Two-time winner of the IMSA GTS Drivers’ Championship Steve Millen drove his restored 300ZX at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. (photo credit: T.M. Hill)
In light of the upcoming 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, set to take place this August during famed Monterey Car Week, Japanese automaker Nissan has been named featured marque.
“This is the first time an Asian automaker’s racing heritage has been celebrated at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and we are thrilled to welcome Nissan and its extensive racing history into the historic racing scene,” commented Gill Campbell, Senior Vice-President of Laguna Seca. “From the early Datsuns to more modern day Nissans, their achievements have earned the respect of racers and deserve to be recognized.”
Nissan’s successful racing history is significant to say the least. In the late 1960’s the marque acquired two championships at the Japanese Grand Prix with their legendary R381. While on the other side of the Pacific, Race Car Driver, Bob Sharp was establishing Nissan’s name in the United States through his first place result in his Datsun 1600 roadster at the SCCA F Production Championship. However, Sharp’s win was just the beginning of Nissan’s involvement in the US race circuit. Just prior to the turn of the decade, Peter Brock, who is today best known as a former Shelby designer, joined the West Coast Datsun team with Brock Racing Enterprises in 1970. Following Brock’s involvement, driver John Morton secured four national championship wins with BRE’s iconic liveried red, white and blue Datsun 2000 Roadsters. Additionally the team also acquired two Trans-Am 2.5 Championships with the BRE Datsun 510s, as well as a couple C Production Championships with the Datsun 240Zs.
John Morton, left, and Bob Sharp are two of the most well known drivers in the decorated racing history of the Nissan Z®
Bob Sharp’s team continued successfully through the mid 1970’s with the addition of famed actor and race car driver Paul Newman to his team. Throughout this historic period BRE landed ten podium finishes in eleven season-ending races in the SCCA B Sedan and C Production competitions, and acquired the IMSA GTU title in 1975. Following the BRE period, Nissan championed the IMSA Manufacturers Championship, taking home first place trophies in 88′,89′ and 90′. Additionally, Nissan won nearly every IMSA race in 88′ and 89′ with the partnership of Geoff Brabham and driver John Morton, who accomplished nine wins (eight of them being consecutive).
Nissan’s racing success in the 1990’s has been highly attributed to Steve Millen. Throughout the early to mid 90’s, New Zealend Born Millen accomplished an impressive 20 victories as well as 23 poles in his iconic No. 75 300ZX, both of the latter being all-time highs for the IMSA GTS. The victor of the Drivers’ Championship in 1992 and 1994 returned to the track for several endurance races in 1994, including championing his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and wining both the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. In commemoration of these incredible wins, Millen raced the No. 75 300ZX at the 2014 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
This year’s annual gathering scheduled to take place at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca from August 23rd through the 26th, will offer automotive enthusiasts races that feature classic period-correct race cars competing around Laguna Seca’s historic 2.2 mile track. The event is best described as the automotive version of Ben Stiller’s “Night at the Museum”, however, instead of the animation of President Theodore Roosevelt and an Easter Island Head, we get to experience a collection of 550 vintage cars coming back to life! This year we should expect no less than panels with racing legends, open paddocks, and a significant range of manufacture tents/displays. All said, if you like action, there are few better places to be during famed Monterey Car Week.
Individual day tickets and full hospitality packages are available in advance by calling 831-242-8200 or online at: www.mazdaraceway.com
