The Drivers
DRIVER BIO: DON KITCH JR.
Seattle resident, race car driver Don Kitch, Jr., has been involved in motorsports for over 20 years and is well known in the automotive industry. A veteran of over 200 professional and amateur racing starts, Kitch has involved himself in every aspect of the “Driving Industry.”
In 1997 Kitch founded Team Seattle. The campaign centers around the 24-Hours Of Daytona Sports Car Race as a fund raiser for Children’s Hospital of Seattle.
“Ever since my first experience at the Rolex 24 in 1990, I dreamed about fielding an all Seattle Team. In the past decade, we’ve done just that, bringing back over $3.4 million for the kids. Well, we’re back in Daytona and I hope this continues a long tradition with Seattle, Children’s Hospital, and the Rolex 24.”
DRIVER FACTS
- Birthplace: Hollywood, CA
- Height: 6′ 2″
- Weight: 175 lbs.
- Residence: Bellevue, WA
- Married to Donna Porada-Kitch, 2 daughters
DRIVER BACKGROUND
1991-Present
- 2009 Le Mans driver finishing 9th in rookie year
- 2006 ICSCC 8 Hour Enduro – 1st Place Overall
- Professional Sports Car GARRA G.T. Competitor
- international Motorsports Association (IMSA) competitor
- Barber SAAB Pro-Series competitor
- Bridgestone Super Car Series competitor
- Firestone Firehawk Endurance Series competitor
- Exxon Supreme GTS-1 competitor
- Exxon World Sports Car Series competitor
1982 – 1990
- International Conference Sports Car Clubs competitor
- D-Production Champion
- GT-2 Champion
- Formula Ford- ICSCC “Driver of the Year”
- Formula Ford- Steve Phillips Cup winner
IN HIS OWN WORDS
How did you get started in racing? “Wheels. Ever since I can remember I’ve always built and raced something. When I was about 8 my Dad and I bought a baby buggy at the salvation army and I used the wheels on everything. My friends would come over and want to play football – I always wanted to play coaster carts. We’d build a cart with the wheels and race it and race it and crash it. Then build it again! The lawn mower engine saw a lot of uses too, from soap box derby to go-carts. I’ve always loved cars – it was only a matter of time until I would race”
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DRIVER BIO: RICK JOHNSON
Bend, Oregon resident, racecar driver and automotive dealer, Rick Johnson, has been involved in motorsport for over 20 years and involved in the automotive industry over the last decade.
In 2009 Johnson met Don Kitch, founder of Team Seattle and ProFormance Racing School, and the two have worked together ever since. Johnson now finds himself a seat for the 50th running of the 24-Hours of Daytona Sports Car Race with Dempsey Racing / Team Seattle which also serves as a significant fund raiser for Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Anyone who closes their eyes and dreams of racing dreams of racing the Roles 24 Hours of Daytona. I fully grasp the magnitude of raising money for Seattle Children’s as well as the shared goals of all of the Dempsey Racing / Team Seattle crew and drivers which assemble to support this event.”
DRIVER FACTS
- Residence: Bend, Oregon
- Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
- Height: 5’ 11”
- Weight: 185 lbs.
DRIVER BACKGROUND
2000-Present
- 2011 24 Hours of Lemons – Emory Motorsport crewed team as test event
- 2010 Porsche Event Porsche Test Track Leipzig, Germany
- 2009 Porsche PSDS Masters Barber Motorsports Birmingham Alabama
- 2009 SCCA National NORPAC season Champion S2
- 2009 Porsche Event Monteblanco Seville, Spain
- 2008 SCCA National NORPAC season Champion S2
- 2007 SCCA Runoffs National Championship – Topeka Kansas Finished 13th and earned Sunoco Hard Charger Award.
- 2007 SCCA National NORPAC season 7th place S2
- 2006 SCCA Regional and Conference race season. S2 and SRF
- 2005 Pro Drive Drivers School SCCA License reinstated. SRF
1980 – 1999
- 1984 – 1990 SCCA Drivers schools, SCCA Novice permit, Conference License, Conference Racing.
