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Newcomers Recap at Archive Framingham

Hi everyone,


If you couldn’t make it to our Newcomers Event on March 15th in Framingham, you definitely missed out on more than baked tasty treats and Ferraris in the back corner .
We had an incredible turnout of new and longtime members who came together to connect, share stories, and celebrate what makes our club so special. From the moment people arrived, the energy was high—great conversations, new friendships forming, and plenty of Porsche passion in the room. It was exactly the kind of welcoming, engaging atmosphere we want every member to experience.
What stood out most was how quickly strangers became part of the community. That’s what this club is all about—not just the cars, but the people behind them.
If you weren’t there, consider this your official nudge: you don’t want to miss the next one.

 

We have more events coming up, and they’re only getting better. Make sure you’re staying in the loop:

  • Check out our new website for event updates and announcements

  • Follow us on social media to stay connected between events

  • And most importantly, come introduce yourself in person next time

As Membership Chair, I’m here to help you get the most out of the club. Think of me as your concierge—whether you’re new, returning, or just looking to get more involved, I’d love to connect and help you plug in.

Feel free to reach out anytime, and I hope to see you at our next event.

 

Best regards,
Kevin Moran
Membership Chair
Porsche Club of America – Northeast Region
[email protected]

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40th Annual NER Ramble – Save The Date!

April 24–26, 2026
The Sagamore Resort • Lake George, NY

LINK TO REGISTER

For our 40th Anniversary Ramble, we’re returning to one of the most breathtaking destinations in the Northeast: The Sagamore Resort, perched on its own private island surrounded by the deep blue waters of Lake George. This year’s Ramble is more than a weekend away — it’s a celebration four decades in the making.

The Drive You’ve Been Waiting For

Picture this: you roll out at 9am, engine warm, sun cutting across the Adirondacks, and a ribbon of winding mountain roads ahead of you. Behind you? A lineup of 150+ fellow Porsche drivers who live for exactly this kind of weekend.

We’ll carve through sweeping curves, forested climbs, and lakeside stretches, stopping midday for a generous buffet lunch in Saratoga Springs before heading back along more stunning, curated-by-Porsche roads.

Evenings Worth Dressing Up For

Back at The Sagamore, the celebration continues with lakeside sunsets, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a three-course dinner crafted for Ramble guests. After a full day of driving, it’s the kind of evening that feels even better: relaxed, festive, and surrounded by old friends and new ones.

Why You Don’t Want to Miss This One

  • Our 40th year = our most anticipated Ramble ever

  • One of the most stunning resorts in the Northeast

  • A route designed for pure Porsche joy

  • Exceptional food, scenery, camaraderie, and surprises

  • Space is limited — Based on past events we recommend signing up when registration opens.

Mark Your Calendar

Registration opens at 5am on January 15, 2026! 

A private link to book your room at The Sagamore will be emailed to you after you register.

Weekend Highlights

Friday (4/24)

  • Hotel check-in (3–9pm)

  • Car self-wash available

  • Welcome reception (6–8pm)

  • Dinner on your own—The Sagamore and Bolton Landing offer fantastic options

Saturday (4/25)

  • Early morning self-wash

  • Continental breakfast

  • Mandatory drivers meeting (8:30am)

  • Ramble Send-Off (9am)

  • Turn-by-turn GPS routes

  • Buffet lunch in Saratoga Springs

  • Cocktails & hors d’oeuvres (6–7:30pm)

  • Plated dinner (7:30–10pm) — festive attire encouraged

Sunday (4/26)

  • Full hot breakfast buffet (7–10am)

Registration Fees

It’s $125 + $2 reg fee per person to register. 

Room Rates

Prices include all taxes and fees.

Room Type

Friday (Room Only)

Sat – 1 Person Meals

Sat – 2 People Meals

Standard View

$303

$518

$733

Lodge Suite—Lake View

$325

$540

$755

Main Hotel Suite—Standard View

$347

$562

$777

Main Hotel—Lake View

$358

$574

$789

Main Hotel Suite—Lake View

$403

$618

$833

Superior Lake View Suite (Balcony)

$469

$685

$900

Friday rate covers room only and applies pre- and post-Ramble (based on availability).

