Archive for category: News Update

You are here: / / News Update
, ,

Motor Week Is Coming Into Focus

As the summer of 2019 winds to a close, we are getting more and more information about some great things coming in the fall.

One highlight appears to be the Audrain Concours and Motor Week event coming to Newport October 3-6th. We’ve been in contact with the team pulling this event together for years, literally. But the schedule is now starting to really come together.

In addition to the headline portions – the full “Pebble Beach” style concours at the Breakers mansion on Sunday October 6, the John Legend concert on Friday night October 4, “The Gathering” at Rough Point also on Friday October 4, and the “Tour d’Elegance” on Saturday morning October 5…they have also announced a host of seminars on various talks given by an array of luminaries in many fields, even beyond cars. They have added a pedal-car race for kids at Fort Adams on Saturday October 5, as well – similar to the Settrington Cup race held at Goodwood in England.

This one will come up quickly as we all get back into the fall routine so make sure to plan it into your calendars now. Our club’s 2019 NER Concours d’Elegance is also happening right in the middle of the event – Saturday October 5 – so please visit our event page to secure a judged spot or just a spectator parking spot to enjoy the show and all of the surrounding events. We’ll be on the extensive and beautiful lawn at Chateau-sur-Mer – one of the first and oldest Newport Mansions, built before there was a Bellevue Avenue – and rumor has it that we’ll be in close proximity to displays from McLaren and Koenigsegg.

Park with us right in the middle and enjoy all of the attractions.

/by
, , , ,

Ramble 2019 Registration Opens January 23

The 35th annual NER Ramble visits the Chatham Bars Inn Resort and Spa on Cape Cod for 2019. Registration sells out quickly so be sure to jump over to the event page now and get ready for sign up on January 23rd. 

Northeast region porsche club Ramble 2019 driving tour chatham bars inn cape cod Northeast region porsche club Ramble 2019 driving tour chatham bars inn cape cod

/by

Tonight: Launch of the 992 Version of the 911

The latest and greatest version of our beloved Porsche 911 is set to be launched tonight! Just before the LA Auto Show, Porsche is live-streaming the launch of the car this evening at 11pm EST (8 PST) and you can watch it here.

Mark Webber, ex-Formula1 driver and Porsche ambassador, has proclaimed that it has new sensors to help it cope with wet and damp conditions even better and that the front track is as wide and stable as the GT cars. We’ll enjoy being the judge of that! The track is apparently now longer – which he claims is good for 33okmph with stability on the Autobahn. We need an American Autobahn, by the way.

Tune in to hear more about it this evening!

/by
,

Porsche Passion Wanted

Volunteers like you are the life of our club! We have open positions on the 2019 NER PCA Board and you would be perfect for one of them.  The open positions are:

Treasurer – This role manages all club financials.  They will cut checks, transfer money from both Motorsportreg and Clubregistration, and provide monthly financial information to the other members of the board.

VP Communications – This role creates the NOR’EASTER and directs all club communications, working with the Membership Chair for email notifications and Webmaster for online and social media notifications.

VP Admin – This role, with team, establishes the socials, tech sessions, annual gala (the events where cars don’t move during the event)

VP Driving – This role will oversee the Driver Education Committee, Autocross Committee, Ramble & Concours Committees (each committee has a chairperson and a team that produce each event – this role provides information across all of these committees to keep all efforts in sync).  This person will also manage the relationships for advertising and sponsorships.

If interested in one of these board roles, please contact Kristin Larson, Nominating Chair, at [email protected] or 978-302-3634

2018 Annual Gala Silent Auction – Our annual gala normally includes a silent auction with proceeds going to our club charity. There were quite a few exciting items up for bids last year at our event at the Museum of Science and we are hoping for a similar experience at our gala in January at the Newport Car Museum. You will have an opportunity to contact many of our sponsors and advertisers, as well as businesses and vendors of your choice, to arrange items for the auction.  We hope to fill this role by September. It may require roughly 10 hours per month requesting items, recording donations and supervising a team who will set up the displays at the actual event.”  Please contact Bill Seymour or Glenn Champagne to help out with it.

pca-ner-january-2018-gala-museum-of-science

 

/by
, ,

70 Up The Hill at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Porsche may have been a little slow getting out of the blocks to celebrate their 70th birthday, but they are more than making up for it with a huge presence at some very high-profile events. Take the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) for instance. The festival is always an amazing show with just about one of nearly everything racing (in an interestingly “gentlemanly” manner) up what is in essence a British royal’s driveway! There are hundreds of thousands of onlookers and fans over the course of a whole weekend to watch people drive up a driveway at speed! And this year, it was a real treat to watch an array of Porsches – literally starting at Porsche #1 – all the way up to the 919 Evo and latest 991.2 Speedster. What was in between? Well, nearly everything. The icons – Moby Dick, an 804 (yes!) 917s, 904’s, 908’s, 935s – you name it…they sent it. Here’s an array of photos from a friend of ours, Tariq Horani, and a video for you to enjoy. Feel free to add more in the comments and let us know which cars were your favorites to see going up the hill!

