Competing Around the World with a Modified ’56 Porsche

At age 55, Renée Brinkerhoff had an epiphany: She wanted to race a car. So she took on extreme road racing in a modified 1956 Porsche 356 and has become a highly decorated international rally car racer. Rally racing is different from NASCAR or Formula One in that the environment is very raw. There are no safety barriers, as you would see on a regular track. The races can last up to 30 days, and not everyone or every car crosses the finish line. Brinkerhoff had a trial by fire in her first race, training in 2012 in the notoriously dangerous La Carrera Panamericana, where 30 percent of cars don’t make it. She loved the adrenaline rush, and in 2013, she returned with her own car and became the first woman to win her class in the 30-year history of the race. Brinkerhoff had no background in automobiles but felt the need to do something extreme after spending years homeschooling her four kids and putting her dreams aside. She began to take driving lessons but was not impressed with modern race cars and their automatic computer systems. When she found a Porsche 356, she knew it was the car for her. She’s made a number of modifications to the car to push her Porsche 356 to its limits, such as upgrading the original engine and carburetors and adding a sump pump so she wouldn’t burn up the engine on fast turns. In 2017, Brinkerhoff and her Valkyrie Racing team upped the ante and decided to take her 1956 Porsche and race it on all seven continents — including Antarctica. Brinkerhoff’s Project 356 World Rally Tour took her through the most extreme rally races in the world, including the East African Safari Classic, Caminos del Inca , La Carrera Panamericana, Peking to Paris, and Targa Tasmania. In Antarctica, Brinkerhoff added skis in the front of the car and tracks in the back. She used the tour to raise awareness and funds to combat child trafficking around the world, a cause that has been close to Brinkerhoff’s heart for many years. If you want to be notified of stories like Shawn’s, please SUBSCRIBE to our channel: Hear more REAL PEOPLE STORIES stories here: *CHAPTERS* 00:00 Life After 50 0:38 Renee’s 1956 Porsche 356 3:19 Rally Racing 4:04 How to Train for Rally Racing 5:34 Project 356 World Rally Tour 7:13 Racing a Car in Antarctica For more information, please visit: - - - - - - *CONNECT* with AARP Online: Visit us: Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping people ages 50 and older improve their quality of life as they age. With over 38 million members and growing, we lead positive social change through our extensive product offerings and services. #aarp #porsche #rallyracing #customcars #lifeafter50