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X-WR-CALNAME:Monterey History and Art Association
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.montereyhistory.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Monterey History and Art Association
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260807T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260817T160000
DTSTAMP:20260814T015126Z
CREATED:20260626T190508Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T015126Z
UID:10003956-1786104000-1786982400@www.montereyhistory.org
SUMMARY:Racing to Del Monte & Pebble Beach
DESCRIPTION:A Landmark Celebration of Early Monterey Bay Motoring Culture \n\n\n\nThis immersive exhibit explores the birth of Monterey Bay automotive culture at the dawn of the horseless carriage age and the pioneering racing spirit that shaped California’s early motoring history.  In partnership with History San Jose\, the exhibit includes rare early racing vehicles\, and original artifacts and memorabilia\, including: \n\n\n\n\n1899 Osen & Hunt – the first automobile built in San Jose\n\n\n\n1907 Mitchell – a celebrated touring car of the era\n\n\n\n1903 Haynes-Apperson\n\n\n\nRare motorcycles\, bicycles\, and more\n\n\n\n\nRare photographs from the 1903 inaugural races from San Jose to the famed Del Monte Hotel race track and Pebble Beach and photos from the groundbreaking hill climbs along Carmel Hill will be on display.  \n\n\n\nHistoric racing presentations and rare film screenings will be featured in the Stanton Center theater throughout the week. \n\n\n\nThis unique exhibit reveals the challenges of early motoring — primitive roads\, limited services\, mechanical ingenuity\, and the breathtaking landscapes that continue to define the Monterey Peninsula today.  \n\n\n\nHistoric Racing Photos on display August 1 – October 1\n\n\n\n\n	\n		\n\n			\n			\n\n							\n					\n						Upcoming Events					\n				\n			\n			\n				\n			\n			\n	\n		\n		\n		\n		\n	\n\n\n	Notice\n							\n					There are no upcoming events.
URL:https://www.montereyhistory.org/event/racing-to-del-monte-pebble-beach/
LOCATION:Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center\, 5 Custom House Plaza\, Monterey\, California\, 93940
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.montereyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/racing.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260813T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260813T210000
DTSTAMP:20260814T014918Z
CREATED:20260810T182336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T014918Z
UID:10003968-1786644000-1786654800@www.montereyhistory.org
SUMMARY:Giants in Racing!
DESCRIPTION:Chris Pook\, Founder of the Long Beach Grand Prix\n\n\n\nChris Helling\, Auto Race Driver\, Vintage Restorer\, Racing Pioneer\n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy\, Youngest Third-Generation Motorsports Team Owner\, Race Car Driver\n\n\n\n\n\n\nExclusive event at Stanton Center \n\n\n\nBuy tickets here – $35 MHAA members free – no ticket required \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChris Pook  6-7 pm\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn an engaging guest lecture hosted at the museum\, Chris Pook will share the fascinating story of how a “crazy idea” revolutionized North American motorsports. He will recount how\, while working as a local travel agent in the 1970s\, he envisioned creating a Monaco-style street race right through downtown Long Beach. Pook will detail the initial uphill battles of convincing skeptical city officials\, sketching original concepts on restaurant napkins\, and teaming up with racing legends like Dan Gurney to launch the historic 1975 inaugural Formula 5000 race. The event’s rapid success attracted Formula One\, before he made the pivotal\, strategic shift to CART Champ Cars in 1983—a move that secured the event’s financial survival and permanently established it as America’s premier street race. Ultimately\, Pook will look back on how this vision served as a powerful economic catalyst\, transforming the race into a model for urban renewal that revitalized the city’s coastal downtown area. \n\n\n\n\n\nMore about Chris Pook+\n\n\n\n\n\nChristopher Robin Pook is an English-born American motorsports executive widely celebrated as the founder of the Grand Prix of Long Beach and the pioneer of the modern street circuit race in North America. By proving that racing on temporary city streets was commercially viable\, he permanently changed the landscape of American open-wheel racing. [1\, 2] \n\n\n\n\nEarly Life and Background \n\n\n\n\nOrigins: Born and raised in Somerset\, England.