Archive for month: May, 2022

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South of Boston (SoBo) C&C May 2022

It became a glorious day for our Porsches and Coffee at our first meet of the season at Sweet Berry Farm.  More than 60 cars parked on the newly mowed lawn bounded by blooming apple trees.  The island, cooled by Narragansett Bay kept the temperature in the 70s, while inland temperatures were in the 90s.

photo: Larry Levin

I must mention the recent service on my 911 C4.  I noticed that the black paint on the radiator’s air diverter below the bumper had worn off; the leading edges were now grey, and there was a small hole in the plastic probably from a stone.  I asked the service advisor if we could just paint it; he replied “No”.   I said “I suppose the replacement costs is around $700.00”.  He said “actually it’s around $720”.  Although I didn’t try it, my advice to you is try the paint.

That leads me to another story:  My one and only Navy shore duty assignment in 20 years was my last three years assigned to the Navy Underwater Systems Center, Newport RI as the Junior Project Engineer for the Mk 117 Fire Control System (the first digital submarine combat control system).  For those of you that remember the blizzard of 78, I was the base duty officer the next day and had to drive on the base and relieve another guy.  As I approached West Main’s 2 Mile Corner I saw a pile of snow nearly two feet high across the road.  At that time, I had my 65 356C and was confident driving in the snow.  I hit the snow square on; the Porsche’s bottom pan acted like a ski and slid right over the top and I resumed driving the last mile or so to the base; no dents or bruises.

photo: Larry Levin
photo: Larry Levin

I was reminded of my 356C pan story when I interviewed newcomer Daniel Smith who arrived in his first Porsche.  I believe he was the one that told me that the panels beneath the car were missing because the previous owner removed them believing that the engine would run cooler, thereby easier wear on the engine, an incorrect belief.  Removing the panels really does negatively affect the car’s handling, especially when passing through 100. On my 996 the panels have to be installed from rear to front, ensuring that the panels correctly overlap.  

Meeting a retired ex fast attack submariner like myself, it was fun to reminisce not only about our careers but also our Porsches. This was Daniel Smith, who along with his children Elan and Eden, arrived in his first Porsche, a 95 993 with just 75k miles.  Purchased in Omaha he enjoyed the drive back home.  Daniel had a poster of a Porsche in his room as a kid, and in his neighborhood there were three Porsches.  Daniel enjoys working on his Porsche, loves the ride and the sound of the door closing, “sounds like a bank vault”.  

Sterling Vernon parked his 86 944, exterior Grand Prix White with a Burgundy interior and wood inlays, with about 120k on odometer. Owner of 6 Porsches, Sterling has always been a Porsche Guy. When he was about 8 years old his uncle took him to his first ball game at Fenway in his 1970 911 S.  Sterling’s first Porsche was a used 99 Boxster, then in 2003 a new Boxster.  Additionally, Sterling enjoys wrenching his Porsches saying “It’s the pleasure of the drive”.

Chris Casali arrived with Letitia Wallace in his stunning Maritime Blue 91 C2 with RS suspension.  The engine was rebuilt by EPE after purchase a year and a half ago, odometer displays 135k.  Chris’s first Porsche was a 91 C4 two years ago.  For the last 10 years Chris has had an affection for Porsches.  The C2’s attraction is that it is modern enough, but air cooled.  “The drive is raw and engaging”. I asked Letitia what is the fastest she has been in the car, she replied “120”.

Colin Patterson parked his 2022 GT Silver 718 Spyder, with PDK.  Purchased new, this is his eleventh Porsche.  Colin says, “the newer the Porsche the better is the Porsche”.  The only negative to his current Porsche is the sound compared to his older Porsches, the sport exhaust has an additional CAT.  He just purchased it in January and has already driven it 1200 miles.  When he was 16 or 17 years old, living in Jamaica, he saw a banker driving a Porsche; the rest is history. 

Eddie and Mari Lopez parked their 2018 Cayman 718.  Purchased used less than a year ago this Porsche has a carbon fiber kit.  Eddie has two additional Porsches; his first, five years ago, was a 97 Boxster.  Eddie always loved Porsches and Ferraris saying, “I can afford Porsches”.

