex Monterey
Motorsports Reunion is likely to be the largest 50th anniversary
celebration of the venerable marque and, as such, auto
enthusiasts and hopeful participants are gearing up for the
August 17-19 event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
American racing icon Carroll Shelby, born January 11, 1923, is
the dynamic figure behind the almighty Shelby Cobra. This year at
the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the 50th anniversary of
the Shelby Cobra will be celebrated as the featured marque.
Be sure to mark August 17-19 on your calendar, as this will be
the biggest Cobra celebration of the year.
Save money by purchasing advance tickets online and be assured a
spot at this historic gathering.
Entry application forms for the 2012 Rolex Monterey Motorsports
Reunion and Pre-Reunion are now being accepted. For added
convenience, the form is available online or a downloadable pdf.
The Governing Committee will evaluate each car entry to examine
its historical significance, race provenance and
period-correctness before making a final determination. The
deadline to submit a car for consideration is January 31, 2012.
Groups
Pre-1940 Sports & Touring cars
1927-1951 Racing cars
1974-1980 Formula Atlantic (FAtl)
1981-1989 FIA Mfg. Championship & IMSA GTP
1973-1982 IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU/GTO
1962-1967 Shelby Cobra
1974-1990 Stock Cars with disc brakes
1955-1962 GT cars
1960-1968 Sports Racing USRRC
1963-1966 GT cars over 2500 cc
1955-1961 Sports Racing cars under 2000cc
1958-1963 Formula Junior cars
1955-1961 Sports Racing cars over 2000cc
1947-1955 Sports Racing and GT cars
1961-1966 GT cars under 2500cc
1970-1979 Sports Racing cars under 2000cc
1966-1972 Trans-Am
1974 Inaugural year
1975 Alfa Romeo
1976 Jaguar
1977 Bugatti
1978 Mercedes-Benz
1979 Bentley
1980 MG
1981 Cunningham
1982 Porsche
1983 Ford
1984 Ferrari
1985 Alfa Romeo
1986 Mercedes-Benz
1987 Chevrolet
1988 Maserati
1989 Aston Martin
1990 Allard
1991 Salute to Juan Manuel Fangio
1992 Jaguar
1993 Miller
1994 Ferrari
1995 Lotus