Saturday Package Rate includes room, cocktail reception, dinner, Sunday breakfast, and all service charges.

Note: Only guests registered for the event will receive access to the hotel block. A hotel room booked without an event registration is not guaranteed.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

NEW THIS YEAR: Exclusive 40th Ramble Merchandise!

Commemorate four decades of unforgettable Rambles with limited-edition apparel and accessories!
 Shop here → https://40th-ner-ramble.printify.me/

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2025 Dow Rally Recap

Sponsored By

This year’s Dow Rally visited Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts and took place on a gorgeous Fall Day. Thirty drivers made their way around an interesting 50-mile course while their navigators attempted to spot the answers to intentionally deceptive questions. This year we had one car with three passengers and it was Erik and Daryl Dow and daughter Hannah – yes, the Dow family that the Rally is named after. Great that they always participate, driving Charlie’s 911, to honor Charlie and Martha – two of the founders (in 1959) of our PCA region.

Participants enjoyed a tasty lunch at Rachel’s Lakeside

This year many of the questions were particularly obscure (although every question was answered correctly by at least one participant) and the winning team answered 25 of 30 questions correctly. There were four competitors with 24 correct so the second-place winner was decided on a tie-breaker and it went to Kimberly Lynch. 

But the winner of the Rally was Lisa Van Gorder (Team name OK’man – very clever!). Lisa claimed she had not done any NER events before – proving that the Dow Rally is a great entry point for the slippery slope that is PCA.  We’ll have her on the track soon!

Rally winners Lisa Van Gorder and Kimberly Lynch

The Rally also featured two other contests. While the participants were waiting to start, they were given the chance to answer the question “What was your most amusing automotive interaction with the law?” The three best answers (according to the subjective scoring of the organizers) were then given the chance to tell their stories at the end point luncheon. Robert Gomes, Tom Tate and Adam Wells all entertained the audience with their tales but Adam was voted the winner by the crowd.

Adam Wells was winner of best story

Finally, our course creator Ann Strong picked Gary Hebner for taking the most professional line entering Rt. 6 to start the Rally.

Ann and Gary Hebner

Thanks to Ann Strong, to Anker Berg-Sonne for doing most of the work and to our sponsor Assabet Advisors.

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8th Annual Dow Rally – Registration Is OPEN!

Join us on October 19th for the 8th Annual Charlie and Martha Dow Fall Rally! 

sponsored by

Registration

Registration for this event is currently OPEN at MotorsportReg and you can register by clicking here

About The Event

We do this rally in honor of the late Charlie Dow and his wife Martha – longtime, active NER and board members and all-around Porsche enthusiasts. Their kids will be attending so come and say HI!

The event was originally a tour but we switched it to a gimmick rally – you still get to drive a pretty course but now you must stay focused and attempt to answer questions about the landmarks you pass. You will have written directions and a GPS route as well.  Do people still get lost?  Yes.  Do drivers and navigators get in arguments?  Yes.  Has the event caused a divorce? Unclear.

Spend a Fall Sunday morning behind the wheel – is there any better place to be?  Only when it’s on a rally through the winding roads of southeastern Massachusetts and the Southcoast.  Beginning in Swansea, MA, we’ll put about 60 miles under our tires enjoying the fall scenery and keeping eyes peeled for answers to clues. The Dow Rally will end in Westport, MA with a hot luncheon buffet (Portuguese stuffed chicken, baked scrod, ziti and all the fixin’s).  Start and finish are both easy-on/easy-off Route 195.

The Details

The $65 entry fee includes the car and lunch for two. If there are more than two “eaters” then please let us know.

You should plan on a day that starts at 9am and ends around 2pm. 

