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Porsche Club of America
Golden Gate Region

 

Nugget pic
June 2008. Volume 48, Issue 6

In This Issue

President's Message

Letter from the Editor

Competition Corner

Board of Directors

2008 DE Schedule

The Power Chef

Porsche Roads

GGR Family Picnic

The Carolina Trophy

SVR / Zone 7 Concours

Zone 7 Gimmick Rally

PCA Raffle

 

Quick Links

Event Calendar

Classified Ads

Join PCA Now
Nugget Archive
More About Us
Zone 7 web site
PCA web site
Great Links

 

Dear Porsche Enthusiast,


Welcome to The Nugget, the email newsletter of the Golden Gate Region, Porsche Club of America.
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If you have any trouble viewing this email, you can click here to go to the online versions of this newsletter. For comments or feedback, click here to email the editor.

Thanks for reading.

 

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Pawlina








Pawlina Paraskova CG
Executive Editor of The Nugget

 

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President's Message

Bill Dally--by Bill Dally, GGR President


Mechanical Therapy

Living in Silicon Valley can often be stressful. Pressures can build up as deadlines approach, when difficult decisions must be made, or when things beyond our control go in directions unfavorable for us. Different people deal with stress in different ways. Some people exercise, others drink, some yell at their colleagues and loved ones, others see a psychiatrist. I have found Porsches to be a wonderful way to relieve stress - less expensive than an analyst and easier on your liver than drinking.

Of course the best way to relieve stress with your Porsche is to drive it, especially at a competition event. Nothing relieves stress better than focusing entirely on driving your car at its limits. At the end of a track day or autocross you have a better perspective on things and you can approach life's challenges with your batteries recharged. Unfortunately there isn't a competition event every day, and while taking a spirited drive on some of the twisties in the Santa Cruz Mountains is almost as good, with premium gas over four dollars a gallon sometimes an alternative stress reliever is needed.

I have found that working on my Porsches is almost as much fun as driving them and is also a great way to deal with stress. I refer to this as mechanical therapy. While it doesn't get the adrenalin pumping the way competition driving does, tinkering with your Porsche has many rewards. First, focusing completely on the mechanical job at hand pushes your daily worries aside and gives you perspective. Second, seeing your job complete gives you immediate gratification - which is often missing in a world where projects can take years to complete. Third, you get to know your car better and you come to appreciate it more as you see the little details that have been gotten exactly right. You can't really appreciate the superb engineering of our cars unless you look inside. Finally, driving your car becomes even more fun as you take pride in having set it up yourself.

One of my favorite stress relieving activities is setting the valve timing on a 911 engine. Engine rebuilding in general is a great stress reliever as it is fairly clean (after the initial disassembly and cleaning), demands attention to detail, and involves precise tolerances. And, of course the gratification of firing up an engine you have just rebuilt and having it run well is hard to match. The valve train of the 911 engine works, quite literally, like clockwork. The two camshafts are driven via two timing chains from sprockets on the intermediate shaft. The chain drive has a 2:1 reduction so the camshafts go around once for every two crankshaft revolutions.

For the engine to operate properly - and for valves not to hit the top of pistons - the angle of each camshaft when the crankshaft is at top-dead-center (TDC) must be set precisely. Since what matters is valve position, the specification lists not an angle (which would be hard to measure precisely), but rather the amount of intake valve lift at TDC. For the mod-S cams in my 3.2L 914/6, the specification is for 3.0-3.2mm of of lift on the #1 intake valve at TDC and the same lift on the #4 intake valve after the crankshaft has been rotated 180 degrees.

 Bill photo June

As shown in the photo above, the measurement is made using a dial indicator and is performed after shims have been inserted to ensure that the timing chain is running in a plane, with just the #1 (and later the #4) intake and exhaust rocker arms in place, and with zero valve gap. The measurement is also made with a clamp on the chain tensioner (not shown) to take any slack out of the timing chain.

