Archive for month: May, 2026

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40th Annual Ramble Recap

The 40th Annual Northeast Region Ramble proved that after four decades, the spirit of the Ramble is not only alive and well — it is thriving.

Held April 25–27, 2026 at the stunning The Sagamore Resort on Lake George NY, this year’s Ramble welcomed 320 attendees and roughly 173 Porsches for a sold-out weekend of scenic roads, camaraderie, and unforgettable experiences. Registration filled in a single day, a testament to the enthusiasm and loyalty this event continues to inspire within the Porsche Club of America Northeast Region community.

The weekend could not have unfolded more perfectly. Under beautiful spring weather and clear Adirondack skies, attendees gathered Friday evening overlooking Lake George, reconnecting with old friends while welcoming many first-time Ramblers into the fold. Approximately 20% of attendees were experiencing their very first Ramble, while others proudly shared that they had attended all 40 events — a remarkable reflection of the deep traditions and friendships this event has fostered over the decades.

Throughout the weekend, the 40th anniversary spirit was everywhere. Special commemorative 40th anniversary pins were created for attendees, while many participants proudly wore Ramble T shirts and hats purchased ahead of the event. From the parking lots to the cocktail hour, there was a palpable sense that this year’s gathering was something special.

Saturday morning brought the centerpiece of the weekend: the Ramble drive itself. As 173 Porsches departed the Sagamore, the procession stretched through the Adirondacks in a colorful display of engineering and enthusiasm. The carefully curated route showcased winding mountain roads, elevation changes, forests, lakeside vistas, and picturesque small towns — the kind of roads that make Porsche ownership such a joy. Whether driving a vintage air cooled classic or a modern GT3 RS, participants shared the same excitement each time the road opened up ahead.

One of the Ramble’s most beloved traditions returned once again: the surprise lunch destination. This year, drivers arrived at Saratoga Casino Hotel, where attendees enjoyed a buffet lunch overlooking the harness racing track while live races unfolded below. The unexpected setting quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend.

What stood out most, however, was the overwhelming positivity surrounding the drive itself. While organizers always hope participants will enjoy the carefully selected roads and destinations, many attendees went even further, describing this year’s route as one of the most memorable drives the Ramble has ever offered.

Saturday evening concluded with an elegant three-course dinner back at the Sagamore. Guests celebrated the milestone anniversary together while enjoying dessert featuring a special chocolate “40” tribute to the event’s anniversary year — a fitting finish to a day filled with celebration, driving, and community.

Of course, an event of this scale does not happen by accident. Months of route planning, logistics, registration coordination, hospitality arrangements, and behind-the-scenes work are required to create a seamless experience for hundreds of attendees. Yet despite the Ramble’s continued growth and popularity, it has retained something deeply personal: the feeling that everyone, whether a first-time participant or a 40-year veteran, belongs.

As the weekend came to a close, conversations had already shifted toward next year’s adventure.

The 41st Annual Northeast Region Ramble will take place at the Newport Harbor Island Resort in Newport, Rhode Island. Registration will open in January 2027, and interested participants are encouraged to sign up for the Northeast Region newsletter for future announcements and event information.

Forty years in, the Ramble continues to evolve while staying true to what made it special in the first place: great roads, great people, and the joy of sharing both together.

 



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NER 2026 Autocross #2

NER’s 2026 Season continues on Sunday June 21st  at Moore Airfield in Ayer and will be sponsored again by SSA European Auto Repair (formerly South Shore Autoworks). We hope to see all our regular autocrossers along with any newcomers interested in attending. We welcome all cars, and you do not need to be a PCA member to participate.

For those new to Autocross, it is a safe and accessible introduction to motor sports and a fantastic way to improve on your driving skills both for motorsports and street driving.  It is also a competitive event: the runs are timed and you compete against similar cars in your class at each event. Participants at our autocross events are a dynamic mix of veterans and novices, enjoying what is both a Club social event as well as a friendly competition. Novices can always count on help from the autocross veterans and no one takes it so seriously that it interferes with the spirit of camaraderie. We’ve even implemented a new class for novices this year and will provide an instructor during the event for those that want one. To give you a first-hand look at what to expect, we have a series of excellent “Introduction to Autocross” videos on our website, produced by one of our long-time members Richard Viard. They can be seen on the Autocross page of our website at www.porschenet.com.

Registration is open for all 2026 Autocross events on motorsportreg.com. You must register online for this event by midnight, Thursday June 18th .

Gates will open at 7:00 am. Please do not arrive before that time unless you are part of the setup crew. When you arrive, the check-in crew will ask to see your driver’s license and e-waiver badge on your phone.

