Marvin Porter

3/4/1924 - 4/11/2002

Record updated 29-Jun-06

Marvin Porter was one of those racers truly ahead of his time. His personality and charisma could and did carry him far. He grew up in an era were the well known hero's in the racing game, especially in southern California were Stubby Stubblefeild, Al "Flash" Gordon and Rex Mays in the '30s and early '40s after a four year stint in the air force during WWII, Marvin, if you knew him today was&let me put it this way, the stereotypical notion of him being the neighborhood milk man would be hard to believe. Yes, that's right, going door-to-door, peddling cheese, milk and eggs, and collecting for it. Somehow it seams to put all those racy milkman stories we heard as kids in a little different perspective.

Marvin was 25 before he started racing jalopies around southern California. There were race tracks galore in that area back then, most of which had their own association; Lincoln Park in Los Angeles, Culver City, Carrell Speedway in Gardena, San Diego, Bakersfield (Oildale), and orange show stadium in San Bernardino to name a few. His close friend during the jalopy days was Rufus Jones, later to be known in the racing world as Parnelli Jones. Parnelli started driving stock cars in 56 and thought it was so much fun that during a game of cards at Marvin's place one evening, he suggested that Marvin get a stock car ride and go racing with him. Marvin opted to do just that and got a ride in a Plymouth, owned by Jack Chataney. His first race was at Portland in May of 57 in July of that same year Marvin got a ride in Vel's Ford as a teammate to Parnelli they ran the Darlington 500, the first of 5 years he would do so. In September he finished second on the Sacramento mile to Danny Grays and then a week later, at the Santa Clara fairgrounds in San Jose won his first Pacific Coast Late Model Championship race. He would win 10 more in years to come along with the 1959 NASCAR National Short Track Title. And the 1960 NASCAR Pacific Coast Title. For many years and active partner with Parnelli Jones Firestone Stores and Enterprises and still a very close friend to Parnelli, Marvin spends most of his time down south of the boarder.