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2021 Charlie & Martha Dow Rally Recap

On Saturday, October 16th,  37 Porsche’s and 80 people of all ages (along with several 4 legged companions) gathered at the Minuteman Airfield parking lot in Stow, MA for camaraderie and competition in the 4th Annual Charlie & Martha Dow Rally (previously Tour).  The location served as the rally’s start and finish on what turned out to be a stunningly beautiful fall day.  Charlie & Martha Dow were active members of NER for decades.  Their son Eric, daughter Heather, granddaughter Hannah, and Eric’s wife Daryn (with Eric and Daryn in Charlie’s yellow 911 and Heather in her own Boxster) were in attendance at the rally’s start to personally thank NER and the rally participants for keeping the memory of their father alive. 

 

The rally route took participants on a 58-mile tour of historic colonial areas of central Massachusetts on scenic 2-lane roads.   Along the way, driving teams were challenged with questions about the areas they passed on route.  The winners were the team with the most correct answers.  Upon our return to the airfield, bag lunches were provided while the event organizers tallied answer sheets.  No team got all 21 answers correct, but there was a surprising 7-way tie for the lead with 18 correct answers. By virtue of having the lowest recorded mileage (i.e. fewest navigation errors), the tie was broken by Team First (Driver: Bill VanderClock & Navigator: Donna VandeClock), who placed first and won a set of NER scarves  Team 2L’s (Driver: Lance Nelson  & Navigator: Lorraine Nelson) placed second and won a set of NER baseball caps for their efforts. 

Dow Rally PCA NER         2021 Dow Rally Lunch PCA NER

 

Ultimately, by being able to drive our Porsche’s with friends on a beautiful fall day in New England, we were all winners.  Many thanks to the team that made this year’s Dow rally happen:  Anker Berg-Sonne, Lisa Burke, Luis Rivera, Joe Cracco, and, the envy of cat herder’s everywhere, Bill Seymour.

       

Submission by: NER’s Very Own, Winter Convertible Driving, Joe Cracco

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Pocket Guide To Audrain Motorweek 2021

We have an amazing few days in front of us at the end of September 2021. The Audrain folks are again holding Motorweek – a celebration of the automobile – with an event of national import right here in our backyard – Newport, RI. Starting on Wed 9/29 and running through Sunday 10/3, it’s a non-stop tap right into the carotid of everyone who has petrol flowing in their veins.

Wednesday 9/29

This is the big setup day for Motorweek with most of the action happening in the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHOF) on Bellevue Avenue. The great part is that parking is pretty easy, things are in motion so you get a behind-the-scenes look at much of the greatness to come. Last time, I saw new C8 Corvettes coming off trucks…auction cars set up without the crowds on the grass tennis courts…and many of the vendor booths getting set up. If you have tickets, you can get them on this day. Motorsports members will meet and greet with Porsche driver, David Donohue. And the excitement will be palpable.

C8 Corvette at Audrain Motorweek

C8 Corvette at Audrain Motorweek

Thursday 9/30

This is the official first day of Motorweek with lots of seminars happening and the ITHOF Concours Village fully setup and running. The McLaren racing team seminar looks stellar. There is a wine event at 41 North (ticketed).

international hall of fame during Audrain motorweek

Friday 10/1

Friday might be my favorite “sleeper” day of Motorweek where you can relax and take it in. The Gathering is the main event, held over at Rough Point, Doris Duke’s place. It’s a who’s who of the car world showcase among jaw-dropping machines strewn across the rolling lawns of the estate. The food is excellent, the drinks flow, the merch is on display. And guys like Rod Emory, Justin Bell, and Jay Leno have some spare time to hang and chat. There will likely be something special with a cover to be pulled off at some point. As if a Jesko and some Chirons aren’t enough to call it a party!

Nick Schorsch and Rod Emory displaying custom 356 Porsche

Nick Schorsch and Rod Emory displaying custom 356 Porsche

Saturday 10/2

I hope you got some rest Friday night. This one is a joyously grueling day. It starts crazy early with some options. Do you have a car in the Sunday concours? Then drive around in a huge parade with closed roads on Saturday morning in the Tour d’Elegance. Regular cool car or want to drool? Head to Fort Adams for the cars and coffee 8am-10am. Do you have a Porsche? Of course you do. So scrap those events and come to the Elms starting at 9am for our annual NER Porsche Concours event. Rod Emory hangs out with us there, Rob Sass from Panorama, and we’ll try to get a skiff out to Matt Farah, Spike Ferestein, and Jonny Lieberman who will like be hung over out on a boat in the harbor that morning. Prizes awarded at 12:30pm. When that’s all done, take in more cool seminars and then change into your tux for the Gala back over at the ITHOF. The ticketed prices…well…it’s for charity! And Kenny Loggins will play Highway To The Danger Zone a few times so you won’t miss out on hearing it, don’t worry! Now go to bed!

