From the Club's Concours to the Race Track » Cobra Owners Club of America, Orange County

From the Club’s Concours to the Race Track

From August 10th, 1974, to now, motor enthusiasts gather each year at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway each August to celebrate everything motorsports.

This year, the event will celebrate iconic Japanese race cars and motorcycles, including the LeMans overall winner, the 1991 Mazda 787B pictured below. You can expect to see many Japanese icons, along with the people behind them! Peter Brock, the man behind the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and BRE Datsuns. If you’re planning to attend, you will have the chance to meet and get Brock’s autograph on Saturday. A rare opportunity to see an automotive legend in-person.

Photograph courtesy of Laguna Seca Raceway

Along with the celebration of Japanese motorsports, thirteen classes and over 400 race cars will be on track racing! There is something for everyone. Shelbys, Cobras, Trans-Am, GTO, Indy Car, IROC, you name it, you’ll see and hear it on track! The access a general admission ticket grants you, separates this event from any other. At this vintage motorsport gathering, spectators are able to walk up and see and speak to the owners, drivers, and caretakers of these historical race cars. This makes for an incredible opportunity for race fans to see and spark up conversations with the crew behind these cars they grew up watching!

Photograph courtesy of Rex McAfee

A few members of our club will not only be there, but will be racing on track! You will see club member, Bob Stockwell behind the wheel of his personal 1965 Ford GT350 Fastback! Stockwell has raced this event for sixteen years! Stockwell was the 1967 and 1968 SCCA Pacific Division Champion. When asked “What makes this an event you keep coming back to?” Stockwell replied with “The Rolex Motorsports Reunion is not only the Vintage Motorsports Premiere event of the year and has been honored as the Motorsports event of the year, but it is the only racing event that is held in the U.S. (and the world) that is dedicated to period race cars that are prepared and raced exactly like they were in the day. Additionally, it is the only vintage race event in the country that you have to be invited (accepted) in order to race. I feel very honored to be included to participate in this prestigious race event.”

Along with Stockwell and his GT350 Fastback, you will see our 2026 Concours de Nice Grand Marshall, Billy Johnson behind the wheel of a 1964 Shelby Cobra 289. If you attended our annual Concours de Nice luncheon, you know Billy is an experienced driver. He’s driven the Ford GTLM at LeMans, Mustangs at Daytona, and most recently, he set a record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event in a Porsche 911 GT2. Seeing him race a Cobra on track will be a special sight for us Cobra enthusiasts! Stockwell and Johnson will be racing in the Ken Miles class and will be driving in both the Pre Reunion and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion the following weekend. If you plan to watch them in-person, be sure to be in your seats on Saturday, August 8th, 2026 at 8:40 AM and at 1:20 PM. Following Saturday, they will be on track on Sunday, August 9th, 2026 at 8:50 AM and 2:20 PM. A few days later, they will be on track on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026 at 10:45 AM, Thursday, August 13th, 2026 at 10:40 AM, Friday, August, 14th, 2026 at 9:00 AM, and concluding the weekend on Saturday, August 15th, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Along with Stockwell and Johnson, club member, Alan Davison will be racing in the IROC Class. He’ll be behind the wheel of a 1996 IROC Pontiac Firebird. This will be a treat to see on-track! You can watch him race on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026, at 4:35 PM, Thursday, August 13th, 2026 at 5:00 PM, Friday, August 14th, 2026 at 11:30 AM, and on Saturday, August 15th, 2026, at 1:35 PM. He’ll be driving amongst some of the biggest spectacles in motorsports!

Won’t be attending, but still want in on the action? You can watch the action on the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca YouTube channel linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/@WeatherTechRaceway_LagunaSeca