Rare Mazda 767B Catches Fire in Laguna Seca Paddock Days Before Scheduled Race

A fire broke out in the paddock at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Monday, August 10, while crews were preparing for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, with competition still two days away. The vehicle involved was the Mazda 767B #203, chassis 003, the third and final example ever produced.

The full extent of the damage has not been publicly confirmed, but the incident raises serious concerns for a car that cannot be replaced.

Chassis 003 is privately owned by American businessman Tony McIntosh and has no connection to the Mazda USA or Mazda Motorsports Heritage Collection. Chassis 002, raced as number 202, belongs to Mazda North American Operations' Heritage Collection and was restored with factory involvement.

Chassis 003's history includes racing at Le Mans in 1989 and 1990, then privateer use, a long period in a South African collection, a private restoration, and eventually a sale to McIntosh.

New Zealand driver Brendon Leitch had been confirmed to pilot the 767B in the Hurley Haywood Trophy, the Reunion's marquee class for Group C and IMSA GTP cars from the 1980s and early '90s. He had not yet turned a lap. About three weeks before the event, Leitch told V8 Sleuth how much the drive meant to him, comparing it to "driving the Mona Lisa around" and saying he was "pretty floored" when McIntosh asked him to race the car.

Chassis 003 claimed a class victory at the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Yojiro Terada, Takashi Yorino, and Yoshimi Katayama. Terada was scheduled to be present at the 2026 Reunion, driving the 787B. 6 liters and producing around 630 hp from a car weighing just 800 kilograms.

Warm-up sessions and engine starts are considered an accepted hazard with machinery of this age under demanding conditions, as the 787B had been slated for live engine runs throughout all four days of the Reunion. The event runs August 12-15, with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance following on August 16.

Whether chassis 003 competes is now an open question. As of Monday, no official statement from McIntosh or Leitch's camp had been issued.