Unless you are extremely lucky and happen to have the correct valve lift on your first try, valve timing is adjusted by moving a dowel pin that connects the inner and outer timing sprockets. The outer sprocket has 32 holes and the inner sprocket has 31, so by picking the right pair of holes the angle can be adjusted in increments of 1/992 of a rotation. (A similar system is used to adjust rear ride height on a 911 by using a torsion bar with different numbers of splines on the two ends.) Remove the bolt and washer and then using the skinny end of a spark plug (yes, the threads are the same) remove the dowel. Carefully rotate the cam to get the correct lift (don't let it "get away" from you), and insert the dowel into the one open hole. Reinstall the washer and bolt (torque appropriately) and repeat the measurement. If its not within limits, moving the dowel one hole over should remedy the problem. When you get it right, repeat the procedure for the other camshaft using the #4 intake valve. When you have both right, reward yourself with a beer.

A few hours of checking, assembly, and installation later, when you fire up the engine for the first time, you will have a great feeling of satisfaction. This is much better therapy than psychiatrists or alcohol - although not quite as good as an autocross or a track day. (We won't talk about how you feel when you fire the engine up for the first time and it makes a loud bang and seizes up.)

An old saying goes: "it's a simple job that doesn't require the purchase of a new tool." The first time you do it, adjusting valve timing does not meet this definition of simplicity. The "Zee" bracket that holds the dial indicator and a special wrench to hold the cam sprocket while you torque the bolt are required for this job.

I have friends who think the best automotive tools are a checkbook and a pen, not a torque wrench. If you fall in this category but would like to enjoy the advantages of mechanical therapy, I encourage you to start slowly. Start by changing your oil or brake pads, not by setting the pinion gear preload and backlash on your transmission. If you have a 65-89 911, Wayne Dempsey's book, 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911, has a lot of great ideas along with readable directions.

Mechanical therapy is best enjoyed with friends. (Perhaps this is group therapy). If you need assistance tackling a difficulty project, or if you just want someone to chat with while you work, ask a knowledgeable friend to come over and give you a hand. Most club members are generous with their time and knowledge. Just be prepared to reciprocate when they call you up needing an extra set of hands - and realize that providing food and beverages for assistants is expected. Its particularly useful to have an audience on hand to see and hear your reaction when after completing assembly of an engine you discover that you have forgotten some small but critical internal component - like the oil pump seals.

Like a well-assembled engine, your club is running well. We are now well into both the autocross and time trial series and we have a number of social events on the calendar - including a club picnic at Vasona Park. A critical ingredient to our upcoming events is you. Come out to an autocross or a social event. Become involved in the club and volunteer to help run our events. If you have an idea for a new type of event, let us know - but be prepared to help in organizing it.

As always, I'd very much like to hear your suggestions for how to make the club even better. Please feel free to e-mail me.

Bill

 

Jerry WoodsSmart Racing

 

Letter from the Editor

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--by John Celona, Nugget Editor

For this month's Nugget, we have a new title photo and new colors on the bars. The occasion was the convergence of:

        1. Flying back into San Francisco on one of my many frequent trips
        2. In a window seat (I usually choose an aisle seat)
        3. It wasn't already late at night
        4. Looking out the window to a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge
        5. Noting that the window was less scratched than the usual United window
        6. Actually having time to whip out the iPhone and snap a photo before the flight attendants arrested me for using a portable electronic device during the descent.

As you might guess, these events are unlikely to occur simultaneously again during my lifetime. Hence the photo. Hope you like it. Then, of course, the color bars had to change to match.

We here at The Nugget tend to aim small but meaningful incremental improvements.

Cheerios,
John

 

CommCovRennwerks

 

Competition Corner

Thompson--by Dan Thompson, Competition Director

Ok, our 2008 competitive season is well under way now. We have 3 time trials in the books with times recored for all three, including Infineon! Three autocrosses done with one on it's way in June on the 21st at Alameda and we also have the Beginner AX school scheduled for June 15, at Candlestick.. It is obvious from our schedule that GGR folks love to drive their Porsches.........FAST!

