PORSCHE RENNSPORT REUNION V NAMED IHMA MOTORSPORTS EVENT OF THE YEAR

November 20, 2015 by Porsche

LONDON, November 19, 2015 – The Porsche Rennsport Reunion V, held this past September at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., was today named Motorsport Event of the Year at the fifth annual International Historic Motoring Awards, in association with EFG International and Octane magazine. The announcement came at a black tie gala held here at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in celebration of the very best of the historic motoring industry.

The group of eight international finalists represent the pinnacle in heritage motoring events. In addition to the Porsche Rennsport Reunion V and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, also held this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and nominated for a third consecutive year, the finalists included: the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona, Eifel Rallye Festival, Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort, Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport, and Silverstone Classic 2015.

'This is a superb honor to be recognized by such a prestigious panel of judges,' said Gil Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, upon accepting the award. 'The success of Porsche Rennsport Reunion V is a testament to the international success and popularity of Porsche and the unique place it has created in motorsports history. We are also very fortunate to have the unwavering support of hundreds of SCRAMP volunteers who help us stage the event, and the guidance the Board of Directors and Governing Committee. It made for a very special weekend of at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the entire Monterey Peninsula.'

Porsche Rennsport Reunion V provided a spectacular conclusion to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca's 2015 major events calendar. A three-day crowd of almost 60,000 enthusiasts witnessed the largest gathering in the world of Porsche race cars, with 321 historic entries taking to the track to rekindle memories of yesteryear as well as fan the flames of excitement for the famous marque's current lineup of U.S. and international competition, including the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup USA. In addition to the nonstop on-track activity, nearly 1,500 Porsche vehicles were on display, including more than a nine direct from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, 64 other historically significant cars in the Chopard Heritage Display, and more than 1,400 filling 20 model-specific corrals with the help of the Porsche Club of America. Finally, there was the list of legendary race car drivers on hand who earned Porsche its unparalleled success over the past seven decades: Jacky Ickx, Hurley Haywood, Vic Elford, Hans Stuck, Patrick Long, Jörg Bergmeister, Wolf Henzler, Mark Webber and this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber to name just a few.

'It is highly gratifying that a distinguished group of international judges valued Porsche Rennsport Reunion V so highly,' said Andre Oosthuizen, Vice President, Marketing, Porsche Cars North America. 'From the record three-day attendance at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to the amazing quality of race and street cars both on display and racing, our celebration of all things Porsche at Le Mans was unprecedented. This acknowledgment is greatly appreciated.'

The judging panel consisted of some of the most influential individuals in the motoring world. They are Derek Bell, Horst Brüning, Robert Coucher, Ben Cussons, Berthold Dörrich, Ed Gilbertson, McKeel Hagerty, Shiro Horie, Ben Horton, Simon Kidston, Dave Kinney, Jay Leno, Nick Mason, Jochen Mass, Bruce Meyer, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, Patrick Peter, Murray Smith, Peter Stevens and Duncan Wiltshire (chair of judges).

The IHMA Motorsport Event of the Year is for all competitive historic motorsport events anywhere in the world, from race meetings to trials and road or off-road rallies. The judges looked for a memorable event, not just a spectacular individual race within a meeting or stage within a rally.

Please visit www.MazdaRaceway.com for additional information