The next SoBo is scheduled for 12 June (10-Noon) at Sweet Berry Farm, 915 Mitchell’s Ln, Middletown, RI. The event as always is FREE, and no pre-registration is necessary. The only requirement to park on the grass is your Porsche. A Porsche logo sign should be in place directing you to the parking area.  Sweet Berry Farm is child friendly, encouraging small children to enjoy a working farm, so when entering and exiting, drive carefully. And, as always, for any SoBo related questions, please email me at:  [email protected]

Rog Slocum
127 Center Ave.
Middletown, RI 02842
e-mail:  [email protected]

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NER AX Report #1 Report

NER Autocross Presented by PCANER and Porsche Norwell

NER opened up its 2022 Autocross competition season on May 22. Porsche Norwell was the sponsor of the event, and Nick Vullemier and Brian Leonard were on hand from Norwell, driving a 2018 718 Cayman.

Rob MacAlpine set up a great course using the Miata Club’s larger cones. His club had been running the day before, and I had stopped by the airfield to check in, and we decided to leave cones in place and reuse portions of his course for our event to save setup time and make a little less work for Rob and his helpers in the morning. The plan worked out well – especially as we were facing temperatures in the upper nineties.

After cancellations and no-shows, 58 drivers participated in the event. We had an unusually large number of dual drivers, so we split most of them into separate run groups to simplify grid management. We also had 23 novices, 10 of whom had just participated in our Season-opening Autocross school two weeks prior.

The course was fairly technical but loosened up a bit to help minimize cone hits and reduce the workload on the course workers in the extreme heat. We had plenty of water on hand, and it all worked out well. A slight breeze throughout the day was a lifesaver.

 

By the end of the day, seven drivers had posted times below 70 seconds; Rob MacAlpine posted FTD at 66.850, and Ollie Lucier posted Porsche FTD at 68.353.

Chris Darminio took Class 1 unopposed in his 1976 914 with a 73.884. Class 3 saw the return of old friends Adam Small and Christine Skaubitis, giving Bob Canter some competition and adding to the representation of air-cooled Porsches. Adam took the Class with a 72.802. Neil Halbert edged out George Rouhart in Class 4 with a 73.882, and Dan Gramm took Class 5 in his 97 Boxster with a 77.515. Class 6 fielded seven drivers, and Devon Yablonski took it with a 69.989 in his 2014 Cayman S, narrowly beating Mark Skala to do it. Glenn Champagne was the class winner in Class 7, posting a 76.339 in his 1999 996 Carrera. Henry Wu prevailed in class 8, posting a 69.770 in his 2014 991 Carrera S frustrating Jeremy Mazzariello and Erick Aubin, who were right behind him. Nigel Fenwick was the winner in Class 9, co-driving Bill Aubins 2020 GT4 with a 69.433. Ollie Lucier’s 68.353 took class 10, and Rob MacAlpine’s 66.850 topped Anthony Nunez’s 67.112 to take Class 11.

In the Novice Class, the top 6 drivers posted some pretty respectable times, all below 78 seconds, with Brian Nett posting a 73.838 to take the Class and getting himself booted out of the Novice category.

Full results can be seen on our Live Timing/Archive site by going to https://porschenet.com/ax, scrolling down to the date of Autocross #1 (May 22, 2022), then selecting  “Results.”

Thanks again to everyone for coming out to our first event of 2022. Our next event is on Sunday, June 19, and registration is open on motorsportreg.com. I hope to see a good crowd out there for that date!

-Chris Ryan

 

The Day’s Results

 

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NER Autocross School 2022

 

PCA NER Autocross 2022

After a COVID-induced absence for a couple of years, NER held its Autocross School again this year on May 7th. The event was sponsored once again by Conway Autoworks in Hanover, MA. (Thank you, Kenny!)

This year’s event attracted 45 students, all eager to see what Autocross is all about and to learn more about what they can do with their cars. Twenty-eight of our veteran autocrossers came to instruct and help out with the event.

We held the usual chalk talk at the beginning of the event, and students had been advised (prior to the event) to watch the 3-part NER Autocross Video produced by Richard Viard to get some background for the day. Most of the students complied, and during the talk, Ed Moschella proceeded to describe the finer points of oversteer, understeer, the friction circle, driving lines, as well as the importance of looking ahead while driving, and how to work the course.