Park in the paddock area and empty your car, put your assigned numbers on your car, and get in the tech line with your helmet in the car.

Tech lines will be open from 7:15 to 8:15; Plan to arrive no later than 8:00 to get through Tech before it closes.

You should bring a helmet (Snell 2015 or newer), sunscreen, water and lunch if you did not order it. Loaner helmets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Drivers Meeting will take place near the Control Tent around 8:30 am. 

There will be a course walk after the driver’s meeting; Following the course walk go immediately to your assigned work stations. We will begin runs at about 9:30 am.

We’ll take a short lunch break between the morning and afternoon run sessions. If you ordered lunch when you registered, it will be available for pickup. Soft drinks, snacks, and water will be provided by the Club.

Further event details, including a video series describing how autocross works and what to bring to an event can be found at the autocross section of the NER website at porschenet.com. 

The cost for the day is $55 for members, $65 for non-members. Lunch can be pre-ordered online when registering.

We look forward to seeing you at this event.  Questions:  contact AX Chair Chris Ryan ([email protected]).  For registration information, contact the AX Registrar Alan Davis ([email protected]).   

 

Directions:  The event will be at Moore Airfield on Route 2A which is separate from the main (former) Army base. The Google maps address is 90 Fitchburg Rd. Ayer MA.     From Rte128 or I-495: Take Route 2 West. Take Exit 38B (Route 111 North) for 2 miles. At the rotary, take Route 2A West toward Ayer. Stay on 2A as it turns right in downtown Ayer.  Follow Route 2A bearing left at the fork by Tiny’s Restaurant. Continue past the Shop & Save market on your left – the entrance gate will be on your left just after the railroad tracks with a sign reading “Welcome to Moore Field”. Enter through the main gate, then look for the “Autocross” sign and bear left up the hill to get to the airfield. Everyone should have signed the e-waivers prior to arriving. At the top of the hill there will be someone to check you in. Please be prepared to show your driver’s license and PCA Membership card if asked.

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AX #1 Event recap

NER opened its 2026 Autocross Season on Sunday May 17th at Moore Airfield in Ayer – sponsored once again by our friends at Kachel Motor Company. Dave Seavey and Anthony Bitsoli from KMC were on hand to do some cone chasing – it was great to have them come and participate. Overall, we had 45 drivers for the event, allowing for a full course around the airfield which we always enjoy.

We had 11 novices registered including several who had just participated in the 2026 Autocross School on April 11. By the end of the day, it was Jeff Louie driving a 2022 911 C4S taking first place in the Porsche Novice class and Benjamin Do in his 2026 Toyota Supra taking first in the non-Porsche Novice class. Welcome to the big leagues, guys …

In Class 1, featuring the air-cooled cars, we saw Adam Small put up a 70.737 in his 1984 Carrera to take the top spot in Class 1 over Chris Darminio. In Class 2, Luis Rivera in a 2015 Panamera posted a time 82.334 to take the Class. In Class 3, Alan Donkin prevailed over Dan Wright (2nd) and Tony Miniscalco (3rd) with a 72.809. Mark Skala dominated Class 4 with a 66.727 handily beating Chris Ryan and Dan Gramm. Charles Comeau posted a 69.268 to take Class 5 with a win over Jeff Johnson and Ernie Grasso. Krishna Harpanahalli took Class 6 with a 66.375 over Dan Quaroni and Alan Davis. In the upset of the day, KMC driver Dave Seavey posted a 66.328 to take Class 7 and beat both Krishna and Mark Skala! Nice going Dave!

Ryan Cassillo was the winner of Non-Porsche SCCA Street Class 8 with a 66.918 in his2024 BMW M2 and Chris Lindquist topped SCCA Street Prepared Class 9 in his 2023 Toyota Supra with a 66.155.

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 17, 2026), then selecting “Results”.

Thanks again to everyone for coming out to our kick off our 2026 Season and to our sponsor, Kachel Motor Company. Our next event will be on Sunday June 21st   and registration is open on motorsportreg.com.

 

 

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A Message from the 2026 President – May 2026

Board Updates & Governance

Below is a summary of the highlights of board meetings over the last few months.  While most of the time are discussing events for the membership, we also need to tackle administrative tasks of running a board:

  • Communication & Transparency: This is a focus of mine and I will continue to present these updates to the membership, so you all know the “happenings” at NER and the accomplishments of the 2026 Board.
  • Website Refresh and Document Storage: New website is live. Congrats to Ryan and his team for this needed refresh.  Please look for additional updates over the remainder of the year. We are also reviewing how NER documents are stored to ensure effective transitions to those boards in the years to come.
  • Policies, Procedures & Bylaws: Policies & Procedures drafts of these are in process and will ensure the Board operates efficiently and in accordance with our bylaws. Note we put the Bylaw update on hold to ensure when there is a “fix and clarify” we update everything needed once and we need to operate under the current version to fully understand all necessary tweets.
  • Email blasts: We are working to ensure future email blasts are consistent month to month so everyone will know when to expect them and looking to add some human interest stories from current members.

