During the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Monterey Car Week 2019 races, the two HKE racing Gullwings were able to compete successfully against a strong elite of historic US motor racing and many other participants from around the world and achieved remarkable results.

At this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion which took place from August 15 to 18, HK-ENGINEERING started with two Racing Gullwings. At the legendary Laguna Seca racing circuit, drivers Hans Kleissl and Guido Haarmann successfully demonstrated both the technical excellence of their Gullwings as well as their driving skills and prevailed against the strong competition of historic US motor racing. In the first race, which was for cars built from 1947 to 1955, there were not only GT vehicles but also thoroughbred racing cars such as a Porsche 550 Spyder, several Lotus models and American racing cars with much larger engine capacity. Despite these clear competitive advantages, Hans Kleissl was able to gain four places in the first race and achieve an outstanding 8th place within a field of almost 40 participants. In the second race, the silver racing Gullwings lived up to their name. Dueling with Hans Kleissl two competitors lost their nerves and the control of their cars and landed in the gravel, so that Kleissl reached the finish in sixth place. Guido Haarmann, as a newcomer, achieved a remarkable 10th place.

The Monterey Car Week and the Concours d ’Elegance in Pebble Beach
Every summer car enthusiasts from all over the world as well as the American motorsport nobility gather at Monterey Car Week on the California peninsula of Monterey to celebrate historic vehicles together. The 1950 Monterey Classic Car Week is known worldwide for its abundance of auctions, classic car tours and competitions and is considered one of the most significant events for historic vehicles from around the world. At the heart of it all is the classic car parade, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where the most spectacular vehicles are presented, judged and awarded. But the Concours is just the final event of a series of spectacular events, such as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the biggest and most important race weekend in historic motor racing in the US, which is held at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit.

Laguna Seca
The Laguna Seca racing circuit is seen as one of the most complex and technically challenging racing circuits in the world. It is built of the top of a hill and has many sections with steep gradients. The most famous curve at the Laguna Seca circuit is curve 8, which has been named Corkscrew. Corkscrew has a left-right kink that is one of the most challenging turns in the world. The entrance to the curve is hidden from view behind a hump in the road and so the curve is driven in "blind flight". Other sections require a great deal of skill, intuition and experience from the drivers.