When Mark Weber races his red and black 1989 Porsche, he sports his workplace pride right on the vehicle’s side with a logo of Mason Street Grill.
With passion for racing and the restaurant, Weber, managing partner and executive chef, brings the two together on the track.
Weber, who belongs to the Porsche Club of America and its Milwaukee chapter, known as the Milwaukee Steinlifters, began racing in 2009 after about two years of learning how to drive on a track.
“Driving around is fun, but the competition element adds a lot of excitement to it,” Weber said.
He has since completed more than 40 races across the country, many of them against top-tier drivers who use Porsche club races as practice venues. During Porsche races, which have stricter rules than other auto races, drivers reach speeds of 140 miles per hour.
Weber, who also instructs amateur drivers and Porsche owners, achieved a personal racing best earlier this month when he took second in class and third overall in a club race at Watkins Glen International track in Watkins Glen, N.Y., close to where he grew up.
As Weber has learned how to master the wheel of his Porsche, the need for speed has pushed him to take calculated risks with his racing techniques.
“At one point or another, you have to take the step and you have to try something new,” Weber said. “There’s a lot of risk involved because if it’s not the right thing to do you can kiss your car goodbye, you can kiss your weekend goodbye, and you’re starting over from scratch.”
