Spring 2026

BEST OF THE CARMEL POLICE LOG… Case of loose dog: Reporting party found loose dog. Shortly after, returned to owner. SHORT CUTS CARMEL CONFIDENTIAL From Motorsports to Feeding the Hungry I n December, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance announced a challenge grant that will match up to $1 million in donations to Concours charities. Through the challenge, event organizers hope to raise $5 million in a single year and surpass $50 million in total charita- ble giving for the 75th Pebble Beach Concours, taking place in August 2026. The grant is supported by longtime event entrant and donor Tom Peck, who pledged to make a dollar-for-dollar match on all gifts of $50,000 or more, up to $1 million. Concours Announces Million Dollar Match T he Rolex Monterey Motorspor ts Reunion was named Motorsport Event of the Year at the 2025 International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA). Reunion Director April Henderson received the award during a November ceremony in London. “Each year our team invests endless time and energy to make the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion even better than years past, and this year’s event truly set a new bar for excellence,” said WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca President and General Manager Mel Harder. “We are honored to be recog- nized on a global stage and would like to thank the partners, participants and loyal fans who help make this event possible.” Laguna Seca hosted the 51st Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August. Highlights included 50 rare machines honor- ing the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, and 24 original International Race of Champions (IROC) cars spanning all seven generations. More than 400 historic racing vehicles com- peted across 14 weekend race groups. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion previously won IHMA recognition in 2022. This year’s IHMA judges included Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance chair Sandra Button, classic car historian Donald Osborne, and car collector and comedian Jay Leno. Community members helped raise more than $200,000 for the Food Bank for Monterey County in December, when The Pocket in Carmel hosted the third annual Feed the Soul event. Attendees sampled local food and wine, bid on silent auction items, and enjoyed enter- tainment throughout the evening. More than 40% of Monterey County resi- dents are food insecure, according to a recent study commissioned by the Monterey County Health Needs Collaborative. The Food Bank for Monterey County serves one in four res- idents countywide. Working with volunteers and nonprofit partners, the organization oper- ates more than 240 direct distribution sites that provide millions of pounds of fresh food a year to children, families and seniors in need. “It was incredible to see howmany people from the Monterey Peninsula and all over came out to support such a great cause. Raising $200,000 to help feed our community and throwing the best party of the holiday season here at The Pocket made all of the hard work building up to Feed the Soul worth it,” said Mike Fischetti, executive chef at The Pocket. “I can’t say thank you enough to this wonderful community.” 64 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca hosted the 51st Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this year, which was named the 2025 Motorsport Event of the Year by IHMA. Photo: Bob Cullinan/Sutterstock