We modeled our school event on the setup used very successfully by our fellow autocrossers in the BMW and Miata Clubs. The key difference for us was to pre-assign instructors to students for the exercise portion of the event, which greatly eliminated some of the logistical issues we had had in the past with different people jumping in and out of cars and slowing down the whole process. Three exercises were set up consisting of a series of offset clamshell elements which helped with course-reading, getting a line, braking, and turning; a kidney-shaped exercise which provided more braking and turning practice; and a slalom exercise. There was only one person (starter) running each exercise.

The students were assigned to two different run groups, and each group was divided into three color-coded subgroups. The first run group cycled through the exercises with their assigned instructors, while the members of the second run group worked (shagged cones) along with each exercise. Then the run groups switched, and group 2 had their chance to cycle through the exercises. By the time we completed the exercises and broke for lunch, everyone was ready to try out their new skills on an actual timed course.

Students were driven around the course in their own cars by their instructor at a moderate pace to get familiarized with the course and a driving approach. Then, each student was given a chance to do four timed runs with their instructor riding along. For the fifth run, instructors drove the students again, but this time at a full autocross pace. This opened the students’ eyes as to what they and their cars could be expected to do. In hindsight, we probably should have done that after the second run, then let the students take their last two runs after having seen that. Something to consider for next year …

A look at the posted times for the day shows most of the students managed to improve their times considerably over the course of their four runs showing that they must have learned something during the day’s activities. Full results can be seen by going to NER’s Live Timing site at https://porschenet.com/ax, scrolling down to the date of the Autocross School (May 7th, 2022), then selecting  “Results.”

We wrapped up the day by reading everyone’s posted times and awarding the students with a Rookie (“I Survived Autocross!”) trophy glass for everyone to remember the event by. We trust that they all had a lot of fun and learned something about their cars, what they are capable of, and what the sport of Autocross is all about. Based on feedback we’ve received, we expect to see a number of these students showing up for an autocross event soon – in fact – for our first event this year, 10 of the 23 Novices that registered had attended the school. We hope to welcome even more of them to one of our upcoming autocross events soon!

-Chris Ryan

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Southern Roads & Museums: Part 2

With the rain pelting down we head out from our Bellingham, MA home just after 9am on the first part of our multi-day southern tour.  The itinerary will include all of the 105-mile Skyline Drive (just south of Washington, DC) and 3 portions (about 325 miles) of the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway.  Hopes are high that we will have fun… but first we have to get there.

As most of us who live in this area know, unless you are going north to Canada, there are really only two logical ways to get OUT of the general greater Boston metropolitan area if you are heading south.  You go due west on the Pike past Worcester, then to Route 84 and down around Hartford.  The alternative is our choice.  Since we live almost on the Rhode Island line we travel through my home state, picking up Route 295 South in RI and merging into Route 95 South and head on into Connecticut along the BORING 95 corridor.  Yes, it’s boring, but it is pretty fast and on a Tuesday morning traffic is somewhat light.

Unlike the rain which is NOT light at all.  My baby is getting wet.

Since we have never really driven Miss P in a long recurring rain storm, we made an interesting discovery.  The windshield wiper system on this P-car is really rather neat… and SMART.  I never noticed this before.  Yet driving in steady rain, with the wipers set at a moderate speed the frequency of the blade’s swipe change with the intensity of the rain.

“Hey Linda, look at this” I mention to our trusty navigator.  She always has a map on her lap and many times she is looking down, tracking our path on the old school paper display.  “Watch the wipers… they speed up or slow down depending upon how hard it is raining or how fast we are going”. 

We observe this phenomenon for several minutes and several speed changes before either one of us speaks.  Linda is the first one to break the spell.  “Wow, that is pretty neat.  I’m not sure how it works… but it’s a good idea.  I’m glad you bought this car.  It certainly amuses you”. 

She is right.  Amuse is perhaps not the exact word I’d use.  Intrigue or inspire, or perhaps aspire is probably a better word.  I have always “aspired” to own a Porsche but it was not until I was almost 70 years old that I took the plunge and actually bought one.  Now after 2 plus years of ownership Linda and I are still learning new things about our P car. 

