Every year ProFormance recognizes one (or two) of its exceptional drivers with the Dennis Peters “Person in Motorsports” Award. This year there are two recipients: Dan Lehr and Tim Firnstahl. The award is our way of hailing them for superior professionalism and spirit on and off the race track.
The year-end award is named for Dennis Peters, an instructor who helped build ProFormance into the institution it is today. He was, in Donna’s words, “ageless, cool, and every time he showed up at the racetrack you just knew it was going to be a good day.”
ProFormance staff vote on each year’s recipient. What they’re looking for are those qualities that make ProFormance a welcoming place. Who’s the first driver in the paddock to grab his jack and tools and help another driver with his car? Who’s the driver takes the time to introduce themselves to new drivers? Who’s the driver that understands our rules, guidelines, and protocols and follows them, causing no on-track issues? Answer those questions and you come up with the winners, the drivers others gravitate to because they’re living a full, happy life.
Dan Lehr, who in his off-track life is Regional Sales Manager at Commercial Fitness Solutions , started the way a lot of ProFormance people do – he took the High Performance Driving Experience and was “instantly hooked.” That class led to lapping, coaching, and competition licensing. Like many drivers, Dan finds that the track is a great comfort in challenging times. “There’s nothing like ProFormance anywhere that I’ve found” he says. “They provide a non-threatening, inviting, family style, safe learning environment for newbies to the sport.” Dan loves to show up at open lapping days and seeing new students get their first taste of sport driving. Instructors, teaching methods, rules – they all add up to what he calls “a fantastic gateway to the sport.”
Tim Firnstahl, a well-known Seattle restaurateur responsible for some of Seattle’s most popular eateries, credits ProFormance for keeping him young. “At age 77, driving my 1000hp Lamborghini at ProFormance lapping days is the fountain of youth!”
Our congratulations to these two exceptional people for adding so much to the ProFormance experience. The Person in Motorsports award is ProFormance’s way of acknowledging the people who make our community so extraordinary: the drivers who show up, give everything and help out others, so that everyone who comes is assured of a safe, exciting, and enjoyable day at the track.