David Loring (at left, photo courtesy David Loring Racing), one of America's most successful Formula Ford racers of the 1970s who went on to great success as a driver and designer in professional sports car racing, has passed away.
Loring's racing career began in 1969, when he won the Canadian Regional Championship in Formula Ford. In 1971, Loring won 23 out of 28 races in North America as well as capturing four championships including the Canadian National Championship for Formula Ford, as well as the IMSA Formula 100 Championship.
From 1972-'77, Loring worked on various Formula 5000 and Formula Atlantic cars. In 1978, he won the SCCA Formula Ford National Championship in an All American Racers Eagle – a car which he worked with Dan Gurney and his team to develop. His winning margin with this car was the largest in the history of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.
Loring briefly left the cockpit to become an instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School, but returned to racing to build and develop the Denali prototype for Pierre Honegger in IMSA's Camel GT Series from 1985-'87. He subsequently joined Essex Racing and drove its Camel Lights car to victories at Daytona, Sebring, West Palm Beach, and Columbus in 1988.
From 1990-'92, Loring drove for Leitzinger Racing's works Nissan 240SX in the IMSA GTU program, winning the GTU title with race victories at Sebring and Miami.
Since retiring from pro driving, he operated David Loring Racing in Conway, N.H., which is widely recognized for its vintage racecar servicing and restoration work, as well as driver coaching and arrive-and-drive race programs for clients.