GGR Members receive 10% off parts & service!
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From the Wurst Wing
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 --by John Celona, GGR President
GGR is a Happenin' Club
For those of you whose desire for all things Porsche is sated by awaiting the monthly arrival of Panorama and The Nugget-wait! There's more! GGR actually puts on events, too! And, really, we do talk about things other than wider tires and wheel shims.
The February Boxster Brunch
February saw a Boxster Brunch on the 6th. The back room at Alice's Restaurant was just packed with people despite the rain. Thanks to George and Carol Grialou for making this such a successful event. The next Boxster Brunch will be on Saturday, April 3rd, so mark your calendar.
First Autocross Coming UP
This year's first autocross will be at Alameda on Saturday, March 20th at the Alameda Naval Air Station. For those of you who've never done an autocross, it's a great way to introduce yourself to what your Porsche can really do. We drive on a huge expanse of pavement with nothing but orange cones to hit, so the worst that can happen is you have to remove a few cone marks from your car with a little wax.
For newcomers or anyone who wants one, INSTRUCTION IS INCLUDED with the price of admission! What's more, the cost is a grand total of $45 for non-PCA members and $35 for PCA members (other regions, too!). You'll probably spend more than this on gas that day.
Despite your overwhelming desire to come join us, I strongly urge everyone to skip this event so the rest of us can drive more (kidding!). Really, come join us or just stop by to have a look-see if you're in the area. It's a great way to remove the excess rubber from your tires so they drive more like slicks. Click here for more info.
Registration on the day of the event goes up to $55, so click here to register now!
First Track Weekend Coming UP
GGR's first track weekend is coming up on March 26-28th at Thunderhill Raceway Park in the scenic town of Willows, California. If you haven't already been there, Thunderhill is 122 miles from San Francisco, so if you keep the speed at 140 mph you'll get there in only 52 minutes. Of course, we don't recommend this unless you only want laps around a jail cell!
Still, you can get there in an afternoon, hotels are cheap, and you get tons of driving time. Almost two hours on Saturday and an hour and a half on Sunday, so that's quite a bit of driving versus 8-10 laps in autocross. It's a great way to get a lot of seat time.
That weekend will feature the full run sessions for Drivers' Ed (the 20-minute run sessions), PLUS a Porsche Club Race PLUS a time trial at the end on Sunday. For the time trial portion, cars go out one at a time for timed laps and you just get to drive-no other cars nearby! Or just watch the club racers for some wheel-to-wheel action.
Instructors are available for newcomers, and the cost for the whole weekend (including lodging and food) is about the same as getting a new set of tires put on the car. Click here for more information on the event and here to go to registration.
The next event will be on May 23-24 at Buttonwillow (NOT on Memorial Day!) and is a joint event with the Central Coast region so you can register with them and drive the Friday, too! Of course, Buttonwillow is 250 miles from San Francisco so even at 140 mph it will take you 1.8 hours (No-please don't try this either!) Much easier to take the shorter drive to Thunderhill at legal speeds and have fun once you get there!
GGR 50th Anniversary Update
Follow a site visit and putting down a deposit, we're set for the Saturday portion of our event. On Saturday, September 11, we'll:
- Kick the celebration off with an autocross at Alameda;
- Then continue with a black-tie optional "Presidents' Reception" at 6 p.m. at the City Club of San Francisco.
The Sunday events are still under negotiation and we hope to have details next month.
If you've not been there, the City Club of San Francisco is a spectacular, historic location with the original Art Deco interior on the top two floors of the Pacific Stock Exchange at 155 Sansome Street in San Francisco. Here's their web site to check it out, but let me preview it with a photo of the main dining room:
and the spectacular stairway with an original mural: 
This should be night to remember, and will be followed with more events on Sunday. If you've been hankering to spend a Porsche weekend in San Francisco, here's your chance! We'll keep you updated and let you know as soon as registration opens up.
Mark your calendar, though! September 11-12. 2010 you'll want to join us for the big celebration!
Have some fun and come join us for an event. YOUR DUES are what helps put them on!
John
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Letter from the Editor
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--by John Celona, Nugget Editor
Thanks to Contributors!
I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to send something in for this month's Nugget. It's really appreciated and lets us offer things specifically from our club members as opposed to board minutes and press releases!
Thanks to Lou Felsher, Jim Mirowski, and Ron and Kimberly Dale for sending in Porsche Pets photos. Thanks to Bill Benz and Joe Ramos for sending in articles.
Keep 'em coming! We'll be pleased to run things in the following month.
Thanks for reading.
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Porsche Pets Rule!
