Most of Monterey Car Week happens on grass in the morning. The Monterey Motorsports Festival happens on asphalt after dark, at the county fairgrounds, and it runs until 11 p.m. on Saturday, August 15.
Organizers bill it as the official closing-night celebration of Car Week, and the headline is a world premiere: Kimera Automobili founder Luca Betti will pull the cover off the K-39 Stradale and the K-39 Race Car on the main stage.
The cover itself was made for the occasion by Goodwool.
Key Takeaways
- When and where: Saturday, August 15, 2026, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey.
- Featured marque: Kimera Automobili, premiering the K-39 Stradale and K-39 Race Car live on the main stage.
- Presented by duPont REGISTRY Group, with main-stage programming hosted by duPont REGISTRY Editor-in-Chief Charles Bradley.
- A Hypercar and Supercar Parade runs from Concorso Italiano in Seaside to the fairgrounds.
- Alfa Romeo Duetto 60th anniversary celebration, staged in partnership with Concorso Italiano.
- Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini’s longtime chief test driver, appears alongside NASCAR’s Jesse Iwuji.
- “The Sound of Car Week” concert closes the night with David J, Dreya V, ME NÃœ, and SIDEQUEST.
Kimera Builds 37 Cars at a Time
Kimera Automobili is not a household name, and the numbers explain why. Luca Betti founded the company in 2008 as a rally team, moved it into classic car restoration by 2013, and in 2018 started building a car from the ground up.
That car was the EVO37, a reinterpretation of the Lancia Rally 037 built in a run of 37 units at roughly €480,000 each.
Only the passenger cell and chassis number carried over from the donor Lancia Beta Montecarlo. Everything else was new: a full carbon fiber body, Öhlins double-wishbone rear suspension, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and a 2150 cc four-cylinder built from scratch by Italtecnica producing 505 hp at a curb weight of roughly 2,400 pounds.
That engine runs a supercharger and a turbocharger together, the arrangement Lancia used on the Delta S4 that replaced the 037 in rallying. Kimera brought in former Lancia engineers Sergio Limone and Claudio Lombardi to get it right. Claimed acceleration is three seconds to 62 mph, with an estimated top speed of 190 mph.
On the K-39: Specifications had not been released at publication. Both the Stradale road car and the Race Car are being shown publicly for the first time at the festival, followed by an interview with Betti about the company’s direction.
What Else Is on the Grounds
duPont REGISTRY Group presents the evening and fills a substantial share of the programming. Editor-in-Chief Charles Bradley hosts main-stage collector interviews with designers, manufacturers, and industry figures, alongside a curated display of collector cars. Veteran automotive communications executive Raffaello Porro runs additional interviews.
Totem Automobili founder Riccardo Quaggio is unveiling a new model of his own.
| Attraction | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Hypercar & Supercar Showcase | Static display of current exotics |
| Hypercar & Supercar Parade | Convoy arriving from Concorso Italiano in Seaside |
| American Muscle by Mecum | Domestic performance display staged by the auction house |
| Thomas50Shades JDM Showcase | Japanese performance cars |
| Builds & Prototypes | One-off and in-development machinery |
| Russell Baja Porsche 911 | Off-road-prepared 911 |
| Scarbo Performance Hyper Truck | Purpose-built performance truck |
| Alfa Romeo Duetto 60th | Anniversary display with Concorso Italiano |
| Family Fun Zone | Expanded for 2026 |
The Duetto Turns 60
Alfa Romeo introduced the Duetto Spider in 1966, the same year Lamborghini showed the Miura that Pebble Beach is honoring on its 3rd fairway the following morning. Two Italian sixtieth birthdays, two opposite cars, two venues about eight miles apart.
The Duetto is the humbler of the pair and arguably the more consequential. A boat-tail roadster with a twin-cam four, it put open-top Italian motoring within reach of people who were never going to own a V12, and it stayed in production in evolving form for nearly three decades.
Who Is Appearing
Valentino Balboni spent decades as Lamborghini’s chief test driver and signed off on the handling of cars that people now pay millions for. Anyone who has driven a Diablo or a Countach has driven something Balboni shaped.