One feature we really like is the Navigation system.  Now remember our car is a 2011 model, so things have probably improved in 10 plus years.  FYI, we own a 29-foot motor home and tow a 20-foot race car trailer to various SCCA event.  In 2018 we bought a new state of the art Garmin GPS for the motorhome.  For this southern trip with took the Garmin along as a “backup”.   In 12 days of traveling, we never took the Garmin out its case. 

Linda does all of the navigation and we have used the P-car Nav system many times in the past.  Yet for this trip we REALLY used the Navigation.  Only once in the multiple days we were on the road did the system fail us.   We were looking for an “odd address” in Asheville North Carolina and the Porsche Nav system could not find it.  So Linda, needing never to be lost, pulls out her trusty I Phone.  She puts in the mysterious address and guides us in to our destination.  Kind of like an air traffic control operator at an airport. “You are clear to land Miss P.  Use Runway 32 Left…. You have reached your destination.  Your destination will be on the Right.”

One of the nice features of the Porsche Navigation system that I like is that the big center screen display can come up (in condensed form) on the instrument cluster right in front of me.  Thus, when we would get close to some destination, or turning point on a highway, I would bring the Nav up on the center display.   Then once the command had past, I would switch back to my preferred display which is usually “Miles to Empty and Miles per Gallon’. 

On our first day out, as we worked our way south to Wilmington, Delaware, the Nav system really came into its own.  Things were going well on 95 South until we hit New Haven.  Traffic is stopped and appears to be backed up for miles.  It’s still raining, the uniqueness of the magic windshield wipers is wearing off and it’s time to get off the road.

I find the first available exit and make our escape.  

“What are you doing” asks Linda, rather surprised we are not sticking to our agreed upon route.

“We’re not going to sit here all day waiting for the tow trucks to come and clear the obvious accident up ahead.  I know the Merritt Parkway is over that way somewhere.  Let’s see if we can find it.”

This is one of the advantages of old school paper maps.  Linda always has a general idea of where we are on the map. 

“Ok, fine.  What’s the route number for the Merritt Parkway” she asks.

Racking my brain for a moment I blurt out “Either 32 or 15.  I’m not sure.  But I think it’s either 32 or 15”.  We are in city traffic now and I’m beginning to tense up. 

The map reader takes a few moment (Recalculating… Please wait) and says “Ok… here it is.  Let’s figure out how to get there.”

Ah… the beauty of having a calm navigator at your side.  “Don’t worry captain… we’ll get this plane on the ground just as soon as we find a suitable airport and runway to land on.  It should not be too hard to find in all this rain.” 

With a combination of the Porsche Navigation system (find Merritt Parkway… it does) plus a dedicated human navigator, we work our way along New Haven city streets (Hey look, that’s Yale University) and get on the Merritt Parkway, heading south naturally.

Once on the Merritt things decidedly take a turn for the better. 

“Linda, look at the sky up ahead, I think is getting lighter.  Plus the rain seems to be tapering off now. 

Linda looks at the map.  “What way are you going to go now that we have altered our course?”

Without hesitation comes the answer.

“Merritt Parkway south and cross into New York.

Pick up 287 west and cross the Hudson on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

They now call it the Mario Cuomo bridge by the way, if you can’t find the Tappan Zee on your map. 

Then pick up the Garden State Parkway once we get into New Jersey.”

I’ve been this way many times (haven’t we all)… so I know the roads rather well.

“Got it” says the map lady.  She finds a spot in New York and pulls out her trusty I Phone and consults the oracle. 

 “What’s the weather now in Nyack New York” she types.   

Within seconds she has the answer. 

“Right now, in Nyack it is not raining and it is expected to be sunny and about 55 degrees by 2pm.  I think we are driving out of the rain.”

Slowly I begin to relax and enjoy driving Miss P.  The rain abates and the roads dry.  The wipers are off and now it’s head down and full speed ahead as we motor on to Willimgton, Delaware.          

We easily make the Managers Special at 5:30pm at the Embassy Suits Hilton.  One dollar a drink and free cheese and crackers till 7pm.

Plus a day of driving Miss P.

What’s not to like? 

Next Time

Air & Space Museum plus Skyline Drive

-Ray Boyer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rambling Across Rhode Island

When we left the Omni Mount Washington Resort last April, we all hoped that Covid-19 would be in the rearview mirror by the time this year’s Ramble rolled around.  Unfortunately, this 36th edition of the New England Ramble was still a little smaller than normal, but it definitely had all the social aspects Ramblers have come to expect.

