CRAB 38
By John Hawk
As you all are aware, Federal, State, and Local Authorities, as well as PCA national, have banned large meetings for at least the next several weeks. Hence, we will not be conducting our March CRAB meeting (good thing, since the Fair Oaks fire station has also been temporarily closed to gatherings).
John and I, with the assistance of several of you, and discussed the viability of the current CRAB schedule. Of course, there is great uncertainty surrounding the next several weeks, and, perhaps, even months. At this point, we have elected to retain the May CRAB date, but we have also explored several options regarding rescheduling. It may be necessary to postpone the date to later this year (and, perhaps, even next year). Of course, if this action is taken, we may have to initiate other changes as well. However, as you can imagine, any actions at this point would be premature. So, as of today, March 19, 2020, CRAB is still anticipated for May, but we will keep you apprised as we move forward.
Thank you, again, for your assistance and understanding during these unprecedented times. In addition, any of your thoughts would be most appreciated.
John Hawk
CRAB Co-Chair
916-849-3479
|
|
|
|
Please note that CRAB is Fueled by Volunteers!
While signing up for CRAB 38
please check the volunteer box and donate an hour or two during the event to help this be a successful one. Any and all help is much appreciated!
|
|
|
|
The Taycan Launch at Niello Porsche
by Eduardo Ortega Jr.
photos by Eduardo Ortega Jr.
On the evening of Thursday, March 5
th Porsche Rocklin hosted the unveiling of the Taycan, a 100% electric vehicle that marks a fundamental shift of future Porsche vehicles to come. The event was very well attended, and SVR members were present in force, for example, Kim and Rachel Nelson, Matt and Lisa Menning, Gary and Alma Thompson, Hector Chavez, Bob Peake and Ernie Bulhoes were present that night, just to mention a few. The last time I had attended a Porsche launch at Niello Porsche was in 2014, for the outdoor unveiling of the Macan. That event had catered food and featured a violinist, playing classical music. The ambience for the Macan was Country Club style, geared towards enjoying the finer things in life. Well, the 2020 indoor launch of the Taycan had a very different flavor. Yes, there was catered food and an awesome wall full of glasses filled with Prosecco, that delicious sparkling Italian wine. No, it was not the food that made the contrast to the 2014 event. It was the huge video screen and sound system used that night (the sound was mega powerful).
The beginning of the unveiling started by watching an awesome video from the Porsche company, a video with a narrative that created a common thread among a car garage filled with 911, 968, Cayman and 356 cars all having their lights and stereo systems turned on by electricity in the air (no pun intended). The song “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks then starts and played for the rest of the video. At that point the view switched to the Taycan, which took center stage and it propelled full speed ahead in the road. The video concluded with the following message: “Different fuel. Same soul. The new Taycan. Soul, electrified”. This was followed by a reverse countdown shown on the video screen, and finally two team members of Niello Porsche removed the cover. Then, there it was. A gorgeous black Taycan Turbo sedan.
As soon as the car was unveiled, people just went for it and started boarding the car. When I had the opportunity to get in the driver’s seat, I was very amazed by all the video screens. The dashboard, central screen in the middle of the dash and the screen between the front seats they all were full of information and controls. The middle display, when it was showing the GPS map, had a large size that made it very easy to read. The start button and the time chronometer were the only electro-mechanical devices. The touch video screens handled all the rest of the controls. I sat in the rear seats and I admired the very fine fit and finish of the upholstery. The rear seat had the three-passenger configuration. With respect to the styling cues, the headlights have the quad-light configuration and the lights in the rear of the car feature a continuous read lighted stripe, the current design style of Porsches.
The event started at 6:00 pm, and continued all the way to 8:00 pm. The food and drink were delightful, and with the large number of SVR members present at the event, there was a lot of socializing going on. For me, it was the first time I tasted Prosecco, and I liked it a lot. It tastes softer than champagne. There was also one more special item in the event. 1-liter water bottles (made in Germany) were given away. The bottles are made of glass, a porcelain topper, a rubber seal and the metal wiring holding the topper attached to the bottle. The “Soul Electrified-Taycan” message is printed in the glass. The packing box said it was made with carbon-balanced elements, plastic free and with fair traded rubber. The hint of a water bottle that is environmental friendly reinforces the qualities of the clean air Taycan electric car, an unequivocal sign of future things to come. The launch of the Taycan was an amazing event, were all attendees enjoyed a great time surrounded by the newest vehicle of the Porsche line-up. The Taycan will now boldly trace a new path forward, as the first Porsche vehicle to embrace 100% electric propulsion and an example for other Porsche vehicles to follow on its footsteps. Thanks to Niello Porsche for hosting this amazing event.
|
|
|
|
President's Message
Steve Barker
Photo Steve Barker
Greetings to all members of the Sacramento Valley Region PCA!
