BMW, which this year celebrates its centennial, may be the featured marque for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion coming up in August, but Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced Wednesday that the “golden years of Can-Am racing” will be highlighted during the Monterey Car Week event.
The Can-Am celebration will feature two full race grids, one for cars from the U.S. Road Racing Championship and Can-Am series from 1963 through 1967 and the other for the “big-bore” Can-Am cars that raced from 1968 through 1974.
“Known for its ‘excess is barely adequate’ reputation, the Can-Am series was known for its free-wheeling rule interpretations that brought experiments such as big wings, two engines, ground effects, perfecting turbocharging and liberal use of exotic materials,” the track said in its news release Wednesday. “The only hardened rule was the cars were to be ‘sports cars,’ meaning they had to have room for a passenger.
Expected to return to the historic track on August 18-21 are Lolas, Shadows, McLarens, Porsches and other cars formerly driven by the likes of Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, George Follmer, Vic Elford, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Denny Hulme, Mario Andreeti, David Hobbs, Jackie Stewart and other star drivers of the era.
As many as 550 historic racing cars are expected to join the 15 race groups at the event.
