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2026 Spring Rally Recap

The Fall 2024 Dow Rally used a beautiful course that started in Ayer MA and explored lovely towns in Southern New Hampshire. We expected some great scenery and leaf peeping, but instead got rain and lousy weather. So for this year’s Spring Rally, we decided to use most of that same course and have some great Spring views. And what did we get? Rain and lousy weather again! But it was still a great drive that featured 31 challenging gimmick questions and ended with a nice buffet lunch at the Billiards Café.

We had a record 41 signups (but a number of no shows who I guess didn’t like the weather!) that included Ellen Beck (and husband Bob Gutjahr). Ellen will be running the Gimmick Rally for the 2026 Porsche Parade and has 251 entrants to deal with. Good luck with that!

The mix of 31 questions included quite a few “gimmies” but some that we feared no one would get right. But we were wrong – there were at least some correct answers to all questions. The scoring was very close – there were 3 teams with only 2 wrong and the winner missed only one question. And the winner is…of course it was Team Black Sheep Tower Racing (Ellen and Bob)! Runner up (winning on the tiebreaker) was Team Dailey.

We usually have a “story contest” – entrants tell a short story as they await the start. The three best stories are presented to the crowd at lunch and a vote is taken to declare a winner. This event’s “story” was “Tell us about your first car.” The three finalists were Arno Mueller, Jessica Levesque and Yvette Viard. Yvette told her story of how she made a bet with her Dad that she would pass her license test on the first try (which is reputedly very difficult in France). If she won she would get his car (a Renault 4L) which he would have to paint Lilac. (Note that in her story there was no mention of what her Dad would get if she failed the test. The answer is probably nothing which is why we Dad’s are such suckers for our kids.) Needless to say she passed and even had pictures of the Lilac colored car as proof. Arno and Jessica could not top this tale so Yvette won.

Thanks to Anker Berg-Sonne and Tony Miniscalco for setting up and managing this event! Look for a summer rally (location not yet determined) and the traditional Fall Dow Rally (we think on the Cape).

Anyone who wants to help with these please contact Bill Seymour.

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2023 Martha and Charlie Dow Rally

Another successful Dow Rally is history! Our decision to switch from Saturday to Sunday turned out well as we had a perfect early Fall day for our 25 cars (we lost a few due to the day switch and maybe we were competing with the Treehouse Cars and Coffee!). The Dow family was represented by Eric, Daryl and Hannah who not only competed buy helped with the set up and scoring.

The gimmick questions this year were particularly tricky and I was amazed that 3 rallyers got all 25 correct. (Example:  One question asked for the name of an airfield.  The airfield was for model airplanes and the very small sign announcing it was parallel rather than perpendicular to the road.) The three way tie required the winner to be determined by the “distance travelled” tie-break.

So the winner is…”Team Trouble” (Matthew  Disanzo and Adriana Cabrera).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second place went to the “Haulin’ Halls” (Jen and Steve Hall – Jen who is on the NER DE social team and don’t forget to vote for Steve for Membership Chair).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other team with a perfect score (but too many miles on the odometer) was Laura and Mike Dugas.

Honorable mention goes to Bob and Donna Metafora who, after 40 years of PCA membership, came to their first event and missed only one question.

The other contest this year was “Best Car Origin Story.”  As the cars were sent off every two minutes, rallyers had the opportunity to tell me how they came to own the car they were driving. There were some good ones!  A number of folks mentioned a pandemic inspiration (Jen Hall – “Therapy on Wheels”). One driver pointed to his navigator and said “The car is stolen and she’s the hostage.” But the trophy went to Rob Ruffin who told the elaborate tale of purchasing his European spec 911 from Tom Frisardi.

Many thanks to Minuteman Airfield in Stow for hosting us. And thanks to Anker berg-Sonne for all the heavy lifting, Matt Labovites for route planning and Dave Berman for clever question creation.

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Getting Started with NER PCA

Welcome to the Home of the Porsche Club of America’s Northeast Region!

