Finding Gold

“Ahhhh, the stories he could tell…”

Member Feature by Mark Johnson

If you want a race story, he’s got a million of them. Ken Fengler has been a Porsche aficionado since he first acquired a 914 as a college student, with a student loan no less. Since that time, he has owned a total of 12 different and unique Porsche vehicles, and to this day has three PCars in his automotive ownership . In addition to several Porsches, he also has a British sports car or two (at least a Triumph TR6 that we know of), and a few motorcycles. To say he’s enjoyed the automotive life would be understating the obvious. But why? The reader may ask.

Well, Ken has also been involved in a myriad of automotive driving and racing endeavors ranging from the DEREK BELL MOTORSPORTS Driving School, client programs with Porsche Cars North America, Ferrari, Chevrolet/Corvette, Cadillac, Mazda, and others all over the Western Hemisphere. Currently, Ken is the General Manager and Competition Director for International GT, which features three specific groups of vehicles competing in The Stuttgart Cup, The Mission Foods GT3 Cup, and The Maranello Cup (www.InternationalGT. net). Additionally, Ken has been keenly involved with Historic Sports Racing (HSR) and the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). There is more— much, much more.

Getting back to Ken’s start with Porsche: it is unique and would not be considered “appropriate” in today’s environment. Yet it is a great story, so we would ask that it be taken with the understanding that times were different. Ken was not from an affluent family, so he was working his way through school in Connecticut in 1975. A chance encounter with a person at the school suggested that he could take out a student loan for his tuition costs. Despite the lack of need for such a loan, regular loan rates were roughly 14-15% at the time, and the student loan was offered at 5%, with no payment due for five years.

Being financially astute, Ken realized he could take the loan for some “spending money” to supplement his part time job as ski instructor. He applied for the assistance and was granted $5,000. Super! Shortly after the funds arrived in his bank account, young Fengler purchased a 1974 Porsche 914 in Phoenix Red. With the money left over, he also acquired an eight-piece drum set from Manny’s Musical Instruments in New York City for $648.60. EPIC. While the 914 was traded for a Mexico Blue 911 Carrera in 1977, he still owns the drums, and he still plays, maybe not as often as he once did.

AND, of course, he paid back the student loan when it came due!

The second part of Ken’s introduction to Porsche was a bit more impactful in the grand scheme of things. Somewhere along the line in 1979 Ken went to a Porsche Club of America meeting in Connecticut. Ken puts it simply: “I owe everything I have done in motorsports to the Porsche Club!” PCA offered many opportunities to Fengler, and he took them to heart and used them to great advantage. In 1979 Ken was the Connecticut Valley Region (CVR) “Rookie of the Year.” By 1980 he became CVR “Most Improved Driver.” Continuing his progress with the Connecticut Valley Region, Ken took increasingly more important and diverse roles: Program Director in 1980, Track Event Chairman in 1981, and then Region President in 1982.

With a move to South Florida in 1983 (he is still in the same home in the Ft. Lauderdale area) he transferred into GCR and is a member in good standing today. With Gold Coast Ken Fengler joined as Ken’s 1977 911 Carrrera in Mexico Blue, he still owns this Porsche

Ken’s current Phoenix Red 914. It may not be the original “student loan 914” but it sure looks like it.

Program Director and Track Director in 1984, and ultimately Gold Coast Region President in 1986-87. During his presidency, Gold Coast Region was awarded the prestigious “PCA Region of the Year” in 1987! Not to rest on these laurels, Ken was also an approved driving instructor for 11 regions, and an approved Concours judge. All of these experiences and titles gained from going to a PCA Region meeting and getting involved.

What came next was where the rest of the story starts. With PCA and Porsche NA connections, Ken was introduced to Mr. Derek Bell. Together they formed Derek Bell Motorsports Inc. The company promoted precision and advanced high performance driving programs and race clinics at more than 14 locations in the US, Europe, and Latin America. It was the first official driving school for Porsche Cars North America. The company operated from 1986 to 1993.

The Gold Coast Region DE (drivers’ education) event in late 1985 was held at Moroso (PBIR) and 90 drivers were scheduled to attend. November 3rd was DE day for GCR. Our Region hoped to bring in a “big name” driver to be the guest chief instructor. Ken was tasked to get the guy. Derek Bell was the reigning World Endurance Champion at the time, driving a Rothman’s Porsche 962C with co-driver Hans Stuck. Ken was told to “bring in Bell.” With great skill, determination, effort, a bit of luck of course, and quite a few phone calls, the penultimate return call arrived. Bell was asked, accepted the invite for a special weekend in Florida and the GCR held a DE with the best driver on the planet! WTG Ken!

There is an article from Die Porsche Kassette written by Mr. Rich Williams for the February 1986 issue that discusses this event and the surrounding happenings of those days. (NOTE: The Derek Bell Motorsports Porsche Driving School is also related to another valued GCR PCA member. Mr. David Schnorr of Schnorr Art used his graphics skills to design the logos and look of the Derek Bell Motorsports Porsche Driving School. It is a small world of a vastly interconnected great group of car guys). Of course, this effort created many additional opportunities. Derek Bell Motorsports led to Palm Beach Autosports, Ferrari Club of America, the Cavallino Ferrari Classic, Justin Bell GT Racing School, and others up to today’s International GT. Ken has been featured in articles from Car & Driver, Porsche Panorama, Corvette Quarterly, Excellence, Speedweek: the list goes on. And then there are the talented drivers he has worked with: Bill Adam, Bob Akin, David Hobbs, Sam Posey, Brian Redman and Jeff Schwartz, to drop just a few names.