Our 2022 overall sponsor was once again European Performance Engineering (EPE) of Natick, and Porsche of Warwick was our returning sponsor for Friday night’s Welcome Reception.

With nearly 160 Porsches in the parking lot, it was clear that PCA had arrived!  As usual, there were lots of returning Ramblers, many having participated 10, 15, or even 20 times.  However, I’m thrilled to report there were over 70 first-timers, nearly 25% of all attendees, quite a few had yet to sprout any gray hairs.  Concern that you’ll be the only newbies should prevent anyone from attending the Ramble.  We pride ourselves on making everyone feel at ease and welcome.

As has become our custom, Carol & I arrived on Wednesday to begin preparations for the Ramble.  Thankfully, upon completion of the final run through of the route, road construction hadn’t required any last minute adjustments to the directions as has occasionally been the case in the past.  Many thanks to Peter & Sandra Moll for their help in refining the directions and contributing to a reformatting that made them more user-friendly.

One of the few positive impacts of the pandemic was the shift to having everyone sign electronic waivers for the event when they register.  As a result, we were able to distribute the event packets to people when they checked into the hotel, and there was no need to queue up in registration lines Saturday morning before enjoying the continental breakfast.

On Friday evening, the Welcome Reception was in the Rose Island Ballroom.  Unfortunately, the wind was whipping up the waves and also the table cloths on the terrace, so the outdoors wasn’t all the welcoming.  That certainly didn’t stop people from enjoying the water views while they enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres.  There was plenty of schmoozing going on by lots of enthusiastic Ramblers, happy to start another driving season with their fellow PCA’ers. 

The Saturday morning meeting for drivers, navigators, and passengers made it abundantly clear that Autocross and DE track events are the appropriate venues to wring out all the performance the wizards of Weissach have built into your Porsche.  The Ramble is an organized, but not regimented, scenic drive to be accomplished within the strictures of all traffic laws.  As I shared with the group, I go out of my way to find roads where it will be challenging and enjoyable to drive at the posted speed limit.

 

Peter and Sandra Moll took the lead as the first of 160 or so Porsches (yes, there are a few other marques represented at the Ramble) pulled onto the causeway connecting Goat Island to the mainland.  It’s worth mentioning that NER has a waiver from National that allows us not to drive in a convoy.  You can feel free to stop as you like for a pitstop or to enjoy a photogenic location, and then pick back up on the tour when another “pod” of Porsches rolls by.  Mark Shane and Aya Mantsur-Shane served as our sweepers, and even if they should pass you by, you have the directions to continue on the route at your own pace.

Speaking of the directions, we conducted a small beta test using smartphone, app-based, turn-by-turn directions.  Thanks to Nick Shanos and Lance Johnson for their assistance, and Peter Moll and Larry Levin for their feedback.  After evaluating the experience, we’re moving forward with plans to introduce this navigational option to all Ramblers.  We hope this will offer an enjoyable alternative to those who find paper-based directions cumbersome or confusing.

After the 3+ drive from Gurney’s Resort to the Valley Country Club in Warwick for lunch, quite a few cabriolets were driving top down – including a couple of 356’s, 911’s of various vintages, and several Boxsters.  Judging from the number of return visits to the buffet line, one would surmise that people enjoyed the food!  Kudos to the staff for keeping the buffet fresh and full throughout the 2+ hour lunch service.  At the end of this interlude to refresh and refill, it was time to embark on the return trip.

After some relaxation time, maybe a massage or visit to the spa, or perhaps poking around Newport, it was time to spruce up for Saturday night’s festive dinner.  The cocktail hour commenced at 6:30 p.m., with everyone moving into the Grand Ballroom for dinner at 7:30.  I finished my brief remarks before the main course was served, and along with comments relating to the events of the day, I was glad to report that our Safety Chair, Don Kelly, had no incidents to report back to National PCA.

As I surveyed the room, it was a joy to see so many smiling faces and animated conversations.  I was struck by how comfortable and normal things felt.  People were enjoying each other’s company and sharing their experiences.  Carol and I were glad to have the opportunity to spend time with Kirk and Lorraine Pickell, and share what had transpired in our lives since the last Ramble.