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Introducing Chocolate Labs Buck and Koa from San Carlos: Athletes, speed demons and of course K9 Porschenistas
--by Lou Felsher and Jim Mirowski
When they are not watching Top Gear on the BBC, the boys practice time trials with Canadian Geese or nap and imagine designing the ultimate air cooled performance tennis ball with sleek round lines. Irreverent and mercurial, it is not surprising that Koa deitises Butzi Porsche yet covets a custom blinged Basalt Black 911 Cabriolet with squirrel locator ap on the GPS.
Buck, although openly troubled by some of the revisionist history in Ferry Porsche's Auto- biography "Cars Are My Life" (Buck briefly holds his paw below his nose to indicate short German mustache) he remains a no frills purist and his dream car is and always will be a Racing Silver 911 Turbo Coupe. Buck was recently quoted in Dog Car Fancy as saying "I would never chew a Porsche themed dog toy its so wrong, why would they manufacture such blasphemy".
Similarly, when apprehended by the neighbors and/or cops during one of his "covert ops" Koa (flashing his Targa Florio themed tat) cites Porsche's immutable independence as his greatest inspiration.
Ron & Kimberly Dale's Labradors
My dogs were with me every step of the way "helping" me build my spec 944 race car. I still get dog hair flying around inside when I'm on track!
Sadly, the two oldest, Turquoise and Moose have since passed but I can't help thinking of them and smile every time I strap in!
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| Competition Corner |
--by Wayne Van Norsdall, Competition Director
Welcome to a new season of track
and AX events. The GGR DE/TT - Club Race and AX chairs have been working hard
all winter to bring you another great season and our first two events are open
for registration. Please visit the GGR web site to re-classify your car and
register. The new rules should be posted in the next few weeks but keep in mind
that we have adopted the PCA national rules which can be found here.
These rules apply to all Porsche
cars that were originally made for street use regardless of modifications. All
Porsche cars that were originally made as a track only car will fall under the
national rules of PCA club racing which can be found here
and check here for modifications to the 2009 rules you see in the link above click here.
If you want to club race and you
do not have a license, you should begin the process as soon as possible because
it requires a number of steps that can take a few weeks. Click here
for more information on how to obtain a PCA club racing license.
Wayne
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March 26-28 Drivers' Ed / Time Trial / Club Race
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May 22-23 Drivers' Ed / Time Trial / Club Race
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Board of Directors
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 --by Bill Benz, GGR Secretary GGR Board of Directors
Meeting Minutes for February 2, 2010
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by President Celona at 7:00
pm at his home.
All members of the Board, except Jeff Kost were present.
The Board was joined by Sharon Neidel (Zone 7 Representative), Mike Cullinan
(GGR TT/Club Race Co-Chair), Andrew Forrest (Webmaster) and Larry Adams (GGR
Rally and Concours Chair).
Agenda
Changes
The draft meeting agenda was agreed upon.
Calendar
Changes
The calendared date for the Family Picnic was changed to
July 18, 2010
The calendared date for the Carlsen Concours was changed to
August 8, 2010
Postmortem of Past Events
The Awards Banquet was a success. Thank you, Mark Powell.
The Competition Director reported that the Driving Event
Committee had met and agreed upon various rule changes for 2010. These will be
presented to the Board for approval.
Many members continue to enjoy the Friday night socials
organized by Shirley Neidel on the third Friday of each month at Harry's
Hofbrau in Redwood City.
Directors' ReportsPresident
-Badges were delivered to Board members. Progress on the 50th Anniversary was
reviewed. A deposit for the dinner at the City Club has been made. A Logo for
the event was presented. Vice
President -Upcoming events and their insurance status were reviewed. Treasurer
- A draft 2010 budget and draft tax returns were delivered to the Board for
comments and approval at the next meeting. A treasurer's report was submitted
and approved.
Secretary
- Nothing to report.
Social
- Nothing to report.
Membership
- Slight uptick in membership in January. New members were approved.
Competition
- Nothing to report.
Webmaster
- New content is being added to the Social and Driving Event sections of the
Website.
Topics for Discussion
The
Zone 7 Representative went over the Zone 7 event fee rules and a planned
"Legends of the Autobahn" event to be held at Laguna Seca in conjunction with
the historic car races.
Driving
event rules were discussed. It was agreed that there needed to be a a
one-place archive of the Competition Rules in effect for each year. To that
end a) the Competition Director is to assemble a set of Final Rules for 2010
and present them to the Board at a future meting, and b) the Board resolved
that the Webmaster or another appointed by the Board shall have administrative
access to all electronic information on all GGR Bulletin Boards
Driving
event safety equipment rules were discussed. The Board reaffirmed its position
that GGR follows PCA National Driver Education Standards for safety equipment
and avoids deviations from these rules.
The
Board authorized the TT/Club Race Chairs to purchase a set of scales for $2400.
