Ferrari Testa Rossa Takes First Ever Laguna Seca Race

This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, held August 17-20, included the 60th anniversary celebration of the first road races held at Laguna Seca.

The #125 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa 2.0 litre (#0650 MDTR) that Pete Lovely piloted to an overall win at the track’s first main feature was prominently displayed in the Racing Through the Decades exhibit.

Ferrari enthusiasts were treated to an up-close look at the diminutive 4-cylinder racer that the factory designed with the goal of being a reliable and simpler “customer car”. True to its nature, the lightweight 500 TR #125 outlasted the bigger 857 S of Ritchie Ginther and out braked John von Neumann’s heavier 625 TRC to claim the storied overall victory some six decades ago.

See the complete story of this first famous race at Laguna Seca in “Where It All Began - At Laguna Seca” in Cavallino 202, exhaustively researched by expert Andreas Dziedzic, with many historical photographs from the Edgar Motorsport Archive.

Information and color image from Rex McAfee.

Historical images of #125 from Edgar Motorsport Archive.