Republished with permission from the April 2015 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine

Few legends in the 914 world command more respect than John Forbes. A trained Porsche mechanic since the early 70s, John has raced 914s for most of his life, often beating some of the biggest names in Porsche racing. It is an honor to feature his story in the first issue of Fourteener Motoring. This is a short glimpse at his 914 story.

John’s life with 914s really began while he was in high school, when he worked as an apprentice in a gas station in New Jersey. His dream car was a black 1958 Corvette with red scallops owned by a customer. One day, having sold the Corvette, the customer drove into the station with a 1969 Porsche 911S.  He opened the front hood, handed John two shop manuals, and told him to start reading because he would now be working on this car. Despite John’s obvious dismay that he had sold the Corvette, the gentleman assured him that he would like this car even better. It proved to be a particularly prophetic suggestion.

John soon left the gas station to work for a Porsche dealership. While there he received factory certification training and became an engine and transmission specialist. In 1974 when Porsche introduced the International Race of Champions series, using Penske-prepared Porsche RSRs, the dealership’s car was assigned to John to maintain. Mark Donahue was the driver. This was the start of John’s passion for racing. After the series ended, John continued to work on the car for the local doctor who bought it. One weekend, he had transported the car to Summit Point, West Virginia so the owner could attend a driver’s school. At the last minute the doctor was called back to the hospital to perform emergency heart surgery.  He told John to take his place in the school. John’s life would never be the same. His racing career had begun.

After leaving the dealership and opening Black Forest Racing in Delray Beach, Florida, his reputation for building race-winning cars quickly made John’s Porsche shop a success. One of his first customers, Jimmy Trindade, won four consecutive GT2 championships in a 1975 RSR clone built by Black Forest. Over the years, 914 race cars driven by John himself have also enjoyed much success. In 1989 John beat long-time friend, Bob Snodgrass of Brumos Porsche-Audi, in the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. In that race, Bob drove Peter Gregg’s former 914-6 GT, which had won the first IMSA GT Championship. Apparently, Bob felt that John had dishonored Peter Gregg’s memory by beating his car. At Sebring the following year Bob Snodgrass hired sports car endurance world champion Hurley Haywood as the lead driver of the car to ensure that he wouldn’t get beaten again. John did not beat Hurley in the race, but that is not the end of the story.

John’s green and orange car, number 57 has become a well-known entry at SCCA vintage, as well as HSR and CARE series’ for years. In 1990 he set the vintage track records at Moroso, Road Atlanta, and Roebling Road, leading to his being awarded the SCCA Driver of the Year award. John counts this honor as one of the proudest of his life. In 2000, John competed in a GT championship race, with 60 2.5 liter cars. The competition included a star-studded group of 914s. Brumos Porsche–Audi brought Peter Gregg’s car, along with a second 914-6, which was driven by Paul Newman, plus a third 914-6 driven by Joe Cogbill. Chip Vance drove his 914-6 from Texas. The 901 Shop registered three 911s and Dave White Racing brought three cars. After qualifying 12th on the first day, John took the lead three laps from the finish, and never looked back while winning the race. He finally beat Hurley Haywood, who came in second that day.

Today John can often be found on the race track in his famous green and orange 914-6 GT, while also building both race and street air-cooled Porsches at his shop. He loves to help customers fulfill their racing dreams, and with the number of championship-winning cars he has built, it is clear that he pursues this passion with excellence. A few years ago he built 914-6 rally car that is an exact replica of the car that won the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally in Europe.  The car is owned by Italian rally car driver, Carlo Falcone, and was built as a clone with the authorization of the Porsche factory, where the original is on display. The replica, which meets FIA racing specifications identical to the original car, is now in Europe and was driven by the original driver, Bourn Waldegard, in the vintage Monte Carlo Rally.

Black Forest Racing, now located just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, handles every aspect of maintaining and building air-cooled Porsches. From engines to complete restorations, John’s shop is among the best Porsche facilities in the country. But, it is John’s love for 914s that sets him apart. On any given day, the shop has as many as two dozen 914s to care for, all entrusted to John’s capable hands. We are privileged to count John as a life-long die hard 914 enthusiast.

Black Forest Racing

6480 Denver Industrial Park Road

Denver, North Carolina 28037

Shop: 704-489-0741

Cell: 704-351-3304