Monterey Car Week Hosts 540 Vintage Race Cars

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Since 1974, Monterey, California hosts a three-day event every year that witnesses an exhaustive international collection of rare vintage and classic racing cars competing wheel to wheel at the <a href=”http://www.mazdaraceway.com/rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion”>Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion</a>. The cars that compete here have decades of racing history. The reunion is held at one of the robust racing tracks at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, with the motive of providing a platform for vintage cars to compete. In addition, this platform encourages use of and restoration of vintage sports and racing cars.<br />
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<strong>The 2013 Monterey Event</strong><br />
This year the event was held from August 16 -18 and saw a gathering of 540 racing cars. These 540 cars were selected from about 1000 entries. The reunion was a cornerstone of the <a href=”http://www.montereycarweek.com/”>Monterey Classic Car Week</a>, which spanned from&nbsp; August 12-18 and concluded with the <a href=”http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/”>Pebble Beach Concours d&#39; Elegance</a>. This prestigious car show offered a host of events, like car auctions by reputed companies such as <a href=”http://www.rmauctions.com/”>RM Auctions</a> and <a href=”http://www.goodingco.com/”>Gooding &amp; Co.</a>, auto shows, test drives and Concorso Italiano showcasing Italian cars and bikes among other events.<br />
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<strong>How the Monterey Event Began</strong><br />
First organized by Steve Earle in 1974, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion was then called the Monterey Historic Automobile Races. He established this event for his friends who wanted to race their cars at Laguna Seca.<br />
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In its first season, the competition attracted hardly 60 racing cars and a few onlookers. Slowly, the event grew bigger and better to become an event of international repute. Judging parameters give utmost importance to the safety and conduct of drivers, and the preservation of cars. This year the event entered its 38th year of classic and vintage racing.<br />
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<strong>Grouping of Racing Cars</strong><br />
Since the various entries have different ages and engine capacity, competing racing cars are grouped according to their vintage, marquee and engine size. For example, the <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/what-we-insure/muscle-car-insurance/mustang-insurance”>Mustang Boss</a> 302s compete with the <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/what-we-insure/muscle-car-insurance/camaro-insurance”>Chevy Camaro</a> Z/28s, and the old-school <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/what-we-insure/exotic-car-insurance/ferrari-insurance”>Ferraris</a> battle with the <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/what-we-insure/luxury-car-insurance/aston-martin-insurance”>Aston Martins</a> and Jaguars. They are age old competitors and are likely to remain so. Each car is tested for its authenticity and vintage appeal before selection.<br />
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<strong>Safety of the Cars</strong><br />
The judges are very particular about the safety of the drivers and cars. Anyone driving recklessly, or not adhering to the set parameters and rules, is disqualified from the race for the current and the subsequent year.<br />
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However, collectors of vintage cars rarely break rules or stray from expected conduct. They are a closely knit community and in addition to valuing their own cars, are often worried about others&#39; cars as well, as these cars are priceless for their owners. A number of car owners even hire professional drivers to ensure the safety of their cars. Each car upon arriving on the track, goes through a series of technical and safety inspections. Racers also feel that all racing cars should be insured so owners do not have to worry about their cars being at risk.<br />
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The race is not only about winning trophies; it is about the glory of vintage racing, it is about pushing the limits, and it is about the excitement one feels when the greatest cars of their times race head to head.<br />
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The pleasure and satisfaction of the event is felt even more when owners see their <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/what-we-insure/vintage-car-insurance”>vintage cars</a> go home safely with a promise to return next year to the racing track. If you have a vintage racing car, contact us at Classic Auto Insurance to learn about our <a href=”https://www.classicins.com/”>classic car insurance</a> policies for your collector cars.</p>
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About the Author</h3>
<p><a rel=”author” href=”https://plus.google.com/101563326561935408584″/>Drew Yagodnik</a> is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992. </p>