Story by Koa Ridings (Their Bernese Mountain dog!)

My Owners love Porsches and me! They have been driving them for over 30 years and have each owned over 30 Porsches throughout the years. Lisa has been driving a 911, mostly red, since 1982.  Starting with a 1974 Targa, she has had about every model: from 911s, Carreras, 964, 993, 996, 997, 991s, a Panamera and 5 Cayennes. I fit the best in the back of a Cayenne. They put 4 of us dogs in the back of a Panamera all weighing about 100 pounds each. Talk about a lot of dog hair in the car! The 911s are tough getting in the back, especially with those darn roll bars!

In Lisa’s spare time she has been raising and training racing Quarter Horses since 1998. Her first filly, Makin Fast Cash, broke the track record at Los Alamitos racecourse. Keep your eye out for any horses that have Flying in the name for another moneymaker! Her trainer at the track is Paul Jones, Parnelli Jones’s nephew. She also helps run her Family’s company, Tayco Engineering, an Aerospace company that is conveniently located next to Los Alamitos racecourse.

Lisa met my Dad, Tom Ridings, by buying Jerry Seinfeld’s Turbo. Tom used to Race Top Fuel and Funny cars.  He was the 7 time national record holder and multiple event winner. Then he went on to Off Road Racing. He won the Baja 250, Baja 500 and multiple podium finishes in the Baja 1000. Lisa’s first time watching Tom race the Baja 1000, he was in the racecar for over 12 hours from sundown to sun up!

Tom has been driving Porsches for 45 years, way before I was born! He started with a 1963 356 Cab. Then he got a 1967 911 that he sold to buy his first Alcohol Funny car. (Or some funny Alcohol, I forget how that went!) Then he started the West Coast P.B. Tweeks, a Porsche parts & accessories business that Lisa used to shop at in the ‘80s. 

Lisa & Tom decided to try out AutoCrossing about 4 years ago after Lisa was hurt from one of her Racing Quarter Horses and Tom broke his back practicing for the Baja 500. They both needed to try a less dangerous sport.  Is racing at Auto Club Speedway in the Festival of Speed at 160 mph less dangerous?

They both fell in love with Racing Porsches. Lucky for me because I get to go in Tom’s big doghouse on wheels to all the Porsche events. (Think it’s called a Motor home?) We take it to all the Auto Crosses at El Toro, D. E.s and Track Days.

Lisa & Tom have now raced most of the major tracks in California. They have driven Willow Springs, Button Willow, Auto Club Speedway, Pomona, Laguna Seca and their favorites, which are Spring Mountain and Chuck Walla. They even got to race their California Ferrari at Chuck Walla. They don’t allow dogs at the big tracks so I don’t like it when they go there.

My favorite time of the week is Saturday mornings. I wake up my Dad at 5:00 A.M. to make sure we get a good parking spot at Cars & Coffee. Every week we usually go in a different car. I only let him buy a car I can fit in. Dad lets me sit in the front seat of our GT3 RS, which has one of those roll bars that I hate. Lisa bought the black & orange RS from Patrick Dempsey, bet his dog never got to ride in that car like I do!

Lisa and Tom are now both Nationally Certified Porsche Driving instructors. I want Dad to teach me to how to drive the new 2013 PDK 991.  That should be easier than the other cars with a clutch.

Once a month now we go in the big dog house on wheels to El Toro.  They put these big numbers on their Porsche doors and drive around orange cones all day (AutoCross).  They are always in such a good mood at AutoCross and I love all their friends that come to El Toro. Everyone there is so nice to me and I get lots of pets. My favorites are Dennis, Carolyn & Rick Neff, Jenni & Eric Monroe, Delany, Petra & Ed McRae, James Buck, Steve Eguina (His Dog Jack told me how to write this article!) Kyle Largent, The Scheussler family, Eric Budai, Chuck Bartolon, Tom Mueller, Christine Newcomer, Candice & Eric Kaltenbach, Carl Van Derschuit, Erica & Julian White, Craig Adams, Armand Gastelo, Chad Rasmussen, Christian & Kevin Van Fleet and of course Team Taylor, Patricia Lynn and Rod.  I know I’ll be in trouble because I’m sure I forgot someone really important.

Lisa throws some great parties with her good friends from AX, Annie and Greg Lush and their daughter Colette.  Lisa and Greg went to the same high school in Lake Arrowhead, small world! Annie’s Party Passion set up a huge tent in front of our really big doghouse that the 8 horses sleep in. She set up tables for over 200 people on 12-12-12 at 12:12. We had over 50 Porsches parked in my 2 Acre backyard. The 8 car garage was filled with even more Porsches. Lisa’s friend from Rolling Hills, Christi Edlebrock, came to the big party. Lisa remembers when she was 14 yrs old going into Vic Edlebrock’s garage and seeing a new red 911 Turbo. From then on she wished someday she could own a red Porsche and of course a dog like me!

They left me on April 5-7 to go to that big Festival of Speed in Fontana.  Dad had the 4th best time out of his entire run group. I’m so proud of him. Lisa got to drive the 993 Carrera RS from Sweden around the whole NASCAR oval track at Auto Club Speedway in the 50 years of Porsches parade. That was a first that has never been done in the history of Porsche! Lisa met 50 of the nicest people owning Porsches from 1964 – 2013.  Thanks to Skip Carter, Suesan Way and Marty Goldsmith she also got to be the Lead Car for an hour every day leading up to 200 Porsches around the track for 3 days at Festival of Speed. She had just picked up her new 991 Carrera S from Walter’s Porsche, from Ed McRae & Tim Churchill, 39 days before the race!

I just found out they are leaving me again to go on the Autobahn Adventures Trip with their friends, Tina & Mark Trewartha, who run the trip. They had so much fun last time on their trip with them. How can they have fun in the Bernese Mountains without their Bernese Mountain dog? I heard they had ordered another 991, from Eric Ernst at Circle Porsche, months ago for a Euro Delivery and they will test drive it at Nurburing, their favorite race track!

Well, Dad, I have some good news for you… I am having puppies the first week in May! Hope this helps pay for your Racing fund for Ridings Racing and Flying L Racing!