View Poll Results: age of porsche racers/DE drivers
under 30
19
13.38%
30 to 40
40
28.17%
40 to 50
51
35.92%
50 to 60
26
18.31%
over 60
6
4.23%
Voters: 142. You may not vote on this poll
what ages are racing porsches
05-01-2008, 09:55 AM
#16
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I'm 27 going on 28 in november. I've always been into cars but never in a position to track or race until recently. I was around dirt racing midgets and sprint cars and eventually formula 2000 because my dad's friend had him on a pit crew for a few years.
I did one track day right around my 26th birthday, and had a great time. As soon as I could got a membership at the local track-it took a year (bought a house, cash was going to other stuff) but when I turned 27 I've been doing a ton of track days and DE stuff in my 993TT, GT3, and GT3RS. I've done a few gokart days here and there but nothing major. Basically I'm a very fit guy with great reflexes and a ton of desire to work hard.
Just bought a Mx-5 cup car to learn momentum with my eyes on going the GT3 cup car route once the delta between $ and skills come together. This fall I'll be DE'ing the RS and plan to get into some actual races (my first) with the MX-5.
I've done about 35 track days in the last 7.5 months and look to do 50-90 more in the next 12 months. I get excited every time I get behind the wheel and take it extremely seriously. In another few years I'm looking to run in the 25 hours of thunderhill, rennsport reunion, pca, then go towards SCCA/Koni/Speed GT and by 35-38 years old I'll be free and clear to run ALMS. My driving goal is to be a part of a Lemans winning team.
It's a phenomenal sport, a fantastic hobby, and a true test of courage, skill, and mental toughness. I love every second I'm in a car.
I did one track day right around my 26th birthday, and had a great time. As soon as I could got a membership at the local track-it took a year (bought a house, cash was going to other stuff) but when I turned 27 I've been doing a ton of track days and DE stuff in my 993TT, GT3, and GT3RS. I've done a few gokart days here and there but nothing major. Basically I'm a very fit guy with great reflexes and a ton of desire to work hard.
Just bought a Mx-5 cup car to learn momentum with my eyes on going the GT3 cup car route once the delta between $ and skills come together. This fall I'll be DE'ing the RS and plan to get into some actual races (my first) with the MX-5.
I've done about 35 track days in the last 7.5 months and look to do 50-90 more in the next 12 months. I get excited every time I get behind the wheel and take it extremely seriously. In another few years I'm looking to run in the 25 hours of thunderhill, rennsport reunion, pca, then go towards SCCA/Koni/Speed GT and by 35-38 years old I'll be free and clear to run ALMS. My driving goal is to be a part of a Lemans winning team.
It's a phenomenal sport, a fantastic hobby, and a true test of courage, skill, and mental toughness. I love every second I'm in a car.
05-01-2008, 10:49 AM
#17
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I'm 51 and racing a 1993 RSA (see avitar). Started DE's in 2001 w/a red 1990 964 C2. Traded it in '03 for a new BMW M3. I've missed that 964 ever since.
Became an instructor in the winter of '03 and bought RSA in fall of '03.
Went to BMW race quaiifying school in December of '03 just to keep a friend company and get some track time. Someone loned me a race suit and I won the graduation race. It looked kinda funny that 911 out there w/all those BMW's.
Anyway, after winning that race, I was hooked! I miss instructing and may get a chance to do some this weekend.
I hope to be checking the still racing in the 70 and over catagory block in 20 years...
Became an instructor in the winter of '03 and bought RSA in fall of '03.
Went to BMW race quaiifying school in December of '03 just to keep a friend company and get some track time. Someone loned me a race suit and I won the graduation race. It looked kinda funny that 911 out there w/all those BMW's.
Anyway, after winning that race, I was hooked! I miss instructing and may get a chance to do some this weekend.
I hope to be checking the still racing in the 70 and over catagory block in 20 years...
