Attractions - Going Along for the Ride

In 1959, a Local man named Dio Roberts bagan to collect, restore, and maintain some of the most beautiful, classic cars on the West coast. Born and raised in Carmel, Dio made it his “job” in life to monitor the society of classic car aficionados who own original and restored classic cars and street rods — people who will drop everything at the mere mention of a street rally or a discussion about who has the newest old hot rod or who has just chromed their engine.

To many people, the mention of the Monterey Peninsula evokes images of art galleries, golf courses and beautiful scenery. But some of the biggest year-round entertainment centers on cars — racecars, classic cars, antique cars, hot rods and a combination of all of them. No other place in the country has such a long-standing tradition and deep-rooted culture of car enthusiasts than the Monterey Peninsula.

In the early part of the 20th century, people were lucky enough to own a “horseless carriage” were the envy of all. It was common to see affluent enthusiasts in fur coats and cloche hats picnicking at the beach, enjoying champagne and caviar and admiring eachother’s newfangled transportation.

CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

In 1957, the internationally acclaimed Concours D'Elegance, a weeklong event at Pebble Beach, split from the Pebble Beach Road Races and, except for a few years when inclement weather prevented it, lined up exquisite vintage cars in various areas at the Pebble Beach Resorts — on the lawn at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, on the Polo Field, or on the golf course — for the public to admire and the judges to evaluate. Every August, this annual charity fundraiser attracts some of the rarest and most valuable cars. The public comes to marvel at these dazzling machines at Pebble Beach Golf Course, Quail Lodge, the Portola Plaza Hotel, and Bayonet & Blackhorse Golf Course. Then at the weekend, some of these great treasures of sports, luxury and racing cars from every decade of the 20th century are auctioned in various places throughout the Monterey Peninsula. On the Thursday of Concours week, many of these automobiles park along Ocean Avenue for public oooh-ing and aaah-ing.

THE PEBBLE BEACH ROAD RACES STARTED IN 1950 AS PART OF THE CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE.

Daring drivers, such as racing legend Phil Hill, piloted these racers at breakneck speeds through Del Monte Forest as crowds of spectators lined the course and cheered them on. When the cars got faster and the crowds bigger, this open-road competition became too dangerous for the area. The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula was formed and Laguna Seca Raceway was built on Fort Ord land leased from the Army.

This world-class raceway, now Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, ran its first race on Nov. 9, 1957, and helped establish a solid basis for Monterey’s obsession with cars. Throughout the years, this racetrack has hosted some of the most notable cars and drivers and 2006 marks the beginning of its 50th season of motorsports. The impressive schedule begins in March with a brand new open-wheel series, the A1 Grand Prix. In May, the U.S. Sports Car Invitational is headlined by the Daytona Prototypes and GT cars, followed in July with the second running of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. August brings the 33rd annual Monterey Historic Auto Races. The season concludes in October with The Monterey Sports Car Championships, featuring Le Mans prototypes and GT cars.

BAJA CANTINA, A CAR-ENTHUSIAST'S INSTITUTION

Summer is special for hot rod fans, because each Thursday they can visit Baja Cantina (on Carmel Valley Road in the Valley Hills Center) to see 30 to 100 hot rods, classic cars and special interest cars gathered outside. Known as “Hot Chili Nites,” the gathering has made Baja Cantina a car enthusiast’s institution: Every square inch inside and outside of this rustic restaurant is covered with memorabilia, including a pair of old gas pumps out front. Inevitably, Dio Roberts will show up with his flashy red Lincoln to recount the wild tales and history of 50 years on the Monterey car scene — and everyone happily goes along for the ride.

CHERRY’S JUBILEE

Not to be forgotten are the incredibly cool cars that come out in force in September’s Cherry’s Jubilee Car Show and Festival. This is the biggest “oldies” party of the year. Not only are these “hot” cars on our city’s streets for a Poker Run, but they all gather together for everyone’s viewing pleasure in Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf then parade around Laguna Seca Raceway’s 2.2-mile circuit, showing off some of the finest, chopped, custom and classic original cars in all their shining glory.

EXTREME GRAVITY RACES

A new event thrills auto enthusiasts: the Extreme Gravity Races — a cool, high-tech form of soapbox racing sure to appeal to the child in everyone. Some of the biggest names in auto design — GM, Mazda, Porsche, Volvo, and Audi — build these engineless cars that race downhill at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

Organizers inaugurated this event in 2000 as an elaborate team-building day for corporate executives, but it was closed to the public. Participating corporations from all parts of the country shelled out the $30,000 entry fee, which entitled them ownership of the car after the event. Fortunately for car buffs and those who appreciate extraordinary engineering, this high-stakes race opened to the public for the first time in 2006. All ticket-sale proceeds benefit foster kids.

The search for the perfect hill to run this this year’s race began in September 2005. Great care goes into finding the right venue to accommodate the racers and the viewing fans. The hunt continues, but you can be sure the race will be an event to remember in Monterey this summer.