Corvette will be the Featured Marque at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on August 16-19. Celebrate Corvette’s 70th Anniversary at CORVETTE SUMMER @ AT LAGUNA SECA!
Photo by Stephan Cooper/ROLEXFor 70 years, the Corvette has captured the hearts and passion of car enthusiasts worldwide, whether it’s cruising down tree-lined roadways or accelerating through tight turns at race tracks. Part of Corvette’s mystique has been captured through cinematic or television appearances. Route 66 or Corvette Summer, for example, captured the fantasies of youth everywhere, making Corvette synonymous with dreams of speed, power and glamour.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion joins Corvette in celebrating its rich history this year with a curated display of some of the most instrumental cars in its past. Corvettes will be complemented by more than 400 historic and authentic racecars competing in 14 classes each day at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, August 16-19.
The first Corvette prototype was revealed at the Waldorf Astoria General Motors Motorama January 14, 1953, and became one of the few concept cars to translate into a production model. Seventy years later it sets the standard for American technology in a world class sports car.
Corvette racing history began in 1956 under the watchful eye of Chevrolet engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, also known as the “Father of the Corvette.” Corvette captured the 1956 SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) C/Production national championship with Dr. Dick Thompson, “the racing dentist,” behind the wheel. That early success whetted the appetite of hundreds of drivers who went on to compete and win, such as Bob Bondurant, Dick Guldstrand, John Fitch, John Greenwood, Alan Barker, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Oliver Gavin among the many who took victories with the iconic brand at race tracks around the world.
Photo by Claude Haycraft, Courtesy of the Bill Warner archives
“We are excited to be sharing the legacy, history and heritage of Corvette at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion,” says John Narigi, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Kids across many generations have dreamt of owning or riding in a Corvette in their lifetime. We welcome Corvette’s return with their enthusiasm to Monterey and sharing their history, along with Corvette’s future.”
The is about celebrating key milestones, achievements, personalities and motorsport history in a lively high-octane festival experience. It will be non-stop action in the open race paddock where visitors can admire row after row of historic cars being worked on in preparation for the next race. Owners of these machines welcome answering questions and letting kids climb in behind the wheel to create lasting memories.
For more information about the Corvette’s 70th Anniversary – CORVETTE SUMMER @ AT LAGUNA SECA – and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, please visit https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/weathertech-raceway