Anticipation Building for Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There are two sides to every story, and in the case of the 36th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races that means it’s hard to say who will enjoy themselves more: the owners and drivers of over 450 extraordinary entries or the more than 30,000 spectators who will flock to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on August 14-16 for the 2009 edition of vintage auto racing’s number one spectacle. The finely-tuned tradition showcases the cars and people from the beginning of motorsports history to the present day and this year honors Porsche as its featured marque.

“You don’t have to go out there and be Mario Andretti or Mark Donohue.”

Helping to celebrate Porsche’s storied racing heritage will be former Porsche factory drivers Brian Redman and Vic Elford. Redman drove Porsches to two of his three victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and one of his two victories at 12 Hours of Sebring as well as raced the iconic Porsche 917 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Elford, who also drove Porsches to win Daytona and Sebring, drove the 917 in high-speed scenes for the 1971 Steve McQueen movie Le Mans.

“With Redman, Elford and others planning to attend, the line-up of celebrity participants with ties to Porsche will continue to build,” said Steve Earle of General Racing, the event’s creator and organizer. “At the same time, we are narrowing down our participants – both famous and not-so-famous -- from hundreds of applicants to compete in 15 different race groups. Of the 450 cars accepted, we expect 150 or so to be Porsches.”

Robert Newman, Jr., of New York City is one of those racing enthusiasts and Porsche devotees planning to return to the Rolex Monterey Historic with two of his prized possessions. The 64-year-old, who started racing at 60, will drive either his 1969 Porsche 911 S or his 1974 Porsche RSR, while Germany’s Jurgen Barth, who once drove a Porsche to victory at Le Mans, will drive the other.

Newman says, modestly, “You don’t have to go out there and be Mario Andretti or Mark Donohue.” Nevertheless, he clearly has attained a skill level that rewards him with acceptance into the racing community and great joy in pursuing his passion.

While participants like Newman, Redman and Elford are creating their own sides of stories to tell, spectators at the Rolex Monterey Historic will be indulging in some of the world’s most exotic and historic vintage racing machines charging down the main straight and negotiating the twists and turns of one of the country’s most challenging race circuits. With so much to take in, including Rolex’s award-winning "Moments in Time" display, it’s hard to know which side of the fence is better to take.

Tickets, further information and expanded story are online, or contact: [e-mail], [phone].

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5975412&lang=en