CHICAGO — Sports car racer Don Devine passed away on June 20 at the age of 86.
A Chicago area resident, Devine raced boats, motorcycles and go karts early in his speed career. Still a teenager, Devine began racing at local sports car tracks, even winning a sports car race on the quarter-mile oval track at Chicagoland’s O’Hare Stadium.
in 1958. Wisconsin’s Road America and Meadowdale International Raceway in Carpentersville, Ill., were a few places of Devine’s early competition.
In 1963, Devine became part of the two-car Meister Brauser Racing Team, owned by Chicago’s Peter Hand Brewery Company.  Joining team driver Harry Heuer, Devine was assigned the five-year-old or so Meister Brauser Scarab.
He quickly got up to speed and finished second to Heuer at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway in a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) regional race in February and then won a SCCA National 90-minute event at Virginia International Raceway in April.
Devine also won a SCCA regional event at Lawrenceville, Ill., placed second at the Road America June Sprints, and third in a SCCA National at Meadowdale. Devine was leading at Laguna Secca until the Scarab broke near the finish and made a great run in a late-season Mosport Pro-Race in Canada, being scored fourth. He also competed in a United States Auto Club-sanctioned stock car race at Meadowdale in 1963, finishing 15th in a 1962 Ford.
Away from the raceways for a bit, Devine began competing in SCCA Can-Am in 1971, making several starts for a few years.
Later, Devine became involved in various car shows and vintage sports car racing exhibitions and owned vintage race cars, including several McLaren cars.
