Monterey, a reunion like no other

If there’s one man who knows how Monterey Car Week has expanded from being a small and informal gathering to one of the most anticipated events on the classic motor sport calendar, it’s Barry Toepke.

He started working at Laguna Seca race circuit way back in 1989 and – bar a brief sojourn with Toyota more than a decade ago – he’s been there ever since.

“When I first arrived, admission to the Concorso Italiano was free [tickets now start at $215] and anyone who wanted a look at the Pebble Beach Concours could simply park up, walk in and wander around,” he recalls.

Toepke is director of heritage events at what has officially been called WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca since the giant car care firm became the venue’s lead sponsor in 2018 – and during his 30-plus years there he has seen the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion grow into one of Car Week’s best-loved features.

“The Reunion dates back to 1974 when just 66 cars took part in on-track events,” says Toepke. “By around 2010, that had grown to 650 cars and the meeting had simply become too large, so three years ago we decided to limit it to 400 in order to make it a safer and better environment for owners, drivers and spectators alike.”

Often described as ‘a museum springing to life’, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is still car week’s largest event and, notably, the only one at which cars are doing exactly what they were originally intended to do: race.

“This year will see 11 countries represented, and every car has been vetted for authenticity, race provenance and period correctness by our seven-strong advisory council – so people really do get to see the best of the best,” says Toepke.

That advisory council includes British historic Porsche guru Andy Prill, Amelia Island Concours founder Bill Warner and Scott George of the Florida-based Revs Institute museum. Entries are divided into 14 ‘run groups’ which this year includes F1 cars from 1966–1985, ‘endurance legends’ from 1983–2016 and GT cars built between 1955 and 1964. For the second year running there will also be a saloon car class, while fans of the mighty Trans Am racers of the 1960s and ’70s will be able enjoy Ford Mustangs, AMC Javelins and Chevrolet Camaros.

Another major attraction is always the ‘featured marque’, which will this year be Corvette.

“We have had some really wonderful examples put forward by both private owners and the GM museum – including the first 427 cubic-inch engine ZO6 Stingray from 1963 that raced NASCAR in period,” says Toepke.

But while the racing is going to be as exciting as it always is, Toepke is keen to stress that the Reunion is not an all-out, door-bashing affair.

“We drive 40 full-blown race cars into town. It’s amazing”

“One of the reasons we decided to cap the number of entries was that racing etiquette was beginning to disappear and accidents were becoming more prevalent. We don’t want that – the event is not so much about winning as about showcasing cars with a mixture of professionals and ‘gentleman drivers’ taking part.

“If anyone is found to be at fault, they are required to immediately sit out and they won’t be asked back.”

With many participants travelling thousands of miles in order to take part, Toepke says the organisation is geared towards getting everyone as much track time as possible. Key to this is the ‘Pre-reunion’ which takes place during the weekend before the Pebble Beach Concours.

“It’s a fun, low-key event at which there’s less pressure,” says Toepke. “Participants get two 20-minute track sessions on each of the two days, and since 2010 we’ve used the occasion to celebrate the start of Car Week by obtaining permission to drive 40 full-blown race cars into town on public roads. It’s an amazing spectacle.”

A more recent addition to the programme is the Corkscrew Hillclimb, which was introduced last year.

“The main Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion used to run from Thursday to Sunday, but we found that Sunday was poorly attended due to the Pebble Beach Concours happening at the same time. We now run Wednesday to Saturday and leave Sunday,” says Toepke.

“There’s a relaxed, fun vibe with one of the highlights being the Corkscrew Hillclimb that runs counter-clockwise from near the start/finish line and up through the famous curves, which are usually driven downhill.”

Last year’s diverse entry included a McLaren GT, an electric Ford truck, a Bugatti Chiron and an ex-Mario Andretti Formula 1 car.  Britain’s Ben Collins, meanwhile, achieved fastest production car and fourth overall in an all-electric Lucid Air, which ran in almost total silence. Impressive, but not quite so stirring as a Stingray with a 427 V8 under the bonnet. Or, as our friends at Laguna Seca prefer to say, ‘the hood’…

The Rolex Monterey pre-Reunion takes place August 12–13. Tickets $40 per day, $70 for both days; the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion runs from August 17–19, 8.30am–6pm. Tickets cost from $45 (Wednesday only) to $225 on the gate for all four days. Tickets for Sunday’s Corkscrew Hill Climb only cost $35.

Monterey Car Week 2023

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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FRIDAY AUGUST 11, 2023
Monterey Car Week Kick-Off

SATURDAY AUGUST 12, 2023
Monterey Pre-Reunion

SUNDAY AUGUST 13, 2023
Monterey Pre-Reunion

MONDAY AUGUST 14, 2023
Automobilia Monterey Expo
The Porsche Monterey Classic

TUESDAY AUGUST 15, 2023
Classic Motorsports Magazine Monterey Kickoff
Automobilia Monterey Expo
Acura in the Park

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2023
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
Motorlux
Pebble Beach Motoring Classic
Little Car Show
Automobilia Monterey Expo
Concours for a Cause

THURSDAY AUGUST 17, 2023
Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
Ferrari Owners’ Club Concours Carmel
Legends of the Autobahn
Monterey Jet Center Auction
Mecum Monterey 2023 Auction
Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
Pebble Beach RetroAuto
Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance Presented by Rolex
Prancing Ponies Women’s Car Show
RM Sotheby’s Monterey
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

FRIDAY AUGUST 18, 2023
Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
Monterey Jet Center Auction
Mecum Monterey 2023 Auction
Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions
Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
Pebble Beach RetroAuto
Pacific Grove Rotary Concours Auto Rally
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
RM Sotheby’s Monterey
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
Werks Reunion

SATURDAY AUGUST 19, 2023
Exotics on Broadway
Mecum Monterey 2023 Auction
Annual Ferrari Owners Club Gathering
Concorso Italiano
Concours d’LeMons
Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions
Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum
Pebble Beach RetroAuto
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
RM Sotheby’s Monterey

SUNDAY AUGUST 20, 2023
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Pebble Beach RetroAuto