Bill Lehman

1964 MGB, First race was at Watkins Glen in 1968.

Speed2k

S2000 CR

MetroNYHPDE

Right seat w/ amateur driver: Viper at Mosport, 1995
Right seat w/ pro driver: E36 M3 at WGI, 1995 or 96
Right seat instructing: 991.1 GT3 RS at WGI, 2021
Left seat as callow youth: 1988 MR2 SC at Mosport, 1995
Left seat as real adult: Maserati GranSport at Road Atlanta, 2008
Left seat as regular DE driver: 991.1 GT3 at AMP, 2016

“What a long strange trip it’s been.”

Jnelso

Wow, what a great question. Took me awhile to go back and think about this, my first on track experience was a MK 1 Sprite that I co drove with a friend doing autocross events in NJ in the late 60’s, then I did PHA Hillclimbs with a Sunbeam Alpine and then back to the Sprite doing hillclimbs again. My first real experience on a closed track was in my 1969 911T at Trenton Speedway, a 1 1/2 mile banked oval which closed in 1980. It was a PCA event and sponsored by local Porsche Dealer. I think that was in 1975 which was memorable because one of the first 911 Turbo’s brought by the sponsoring Dealer was at the Trenton Speedway event and typical of all that power and tendency for oversteer it hit the wall *** backwards in turn one. Pretty sure it was totaled. My first track event on a road course was a PCA (or maybe EMRA ) event at BridgeHampton with my 911T with Oaklee Johnson as my instructor, what a great time. Later went road racing with SCCA in ITB class driving VW Rabbit. Back in the 80’s there would be 30 plus cars at Lime Rock or Watkins Glen when road racing was more affordable for the average wanna be race car driver. Took a break to raise a family and do other things, then about 8 years ago I purchased a 1999 Porsche 996 and have been doing 5 or 6 track events every year since. Been on just about every track in the Northeast and recently moved South so now trying out the tracks down here. So far drove Roebling Road, Carolina Motorsports Park and Daytona. Sebring and VIR on list for this coming year. Going on 77 years old and still have that drive to get a new PBT.

MaxLTV

Mine was BMW 335xi automatic, warmed up to over 400HP on run-flat tires. An "interesting" first track car, especially given that my first track was Mostport before repaving. The gearbox upshifted with a jolt every time between the first and second apex of T2 at Mostport, which made my instructor scream "don't lift here for f##ks sake!!!". My response "why would I lift if you did not tell me to lift?" scared him even more. I do not blame him given how small and slippery the grass runoff was there at the time. So he refused to ride with me anymore and passed me to another instructor, who made me a track addict.

quickxotica

My first was this 100k+mile '87 944S, which I tracked from '97-'06 and eventually put a 3.0L S2 motor in and 951 brakes. Loved that car.



This lovely rust free non-sunroof '70 911T was how I Introduced my now-wife to track driving (in about '01), after I reassured her it made perfect sense to replace her broken Passat DD with it for $4,500. Unfortunately we couldn't afford to restore it (or even store it), so we sold it after a couple years for $7,500, which felt like a win at the time. Those were the days!

Josh_357

Technically a 4Runner, back about 5 years ago before swapping 2-wheels for 4-wheels we used our tow rigs to dry the racing line at Thunder Hill for a motorcycle track day . After that first real track time in 4 wheels was 2019 Cayman.

Nowanker

Seems to be some love for the early RX7 here... trying my hand at autocross in 1987.
Bought this new in 1983. It was an experiment, to see if I could buy something nice and not screw with it.
Lasted about 6 mos, when I found a set of those bitchin' Epsilon wheels for sale, unused, at half price.
Then it needed some suspension work. By the time this photo was taken, I'd built a ported 13B with headers and a 48 Weber for it...
Experiment failed.

Coochas

Thanks for sharing. My kind of story!

M13S

Mine was a 1987 CBR600F1 (honda). Tracked it at Bryar, Bridgehampton, and Daytona. Then to a Yamaha FZR400, this pic is from the Bridge. And Dennis Maccio was the track manager back then.
The 2nd pic with PLN is from 88? (with the Honda), I snuck the camera out for the shot as many of you know that was verboten to pester PLN at the track as a goofy fan. Fun Fact, PLN helped me pull the bike off the trailer that day, I had no idea it was him as he had a hat on and sunglasses on. He asked a bunch of questions about the bike, we chatted and off he went. It was later in the day that I realized it was and I took the picture for my mother who was a huge fan.
This was when the Bike guys got to ride at lunch when the car guys ate, good times.

Carrera51

1983 944. When I bought it in 1997 it already had a roll bar in it and harness, with stock seats! Was my daily driver, autocross and DE car for two years, until I got rear ended on the street and it was totalled I still miss that car.

Matt Romanowski

Very cool. I used to borrow tools from PLN all the time and didn't know who he was!

paradocs98

Forgive me if I asked you this on rennlist at some point before, but did you race with or know Dick Davenport back in the '70s? He ran 510s and B210s for NJ's Datsun out of Wichita, KS. Won the SCCA C-sedan championship in '77, '78 and '79, and I believe won the Daytona 24hr in IMSA GTU in a 911 in '77. He was one of my dad's best friends, and his son Rob has restored the B210 and runs it in vintage events. Dick got my dad hooked on cars, who got me hooked on cars...

ProCoach

Wow! Dick Davenport was a legend. A big, burly man that was smooth as butter on the track. I knew of him because one of the Alfas he raced came into my shop for historic racing restoration and preparation, he was always an Alfa guy to me.

One year, he came to VIR in the Alfa David Levian built for him that his son, Rob, drives now. I was all over him all weekend off track, and learned about his adventures with Frank Carney and how much he did for Nissan after moving on from Alfas. What a marvelous story teller. Very tough, very hard competitor but a great guy to spend time with.

On track, I had at the time one of the quickest Alfa GTV’s in historic racing, a veteran of the Daytona 24 in 1970 and he was in his Alfa. We went at it hammer and tongs, and raced side by side, lap after lap. I could have sworn we touched half a dozen times but there were no marks!

At the end of the race, he and I were beat but standing on the podium. I was first and he was second. We were far ahead of the rest of the field. He gave me one of the greatest complements I ever received from any other driver and while we talked on the phone after that weekend, we never got another chance to run together. I am SO glad to have known Dick. What a great competitor and a spectacular man.

Jas0nn

I've had a thing for aircooled cars ever since my uncle brought home a yellow SC. I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 at the time, but the memory lingers strong, even today. (He still has it)!

It was already a couple decades old at that point, but I remember the noise, and the smell - and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. As soon as I could, I bought my own. It's been quite the downhill slope ever since ...

I learned to drive on the track in this car. Perhaps it was a bit much to start with, but it taught me so much. And it's connected me to so many great people in PCA: I've raced against its previous owner; I first met @Matt Romanowski when he sat in my right seat to sign me off at the Zone 1 event (what a great event that was)!; I met a great friend - and now, a CUP competitor - by chance when we happned to park next to one another on our very first track-day; and so many more ...

(I still use these wheels on my racecar).