A Visit with Tyler Mavericks at The Car Barn

by Doug Jacobson photos provided by Paul Moseley

Members of the Porsche Club of America often hear “it’s not about the cars, it’s about the people.” That was brought to life on October 22 when members from throughout the Maverick Region met in Tyler for our most recent away-from-the-Metroplex get together. Folks driving from the D/FW Metroplex gathered at the Buc-ees in Terrell and departed en masse to meet with our East Texas contingent in Tyler.

The Hibbs family hosted the group of 81 people at their garage for coffee, lunch, a tour of the amazing cars, and a best-laptime competition on a racing simulator. Most importantly, our hosts generously provided the refreshments so the $25 registration fee could go directly to supporting a scholarship program for automotive tech students at Tyler Junior College. Billy Hibbs provided a tour of the collection, with in-depth details of the cars and their significance, the restoration that was undertaken, and the titles that they have won. Tisa Hibbs and her mother, Phyllis Weiss, entertained the guests while ensuring all their needs were met, and Stratton Hibbs coached drivers on the racing simulator to help each get their personal best time and provided encouragement if they spun out or ran into the armco barrier and trashed the 911 RSR.

With over $2,000 raised through the registration fees, Maverick Region President announced that the Region would add $1,000 to that amount. However, it was quickly amped up by Chris Sorrells, who raised his hand holding a $100 bill and challenged the attendees to match his donation in order to raise another $1,000. My hand flew up into the air along with those of many others, and we quickly collected another $1,160. Pledges were made for another $2,000, led by Thomas Michael who sent a check for $1,000. With the Club providing an additional $1,000, TJC will receive $7,000. And, the fun hadn’t even begun. Folks divided into two groups – while one got a guided tour of the remarkable cars, some with notable pedigrees and several which have won many prestigious awards at concours events, including Best In Show at the 2022 Concorso Italiano during car week in Monterey, California and the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals Triple Diamond Award, the other group raced each other on the simulator. During lunch, Mitch Andrews, TJC Vice President for Institutional Advancement & Chief Advancement Officer, expressed his appreciation for the club’s donation and discussed how it will be used to assist students to purchase tools and cover tuition, as well as other programs to help students become successful in their future careers with little or no college debt. After lunch, the two groups switched places. In addition to the cars, there were fantastic posters, books, and trophies and other automobilia to peruse, such as a Cushman mini-bike.

When the dust settled on the simulated race at Brands Hatch, two winners stood clear. Grant Thomas smoked the field in his group with a time of 52.1 (which he then beat by nearly 3 seconds on an unofficial lap after the competition ended), and Brandon Ashton (54.8) edged out Matthew Ardaiz 55.1, proving that there’s magic in driving on the back roads of East Texas. Grant and Brandon each