Below are some helpful links to the activities shown in the NER PCA flyer you received, as well as contact information for the experts who can answer any questions you have on each type of activity.

If you have ideas for additional events we could plan or would like to volunteer for existing activities, please feel free to email me at [email protected].
We can always use help keeping our members connected through communications on our website, writing articles for us to publish, event planning, or if you have technical expertise, we welcome any and all perspectives to ensure members are getting the most out of the club!

If you are already a member of NER PCA and don’t currently receive our News email which goes out around the 15th of the month, please reach out to me on that as well. I will provide information on how to update the email address on file with PCA National.

On behalf of NER’s board of directors and myself personally, thank you for stopping by to check out what the club has to offer and we look forward to meeting you at one of our future events!
Lisa Burke
NER PCA Membership Chair

Full calendar of club events: https://porschenet.com/events/
Recurring weekly events not listed in the calendar:
Sim Racing, Tuesdays at 8pm
Cape Cod Porsche Gruppe Cars & Coffee, Saturdays 7:30am

Concours: https://porschenet.com/activities/concours/
Chair: David Melchar, [email protected]

Driver Education: https://porschenet.com/activities/driver-education/
Chairs: Adam Schwartz & Charles Kenney
Registrar & Safety: Stan Corbett, [email protected]

Ramble: https://porschenet.com/activities/the-new-england-ramble/
Ramblemeister: Dennis Friedman, [email protected]

Sim Racing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810156892838722
Chair: Robert Galejs, [email protected]

Autocross: https://porschenet.com/activities/autocross/
Chair: Chris Ryan, [email protected]
Registrar: Jeff Johnson, [email protected]

Social Activities: https://porschenet.com/activities/social-events/
Chairs: Glenn Champagne & Betty Mae Mosley [email protected]

Facebook groups to connect with other members:
• Main group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/northeastregionpca
• Autocross: https://www.facebook.com/groups/260319394517298
• Technical: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3572353792857260
• Sim Racing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810156892838722
• Cape Cod Gruppe: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570367176509558

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2020 Ramble Cancelled

The latest update from our Ramblemeisters, Dennis and Carol Friedman:

Hi Ramblers,

This would have been the 35th Annual Ramble, but the restrictions and uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 have made it impossible to safely provide you with a “proper” Ramble experience.

Everyone registered will receive their registration fees back in full, and The Otesaga will be issuing credit for all of your room deposits WITHOUT NEED FOR YOU TO DO ANYTHING except check your credit card account to ensure you receive your refund. In both cases, it may take more than 1 card cycle for these credits to appear in your credit card account.

But don’t despair, because on Wednesday January 20, 2021, we plan to open registration for the 2021 Ramble! Let’s hope we’ve put Covid-19 in our collective rear view mirrors by that time, so we can all enjoy our usual large, gregarious, driving, and sociable get-together in true Ramble fashion.

Until then, enjoy your Porsche, and stay safe,
Dennis and Carol Friedman
Ramblemeisters

A prior update from our Ramblemeisters, Dennis and Carol Friedman:

 I can now confirm that the 2020 Ramble has been re-scheduled at The Otesaga Resort Hotel for Sunday November 8 thru Tuesday November 10.

As you might expect, many organizations have been scrambling to re-schedule events at The Otesaga, and there was not a Friday thru Sunday, Thursday thru Saturday, or Saturday thru Monday where we could get more than 83 rooms for both nights. Since we already had nearly 140 rooms booked 2 months before the April event, it didn’t seem right to re-schedule to dates where we could only satisfy about 60% of those members already confirmed. As a result, our first November Ramble will also be the first to have us driving and banqueting on a Monday!

