NASS Meet the Officials- Technical Advisors 2004

Technical Advisor 2004
Brett Johnson

The following is Brett's recent submission (1/2002) for a little background info.
Brett has been working with N.A.S.S. administration as our point of contact for the 2002 Mid-Ohio Races, where we're holding our second annual Spit-Together. Please join me in thanking Brett for all his efforts.

Bio - Brett Johnson

Personal: Born 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Married to a 1960 Julie.
Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine 1981 Purdue University.
Live in Indianapolis, because I've got too much stuff to move.

     Automotive interests: Started rebuilding wrecked sports cars when a freshman in high school. First one was a 1957 TR3, also a couple of Lotus Europas, TR 250, Spitfire Mk. 3, a couple 911s and a 914. My first personal car was a 1957 356A Porsche cabriolet ($325) followed by a 1967 911 ($1750). About that time I bought a 1957 Lotus Eleven ($400) and a 1962 Lotus 7 ($1000). After my father saw the Eleven, he wouldn't let me buy the $400 Morgan Plus 4 I found in Pennsylvania.

     In 1975 I started writing a restoration column in the fledgling 356 Registry's bi-monthly magazine (haven't missed an issue to date). I also write for European Car (including a 1951 356 Porsche vintage racer project car series), Excellence Magazine (including an ongoing 1951 356 cabriolet project car series) and Victory Lane. I have written four books on various Porsche models, all with an emphasis on authenticity. This has evolved to a small automotive publishing company with 17 titles currently in print. My Porsche writing also landed me the From USA column in Triumph World magazine -- seriously!

     I started vintage racing in 1995 with my $150 1951 356 Porsche project car and in 1997, my Lotus Eleven ran for the first time. As it turns out, it was an ex-works Sebring car that ran the 12 hour race in 1957, 1958 and 1959! Its restoration was oriented toward authenticity and was rewarded with a class win at the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance in 2000.

     On the club scene, I was a charter member of the 356 Registry.   I served as a Trustee and Vice President for six years and hosted two national conventions in Indianapolis (1977 and 1987), both at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   I joined Indiana Triumph Cars and VTR in the late 1980s. I got the ITC newsletter editor job dumped on me in 1995 and I'm still doing it. I also do PR for the Indiana British Car Union, which hosts our local British car show and London to Brighton Run. I belong to three vintage racing organizations and half a dozen other car clubs, including one for 1950s customs -- also have a chopped, channeled 1950 Buick with flames. I am NASS charter member #3.

     I currently own a running 1960 Triumph TR3A and plan to buy a GT6+ at some point, but not until I finish the 1951 356 cabriolet, acquire a Morgan Plus 4 and replace Mrs. Johnson's ageing Audi Quattro -- current replacement thought is a S6 Quattro Avant -- she wants an A8, but is coming around. My daily driver is a 1992 Ford window van, though my occasional cars are more entertaining.