Onlookers at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion witnessed a rare and emotional scene as a historic Mazda endurance racer caught fire in the paddock at Laguna Seca. The vehicle, a 1989 Mazda 767B, was a private entry in the Hurley Haywood Trophy race for prototypes built between 1981 and 1991. The quad-rotor engine, known for its distinctive ear-melting wail, was parked stationary when flames erupted, forcing crew members to scramble with extinguishers.
While early reports mistakenly identified the car as the famous 1991 Le Mans-winning 787B that is also on display at the event, this vehicle was actually the number 203 example from the previous year. It finished 20th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990, a year that saw the 767B take fifth at Daytona and seventh overall at Le Mans. This specific car, sold for $1.75 million in 2017, has been a regular fixture at historic racing events but is expected to be sidelined for some time due to the damage.
Footage captured by Instagram user per.0.xide shows the car engulfed in flames while stationary in the paddock. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear, but the event highlights the inherent risks associated with storing and running high-compression rotary engines. This particular engine, with its unique triangular rotors, produces a high-pitched whine that is distinct from traditional piston engines, adding to the vehicle’s unique character.
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Damage control
The incident, while undoubtedly a sad sight for enthusiasts, has a silver lining. Crew members from the team responsible for running the car, Ghost Rider Squad, confirmed that nobody was injured in the blaze. The fire was reportedly put out quickly, and the team has promised that the vehicle will be restored to full running order, suggesting the damage is not catastrophic. This is a better outcome than the fate of the Furai concept, which burned to a crisp during a Top Gear shoot in 2008.
For the people who spent millions of dollars to preserve this piece of rotary history, the setback is undoubtedly frustrating. Watching a machine that survived the grueling 24-hour endurance races of the late 1980s and early 1990s go up in smoke serves as a stark reminder that even the most cherished mechanical artifacts are vulnerable to the same forces that can destroy modern cars. The restoration process will likely be lengthy and expensive, keeping the car off the track for the foreseeable future.