HERE IS AN IMPORTANT POINT:  At the Newcomer’s meeting a common question was “I’m not sure that I want to jump into a DE or an autocross, what is the best activity for me to try first so I can meet other members?”  WELL, THIS IS IT!  (Or the Summer Party – that works too!).  This is a great event to bring a kid or kids and come in a Macan (or stuff the really small ones in the back of the 911).  The kids can help with the gimmick rally (they have better vision than you do and aren’t busy driving) and will have a blast.   

Have Any Further Questions? 

Contact Us Here

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2025 NER Concours Update – Registration is now CLOSED

UPDATE 9/18/2025:

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED: With nearly 120 cars committed YTD we have reached our maximum of 120 for both Werks and Full Presentation Judging. Registration is closed but a waiting list will be established for those that wish to be considered. After September 29, 2025 no cancellations will be accepted and no refunds issued.  No day of the event registrations will be accepted. Only paid spectators and pre-registered participants will be allowed access.

The 2025 NER Concours has something for everyone!

Do you have a penchant for keeping your Porsche super clean? How about sharing your Porsche’s ownership story with fellow members? Or maybe you just want to see a lot of cool Porsches, all in one place?

A great way to do all of the above is to attend our annual Concours located on the grounds of the beautiful Elms mansion in sunny Newport, RI. 

Mingle with your fellow Porsche enthusiasts, and enjoy food and drink (available for purchase),  as you peruse the diverse collection of Porsches in attendance.

When will the 2025 Concours Be Held?

The 2025 NER Concours will be held 8:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday, October 4 on the back lawn of The Elms property, 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI during the Audrain Motor Week and Concours.

Concours entrants will have a choice between objective points-based Full classes and Werks classes where the history and stories behind Porsches are weighed by judges in a mostly subjective manner. Advanced Concours entrant registration will be $40, with day of the Concours registration, if available, $60.

How to Register & Event Information

Registration is currently CLOSED (waitlist only) at Hagerty Motorsports Reg – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

You can also go to our event page on our Events calendar for more information here

Advance registration opened July 1st, and closes Oct 2nd. Advance registration is strongly encouraged, as a limited number of slots are available for entry.

Where Can I Learn More About the NER Concours (In General)?

Have a look at our concours activity page by clicking here

 

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PCA Announces 70th Anniversary Club Coupe!

PCA National has taken the wraps off of the 70th Anniversary Club Coupe, a special edition of the 992.2 Carrera T designed to commemorate 70 years of Porsche Club of America.

70 lucky PCA members will be chosen from a raffle drawing to purchase this exclusive 911, and one of those members could be you!

For full details and raffle entry instructions, check out the advertisement from PCA National below, or click the link here!

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The Forgotten Porsche

Normally on this web site we expect to see the latest adventures of Tom Tate.  This article is a little different.  Instead of a story by Tom, this is a story about Tom.   This past Thursday Tom presented his latest adventure to a packed house at the Lars Andersen Museum entitled “The Forgotten Porsche”. 

This was the story of the restoration of the “Puddle Jumper”.   Tom’s black 356A sunroof coupe.   If you are a regular reader of Tom’s work, you have read of this car before as Tom went thru the tribulations of the restoration process and wondered just how did it get that name?   I’d assumed it probably had something to do with the water filled pothole riddled streets of New England combined with the rust prone floor pans of an old 356.   But no, the “Puddle” referred to is rather larger than that.  There is a placard on the dash installed by the original owner’s son that explains the origin of the name.   Look for the car at the next Concours or Cars and Coffee where Tom brings the car.   ( Tom has a number of Porsches to select from so it’s always a surprise which one he shows up with.)  I guess you’ll just have to attend some  upcoming events to learn more of the origin story.

The physical restoration of the car from the engineless non-drivable car with front end body damage to show ready condition that was done over a period of 15 years is only half the story.  As with any classic car or antique, a large part of the value is in “The Provenance” – The history and the story of the car.   As only the second owner of the Car, Tom had the advantage of talking with the family of the original owner  so, over time he was able to document the entire history of the car,  right down to a photo of the original hand written in German Porsche Factory  “Cardex”   ( Build sheet) .     

