A transplant from the Chicagoland area, John’s first exposure to performance and competitive motor sports was in 1990, where a friend invited him to a BMW Club event at the then named Summit Point Raceway. It was the sound of a Porsche 911’s engine at full song that hooked John.  Before year’s end, he was a dedicated SCCA Flag & Communications volunteer, working as many events as he could find.

Racing History

John became a licensed SCCA competitor in 1997, where he shared his wife’s Honda Civic in the ITC class through the 1998 season.  After a short time away from driving to focus on the new home he and his wife were having built, John returned to competition status in 2001 with a Honda CRX in the ITC class.  In 2002, John competed in his first full season in the MARRS championship, finishing a respectable 5th place. Also, in 2002, John competed in his first endurance race, where he and his team drove to a 2nd place finish in class at the 12 Hours at the Point.  Non-racing injuries limited John’s participation over the next two seasons.  By 2005 both he and his car were ready to compete, and complete they did!  John walked away with three MARRS victories in 2005, on route to winning his first championship.  2006 was a repeat year, with another three race wins and a back to back championship victory.  In late 2006, John competed with other Casa de Amiogs team members as they drove to a dominating class win at the Charge of the Headlight Brigade at Virginia International Raceway.

Looking for new challenges, in 2007 John ran a part-time schedule and sold his MARRS ITC Champion Honda CRX. Over the next year, John tried his hand in both an ITB Honda CRX as well as a Spec Racer Ford.  In 2008, John drove a Spec Racer Ford at the prestigious June Sprints at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  In only his second race in an SRF, and despite starting from deep in the 88 car field, John drove cleanly and gained 30 positions by the checkered flag. On Labor Day Weekend 2008, John debuted a recently purchased ITA Honda CRX. Even though the goal of the weekend was shaking down the car to learn what needed to be done to it, John placed 6th in a hard-fought ITA race.

Accomplishments

• MARRS ITC Drivers Representative to the Competition Committee, 2006 – 2008
• 1st Place ITC, Charge of the Headlight Brigade, 2006
• 1st Place MARRS ITC Championship, 2006
• 1st Place MARRS ITC Championship, 2005
• Winner Paul H. Norair Most Improved Driver Award, 2005
• 5th Place, MARRS ITC Championship, 2003
• 2nd Place, ITC, 12 Hours at the Point, 2002

Life Beyond the Track

John lives in Charles Town, West Virginia with his wife and fellow Amigo Beth Burkhard, Abby the Dog and The Stiglet. Away from the track, John is an information technology consultant ICF Consulting, a mid-sized international IT and environmental services consulting firm based in Fairfax, VA.