SALINAS — Velocity Invitational wrapped up its inaugural event earlier this month, concluding a jam-packed three-day weekend of vintage racing, special exhibitions, food and wine at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas.
From Nov. 12 to 14, more than 10,000 guests attended Velocity Invitational throughout the extended weekend along with the livestream of the event being shared with over 600,000 viewers across YouTube and other streaming platforms.
Highlights from among the hundreds of iconic race cars participating in the event included three Ferrari 250 GTOs, six Porsche 917s, and a rare on-track appearance of one of only six surviving Mercedes 300 SLRs.
“We created Velocity Invitational to introduce a new generation of enthusiasts to a hobby that many of us have been involved in for decades,” said Jeff O’Neill, event founder. “This is the only event in the world which combines the best in food, wine and motorsports. We have been overwhelmed by the positive response from the community and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Velocity Invitational also partnered with the McLaren Racing Formula 1 team for demonstrations of some of the team’s most important historic race cars, including the 2011 MP4-26 and 2012 MP4-27 McLarens that brought numerous victories to Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen attended the event as well, where he piloted his 1998 Australian Grand Prix-winning MP4/13A around Laguna Seca and took spectators out for demo laps in the two-seater MP4/98T. As a surprise on Sunday, IndyCar star Pato O’Ward drove Häkkinen’s famed McLaren, making it his first time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
Seven of the eight Ford GT LM GTE Pro race cars ran demonstration laps at full track speed, marking the first reunion of the Ford LM GTE Pro race cars, five years after the historic 2016 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ford’s CEO Jim Farley was also on track throughout the weekend, driving the Ford GT Mk. II, along with racing his own personal vintage cars in multiple classes.
Henry Ford III also made an appearance at the event.
The family-friendly nature of the event offered entertainment for attendees of all ages. The show’s Taylor Farms Sip and Savor Pavilion also provided a hub for more than 50 local vendors to offer food, signature cocktails and wine tastings.
The event also included an auction and panel discussion about “The Future of Motorsports” on Thursday evening, with talks from leading automotive personalities, including McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and Ford CEO Jim Farley.
Race results from each of the 10 race groups can be found at race-monitor.com/Results/Race/113816.
For more information about Velocity Invitational and next year’s event, visit velocityinvitational.com.