In the past month we have had 9 new members join us that I’d like to welcome to the SVR family! Thank you for joining SVR and be aware that you will no doubt be asked at some event to introduce yourself and tell everyone what you drive.
How are you feeling?
I must say a lot has happened since my last month’s message! We were off to a great start with club activities and looking forward to getting together for dinners, tours and even the AX School. Instead we find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic confined to our homes dealing with how to limit our exposure to one another! A new term for 2020 will go in the books as “social distance.”
With all that and seeing the closure of hotels, restaurants, food courts, stores and schools it was clear we had to shut down our events at least for March and April. You should be able to see all the cancellations on the club website,
svr-pca.org as well as the guidelines that were provided. As we monitor conditions and no doubt receive more guidelines your editor, Mike Willis, news blaster, Rik Larson and webmaster, Bill Fargo will do their best to stay on top of the situation and keep you updated.
Aside from washing your hands and staying 6 feet apart that guide was because it’s important to stay healthy but I’d like to add something that everyone should be aware of, especially seeing some of the things that are happening in the stores. It is very important to be aware of your surroundings when you are out shopping. I’ve noticed people are becoming more anxious and rushing to get that last roll of whatever. Don’t leave your cart in an isle and walk away to gather what you need. Your cart contents could be seen as available to pick from! Please be aware of your surroundings. You may have also seen how long the lines are. We have found using the self-check-out lanes are quicker, but don’t spread that around!
Just before the restrictions came out
Mardi Quain,
Liz Houser and
Rob Lee, Jr. successfully held a training session at Porsche Rocklin on Event Planning 101. See the write up further in the Drifter. I hope Mardi puts the documents on our website because they really take you through how to plan and hold an event. It covered dinners and tours but can be used for any event as well as the process of requesting Insurance from Rob and how to prepare a simple budget for the BoD. The last section dealt with how to request a flyer from
Bill Fargo and getting an Eventbrite site set up from
Gregg Plourde for registration.
Once again
Jerry Alter exceeded expectations with another award winning First Saturday Breakfast at Brookfields in Rancho Cordova and on March 8
th about 20 members took part in a day tour chaired by our Tour Chair,
Liz Houser.
My question this month is,
what are you doing to keep yourself entertained? Are you learning a new skill, taking up a new hobby, working your way thru that list of chores? Maybe we can take some of your feedback and put it on our social media. Are you staying in touch with your fellow club members? Post a short video of how you’re dealing with this pandemic!
If there is something that you would like to see added drop me a line or mention it to any board member. We’re all here to make our club a fun place to be a part of, meet others and enjoy our cars, and SUV’s!
Stay healthy!
Steve
|
|
|
|
From The Editor - Mike Willis
This issue of the Drifter is being produced earlier as a result of the
novelcorona virus (COVID-19)
and the impact on our events. I have include the SVR calendar information below for next couple of months.
May events are included as we might be able to resume our events by then.
The articles below have more information on events and the virus.
Please be safe and follow the guidelines so we can eliminate this and start having time with our friends.
|
|
|
|
Bill Fargo, Photography & Flyers
Dick Murphy, Advertising
Ed Parra, Reporter
Skip Quain, Contributor
Rik Larson, Proof Reader/Tickler
|
|
|
|
3/20-22/2020 Whale Festival Tour-CANCELED
3/25/2020 Smith Flat House Restaurant-CANCELED
3/28/2020 SVR AX School Classroom- POSTPONED
4/4/2020 SVR 1st Saturday Breakfast-CANCELED
4/4/2020 SVR AX Driving School-POSTPONED
4/5/2020 SVR AX1 & Zone 7 AX1-CANCELED
4/7/2020 SVR Monthly Board Meeting Conference Call Steve Barker 4/19/2020 Zone 7 Rally School-CANCELED
4/25/2020 New Member Driving Tour-CANCELED
4/25/2020 Detailing Your Porsche-CANCELED
4/25-26/2020 Zone 7 AX2-AX3-CANCELED
4/26/2020 Zone7 Concours-CANCELED
The below events are also subject to possible cancellation or change depending on what is happening with
the novelcorona virus (COVID-19)
5/2/2020 SVR 1st Saturday Breakfast
5/2/2020 SVR AX2 Thunderhill Raceway John Leet
5/3/2020 Dominick's Granite Bay Granite Bay Ernie and Wendy Bulhoes 5/13/2020 SVR Monthly Board Meeting Sac Fire Dept,Steve Barker 5/16/2020 Meet the New SVR Members Ed Parra Sue Sanders
5/16/2020 North Meets South (356 Car) San Lois Obispo Kim Nelson 5/17/2020 Zone 7 Concours Fremont Collin Fat
5/17/2020 Day Driving Tour Bucks Lake Liz Houser
5/29/2020 CRAB 38 CAM, 3 Days John Hawk & John Lanting
5/30/2020 CRAB Tour Folsom Rob and Julie Lee
5/30/2020 CRAB AX - SVR AX3 Stockton (Fairgrounds) John Leet
5/30/2020 CRAB Dinner Cal Auto Museum, John Hawk & John Lanting
To change the subject, this is from Rob Lee.