So now we come to the time of year when the Competition Director (me), asks the general membership about our competition rules. What do you like, what don't you like and if you don't like something. How would you like to see it changed. In other words, if their is something in our current rules you find annoying, then make a rules change proposal. This is the only way our rules evolve and get better. When you, the members, take the time to really look at the current rules and make proposals to change them for the better of the entire club. Please start thinking about this and start forwarding your thoughts to me directly. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful suggestions.

This will be my final year as Competition Director, so any of you that would like to give back to the club, now is the time to step up and talk to me about being my successor. We can do this in a confidential manner, so you don't make a commitment that you are unsure of the requirements. Please contact me directly if you have any desire to serve on the GGR board of directors in this capacity.

Our next time trial is in August at our "home" track, Thunderhill. Check the schedule for more information on this.

See you at the track.

Dan

 

European Autotech

 

BPS Repro

 

Board of Directors

Celona--by John Celona, GGR Secretary

GGR Board of Directors Meeting


May 21, 2008

The meeting was held at Bill Dally's house, and it was called to order at 7 p.m. Present were: Matt Switzer, Larry Adams, Claude Leglise, Bob Murillo, Bill Dally, Dan Thompson, Andrew Forrest, John Celona, Paul Larson, Mark Powell, and Bill Benz.


Call to Order

Call for agenda changes:
none

Call for calendar changes: the car control school for teen drivers has been cancelled due to scarcity of signups. Enrollees will be placed in the beginners' autocross school.

Approval of April minutes
These minutes were previously approved via email.

Postmortem of events
5/3 Ground School
5/17 Autocross

Directors' Reports

President: nothing to report.

Vice-President

Upcoming event status report:

  • 5/24-25 DE/TT 3 Buttonwillow
  • 6/7 Boxster Brunch
  • 6/14 Car control clinic Monster: cancelled
  • 6/15 Beginners auto X school Monster

Certificates are ordered for the following events:

  • Auto X dates 7/19 and 9/13 at  Alameda have been requested to be added to the existing certificate.
  • 6/14 Car control clinic Monster
  • 6/15 Beginners auto X school Monster

Certificates are in place for the following events:

  • DE/TT # 3 Buttonwillow

Treasurer

  • The new timing system for autocross has been paid for. Buttonwillow has been prepaid, and we have a credit at Buttonwillow.
  • Motorsports Reg experienced some significant system problems with a software upgrade, but has remedied it and caught up with reporting. GGR is receiving a credit in return for the trouble.

Secretary

After efforts to enlist a GGR Historian have proven fruitless, the effort is being dropped. The plan is still to clean out the GGR storage area over the summer and vacate it to save the rental cost.

Social

We are confirmed for the annual banquet in January at the Hiller Museum in San Carlos.

Sunday, July 27 at Vasona Park in Los Gatos is reserved for the first annual GGR family picnic. There will also be a wash-n-shine concours. This event will be registered as a "special event," which means Vasona will close the parking lot to non-participants. Cost will be around $20 per person and $10 for children, and includes a meal catered by Armadillo Willie's. The club will subsidize the cost of the event, which is greater than that.

Mark is still working on a tech session at Jerry Woods.

Membership

The April membership report was presented. Total members are at 2564. Over the past two years, membership has remained stable at about this level.

Pacific Power Motorsports event at Bear Valley is a go, weekend of September 6/7.  It will be an AX and a car show of some sort.  Will also have fun drives both on road and off road (but not hosted events).  Awards at lunch Sunday.

Competition--Autocross

  • Due to increasing costs for renting autocross venues, the standard fee was increased to $40 per event, with a $10 discount for PCA members.
  • Further efforts will be made to enforce the existing policy that any Porsche owner may participate in autocross, but non-Porsches may only be run by GGR members with the permission of the event chair.
  • Matt has picked up the new timing system. Some additional parts were required, and some components (such as the bar code reader) had to be exchanged for kits which included a charger, base station reader, etc.

