Ron Grable—Renaissance Man

Ron Grable did not fit the normal profile of a race driver. Not only did he begin his racing after graduating from college, he raced sports cars, stock cars, formula cars, production cars, IMSA Prototypes, Trans-Am and Can-Am cars. He raced at tracks all over the United States, at Le Mans, in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and South America. Over the course of his three-decade career, Grable won championships in sports cars, sedans and formula cars. Throughout this period, he was an engineer for several high-tech firms and a technical writer for several well-known automobile, airplane and motorcycle magazines. Oh, yes, he also operated a restaurant and flew a Pitts Special Bi-Plane in aerobatic competition. Clearly, Ron Grable was cut from a different cloth.

Raised in Southern California, after completing high school, Grable enrolled at San Diego State in 1957 with aspirations of becoming an engineer. During his college days, there was nothing to indicate that a career in racing was in his future. Upon graduating with an engineering degree in 1961, Grable bought himself a graduation present—a Porsche Speedster. Unbeknownst to him, this vehicle would become much more than just daily transportation.