Corvette auction at Road America to benefit Camp Anokijig. Team Manager of Corvette Racing Doug Fehan was the auctioneer and was assisted by Dan Binks. [Photo by Jack Webster]
Everybody in racing knows Dan Binks, the legendary Corvette Racing crew chief. Racing is in his blood. He is the first guy at the shop or track in the morning and the last one to leave at the end of the day. His knowledge of racing, both on the strategic side and mechanical side is well known. One day, on a rare occasion where Dan wasn’t at a race track with the Pratt & Miller Corvette team, he was relaxing on his couch getting ready to watch the Montreal Nationwide stock car race on TV when his phone rang. It was Ron Fellows, former Corvette race driver who was racing in the Montreal race. It was five minutes before the race and he was calling Dan to get his advice on what tire pressures to run. Such is the respect Dan has in the sport.
In racing, Dan’s greatest memory is the outstanding victory at Le Mans in 2009 for the Corvette C6.R – the last Le Mans win for the venerable C6.R. The team of Jan Magnusson, Johnny O’Connell and Antonio Garcia put the car on the pole and went on to win the race.
But there is much more to Dan Binks than his many racing accomplishments. In addition to his passion for racing, he has a real passion for helping kids. As such, he has been associated with the Plymouth, Wisconsin based Camp Anokijig for many years. This camp for kids has grown to become one of the largest camps of its type in the Midwest, and owes a large debt of gratitude to Dan Binks for his many contributions over the years. As a matter of fact, the camp may not even be in existence today if it weren’t for the efforts of Dan Binks and the Binks family. Dan’s father Phil first went to the camp in 1940 and Dan followed in the 1970’s. Ever since, he has been hooked on seeing the camp grow and thrive.
Here is a typical story, as related by the Camp Anokijig newsletter from 2010. The camp’s old vehicle, a used Chevy Suburban with over 300,000 miles on it was in need of replacement. The original plan by the camp was to try and obtain a donor for a used vehicle to replace the old one. In steps Dan Binks, who said he would talk to some racing friends to see what he could get done. The great Greg Pickett of Muscle Milk Racing responds to Dan’s overture on one condition – forget the used truck, he will supply funding for a brand new one.
At the TUDOR race at Road America this year, Dan’s efforts to support the camp continued, with an auction of Corvette Racing memorabilia, car parts and the like, with all the proceeds going to Camp Anokijig. The event was a great success and a lot of money was raised to support the kids and the camp.
Racers are a generous lot and there is a lot more to them than meets the eye. Dan Binks is a perfect ambassador for his sport and a fine example for all of us.