pink-pig-le-mans-winner-goodwood-fos-2018-tariq-horani porsche-904-lineup-goodwood-fos-2018-tariq-horani porsche-911s-on-grid-goodwood-fos-2018-tariq-horani porsche-multi-color-911-goodwood-fos-2018-tariq-horani porsche-sculpture-gerry-judah-at-goodwood-fos-2018-tariq-horani

There were a few oddities at Goodwood this year too – how about a driverless car doing the racing?? Not sure I’m too excited about that. But here’s an interesting race – GT3RS versus drone – and with the drone pilot sitting in the passenger seat of the GT3RS during the race!! Something about it is pretty cool.

/by
,

Porsche Double Victory at Le Mans

Victory in both GTE-PRO and GTE-AM Classes

In the pro-category, Porsche 911 RSR #92 drove 344 laps to victory. Drivers Kévin Estre (France), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) led the race nearly from wire to wire – quite a feat. This win marked 106 class victories for Porsche.

Car #91, driven by Richard Lietz (Austria), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy), fought hard to retain second place in the GTE-Pro class. Frédéric Makowiecki had a great fight with another car for an hour and a half! 

Porsche has extended its lead in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ classifications of the FIA WEC world championship.

pink-pig-911-truffle-hunter-and-rothmans-le-mans-victory-porsche

Winner in the GTE-Am class: the #77 Porsche fielded by Dempsey-Proton Racing

The #77 Porsche from Dempsey-Proton Racing got an emotional win in the GTE-Am class. With young Porsche talent, Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) grabbed  the 107th class win for Porsche. Julien Andlauer at age 18 has become the youngest class winner at Le Mans.

Porsche 911 RSR, Dempsey Proton Racing (77), Julien Andlauer (F), Matt Campbell (AUS), Christian Ried (D), Le Mans 2018

Porsche 911 RSR, Dempsey Proton Racing (77), Julien Andlauer (F), Matt Campbell (AUS), Christian Ried (D), Le Mans 2018

Read the full news

/by
, ,

First Ever Vintage Days DE

NER held the first ever Vintage Days DE event on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018. We saw a great turnout of cars from as far back as 1955 up through the early 2000’s – an almost 50-year spread! Participants got a chance to experience a track day that reminded track chair, John Dunkle, of what DE’s used to be like 20 years ago. Our three run groups – “not very fast”, “a little faster”, and “vintage race” – all saw boatloads of track time. In the afternoon instructed and non-instructed run groups were combined for maximum flexibility. 

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-porsche-yellow-912

Sights like this have become more rare in the DE paddock. Now they are back.

We saw a really great turnout from our friends in the autocross side of NER. Many Boxsters and early 911’s that usually navigate a cone course were banking through the turns of Thompson Speedway and zooming through the historic oval. 

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-jim-from-north-carolina

Jim brought his beautiful 911 all the way up from North Carolina for this event. So glad you could make it, Jim!

One participant, Jim, drove all the way up from North Carolina with his 911 just to participate in this event! Jim raced in the late 60’s and early 70’s before settling down to a married life. And now he’s got the chance to pick back up right where he left off. And he seemed to like having that option quite a bit.

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-classroom-kickoff vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-porsche-silver-beck-904 vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-porsche-slantnose-speedster-SC vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-red-porsche-951

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-red-porsche-968

Morning tech line looked a bit different that we’re used to!

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-red-porsche-993-trailer

vintage-day-one-ner-thompson-red-porsche-turtle-944

The Turtle Racing Team could be our “not as fast” mascot!

Our Vintage Days Chief Instructor, Penn Young, led some interesting educational sessions comparing Porsche cars old to new to explain the differences that have been added over time – and what it means to the driving experience on the road and on the track. When you see the empirical differences between the ratio of tire size front-to-rear between an SC and a 991 – you start to better understand how each car wants to behave at speed – and how there are strong similarities, but also some huge differences. With so much rich history behind Porsche (the 70th birthday is nearly here!), this was a great chance to reflect on that history in a very tangible way.

The smiles on everyone’s face seemed to sum up the day. Many thanks to all who attended – hope to see you at our second Vintage Days DE at Palmer Motorsports Park on June 16! Interested in attending a Vintage Days DE event for free this year? Just get two friends to sign up and pay for a Vintage Days DE event, email John Dunkle, and you’ll get an event of your choice on the house!

/by
, , , , , ,

Three Great Reasons To Register

We have three great events for you to register for right now! Join us for the Winter Warmer at Herb Chambers Porsche in Boston on Feb 25th at 10am. Then come to Ground School and learn all about Driver’s Education (track driving) events, safety equipment, and how to get the most from your Porsche on March 3 at 9:30am at HMS in Danvers. And, of course, the 2018 Ramble heading up to Maine on April 27th.

/by