05-01-2008, 10:54 AM
#18
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autocrossed stock '72S nationally from 21-30 (SCCA natl champ '85+'90)
family time 31-37
racing stock '73 911"RS", PCA, SCCA, vintage 38-current
racing '04 gt3 cup car 44-45, PCA, SCCA Nationals, a few semi-pro races
one pro race 46 Grand Am Koni GS 997
racing '08 gt3 cup 47- PCA, ???
would like to do more pro racing but without sponsors it's ridiculously expensive
family time 31-37
racing stock '73 911"RS", PCA, SCCA, vintage 38-current
racing '04 gt3 cup car 44-45, PCA, SCCA Nationals, a few semi-pro races
one pro race 46 Grand Am Koni GS 997
racing '08 gt3 cup 47- PCA, ???
would like to do more pro racing but without sponsors it's ridiculously expensive
05-01-2008, 11:34 AM
#19
Rennlist Member
I guess I am one of the fewer people in the upper end of the age spectrum, so I've been at this probably longer than most of you.
In high school, I had the hottest '57 Chevy (wish I still had it), and as a friend of mine describes it, we were living the American Graffitti dream.
This involved cruising the drive-ins, looking for chicks, and checking out cars I could beat, therefore increasing my spending money. That carried on into my college years.
Of course, just like American Graffitti, I never got he chicks, but I never lost a street race either.
Fast forward: The car in my avatar I bought new in '85 as a street car, and immediately started DEing it (I had already been doing DE for a couple of years in a 944) and time-trialing it. The car was always very fast.
Fast forward to club racing: I was one of the first club racers, starting the first year club racing began. The car at that time was an E car which I believe was the highest stock-preapred category. After a number of years of club racing, I pulled back and just did DE, totally rebuilding it and lightening as a track-only DE car.
One of the fun things for me, and has been for a long time, is that my wife, Margo, has been involved in this with me and is quite quick out there. She hates having to give pass signals as much as the rest of us.
I have two quoted for you from Paul Newman:
"Age and treachery will beat youth and enthusiasm any time." and
When asked by a stupid report why he raced, "'Cause I can't dance!" It works for me!
In high school, I had the hottest '57 Chevy (wish I still had it), and as a friend of mine describes it, we were living the American Graffitti dream.
This involved cruising the drive-ins, looking for chicks, and checking out cars I could beat, therefore increasing my spending money. That carried on into my college years.
Of course, just like American Graffitti, I never got he chicks, but I never lost a street race either.
Fast forward: The car in my avatar I bought new in '85 as a street car, and immediately started DEing it (I had already been doing DE for a couple of years in a 944) and time-trialing it. The car was always very fast.
Fast forward to club racing: I was one of the first club racers, starting the first year club racing began. The car at that time was an E car which I believe was the highest stock-preapred category. After a number of years of club racing, I pulled back and just did DE, totally rebuilding it and lightening as a track-only DE car.
One of the fun things for me, and has been for a long time, is that my wife, Margo, has been involved in this with me and is quite quick out there. She hates having to give pass signals as much as the rest of us.
I have two quoted for you from Paul Newman:
"Age and treachery will beat youth and enthusiasm any time." and
When asked by a stupid report why he raced, "'Cause I can't dance!" It works for me!
05-01-2008, 04:20 PM
#22
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55 and getting younger by the day (except when the knee/shoulders/elbows are acting up).
I'm not racing, but am reasonably accomplished at DE.
Started on this DE foolishness 8 years after buying the 1st Porsche (1986 911 cab) and reading the Pano/regional magazines and seeing this DE hobby and thinking 'hmm, that might be fun.'
Needed the kids to get old enough so that I could leave the house for the day without too much guilt.
So in 1996 I put a bar (no, not that kind - a ROLLbar) and harnesses in the cab and went a-driving. Showed up at the track and didn't know a soul; cold, rainy, a flagging buddy crashed hard, but I was hooked. 4 years with the cab and it was on to the semi-track car (1984 911 coupe), trailer, and trips to the Glen, Mont Tremblant (hi Arnie), Mosport, and even Summit Point.
2006 brought this car (1995 993).
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Did I mention that I get carried away?
I'm not racing, but am reasonably accomplished at DE.
Started on this DE foolishness 8 years after buying the 1st Porsche (1986 911 cab) and reading the Pano/regional magazines and seeing this DE hobby and thinking 'hmm, that might be fun.'
Needed the kids to get old enough so that I could leave the house for the day without too much guilt.
So in 1996 I put a bar (no, not that kind - a ROLLbar) and harnesses in the cab and went a-driving. Showed up at the track and didn't know a soul; cold, rainy, a flagging buddy crashed hard, but I was hooked. 4 years with the cab and it was on to the semi-track car (1984 911 coupe), trailer, and trips to the Glen, Mont Tremblant (hi Arnie), Mosport, and even Summit Point.
