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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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South of Boston (SoBo) Porsches and Coffee – 17 October 2021

Because the apple picking resulted in a packed lawn last month, I was at Sweet Berry shortly after 9 AM Sunday to ensure that the parking of Porsches would be as orderly as possible.  By 9:30 AM more than 6 Porsches arrived. By late morning parked Porsches exceeded 60. 

I have to say that these monthly meets are one of my more pleasurable experiences; the sharing of stories exudes enthusiasm of Porsche ownership.  There is a consistency in design from my first Porsche (65 356C) to my current 996 C4.  The view in both cars is similarly shown to the driver, like the gauges seen through the steering wheel.  And, I have always been impressed with the stiffness of the body design, and the absence of rattles, even as the car ages.

Elizabeth Kahane exuberantly parked her 2021 25th anniversary Porsche Boxster; it is #364 out of 1250. On the passenger side of the dash is the engraved number beneath the Boxster 25. Silver, with a red interior, this Porsche is a keeper.  With a stick shift Elizabeth says the car is sexy, fast, and fun to drive.  Previously she owned a 2017 Boxster.

Elizabeth Kahane's 2021 Boxster

Elizabeth Kahane’s 2021 Boxster

Ariel, and son Apollo arrived in a unique and attractive 2018 911 Targa 4GTS.  A graphite Blue metallic with a matte paint protection film reflected an attractive glow.  This is Ariel’s first Porsche, bought new, now showing 31K.  Ariel says that he “always liked Targas and the best part is feeling it, even just around town”. 

Ariel and son Appollo's 2018 911 Targa 4GTS

Ariel and son Appollo’s 2018 911 Targa 4GTS

Matt Meeks parked his basalt black, with sand beige interior 2006 911 C4S.  This is Matts first Porsche; he is the third owner, purchased this past February, now showing just 47k miles.  I like the option of the white gauges and Matt likes some of the older attributes making the car a bit analog.

Matt Meeks' 2006 911 C4S

Matt Meeks’ 2006 911 C4S

In closing. I have to mention that this coffee had more dogs as Porsche passengers than any previous time; I think there were five different Porsches with dogs, two as passengers in one of the selected photos.

This was our last SoBo of the season. As you may know, the first SoBo of the season starts before Sweet Berry Farm officially opens. So, if anyone has any ideas for an early alternative location anywhere south of Boston, please forward your suggestion.

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

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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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South of Boston (SoBo) Porsches and Coffee

                                    15 August 2021 South of Boston (SoBo) Porsches and Coffee

Field 2

Field 2

Field 3

Field 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I discuss some of the Porsches, I want to mention a couple of items:  one is June’s coffee, where I interviewed Edmund Williams with his yellow 2000 911.  In retrospect, I may have overlooked that it was a GT3.  Hopefully, Edmund will return, and we can further discuss his highly desired Porsche.

The second item is the electrifying of cars in general.  Whether they become a permanent fixture or not, they are here, and today I interviewed owners of a hybrid Cayenne as well as a Taycan Turbo S.

The Exleys 74 911 Targa

The Exleys 74 911 Targa

Three generations posed in front of their 1974 911 Targa.  Charles Exley Sr.  purchased the Targa (a yellow B6) in 1977 from a car collection with about 15k miles.  Currently, the Targa is showing 36k.  The 91-year-old Senior Exley has passed the driving baton to his son and grandson. Charles jr. seems to have taken an interest in maintaining the car for his son Charles 3rd.  The eye-catching Targa appears solid and original but a bit tired.

Lou DiRienzo's Cayenne Turbo S e-Hybrid

Lou DiRienzo’s Cayenne Turbo S e-Hybrid

Lou DeRiennzo was an early arrival with his Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid. A 4-liter Turbocharged V8, this big beast has the GO.  Lou chose a cashmere beige metallic exterior, a club leather interior in truffle and Cohiba brown, with black walnut trim, making it a very appealing look.  The battery is in the trunk floor area and is not easily accessible.  When the battery power expires (around 32 miles), an audio notification is provided.  On just the battery, the max speed is about 83 MPH.  This is Lou’s second hybrid; previously, he had a 2011 Cayenne hybrid.   