NASCAR driver Jesse Iwuji appears alongside him. Also scheduled: Alberto Scuro, president of ASI and FIVA, the Italian and international historic vehicle federations, and Massimo Carnelos, Consul General of Italy.
The Italian diplomatic presence tracks with the evening’s centre of gravity. Between Kimera, Totem, the Duetto anniversary, and the parade in from Concorso Italiano, this is the most Italian night of Car Week.
Where the Money Goes
The Special Olympics Torch Run opens the evening with a ceremony. Community partners benefiting from the festival include the Monterey County Fair Heritage Foundation, the Monterey County Family Justice Center, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Practical Notes
Gates open to the public at 5 p.m. and the night runs to 11 p.m. The Eden Lounge VIP experience is a separately ticketed area. Parking is not bundled with admission.
The fairgrounds sit at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, close enough to downtown to avoid the Highway 68 problem that plagues the Laguna Seca events, and the evening timing means it does not compete with anything on the daytime calendar.
That scheduling is deliberate. Saturday is the densest day of Car Week, with Concorso Italiano, Concours d’Lemons, Exotics on Broadway, and the final Rolex Reunion track day all running during daylight. A 5 p.m. start catches people who have already spent a full day looking at cars and are not ready to stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Monterey Motorsports Festival 2026?
Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey.
What is Kimera Automobili?
A boutique Italian manufacturer founded in 2008 by former rally driver Luca Betti. It is best known for the EVO37, a ground-up reinterpretation of the Lancia Rally 037 built in a run of 37 cars using a carbon fiber body, Öhlins suspension, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and a bespoke 505 hp supercharged and turbocharged 2150 cc four-cylinder.
What is the Kimera K-39?
A new model being shown publicly for the first time at the festival, in both K-39 Stradale road form and K-39 Race Car form. Specifications had not been released before the unveiling.
Who presents the festival?
duPont REGISTRY Group, with main-stage programming hosted by duPont REGISTRY Editor-in-Chief Charles Bradley.
Is there a supercar parade?
Yes. A Hypercar and Supercar Parade travels from Concorso Italiano in Seaside to the fairgrounds during the evening.
Who is Valentino Balboni?
Lamborghini’s longtime chief test driver, responsible for developing and signing off the handling of the company’s road cars across several decades. He appears at the festival alongside NASCAR driver Jesse Iwuji.
What is being celebrated for Alfa Romeo?
The 60th anniversary of the Duetto Spider, introduced in 1966, staged in partnership with Concorso Italiano.
Is parking included with a ticket?
No. Parking is separate, and the Eden Lounge VIP area is separately ticketed as well.
What music is playing?
“The Sound of Car Week” concert features David J, Dreya V, ME NÃœ, and the DJ duo SIDEQUEST.
Which charities benefit?
The Monterey County Fair Heritage Foundation, the Monterey County Family Justice Center, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run, among other nonprofits. The Special Olympics Torch Run opens the evening.
Does it conflict with other Saturday events?
No. Concorso Italiano, Concours d’Lemons, Exotics on Broadway, and the final Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion track day all run during the day. The festival starts at 5 p.m., after they finish.
Closing Night
Car Week ends on a lawn on Sunday morning, but Saturday night at the fairgrounds is where the week lets its hair down. A company that builds 37 cars at a time is premiering two of them under stage lights, a supercar convoy arrives from Seaside, and the Duetto turns 60 about eight miles from where the Miura is doing the same thing the next day.
Gates at 5, music until 11, and no lawn chairs required.
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is the writer, photographer, and publisher behind The Weekly Driver. He cares about how cars drive and what they're like to own. He covers automobile industry news, car shows and events, and new car reviews. The reviews come from behind the wheel: day trips that favor back routes, treating a good meal as half the reason to go. He directs and produces the visual media, matching each car to a setting and mood that fit it. When he's not reviewing new cars, Michael races paddleboards, camels, and ostriches, along with the occasional exotic car on the racetrack, and has driven in every state and country visited.
https://theweeklydriver.com