IRVINE, Calif., June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The most famous rotary engine in motorsport history is coming to America.
Mazda Motorsports will headline the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion with a landmark gathering of iconic race cars — including, straight from Japan, the legendary 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B. It is the first time many American fans will have the chance to see and hear the car that rewrote motorsport history in person.
The 787B — draped in its unmistakable Renown livery and armed with a 2.6-liter four-rotor Wankel engine — will be the hero racecar within the JDM Mazda Exhibit located in the paddock courtyard at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. With demonstration laps and live engine fire-ups scheduled across all four days of the Reunion, that spine-rattling, high-pitched rotary scream will be impossible to miss.
“What a thrill to have the 787B joining us in Monterey,” said Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate. “That sound and that livery are synonymous with Mazda’s victory at Le Mans. It is such a treat for fans to be able to see and hear it in person in the U.S. Added alongside our Mazda Heritage Collection and others, we’ll truly have a panoramic view of Mazda’s racing history.”
The 787B anchors an extraordinary lineup of Mazda racing machinery spanning six decades. Flanking the Le Mans winner will be the 1967 Cosmo Sport — the car that launched Mazda’s rotary legacy — the 1989 767B-002, the 1990 787-002, the 1991 RX-7 GTO, 1992 RX-792p, and the most recent Mazda prototype racecar, the 2019 RT24-P. Together, they tell the full arc of one of motorsport’s most singular engineering stories.
The cars won’t be the only stars. Mazda will bring a roster of legendary drivers to match, including Tristan Nunez & Tom Long who will pilot the 767B & the 787 in Group C competition. The Japanese endurance racing icon Yojiro Terada driving the 787B in Friday & Saturday’s Japanese Cars Exhibition Sessions. Also, IMSA racing legend, Tommy Kendall — who arrives alongside his own 1986/1987 IMSA GTU Championship-winning Mazda RX-7.
The Mazda presence extends beyond the racetrack. Ikuo Maeda, Mazda Executive Fellow of Design and Brand Style, and Brad Audet, Mazda North America Chief Marketing Officer, will serve as guest judges at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance — widely regarded as the most prestigious automotive event in the world. Fewer than 200 cars from across the globe earn an invitation to compete each year. This year, both the 787 and 787B have been invited for display on the main lawn as a part of the Japanese Motorsports class, a fitting honor for machines that transcend racing and belong to automotive history.
The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion runs August 12–15 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, followed by the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 16. Tickets are available at weathertechraceway.com. Fans unable to attend can catch the livestream on the track’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
About Mazda North American Operations
Proudly founded in Hiroshima, Japan, Mazda has a history of sophisticated craftsmanship and innovation, and a purpose to enrich life-in-motion for those it serves. By putting humans at the center of everything it does, Mazda aspires to create uplifting experiences with our vehicles and for people. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia through approximately 795 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at news.mazdausa.com.
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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