 

Dantas's 2020 graphite metalic Taycan Turbo S

Dantas’s 2020 graphite metalic Taycan Turbo S

Gregory Dantas arrived in his graphite metallic 2020 Taycan Turbo S.  The Bordeaux red interior certainly adds much bling to the car.  To me, the car appears shorter than a Panamera but wider.  This is Gregory’s first Porsche, and his wife likes it as well.  On a full charge, the range is 280 miles.  One of the options was a rear bench seat, so as a family car, it can seat all four of his kids.  He says it feels like driving an S-class Mercedes.  There are two charging ports on either side of the front fenders; the right side is for rapid charge, and the left for home charge. I was surprised that a sunroof is not an available option.

Bixby's 87 928 S4

Bixby’s 87 928 S4

Barry Bixby’s pristine 87 928 S4; it is the nicest original 928 I have ever seen at our coffees.  With a dark blue exterior and linen-colored interior, this untouched 928 with a manual transmission shows 68k miles.  Purchased this year in March, it was found by word of mouth.  The car was located in Colorado; he is the third owner.  Barry has been in the Porsche business and certainly has a keen eye when it comes to finding Porsches. Asked if he considered selling, he replied “38k”.

 

The next SoBo is scheduled for 19 September (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

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2021 NER Summer Party Recap

On August 1st, 200+ of your fellow club members, friends, and family came out to Wachusett Mountain for our 4th annual NER PCA summer party. We could not have asked for better weather; it was the perfect summer afternoon to enjoy a ride on the ski lift up to the summit, chill by the band, have a tasty BBQ lunch, check out the robotics demo, and mosey through the car show.

PCANER 2021 Summer Party

 

21 NER Summer Party Robots

 

The lawn was filled with Porsches of all shapes, sizes, and colors, and our sponsor Porsche Norwell came through, as they always do, with a wide-ranging display of models from a gorgeous 1976 930 Turbo, a Taycan, and a paint-to-sample Arrow Blue Cayman GT4. Attendees voted on their favorite cars (or SUVs), and we’re proud to report the following winners in each class:

Class

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

911/912 74-89

Charlie Padula

Pat Mansfield

Ed Grogan

964/993

Tim Coonihan

Steven Howitt

 

996/997

Laurie Holman

Constantine Tsivelekidis

Robert Weisenbloom

991/992

Clement Napolitano

Mazzola, Colin

Tie: Bob Siegel / Varun Sara

Boxter/Cayman

Derek Mulligan

Chris Landry

Ed Moschella

924/944/968/928

Maddox Kay

 

 

Macan/Cayenne/Panamera

Virginia Young

Peter LaPine

 

 

PCA NER Summer Party Winners

Turning our attention to Cornhole Corner, we received a special report from our local correspondent, Bill Seymour:

There was plenty of sports excitement in the ever-unpopular Cornhole Contest. A thin field of only seven two-person teams entered for the Qualifying round. The pre-race favorite team “1920-1983” (ask Luis how he came up with that name as I have no idea) faltered badly, and “1983 Targa” (Brian Leonard and Tony O’Toole) also failed to get out of Quali. Two teams tied with 15 points and were set to have a “play-in” – “LOL – PDK” (Mike Cioffi and Andrew Quinn – both of Porsche Norwell) and High Fructose (Owen and Mitchell Coonahan) when it was determined that two of the qualifiers were not in attendance. 90% of success is showing up. (OK, maybe the event organizers didn’t do a good job of communicating exactly when the finals would take place.) >>>So that’s how he weaseled his way into the finals. I went on a ski lift ride with my girlfriend and came back to a smirking Bill Seymour who ended up “winning the tournament” Am I salty? Yes, a little bit. Will I come back next year with a vengeance? – you better believe it, but next year it’s me against you, Bill – the rivalry remains  (Luis).

In any event, that bid adieu to Tequila Takillya (I hope I’m spelling that right, but the players were Rob Stanley and Nikki Sanders) and “Need A Partner” (Tim Coonahan and Jay Landry – the latter being the Parts Manager at Porsche Norwell). The top qualifier, “Electrons” (Michael Cardinale and Cyril Bernard) did make the start line. Lacking a fourth team to fill out the grid, a new team consisting of Brian Leonard (another Porsche Norwell) and Bill Seymour was formed as “The Replacements.”

