I’m a longtime Ruby Hill resident (since 2005), lifelong car enthusiast, and motorsports fan—and this column will be about all of that and more. My fascination with cars began as a teenager, reading about the Indy 500 and heading to Sonoma Raceway (back when it was still called Sears Point Raceway), sitting on the hood of my car to watch local SCCA races. I was drawn not just to the cars themselves, but to the sounds, the smells, and the stories behind the people who drove and built them. I even spent time wrenching on a 1977 Capri V6, dreaming about taking it to the track despite having no idea what I was doing at the time. Ironically, it took nearly 40 years—and my wife, Mary—before I ever drove a car on a racetrack.

Mary and I now regularly participate in HPDE track days, and motorsports has become a big part of our lives together. What began as spectating eventually turned into hands-on learning—developing car control, discipline, and a deep respect for both machine and environment. We attend IndyCar races such as the Long Beach Grand Prix, Laguna Seca Grand Prix, Portland Grand Prix, and even our first Indy 500 this year, along with Formula One races in places like Las Vegas and Montreal, and NASCAR at Sonoma. Our two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Victoria, have caught the motorsports bug as well and often join us on these adventures, turning race weekends into shared family experiences.

Beyond race weekends and track days, my friends and I make an annual pilgrimage to Monterey Car Week. With so many events packed into one week, you have to choose carefully—between car auctions, concours events, rallies, historic racing at Laguna Seca, exclusive gatherings, or simply standing roadside watching some of the rarest and most extraordinary cars in the world roll by. It’s a celebration of automotive history, design, and passion in all its forms. On a more local and informal level, I also enjoy attending Cars & Coffee events, where early mornings, coffee in hand, turn into great conversations with fellow enthusiasts.

Closer to home, I enjoy the occasional overnight drive with fellow Ruby Hill car enthusiasts through the Santa Cruz Mountains. Quiet roads, changing light, and good company offer a different kind of connection—one that reminds us driving doesn’t always have to be about lap times or horsepower, but about the experience itself.

In our own garage, Mary and I currently track a 2019 Porsche GT3 RS and a 2018 Cayman GTS at venues including Sonoma Raceway, Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, and Buttonwillow. I’ve even taken my Maserati GranTurismo out for laps, proving that great driving experiences come in many forms. In this column, I’ll share stories, experiences, and perspectives from the driver’s seat, the grandstands, and everything in between—because whether it’s a high-speed lap on a racetrack or a quiet drive through mountain roads, cars are more than machines; they’re memories, passion, and community.