GRAND TRIBUTE TO MOTORSPORTS

Cars line up before the 2023 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. — Rolex/Stephan Cooper

Every year during the summer, motoring enthusiasts get together for the grandest tribute to machines from yesteryear and to celebrate the innovations of tomorrow.

Since 1997, Rolex has supported these classic automotive events, recognising the need to preserve motoring tradition.

Held against the breathtaking backdrop of the Monterey Peninsula in California, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

An event which champions the spirit of historic racing, it features pioneering figures and hundreds of the finest vintage vehicles in action.

Rolex Testimonee Sir Jackie Stewart at the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. — Rolex/Stephan Cooper

Originally established in 1974 as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, the 50th anniversary recognises the achievements of the sport’s heroes, their machines and shared memories.

Rolex, a long-standing supporter of these classic car celebrations, first partnered the Reunion in 2001 and in 2010 became Title Sponsor.

Gathering of legends

From Aug 14 to 17, 2024, the picturesque Monterey Peninsula in California played host to an illustrious gathering that honoured and showcased past and future automobiles.

The venue for the event, the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, has welcomed some of the world’s greatest racing drivers, including all five of Rolex’s motor sport Testimonees.

Rolex Testimonee and 2022 Grand Marshall Tom Kristensen waves the green flag. — Rolex/Stephan Cooper

Sir Jackie Stewart competed in the United States Road Racing Championship in 1965, four years before he clinched his first of three FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championships in 1969.

“The 50th anniversary of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a wonderful milestone. I first drove at Laguna Seca in the 1960s and have a lot of happy memories there, and today, it remains one of the world’s most remarkable racetracks. Since my retirement I have visited the Reunion on many occasions, and it is an honour to witness the incredible racing cars compete as they were built to – they truly tell the story of our sport’s evolution,” said Stewart.

“The highest standards of precision and engineering on show throughout the four-day event link Rolex and the Reunion, underlining Rolex’s commitment to motor sport globally.”

Rolex Testimonee Mark Webber in Monterey, California. — Rolex/Tom O’Neal

His fellow Rolex Testimonees have followed in his tracks and taken on this undulating circuit. Mark Webber raced in the FIA GT Championship in 1998, placing second overall in the GT1 class.

A few years later, in 2001, Tom Kristensen, the nine-time winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans contested the American Le Mans Series and was Grand Marshal of the 2022 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

More recently, the track has witnessed 2009 FIA Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion Jenson Button take to the wheel of notable sports cars at the Reunion, while female racing driver Jamie Chadwick competed at the famed circuit in 2023 and returned this summer in the Indy NXT series.

“Driving at Laguna Seca, even in a machine from the 1950s, is a thrilling experience. I love this track, it’s fast-flowing and everything is blind so it takes a huge amount of skill to brake into the turns, particularly in an old car,” said Button.

Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button in Monterey, California. — Rolex/Tom O’Neal

Kristensen – the most successful endurance racing driver of all time, who has to his name six consecutive victories from 2000 to 2005 at Circuit de la Sarthe – has a record six overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and was crowned the FIA World Endurance Champion in 2013.

The Danish endurance racing legend has a long history with the illustrious gatherings in California – last year he was Honorary Judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Cars exit the iconic corkscrew at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. — Rolex/Stephan Cooper

“Laguna Seca is a fantastic track; it’s in the most beautiful location in the hills behind Monterey. The circuit itself is very enjoyable to race and requires complete precision to conquer – with so many elevation changes, an anticlockwise layout and the famous blind corkscrew turn,” said Kristensen.

“The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a must visit for all car lovers. With the event celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, it’s a real acknowledgement of all the historic racing that has taken place at Laguna Seca and the drivers who have competed there.”