Mike Dubé is a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s. He is an owner, mechanic and driver of his 1970 Porsche 914/4 vintage race car. His father, Dave and brother-in-law, Tony Capone, are his crew and rooting section. Like many other enthusiasts, he has traveled a varied path to get to the point of actually getting on to a race track.

Mike of Tewksbury, MA, became interested in cars from his neighbor, Frank Grimaldi, who raced several different cars during the 60’s and 70’s on the Trans Am circuit. Frank now races a ’68 Camaro on the HSR and SVRA circuit of races. Frank’s tales of races got Mike hooked and teenager Mike started serving as Frank’s pit crew at races in Lime Rock, Ct, Mid-Ohio and other races of the vintage circuit. Frank’s taunting and Mike’s dreams finally took hold in 1995. Mike decided to attend Skip Barber’s Racing School at Lime Rock, CT. Thrilling can be the only term used to describe Mike’s experience at the school. The teachers thought that Mike had some talent. That was all that Mike had to hear.

Mike is not a young man who has had an easy life. He has severe dyslexia and attended mostly private schools that specialize in this problem of reading and writing. Mike works long hours as owner of a tree removal company and working on his car usually comes at night and on Sundays. Mike’s biggest problem was getting a car to participate in vintage races. Tha answer was sitting in his father’s garage.

Mike’s dad, Dave, had driven a 1970 Porsche 914, as a street car in the 70’s and never had the heart to get rid of it. He had parked it in the middle of his garage for almost 20 years vowing to restore it someday. Mike asked him if he could make it into a race car and the reply was yes.

Mike now had to learn to weld the body where it had rusted, change the suspension and brakes to racing breaks, repair the engine and clutch, add racing tires, bolt in a rollcage and have it painted. Remember Mike’s liabilities with reading added to his time of repair. He also joined the Porsche Club of America to try and find people with expertise on Porsches. Mike spent many hours on the phone with George Hussey of Automobile Atlanta seeking advice and finding parts to enhance his car. After countless hours of work, Mike’s first race came in 1999 at the Lime Rock, CT, Fall Festival in September.

Mike did not win a trophy but the experience was exciting competing against the drivers from Brumos of Jacksonville, FL and the friendly people from Klub Sport of Ft Laudedale, FL. Again, in 2000, Mike competed at Lime Rock, Ct and decided to give Daytona a try in December. Daytona was exciting driving on the banked turns and the road course in the infield. The people that he met have all encouraged Mike to continue with his racing. Mike felt he needed to go faster to compete, so a new engine was in order in 2001. He couldn’t race against the higher end outfits without a better engine.

Mike sent his old engine out to FAT Performance of Orange, CA, for a rebuild and got back a custom engine to enhance his speed. This allowed him to compete on a higher level and to race at the Porsche Rennsport Renuion in July 2001 against some world championship drivers. Just being on the track with some world champions was an emotional high. Mike picked up some tips from these drivers and continues to improve. In September 2001, Mike was back at Lime Rock, CT, for the Fall Festival and in November 2001, back in Daytona for the Brumos Race.

In 2002, Mike expects to compete at Virginia International Speedway in July, Watkins Glen in September, Daytona in November and some others that we can fit into his schedule.