2006 brought this car (1995 993).
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Did I mention that I get carried away?
05-01-2008, 04:58 PM
#23
Rennlist Member
Awesome stories!
At 39, I went to the Grand Am weekend at Barber in 2006, and told my buddies I had to do that. First DE was with my Dinan M5 that was a bullet, but handled like a bus. Spent a year looking for the perfect RSA track car and am now starting to rack up track days and experience (without getting divorced) to head towards Club Racing. I am a full addict, and can't wait til my little boy is able to drive too.
Thanks to all on Rennlist for the input and advice.
Tucker
At 39, I went to the Grand Am weekend at Barber in 2006, and told my buddies I had to do that. First DE was with my Dinan M5 that was a bullet, but handled like a bus. Spent a year looking for the perfect RSA track car and am now starting to rack up track days and experience (without getting divorced) to head towards Club Racing. I am a full addict, and can't wait til my little boy is able to drive too.
Thanks to all on Rennlist for the input and advice.
Tucker
05-01-2008, 06:15 PM
#24
Rennlist Member
I may be one of the youngest guys racing, but tell me if Im off about that...Im 19 and started DE last year. I'm now in Black group and have 4 cr wins out of 5 races(ehem...would have been 5 without a certain deer...) and hold LRP class lap records 1 and 2...I dunno, got it in the blood from somewhere I guess...
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
05-02-2008, 02:54 AM
#25
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I just looked at your myspace, thats cool you pitch for the rangers, I wouldn't have guessed, my natural assumption is that ayone who own's the nice porsche's you have in your sig is over 50, lol. Just out of curiosity did you play last time you were up in boston? Ohh and getting the MX-5 is just about the smartest thing you could have done. You'll learn far more in that than you ever will in the higher HP cars. Don't be afraid to stay in lower hp cars for a long time, trust me its a hell of alot easier to go from a low hp car to a high hp car than the other way around, in racing momentum is king. Sticking with lower hp cars early in your career will pay huge dividends later on.
I may be one of the youngest guys racing, but tell me if Im off about that...Im 19 and started DE last year. I'm now in Black group and have 4 cr wins out of 5 races(ehem...would have been 5 without a certain deer...) and hold LRP class lap records 1 and 2...I dunno, got it in the blood from somewhere I guess...
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
05-02-2008, 04:12 AM
#26
Rennlist Member
I really am certain that I will extract the full amount of talent out of myself via this avenue...but make no mistake the "later" portion of my career is something I focus on a lot...it helps to know where you want to go!
good luck with the sponsor ride and keep us updated on any cup progress! I love those cars and look forward to getting into one myself soon
good luck with the sponsor ride and keep us updated on any cup progress! I love those cars and look forward to getting into one myself soon
05-02-2008, 05:18 AM
#27
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I'm sure that according to them- your 'job' as a driver is to make the best work of their money- and in today's corporate sponsored event world...you've just got to please certain people. Selling yourself personality wise is just as important to them as your wheel skills.
Winning...well that's not really why some guys buy teams in any sport. A lot of the money men just want to be attached to something cool that they can brag about to their friends, and bring the clients out.
Winning...well that's not really why some guys buy teams in any sport. A lot of the money men just want to be attached to something cool that they can brag about to their friends, and bring the clients out.
05-02-2008, 09:38 AM
#28
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I may be one of the youngest guys racing, but tell me if Im off about that...Im 19 and started DE last year. I'm now in Black group and have 4 cr wins out of 5 races(ehem...would have been 5 without a certain deer...) and hold LRP class lap records 1 and 2...I dunno, got it in the blood from somewhere I guess...
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
Started in the 996tt but Im getting out of that and most likely into a 997 cup (or whatever the soon to be sponsors want to pay for).
Making a living driving a race(sports) car is not easy, and takes alot more than just talent You should study the careers of drivers like Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, David Murry and Colin Braun among others. These guy's have put every ounce of their soul into racing. Lets just say it's a 24-7-365 kind of job!!!
05-02-2008, 10:41 AM
#29
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Making a living driving a race(sports) car is not easy, and takes alot more than just talent You should study the careers of drivers like Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, David Murry and Colin Braun among others. These guy's have put every ounce of their soul into racing. Lets just say it's a 24-7-365 kind of job!!!