Upcoming Events & Activities

Springtime is here and cars are out of storage.  It is great to see Porsches out driving on the streets again.  Activities have been planned, some have already occurred and some are right around the corner.  The favorite events have stayed, and new concepts are being explored, especially in our Social events.

Driving & Track Events

  • Autocross (AX): The 2026 season kicked off with a well-attended Ground school event at Devins and welcomed some DE folks to work on car control. Pizza was had by all with an AX course in the afternoon.  If you have not tried AX, no time like the present – it’s an exciting way to see what you and your car can do.  All registration is on motorsportreg.com.  If you are curious what this is all about, check out a video here Welcome to AX
  • Driver Education (DE): Registration is open now at motorsportreg.com
    • HPDE Primer: May 22 at Thompson – a low-cost, half-day opportunity to try DE for the first time.
    • Tech Form: The 2026 tech form and process is available online at Tech form and happy to report NCR and NER have adopted the same process to make this easier for all. The DE tech team have established 2 tech sessions showing how to “self-tech” your car and videos for assistance at the link above.
  • The Ramble: As I write this, all are home from a great Ramble at the Sagamore Hotel and still wishing for more and looking forward to next year. I look forward to seeing the recap for 2026 and another fabulous event next year April 23-25, 2027, in Newport RI at Newport Harbor Island Hotel.

Rallies & Tours

We are delivering on your requests for more driving tours and working to spread them out across the region:

  • Spring Rally: Another rainy Sunday for the route which started at Billiards Café in Ayer MA. But you all showed up and the event was a huge success.
  • Summer Rally: Currently in the planning stages and should be announced soon.
  • Dow Fall Rally: Our annual tradition continues and look for details later in the spring/summer.

Social Events

The Social Committee is expanding our “Porsches & Coffee” locations and adding more tech sessions.

  • Porsches & Coffee: Starting this year, you will see Cars & Coffee in both the “North” and “South.” We will also be attending Larz Anderson for Porsche Day on Sunday July 26th.
  • Summer Outing: “Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd.” Porsches are headed to the Lowell Spinners ballpark on Saturday August 1.  Look for details to come but let’s say I need to warm up my throwing arm, and the kids should wear their running sneakers.  Should be a great event for the full family.

Concours

The Concours Committee has been formed and is planning an exciting event for Sunday September 13th at Westport Rivers Winery in Westport, MA.

  • New Location: As Audrain has expanded their schedule, it was determined to move our event outside Motor Week.
  • While some things change, others do not: While the location has changed, we expect our Concours event to be another hit with a beautiful backdrop of the vineyards.  While cars are being shown, there will be wine will be available for tastings and purchase (by glass or bottle).

Events Around the Region

  • DER Porsches in the Park: Downeast Region is hosting their annual Porsches in the Park on Saturday July 25th at Bug Light Park, South Portland ME. This is a great charity event with proceeds going to the Dempsey Center which provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care.   See details on how to register at Porsches in the Park.  And who knows, maybe Patrick Dempsey will attend as he has in some prior years.
  • PCA Porsche Parade: The PCA Parade is at Lake Placid June 14-20, 2026, with registration open for all events. It is a great time to meet Porsche enthusiasts from around Zone 1 and the country.  It has not been in Zone 1 since Jay Peak, VT in 2016

Fun Facts

  • NER hosted the Porsche Parade in 1961 in Berkshires, MA and was gifted a sterling silver Porsche 356, autographed by Ferry Porsche. This has been passed down President to President since and currently sitting on my mantel.
  • Speaking of Parades, NER won the Membership award at the 1998 43rd Porsche Parade at Steamboat CO
  • While most of us have only heard of AX at Fort Devens because it is a GREAT location, we used to run autocrosses at a number of locations such as Mitre Corp in Reading, Burlington Mall, Needham Nike Site, Dighton Nike Site, Auburn Mall, Ft Devens (old course), Univ NH parking lot , Revere Greyhound track parking lot , Smith & Weston lot in Springfield MA, Bose parking lot and Convention Center in Boston

Get Involved

NER is fueled by the passion of our volunteers. If you have an interest in helping out, whether in a small way or by joining a committee, please reach out to us at [email protected].

I look forward to seeing you all on the road and at our events very soon!

Kristin Larson

2026 NER President

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