Another element of the story was the effort to find parts for a 60 year old car that had a total world wide yearly production was only 600 + examples,   Parts for the original optional hand windup clock that was part of the Glove Box door or the 2nd cable drive for the Halda SpeedPilot Rally clock that was added by the first owner.   The number of 356’s  built that were Black Sunroof Coupes  (an unpopular color and expensive  option in the period)  dwindles the total examples down to just a handful.   Tom’s car is remarkably complete with the original engine back in it’s place, missing only the electric auto-retractable radio antenna that still is on the “needed to find” list.   If you know of one, I’m sure Tom wants to hear from you.    

Ted Shaw

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Random Thoughts and Other Musings

Ok   —  I get it  – Print Media is dead.  Things that were required back then, or at least expected,  when I first Joined PCA  in 1971 are just no longer available,  Everyone had a subscription to Road and Track and Car and Driver.   ( and a  dozen others depending on your various passions)    Those of us who followed racing and wanted our news that was only 10 days or less  old  subscribed to a weekly newspaper,  Competition Press  / Autoweek.    On Sundays Cameron Dewer  (  yes – as in the Scotch ) had an automotive column in the Boston Globe Automotive section.    Most of it is now gone.   Who needs 6 week old reports on races like the 24 hours of Le Mans when you can watch them live on TV with things like in car cameras and see more than if you actually attended the race in person.  I can personally attest that being a Crew Member for a 935 Team at 3 AM at a cold rainy 24 Hours of Daytona is not really quite as much fun as you might imagine. 

But there is Print Media that is still hanging on.    Panorama for one,  Not quite the same as when Betty-Jo ran it with Len doing the principal Photography, but Pano is now a much more refined and Professional publication that deserves your full attention every month. 

All of which brings me to the point of this column.     At this years Winter Warmer I picked up a copy of Christophorus.    For those of you unfamiliar with Christophorus ,  It is the official Porsche Publication published quarterly.  In ten different Languages.    It’s available by subscription.   24 Euros a year payable by credit card  on the Porsche web site.      Subscription | Porsche Christophorus

……   which is a whole lot easier than when I first subscribed.   Then you sent a check payable in Deutschmarks in one those thin Blue overseas airmail envelopes to an address written in German, hopefully spelled and formatted correctly.   Somewhere along the line I allowed My subscription to lapse.  I just resubscribed. 

The current issue  ( # 413  Q4 2024)   includes a driving report of a trip from Vietnam to Mongolia in a 911 Dakar,   a story on 25 years of GT3’s, a fascinating and candid  interview with  Oliver Blume   the Chairman of the Board of Porsche AG.  Another road trip  story  driving 4 difference  Taycans  2,700 miles  Stuttgart to Istanbul  with details on charging times, energy use using the Porsche charging Planner   

If you’re not quite ready for the full Christophorus experience  in glorious print on premium paper you  just go to the web site Porsche Christophorus for the web version of the same content.  But, trust me.  the print version is the better choice.  

  

 More random Things

Here a link to t an interesting You Tube Porsche adventure  I Bought a Half Price Used Porsche Taycan and Drove it 2,300 Miles Home In Winter! – TheSmokingTIre .   Matt purchases a used Taycan Cross Turismo  –  a 2 year old –  under 20,000 Porsche for 50% off the Original MSRP!  In Detroit And then proceeses to immediately drive it home to LA in the middle of Winter.  What could possibly Go wrong with that plan as the old saying goes.   Well  — amazingly nothing did.  Instead he spends most of the time  praiseing the performance of the  Built-in Travel Planner app to minimize recharging times.   

 

And here’s another You Tube series along the Same lines.    Racing From Seattle To Boston In The Best Road Tripping EVs! The Cross Country I-90 Surge – Pt. 1/4     A four part series of 8 different EV’s on a cross country Trip.  You can probably guess which one came out as the best of the bunch. 

Ted Shaw  

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