|
|
|
|
OK, I just liked the picture. Especially not in you rear view mirror and thank you all of our members that have served in Law Enforcement. And all of the others who our serving in these times to help us remain safe and healthy.
(Emily's father was a retired CHP badge No. 696)
|
|
|
|
PDK (Pretty Darn Kwik)
Rik Larson, SVR Member
NOT MUCH IS HAPPENING
Staycation as one person put it. Gives me a chance to go thru those items on the DVR and do any 'binge' watching. Also gives me more time to check out the wine that just seems to keep being delivered to the front door.
EVENTS CANCELLED AND ALTERNATIVES
I really missed the NCAA March Madness not happening. I had some great seats at the Golden 1 Center for the games. And then sports on TV consists of old grainy footage of events from at least 5 years ago. The use of Netflix, HULU, Amazon, etc. has to be way up. And the Sim Racing scene is just exploding for those drivers wanting to get behind the wheel. And I would think that the sales of the Peloton bike machines are way up.
Besides all of the SVR events being cancelled thru April, we see that other PCA regions and Zones are doing the same thing. And the canceling of major car events on the international scene is continuing on a daily basis. Next up for consideration is the Olympics in Toyko (I know…….not a car event).
TREFFEN BRO
A
DMORE CANCELLED
The spring event in Colorado Springs has been cancelled. I would not be surprised to see it appear on the PCA calendar again in either 2021 or 2022. It was sold out.
PORSCHE PARADE STATUS
Last I knew the PARADE had over 968 cars registered. Because of coronavirus they have moved Phase II Registration (events, banquets, and activity signups) to April 28th. And the Webinar detailing the Phase II Registration has been changed to April 14th. All of the details are at the Parade website at
porscheparade.org
CRAB 38
The chairs continue to refine the details for this event at the end of May. Stay tuned,
COVID-19
My electronic mailbox is filling up fast with statements from just about every business that I have ever dealt with. Even the wineries that I have visited have sent me e-mails. They were closing their tasting rooms voluntarily. They wanted to let me know that I can still get delivery of as much wine as I want.
PORSCHE NEWS
Porsche is building a lot of new charging stations worldwide for their electric cars. Seems that they are making sure that their statement that 50% of their cars being electric by 2025 is wanting to make sure that the infrastructure is in place.
Porsche seats are being developed using 3D printer technology? I guess that is one way to cut down on the weight of the seat.
PRICE OF GAS
It is getting lower. I saw where it dropped 20 cents a gallon the other day at the pump. Still not below $2 a gallon like some other areas of the country. A barrel of oil was $22 on the stock market the other day.
|
|
|
|
Our Thoughts
by Bill Fargo, Webmaster
Everybody is tired of hearing about the novel coronavirus by now. Except for the news media which no matter what your political beliefs are, blow everything out of proportion to gain ratings. The club, SVR is based on camaraderie and it’s difficult whether you have decided to self-isolate or by order to do so. Lets face it, it’s hard to be social without being social. Someone sent me a video of an Italian grandmother giving advice on how to survive this. For a light moment, you can follow this
link Seriously, it is affecting everyone right now, even those of us who are retired. We especially feel for those who depend on crowds for their living. The board, like the government intends to look fifteen days ahead to try to gauge the risks involved with our activities. In the end, it is up to you to make your own decision based on your determination of your, and your families risk.
|
|
|
|
While the Sacramento area has been experiencing some well needed rain, up here where I now live has finally had a break from rain and we’ve had some much needed exposure to vitamin D. Blue sky for the last four days. Not to make anyone jealous but this is a photo I took up in Anacortes, WA last Sunday. We wanted to go back and stay a few days but, ahh, the restaurants were going to close and we decided that a hotel wasn’t the best place to be right now. This summer though, we’ll be back. Maybe a trip to the San Juan’s. Let me not forget to tell you, stay away from Washington, it rains all the time here (That is what we are supposed to tell people. Especially Californians).
