My SCCA Life: Anatoly Arutunoff

Northeast Oklahoma Region
SCCA Member since 1958

Anatoly Arutunoff is one of the SCCA's living legends. Nearing his 60-year membership anniversary, Toly has raced worldwide, is responsible for the creation of Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, and claimed SCCA's H Production National Championship and SCCA's President's Cup in 1981. In 2009, he published his entertaining book, One Off: The Roads, the Races, the Automobiles of Toly Arutunoff. We asked him what keeps him coming back for more.

"I got a life membership when the price went up from $100 to $120 in late 1958 – thought I'd better jump in before it went up again. When I bought my Porsche Carrera Speedster GS ($5,300, the normal Speedster was $3,300), the dealer slid a piece of paper across the desk and said, 'Write another check for $25.' As I was doing so – I was always deferent to authority, real or perceived – I asked what it was for. He told me it was for membership in the SCCA.

"I took the novice permit application (what does a yellow flag mean? what does a red flag mean?) to Mr. Dayton, who was fooling around with his Maseratis and Ferraris in a big garage on Admiral Blvd. in Tulsa, Okla. He said he didn't need to ride around with me (part of the novice license procedure) since he'd seen the way I whipped into his parking lot in the Carrera. He signed me off on the spot. Eventually, I made the first official lap of the Stuttgart, Ark., airport and that hoo-hah course at Lake Garnett.

"I've always told inquisitive folks that it's the people the cars have brought that makes the Club; seeing people every several months at a race that would've been close friends if we lived, well, closer.

"Now that you know that, watch for my next book, Steering With Your Knees."

• This story originally appeared in , the official member magazine of the Sports Car Club of America. To join the SCCA and receive for free, head to www.scca.com.