Trans-Am Legends George Follmer and Parnelli Jones Scheduled to be Co-Grand Marshals of Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion - Speedway Digest

George Follmer and Parnelli Jones will share the track once again.

Two of the most competitive drivers during the formative years of the Trans-Am series, Follmer and Jones will be reunited as co-Grand Marshals at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Aug. 12-15 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The pair are scheduled to be honored guests Saturday, Aug. 14 – which includes taking part in the Picnic in the Paddock, where they will participate in a Q&A session with race fans – as well as taking a few honorary laps around the track.

As Ford in Trans-Am celebrates its 55th anniversary, Follmer and Jones are the perfect featured duo. They competed head-to-head and as teammates in Ford Mustang Boss 302s, fighting for the championship throughout the 1960s and ’70s.

Some of their most heated battles occurred in Monterey. In the 1970 Laguna Seca Trans-Am Championship for Sedans race, Jones took the checkered flag, just edging Mark Donohue and Follmer. However, Follmer would go on to win the 1972 Monterey Castrol GTX Grand Prix Laguna Seca.

“These are two of the most legendary figures in Trans-Am racing, and it’s only fitting that they would join us for this special occasion,” said John Narigi, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Both men had storied careers, including many memories at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and we’re looking forward to giving the fans a chance to acknowledge and celebrate them.”

Jones is closely associated with the famous No. 15 Ford Mustang Boss 302. He had numerous wins using the familiar Bud Moore orange Ford in 1970, en route to capturing the Trans-Am championship that year. Jones won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 as a driver, and then won it twice as an owner, in 1970-71, with driver Al Unser. He retired with six IndyCar wins and four wins in 34 NASCAR starts, and is inducted into more than 20 Halls of Fame.

Follmer was famous for driving the No. 16 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 in the 1969 SCCA Trans-Am series. In 1965, he was victorious in the SCCA United States Road Racing Championship, and won the Trans-Am championship in 1972. Follmer also raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1967-1971 and 1974 seasons, with 25 career starts, including the 1969-1971 Indianapolis 500 races. He gathered 11 top ten finishes, including a 1969 win at the Phoenix International Raceway.

Full ticket packages for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, from single day tickets to comprehensive VIP experiences, are available online at WeatherTechRaceway.com or by calling WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s guest relations associates at (831) 242-8200. For added visitor convenience, the Laguna Seca Recreation Area campground has some campsites remaining. Tickets for the event can be found here.

(Courtesy of WeatherTech raceway)

Author
Recent Posts

Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.