Competition-Drivers' Ed

  • Contrary to prior expectations, revenues actually exceeded expenses for TT#2. Sighs of relief were shared.
  • Nevertheless, Buttonwillow was priced for lower attendance expectations, and is close to the break-even point (not there yet).

Webmaster

Paul has entered GGR in the PCA web site contest.

The website is averaging 1050 people per day, with an average of 3.5 page views per person (3700 page views per day).

Nugget Editor

Allowing anyone to subscribe to the email edition of The Nugget is starting to draw new members into the club. The communication from the email service to new subscribers has to be sorted out because some people have been confused as to whether subscribing alone enrolls them in GGR.

Topics for discussion

Approve budget for AX School (Claude). Motion to approve the budget was passed unanimously.
    
Carlsen has offered a "subisidy" for AX events at San Mateo Fairgrounds. Carl will make one more effort to see if Bay Meadows will extend the hours to those needed to run an autocross (no entry until 9 a.m. doesn't work).

Recommended charity for the concour & rally proceeds. We'll split the donation 50/50 between a charity selected by Carlsen Porsche and one selected by GGR.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m. The next meeting will be held July 23 at the residence of the president, Bill Dally. People wishing to add items to the agenda should email him.

 

Club Sportiva2

 

2008 Drivers' Ed & Time Trial Schedule

TT banner
  
Rich Bontempi's HIGH PERFORMANCE HOUSE

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

Sat Mar 29, '08

 

Ground School

Round Table Pizza, Concord


 

Apr 18-20, '08

 

Driver's Ed & Time Trial #2

Thunderhill


 

Sat May 3, '08

 

Ground School

Round Table Pizza, Concord


 

May 24-25, '08

 

Driver's Ed & Time Trial #3

Buttonwillow


 

Sat Jul 26, '08

 

Ground School

Round Table Pizza, Concord


 

Aug 16-17, '08

 

Driver's Ed & Time Trial #4

Thunderhill


 

Sat Aug 30, '08

 

Ground School

Round Table Pizza, Concord


 

Sep 20-21, '08

 

Driver's Ed & Time Trial #5

Thunderhill

 

High Performance House

 

The Power Chef

NE Bike
Taking the "Work" Out of "Workout"

--by John Celona, The Power Chef


We've all heard it: "you need to work out more." Could be from family members, a spouse, or even a close friend. If you hear it from a doctor, chances are the doctor is overweight (and needs to work out more!)

Getting the right balance between intake and output is not easy, but being out of balance usually sends the scale heading north. I, for one, don't like squeezing into the pants that used to fit so well, and don't like the thought of going out to buy bigger ones. That's like an admission of defeat. And it's not especially healthy, for a list of reasons that seems to be growing longer by the day.

So "Bite it and burn it" is my motto. If I work out less, I eat less. But, generally, I love to eat. So one way of keeping the poundage steady is to eat great tasting, but more healthy (lower fat!) food, as we've seen in past columns. It's a lot easier to add two less pats of butter than to spend an additional 20 minutes on the treadmill.

Another way is to add enough exercise to burn off the calories you're taking in. This gets us to the dreaded "workout."

Personally, I'm against "working out." I get more than enough work at work. Add a little yard work, housework, working on my taxes, and working on the "honey do" list and there seems to me more than enough work to go around. I see little reason to add to the list.

So my suggestion is to do something you find enjoyable and gets you moving and sweaty, and is maybe even relaxing. The last is the main motivator for me. I go for a run or a swim not to work more, but to get away from work and the phone and the email and relax for a bit. Nothing leaves me feel more tight, sore, and cranky than a day without a movement break away from all the work.

Different types of movement do this for different people. My spouse only dances. Sound silly? You wouldn't think so after attending a real 90-minute dance class.