Pax
Values and Base Point Assignments for 2010 were reviewed and approved,
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned
at 9 p. m.
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Membership Report
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 --by Jeff Kost, Membership Director
Jeff was last seen on a plane headed toward Japan. He'll be back with a membership report next month. --Ed.
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The Power Chef
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Me and the Federal Budget
--by John Celona, The Power Chef®
The federal budget and I have something in common: we both find it much easier to get larger than to get smaller. In the case of the federal budget, chalk this up to all the forces pushing for more: armies of lobbyists, more of civil servants and unions, highly partisan legislators produced by decades of ruthlessly gerrymandered districts, and so on.
In my case, chalk it up to evolution: for most of humanity's existence, the biggest risk was death by starvation, not death by overeating. It's only in the last few hundred years (and, really, the last hundred years) that food supplies and general prosperity increased to where obesity was within the reach of every person and not just the rich. Not nearly enough time for evolution to catch up, especially since there's plenty of time to have children before the effects of extra weight do you in.
As a result, we're stacked with mechanisms for conservation if calorie consumption drops, and not much of physiological reaction to cope with too many calories. It's as if your Porsche started getting more miles per gallon as the fuel tended toward empty, but burned the same with a double-sized fuel tank.
Unfortunately, this means that the simple mantra I've heard recited by many personal trainers of "weight change equals calories eaten minus calories burned" doesn't work quite that simply. The fact is that, when you reduce the calories consumed, your body reduces the calories burned-even if your activity level stays the same.
On the other hand, if you increase the calories eaten-and your activity level stays the same-your body won't increased the calories burned. You will gain weight.
In other words, your metabolism is geared pretty much toward keeping weight on, and not toward taking it off. This is the wonderful result of a few million years of the folks surviving who were most resilient in the face of starvation.
Scientists have studied this phenomena quite a lot and many fingers are pointed at the effects of the hormone leptin. Here's a link to one discussion of what it does. Basically, when you reduce calorie consumption, your body drops leptin and thyroid hormone levels. This decreases your metabolism and the rate at which you burn calories and increases your hunger.
What a total bummer.
Of course, the picture isn't quite as simple as this, which is why there's so much energy and attention aimed at helping people losing weight. The way your body works is boggling complex and subtle and we are no where near figuring out all the physiological processes. Body type plays a role, too.
You've probably heard said "I'm an endomorph." These folks tend to be bigger, to have slower metabolisms and keep weight on. Ectomorphs are the people who are always skinny and never have to worry about weight. One of the personal trainers at my gym looks to be an ectomorph. When he's not diligent about working out, he loses weight. Go figure.
Mesomorphs are what we'd all like to be: muscular, but with low body fat. These folks seem to be in short supply. Here's a little more on body types.
The bottom line is that, for most of us, taking weight off and keeping it off is neither simple nor easy-and it's not your fault! The first part of this you probably knew already.
There is hope, of course. Just keep in mind that, for most of us, the forces are working against us.
Diet and exercise are pretty much all we have to work with until scientists figure out how to adjust our fuel injection (richer mixture burned, please!).
On the diet side, lots of fruits and vegetables helps. Go for whole grains and avoid white flour and sugar. Watch the fat. All stuff we've talked about before in this column.
For exercise, cardio of course for cardiovascular fitness and calorie burning, but strength training is important, too. Even if your weight stays the same, strength training will add more muscle mass at the expense of fat and increase your metabolism. A pound of muscle takes more calories each day to maintain than a pound of fat.
This works for women, too, and, no, you won't get all muscular unless you start injecting steroids regularly. And, if you go through that much trouble, I'd suggest injecting leptin instead (kidding!).
Really, though, I think it comes back to what we've said all along: a healthy diet and exercise routine is worth it for feeling great and staying healthy in itself-even if many of us wish we were leaner. Chalk that up to a culture of unrealistic body images. Even Calvin Klein underwear models don't stay that way forever. Have you seen Ashton Kutcher recently?
Well okay, still not bad but nothing like his Calvin Klein days.
I suppose that's something!
I think, in the spirit of this all, I'll skip the recipe this month and just have a piece of fruit. Fresh fruit you can eat as much of as you want, and it tastes great, too!
Bon appétit!
The Power Chef
Here's a load of fresh-picked plums from my tree. Sure wish I had these year round!
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Signing Up for Your First Track Event
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--by John Tavernetti, DE Communications
In the last two Nuggets, I have written about the minimum
safety equipment you will need to participate in GGR's track events, and briefly
described how the risks of driving at one of our events compares favorably to
driving on today's busy freeway.
This month I will walk you through how to sign up for your
first GGR track event. Remember, these events are open to first-timers and
provide an excellent opportunity to learn advance driving techniques behind the
wheel of your own Porsche. Dozens and dozens of people are already registered for our March
26-28 event at the time of this writing, so don't delay!