Before hitting the road on Sunday morning, a full breakfast buffet was served, providing the opportunity to bid a fond farewell to new and old Ramble friends.  I heard time and again from Ramblers how much they look forward to re-connecting with people at the Ramble each year.

To get a more complete idea of what it looks like to participate in the Ramble, click this link to view 300+ pictures curated by Larry Levin: https://nerpca.smugmug.com/2022/2022-04-29-2002-NER-PCA-Ramble/n-XgfxvP

If this article has piqued your interest, then be sure to mark April 28 – 30, 2023 on your calendars when we’ll be rambling from The Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown, NY.  It’s barely 8 months until registration opens on Wednesday January 18.  Hope to see you there!

Submission: Dennis Fried with images by Dennis & Others

Dennis can be reached at [email protected]

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Southern Roads & Museums: Pt 1

“You realize don’t you, that if we take this trip, Miss P is going to get wet.  If we are on the road for 10 or 12 or 14 days, EVENTUALLY it is going to rain.  And Miss P will get wet.  You realize what you are saying… right ?”

That is my wife Linda talking and she is telling me the facts of life.

Facts which sometimes I fail to recognize or refuse to acknowledge. 

Miss P is our first Porsche, a 2011 Carrera model 911.  Basic car, two wheel drive, PDK.  We have owned her since August of 2019.  She had just passed 41 thousand miles when we (well I really) claimed her.  Now she had just over 59 K, so in only slightly more than 2 full years we had clocked up about 18 thousand miles.  Miss P is certainly not a garage queen but she definitely is pampered. 

Linda and I like to go for “rides”.  During the early days of Covid Miss P was our lifeboat.  If it was a nice sunny day we’d get out of the house and go for a ride.  It did not matter where… just getting out for 2 or 3 or 4 hours was an escape from being house bound due to the pandemic. 

Notice the phrase “a nice sunny day”.  The Porsche NEVER started out on a “ride” if it was raining, or even threatening to rain.  I would consult with Linda and she would check the forecast on her phone and if things looked clear we would take off.  Once on the road, if it happened to turn dark and threating to rain, and if we were close to home (say 40 miles or less) often times we would turn around and head for the barn before the rain drops fell.  If we were beyond the range of a safe return, we would tough it out.  Linda would say “she’s just a car…she’s tough.  She can take it”.  But I would think “My baby’s getting wet … and DIRTY.”

God forbid !

Thus my proposal to take a road trip down south to drive the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway sparked a bit of surprise from my better half.  That many days away would certainly entail some risk.  Yet the lure of mountain switch backs and interesting museums (Linda and I love museums) eventually overcame the desire to keep Miss P clean and dry.

We began planning for this trip just after Christmas time.  The Porsche was safe (and clean) in the garage.  She had no inkling of what we were cooking up.   At first we thought about traveling in Mid-March.  But that seemed a bit optimistic because we reasoned that there could be SNOW in the mountains down south.  Miss P had never even SEEN snow and was not about to on my watch.  So, we altered our initial thoughts and moved the departure date to April 12.

Linda began planning her wardrobe well before our start date.  Twelve or more days on the road requires her to give a lot of thought as to what to bring and how to fit it all into a 911.  At first Linda was thinking she was only going to bring a small overnight bag, like you would carry onto an airplane.  I heard what she was saying but felt she was being unrealistic.  She would NEVER be able to get by with a small overnight bag, not for so many days on the road. “But there is not much room in the Porsche” she lamented.  “I will just have to make it work”. 

For long trips Linda has a good-sized piece of travel luggage that is about 28” wide, 10” high and about 12” deep.  I took the bag (along with Linda) and brought them both into the garage.  I open the front trunk and slipped the big piece of luggage into the space.  It fit like a glove (a tight glove for sure) and there was a little space remaining for a set of Jumper cables and a few hand tools.  Now Linda had many more options for clothes and alternative paring of outfits.  She was a happy camper. 

Besides the “big bag” in front we also each brought a small overnight bag.  These fit nicely side by side on the shelf where the rear seats fold down.  For myself I have a decent sized soft sided luggage bag that I have used for year.  This conveniently slide into the remaining space right behind the driver on the new “shelf” we had made with the smaller overnight bags.            

