Fun at TruSpeed's Race Shop

by Tammy

I had a rare treat for a race fan last Friday. I'd written an article about my adventures at racing school for a magazine, and they wanted a photo. Not just any photo, but an artsy photo of me in a racecar. It took some doing to find a car I could climb into, but in the end, a friend reconnected me to someone I'd met at the racetrack years ago, and the deal was struck.

Well, it wasn't a deal, except for me. Tyler at TruSpeed Motorcars basically said, "Come on in," and took the time to rearrange and polish a racecar for our use. And then he left me and the photographer alone.

While the photographer set up his gear, I looked around a bit, peeking into the shop part of the building and staring at an amazing array of Porsches. I recognized a few of the cars from past seasons, and I marveled at the number of gorgeous street and race machines they had there. There was a particularly good looking dark green street car....

But before I got too distracted, I climbed in the red racecar and sat there for an hour, resisting the photographer's suggestions that I get out and stretch or relax now and then. I mean, come on! This was my chance to sit in a racecar! I wasn't getting out before we were done. No self-respecting race fan would do anything else.

Besides, I told myself that an hour was nothing. Drivers sit there for more than twice that. (There's the proof I was there.) So I studied the dash and the pedals and the stickers on the rollbars that showed the car had been run at Monza and other cool tracks. And I soaked in a little bit of the racing vibe.

So I owe a big thanks to TruSpeed, a clean and friendly operation ... and one that's good at their job of prepping racecars, judging from the number of trophies in the shop, and from the Pirelli World Challenge GT championship Patrick Long took in the TruSpeed car. I can't thank them enough for allowing me and a photographer to climb around one of their cars (we didn't hurt it, of course). If you're looking for Porsche sales, service, or racing support, check them out. And join me in rooting for them in the IMSA GT cup next year.

It's about time for some racing around here, don't you all think?!