I encourage you to follow the guidelines from the CDC, but remember, a drive still can be considered as self-isolation… My take only.
Some of you may have noticed, our website includes a “blog” called Our Thoughts. Up until now, our thoughts have just been my own. If you would like to contribute, I would gladly accept anything to do with our club, Porsches, or most anything that would enhance our experience. Speaking of that, have any of you heard of a podcast called CarsYeah? I was first made aware of it when Mark Green was a guest speaker at a Porsche event up here. If you like cars and the people behind them, he has a tremendous list of people he’s interviewed in the Porsche world and cars in general. Mark is a Porsche driver and belongs to the club here in the northwest. Check him out
https://carsyeah.com/ Who would have thought us old guys (and gals) would be listening to podcast.
|
|
|
|
Bucks Lake Day Tour – May 17, 2020
by Liz Houser
Do you like driving on twisty roads? Do you like miles and miles of beautiful scenery, mountains, rivers, trees? Do you like eating TACO and NACHOS?? Then your gonna love the Buck’s Lake Day Tour!
We’ll be meeting on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Shell Station, 5380 Lindhurst Ave., Marysville, CA 95901.
Once we’ve signed all the papers and sorted ourselves into driving groups we will drive a little over 2 hours and 83 miles out beautiful, twisty Hwy-162 to Bucks Lake Lodge, where will enjoy a Taco-Nacho Bar lunch choice of ground beef, carnitas, or chicken, rice, beans, homemade chips & salsa, garden salad, Iced tea, water or coffee.
After lunch we will return home down picturesque Hwy 70. These roads were both recently featured in Road & Track Magazine as some of the BEST roads in North America and are definitely a real treat to drive. And Drive we WILL, over 200 miles! A big thanks to our own Vicki Hubbs for carefully selecting these routes.
The cost is $27.00 pp and please remember to register each guest in your car. You can sign up online at
Go here to register, or send you check payable to PCA/SVR to Liz Houser 3103 Stardust Street, Rocklin, CA 95677.
|
|
|
|
A Rainy Day in March
by Julie Lee, Secretary
On a cold, rainy Saturday, a group of about 15 new and “seasoned” SVR members got together at Niello Porsche to learn everything there is to know about hosting a Club event. Whether it’s a dinner, a day tour, a multiple day trip or a baseball game, a wine tasting, or a museum tour, this was the place to be!
Mardi Quain, our Social Director, organized a 3-hour presentation with guest speakers, Liz Houser, Tour Chair and Rob Lee, SVR VP. Each provided information on the “dos and don’ts” and provided helpful “tips” to ensure a successful event.
I know many of you are kicking yourselves for not being at this event (plus the coffee and donuts were great) so contact Mardi and she will email you the slides and other pertinent information.
Looking forward to seeing all of you at future events.
|
|
|
|
YOUR LOCAL EXPERT IN ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS
|
|
|
|
Jerry Alter host and arranger for the SVR monthly breakfast. The first Saturday of each month at
Brookfields in Rancho Cordova.
The photos below are from the March Breakfast.
|
|
|
|
March Day Drive
by Ed Parra
photos by tour group
March 8th, turned out to be a cloudy but nice day for a “funtastic” drive through the foothills surrounding Folsom lake and Auburn. Eighteen cars gathered at Sierra College parking lot to start the tour. Tour leader, Liz Houser, was well organized and prepared us with a pre-tour meeting, giving us an overview of the general route and rules. Two groups, sporty and leisure, departed the lot at 9:20 AM heading towards Folsom Lake. We drove around the south side of the lake, working our way to Green Valley Rd, then Highway 49. A brief pit-stop at Lotus Park gave us time to enjoy the beautiful hillside park in El Dorado County.
We continue north on Highway 49, meandering through the lush green country hillsides eventually reaching Foresthill Bridge near Auburn. Interesting fact: this bridge is the highest deck height bridge in California. It spans the north fork of the American river. This bridge was also the scene for one of the “Fast and Furious movies. Vin Diesel drove a convertible corvette off this bridge, parachuting off the car before the car slammed and exploded on the river bank. Rest assured; no Porsches were injured in the making of film.