In the semi’s “Electrons” squared off against “LOL – PDK” and played a heroic match that took forever because they invoked the rule that you had to hit 21 points exactly (going over puts you back at 11, according to this format). (Let the record show that the NER PCA Cornhole rulebook follows the more standard format as published here. “Electrons” lost and could have filed an appeal but did not do so in time.) In the other semi “High Fructose” jumped to a 16-1 lead, but then the beer kicked in, and “The Replacements” roared back to win. “The Replacements” stayed hot in the Finals and won. A good time was had by some, and the organizers are questioning whether next year this event should be replaced by Beer Pong.

 

NER Summer Party Cornhole Winners

 

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our membership chair and sim racing enthusiast Anker Berg-Sonne, as well as fellow members of the NER PCA facebook community who jumped in to help, guests had the chance to experience a full complement of sim racing technology. Two Sim Rigs were available to try for participants of every age. Both simulators were run at Lime Rock Park and solo practice with the Skip Barber Formula 2000. One was the loaner Sim Racing rig that is available to PCA members in the local region, and the other was generously provided by Erick Aubin and Cyril Bernard. For the adventurous and motion-sick resistant, we also had a VR headset to try out. Testers ranged in age from four to the ’80s. The youngest, a young lady aged four, impressed everyone by staying on track lap after lap. She did need help with accelerator and brake pedals; they were far out of reach for her. Since the Summer Party, the loaner rig has been upgraded and is now a full rig with a racing seat and a solid frame. It is easily disassembled and can be transported in a family car. Interested members can contact our Membership Chair, Anker Berg-Sonne, through email at [email protected] to arrange a loan. You will need to use your own PC that must be able to support iRacing. To test your PC for compatibility, go to http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/Client/iRacing/?apikey=dec37c7f-8819-45d4-94f2-f33cf0956712

 

NER Summer Part SIM Tests

 

At the end of the day, when things were winding down and cars were being packed up with the various supplies used throughout the event, I sat down to have a drink with the amazing volunteers that really made this event possible with their incredibly hard work. I can’t give enough thanks to this crew – you know who you are and you are very much appreciated!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will leave you with the photos and memories captured throughout the day by party-goers. Their thousand words tell a much better story than I possibly could. 

Enjoy!

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The Story of Two Porsche Neighbors

The Story of Two Porsche Neighbors

 

I grew up in Australia and lived with my parents in an apartment for the first 18 years of my life. My neighbor Albert who lives across the street from me, grew up in Hong Kong, also in an apartment. I tell this part of the story because, being two city boys, we were not accustomed to meeting and socializing with our neighbors. And so it was that it took ten years of living across the road from one another to finally discover that we both loved Porsches.

Our friendship began shortly after I returned one day in March of this year from a Cars and Coffee at South Shore Autoworks, where I had earlier acquired my new to me 2003 996 Turbo in late 2020.

My neighbor came running over to me as I stopped the car and introduced himself – Albert. He began to tell me a tale that was hard to believe. I should mention that before we had met, I had occasionally seen a car in his garage under a car cover that looked suspiciously like a Porsche in the color of guards red but just never thought about asking about it.

After introductions, Albert was excitedly questioning me about my Porsche knowledge and started to tell me the story. He had a 1987 944S that was purchased new and had been lightly driven for 14 years with just 17,000 miles on the clock and then had been sitting in his garage for over 20 years! Albert used to clean his car and do oil changes for the first couple of years of its slumber.

His first question was, did I know anyone who could bring his pride and joy back to life? While I have worked with several indie shops, the one that was foremost in my mind for this car was South Shore Autoworks because of my years of experience with Justin and his support of the club.

Another huge coincidence/benefit of living in our street is that we have a neighborhood towing service at our disposal right in our street. So, Albert arranged to flatbed his 944 to SSA.

Alberts 944 PCA NER

SSA did a full refresh, including battery, engine mounts, filters, cooling system, tires, A/C, and various hoses.

After a visit to be detailed at Driven Perfection, we drove to pick the car up, where I saw an old inspection sticker from 1999! I drove Albert’s car home for him since he had not driven a stick shift for nearly 20 years. Soon after, it was time to give Albert a few lessons in the parking lot, and then he was good to go! Do you know what they say? It’s like riding a bike – only 100 times better.

This car is so perfectly preserved. It still has the original Blaupunkt radio, and now I’m proud to say Albert is a member of PCA NER and has attended several events already.

Detailed 944S

The story will continue after I drove him in my Macan I think he is going to trade his BMW X5 on one; we’ll see. Porsche brought together two people from very different geographies and backgrounds. It’s the cars and the people.