\n\n\n\nEducation: Attended private schools in the UK\, studied at the University of London\, and attended Sorbonne University in Paris.\n\n\n\nEmigration: Moved to the United States in 1963 at age 22\, eventually settling in Long Beach\, California.\n\n\n\nPre-Racing Career: Opened and operated a highly successful local travel agency in Long Beach. [1\, 2\, 3\, 4]\n\n\n\n\nThe Grand Prix of Long Beach \n\n\n\nIn the early 1970s\, while watching the Indianapolis 500 from his office\, Pook conceived the wild idea of launching a Monaco-style street race through downtown Long Beach. [1\, 2] \n\n\n\n\nThe Launch: Alongside racing legend Dan Gurney\, Pook mapped out the course on a restaurant napkin and spent 15 months convincing skeptical city officials. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nInaugural Races: He hosted a Formula 5000 “test” race in September 1975\, followed six months later by the first Formula One United States Grand Prix West in 1976. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nThe CART Transition: Facing steep F1 hosting costs\, Pook boldly switched the event to the CART Champ Car series in 1983. This pivot saved the event and turned it into the premier street race in the U.S.\, second only in prestige to the Indy 500. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\n\nExpansion and Executive Career \n\n\n\n\nStreet Race Architect: Following his success in Long Beach\, Pook helped conceptualize or build prominent street circuits across North America\, including events in Detroit\, Las Vegas\, Dallas\, Denver\, Del Mar\, and St. Petersburg. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nPermanent Facilities: He oversaw the development of multi-purpose permanent tracks\, specifically Gateway Motorsports Park (St. Louis) and Memphis Motorsports Park. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nCART CEO: Pook served a stint as the CEO of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in the early 2000s during a turbulent era of open-wheel racing politics. [1]\n\n\n\nGlobal Influence: He served on the FIA Formula 1 Commission and worked as a consultant for global motorsport venues and city commissions. [1]\n\n\n\n\nAwards and Legacy \n\n\n\n\nHall of Fame: Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as a recipient of the prestigious Bob Russo Lifetime Heritage Award. [1]\n\n\n\nLong Beach Walk of Fame: Honored with a permanent plaque on the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nAutobiography: He detailed his extensive career and the political battles of open-wheel racing in his book\, Chris Pook & The History of The Long Beach GP. [1]\n\n\n\n\nOne day\, former travel agent Christopher Robin Pook asked himself\, “Why not a Monaco-style race on the streets of Long Beach?” From that idea\, he became one of the brightest lights in American motorsports history\, inventing the modern street race and establishing one of the country’s longest-running and most popular events\, whether as a Formula 5000\, Formula 1\, or since 1984\, IndyCar race and the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Inspired by this example\, Pook also helped create major street races in Denver\, Detroit\, Del Mar\, Las Vegas\, Dallas\, Meadowlands\, NJ\, and St. Petersburg. He oversaw the development of two permanent facilities\, St. Louis’ Gateway Motorsports Park and Memphis International Raceway. “What’s the most influential street race in the world?” wrote Road & Track’s Preston Lerner in a 2018 article titled Ten Moments that Transformed Motorsports in the Last 70 Years. “It’s not the Monaco Grand Prix\, a glamorous but anachronistic remnant of an era when many races were run on public roads. The correct answer is the Long Beach GP.” \n\n\n\nRoad Racing Drivers Club \n\n\n\nVisit Long Beach \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChris Helling and special demo of 1910 Buick 17 Chassis 7-8 pm\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nImage: This 1910 Buick 17\, driven by Chris Helling\, took part in the Ragtime Racers Exhibition at the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Four cylinders and just 32 hp—but such a thrill to watch. \n\n\n\nChris Helling is an active vintage race car driver and mechanic best known for preservation efforts in pre-World War I motorsport. He is a prominent member of the Ragtime Racers\, an organization dedicated to keeping pre-1920 racing history alive. [1\, 2] \n\n\n\n\n\nMore about Chris Helling+\n\n\n\n\nThe 1910 Buick 17 \n\n\n\nHelling regularly pilots and maintains a historically significant 1910 Buick Model 17. [1\, 2] \n\n\n\n\nThe Car: The Buick Model 17 is a legendary “Brass Era” vehicle. In its era\, Buick was a powerhouse of early American circuit racing due to David Buick’s revolutionary valve-in-head (overhead valve) engine design. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nExhibitions: He famously drove this century-old machine at high-profile heritage events\, including the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during the Ragtime Racers Exhibition at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\n\nCultural Impact \n\n\n\nHelling gained humorous internet popularity among vintage auto enthusiasts after a moment at Monterey. While displaying his car\, he was interviewed by Mike Wolfe from the TV show American Pickers. True to his old-school automotive passion\, Helling had absolutely no idea who the television star was because he does not watch TV. [1] \n\n\n\nChris Helling is an accomplished custom fabricator\, master mechanic\, and vintage automotive restorer based out of Escondido\, California. He specializes in the highly demanding niche of “Brass Era” (pre-1920) open-wheel race cars. [1\, 2\, 3\, 4] \n\n\n\nMaster Restorer and Builder \n\n\n\nHelling is known within the vintage car community as a builder who can engineer historic vehicles entirely from the ground up. [1\, 2] \n\n\n\n\nScratch-Building: Rather than just performing cosmetic updates\, Helling specializes in fabricating complete vehicles using only an original frame and wheels as a starting point. [1]\n\n\n\nThe 1910 Buick Project: He famously built and fully assembled his period-correct 1910 Buick Racer from its raw original frame in a breakneck timeframe of just under four months. He collaborated with specialized artists like Monica Canilao to apply accurate\, time-period paint\, wood aging\, and authentic patina to the vehicle. [1\, 2]\n\n\n\nVersatility: Beyond race cars\, he has a reputation for keeping diverse classic machinery alive\, including historically maintaining a 1965 Ford Falcon Squire for over a decade. [1]\n\n\n\n\nRacing Career and Accomplishments \n\n\n\nAs a prominent member of the Ragtime Racers\, Helling actively races the vintage cars he restores. He tests these century-old\, low-horsepower machines on modern\, demanding road courses. [1\, 2\, 3] \n\n\n\n\nVehicle Fleet: In addition to his signature 1910 Buick\, he has campaigned a 1912 Packard “30” Racer and a 1917 Ford hillclimb special.\n\n\n\nAward-Winning Heritage Driver: Helling is highly competitive in exhibition racing. He took home the prestigious Class Award for his group at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Car Week exhibition. He also routinely campaigns at major historical tracks like Road America in Wisconsin. [1\, 2\, 3]\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy 8-9 pm\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy’s presentation traces the extraordinary arc of a Bay Area racer who grew up chasing speed from the moment he first climbed into a kart at age five. In this talk\, he shares the behind‑the‑scenes stories of a childhood spent on dirt tracks and ovals\, the pressure and exhilaration of becoming a multi‑championship youth phenom\, and the leap into adult competition where he built a professional race team and carved out wins against seasoned veterans. McCarthy brings audiences into the cockpit as he recounts endurance battles\, Spec Miata rivalries\, and the relentless discipline required to turn raw talent into a career. Today\, as a test driver\, he reveals how racing instincts translate into cutting‑edge vehicle development — offering a rare look at the journey from kid racer to professional driver\, team owner\, and now a contributor to the future of automotive performance. \n\n\n\n\n\nMore about Tommy McCarthy+\n\n\n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy is a third‑generation Bay Area race car driver whose career began at age five and has since evolved into one of the most decorated youth‑to‑pro racing trajectories in Northern California. A native of Mountain View\, he’s earned over 600–700 amateur wins\, 32 championships\, and multiple track records across karting\, pavement ovals\, dirt tracks\, and road‑course racing. McCarthy was honored with the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award at age nine and became the youngest NASA and SCCA entrant in 2013\, routinely competing—and winning—against adults twice his age. His achievements include seven QMA National Championships\, sweeping USAC events\, and four SCCA Spec Miata titles\, along with podium finishes in Touring Car America and participation in the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series. \n\n\n\n\nBeyond competition\, McCarthy runs Tommy McCarthy Racing\, providing