From Alaska To Porsche

Subtitle:Race Director Snyder Takes Interesting Journey In Motorsports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 14, 2015) – Anchorage, Alaska, is by no means a motorsports hub. But the city was the unlikely location that gave the racing bug to Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Race Director Todd Snyder.

Growing up in Alaska, Snyder loved the speed of snowmobiles and dirt bikes. But in the mid-1980s, he received a hand-me-down Formula Vee race car, which his father acquired during his “mid-life crisis.” That car sparked an interest that carved Snyder’s career path.

Snyder and his father began racing at an abandoned military base that had been turned into a makeshift racetrack in Tok, Alaska. They eventually traveled south to California to practice and race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Todd Snyder’s career truly began to form at the Northern California track when he took classes at the Jim Russell Driving School and started racing in their school’s series.

As a driver, Snyder was climbing the racing ladder, much like the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama competitors he now oversees. He did everything to be a in a car. He raced in Pro Mazda, Barber Saab Pro Series, Barber Dodge Pro Series, Indy Lights and eventually Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

But Snyder’s career in motorsports took a different turn when he moved to Connecticut in the early 1990s and took a job with the Skip Barber Racing School at Lime Rock Park as a racing instructor. His teaching and driving experience allowed him to climb the ranks of instructors while continuing his passion for racing.

“Skip Barber is really where all of my knowledge I have today came from,” Snyder said. “I was able to learn about instructing, driving and – really what I use most now – public speaking. In the early 2000s, I became the director of competition, and I oversaw 28 race weekends with as many as 10 races each weekend.

“I sometimes acted as race director on those weekends. I learned the procedures, how to keep a timeline, how to work with TV, when you should go with a local yellow or full course. It’s where I learned the basic foundation to be a director.”

Many International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) standouts gained their footing in the sport under Snyder, including TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype stars Jordan and Ricky Taylor, 2014 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin title contender Spencer Pigot and former TUDOR Championship DeltaWing Prototype driver Gabby Chaves.

Snyder also had worked with Mark Raffauf, IMSA’s director of series platforms. That relationship led Raffauf to offer Snyder a position in 2013 to be the race director of the IMSA-sanctioned Ferrari Challenge North America series, a role he still fulfills.

“This is my third year with Ferrari Challenge,” Snyder said. “When Mark Raffauf offered me the opportunity, I jumped at it. I was very excited to be offered the position. We talked ahead of time that I wanted to see the opportunity grow into something more.

“I think he had a vision, and I had the desire to do more. So when he offered me the chance to expand, I jumped at it again. With Porsche acting as support at most of the IMSA races and Ferrari doing mostly standalone events, there’s been a major learning curve. I enjoy all of the IMSA staff and having the more rigid schedule.”

Snyder’s excitement for race direction was mixed with an old passion when he took the job with the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. Growing up, his father owned Porsches. His dad’s purchase of a Porsche 914 race car allowed the Formula Vee race car to be passed down to Todd.

“The Porsche is a fantastic car,” Snyder said. “My dad owned several Porsches, including the 914. In ‘84 or ’85, we visited the factory in Stuttgart, and that was one of the coolest things to see. They’re great endurance cars; they do everything right. They really don’t have a deficiency in any area. It’s an iconic brand. If I were racing, I’d drive a GT3.”

The reliability and performance of the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car has helped the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama thrive since its inaugural season in 2005. Snyder also credits the quality and character of the competitors for creating a smooth transition into his race director role for the IMSA-sanctioned Single-Make Series.

“These drivers handle themselves professionally,” Snyder said. “It’s good to see the young guys running up front, but then you have the more seasoned drivers like Kasey Kuhlman racing right up there with them. It’s a competitive series, even with the broad range of ages.”

Rounds 5 and 6 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama are scheduled for June 25-27 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.

For more information about Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, visit www.gt3cupchallengeusa.com, follow hashtag #GT3USA @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.