Slipstream - November 2013

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I Get Around: The Memories Last a Lifetime By Dick Badler Courtesy High Gear, the Rocky Mountain Region Newsletter Editor’s Note: Denver resident Dick Badler writes regularly for outlets that include TFLCar.com, Planet-9.com, and High Gear, the publication of the Rocky Mountain Region of PCA. Over the years, Dick has owned six Porsches. He still has number three, a ‘78 911SC, which he bought in 1988. It happened just like that. As I was leaving an appointment, my host introduced me to her next client. Then she noted, almost parenthetically, “. . . oh, and she knows something about cars and racing.” Really? “Oh yes,” my host said. “Does the name Peter Revson mean anything to you?” Uh . . . yeah . . . “Well, meet his sister, Julie.” No kidding! Julie and I chatted for a few minutes. And, in the course of the conversation, she dropped the names of people she met and knew. Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, Jackie Stewart. And she asked me if I read “the book.” What book? Why, the book co-written by the late editor of Autoweek, Leon Mandel: “Speed With Style: the Autobiography of Peter Revson.” I hadn’t. For no good reason. I always admired Leon Mandel’s work, especially at Autoweek. So my host said “just a minute” and came back with a copy of the book that Julie had obviously loaned to her. “Here,” she said, “just don’t lose my place.” I followed up with my host to get Julie’s contact information, to see 24 November if she’d be willing to talk about her brother, say, over lunch. And so we met for what turned out to be a much longer conversation than I expected. Here are the highlights. The first thing I did was cram on the book, in order to prepare. And that’s where I had my first surprise: it turns out that the book was published posthumously. It came out the day after Revson died, testing at Kyalami in South Africa. The publisher and Mandel decided to leave it in circulation anyway. It became very clear that Julie idolized her brother. He was the oldest of four; Julie was third. “If it had not been for the accident, he would have retired at the end of the 1974 season,” she said. “He wanted to do other things.” She paused. “I miss him every day.” “What do you think of his career?” she asked me. I said I thought he was very, very good. And very, very driven, so to speak, which is what it takes. But he was broader-minded than a lot of his competitors. He could walk away. And that probably kept him from becoming a real potential world champion. I said that, in every era, there’s always someone who stands out as the best of the best. But these people are willing to make a supreme personal sacrifice to get there. If you don’t have it in you, if you don’t have that single-minded focus, beyond all else, it’s not going to happen. “Like Schumacher?” Yes, like Schumacher, before he retired the first time. I think Schumacher was so driven, he couldn’t get it out of his system. Nothing else compared. Nothing else probably even came close. So he came back . . . and did nothing . . . and he retired again. “And Peter?” Let’s put it in perspective. To get to Formula 1 is unbelievable. To do so as an American is really unbelievable. And to win two Grands Prix, in a career cut short, is really, really unbelievable. She smiled. “Who’s at the top today?” Oh, Vettel. No question. And the thing is, he comes across as a kid, with this grin, as if to say, “Pinch me. Isn’t this incredible? I’m as amazed about my career as you are.” It’s kind of like Jay Leno saying, hey, if you were me, you’d indulge your car passion like me, too. But look, I said, it was a long time ago, 39 years. “Yes, but you’d be amazed. People remember. I was at Amelia Island, and people were coming up to me. They wanted my autograph. Mine. “At the Daytona 24-hour race, I saw Dan Gurney. I went up to him and introduced myself. I didn’t think he heard me. So I said it again. And then, oh, he spun around. He was very polite, and he invited me to come to any race, as his guest, just let him know. “You know, we lost another brother, a few years earlier, Douglas. Also racing. But I think he just did it because Peter did it.” Didn’t Peter win Sebring in a Porsche with Steve McQueen? “Second. And, by the way, Peter drove nine of the 12 hours - Mc- Queen had a broken foot.” Peter never married, and never had children. Do you have children? “One son.” Is he interested in racing?
“Yes, but mostly NASCAR. Go figure. But he has the same personal drive, the same focus as Peter. It’s eerie.” The book really intimates that he would have had one season left. What do you think he would have done, after he retired? “Oh, Peter was working on it. He already had a car dealership and a memorabilia and parts store. He wouldn’t become a Roger Penske. Penske never stops. It’s his life. But Peter would have figured it out.” And, with that, Julie stared out past me, into space. Flashing Lights in the Hill Country: Hill Country Rallye 2013 By Michael Vriesenga, Longhorn Region PCA and Lone Star 912 Photos courtesy of the Author Fifty years ago, Porsche owners acknowledged each other when they passed on the road by flashing their lights. It was a friendly way of recognizing the love of driving and fine machinery that Porsche ownership implied. During March 21-24, 2013, that common love of back roads and great cars bloomed again as 56 classic Porsches, including eleven 356s, thirty-two 911s, and twelve 912s gathered in Boerne for the 12th Annual Hill Country Rallye (HCR). Porsche enthusiasts from around Austin organize the Hill Country Rallye annually. It is not sponsored by any organization, and there is no competition. HCR offers an opportunity to share your passion for Porsches with fellow enthusiasts over curving back roads, tasty meals, and parking lot talks in a lawn chair with your favorite beverage. This year that passion drew Porsche drivers and fans from as far away as North Carolina, California, Mexico and Japan. Friday morning dawned cool and misty, while two groups circled west from Boerne up Highway 16 to Kerrville and then east to the Alamo Springs Café and General Store. It’s easy to enjoy both the switchbacks through the Medina Mountains and the third best burgers in Texas. After lunch, drivers chose “hops” or “grapes” for tours of the Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco or the Sister Creek Vineyard. Following a catered barbecue dinner, Shiner and conversation flowed freely in the parking lot as drivers admired and discussed each others’ cars. The Porsches from Monterrey, Mexico were among the most distinctive: brightly colored, immaculately prepared, and diligently washed and dried after each drive. Saturday, the Porsches split into driving and touring groups. The driving group explored the “Three Sisters,” famous for their length and curves. The touring group twisted up Crabapple Creek Road to the LBJ Ranch, where they were delighted to have Lynda Bird Johnson Robb lead the tour of her parents’ home. Saturday evening culminated with an Italian buffet supper, California wine, and door prizes, but no awards. The Hill Country Rallye is a celebration of driving great roads and a shared passion for Porsches, not a competition. Morrie Larson of Lone Star 912, as well as Jamie Novak and Bill Conway, deserve a standing ovation for the work they did putting HCR 2013 together. Sean Brindley’s Web site (http://www.hillcountryrallye. org) looks great now and should get better in the future. 25
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Slipstream - November 2013

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