Andy Porterfield (1931–2012)

Longtime SCCA stalwart Andy Porterfield died in mid-April at the age of 80 from complications following heart valve surgery. Beyond being honored with the club’s premier award, the Woolf Barnato Trophy, in 2009, Porterfield’s list of on-track accomplishments are highlighted by an unprecedented 22 Southern Pacific Division championships, back-to-back B-Production National Championships in 1978 and ’79 and selection as the SCCA’s Driver of the year in 1978. His voluntary off-track contributions include 16 years of service on the Cal Club Region Board, a dozen years on the SCCA National Board of Directors and an ongoing presence on the board of SCCA Enterprises, which he still chaired at the time of his death. He was also instrumental in the success of the Long Beach Grand Prix, where he had coordinated the efforts of the trackside support workers since the late ’70s.

Porterfield began racing a Corvette in 1957 and his early competitive successes—including his two National Championships —were all achieved in Corvettes. In 1981, he switched to Camaros for the Trans-Am and selected IMSA GTO races, and continued racing them from then on, including 2012. Legend has it that he won more SCCA races than any other member ever.