 

Linda had one smaller portable bag that fit on the new “shelf” behind her seat.   Add in some full winter coats (a good decision on our part) some maps and other nick knacks and the rear portion of Miss P was rather full.   Yet I could still see out the rear window… so from a driving perspective everything would work out.

We planned the route with great care.  About 350 miles per day, or slightly less, is a comfortable mileage goal for us.  So, day 1 would get us from the Metro West area of Boston to Wilmington, Delaware.   Linda is a “Hilton Girl”.  We like to stay at Hilton locations and Linda finds a Hilton unit whenever she can.   For Wilmington it was the Embassy Suites and our objective was to be checked in with plenty of time to make the Managers Special which begins at 5:30pm.  Free wine and cheese … what’s not to like. 

Tuesday the 12th arrives and we are up and packed and ready to go by 9am.  I look out the window and guess what?    It’s RAINING !  We have not even gotten out of the garage and it’s raining.  And not just a light rain either.  “It’s raining really HARD Linda” was my lament. 

Linda can tell I’m thinking about alternatives, like maybe waiting a day before starting out.  She can see the doubt in my eyes and hear the hesitation in my voice.  “You know it’s raining out” I say again. 

Her reply is soothing but somewhat forceful.

“Look, we discussed this.  It had to rain sometime.  Today’s its raining.  So what?? She’s just a car. She even has heated seats if it gets cold.  She can take it. She’s tough.  So, let’s stop hemming and hawing and get on the road.”

So, with dread in my heart and rain on the windshield we hit the road.

The adventure has begun.

-Ray Boyer


NEXT TIME

Driving in the rain, new Porsche discoveries and museums to explore.

 

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Driver Education Ground School

NER’s first Driver Education event of the season took place on Sunday April 24th at Palmer Motorsports Park.  No, this wasn’t your usual DE, rather it was the annual Ground School – held at a racetrack (rather than the usual location at HMS Motorsports in Danvers).  And a great idea is was as it allowed those attending to do parade laps and see what a really cool racetrack looks like.

There was an excellent turnout:  40 registered and 37 of them showed up plus there were 24 “day of” drop-ins for a total of 61 Green student wannabees.  The day started with coffee and pastries (courtesy of David Peterman and Panera) served in the main Palmer garage. Once all were settled we were greeted by co-Track Chair Charlie Kenney (Adam Schwartz stayed home so we wouldn’t catch anything bad) followed by a series of presentations that explained what DE is, how to sign up, how to prepare for an event and then what to expect at an actual DE event.  Driving tips (apexes, friction circle, flags, etc.) were NOT explained – that will come at the events themselves. What the attendees DID learn about were…

  • Dave Berman explained the instruction process and instructor/student pairings
  • Paul Skinner explained how to register, car numbers, etc.
  • Aaron Murphy detailed the car tech form and tech line process
  • Cody from HMS talked about the required safety equipment
  • Judi Mansing promised wonderful social hours once the track is cold
  • Ed Mansing described how NER’s program fits with our sister region NCR’s parallel program
  • Mike Woodward talked about what goes on in a typical track day and how to get the most out of it.
  • Charlie highlighted the tracks we visit

With all of that good stuff in mind, attendees were then sent out to do some parade laps so they could get totally psyched up. The laps continued until the “meatball” flag was shown which signaled that pizza (courtesy of HMS Motorsports) had arrived (they should have shown the “pepperoni” flag but that apparently was at the F1 race in Imola that weekend). Good pizza, some soft drinks, some more chat and everyone went home happy and newly knowledgeable.

                                 

 

In my role as DE Crier I made sure to chat up some of those attending. While most were clearly there with the intent to do DE there were also some who saw this as an opportunity to meet some PCA folks, see the Palmer race track and MAYBE get talked into doing a DE. I suspect some will indeed start down the slippery slope. One such was Joanne Young of New Braintree who showed up in a very pristine 2005 Boxster.  I was her right seat passenger for a few parade laps and then took the wheel to better demonstrate the Palmer “line.”  Great fun.  During pizza time I had another nice chat with mother and daughter combo Nita and Jenna Moton.  Nita recently moved from Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter and her 911 is in the process of being shipped here. I forgot to tell them that it’s OK to share a car at DE (although difficult if both are Green novices). 