The first step, assuming you wish to complete the Timed Runs
at the end of the weekend, is to figure out what class your car belongs in. You
can do that on-line, right here.
Before you start, just be sure you know the treadwear rating of the tires you
will be driving on at the event, and the width (in inches) of your front and
rear wheels. If you will be competing on Porsche wheels made in the past 20
years or so, just look at the raised numbers cast into each wheel right next to
the valve-stem. The smaller of those two numbers is the width of the wheel
(it's typically between 6 and 12, and it may end in .5 to denote a half-inch).
Don't attempt to classify your car online until you know these numbers. The
classification website will determine your class based on what car you have and
what options and modifications it has. As you read through the list of
possible modifications, don't forget that even if your car is "stock" you may
need to mark some items. Two common examples of this are item 33, which you
must mark if your car has any type of limited-slip differential, and item 62,
which you must mark if your car has any type of factory sport suspension or
PASM "active" suspension. Don't forget to declare these items if they apply to
your car. When finished, the site will calculate your points total and thereby
assign you a "TT" class for Timed Runs (and an "AX" class for autocross, in
case you choose to compete in those events as well).
Now you are ready to register for the event. This is also
done online, by pointing your browser here: http://www.motorsportreg.com/ Simply
create an account if you don't already have one, then search for events within
a couple hundred miles of your zip code. GGR's events are listed as "PCA -
Golden Gate." You can use the motorsportreg.com website to register and pay
for all our track events as well as autocrosses. It's really pretty simple.
.
For more details about all our upcoming events, including
complete rules and safety requirements, please visit www.pca-ggr.org.
Thanks, and I'll see you at the track!
John
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Traction Control
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--by Bill Benz, GGR Secretary
This started out as a typical fluff piece about a promising
get-rich opportunity - Toyota - that Japanese word that translates into "big
lawsuit recovery" and "fat legal fees." My plan was to get about fifty friends
and head to that megabuck damage recovery mecca; Marshall, Texas. Once there we
would all rent Toyotas of every race, creed and color (with and without floor
mats) and then let the unintended acceleration high jinks begin. After enough
cars had headed down the path of self-determined self destruction and we all
finalized our stories of automotive terror and life-changing anxiety (which
were likely to render us all unable to live out normal lives of time trialing,
auto-crossing and other Porsche fun) we would be set.
While some might consider it bad form to retain legal help
BEFORE a traffic mishap or two or fifty (it never hurts to cover all bases) a
quick check of the internet showed that there were plenty of patriotic Texans
ready to help us out. I couldn't decide among lawyers listed at "Toyota Cars
Acceleration Attorney" "Toyota Justice.com" and "Sudden Acceleration.com." Any
of these would seem to have our best interests at heart.
As I read more about the Toyota problems my light-hearted
view changed. I realized that I don't know squat about modern car electronic
driving aids. Only one of our Porsches and trucks has ABS. Ruth's BMW has ABS
and two or three stability or traction type controls, none of which I've ever
experienced. I don't understand how these work when everything is going
correctly. I'd have no idea what to do if a traction control system or
drive-by-wire throttle or the like started making wrong decisions about the
need to intervene and what the intervention should entail.
The closest thing to traction control systems in my
experience is Evan Williams. Years ago he was in my time trial car going the
reverse direction at Thunderhill. I was relaxing in the passenger seat. Evan
had gotten an especially good run down the straight from turn 14 back to 13 and
apparently was planning to go flat out through 13 and 12 and only brake before
entering turn 11. (I say "apparently" since Evan and electronic traction
control are the same in that they don't always let the driver or passenger know
in advance exactly what they have planned.) I seems that 110 -115 was a tad
quick for turn 13 and all of a sudden we were sort of sliding, sort of rotating
and who knows what else.
As I reconstruct matters, the Evan traction control system
stood on the brake, cut the wheel one way hard, stood on the gas and cut the
wheel to the other direction and we arrived perfectly lined up for the entrance
to turn 11. Oh, I forgot something. There was at least one downshift strategically
placed in the sequence. When we got back to the pits Evan's explanation was
something along the line of "I noticed that we'd lost both the front end and
the back end. I knew that I needed to catch the front end first and then deal
with the back. Then all that remained was to set up for 11." (Keep in mind that
my order of events and my version of Evan's comments may be confused as all
this happened in about 0.6 second.)
My understanding is that a 2010 Porsche or the like has yaw
controls, traction controls, ABS and stability controls that might be able to
offer some real time suggestions to help someone as ham-handed as me through
turns 13, 12 and 11 but that's assuming that all these systems are at the top
of their game. What happens if the computer in the car acts like every other
computer in our lives and, as we are entering turn 13, sort of sliding, sort of
rotating, decides to announce to its computer buddies " Yaw control operation
terminated error 401," "Drive C failed to read while controlling stability.