For other people, it's doing something social, like a group exercise class in one of the innumerable varieties (aerobics, boot camp, body pump, water aerobics, etc.) or even a masters' swim workout. (Some might argue that, with all the time spend with your head in the water and little time for conversation, masters' swimming is distinctly antisocial, but that's another matter!)

The variety is nearly endless. There must be some kind of movement you would find enjoyable.

Not that it will be easy at first. If you're not used to it, you'll be tired and sore, and it will be difficult to find regular time in your busy schedule. A few lucky people take to a new activity like a duck to water, but, for most of us, getting over the hump is non-trivial. It took me years of failed attempts before I got regular with a movement activity. Finally, I did get to where that was often part of the day I most looked forward to.

I do believe everyone can get there. We were all born with a lot more body than is needed to work a fork and the remote control. Getting more enjoyment out of it than our mostly sedentary, mechanically assisted lifestyles requires is within everyone's grasps.

Allow me to offer a few more thoughts on movement activities. As you might guess, not all are created equally. Some are better at building cardiovascular fitness, others at building strength and bone density (very important for women!), and others flexibility or coordination. Seems to me that a good movement "stew" would have a little of each, just like a conventional stew will have some meat, some vegatables, some seasoning, and perhaps a good dose of red wine--or, perhaps more to the point--like food pyramid the FDA puts out to describe a healthy diet.

Not wanting to recreate the wheel, I looked around for an analogous fitness pyramid. Turns out there are lots--but they all are aimed at progressing to competition, and left some stuff out. Nothing wrong with racing, of course, but I don't see why one needs to race to stay in shape. (Disclaimer: I did do a lot of racing, but presently don't. My excuse is that I already have enough t-shirts!)

So I made up my own pyramid, which included the various things emphasized by different types of movement: cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and coordination (Did I leave something out? Please
email me if you think so!). Here it is.

pyramid

My Fitness Pyramid


You might object that one can do quite will with just one part of the pyramid, and I do have friends who do only cardivascular activity, such as bicycling. Obviously, with only one leg, the pyramid would fall over! And I'll let you in on a little secret, the Pilates instructor at my health club (who gets a good measure of stretching and strengthening in class) sneaks out between classes to run and swim! A little of everything is good for variety, if nothing else.

Yes, there is a top of the pyramid: sharp mind. This is there because of a brilliant theory I have which will be a shoo-in for a Nobel prize in medicine as soon as I get more experimental data: Your Brain Is Connected To Your Body. Novel, huh?

I'll spare you the details of the studies on senior citiizens to improve their mental acuity and coordination. I already feel quite "senior" enough to be in need of mental challenges and conditioning.

Plus it's good for the fun.

Bon appetit,
The Power Chef

 

Kahlers

 

Porsche Roads

TT banner
--by Claude Leglise, GGR Past President


Patterson to San Jose via Mount Hamilton


Patterson, population 11,606, claims to be the "Apricot Capital of the World". Driving Highway 5, I had seen the exit sign for the town a dozen miles south of 580, but never found the time to stop. It turns out that Patterson is named after John D. Patterson, who purchased 13,340 acres in the area for the sum of $5,400 in 1866. Downtown Patterson features a few historical buildings of the period, and hosts the annual Apricot Fiesta the first weekend of June. Hurry up; it may not be too late to catch it. Of more obvious interest to Porsche drivers is State Route 130, which connects Patterson to San Jose over the Diablo Range.

