This article first appeared in the April, 2014 edition of SportsCar Magazine. SCCA members can read the current and past editions of SportCar digitally here after logging into their account; To become an SCCA member and get SportsCar mailed to your home address monthly in addition to the digital editions, click here.
Paul Pfanner
CEO & Executive Publisher
Racer Media Marketing, Inc.
First Joined SCCA: 1973
Like many, my SCCA life started by attending a pro race as a teenager. It was the 1969 SCCA Trans Am race at Riverside where I also witnessed several thrilling Regional support races. I was truly inspired by the experience, and by 1973 I’d joined the SCCA and was working with local race shops doing graphic design. This led to involvement in the launch of FORMULA magazine and a Formula Ford in my garage. I eventually found myself working on SportsCar, first as the art director in 1978 and then as the editor in 1979. As the 1980s began, I started a publishing company – our first title was Cal Club Region’s Finish Line. Four years later, we won the contract to publish SportsCar, and in 1992 our company launched RACER magazine. RACER fulfilled a dream that began in 1978 as a conversation with my photographer friend, Jeff Zwart, while we were on our first SportsCar cover shoot.
I’ve met some remarkable SCCA members along the way who have guided me forward. One of the first was Mike Hull, my very wise SCCA driving school instructor. Mike is still very wise and is now the managing director of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Perhaps my greatest influence was former SCCA President Nick Craw, whom I worked closely with during his 17 years with the Club. Today, Nick is the President of ACCUS and the FIA Senate. By living as examples, both inspired me to live my dreams.
Dreams are really what our Club is about, and the SportsCar magazine in your hands is the ever-evolving reflection of those dreams. The only real constants in SCCA life are change and the spirit of speed that bonds us together. What we’ve done to get to this moment is important, but what we dream of achieving next will always be what drives us forward.
