It's all things Porsche at 2 race tracks in California

Thousands of motorsports enthusiasts and fans started gathering on Friday and are seeing the great events come to a crescendo as their way of showing reverence to the German luxury sports car marque.

Rennsport Reunion IV filled Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., beginning on on Friday with the sights and sounds of more than 60 years of Porsche’s fastest race cars that were driven by scores of famous Porsche pilots. More than 350 race cars are racing in eight different racing groups this weekend and more than 60 driving legends are on hand to entertain the masses.

The three-day program of on-track competition is complemented by a concours d’elegance, which is open to invited race participants, and special activities celebrating the decades-long history of the legendary 911 race cars. Other features include multiple autograph sessions, meet-the-driver and meet-the-engineer programs and the introduction of the new 2012 Porsche 911 street car.

On the lush grounds of the Quail Lodge in Carmel, the Porsche Race Car Classic today will present the largest and most comprehensive collection of early Porsche race cars ever assembled.

From 356 Gmünd Coupes of 1949 to iconic 904s of 1964 — examples of every race car Porsche made between 1949 and 1965 — will be on display in unprecedented numbers.

The 175 race cars on display were chosen for the quality of their race histories over the glossiness of their paint. The Race Car Classic will also offer gourmet food and vintage wines. Proceeds will help fund lung-cancer research.

There's still time to go. Tickets for Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV are available at mazdaraceway.com, or 1-800-327-7322. Tickets for the Porsche Race Car Classic are at porscheracecarclassic.com.

You can reach TN's Hawke Fracassa at [email protected] or (248) 747-1550. Follow him on Twitter @HawkeFracassa.

Image source: Porsche