R1 june

As you exit Interstate 5, go west and immediately turn right onto Del Puerto Canyon Road. Del Puerto is the original name of the Mexican land grant, and as soon as Highway 5 disappears in the rear view mirror, you are projected 150 years back. The ranch lands do not seem to have changed much since the days of Governor Micheltorena, but for the ribbon of asphalt. Three miles after the turnoff, the road enters the canyon of Del Puerto Creek, and the fun begins. The road is narrow and in reasonable shape. Watch out for cattle guards, some are in the apex of a turn, and most are not level with the road surface. The oaks are green and healthy thanks to recent winter rains, but black trunks on the hills still show the signs of fires past. At mile 16, you reach Frank Raines Park, a pretty good place for a picnic. Further west, the canyon narrows sharply, the curves tighten and second gear is often required. As the road climbs, the pavement is not in very good shape, but the quality improves once you reach the Santa Clara County line.

At mile 25, you arrive at The Junction (www.thejunctionbarandgrill.com), the only source of food and drink on this trip. The house specialties are grease burgers, Frito Lays and Coke. The bathrooms are functional. Long before the joint became the favorite stop of sports car drivers and motorcycle riders alike, De Anza's expedition came through in 1776 and called the area El Caņada de San Vincente.

r2 june

At The Junction, you could turn right and go back to Livermore, 31 miles away, but it's more fun to turn left onto San Antonio Valley Road towards San Jose. The road is nice and wide, and it is possible to go well over 35 miles an hour. But be alert, this is open range country; which means that the cattle are not fenced in. If you hit a cow, you have to pay for the repairs to your Porsche, and for the cow. Them beasts can be pricey! Watch out, too, for the occasional pig.

Soon, the first switchback around Sugarloaf Mountain offers a prelude to what is to come, and after crossing a small creek, you'll start to climb up the east side of Mount Hamilton at mile 38. The orange reflectors on the double yellow sink into the road, because this is where the snow plowing starts in the winter. What follows is 5 miles of twists, turns, and first gear switches that take you to the ridge, along Copernicus Peak, and ultimately to the Lick Observatory at the top of Mount Ham, 2000 feet above the creek. The view from the observatory parking lot is definitely worth a stop and a Kodak moment. On a clear day, you can see from the Monterey Peninsula to Mount Tamalpais, north of San Francisco. The observatory is open every day from 12:30 to 5:00, 10:00 to 5:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. You can visit the 26-inch telescope, see a live seismograph recording the movements of the earth's crust and view various exhibits.

r3 june

After a short rest, keep going west toward San Jose on Mount Hamilton Road. More tight and twisty stuff, all downhill. The road is quite narrow, and unfortunately the pavement is in fairly bad shape, so take it easy. It can get crowded on the weekends. Enjoy the view if you can, and practice heel and toeing on the downshifts. The bridge at the bottom of the slope signals the end of Mount Hamilton and your arrival at the Joseph D. Grant County Park, the largest park in Santa Clara County, located due east of San Jose. If you remembered to bring a horse along, the park has 52 miles of equestrian trails for you.

r4 june

At mile 58, the first houses appear above San Jose, and you get a spectacular view of the Santa Clara Valley. Four miles later, turn left on Alum Rock Avenue, and you are back in civilization, if we can call it that. Highway 680 is just a few traffic lights ahead.

r5 june

Scale: 1∆ to 5∆

                                          Twistiness      Pavement Quality       Scenery    
Del Puerto Canyon Road          ∆∆∆∆∆                ∆∆∆                      ∆∆∆∆
San Antonio Valley Road         ∆∆∆∆∆                ∆∆∆∆                     ∆∆∆
Mount Hamilton Road              ∆∆∆∆∆                  ∆∆                      ∆∆∆∆∆

Did I forget to mention to gas up before you leave? There is not a single gas station between Patterson and San Jose, and practically no cell phone coverage. AAA might take a while to arrive.

Claude

r6 june

 

Vineyard Specialties2

 

GGR Family Picnic & Concours

Announcing

 

 GGR's First Annual Family Picnic / Peoples Choice Wash and Shine Concours


Join your fellow Porsche enthusiasts Sunday July 27th at Vasona County Park for this year's premier social event!!  

                   Vasona park

The event will feature a delicious BBQ lunch catered by Armadillo Willy's, a People's Choice Wash and Shine Concours, Games, and more!!  Best of all the price is only $20 per adult with children free!! 

