Interview: Walt McKay

When you first meet Walt MacKay, you are struck by what a quiet, modest man he is. Currently, he runs a shop repairing, restoring and preparing vintage race cars usually Porsches, but once you dig a little deeper into his background, you find a more than merely competent racecar driver, one who not only drove for the famous Canadian team Comstock Racing but who also constructed and raced his own Group Seven racecar, the Chevrolet Astur. He still competes on the racetrack with various vintage racecars, ranging from the ex-Peter Ryan Lotus 19 to Porsche 911s and his current mount, a late model Mustang Trans-Am car. A graduate in mechanical engineering from Ryerson Polytechnic University, Walt early on displayed an aptitude for sports cars, and he raced his first car, a Ford V8-powered MGTC at hill climb events and from places like Harewood Acres to the fall event at Watkins Glen. John Wright caught up to this busy man at his home in the Caledon Hills area just north of Toronto, Ontario.

VR: So, Walt, tell me about the early days of your involvement in motorsport.