We have reserved the entire hotel on Sunday and Monday nights as well as 26 rooms in the Hotel for Saturday night. In addition there will be about 10 rooms available at the Cooper Inn on Friday and Saturday nights. If you decide to come early and stay at the Cooper Inn, you should be able to stay there for Sunday and Monday as well, or move to The Otesaga for the 2 nights of the Ramble. While there are no rooms available at this time before Friday, anyone wishing to stay beyond Tuesday breakfast can definitely book at our attractive rates for another 3 days.

All existing hotel reservations will be cancelled, and your deposits refunded. Refunds may take 2-3 billing cycles to appear on your credit card statement. To ensure that current confirmed registrants receive preference, UNTIL MAY 1, THE OTESAGA WILL ONLY ACCEPT NEW NOVEMBER RESERVATIONS FROM PEOPLE WITH AN EXISTING RESERVATION. As of Monday May 4, registration will re-open for the re-scheduled Ramble on ClubReg, and the NER website will announce the new dates to the complete club membership.

To take advantage of your booking priority, please call The Otesaga Resort Hotel promptly to reserve in our room block. There are no online reservations. YOU CAN ONLY BOOK YOUR ROOM BY CALLING 607-353-6906 ON WEEKDAYS (Monday thru Friday 9:00-5:00) identifying yourself as guests of the “Porsche Club of America – Northeast Region”. They will require a deposit of 1 night’s lodging which is fully refundable until 3 days before your check-in. AT THIS TIME, THE OTESAGA ONLY HAS 2 AGENTS ANSWERING PHONES, SO YOU MAY BE PLACED ON HOLD OR GET VOICE MAIL, AND IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR YOU TO GET A RETURN CALL AFTER LEAVING A VOICE MAIL. We appreciate your understanding of the realities of the world as it is at the moment.

In regard to room rates, I’m pleased to report that pricing will be $15/night less than our original rates. So after months of travel restrictions and health concerns, feel free to extend your visit on the shores of Lake Otesaga.

The only bright side to this whole ordeal, is that after we complete our November Ramble, you’ll only have to wait 5 months to do it all over again on April 30 – May 2, 2021.

Contact me with any questions or concerns.

Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you all in Cooperstown,
Dennis & Carol Friedman
Ramblemeisters

More details on the event page >

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2020 NER Ramble

35th Annual New England Ramble

April 24 – April 26, 2020     
Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, NY

Registration Opens Wednesday January 22, 2020

2020 marks the 35th year for NER’s Annual Spring Ramble, typically the region’s largest event of the year. At the Chatham Bars Inn last year, we welcomed 195 cars and 371 people to a weekend of good friends, good food, top-notch accommodations, and of course, lots of Porsche- worthy roads to travel. This year we’re looking forward to having both veteran Ramblers and first-timers join us at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, NY.

You’ll arrive Friday (or earlier at our attractive rate) for our evening Welcome Reception, and begin your social and partying activities before the serious driving commences on Saturday morning. My wife and I just returned from a route planning visit, and you’ll traverse many memorable 2-lane country roads thru the Catskill Mountains, and along the creeks and rivers that honeycomb the area.

After registration and breakfast Saturday morning, drivers will head out on a navigational, directions-based tour for about 3 hours before reaching our lunch destination. Following the buffet lunch, there will be another roughly 3-hour route back to The Otesaga, or a more direct route for those wishing to avail themselves of that option.

We’ll meet Saturday evening for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before enjoying our plated dinner dressed in festive attire. Sunday morning’s buffet breakfast will mark the official end of the 2020 Ramble, after which you’re on your own again to head home, or stay longer and enjoy the charms of Cooperstown.

Mark your calendar for registration opening on January 22, 2020 as this one sells out within two weeks, typically. More info to come!

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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

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Celebrate International Museum Day

What better way to celebrate International Museum Day (May 18) than with our own guide to the car museums of New England and New York? We hope you’ll go and enjoy a few of these this year for yourself. Let us know how many you’ve visited so we can see who has been to the most!

Check out the Guide to New England Car Museums

Gunther and Maggie Buerman at the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth RI

Gunther and Maggie Buerman at the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth RI

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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.

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