Porsche Concours 2019 at Chateau Sur Mer

NER Porsche Concours 2021 will be at The Elms mansion

Kenny Loggins plays Highway To The Danger Zone for the third time at the Breakers in Newport RI

Kenny Loggins plays to a full house at the Breakers mansion in 2019

Sunday 10/3

That alarm clock is going to hurt! 6:30am kicks off coffee and dawn patrol over at the Breakers for the main event, the big concours. Word is that there are both the crazy Pebble-beach type cars and also an innovative 30-under-30 class showcasing folks under 30yo with under $30k into their car. Rumor is that there will be 944s! This is your chance to meet Sandra Button from Pebble, Donald Osbourne, Jay Leno, you-name-it. All the heavy hitters will be at this one. And the cars are some of the best of the best. I’ll bet the Begovich 904, a nearly perfect specimen with 1,200 miles on it will be on display and will take home a trophy. Our own Lee Hower isn’t saying what he’s bringing, but you can bet it will be very impressive. It’s a car-person’s day of the year. So come on down to Newport and enjoy it all!

Allard at the Audrain Concours at the Breakers in 2019

Allard at the Audrain Concours at the Breakers in 2019

For more info: https://www.audrainconcours.com/2021-concours-week-at-a-glance

Tell us about your favorite parts of Motorweek!

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Zone 1 Saratoga Outing

The weekend getaway is back!!

2021 PCA Zone 1 Weekend Getaway October 1st – 3rd Saratoga Springs, NY

The weekend getaway is back, and we are ready to greet friends both old and new to this year’s Getaway.

We will be anchored at the beautiful Gideon Putnam Hotel located in the Saratoga State Park, Saratoga Springs NY.

 

 

 

 

Saratoga Springs in upstate New York State is a hub for thoroughbred horse racing, it’s home to the Saratoga Racecourse. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame displays horse paintings and trophies. Saratoga Spa State Park includes mineral baths, a pool complex and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, a landmark concert venue.

Arriving and checking in on Friday afternoon you can go shopping the downtown district, take a walk in the park or just kick back and relax. The evening is going to be special as we dine among a very special exhibition at the Saratoga Auto Museum, you won’t want to miss it!

Saturday morning, we are off for a back country drive through the Fall colors and a stop to visit the Clark Museum.

 

 

 

 

The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, commonly referred to as the Clark, is an art museum and research institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States.

The afternoon is yours to explore the many attractions of the area. Culture, nature, shopping, sports, gaming. It is all close by. Saturday evening’s dinner at The Gideon will be a suggested, semi formal attire affair. Friendships and food do not get any better!

Sunday morning we’ll take a relaxed drive through nature before stopping for our departure lunch. After a relaxed lunch we’ll say our goodbyes to friends both new and old until the next, Weekend Getaway.

This year’s getaway is priced at $1000. per couple, $789 single occupancy.

Price includes Lodging Friday and Saturday. Dinner Friday and Saturday. Breakfast Saturday and Sunday. Lunch Saturday and Sunday. All entry fees for weekend venues. Plus, the Goodie Bag!

Lodging is available pre and post event at the Gideon Putnam for Getaway, special pricing of $202.27 a night

As with all the Getaways the club does not provide or cover the expense of alcoholic beverages.

A note to our Canadian members who sign up. Should you not be able to cross the border your payment will refunded (less credit card fees) in full. So, sign up without worry.

Registration opens July 11th  and is limited to 35 couples
To register go to https://clubregistration.net/
Search for PCA Zone 1

If you do not have an account, you will need to make one.

The first 35 paid registrations will fill the event, registrations without payment, those paid after the event is full will be put on a waiting list.

Registrations by August 10th will get sizes entered on the registration form. After August 10th best effort to obtain requested sizes will be made.

We’re glad to be back and look forward to another great Fall event!

 

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September Cars & Coffee

It’s still too early in the year for you or your Porsche to hibernate so swing by September’s Cars and Coffee!

