SEVEN STOCK TEN

[imagebrowser id=58]Every year hundreds, if not thousands of people meet together in Irvine, California for one reason: Sevenstock. Sevenstock is an all day event dedicated to the masterpiece known as the rotary engine. It is held at the Mazda Headquarters. It started in Southern California as a small get-together and BBQ, and has since grown to be the world’s largest rotary car show and event! It is the one time that rotorheads from all across the country can get together and do nothing more than talk about and look at hundreds of RX-7’s from any generation, RX-8s, and any other rotary-powered vehicle you can think of including rotary-powered motorcycles. You can also see Datsuns and VWs boasting rotary power under the hoods. And this year was a special reunion for the rotorheads; not only was it the 10th anniversary of Sevenstock, but it was also the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine.

Hundreds of vendors lined the event, selling everything from shirts and calendars to exhausts and turbochargers. For those who didn’t want to buy anything, well, there is always the raffle to try your luck on. The raffle brings hundreds of people to the main area. It is one of the most exciting times of the day, or perhaps the most depressing time of the day if you never win anything, which always seems to be my fate. The Mazda Rotary race cars were all on exhibit, but perhaps one of the biggest crowd pleasers was the appearance of the Mazda Kabura concept car along with the lead designer of the car. Of course the crowd had their own ideas with how to power the car; put a rotary engine in it of course! What other option is there?

The weather and rain in the morning challenged the large crowd, but the enthusiasm of the event was unrelenting. It turned out to be the most exciting Sevenstock that I have had the opportunity to attend, and I look forward to the years to come. Whether you are a devoted rotorhead or just someone looking to see some cool cars and learn something new, it is definitely a trip that you won’t forget. Perhaps in the years to come we will see the unveiling of a new rotary supercar!

Photography and words by Nathaniel Janusz