Armadillo Willy's Lunch will include Real Texas BBQ Ribs, Smoked BBQ Chicken, Smoked Texas Beef Brisket, BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Green Salad, Soft Drinks and Desert!!

Register early so you don't miss this important event!!  

When:   Sunday,  July 27th, 2008
            10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Where:  Vasona County Park, Circle Group Area
             333 Blossom Hill Road
             Los Gatos, CA 95032

Price:    Adults $20.00
             Children Free!!

Note: There is also a Vasona Park Fee of $6.00 per vehicle payable at the gate.


To attend, mail your check payable to PCA-GGR to:

             Mark Powell, PCA-GGR Social Director
             P.O. Box 23038
             San Jose, CA 95153-3038

Please include:

Your name:______________________________________________

e-mail address __________________________________________

Year and Model Car _____________________________________

Number of Adults________________________________________

Number of Children______________________________________

We need a final headcount one week in advance, so registration must be postmarked no later than July 17th.  We also need volunteers to help organize and run the event.  If you would like to help or if you would like more information on the event, please
email Mark Powell.

vasona map

 

Enter for the Carolina Trophy

September Means More Porsches In The Carolina Mountains!

--by Paul Misencik, Metrolina Area PCA, Huntersville, NC

For the past four years now, I've been organizing and running an event every September called "The Carolina Trophy," which is a five-day, European-style vintage motorcar road rally in the spirit of the Mille Miglia and Rallye des Alpes.  The event is based out of Lake Lure, North Carolina and covers 1000km over five days on some of the most sinewy and serpentine roads anywhere.  As a loyal Porsche owner and enthusiast, it warms my heart that the best-represented marque every year is Porsche, and 2008 appears to be no exception!

Carolina

Although registration is still in its early stages, we already have a four-cam 356 Carrera GS entered, a stunning 911SC RS rally replica (in Rothman's livery), two 1955 Speedsters, three 356 coupes, and two early 911's.  In addition, we have vintage Ferraris, Jaguars, Aston Martins, Austin-Healeys, and Alpine-Renaults coming from all over the United States, Canada, and even abroad!  By the time the field is set, I feel certain we'll have everything from thundering Corvettes to snarling MG's taking the starting line.

Although the Carolina Trophy is technically a "competitive" event, every stage takes place on open public roadways at legal speeds.  Each car is piloted by a driver and a navigator, and the rally is timed and scored using a combination of TSD stages and regularity legs, with ample transition stages mixed in to make ensure teams have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the roads and scenery.  Some of our entrants take the competitive side of the rally very seriously indeed, while others don't compete and merely enjoy the routes at whatever pace they choose.  Regardless, the event is set up to make sure the spirit of adventure, camaraderie, and gentlemanly competition is accessible to every entrant.

Virtually all-inclusive, the Carolina Trophy is set in gracious accommodations and includes meals, beverages and many cocktails, with social events from start to finish that make up a significant portion of the event's appeal.  By day, entrants are charging through the mountains and competing against the clock, but lunches and evenings are invariably chances for teams to connect with on another, relive the adventure of the day, and tell fish stories about cars and other topics with a group of passionate, like-minded enthusiasts.

If you love cars, I urge you to come out and experience the 2008 running of The Premier Financial Services Carolina Trophy, which takes place September 14-19, 2008.  All vehicles built in 1980 or earlier are eligible to compete, with a "special interest" class available to cars of particular interest built later than that date.  We also love to have spectators, we always need volunteers, and unique and affordable sponsorship opportunities exist for forward-thinking companies, so come on out and enjoy the action!

Complete details can be found at www.carolinatrophy.com, or call (704) 351 2087 and ask for Paul!  See you in September!

 

suspension performance

 

SVR/Zone 7 Concours

Niello

 

Zone 7 Gimmick Rally

Zone 7 rally