           

 

So all in all it was great day with good learning and the fun of parade laps. If you were there I know you will agree.  But let’s end with this note:  if you haven’t done a DE, would like to, but missed the Ground School, YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR ANY OF OUR DE’S. See you at the track – and come and tell me a good story.

And thanks again to Panera, HMS Motorsports and hosts Palmer Motorsport Park!

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2022-04 Board Meeting Minutes

April 2022 Board Meeting Minutes

The April board meeting was held on April 13th at 6:00 PM via Zoom video conference.

In attendance:

Robert Jacobsen – President

Kristin Larson – Treasurer

Glenn Champagne – VP Administration

Betty Mae Mosley – VP Administration

Lisa Burke – Membership Chair

Erick Aubin – Secretary

Charles Kenney – DE Co-chair

Luis Rivera – VP Communications

 Not in attendance:

Nick Shanny – Past President

Jerome Gangitano – VP Driving Events

The March Meeting Minutes had been approved via email and published on Porschenet.com prior to the April meeting. A discussion of club activities, events, and general business followed.  The possibility of conducting an in-person board meetings was discussed and will be decided in May.

  • Treasury Report

The Board approved the monthly Treasurer’s Report.  The cost of the 2021 Gala was discussed.  The total expenditure was on par with previous events despite lower turnout.

 

  • Sponsorship & Advertising Update

Robert updated the deck available to potential advertisers.  Robert is organizing a list of sponsors committed to advertising and what their support includes in terms of website and social media exposure.

 

  • Administration

Newcomers meeting was successful with 85+ attendees including some unregistered attendees as people had difficulty accessing the NER specific site. There was discussion about highlighting the difference between NER and PCA National login credentials.  Membership verified that all new members are informed that they need separate credentials for the NER website in their welcome email. The communications team also highlighted this at the newcomer’s meeting.

Notch brewery tour will be rescheduled for June and Collins museum registration will open mid-April.

The summer party was proposed for July 24th, there was concern that attendance may be impacted by an NCR HPDE scheduled for the same day.  It was agreed that the date for the summer party should be moved to a later date targeting August 7th.  Further discussion included a liability question with PCA national about the chairlift ride.  Administration will contact Wachusett to investigate liability terms within the event contract or whether an insurance binder could be provided to cover any PCA concerns. Administration requested help finding a volunteer to act as chairperson(s) for the summer party event. In addition, a proposal was made to establish a children’s advisory board to help with activity planning to build a family oriented community around the summer party. Finally, an inquiry was made about extending the event end time by another hour and a suggestion was made to include a pinewood derby event to further engage younger attendees.

Discussed enhancing social events to attract more family members for lunches, dinners, or other non-car focused activities.  An example would be hosting a lunch after a Porches and coffees event.

  • Driving

Upcoming ramble, autocross, and DE events are all on track as expected. Charles Kenney, Adam Schwartz, and Paul Skinner will covering Stan Corbett’s registration and safety activities as needed.

  • Membership

Membership numbers are steady. Membership chair requested a list of email addresses for newcomer’s meeting attendees in order to send follow-up email. Membership would like communications to re-cycle the article that was published after the 2021 newcomer’s meeting to inform new members of contacts within NER.

  • Communications

Website traffic is trending upwards with younger age groups. Analysis of website and registered NER member data is indicating increased traffic by Macan owners. Social media chair will be relocating and switching PCA regions.  Communications requested additional voluneers to cover these responsibilities and assist with content creation, advertising support, and website backend functions. Luis will be putting together a recruiting article for the website. Robert had a conversation with an interested member at last year’s summer party.  He will provide the name of this person to communications for follow-up.

The next NER board meeting is scheduled for May 11th at 6:00PM on Zoom.

The Club’s monthly Board meetings are planned for the second Wednesday of each month and typically begin with a social period at 6:00PM and the official Board meeting at 6:30PM – although when it’s a Zoom meeting, the social piece is brief and the meeting begins shortly after 6:00 PM.

Club members may attend any of the monthly Board meetings.  Please contact the Club Secretary ([email protected]) in advance of the meeting to confirm your attendance and the meeting time and place.

 

 

 

 

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