Bill Warner Named Grand Marshal of Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

This year marks the 50th anniversary of historic racing in Monterey — and as part of that celebration, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion has named Bill Warner as its Grand Marshal. The event takes place from August 14 to 17 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Warner has been an advocate of historic racing in Monterey for decades — and his own racing experience, combined with his experiences and connections gained from being the founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance make him the perfect person to take on the role for 2024.

“My entire life has been dedicated to racing, cars, and the people who share my passion,” Warner said. “To be named Grand Marshal of the most important race of its kind in North America is an honor that is hard to absorb. Honestly, I never expected nor pursued this recognition and responsibility. Being Chief Steward among my peers is great, but Grand Marshal is beyond my dreams. Words escape me and for those who know me, that is a rarity.”

“Bill has participated in nearly every event since 1988 as a journalist and photographer, racer and advisor,” said Bruce Canepa, co-chair of the Reunion Advisory Council and Vice President of Friends of Laguna Seca. “He has uniquely seen the event from every point of view to ensure it improves for all audiences each year. He richly deserves to be recognized this year for his invaluable input, knowledge and, of course, his frequent wit.”

Warner has been involved with automobiles since his teenage years, when he worked for a local VW dealership and assisted with their racing team efforts. Later, he earned an electrical engineering degree from The Citadel, and started working for Sports Car Graphic magazine. In 1971, he started working with Road & Track, and in the years since, his photos and words have been printed in Car & Driver, The Atlantic Monthly, Automobile, Auto Motor und Sport, Forza, and Linkage magazine. His photo work has won him numerous awards, including Photographer of the Year by the SCCA in 1970.

He began racing in 1978, first in a Brabham BT-8 and later in the Bob Sharp Racing Datsun B210. He took 5th in the American Road Racing Championships at Road Atlanta in GT-3 in 1982, and competed in the International Motorsports Association Firehawk Series in 1984 in a Camaro. He took podium finishes that combined to earn him the IMSA Media Challenge for racing journalists in 1984, ’85 and ’86.

And of course, Mr. Warner founded the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 1996. That event ran for 25 years under his leadership, and earned a reported $3.7m for Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and the Shop with Cops Program of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a celebration of vintage racing, held each year during Monterey Car Week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s one of the few places where you can see storied vintage racers at speed during the week, offering up the sights, sounds and smells of competition machines doing what they do best. This year’s event runs from August 14 to August 17, and tickets are still available.

Learn more here.