He raced at the Pebble Beach Road Races and he may be the last one standing.
At age 98 in 2026, Anthony Martinis is thought to be the only surviving driver in the Pebble Beach Road Races of 1950-1956. His concluding words at the Pebble Beach Forum on August 13th, 2026, made an emotive impact on the 1950s motor sport cognoscenti present including Mark Brinker, Rob Manson, Ken Gross, David Steele, Simon Taylor, Derek Hill and family and Bill Pollack’s family.
Anthony F. J. “Tony” Martinis is a Northern California vintage sports car racer from Sacramento who began competing in the early 1950s. He famously raced an MG TD alongside friend Mike Simpson at early post-war events like the Pebble Beach Road Races. The MG TD Era: Tony Martinis and his co-driver Mike Simpson pooled resources to buy a stock MG TD in 1951, using it as a daily driver before prepping it for weekend road races by taping the headlights and removing hubcaps. At the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1952, Martinis famously found his team pitted right next to Tom Carstens’ racing crew, which fielded the legendary #14 Allard.
The Junkyard Find: Years after his initial grassroots racing days, Martinis salvaged a derelict Allard P1 chassis and partial body components from a local junkyard. The “J2XXX” Special: He heavily fabricated and restored the frame—incorporating modern updates like a live rear axle on coil springs—creating a unique hybrid machine often referred to in The Allard Register as his custom P1/J2X-style special. Source: The Allard Register.
You can download the complete interview with Marcus Bicknell (marcus@bicknell.com) of August 15th, 2026, at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, here.
Check out Geoff Zimmerman’s video interview with Anthony done the same day, August 15th, 2026, at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Geoff Zimmerman’s Checkered Flag Films is a media production company run by Geoff Zimmerman that focuses on historic motorsport, vintage race cars, and automotive storytelling. On YouTube and socials @checkeredflagfilms