Schedule below – Details within links:

9/19 Cars & Coffee – Northborough, MA – 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
 
9/19 SoBo at Sweet Berry Farm – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
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Squiggly Lines

Summer is here, COVID is in the rear-view mirror, and the Club’s calendar is full up with activities for everyone to participate in. As a constant reminder, please check out our club calendar to see what activities may interest you or your family. There is always plenty to do.

This year I have spent a lot of time at the track as I am participating in PCA Club Racing across the eastern united states. To date, I have participated in six racing events with three left for the year.

For those unfamiliar with Club Racing, the event typically takes place over three days, with day one consisting of two practice sessions along with a qualifying session. Day two consists of two thirty-minute sprint races and day three is a sixty-to-ninety-minute enduro race. Cars are grouped by class, and each excursion on track consists of multiple classes of cars. Sometimes you are the fastest cars on track, and other times you are near the back of the pack.

My most recent event was held at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). This is a lovely track located in Alton, VA, near the North Carolina border. It is an enormous venue located in the plush hills of Virginia with tons of runoff, which is always a good thing. Everything is available at the track, including lodging, so it is possible never to leave the track once you arrive.

At this event I was fortunate enough to connect with a prior NER club member, Jim Graham, a fellow DE participant. He was racing a Boxster and placed second. I imagine this will not be his last race given those results.

The age range of cars you see at the track is vast. Older 911s, 944s to the newest beast, the 911 GT3 R. The older cars are well represented, but the Boxster’s, Cayman’s, and cup cars dominate. The older cars have a certain rawness to them, both in terms of driving and sound. There is nothing like the sound of an unmuffled flat six howling down the front straight. It is both lovely and piercing at the same time. The newer 911s, especially the newer racing cars, tend to be much quieter.

What is missing at this point are the electric cars. At VIR, we had a Porsche Taycan pace car, but every time that I saw it in the paddock it was plugged in. The current limitation is simply one of duration and recharging. The Taycan is quite capable of racing around a track with decent performance, as demonstrated by Leh Keen at Road Atlanta. However, running for thirty minutes or more would be undoable.

The other limitation is that of power delivery. Most tracks do not have the infrastructure necessary to provide anything beyond level two charging capabilities. Recharging could take up to 8 hours, which would make racing multiple times per day unrealistic. I do believe that in the future, these problems will be overcome simply because the desire to race cars is so desirable.

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Aug. 1 NER Summer Party

Date/Time
Date(s) – 08/01/2021
11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Wachusett Mountain

Join us August 1st for the 4th annual NER PCA SUMMER PARTY!

  • Car Show
  • BBQ Lunch
  • SIM Racing
  • Chair Lift Rides
  • Mini-Robot Auto X (Yes, even mini-robot AutoX!)

Get the full scoop and sign-up here

A huge thank you to our sponsor:

NER Autocross Presented by PCANER and Porsche Norwell

 

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2021 NER Concours Registration Open

Registration is now open for the 2021 NER Porsche Concours to be held in Newport at The Elms mansion on Bellevue Avenue on October 2, 2021. Hit the button below for more information and to register your car for the event.

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NER Belongs to All of Us

NER is growing and it’s truly awesome!

To that end, we are working to create more events and opportunities to drive our Porsches, have fun, learn about our cars, each other and build camaraderie in our club.

If you have ideas for additional events we could plan or would like to volunteer for any activities, please feel free to email Lisa Burke, at [email protected]

If you’d like to contribute to the Noreaster or have general content ideas please reach out to Luis Rivera at [email protected] 

We want to collaborate with you because this club belongs to all of us. 

You can also contact board Chairs directly with more specific questions and ideas:

Chair: David Melchar, concours@porschenet.com
 
Chair: Adam Schwartz
Registrar & Safety: Stan Corbett, [email protected]
 
Ramblemeister: Dennis Friedman, ramble@porschenet.com
 
Chair: Robert Galejs, simracing@porschenet.com
 
Chair: Chris Ryan, autocrosschair@porschenet.com
Registrar: Jeff Johnson, autocrossreg@porschenet.com
 
Chair: Lisa Burke, [email protected]

 

Staying in the loop:

Event Updates: https://porschenet.com/events/ 

Newsletter Signup: Please email Lisa Burke,VP Admin NER PCA and we will add you to the list: [email protected]

Social: Join FB groups and connect with other members.

 

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