Dave Clark, fabrication technician

born: Seattle, Wash., USA
current residence: Seattle, Wash., USA
unique note: Clark helped create the first Subaru 16-valve engine while in school at the Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute
duties: Fabrication of all needed parts of the car.
race day duty: Fuel Vent Hose
major accomplishments: Member of the 2007 Utah Grand Prix GT2 winning effort.

bio brief
Dave Clark joined Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing at the start of the 2007 season. With two cars having multiple on-track incidents, Clark was quickly showed his expertise. Prior to joining the team, Clark had over 20 years of motorsports experience, primarily in performance rally. He began his automotive career at Western Washington University’s internationally renowned Vehicle Research Institute. While there, Clark helped construct and modify several research vehicles, working on everything from aluminum and composite monocoque chassis tubs to Kevlar and carbon fiber bodywork to specially machined engine components. Once out of school, he built and raced his first rally car in 1987. From there, he has taken part in almost every area of rallying: driver, co-driver, car preparation, servicing, event worker, event organizer and tech inspector. He has built and maintained several regional and national championship-winning cars including: Ralph Kosmides’ Ruby’s Restaurants rally team, 1994-96 earning SCCA NorPac Divisional championships in 1995 and ’96. Clark then went on to build and crew chief for John Lane winning the 1997 SCCA NorPac Divisional championship. In 2000 and 2001, he went on to build and crew chief a car for Patrick Richard winning the Production GT national championship in Canada (CARS) and the U.S. (SCCA) as well as North American Rally Cup (NARC) becoming the first driver to ever win all three titles in the same season. In 2001, again with Richard, Clark joined the Subaru Canada Rally Team factory effort winning the NARC PGT championship. During this time he also acted as crew chief for Dave Hintz (1999-2006), again in a car of Clark’s design, earning the SCCA Group 5 National title in 2002. His first road racing experience has come in his fabrication work building roll cages for all makes of sports cars including for the multi-time SCCA T1 Champion Scotty B. White.

away from the track
Clark is a true racer who, even away from the American Le Mans Series schedule, can’t get enough motorsports. He has owned and operated Dave Clark Motorsports since 1991 focusing on rally and road racing cars. Today, Clark still finds some time to drive in short-track oval racing and on the rally circuit in a historic 1980 Opel Ascona that he is currently restoring. Clark is single and lives in his native Seattle.