We came across a new social media posting by Lew Bracker – Palm Springs, California, USA – 28 January 2024 -on Facebook’s Ghost Tracks and Circuits page. We are trying to get in touch with him to see if we can relay more details here of his motor racing past.
“It ocurred to me today that I may be one of the very few sports car race drivers who raced on the wonderful tracks at Torre Pines and Pebble Beach in California.It was very early in my career, first year of racing and with only two races under my belt. In fact, it was the final year for both tracks as a golf course was built on the Terre Pines land and the residents of Pebble Beach’s 17 Mile Drive finally put a stop to the road races through their hallowed ground.
“I think Pebble Beach was doomed when on the week-end I raced there. Ernie McAfee, a Ferrari dealer in L.A. and a good driver went into the trees and died in the crash.
“I went on to become pretty fair “Porsche Pilot” winning the inaugural under 1500cc Production race at the great Riverside Speedway among other races on the West Coast, but I will always wish that I could have returned to Torre Pines and Pebble Beach as an experienced race driver in #113, the first Black Porsche ever built and put Carerra on the map.”
Marcus messaged him “Lew, what a fascinating post. We are interested to know more about your racing life and would like to do a piece for the group which races the Pebble Beach cars today, the Del Monte Trophy Race Group – I help out Rob Manson of Carmel Valley. And where is the #113, the first Black Porsche, today? www.dmtrg,com”
Lew Bracker was friends with James Dean and wrote the celebrated biography Jimmy and Me. Some of Lew’s racing exploits (my, did he drive that black Porsche well…) are in the internet, for example…
Pebble Beach 1956: https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Pebble_Beach-1956-04-22b.html
James dean and racing https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/07/03/lew-bracker-james-dean/
The Porsche http://www.gambleart.com/provenance.htm
https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/biblio3/146/Against_Death_And_Time.pdf
The MacAfee crash which heralded the end of racing at Pebble Beach… Ernie McAfee (1919–1956) was an early hot rodder who was a member of the 90 MPH club and the SCTA Road Runners club of Southern California. Hhis Ferrari #0546LM was repaired and later raced by several gentlemen racers. Does anyone know where the car is now and who owns it? Any photos and history would be greatly appreciated.
Written by Marcus Bicknell, Jan 30 2024 hoping for more information about the Porsche today.