During my high school days in Canoga Park, California, I was interested in Hot Rods, oval track racing and watching the Mighty Midgets at Gilmore Stadium’s quarter–mile, clay track.
However, in 1953 and 1954, I found myself stationed in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, with the United States Air Force. It was while I was in Germany that I discovered the Porsche, and it was in Bavaria that I noticed those amazing cars zipping effortlessly around curves at speeds that took my breath away.
On Saturdays, I would ride 40 miles on the train to Munich and go straight to Mahag VW–Porsche Dealership. There I would drool over the Porsches while I talked to the people there about them. I wanted one.
Back home in Evanston, Illinois, where my parents now lived, my dad sold my Hot Rod and then loaned me an additional $1500 so I could order a Porsche! I proudly took delivery of a Porsche “Super” Coupe with a roller bearing crankshaft. The people at the dealership encouraged me to keep the engine singing at 3000 RPM at least. The Red Line was 5500 RPM. I loved shifting the gears. When I got back to the base, I rented a garage nearby for my car.
As a G.I., I could purchase 100 gallons of gas from the PX for $25. WOW! I had fun driving every evening at full throttle, sliding the car and drifting around turns, teaching myself how to go fast on twisty two-lane roads.
Two of my Air Force friends and I traveled to our first Sports Car and F1 race in Rhiems, France, in 1954. The Sports Car Race began at midnight and went for 12 hours on the road course. All the big names of the day were there. The names I can remember are: In the Porsche 550’s, Herbert Linge; Jaguars – Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorne; and an American, Masten Gregory drove a Ferrari. It was pitch black where we were standing watching in a field along the track.
As I watched the race, it only took a few laps and I knew in my heart this is what I wanted to do with my life! From that moment, I was excited to finish my four–year Air Force stint, so I could get back to the states and begin my racing career. I began to read “Road and Track” magazine and dreaming of getting a Competitive License in the SCCA.
It was raining, so we walked up to the pits and climbed over the wall to watch the action around the Sports Cars as they made pit stops. The Sports Car race was over at noon.
The F1 race was going to begin at 3:00 pm. After lunch, the F1 cars began to unload. For the first time since before the second World War, Mercedes was entering the F1. They unloaded these beautiful silver cars, three as I remember. There were two open-wheel cars and one full fendered car, all of course, with center seating. It was the first time anyone had seen them at a race track. There were also Ferraris and Maseratis. I don’t remember the name of the French car that was entered in the race. Needless to say, we had to leave the area above the pits, so we went back to a field along the track and watched from there. The Mercedes dominated the race.
We headed back to the base, stopping in a little village for the night. We parked the car in the middle of an empty lot across the road from the hotel. The foundation of the hotel had sunk and my bed was propped up by bricks on one end to make it level so hotel guests wouldn’t slip out. In the morning, I looked out the window. The empty lot where I parked the night before was completely filled with people and colorful little stalls. It was Market Day in the village! The people were very kind to move around so we could get out of their way.
By the way, a movie starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvey was being filmed at many European races that year. I loved that movie and saw it many times. Kirk Douglas had the leading role as a race driver. Bella Darvey, who played his friend, was a ballet dancer in the movie. Guess what – in 1965 I married Patsy Ramsey, a ballet dancer!
For the rest of our time in Germany, my friends and I went to the races at Nurburg Ring in Northern Germany, Monza in Italy and in Bern, Switzerland. I had fun driving the Nurburg Ring twice in my Porsche. That place was treacherous for someone who had no time on it. It was fourteen miles of hills and undulating roads with corners and hedge rows.