After passing through Auburn we headed west, along the foothills north of Lincoln. Many of us had never traveled this area. Actually, this part of the country is seldom traveled by tourist or sightseers but is one of the prettiest drives I have been on. Beautiful ranches, wineries and country homes dot the hillsides. More importantly, many of the main roads had very little traffic in this area and were very well paved. This enabled us to travel unencumbered (another word for sporty), adding to the enjoyment of the tour.
Just before noon we reached our final destination, arriving in Lincoln for lunch at the Old Town Pizza restaurant. We had a private room and the multiple pizzas were quickly prepared for us along with a choice of Cesar or Lunch salad. For dessert some of us had Girl Scout cookies, as there was a group of girl scouts selling their boxes of cookies in front of the restaurant. Just can’t say no to them.
Thanks again Liz for an enjoyable tour! Looking forward to another Day Tour as it was great socializing with everyone!
|
|
|
|
Do you have a SMILE guard?
by Liz Houser
I recently discovered that my Carrera 911S doesn’t like rocks flying into her radiator. This point was further driven home after a 200-mile ride in the front seat of a Tow Truck, while my coolant leaking “Blue Beauty” was strapped onto a flat bed. We’ve both had better trips!
After a little online research, I discovered after market “radiator guards” to help alleviate this problem. They are much cheaper that a 200-mile tow truck ride and relatively easy to install (at least that’s what the folks at Niello Porsche told me when they put them in!). I choose the black Rennline brand (they come in silver too) and ended up ordering them from Pelican Parts in Los Angeles because they had them in stock, at a competitive price and could get them to me in 2-days. I was pleased with how nice Blue Beauty looked with her new mouth guards and we were BOTH very happy to be back on the road together.
|
|
|
|
Weaverville tour
by Liz Houser
photo Liz Houser
Join us for a fun-filled, old fashioned July 4
th weekend in the beautiful Trinity Alps. This 3-day tour will leave Rocklin on July 3
rd, and take the “scenic” route to Granzella’s for lunch. Then we’ll be heading out the curviest road in California, Hwy. 36 on our way to Weaverville, via Hayfork. We will spend July 3
rd - 5
th at the Weaverville Victorian Inn (call 530-623-4432 to book a room from the Houser Room Block).
We will receive a small-town welcome to Weaverville’s annual July 4
th festivities, including a rodeo, parade, and various charity meal functions. Tour price of $140 per person includes:
·
Lunch & dinner on Friday
·
Pancake breakfast plus a ice cream/pie social after the parade on Saturday
·
Lyons Club BBQ dinner on Saturday
·
Admissions to rodeo & bull riding on Saturday night with a dance to follow
·
Continental breakfast at hotel on Sunday
·
Hospitality room snacks (please BYOB)
We will be participating in the bell ringing ceremony in town center, so please bring a bell that means something special to you. The folks in the town started the bell ringing ceremony in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial and thought it was such a great idea, they just kept the tradition going. My friend’s grandpa, Leonard Morris served as the master of ceremonies for the bell ringing ceremony from 1976-1999, the torch was then passed to her brother, Scott Morris, who will lead us in this year’s ceremony.
We will also be driving our cars in the parade. So put on your Red, White & Blue and decorate your Porsche too!
|
|
|
|
NOTE for the autocrosses at Marina and Alameda the
"Location and Date may change. Stay tuned"
|
|
|
|
In The Zone
By: Collin Fat, Zone 7 Representative
Sacramento Valley Region
April 2020
|
|
|
|
Coronavirus Update:
I am sure all of you have been inundated with news concerning the coronavirus pandemic and perhaps what PCA is advising its members and regional clubs. On Thursday, March 12
th, PCA issued a memo to all region presidents recommending several steps they can take to prevent the spread of the virus as well as to protect the health and safety of our members. The safety of our members is the club’s number one priority.
Currently, large scale national events such as Treffen Broadmoor and Parade are still scheduled. Treffen has extended the cancellation deadline for up to 24 hours before the event giving a registered participant a refund. Parade has extended the cancellation deadline to June 15, 6 days before the event. Members who are currently registered for these events will likely be contacted directly by the event organizer notifying them of cancellations and updated refund policies.
On the other hand, many regional events have been cancelled throughout Zone 7 including the Zone Concours Judging School, Concours event #1 hosted by Diablo Region and others. The club race program and Golden Gate Region HPDE program is proceeding as planned as these events have a higher threshold for community transmission. However, this could change depending on the circumstances. The pandemic is fast moving and evolving and you can expect region club events such as dinners, tech sessions and other large group gatherings with more than 250 participants to alter their schedules or cancel events.
