Meet Mike Bavaro

Mike Bavaro

Mike Bavaro is a guy who knows how to put a plan in motion.

As owner, team manager and driver for Bodymotion Racing, which he founded in 1983, Bavaro juggles a lot of responsibilities. Which role does he enjoy most?

"Driving, of course!" he laughs.

Bavaro's efforts have led him through the racing ranks, starting with a 911 run with the Sports Car Club of America in 1980. He won the 1983 North Atlantic Road Racing Championship, and competed as a self-funded GTO team in 1984 and 1985.

An inaugural member of the Porsche Club of North America in 1990, Bavaro won his first race out and is still active with the organization today. Between 1996 and 2003, Bavaro racked up 44 GT class and overall wins. He's also received seven PCNA Worker's Choice awards.

The early 2000s saw Bavaro running in the Grand Am Road Racing Association Rolex Series GT class and the Grand Am Cup Series GS class. In 2002, Bavaro's Bodymotion team broke new ground by being the first to built and race a Mini Cooper S in the ST class, earning a podium spot in the car's debut at Daytona.

No one can accuse Bavaro of not being a hands-on guy. In addition to driving, his Bodymotion duties include building, maintaining, loading and transporting the car; pursuing sponsor relationships — even shopping for food during track days.

"I'm hands-on because I've got to be," he says. "Our Grand Am team members are 100- percent voluntary."

Bavaro's sons, Jesse and Ace, are both active Bodymotion crew members and his soon-to-be daughter-in-law does all the team's timing and scoring.

Considering all team expenses are covered out-of-pocket, Bavaro's No. 21 Porsche 997 GT Tiger Car more than holds its own competing against teams with much deeper pockets.

"We're one of lowest-funded teams and we have one car with no driver development or testing program," Bavaro says. "Based on that criteria alone, for us to finish 10th out of probably 60 teams and 10th in points out of about 360 drivers in 2006 is amazing."

Bavaro is racing in this year's KONI Challenge Series GS class. Top 2007 stops for him include the 24 Hours of Daytona and the season finale, Six Hours of VIR.

With so many feathers in his cap, what's next for Bavaro?

"I'll probably relinquish driving soon," he says. "In the world of professional racing, the demands are huge. I just turned 53, right now my business and mechanical engineering skills outweigh my driving skills. It would make more sense to get some of the younger guys behind the wheel so I can move into more of the managing aspects."

Bavaro lives in Colts Neck, New Jersey with his wife.