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Amazing moments & memories happen when visiting Monterey, CA for car events -- a nucleus of common-minded enthusiasts not found at the same time anywhere else.
I asked someone to consider sharing RRV memories here, with emphasis on the 'reunion' aspect.
Heard yesterday from him. He wrote the following, & personally gave his blessing to post his words & photos on this thread. Toward that end, the following few posts are verbatim from him.
If you enjoy reading his Rennsport Reunion experiences, let him know!
If you recognize his face, it might be because:
- He's a Rennlister,
- He saved you from a speeding ticket, &/or
- You own one of a million car magazines with this on the back cover:
Found all 3 of the 962s that carried my logos. Owned two of them. Here's me and 962-113 (the one I had in my garage for years - later sold):
Here's me with 962-102, now owned by Lee Giannone (it was crashed into by John Paul at Charlotte requiring the switch to a new tub -- ex-Fitzpatrick 113):
Here's me with the 3rd 962 (a Chapman honey-comb tub) campaigned by Akin under our partial sponsorship, but not owned by me:
It was fabulous to run into all three cars in the flesh, all in the same place at the same time. It'll probably never happen again and I feel so blessed to be able to record the experience.
When making plans to attend to Rennsport Reunion, I decided to donate a memento that had been rattling around my office since ancient of days. It is a pair of center-lock wheel nuts zip-tied to the spare ignition key for 962-113 that had been given to me by Bob Akin in the 1980s.
As I was talking to the restorer of 113, Hans Stuck happened by the paddock location with a Porsche Motorsports PR guy, recognized me, and wanted to see what I was holding. After I explained the background of the trinket, Hans graciously agreed to a photo holding it. He had said the previous day in an info session with Alwin Springer and Norbert Singer that 962-113 was his favorite car in all of his storied racing career. I was on cloud #9 (of course he and Akin and Gartner won Sebring in '86 with that car)
Thanks to Mike's write-up ^^, you'll now see special significance regarding what Hans Stuck’s proudly holding for Porsche AG's press photograph in post #138
Originally Posted by Mike Valentine
Just like an airshow, all you need is a ticket.
The deluxe experience required some "PORSCHE" wrist bands allocated by PCNA through their channels. I'm a reasonably good customer for PCNA over the years, so my dealer was able to comp me the credentials. I mixed and matched those with tickets I had already purchased for a really good effect.
I had the extremely good fortune to chat up AP for a bit, and he showed how much of a good PR guy he is by posing with me:
that's so cool... worked with mike for a few things over the years and he's always been so nice. Of course it's great to always have his V1s by our side
As mentioned before, the famous Porsche guys with last names all starting with "S" put on a very interesting info session that compared the "good old days" to current events in car design, racing rules, etc. What a blast!