coaching\, trackside support\, and professional driver development while continuing to race in NASA WERC enduros and SCCA Spec Miata events. He remains deeply connected to Bay Area motorsport heritage\, carrying forward a family legacy tied to Thunderhill Raceway. \n\n\n\nIn the sun‑washed paddocks of Northern California\, where engines echo against the foothills and generations of racers have carved their legends into asphalt and dirt\, a young driver emerged with a talent impossible to ignore. Tommy McCarthy\, born into a Bay Area family steeped in racing tradition\, climbed into his first kart at five years old — and from that moment\, speed became his language. \n\n\n\nAs the years passed\, McCarthy didn’t just win races; he dominated them. More than 600 victories\, 32 championships\, and a trail of shattered track records marked his rise through karting\, pavement ovals\, dirt tracks\, and road‑course racing. By nine\, he was already a name whispered in paddocks statewide\, earning the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award and signaling the arrival of a prodigy. \n\n\n\nWhen he stepped into adult competition\, he did so fearlessly. One of the youngest NASA and SCCA licensed drivers in California\, McCarthy routinely battled — and beat — veterans twice his age. His mastery carried him through QMA Nationals\, USAC events\, SCCA Spec Miata championships\, and into the demanding world of Touring Car America\, NASA endurance racing\, and the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series. \n\n\n\nBut McCarthy’s story isn’t just about trophies. It’s about a driver who understands the craft — the rhythm of a car at the limit\, the discipline of racecraft\, the quiet intensity of preparation. It’s about a young man who built Tommy McCarthy Racing not just to compete\, but to mentor\, to teach\, and to strengthen the Bay Area motorsport community that raised him. \n\n\n\nWebsite \n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy — Bay Area Racing Prodigy & Multi‑Discipline Champion \n\n\n\nTommy McCarthy represents one of the most accomplished and versatile racing talents to emerge from the Bay Area in the 21st century\, carrying forward a regional motorsport tradition that stretches back to the Del Monte track\, the Pebble Beach Road Races\, and the early hill climbs of Northern California. Born into a family deeply rooted in local racing culture\, McCarthy began competing at age five and rapidly established himself as a generational standout. Over the course of his youth and early professional career\, he amassed more than 600 competitive victories\, 32 championships\, and a collection of track records across karting\, pavement ovals\, dirt circuits\, and road‑course racing — a breadth of mastery rarely seen in contemporary drivers. \n\n\n\nBy age nine\, McCarthy earned the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award\, marking him as one of the youngest drivers ever recognized by the organization. His progression into adult competition was equally historic: in 2013 he became one of the youngest NASA and SCCA licensed entrants\, routinely racing — and winning — against seasoned drivers twice his age. His achievements include seven QMA National Championships\, dominant performances in USAC quarter‑midget events\, and multiple SCCA Spec Miata titles\, where he developed a reputation for precision driving\, racecraft maturity\, and exceptional consistency. \n\n\n\nMcCarthy’s professional pursuits expanded into Touring Car America\, endurance racing through NASA WERC\, and participation in the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series\, where he continued to demonstrate adaptability across vehicle platforms and racing formats. Beyond competition\, he founded Tommy McCarthy Racing\, a Bay Area‑based driver development and trackside support program dedicated to mentoring emerging racers and strengthening the region’s motorsport community. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBuy tickets here – $35MHAA members free – no ticket required \n\n\nFirst Name *Last Name *PhoneEmail AddressNumber of Tickets @ $35Tickets Total$Additional Guest NameEmail AddressAdditional Guest NameEmail AddressAdditional Guest NameEmail AddressPlease list additional guests and email addressesAdditional Tax-deductible Donation to MHAAUSDTotal charge$Send Message
URL:https://www.montereyhistory.org/event/giants-in-racing/
LOCATION:Stanton Theater\, 5 Custom House Plaza\, Monterey\, CA\, 93940\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.montereyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/racing-talks.jpg
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