Author: Mark Shane – Cars and Coffee Activity Chair

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The Dogs Of Tamworth

My longtime reader may recall a couple of columns that told the fictitious story of our dog Turbo and cat Gordo (RIP) participating in Autocross events. In point of fact, Turbo would probably be the least likely canine to have done so as he is a terrible car passenger. Rosemary believes this stemmed from an incident in his youth when I took him for a ride in a rental SUV.  Our minivan had been in an accident (not my fault!), and we were provided with a GMC Yukon.  I had no experience with a four-wheel-drive vehicle, so when it snowed one night, I took it out for a trail run and invited Turbo.  In two-wheel-drive, it fishtailed up a hill, but when switched to four-wheel drive, it powered up the hill as if it was dry.  Unfortunately, we then had to go down the other side of the hill, and four-wheel drive doesn’t help braking, and we slid (gently) through a T-intersection into a tree.  Turbo, unbelted in the passenger seat, met the windshield. Mind you that Turbo had often hit a tree with more force while chasing a squirrel, but it apparently got stuck in his dog brain permanently.  So now, when he is in a car, he is very agitated, pants rapidly, and refuses to lie down.  We have tried all kinds of drugs, including Benedryl, valium, and CBD oil which do cause him to lie down but don’t stop the panting and make him goofy when we get where we are going.  So Turbo is not a candidate to go to DE events.  But there were two very nice dogs at the recent NCR Tamworth event, and they appeared to enjoy themselves.  Dogs are allowed at DE –  of course, they must be leashed – and it is nice when whole families participate (Chris DeGrace had his kids there, for example).  Silver (my student’s dog) and Bruce were very well behaved and added to the fun.

                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

NCR put on another nice event, and I managed to get in 3 runs each day between the raindrops (open cockpit and no rain tires and no interest in tempting the fates).  I was slower than previous Tamworth efforts, which I attributed partially to a less sticky track but more to just inconsistent driving.  I struggle more at Tamworth than other tracks. I’m trying to get better with using brake markers, but my speed through turn one at Tamworth can vary by as much as ten mph.  Also, there are two different approaches (or at least I think there are) to the Turn 2A – 3 sequence, and I rarely get that to my satisfaction. Finally, the braver part of me says I should be flat from Turn 7 through 10, but my right foot doesn’t seem to buy into that.  (When I look at data, I’m at 1.5g and over 90mph, so my right foot may have a valid point.)  In any event, the 15-year-old SCCA wunderkind is 4-5 seconds faster than me in a similar car, so clearly, I’m leaving something on the table.

While I love the track at Tamworth, the infrastructure is lacking there and you are required to leave your trailer in an upper gravel parking lot to leave room for all the track cars in the paved lower lot. This makes for a hassle, particularly when it rains on and off. The good news is that the upper lot may be paved in time for the second NCR event later this year.  The other drawback to Tamworth is that the hotel accommodations are pricy and weak. Thanks to Kristin we were booked into a really cool Airbnb – a bit off the beaten path but very spacious – and it made for a nice social weekend.

                                                               

And bad news for the Jamaican Bakin’ Endurance race team.  We are still in the process of fitting the new motor as we wait for the oil cooler to come back from the cleaner (a fancy aircraft supplier outfit that gets all the little bits of metal out so we can reuse it) and wrestle with some electrical connector mismatches between the new wiring harness and old ECU. But the bad news is that the American Endurance Racing series in which we run changed the rules for next year and has outlawed cars with a power to weight ratio (Dave correctly points out that it should be called weight to power ratio) below 9.  Our old motor had 400hp which would have been OK with our 3,600lb car (with driver and fuel) but the new motor is capable of 500hp. That was $20,000 well spent!  [Editor’s note:  I redacted that – Rosemary might read your column, Bill.]  Our hope is that we can find an ECU tune that limits the horsepower, spreads it over a wide band, and produces lots of torque.  Broken Connecting RodWe also did more of an autopsy on the dead motor – the oil pump is fine, so it appears that either it dropped a valve or the connecting rod just failed.  Enjoy the pictures of the debris!

Finally, by the time you read this, we will have had the Summer Party.  I’m sure it was a blast, and I hope I did well in the Cornhole Contest.  Let the record show that I was the Cornhole winner at our own regular summer party, defeating one PCA board member while another PCA board member who talks a lot of trash was a no-show.

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