Each year, the Monterey Pre-Reunion serves as the proverbial warm-up to the bustling car week and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion ahead. The event is a chance for the drivers and cars to acclimate and ready for the big show the following week… and of course have some great fun while doing so.
Bruce Canepa leads this marvelous group of IMSA Prototypes from the pit lane in his 1989 Porsche 962C Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
IMSA is the featured marque this year as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. As such, the grids are packed full of great cars throughout IMSA’s legendary history. Here is Wade Carter’s 1984 Porsche 962 warming up in its pit during the early morning hours.
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
Running around and taking pictures I happened upon good friends of the magazine, John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson. Sylvia mentioned, “Walking through the paddock John said he feels like he is back at an IMSA race.” Here he is leaving pit lane in Tom Malloy’s 1988 Porsche‐Kremer 962C
Photo: Nick Lish Vintage Motorsport)
Another large contingent in the paddock is the Formula Ford group. HMSA President, Chris Vandergriff talked about the group saying, “The very first IMSA race was in 1969 at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and they sanctioned a Formula Ford race. So when we were looking at celebrating IMSA, my first comment was that we had to have Formula Ford. Everyone looked at me like I had two heads. No one on the committee knew that IMSA’s first race was a Formula Ford race.”
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
Racer M&M chief, Paul Pfanner, saw this as a wonderful opportunity to bring his 1972 Elden Mk 8. The car is being piloted by 18-year-old racing phenom Courtney Crone
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
Another group that drew eyes and ears each time they were on track was the Masters Endurance Legends. Here is Travis Engen’s 2005 Audi R8 LMP being checked out in the hot pit after a run on the track.
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
The group ran two 40-minute sessions each day and many of the drivers were running in other groups as well. Sounds like some great seat time. More than one person I ran into mentioned the amazing sound of this 2002 Ferrari 550 GT1 from Steven Read.
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
Near the end of each day, the Masters Historic Formula One group heads out to remind folks what F1 those amazing engines sound like – and that they should probably invest in a pair of ear plugs for the weekend. Here is Charles Nearburg’s 1980 Williams FW07 B making its way to the grid.
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
And here he is on track heading out of turn 11 and up towards start/finish
Photo: Nick Lish (Vintage Motorsport)
Look for more coverage of the Monterey Pre-Reunion in the coming days and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this weekend!