PCA advises that each region adhere to recommendations issued by the CDC and WHO. A summary of those recommendations are as follows:
PCA National mitigation activities:
- We have appointed Cindy Jacisin, PCA Vice President, to be our point person for COVID-19 responses. Cindy has a similar role in her professional life with a major corporation and is well equipped to guide resolution of related concerns.
- National does not foresee sending a blanket email to all members at this time. Because the situation varies greatly by local areas, any communication on PCA mitigation efforts is best served from a regional perspective.
- PCA is addressing each of our large, national events such as Porscheplatz, Club Racing events, Treffen and Parade. Our staff is being informed on how to respond with improved personal hygiene awareness and supplies. The ongoing plans for each event are being handled on a case by case basis with consideration for the amount of social interaction expected, travel concerns and local area disease control guidance.
- The upcoming Treffen event in Colorado remains on the calendar but we have revised the registrant cancellation policy so that any registrant can cancel at any time with a full refund. This has the primary effect of allowing each registrant to decide for themselves whether to attend while simultaneously conveying that any registrant who is ill will have no financial loss pressure for attending.
- Each event for which we must adjust registration or occurrence has a financial impact which the PCA Executive Council carefully evaluates to ensure we can meet our financial obligations in all cases up to and including cancellation of the event.
- Be assured that our PCA insurance covers national and regional leadership from claims of negligence with respect to our operations and the coronavirus.
- Member health and safety is our number one concern and we will do our best to help mitigate the spread of the virus at our events.
Region operational recommendations:
- Stress with your leadership teams that member health and safety is our number one concern that guides all decisions and plans.
- Follow closely the guidance from national and local area public health and government organizations. Guidance from these organizations supersedes all other guidance.
- For events on your calendar:
- Include backup plans for your core volunteer staff in case someone calls in sick.
- Encourage staff and members to not show up to events if they are ill.
- Add personal hygiene supplies to your event kits.
- Include clear communications before and during the event for exercising personal hygiene and respecting personal space.
- Be liberal with your cancellation policies.
- If you are contemplating cancellation of an event, be diligent in understanding the financial consequences. If local expertise is not available, our national COVID-19 POC, Cindy Jacisin, can assist in evaluation of contract cancellation penalties and options.
Recommendations on member communications:
- Member health and safety is our number one concern.
- Stay informed and follow your own personal guidance with respect to event participation.
- When contemplating participation in an upcoming event, please consider the health of other participants. If you are ill, have traveled recently to a highly infected area, or have been in close contact with someone known to have the virus or the flu, then please stay home.
Exercise elevated personal hygiene and personal space etiquette as is recommended thru all public health information organizations
As stated above, national is leaving the decision to cancel or postpone events up to each region and is encouraging all regions to look after the number one mission of the club, our member’s health and safety.
Autocross Sites Disappearing:
Airport locations, fairground and amusement park parking lots have historically provided large enough areas for the sport of autocross for many, many years. With the downsizing of our military 30 years ago former military bases such as Alameda Naval Air Station have been repurposed for other uses ranging from developing new commercial businesses to housing. There is generally nothing quite like a large airport runway or taxiway for the sport of autocrossing. However, with property prices in California sky rocketing, many of these sites have and are going to be developed. If you look at the Alameda Point site that Golden Gate region has used for years, it is hard not to imagine the area being turned into housing or perhaps another Veterans Hospital facility. The land is just too valuable to be used for craft fairs or the occasional autocross.
Other airport sites have fallen prey to the general mission of most airports and that has been to serve the general aviation community. Mather Airport in Sacramento was also a former military air base that was given to the County of Sacramento sometime after it was abandoned as a military air base. Though it serves as a major air transportation hub for the likes of FedEx and UPS in the Sacramento area, other parts of the base have been converted to commercial use as well. Sacramento Valley Region lost use of this site about 6 years ago. It is highly unlikely that motorsport activities will ever be allowed again on this pristine site in the heart of Sacramento.
Redwood Region lost use of its airport site at Santa Rosa Airport two years ago and after several reprieves granted to Redwood Region to continue use of the facility located just west of the main runway it is no longer available. I believe it is still being used by the local Sherriff and law enforcement agencies for training.
