Petrolheads, rejoice! The first-ever Gateway Carrera Classic is coming to St. Louis, April 23 and 24. Taking place at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, a short drive across the river, the Carrera Classic will offer exciting head-to-head races featuring several classes of Porsches, from race-prepped stock to GT class racing cars, and everything in-between.
The race is sponsored and operated by the St. Louis Region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA). Numerous volunteers from the club will contribute countless hours to stage this great weekend of racing. All two-door models and all generations of Porsches are expected to be represented. Most races will be a half hour long, with one 1-hour race scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but there will be action on the track all weekend. Practice sessions and qualifying runs will occur throughout the day, interspersed with an advanced driver’s education event, but the races will be held in the afternoons. Racers from all over the Midwest, including a good number from the St. Louis area, are expected to compete. It will be the first race of the year for the growing 944 Cup series, a spec class for Porsche 944’s and 968s of the ’80s and ’90s.
All the action will take place at Gateway Motorsports Park, just off Highway 55/70 in Illinois, on a 1.65-mile road course that includes a 16-degree banked oval. The track is owned by PCA member Curtis Francois, who has greatly enhanced the track’s facilities since acquiring it several years ago. Now comprising 200 acres, it is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. A recent addition has been a world-class go-kart track where aspiring racers can get a taste of racing fun and hone their driving skills. If Porsche racing isn’t enough for you, the track will offer drag racing on its drag strip Saturday night.
The St. Louis Region of the Porsche Club of America has sponsored driver’s education events at the track for decades. These are a great way for Porsche owners (and owners of other sports cars) to experience their cars the way they were meant to be driven. Experienced instructors teach them vehicle dynamics and high-performance driving skills in a safe, controlled setting. It’s a great way to learn what both you and your car can do, and it can make you a much safer and better driver. The race weekend will give students a chance to meet and interact with real race car drivers and might just inspire some to get their racing license. The St. Louis Region PCA is offering driver’s education events for novices to advanced drivers on May 21 and 22 and Oct. 8 and 9 this year at Gateway Motorsports Park. If you’re interested, more information can be found at stl.pca.org.
If you love watching fast cars compete in wheel-to-wheel racing, the Gateway Carrera Classic will be a great event for St. Louis-area Porsche aficionados and racing fans of all ages. Admission is free, but the track may charge a parking fee.
save the date 
what: The first Gateway Carrera Classic race weekend
when: April 23 and 24
where: Gateway Motorsports Park, 700 Raceway Blvd., Madison, Illinois
Robert Paster (robertpaster.com) is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planningand probate.