Restart computer," or "Get 50% off Sexy Intimates - next 10 minutes only at
Victoria's Secret!!" I've got an idea that it's unlikely that this will be a
good thing. I'll bet that if the systems were intervening, but intervening badly
based on faulty information or with processor problems, my short term future
would be heading in the direction of "ganz schlecht", "muy malo" and "holy
shit." I have no idea what I'd do. Would you?
Good luck, Toyota, I can't imagine any other car company
with a better chance of making it through your ordeal. --
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What If?
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--by Joe Ramos, GGR member and DentPro Maestro
It's about the road. It's about the car. It's about the
driver. It's really about the road. The car and the driver always change. Even
for folks dedicated to the marque, the car changes. The driver always changes,
for better or for worse. But the road is always there. In a generation or two,
it changes very little. Even in a lifetime, the changes usually are not major.
So, it is really about the road.
What if... I suddenly had a few unplanned days? Being retired,
I try to keep my days full. Sometimes, it's projects around the house. Other
times, it's errands over the hill. (I live in Half Moon Bay, so to go anywhere
it's "over the hill.") Most of the time, it's whatever I feel like doing, like
a drive or motorcycle ride down Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz. Never tire of that.
What if ... my planned trip to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia
suddenly was canceled and I had those extra days? What would I do? Being a
car-guy, this cries out for a ROAD TRIP!!! But where would I go? I've pretty
well exhausted all the local roads, on four wheels and two. Highways and byways
between here and Southern California are also well explored. Best bet would be
to ask the guys on Rennlist, a very active forum.
What if ... all this was real and someone recommended taking
Hwy 395 North from its intersection with Hwy 88? OK, that's a start, but where
do I go from there? Looks like taking 395 to Lakeview, OR, then 140 to Klamath
Falls is interesting. Out of Klamath Falls, Hwy 97 along the Shasta-Trinity
National Forest looks to be my kind of road. At I5, I'd take it down to Mt.
Shasta City where I'd pick up Hwy 89 down to its intersection with Hwy 299,
then 299 all the way to the Coast at Eureka. From Eureka, 101 to Leggett, 271
to Hwy 1, and Hwy 1 all the way home looks real nice. Sounds good. Let's look
at it.
First, which car to take? A map reconnaissance shows the
route going north to be a lot of open highway, but I know the roads coming
south are not. The '99 996 Carrera 2 would be a nice cruiser for the outbound
leg, but the '96 993TT would be best coming south. Has to be the TT.
Most of us know the Hwy 88 to Hwy 89 route to Lake Tahoe.
For our cars, it sure beats the Hwy 50 or I80 routes, doesn't it? However, if
you pass the Hwy 89 turn north, and continue on Hwy 88, you will find it turns
into Hwy 395 in Nevada. Frankly, from there through Carson City and Reno, it's
no big deal, just another highway with construction zone after construction
zone. Why would anyone recommend such a route?
At the Hallelujah Junction, the tone of the road changes.
It's a good two-lane, but still not much of a sports car road. There are
stretches here and there, but still hardly worth such a long ride. And there is
no scenery, dry and bleak.
What if ... by the time I approached Susanville, I was bored and
might think of continuing through Susanville taking Hwy 44 through the Lassen
National Forest rather than continuing on 395. Would that be a mistake? I could
take 44 to 299, and pick up my route there. Hey, I would have stayed at a
Holiday Inn Express the night before, so my choice will have to be right. I'm
so smart. So, right it is; right at A3 to pick up 395 again at Standish.
On leaving Standish, I would find mile after mile of great
road surface. Mile after mile of straight road, straight to the horizon! Mile
after mile of no traffic! What would I do? Maybe I'd goose the TT a little, see
how quickly it could get to 100. Maybe I'd goose it a little more to see how
120 feels. I'd have to get off the gas as I might see some traffic coming in my
direction. Once they had passed, maybe I'd give it a little more to see how the
TT feels at 140. I bet it'd feel solid.
What if ... I came over a rise, and saw an even longer
straight stretch of open road with still no traffic?!!! I bet I'd salivate, and
get to 160. What's top speed of a 993TT with Turbo S ECU? I have no idea, but
I'd give it a go, and when I hit an indicated 172 at 5800 rpm, I'd say that's
enough. I still would have 1000 rpm to go, but I'd think 172 is enough. That's
what I'd do.
Then I'd cruise for the next bit at between 100 and 110.
That's what I'd do because there would be no one out there but me. I'd cruise
all the way into Alturas without seeing much traffic at all.
