Every summer, against the breath-taking backdrop of the Monterey Peninsula in California, motoring enthusiasts gather for the grandest celebration of the machines from yesteryear and the innovations of tomorrow.
Since 1997, Rolex has supported these classic automotive events, recognising the need to preserve motoring tradition. This year, the Swiss watchmaker and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrate the 50th anniversary of historic racing at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, continuing to champion the heritage of the sport, with pioneering figures and hundreds of the finest vintage vehicles in action.
The venue for the event, the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, has welcomed some of the world’s greatest racing drivers, including all five of Rolex’s motor sport Testimonees, one of whom is Jamie Chadwick, who raced at the famed circuit in 2023 and again in June of this year competing in the Indy NXT series.
“I have been fortunate enough to try many different motor sport disciplines – single-seater categories, Extreme E, off-roading and GT racing – and I have since had many career defining moments,” Jamie Chadwick shares.
She continues, “To be the first female motor sport Rolex Testimonee is a huge achievement for me. Being welcomed into the Rolex family at this point in my career is not something I would ever have thought possible and it is a moment that I’m incredibly proud of. I look at the other Rolex Testimonees both in and out of the motor sport world and being aligned with so many champions and people that I look up to is amazing.”
It has already been a memorable year for the Somerset-born racer, securing her first Indy NXT podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May. Just a few weeks later, she won from pole at Road America, becoming the first woman to do so in the series for over a decade. With four races remaining in the 2024 Indy NXT season, Jamie currently sits P5 in the standings with 237 points to her name.
In an exciting career development Jamie Chadwick will test an IndyCar for the very first time on 30th September 2024. The three-time W Series Champion, and Williams Racing F1 Academy Adviser, will get behind the wheel of the Andretti machine at Barber Motorsports Park following the conclusion of her 2024 season.
The half-century celebrations at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will take place from Wednesday 14–Saturday 17 August. Originally established in 1974 as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, the 50th anniversary of racing recognises the achievements of the sport’s heroes, their machines and shared memories. Rolex, a long-standing supporter of these classic car celebrations, first partnered the Reunion in 2001 and in 2010 became Title Sponsor.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a full sensory experience with hundreds of historic and period-correct race and sports cars from nearly every era revving to life. Drivers race them in corresponding run groups to enjoy them at speed and for the entertainment of thousands of enthusiastic visitors. The event offers spectators the experience of rare cars firing up, being worked on, and driven as they were originally intended.
Sir Jackie Stewart competed in the United States Road Racing Championship in 1965, four years before he clinched his first of three FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Championships in 1969 and has been a Rolex legend for more than 55 years.
“The 50th anniversary of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a wonderful milestone. I first drove at Laguna Seca in the 1960s and have a lot of happy memories there, and today, it remains one of the world’s most remarkable racetracks.
Since my retirement I have visited the Reunion on many occasions, and it is an honour to witness the incredible racing cars compete as they were built to – they truly tell the story of our sport’s evolution. The highest standards of precision and engineering on show throughout the four-day event link Rolex and the Reunion, underlining Rolex’s commitment to motor sport globally,” said Sir Jackie Stewart.
Check the full Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion Schedule here.
Main image ©Rolex/Stephan Cooper. Jamie Chadwick images ©Rolex.