Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan… The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2026 celebrated more than half a century of achievements by Japanese manufacturers in competition at Laguna Seca.
In Monterey and Laguna Seca, Ferraris , Porsches , and other European cars usually take center stage. But this year, America was looking decidedly across the Pacific. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2026, held from August 12 to 15, chose Japanese motorsport icons as its main theme.
And the display allowed us to measure the progress made. More than 40 racing cars and two dozen Japanese motorcycles traced several decades of competition, from Formula 1 to rallying , including IndyCar and especially endurance racing.
The icons will always roar
Two cars alone encapsulated this conquest: the Mazda 787B, the first Japanese car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991, and the Toyota TS050 Hybrid, which gave Toyota its first overall victory in 2018. Both were on display at Laguna Seca. Mazda had even entrusted the 787B to Yojiro Terada for on-track demonstrations.
Honda, for its part, recalled its Formula 1 successes with the Williams -Honda FW11, while Nissan paid tribute to its American heritage. The brand notably displayed Datsun racing cars prepared by BRE, including the 510 and the 1969 Roadster 2000, as well as the impressive Nissan GTP ZX-T and NPT-90. This choice was all the more symbolic given that Peter Brock, founder of BRE, was the Grand Marshal of the 2026 edition.
Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan were not alone. Subaru, Mitsubishi, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti and Yamaha also participated in this celebration, which was complemented by a unique JDM gathering.
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For a long time, the history of motorsport was primarily told through the lens of European and American manufacturers. Laguna Seca 2026 reminded everyone, with some very loud arguments, that Japan has written some of its finest chapters.