From Alturas into Lakeview and on into Klamath Falls, the
roads are sports car heaven, two-lane, improved surface, easy sweepers, some
tighter turns, but not a lot. I think I'd find that I could do most turns at 3x
the cautioned speed. The TT does have PSS-9s adjusted just right to help with
this, of course.
What if ... the next day, leaving Klamath Falls, I find the
road to be even better for a sports car, but the scenery to be astounding, as
usual, as I see Mt. Shasta in the distance? What would I do? Do I take it easy
so I can drink in the natural beauty, or do I continue to push down the road?
It is about the road, isn't it? Push it; I do, but I would vow to return in my
dog-hauling wagon to meander through all this again.
Hwy 97 to Hwy 89 to Hwy 299 would be Porsche nirvana. Turn
after turn, sometimes tight, sometimes joined by decently long straights where
one can point and shoot, and sometimes with very long straights. But all good,
with very little traffic, especially since I'd take this trip mid-week. Best of
all, since most folks are so considerate, all trucks and RVs would use the
turnouts to let me pass with me giving the two-beep "thank you" as I swept by.
Hwy 299 would be especially exhilarating as it passes
through the Trinity Alps. Lots of elevation changes, some that might leave some
naturally aspirated cars wheezing a bit, but my little TT would just spool up
its turbos a bit and be off!!!
By the time I hit Eureka, I would be a bit tired. The day's
route would have given me adrenaline rush after adrenaline rush. Time to bed
down. Ah, another Holiday Inn Express would be a perfect place. Must stay
smart!
My last day would be relatively easy, I would think; a short
ride down 101 to Leggett, cut over on 271 to Hwy 1, then Hwy 1 home. Might be
home by 2. Off I would go.
Shortly after starting, I would encounter the "Avenue of the
Giants," a wonderful alternative to continuing on 101. I'd take this detour,
cruising through this most awesome forest of old Redwoods. I'd take the road in
4th and 5th gears to keep the muffler bypass system a bit
quieter. Reverence is called for here; reverence for the beauty and strength of
nature. All too soon, it's back onto 101.
Turns out Hwy 271, which I have never traveled before, would
be nothing but tight turn after tight turn. Great exercise for the car and me.
Frankly, I think a Miata would be more suitable for this road, but the TT would
do well. Hp would be irrelevant for the most part. Handling would be king here.
By the time I hit Hwy 1 and the Pacific, I think I'd be
reconsidering taking Hwy 1 all the way down. I would have had a day of high
speeds, a day of good mountain roads, and a day of very tight turns. Meandering
down Hwy 1, which I have done many times, would not be as attractive. Looks
like Hwy 128 over to Cloverdale would work better for me at this point.
I'd have a quick run since it is a great road. In fact, the
Navarro River Redwoods would challenge the beauty of the Avenue of the Giants.
They're not as extensive, but as strong and beautiful. The run through 128
would start on the cool side, and get warmer as I approached 101.
What if ... I took 128, and got bogged down 10 miles from its
end by a car doing 30 mph? Would that be poetic justice? But once I got to 101,
it'd be the usual cruise home, nothing to write home about.
What if ... I took this trip? I'd probably have something like
1302 miles on the trip odometer, give or take a few miles. I'd have 3 nights
staying at a Holiday Inn Express, so would increase my IQ exponentially. I'd
have reached a speed that I had never done before. I would probably have made
more turns than I had ever done in a three-day period. I would be tired. I
would have a big grin on my face!!!!!
If only I had made this trip!!!
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Porsche Parade 2009 Revisited
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Will We See You in 2010?
--by Cole Scrogham
Registration for 2010 opens
March 9 and continues through June 20
Colorado in July, sounds kind of backwards doesn't it? Most
people head to the Mountain West to take advantage of powder snow in the winter,
but not much snow is to be found in the summer months. "Most people," however,
are not Porsche people; where the location is just an excuse to get together
with friends that share a love for the Porsche car. PCA holds its annual
Porsche Parade each summer at locales around the US and even Canada from time
to time, alternating east, central and west coast destinations. The Parade is
the premier event for our club, and as PCA grows the Parade has also been
growing over the past decades into a world class event that is not to be
missed, and the 2009 edition in Keystone, Colorado was no exception.
Most Parades for me have been an opportunity to take the
family on a nice summer vacation, AFTER the competition is over! This is going
to sound really weird to most of you, but the Concours is what I really enjoy.
It's not just seeing all the beautiful cars lined up on some beautiful golf
course, or all the people that are around enjoying the sight or even the
opportunity to get to see something very unique in Porsche's history. For me, I
really enjoy competing in this event, whether with a restoration of a unique
Porsche car or a newer model that requires an eye for detail (and very small
fingers)...I love the competition. Years ago I was a little more serious about it
than today, but that fire still burns enough once a year to make me think about
new projects.
