POC History In The Rearview Mirror By Don Kravig, Precision Motion
Last month’s visit to Sonoma Raceway or (Sears Point as it was referred to for 35+ years), brought back a whole raft of memories from the 1970s and early 1980s...when the POC and the SCCA were on that track constantly. The POC had so many connections to Sonoma that I will try and list just a few. Early member Howard Meister (POC Member #2715) actually owned that track for a period in the 70s - 80s. Howard was a very well known IMSA competitor, racing RSRs in the GTO class and later 934s and 935s. You can pull up his IMSA record to see just how good he really was. Wayne Baker (POC Member #3316), won the Sears Point IMSA GTU race in 1981, from the pole. You might find it interesting that it was the last professional race won by a Porsche 914, and oh...by the way it was a 4 cylinder 2.0 liter. We will get back to Wayne in a minute, but first let me take you back to the “mightiest” Porsche of all time - the Porsche 917-30 and my unforgettable ride in it. As most of you know, the 917 was homologated as a naturally aspirated coupe in the late 60s, and the story of how Porsche pretended to have 100 completed cars would be worthy of Dwain Dement. Anyway in 1969-1970 the 917 won Le Mans, and I believe 16 world championship races which led to the banning of the 12 cylinder naturally aspirated engine. In 1971 Porsche, not to be outdone, obtained the services of Mark Donahue, turbo charged it, and entered it in the American Can Am series which was the haven or purview of the most powerful sports racing cars ever made! Milt Minter, (POC Member #2106) raced both the naturally aspirated and the turbo charged versions of the 917 and used to describe the 917 as his favorite race car of all time. By the way these cars had no computers of any kind. His 48
