Issue link: https://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1466236
WHERE the LOCALS GO 50 Spiel – April 2022 FEATURE STORY F or our continuing series, "Where the Locals Go," I visited Cantrell Motorsports (CMS) and chatted with Owner Colin Cantrell and General Manager Jeff Falconer at their Bellevue shop. Cantrell Motorsports has a reputation as the go-to shop in the region for Porsche performance upgrades, track preparation, and factory-required maintenance. That reputation didn't come overnight. It was built on passion, hard work, and a dream. The first thing you'll notice with Colin is that he's a soft-spoken and approachable person. When I first spoke with him about interviewing him for an article, I could tell he was a little uncomfortable with the idea but more than happy to do it. It's just not in his nature to be in the spotlight and boast about his business and personal accomplishments. On the other hand, it's immediately obvious that he's extremely proud of his business and what he has accomplished over the years. Colin started out in automotive repair at the age of 21 in the late '80s as an automotive tech at Puget Sound Tire. While working there, he was exposed to the Auto-X scene and learned about tires, suspension geometry and set-up, and tuning. After developing his skills, he and a co- worker became part of a new startup: Speedware in Redmond. Speedware became a successful and popular performance, fabrication, and race shop in the PNW. After a successful run with Speedware, Colin was ready to go out on his own and start his shop. In 2005, Cantrell Motorsports was born. It was a one-man, single lift shop in the Fisherman's Terminal area of Ballard. Colin recalls the many long days he single-handedly wrenched on cars, ran invoices, and worked the office. He did everything from A to Z. He remembers the times he would have to call his wife to come into the shop in the evening to hold a nut that he couldn't reach while he torqued it tight from the other side. After scrimping and saving over that first year or so, he signed a lease for a 6,000 sq. ft. shop in Kirkland. With the larger facility and staff, things got busy. The economy was booming, especially in the local tech world. Along with that came demand for race support from a number of local privateer racing teams. From 2005 to 2009 Cantrell Motorsports was supporting no less than four Porsche GT3 Cup cars in IMSA, Yokohama Cup, Story by Martin Wild and Photographs by Colin Cantrell and Martin Wild