ATLANTA. Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 co-Grand Marshal Alwin Springer has no shortages of stories from his decades working almost exclusively with Porsche racing cars. His place in the history of the German sports car manufacturer, particularly in North America, is so intricately entwined and far-reaching it is impossible to measure his impact on Porsche, and sports car racing as a whole. The German native but long-time naturalized American is among the few who have attended every Porsche Rennsport Reunion – starting 2001 in Lime Rock. And he’s back this year, reunited with many of the cars he was so involved in supporting when they were brand new – working long into the night to help competitors, using his experience to fix problems and ensure they can race.
Springer has been rooted in Porsche Motorsport for over 50 years – first as a technician, and ultimately as CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America from 1990 to 2002. He was instrumental in shaping the motorsport presence of Porsche in the United States into what it is today and remains an intricate element of the marque to this day as a consultant. Having begun with the Porsche 718 Spyder in 1966 up through multiple iterations of the 917, the 935 and punctuated by his involvement with the 962, Springer has led Porsche on this continent through many of its most significant milestones.
“This time, at Rennsport this year, I believe I will have the time to do what I want to do: to talk to people, and of course to help those who need it to get their car to the grid! That is what I cherish the most about the Rennsport events. It brings the people together. Everyone at Rennsport is an enthusiast and they are dedicated..”
One thing that is not a rare occurrence is Springer’s opportunity to get his hands dirty. As he has done at the previous six Porsche Rennsport Reunions, he fully expects to be called upon to get at least one of the 300+ Porsche race cars to the grid.
“Every Rennsport we work on cars,” smiles Springer. “Many, many times we have had cars that didn’t run right, and we would pull out our tools and we would get to work. Mostly the 962 but some other cars too. The 962 is not sophisticated for a race car, especially by today’s standards, but it is to many of the owners of the cars now.”
When that occurs, Springer is not alone - he reunites his former team; –long time PMNA colleagues Eric Bloss and Derek Denzel. Bloss’s presence at PMNA dates back to the 1980s where he worked first-hand on the quintessential prototype of its time, the Porsche 962. Denzel “only” dates back a couple of decades working alongside the legendary Porsche engineer and leader.
“Eric [Bloss] is a good right hand and so is Derek [Denzel],” complimented Springer. “We often get pulled to the side to work on cars in the paddock and I get to work with them just like we always have. We try very, very hard to help everyone. Sometimes we can’t fix it with what we have with us but most of the time we can. Just like it has always been, we get a great deal of pleasure from watching a car start a race when they thought they would be going home.”
While pulling from a mental shop manual that has sat on a shelf of his mind for decades comes naturally to Springer, it is the interaction that is a newfound pleasure.
Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 will be held September 28 – October 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. With race and road car models on location dating from the company’s founding 75 years ago through to today with hints of the company’s performance future, the event is the world’s largest gathering of Porsche enthusiasts and a celebration of the German marque’s motorsport past, present and future.
For more information, go to www.porscherennsportreunion.com/.