- 1982 – 1984 IKF License running Nationals on West Coast
- 1980 OMRRA Road Racing Motorcycles West Coast
IN HIS OWN WORDS
How did you get started in racing? Grew up around sports car racing on the West Coast. Crewed when I was younger and did just about anything to be around the track, drivers, and the cars. I rode motocross when I was younger but moved on to road racing motorcycles, IKF karting, and then SCCA and Conference sedan racing.
In 2000 I found myself back in the seat with Porsche events whenever I had the chance and then in 2005 I became involved with racetrack development and found an engineer / coach to get me back in the seat fulltime. Eric Purcell (AIM Autosport) is a great engineer, data / drivers coach, and we worked together well for five years with EFM Racing. I also had Pierre Phillips and Dennis Pavlina assisting to get me competitive in NORPAC and to the Runoffs.
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DRIVER BIO: DAN ROGERS
Anchorage, Alaska resident, racecar driver and electrical engineer, Dan Rogers, has been involved with Team Seattle for the last five years. Dan has been involved with Club racing for the last five years, and Professional level racing with Grand Am for the last year, driving in the Continental Tire ST series.
Rogers is an Electrical Engineer and Director of Electric Power Systems, Inc., an Alaska/Pacific northwest electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering firm serving the power systems industry. He has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics from the University of Alaska. He is married to Crystal, and has three children – Danielle (16), Jonah (14), and Anna Grace (9). In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, cycling, running, Shotokan karate, skiing, and golf.
In 2012, Dan will be in the 50th running of the 24-Hours of Daytona Sports Car Race with Dempsey Racing / Team Seattle which also serves as a significant fund raiser for Seattle Children’s Hospital. In addition, he will be running the entire Grand-Am Continental Tire ST season with Bimmerworld Racing, co-driving with Seth Thomas.
“As a major regional Children’s Hospital, with outreach in Alaska as well as the Pacific Northwest, I am happy to race to help raise funds for the Hospital. Our current fundraising goal is to fund a hybrid cardiac care center at the hospital. As a former heart patient, I have lived the journey that many of the Seattle Children’s kids are going through at the hospital. I am pleased and proud to work with Team Seattle and Children’s Hospital to help improve the level of care for kids in our region.”
DRIVER FACTS
- Residence: Anchorage, Alaska
- Birthplace: Atlantic City, NJ
- Height: 5’ 11”
- Weight: 165 lbs.
DRIVER BACKGROUND
- Overall win in the 2011 Portland Enduro, driving for Bullet Racing in a Porsche 997 Cup Car.
- Raced a partial Grand Am ST 2011 season with Compass360. Best finish – 11th at Laguna Seca
- Finished 2nd in 2011 ICSCC Pro3, a spec class in the Pacific Northwest featuring BMW E30’s
- Finished 3rd in 2011 ICSCC ST, a class in the Pacific Northwest driving a BMW e46 M3.
- Competed in the final two Ford Racing Mustang Challenge races at Miller Motorsports Park in 2010.
- Finished 4th in ES, and 10th overall in the 2010 25 Hours of Thunderhill
- Finished 4th in 2010 ICSCC Pro3.
- Finished 5th in 2009 ICSCC Pro3.
- Finished 5th in class in the 2009 6 Hours of Pacific Raceways
- Finished 4th in class in the 2009 12 Hours of the Cascades
- Completed and finished the 2009 25 Hours of Thunderhill
IN HIS OWN WORDS
How did you get started in racing? I grew up around performance cars and racing. My brother raced for years, and my dad was one of the first Porsche rebuilders on the east coast in the late 50’s and 60’s. I autocrossed in high school and college, but then got busy with school, life, family, and a growing business, and largely got out of motorsports. Fast forward a number of years, when I got started in road racing at Don Kitch’s Proformance Racing School in Seattle. One thing led to another, and now I’m driving in the Grand Am Continental Tire ST with Bimmerworld in their e90 BMW, and racing at the 50th Daytona 24 with Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle.
