Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Celebrates 60 Years With Patterson Art Poster

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion poster art by Bill Patterson features the inaugural win on November 10, 1957 by Pete Lovely in his Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa. Lining up on the starting grid in third position behind Carroll Shelby in a Maserati 300S and John von Neumann in a Ferrari 625 TRC, Lovely’s rather under-powered 500 TR wasn’t expected to give a the more powerful cars a run. But Lovely drove a masterful race and passed von Neumann in Turn 9 on the last lap to edge out victory and take the checkered flag from the polka dotted shirt flagman. Image Credit: MRLS (2017)

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Celebrates 60 Years With Patterson Art Poster

Bill Patterson has been a fixture around the paddocks of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ... especially during Monterey Car Week when the "historics" show up to show off in front of a knowledgeable and admiring crowd lined around the track in mid-August of almost every year since 1957.

Action sports artist extraordinaire - Bill Patterson. Image Credit: Bill Patterson Art

The folks who manage the activities of this venerable racing environment have known of the talent that displays itself through the eye, mind, and hands of the owner of Bill Patterson Art for many years and have had him commissioned before.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager Gill Campbell (on right) and the race track’s official artist, Bill Patterson, were on hand for the reveal which took place in front a crowd of race enthusiasts and motorsports journalists at the Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach. This painting became the poster for the 2012 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Image Credit: MRLS (2012)

The official 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion poster with original artwork from Bill Patterson Art is available now.

The design harkens back to the first event held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 1957 by including the 1956 Ferrari Testa Rossa driven by Pete Lovely.

Purchase a 24" x 36" poster from our online store - NOW: http://bit.ly/2gLm9DO

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Bill Paterson, 60 Years, 2017, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Historics, Monterey Car Week, 1956 Ferrari Testa Rossa, Pete Lovely, The EDJE

Mazda's Symphony Performance At The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Mazda Motorsports "Conductor" (John Doonan) stands behind the prized Le Mans class 1989 Mazda 767B which appeared in Class C in the Mazda Pavilion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during Monterey Car Week August 15-21, 2016. Image Credit: Edmund jenks (2016)

Mazda's Symphony Performance At The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

What happens when one takes three of Mazda's iconic 4-rotor IMSA prototypes and one of its 4-rotor IMSA GTO Le Mans Class C cars, and give John Doonan, the brand's motorsports manager, a conductor's baton?

A warm-up of epic proportions ensues.

During preparations warm-up at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the first-ever 16-Rotor symphony was performed on a foggy morning when the 1990 Mazda 787, 1992 Mazda RX7-92P, 1991 Mazda RX-7, and the 1989 Mazda 767-B all lined up in front of their special paddock/pavilion facing John Doonan at a large music stand (presumably with the full score, which contains the musical notation for all the instruments and/or voices) with baton in hand waiting for the initial downbeat instruction.

For four action-packed days, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosted the finest collection of historic automobiles, gathered together for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. As the constant heartbeat of the Monterey Classic Car Week extravaganza, the Reunion brought 550 vintage vehicles to life in their natural racing environment. Rolex shares the event’s appreciation of motor racing history and authenticity, which underscores why the leading brand of the Swiss watch industry has been Title Sponsor of the event since 2010.

Every morning the eerie fog hanging over the undulating raceway on the Monterey Peninsula cleared to reveal a hive of activity on the infield; owners, drivers and curators enthusiastically tinkering in the garages and pit lane. As the Californian sunshine began beating down on the asphalt and the sound of engines reverberated around the hillside, the cars captivated onlookers as they battled out on track, speeding down the renowned and challenging Corkscrew turn, tackling blind crests and tricky apexes, all the way to the checkered flag.

The Reunion brought together 15 classes of cars from every era of motor racing history. Each year the event also features a brand, a specific model, a type of vehicle, or even an accomplished racing driver. The featured marque for 2016 was BMW as the German manufacturer celebrated its centenary. An impressive 64 BMWs entered the Reunion, from the 1937 BMW 328 to a 2001 BMW M3 GTR, all adding to this distinctive rolling motoring museum.
[ht: Racer & MRLS]

... notes from The EDJE


TAGS: Monterey Car Week, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mazda, 1990 Mazda 787, 1992 Mazda RX7-92P, 1991 Mazda RX-7, 1989 Mazda 767-B, John Doonan, MRLS, BMW, Rolex, The EDJE