Abarth Carrera
This year was a different story. No project, no car and no
competition. I thought about not going at all, but after a lot of prodding by
my son Michael we were thinking about turning Parade 2009 into a guy's trip
with just the two of us. I was lucky enough to be asked to judge the 356's, so
that at least gave me enough of a "job" to put me over the top. There were lots
of rooming options, so we opted for a small condo that had a kitchen, pull out
sofa and most amenities other than air conditioning. Turns out that omission
wasn't a big deal until faced with one of the warmest rooms I can remember, but
no matter as cool nights and a few electric fans perched on the window sills
made it all OK. Why would you need a room with AC in the Colorado Mountains
anyway?
It was a surreal experience to walk around the Concours prep
area and not have anything to work on. I always enjoyed it when people would
come up and comment on your car and ask questions, so I guess now it was my
turn. The prep location was a tad bleak in terms of lighting (note that this
year Concours entrants will be treated to an indoor facility for prep) as it
doubled as a parking garage, but you could still enjoy looking at the cars and
catching up with friends. Some of the cars were really nice, and it was a
pleasure to actually meet some first timers without looking out from under a
car with sweat dripping off my nose! We actually went to the Goodie Store and
had time to hang out in the Hospitality area before the Concours, which was
pretty interesting with lots to look at and served to take my mind off not
participating in the competition.
Abarth Carrera from the back
Michael was having a blast! He had a chance to catch up with
some friends he made at the Charlotte Parade the previous year, was up and
ready for the continental breakfast in the Hospitality suite each day, and had
a great time helping some friends with last minute preparations on their 356
Roadster. On the day of the Concours he helped babysit the Roadster for Jim and
Leann Huestess while I judged, and managed to fall asleep in a chair on the
field. When he woke up, he said he was pretty sure he could feel the skin on
his face frying in the sun, and had the sunburn to prove it!
After the judging was over, he took the camera to the
historic display and took some photos of cars that he liked. He settled on a
nicely restored 550 Spyder and an original 906 that Jim Perrin has owned since
Nixon was president, I think, but the Abarth Carrera really caught his
attention with its louvered Italian body and classic shape. On the judging
field he found a beautiful Blue Cayman with the Aero Kit and one of the Orange
special edition Boxsters that stood out in a field of gorgeous cars. We were
called back to our friends with the Roadster, it turned out they were chosen to
participate in final judging so we helped Jim and Leann arrange the car on the
field for a few last minute details. They were so excited to have won the
Preservation Award trophy in the 356 class, while the overall award went to a
very nice 928.
Orange Boxster Special Edition
Each day we managed to feed ourselves lunch by making
sandwiches from some goodies purchased at a local store, with no girls around
that meant white bread with mayo and turkey, and an occasional beef jerky stick
with a side of cheese ball and a Dr. Pepper to wash it all down. I wasn't sure
if we were having lunch or getting ready for a Super Bowl party! One day we
decided after our gourmet guy lunch that a trip to the Continental Divide was
in order, and although the rental car protested we made it to the top in only a
half hour or so. We managed a short walk up some stairs to take in some
beautiful scenery, but had to stand there for a minute to catch our breath at
that altitude. It was amazing how quickly you became winded and had to pace
yourself physically for just a few stairs. On the way back down we took another
break and were getting our breath when we saw one of the riders on the US
Cycling team come pedaling to the top. Pretty embarrassing...they were getting a
final test in before the Tour de'France began, and we could barely make it back
to the car.
I wanted to try and stick around for the Tech Quiz, but we
had to get back home early and so we settled for a quick trip to the Autocross
instead. I didn't need Michael getting any ideas, but a Parade Autocross is a
pretty big deal with the number and variety of cars involved. Usually the
Autocross takes several days just to get through the run groups, and the
competition can be pretty fierce for those seriously into this sport. The same
can be said of the Rally, I guess it boils down to everyone can participate and
have a great time at any level, but these events can also be extremely
competitive. I love it when first timers show up, they always have such a good
time just being there and taking it all in, asking questions and getting a lot
of help from those more experienced. It is easy to see future friendships
taking place, some of which will last many, many years if not a lifetime. Those
friendships really come home to me when we follow the tradition at the Parade
of recognizing long time Parade goers. I won't spoil the surprise if you have
not seen it before, but suffice it to say when Mike Robbins has been to over 50
Porsche Parades (most of them in the same 356 Speedster!) that is quite an
accomplishment. Won't you join us this year in St. Charles, IL for your first
one?
