Being the owner and driver of a sports car team during the heyday of sports cars racing in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s can be challenging, but also very rewarding.
Competing part-time in both the World Sportscar Championship and IMSA GT Championship. During 1978 he accomplished a win at the Sebring 12 hours and along with veteran racer Brian Redman and Bobby Rahal, our guest Bob Garretson won the 24 Hours of Daytona. Despite not winning another race that season, He won the first ever awarded World Endurance Championship for Drivers title in 1981. He sold his team and retired from racing shortly thereafter… but that’s just the beginning.
And returning with me to co-host this episode is Mike Carr, who some of you might remember from Break/Fix’s Randy Lanier episode.
In our discussion with Bob, we cover topics like:
Check out the follow-along notes, transcript and more details for this episode at GTM
- Tell us about the who/what/when/where of Bob Garretson, how did you get into cars? And eventually into racing? Did it start as a kid? Did you come from a racing family?
- What’s Garretson Enterprises?
- How did the Apple 935 come to be?
- What was it like racing with and against folks like Brian Redman, Bobby Rahal, Al Holbert, Randy Lanier and others.
- It’s been said that the Porsche 935 was one of the most challenging cars to drive and master; what was the appeal of that car over others, and what was it like to drive? Did you still hold the 935 in the same regard?
- What have you been doing in the racing world since dissolving the team? Did you go back to racing?
- and much, much more!
Special behind the scenes bonus mini-sode, available exclusively on Patreon!
Historical Records (provided by the IMRRC)
For more information on Bob Garretson and other drivers from the Golden Era of Sports Car Racing, look to the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) for all sorts of historical data and photographs, like those provided in this article, on all sorts of races and drivers! Check out Bob’s Profile on the IMMRC.
- 99A46 IMSA Facts & Figures 1971 89 IMRRC 001
- 99A46 IMSA Driver Facts IMRRC 001
- 99A46 Analysis Of IMSA GT Drivers 1971 89 IMRRC 001
Where is it now?
Bob mentions on this episode, that his Apple 935 is owned (and vintage raced) by comedian and car enthusiast Adam Corolla. Bob continues to work and coach Adam on how to tune and drive this car; and Bob was able to reunite with the Porsche and drive it once again at the 2022 Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca Raceway.
