Velocity Invitational is dedicated to highlighting the best race cars and collections from around the world paired with some of the best food and wines the local region has to offer. It was created by the team behind Sonoma Speed Festival, and for 2021 the event will take place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, November 11-14.

Velocity Invitational builds upon the success of the inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival in 2019 with an event that combines wheel-to-wheel vintage racing, tastings from top California wineries and restaurants as well as other historic and cultural exhibits. The 2019 event drew thousands of spectators, over 300 race cars and dozens of local wineries and gourmet food vendors. New for this event, all children 15 years old and under will be granted free access to the event when accompanied by an adult guardian.

The event will include a special exhibition of historic McLaren Racing Formula 1 race cars by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen. McLaren Racing will bring the 1998 MP4/13A chassis number 02, a 760 brake horsepower V10-powered Formula 1 car driven by David Coulthard and Mika Häkkinen. This was the same car driven by Häkkinen to victory at the Australian GP and now it will take to the historic curves of Laguna Seca. McLaren will also bring the 2011 MP4/26A and 2012 MP4/27A Formula 1 cars which were driven by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in era, as well as the 1998 MP4/98T two-seat Formula 1 demonstration car which will take a lucky few passengers on a thrilling ride around the circuit.

Porsche Cars North America has joined the 2021 event as an official sponsor. Among the Porsche vehicles competing, five will be examples of the Porsche 917, including the 917/30, which dominated the 1973 Can-Am season with its 1,100 horsepower, twin-turbocharged, 12-cylinder engine. Several purpose-built Porsche 962 and 962C sports-prototypes will also take part. Porsche famously debuted these race cars at the 24 Hours of Daytona and achieved its seventh consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans victory in 1987. These racing giants will battle against their 956 predecessors in the IMSA GTP & GTP/L and FIA Group C & C2 race group for cars campaigned from 1982 to 1993. In the early IMSA GT, AAGT – FIA Grp. 4, over a dozen factory prepared and independently built Porsche 911 RSRs and IMSA GTO RSR’s from 1966 to 1977 will also compete on track.

Late 60s racing cars from Porsche, like the 908 and 910, will battle it out in the FIA Prototypes and SCCA Sports Racing Cars group. Even earlier cars including several Porsche RSKs and two Abarth Carreras will compete in the Sports & Sports Racing Cars group for vehicles built between 1948 and 1957.