Napleton Porsche of Westmont General Manager Ron Barnaba announced today the appointment of veteran motorsports professional Steve Jenkins to the position of Director of Competition Operations for the leading Porsche dealership’s racing and high performance divisions.
In his new position Jenkins will manage the Porsche Napleton Racing (PNR) racing team and Napleton Porsche Performance Motorsports, the dealership’s high performance division. Among his duties will be overseeing PNR’s construction of the Porsche Cayman S cars used exclusively in the Napleton-owned Cayman Interseries.
A Chicago native and resident, Jenkins has extensive experience in Napleton’s high performance and competition divisions as a driver, instructor and coach, in addition to a strong overall background in the motorsports industry.
“I was immediately excited at the opportunity when Ron presented it to me,” Jenkins said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a big challenge this will be. I relish the opportunity to accomplish such a task as this.”
Jenkins most recently competed in the Cayman Interseries as a co-driver and coach for reigning series champion Lee Davis two weeks ago in the Atlanta Historic Races at Road Atlanta. The duo swept all three of the weekend’s races from the pole in Davis’ black and red Cayman S, that carries the colors of the Advan Porsche 956s and 962s and Luna-C Clothing, to give Jenkins an unequaled record of six Cayman Interseries race victories in seven career starts. He is also four-for-four racing a Cayman Interseries car in PCA competition.
“With the time spent at the track doing the Napleton customer track days, I have found an unbelievable appreciation for Porsche cars,” Jenkins said. “I have driven a 996 Cup car extensively, and the Cayman Interseries cars as well. I knew they were great, but the Porsches straight off the showroom floor are so very capable, I can’t wait to get more people on track in their Porsches.”
The Jenkins appointment is the first step in a major restructuring of Napleton’s high performance and competition operations. Former Napleton team manager and crew chief Tim Olsen has left the organization and one of Jenkins’ first areas of focus will be to evaluate the existing and needed resources of all divisions.
“I think my experiences in this business as a shop and race rental customer, driver, professional racing team owner, team manager and shop manager for a racing team will certainly help me to run PNR in a way that is both beneficial to the team, as well as the customers,” Jenkins said. “I’m looking forward to the interaction with all of the great people who love to race their Porsches.”
Next up for PNR and the Cayman Interseries are dual event race weekends, October 14 – 16, at Sebring International Raceway and the Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Source: Porsche of Napleton
