We are pleased to announce the launch of the Del Monte Trophy Foundation Inc., “set up to preserve, document, and educate on the history, culture, and significance of early American road racing. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes and is not organized for the private gain of any person.”
Rob Manson and his colleagues are keen that the heritage and importance of the development of sports car road racing in the USA is given every chance to flourish, now and with future generations. By raising donations, the Foundation will be able to provide information about the cars and their history in the media, online and in print for live events, for example during the Monterey Car Week. At the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion at Laguna Seca, August 12-15 2026, the race cars of the Del Monte Trophy Race Group (the official race group name of the Pebble Beach Road Racers) will be displayed in the paddock in a giant tent with a historic walk-around marked by information posters for each car organised and funded by the new Foundation.
The Del Monte Trophy Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation, documentation, and promotion of the history of early American sports car racing, with a special emphasis on the 1950-1956 Pebble Beach Road Races. Its name pays tribute to the main race at those events. The Del Monte Trophy Foundation researches, archives, and shares historical material; supports public education about classic and vintage motorsport; facilitates the exhibition of period-correct racing cars; and promotes safe, historically accurate demonstrations of these vehicles for the benefit of students, enthusiasts, and the general public. No member receives financial benefit from exhibitions or educational programming.
If you would like to make a donation to our target of $7500, please scan the QR code above or go to our GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-del-monte-trophy-foundations-education-efforts.
The officers of the Del Monte Trophy Foundation Inc are Rob Manson, Lars Mapstead, Marcus Bicknell, Kevin Adair, David Steele and Jon LeCarner. Contact Rob at r3teknon@gmail.com.
More about the the origins of the Del Monte Trophy
The Pebble Beach Road Race: The original Del Monte Trophy was awarded at the Pebble Beach Sports Car Road Races held from 1950 to 1956. Champions such as Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby took home this historic trophy. and the last Pebble Beach race in 1956 was won by Carroll Shelby driving a Ferrari 750 Monza. Although usually referred to in the plural (The Pebble Beach Road Races), the original events were promoted in the singular, as on this period poster, The Pebble Beach Road Race.
The original silver trophy, The Del Monte Trophy, is still awarded each year to a driver and car in the Del Monte Trophy Race Group… not the one which wins the race but the one which best represents the spirit of the racing and its history. Our photo shows the 2024 winner Lars Mapstead holding it, with David Steele (Director of the American Hot Rod Foundation), Rob Manson (Steward of the Del Monte Trophy Race Group) and Jim Alder (XK120 owner/driver and one time winner of the trophy).
The Pebble Beach Road Races (1950–1956) were a historic series of sports car events held on a twisty, public-road street circuit that wound through the private Del Monte Forest on the Monterey Peninsula. Organized by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the event featured the prestigious Del Monte Trophy.
The Del Monte Properties Company was a historic American real estate and hospitality firm established in 1919 when Samuel F.B. Morse led a consortium of investors to acquire the aging Hotel Del Monte and roughly 18,000 acres of coastal land. The company developed the land into a world-renowned sports and resort empire, heavily featuring golf courses (including the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links) and the 17-Mile Drive. In August 1977, the company reincorporated as the Pebble Beach Corporation, shifting its name to the Pebble Beach Company. Today, the Pebble Beach Company continues to own and operate major luxury resorts on the Monterey Peninsula, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach and The Inn at Spanish Bay. Because “Del Monte” is a popular name, there are a few entirely different regional businesses operating under similar monikers: Del Monte Shopping Center (a prominent 47-acre retail center in Monterey, California, owned by Federal Realty Investment Trust), DelMonte Hotel Group (a hospitality management and ownership company operating out of New York and other eastern states) and DelMonte Properties (LLC) (a Western New York real estate firm focusing on rentals and property management). More at https://www.pebblebeach.com/about-us/company-history/