2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports ReunionDecor Girl

2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

By Decor Girl | February 13th 2016 | Comments Off

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 18-21, 2016, is the largest event during the entire Pebble Beach Car Week. Held a few miles inland (this equates to more sun and 10 degrees or more hotter) at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, This the best place to see, smell and hear vintage race cars driven as intended. For 2016 BMW is the celebrated marque. If BMW has something new on the horizon, this is where it’ll likely be introduced.

Regardless of what type of car fan, the driving type, not garage queens, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion always delivers the rare, the unusual, the historic and often highly celebrated cars with important racing lineage. This the the best paddock walking / car-spotting experience in the United States. Actually you need to go through it at least twice, once for the cars and next to note the motorsport driving legend which might be standing next to you.

Here are the race groups on the docket for the weekend (updated 3/15/16):

Group 1 – 1947-1955 Sports Racing and GT Cars
Group 2 – 1955-1962 GT Cars
Group 3 – 1955-1961 Sports Racing cars under & over 2000cc
Group 4 – 1958-1963 Formula Junior / 1962-1966 under 2-Liter Sports Racers
Group 5 – 1961-1966 GT Cars under 2500cc / 1962-1966 under 2-Liter Trans-Am
Group 6 – 1963-1966 GT Cars over 2500cc
Group 7 – 1973-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU/GTO
Group 8 – 1963-1974 USRRC & Can-Am
Group 9 – 1970-1984 Sports Racing cars under 2100cc
Group 10 – 1966-1972 Trans-Am
Group 11 – 1981-1991 FIA / IMSA GTO, GTP

I’d like to offer a couple of hints. First, if you do not have to see a specific car group on the track (schedule is available on their website), haul your butt out of bed and get to the track early, it opens at 7:00 am. This has a few benefits:

less of a hike to and from the parking lot (wear comfortable / running shoes or enjoy blisters)
cooler and less intense sun (wear a hat, unless you are going for the lobster-face look)
no crowds

Second, buy and print your tickets online. This beats trudging to will-call in Seaside or waiting in line, and the ticket prices are lower. Also, unless you want to see a specific race, any of the days are great but Thursday and Friday have the same cars but less spectators.

Be sure to check both the Pebble Beach Concours and Mazda Raceway websites in the weeks and days leading up to Car Week for announcements of special events and car corrals at the track during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. See you there!