Practice gets underway at Laguna Seca today with racing in earnest over the weekend, and this sensational sight is what fans can look forward to.
The celebrated model for 2013 is the Chevrolet Corvette and the high-desert track will be packed with everything from first to last, with a host of luminaries joining the party.
The Corvette made its debut at Motorama in 1953, with the high-volume Sting Ray coming a decade later and the anniversary celebration will be joined by Sir Jackie Stewart as well as current Corvette Racing Team driver Tommy Milner, Dario Franchitti, and historic heroes Bob Bondurant and Dick Guldstrand.
Looking forward to the weekend and comparing the modern iteration of the Corvette with early versions, Milner said: "The car John Fitch raced in 1956 compared to the car I race today are worlds apart. His was basically a street car, and while the cars we race have similarities to street cars, ours are built from the chassis up to do one thing, and that is to race. People in those days could drive their race car to Sebring, race it and then drive it home. Those days are long over."
As well as a strong on-track presence, there will be a huge heritage display of significant Corvettes including the iconic No 9 that raced in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans with star guests Bondurant and Guldstrand.
Others include a 1960 Cunningham Corvette, 1968 Owens Corning Corvette, 1989 Corvette Challenge, 2001 Corvette C5R, the Le Mans-winning 2011 Corvette C6R, and the 2014 Corvette Stingray.
Picture: Eric Sawyer
James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car