Rotary Mazda Prototype Damaged in Paddock Fire at Laguna Seca, Team Vows Restoration

A historic rotary-powered Mazda prototype caught fire in the paddock at Laguna Seca, but the team behind it says the car's story is far from over. Mazda 767B #203, an orange-and-green racer, was damaged during the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion. No one was hurt, but the privateer team, Ghost Riders, confirmed the car will miss the rest of the Reunion activity.

Footage shows flames rising from the rear of the car as crew members rushed in with extinguishers. In a statement, Ghost Riders said the car is special to every team member and to history, and while it won't complete the remainder of the event, it will be restored once more and "sing again."

This is not the same car that won Le Mans in 1991, that was a 787B, chassis 202, which Mazda still owns and had earlier confirmed would also attend the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The burned car, chassis 203, finished 20th overall at the event the year before and won the IMSA GTP class, giving it real competition history beyond its age.

Neither Ghost Riders nor Mazda has said what started the blaze or detailed the scope of repairs. The key takeaway is that no one was hurt, and the car is expected to live to race another day.