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To celebrate Mazda’s Le Mans winning 787B, Californian artist John Cerney has created a mural of the car that stands outside of the track that bears the automaker’s name: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Cerney was commissioned by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula to paint the legendary endurance racer, along with a portrait of Grand Prix motorcycle rider Wayne Rainey. The new additions use plywood constructions as canvas and sit atop a platform that makes them visible from the Monterey-Salinas Highway, State Route 68, according to MotorTrend.
“The colorful race car that can be seen from the highway will let people know that this is an incredible racing facility,” stated Cerney. “The car is huge. I used 10 sheets to complete this board compared to the six that I used for the Wayne Rainey mural. I strived to get all the little details right from the logos to the body lines. The bright orange and green colors really make it stand out,” he said.
The 787B remains the only car built by a Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. While that title was almost knocked down by Toyota in the last two years, Mazda holds true to the achievement and looks to commemorate it with this new piece of artwork. Additionally, these 787s were the last to use Wankel-rotary engines in the World and Japanese racing championships, further supporting their significance to both motorsport and the Mazda brand as a whole.
Laguna Seca is currently honoring its 60th year in operation. An innumerable amount of important races have been held there over the years and it currently plays host to Monterrey Car Week, a gearhead’s dream gathering that brings together cars of every vintage and nationality to the California circuit.
