Ralph Byer is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. As a busy man (aren’t we all!), Ralph understands what escapes too many of us: we can only serve our families and our careers if we, first, nurture and serve ourselves. To this end, Ralph offers no apologies for his penchant for everything cars, and the inevitable track racing.

From a young age, Ralph was enchanted with cars, both their style and movement. As a young boy, a childhood car kit (1963 Daytona Blue Corvette Split Window) cemented his passion. He was mesmerized by the car as he built it and that youthful passion turned into a lifelong adventure that took Ralph from the imperfectly paved streets of his childhood in Brooklyn New York, to the Moroso Roadway in Palm Beach County.

During Ralph’s early days as a husband and family man, track racing was a family ‘no-no;’ after all, two sleeping babies and a young wife were not ideally suited for the risks associated with 100 plus mph on a narrow roadway. Through these earlier years, Ralph experienced his love for cars, vicariously. He spent his leisure tuned into network, cable and local racing events. His everyday transportation was rarely anything less than a car that ‘spoke to him.’ From Porsches to Maserati’s, Ralph Byer drove the streets of South Florida as respectfully as he could.

As Ralph’s children left their cribs for school, and Ralph’s wife, Anita, understood that Ralph was not giving up on cars, it became inevitable that Ralph would not only race cars (yes, as an amateur), but would also teach others to race as part of the BMW Porsche Owens Club. All this led to led to a world of automotive events and experiences, including involvement as a Board Member with the non-profit, Darrell Gwynn Foundation.

In the 1980’s, Darrell Gwynn was a world champion drag racer. In April of 1990, Gwynn was involved in a racing accident that cut his career short  and left him with a spinal cord injury that left him partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. After the accident, Gwynn, never a quitter, established a Foundation that focused on providing support for those with paralysis and worked to educate the public on the prevention of spinal cord injuries.

Today, Ralph is the proud owner of an original 1983 Porsche, and is still waiting to find that perfect Daytona Blue 1963 Split Window (matching numbers, original paint), and is hopeful that he or his wife (hint, hint) will drive that car of his dreams into his life so that at the next Exotic Ft. Lauderdale Toy Rally there will be 250 awesome exotics PLUS one 1963 Split Window.

To learn more about Ralph Byer’s passion for cars, be sure to check back often for his newest updates! You can learn more about Ralph’s involvement in his community by visiting his community engagement website.