ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Laguna Seca: a must in Monterey Car Week

HERE’S A TIP: there’s a backroad into and out of Laguna Seca through the military land from General Jim Moore Boulevard on the outskirts of Seaside. Use it to avoid snarl-ups in Carmel or on the Salinas Highway. Once you arrive, there’s that definitive split in the weather that characterises the region: hot and sunny at Laguna Seca, while you look out across the mist that takes so long to disperse over the peninsula.

The traffic tip is worthwhile, because the action goes on at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion for a full four days, and you’ll want to fit it in around the other events. This year the iconic 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit celebrates its 60th anniversary. More than 500 racing cars take to it, divided into 15 groups according to age and engine capacity and chosen for their period-correct presentation.

The diamond jubilee of Formula Junior and 70 years of Ferrari are honoured with special parades and 64 Formula Junior entries across two groups. Elsewhere in the paddock, a display of 12 cars charts the history of Laguna Seca, including the Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa that Pete Lovely drove to victory at the track’s inaugural event in November 1957.

Guest drivers include Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, celebrating 20 years since his first win. Read more about Octane’s encounter with him on page 282 – our time is made the more memorable when we’re interrupted by Dario Franchitti. It’s great to see these heroes in their natural environment.