Recently, the Marina Airport made a decision to development the 5 plus acre site where Loma Prieta Region has been hosting its events for the past 15 years. Loma Prieta autocross chair, Anne Roth, is busy searching for alternate sites in the Monterey Bay area so if you have a suggestion please contact her. It appears that outside of two dates for the Zone autocross series being considered at Crow’s Landing, LPR’s season is looking quite bleak. The situation with use of the Marina Airport site has been tentative for several years ago. As recently as 2018, the airport was considering banning all motorsport activities at the airport and it took a monumental lobbying effort to convince the Marina City Council to override the recommendation of its airport manager. The airport runs its operations under the rules of the FAA, but is managed by the city of Marina. In 2000, the airport updated its long term plan for the airport which included not only a vision for its aviation services but also a significant element of economic development. It is this economic development plan which has resulted in the development of the 5 acre parcel of concrete being used for autocross.
The Alameda autocross site at the former Alameda Naval Air Station is currently used exclusively by Golden Gate Region for its highly successful autocross series. With the growing popularity of the sport in the Bay Area, events there attract more than 100 drivers. The site utilizes one of the several runways on the former Naval Air Station that measures several thousand feet in length and some 500 plus feet in width. Like the Marina Airport, there are also plans to develop the site for expansion of a veterans hospital, housing, public open space, and commercial use. Past Golden Gate Region autocross chair, Ed Hunter, has been on the forefront of the battle to keep use of Alameda Point, but the forces of redevelopment of this jewel in the East Bay will eventually prevail and Ed has regretfully acknowledged this force. With autocross sites like Candlestick Park and Great America succumbing to development, it is only time when we will lose Alameda.
In San Diego, Zone 8, San Diego Region will likely lose the use of their long-term autocross site at Qualcomm Stadium as local community college district has purchased the former home of the San Diego Chargers with plans to eventually develop the site into another satellite campus. Finding a site to replace this wonderful facility where Parade was held in 2007 is underway.
Long Term Strategic Plan for Autocross Sites:
Several region autocross chairs have been harping on securing a site for future use by all Porsche Clubs in Zone 7 and have cited how SCCA took the approach to raise money for several decades to build Thunderhill Raceway. Although it is a worthy goal, the probability of raising millions of dollars to secure a site where the club could afford to purchase the land and develop the parcel would be very difficult to attain. Hypothetically, if all regions were to charge an autocross site fee of say $10 per driver and if LPR and Redwood Regions find a new home we could assume that we would have around 1,750 drivers per season on average. At $10 per driver that would amount to $17,500 per year. To raise a million dollars at this rate would take 57 years! Perhaps we have a member in Zone 7 who has been very successful in his business or career who would be willing to donate the purchase of a site. To that person we would be forever grateful. I don’t think there is really a clear path to finding a future site but I think it is a worthwhile cause to start thinking of where we are going to be with our autocross programs.
Events of Interest:
1)
Loma Prieta Region 50th Anniversary Gala; March 28; register at MotorsportReg with keyword search for 'LPR'
Rescheduled to August 29.
2)
West Coast Race Series Event #1, Buttonwillow Raceway, March 29,
Cancelled
3)
Zone 7 AX #1, April 5, Thunderhill, Willows,
Cancelled
4)
Zone 7 Rally School, April 19, Porsche Fremont,
Cancelled
5)
West Coast Series Event #2, April 25-26, Thunderhill, Willows
6)
West Coat Race Series Event #3, April 25-26, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana,
Cancelled
7)
Zone 7 AX #2, April 25, Marina,
Cancelled (lost use of site)
8)
Zone 7 AX #3, April 26, Marina,
Cancelled (lost use of site)
9)
Zone 7 Concours #1, April 26, Porsche Livermore,
Cancelled
10)
PCA Spring Treffen at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; April 29-May 2;
SOLD OUT -
wait list in effect. The cancellation policy has been updated due to the coronavirus.
12)
Zone 7 Tour by Shasta Region; June 11-15; SOLD OUT -
wait list in effect
13)
Porsche Parade at the La Quinta Resort in La Quinta; June 21-27; Phase I Registration is OPEN;
porscheparade.org
14)
Porsche Parade Phase II Registration (events and banquets) will open April 28 (a delay of one month from the previously published date). The cancellation policy has been updated due to the coronavirus.
15)
Mammoth Tour by Sierra Nevada Region; July 24-26;
snv.pca.org/events/mammoth-high-altitude-porsche-tour-2
16)
Werks Reunion in Monterey; August 14, featuring the Porsche 914;
werksreunion.com Registration will open mid-May.
17)
PCA Fall Treffen at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia; September 16-19;
treffen.pca.org. Registration will open June 17.
