I’ve been around VW’s for most of my life. My Dad admired German engineering and loved VW’s - he owned two or three of them in his lifetime. One of the neighborhood kids’ father was a VW Master Mechanic at the local dealership. He used to tell stories of how great the cars were, and how he once drove his beloved Bug on only three cylinders for over 500 miles. I learned to drive on a VW Variant (known as the Squareback in the USA).
In high school, I drove my Dad’s 72 Volkswagen Type 2 (T2), better known as the VW Microbus. As an adult, I’ve owned different types and brands of cars, but the one that has always been consistent has been – you guessed it - the VW. My wife and daughters have owned one each, and my son is on his third one. When I reached a point in my life where I could move up a bit in the car world, my logical choice was to own an Audi. Make that two, an A4 sedan and a special ALMS Edition Misano Red TT, 225-hp turbo-four/six-speed combo, quattro AWD, with handsome 18-in. wheeland- tire combo of which only 1000 were made.
By now you’re probably saying, "Wait a minute, I thought the title of this article was 'It's Not About the Cars…'." Well it's not just about the cars. See, all throughout the “change cars before changing tires” era of mine, the one thing that has been constant is the dream to one day touch/get in/pretend to drive/test drive/maybe even own a Porsche 911. Most of my closest friends have heard me say, “I’ll own a Porsche 911 one of these days, if it’s the last thing I do.” Have you heard the phrase “mid-life crisis?” No, it’s been a life-long obsession, and my dream came true about a year ago around the holiday season. I was finally going to own a Porsche 911. Not a brand new one, mind you, but a 911 nonetheless.
Since I was about to become the third owner of this fine piece of German engineering, I had to ensure that all was in perfect order. It is here where the people part comes in. I met John Kopp at Racewerks. I had heard of John’s good reputation through Phil Grandfield whom I’ve met through work-related events. I wanted someone with experience, a good reputation, and integrity to look at what was finally going to become a long awaited reality. If a Naval Air Wing Commander who flew F- 14’s and F-18’s off aircraft carriers can trust his Porsche to John, why wouldn’t I? John went over the car with a fine-toothed comb, checked what other 997’s were selling for, and gave me his Ok. I asked him, "Is that it?” To which he responded, “These cars are built like tanks”, and continued explaining the boxer engine, and other Porsche-positive engineering attributes. I asked John if he would test drive the car to see if he could hear or feel anything abnormal, to which I believe he responded very nonchalantly, “If you insist." It was a rainy day; the roads around John’s facility were wet and slick. John got in the car, and I was the passenger for the test. We held light car conversation, talked about PCA, but before I could get to the next word, I felt the car come alive – and we were going fast! A forceful “pushing” sensation came from the rear-mounted engine that I had never experienced before. Suddenly, John took his hands off the wheel and slammed on the brakes. At no point did the car feel unsafe or uncontrolled, and it was apparent that John knew his stuff. I was impressed and unequivocally sold on the car. I thanked John and just before I got in the car he said, “Now all you have to do is come out to the track with us”. I had no idea what John was really saying; I did not take it seriously. It seemed something I would not get involved with.
All I knew about driving fast was when I’d tear down the back roads in the TT thinking that the only difference between Marco Andretti and me was the last name, but after experiencing the test drive with John, it was evident that to fully enjoy this car I needed to upgrade my driving skills. Five months later I was at VIR. How did I go from pre-purchase inspection to VIR in a Porsche 911? My new-found PCA friends convinced me to take my car to the track. It was not a simple pre-purchase inspection at the local repair shop - it was way more than that. It was the beginning of what has become a life experience surrounded by great people who share the same passion for everything Porsche. People like Mike Tungol coached me and showed me the ropes by patiently answering every question I had. Mike’s friendly and jovial personality along with his desire to help everyone out is a fine example of what PCA is all about. Mike has since become a mentor and dear friend. At the track, everyone I met was more than willing to help, answer questions, and welcome me into the club. I met fun and friendly people and got a great, on-track instructor. I was hooked!
Fast forward to September’s DE at VIR. I envisioned leaving all other cars behind. I had a great time, but also learned several valuable lessons, including older and slower cars can and will blow by me. Secondly, I knew very little about performance driving. I was not the Marco Andretti I thought I was. Finally, I recognized the need for instruction, seat time, and continued practice in order to become a good and safe driver. This should not be too hard, as before with support of fellow PCA members it is a lot easier that one may think.
Take John Carey. I met John at dinner at VIR in September, and in late October he asked, “Do you want to take my Spec Boxster out on the track?” John is a mentor who is never short on advice, tips, instruction, or great conversation. He and Scott Leopold are two of a kind when it comes to motorsports. There are others who are just as great, like Alex Bell. Alex and I participated in what I believe is the only two-car fun run to Franklin on a nice Sunday morning, all because we did not pay attention to a time change for a club meeting.
There are many other stories I could write about from the short eight months I’ve been a member of the club, but I will save them for another edition – so don’t think that I have forgotten about the rest of the great First Settlers people I have had the pleasure to interact with. See, it is about the people.
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