Sayings like ‘birds of the same feather flock together’ and ‘it takes one to know one’ are usually used with a negative connotation attached to them, but what if you’re new to an area and want to connect with like-minded individuals or people who have passion for similar interests? Where do you go then?

Weekend cars and coffee-type events and cruise nights are certainly a great place to start when it comes to making new friends or even networking in the automotive realm. But with facilities like The Motoring Club, based out of Marina Del Rey, California, car culture can be enjoyed with others every single day of the week.

Anyone can start a car club and promise the world, however, most only deliver a grain of sand at most.

Indy Car driver, Ryan Phinny, and Digital Marketing guru, Michael Rapetti, got together over coffee one day to discuss ways that they could build a physical community from their mutual connections and connections to online communities. They wanted to remain authentic and actually serve as a resource instead of just a bragging right.

Phinny didn’t just fall into the car scene, he was born into it through countless generations of racing and motorsports involvement and from go-karts to the Red Bull American F1 Driver Search Program in Junior Formula cars, to Indy cars, Ryan has had seat time in all of them.

Fast forward a year or so and The Motoring Club is in full swing and rapidly eyeing expansion.

If you’re like me and have somehow ended up with an old car addiction, it usually leads down a slippery slope of “What’s one more?” or “Hey, I need some of those parts so why not buy a whole other parts car?”

It’s no secret that if you’re an enthusiast in Los Angeles, you may have a tough go of finding space for all of your clunkers or even collectibles, regardless of parking.

Along with other membership benefits, members are also eligible for a fair rate for car storage. While the space is currently limited, I wouldn’t complain about having my car stored alongside Mario Andretti’s GTV6.

The first car that caught my eye as I was walking around was this vintage IndyCar that was built by Albert R Endes in 1918. It was the first-ever supercharged racecar using a Marmon motor.

Phinny and Rapetti have their aim set on Nashville, TN as the next clubhouse location with membership tiers that would offer access to local clubhouses, national, and potentially internationally.

While the car storage may be a bit out of my price range, the people and friends I have made from my time at The Motoring Club don’t have a price that could be attached to it.

If you don’t have an automotive clubhouse in your town or city, there’s nothing stopping you from starting one, you won’t regret it.

Keiron Berndt
Instagram: keiron_berndt