Michael at Continental Divide
Parade registration opens in early March. If you have never
attended and are wondering what it is all about, check the Parade website at http://parade2010.pca.org. The 2010 venue
is a "resort" Parade at beautiful Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL, which means
everything you need is close at hand and most events are within walking
distance. The central location should give Porsche owners from both coasts an
opportunity to attend. Priority registration is n March 9th through
11th to give everyone an even start and not overwhelm the server, and
continues through June 20th. So put those dates on your calendar and
join your Porsche friends for a great time!
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Special Porsche Exhibit in Atlanta
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Porsche to Sponsor Upcoming "The Allure of the Automobile" Exhibition at Atlanta's
High Museum of Art
18 of the World's Finest Vehicles to be Displayed, Including One-of-a-Kind Porsche Type 64
ATLANTA, February 3, 2010 - When a nationally renowned fine art museum is showcasing cars as
masterpieces of art in your home town you pay attention. When you are Porsche you become a
patron and help welcome the cars that represent the industry's most incredible designs.
The High Museum of Art exhibition, called, fittingly, the "The Allure of the Automobile," is sponsored
by the famous German sports car company, headquartered in Atlanta, and will feature some of the
world's most rare and spectacularly conceived vehicles ever produced. Among these exquisite
collectors items from both sides of the Atlantic will be a 71-year old Porsche design that is
considered the precursor to all Porsches-the 1938/39 Porsche Type 64.
This incredible design piece is the only prewar Porsche and has never been exhibited outside of
Germany. It will be carefully removed from its perch at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and flown to Atlanta for the exhibition that begins on March 21 and ends on June 20.
Porsche is also displaying another historic car, the 1953 Porsche 550 LeMans coupe, which will be
on loan from the private Collier Collection of Porsche in Naples, Florida.
Rolling Sculptures
Sometimes referred to as "rolling sculptures," the incredible cars of the show are a mixture of
innovative engineering, uncompromising workmanship and breakthrough design. When viewed as
pieces of art, they give admirers a completely new way of looking at the great design periods of our
time, spanning the movements from the 1930s to the mid 1960s.
"Our visitors will be surprised to find that today's vehicles come from a legacy of beauty and
innovation comparable to the finest decorative arts that may be found in museum collections," said
Michael E. Shapiro, Director of the High Museum of Art. "This exhibition will showcase the greatest
feats of engineering and luxury design from 1930 to 1965, when cars became synonymous with
success, power and wealth. Created for the privileged few, the luxurious, custom-built automobiles
embodied speed, style and elegance, and influenced art, architecture, fashion and design."
Six Decades of Porsche in the U.S.
"The Allure of the Automobile" is being sponsored by Porsche Cars North America (PCNA), which is
headquartered in Atlanta and is celebrating the brand's 60th anniversary of selling cars in the U.S.
"The partnership with the High Museum of Art, one of the world's renowned art museums, is a perfect fit for us," said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of PCNA. "This incredible exhibition, 'The Allure of the Automobile,' is a celebration of ground-breaking design and engineering -- a theme that resonates throughout our brand."
An Object of Design and Desire
As a focal point of the exhibition, the one-of-a-kind Porsche Type 64 is a unique object in automotive history. It is unlike any other car on display; in fact it is not actually a car at all, but a hand-built, aluminum shell that represents the essence of Porsche design. Even today, when new Porsches are being developed, designers still look to the Type 64 to remind them of the brand's unique legacy.
The Golden Age of Design
As part of the "The Allure of the Automobile," the Type 64 will be joined by an iconic list of the world's finest cars from the "golden age of automobile design." These include masterpieces by Bugatti, Duesenberg, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Pierce Arrow, Packard, Cadillac, Tucker and others. This first-of-its-kind presentation traces the evolution of the motorcar from the mid 1930s to the mid 1960s, examining the contrasts between American and European design, the influence of decorative arts and design and the significant changes in automotive styling and engineering both before and after World War II.
"Until World War I, most cars had been utilitarian objects with one principal goal: transportation," said Ken Gross, guest curator of the exhibition. "But as tastes and wealth coincided, designers could create and/or customize an automobile's body, dramatically altering its silhouette and decoration and producing artful, one-of-a-kind objects. Lavish and often beautifully trimmed with aluminum, chrome, inlaid wood and lacquer, the streamlined silhouettes of the finest mid-century cars represent prime examples of Art Moderne design."
While the first part of the exhibition will spotlight the custom coachwork, art-inspired styling, luxury
and opulence marked vehicles from the pre-war era, the second segment of the exhibition focuses on how the industry shifted in the post-war years, with the Europeans moving towards smaller, sportier models, while the American manufacturers concentrated on mass-producing cars for a booming economy.
To learn more about the High Museum of Art and the exhibition, please visit www.High.org
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Zone 7 Concours School
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Redwood & Zone 7 Autocross
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Yosemite Concours on Campus
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Mark your calendar! Otherwise you'll miss all the great stuff in March!
As always, thanks for reading.
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