Coffee, Cars & Conversation: David Hodges

by Bill Kruder, Region President photos provided by Scott Kellogg

We first met at a Maverick Board meeting shortly after I had become President in 2020. As we went through each Chairperson’s update, I realized I didn’t really understand where Club Racing and HPDE fit in. I’m admittedly no track guy, so what is Club Racing? David suggested we meet for coffee one day and he would walk me through it. So, meet we did, at one of my favorites, 1418 Coffee House, in downtown Plano, and David did his best to explain.

Let me tell you, if you have never attended a PCA Club Race you need to. Heck, thanks to David, we now have two on the National calendar at Eagles Canyon. From North Dallas it’s only a 75-minute drive and we all know we like to drive, right?

So here is the next in my series of “conversations” . . .

David Hodges, enthusiast since 1986 2012 991S Cab, 2002 996 Spec Race car, and 2009 997S Spec Race car and back to L.A. During my high school years, we lived in Fairfield, CA, home of Travis Air Force Base, which is about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento.

BK: How about college? DH: Interesting enough, fair to say, I was a bit of a hellion as a kid, so my dad thought it best he get me out of California, and sent me to the University of Oklahoma (laughing).

David Hodges and the 1983 944 that started it all through the years it changed hands a few times, finally being part of JP Morgan. I stayed with them till 2009 when I saw the end coming so made the change to Wells Fargo, which I’m still with today.

BK: I know we have a bit of the same love for Chicago? DH: Oh yes (smiling), I love that city. I commuted from Dallas to Chicago for a year back in 2008. I had an apartment at 680 North

Lake Shore Drive, aka the

Playboy Building, near the

Navy Pier.

BK: So tell me how did you and Donna meet? DH: Like I said, I had moved to Houston in the late 70s and she and I lived in the same apartment complex. We went to the same fitness center. One day I finally asked her out and we dated for nearly 10 years before getting married in 1995.

BK: And you have a daughter? DH: We do. Kate is now 25. She went to UT Austin and still lives there working for IBM.

Bill Kruder: You have been an enthusiast since 1986, but when did you join PCA? David Hodges: I joined PCA and the Lone Star Region in Houston in 2005. We moved and transferred into the Maverick Region in 2006. As fast as I could (laughing)!

BK: Ok, let’s start with where you are from? DH: Let’s see. I was born in Riverside, California, which is about 50 miles southeast of L.A. My dad was a military guy so we moved a lot, having tours in Europe, New York, BK: I see. And what did you study? DH: My undergraduate degree was in Finance and Economics; I then got my MBA in Business Administration.

BK: So how did you end up in Dallas? DH: After graduating I took a banking job in Houston and lived there from 1978 until moving here in 2006.

BK: Tell me about your career. DH: Kind of interesting. In the banking world I actually started with Texas Commerce Bank in 1978, and BK: Let’s switch gears and talk cars. What was your first car? DH: Oh man! Of all things it was my mom’s ‘64 Plymouth Valiant; I did sell it later on for $75 (laughing).

BK: What was next? DH: (smiling) Not sure why but as soon as got my first check I bought a brand new ‘79 Chevy Nova.

BK: What was your first Porsche? DH: It was back in 1986. Funny, it was almost a 928 - I took it out for a test drive and it quite frankly

scared me. It had so much power. So, long story short, I bought an ‘83 944 and I had that until 2004. Then I traded the 944 for a white 2000 Convertible 996.

BK: And today? DH: Back in 2014 I bought our 2012 991S Cab. It’s my daily driver, and if it’s not raining, the top is down year round. Hey, we live in Dallas why would you not (laughing)?

BK: How did you get so involved in racing? DH: After I bought the ‘00 996, I would go out on drives on some of the local Farm-to-Market roads, and one day I thought “I like to drive fast but I need a controlled environment.” This was when I was living in Houston, so I joined the Lone Star Region in 2005 and attended a DE at Texas World Speedway in College Station, and the addiction began.

BK: How about Club Racing? DH: As I progressed through DE back in 2007, I became an instructor, then a team lead into the Advanced team, the top group. Then it was time to go racing head to head, so in 2010 I began my Club Race career, with 170 starts now under my belt. BK: So how many races or track days a year are you involved with? DH: Let’s see. I do five DEs a year, five Club Races a year, and as a PCA National Steward I work five other Club Races.

BK: Where do you operate you two spec racers from? DH: I have the ‘02 Spec 996 at Motor Sport Ranch and the ‘09 Spec 997 at Eagles Canyon.

BK: What advice would you have for someone wanting to get into Club Racing? DH: Don’t wait another day. I wish I had started doing HPDE and Club Racing earlier. It is a great community of people, not to mention the excitement and challenge of driving a magnificent Porsche on any racetrack in America.

If it’s driving on the tollway, a Farm-to-Market road, or laps on the track it’s . . . DRIVING FRIENDSHIPS!