I just wrapped up an absolutely incredible week at Laguna Seca for the Motorsport Reunion during Car Week. This event in Monterey is always a favorite of mine during the season, and it should be on everybody’s bucket list of events to attend if you’re into supercars, historic race cars, and on-track racing action. We also had dynamite weather every day, which was ideal.
I had the rare opportunity to drive some of Mazda’s legendary prototypes that shaped the GTP era for IMSA. It’s always a real privilege, and it never gets old to be able to put these iconic rotary-powered, fire-breathing monsters through their paces. Not only did we have the Mazdas there, but we were sharing the track with other legendary GTP cars, like the Porsche 962, Jaguar XJR, Toyota Eagle MKIII, and others.
Lining up for the start of the race felt like a time warp back into the late 80s or early 90s to see all these cars two-by-two, and to actually get to compete with them. Then, at the green flag, having 700hp strapped to your back while launching out of the final corner and racing into turn one was a thrill, and one not to be forgotten.
Not only did we have all these historic GTP cars on site, but we were also treated to a celebration of 75 years of Formula 1, with examples of each era of that series on display. As a fan, it was breathtaking, not just to see these cars up close but to be able to appreciate all the engineering and development that has progressed through the eras. I learned so much by seeing these cars and reading up on each one, and it just further strengthened my appreciation for the history of motorsports.
In addition to Formula 1 being represented, Ray Evernham’s IROC series had its own dedicated group, with cars from IROC’s first days of Porsches through the Camaros of the late seventies, and up through its most recent iteration with newer models. What made this extra special was all the famous original drivers who came to race their old cars. It was a star-studded lineup, and it made for an even more special atmosphere to see drivers like Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Jenson Button, and Dario Franchitti, just to name a few.
Here are some photos of all the great things to see throughout the week. I got the chance to be a fan in addition to being a competitor!
Now, I’ve got another busy week ahead, as I head into the IMSA event at nearby Virginia International Raceway. I’ll be there as part of the Mazda MX-5 Cup series as they get closer to the season finale, where the $250,000 purse is up for grabs.