Note that past Treffens have sold out in as little as one hour due to their growing popularity.
|
|
|
|
Rebecca Plourde, Membership Director
|
|
|
|
SVR New Members as of March 2020
|
|
|
|
SVR Member Anniversary March 2020
|
Since we use e-mail for most of our communications, it is necessary to keep our e-mail address current with SVR and PCA. To update your information, go to
www.pca.org
and login. You can then make any updates (address, car, e-mail etc.). Also, even though we receive the information from PCA monthly, you can send the same updates to:
membership@svr-pca.org
. New Member badges will now come with a removable colored sticker to encourage introductions at club events. They can be removed at any time. Welcome to the Sacramento Valley Region of the Porsche Club of America.
SVR - PCA Member Services
Not a Porsche owner but interested in the PCA? Try the PCA Test Drive program. For information, go to:
www.pca.org/pca-test-drive
Need to update your PCA information? Update your PCA record at
www.pca.org
Do you have 2 e-mail addresses? Want Club info sent to a second email, work, home, spouse, friend...? It’s as easy as e-mailing your second e-mail address to the Membership Director at:
membership@svr-pca.org
How can I contact the SVR-PCA by mail?
Sacramento Valley Region-PCA,
Post Office Box 254651,
Sacramento, CA 95865-4651
|
|
|
|
SVR BOARD MEETING MINUTES
MARCH 12, 2020
Bob Peake’s Residence
Attendees:
Board Members: Steve Barker,
President
, Rob Lee,
Vice President
, Julie Lee,
Secretary
, Bob Peake,
Treasurer
,
Membership Director
, Mardi Quain,
Social Director
, Mike Willis,
Drifter Editor
, Greg Zajic
, Competition and Safety Director
On the Phone: Gregg Plourde,
Past President
, Rebecca Plourde
Excused absence: Bill Fargo,
Webmaster
,
Chairs: Advertising – Dick Murphy
Guests: Rik Larson
Call to order 7:06 p.m.
President welcomed everyone.
Old Business:
Minutes from the February meeting Approved via email vote on February 18, 2020, final Minutes distributed on February 18, 2020.
New Business:
a)
President’s Report:
Steve Barker led a discussion on SVR events and the ramifications of COVID-19. Motion to approve anyone needing to cancel due to COVID-19 will receive a refund of their SVR prepaid fees, made by Greg Zajic; seconded by Bob Peake. Motion Approved.
Motion to approve having hand sanitizer/hand wipes at all events for the next 4 months was made by Greg Zajic; seconded by Bob Peake. Motion Approved.
Steve Barker reported that the accounting has been completed for 2019 Charity Events (The Friends of the Folsom Zoo and Angel Flight) sponsored by SVR.
b)
Vice President’s Report:
Rob Lee reported that the SVR calendar is up-to-date and that insurance requests for events through March have been submitted and approved by PCA and that he is working on the requests for April.
Additionally, the San Joaquin Fairgrounds recently changed their insurance requirements but after careful review, it was determined that the PCA insurance covers the changes/requirements.
c)
Treasurer’s Report:
Bob Peake reported that he was in the process of reviewing and looking for ways to streamline the SVR accounting systems. Motion was made by Mike Willis to utilize a consultant to ensure the best “set up” possible; seconded by Steve Barker. Motion approved.
The Annual Budget Update will be given at the April Board meeting after Bob Peake meets with the consultant.
d)
Social Director’s Report:
SVR members are continuing to sign up for events. The following activities through April have space available:
-Whale Festival Tour 3/20/2020 – 3/22/2020 (During the Board Meeting we received an email from Liz Houser (Tour Chair) that the Whale Festival part of this event was cancelled. The trip is still on!)
-Smith Flat House Restaurant 3/25/2020
-Detail Maniac’s Detailing your Porsche 4/25/2020
The following months: June, September, October, November still need someone to host a dinner. Contact Mardi Quain if you have an idea for such an event.
The first Saturday of the month breakfast, held at Brookfields, in Rancho Cordova and hosted by Jerry Alter continues to be a fun and informative event. A wonderful way to see old friends and meet new members.
e)
Membership Director’s Report:
Rebecca Plourde reported that they are looking for a streamlined way for members to order name badges through a link in the Drifter and for members to be able to pay for them through PayPal. More to come on this.
Membership Report for March:
Primary Members – 860
Affiliate Members – 535
Total Members – 1395 (includes 9 New Members, 0 Transfer In, and 0 Transfer Out)
f)
Rally
– Steve Barker presented the Rally School Budget on behalf of Richard Weitzel. Motion to approve budget made by Mike Willis; seconded by Rob Lee. Motion Approved.
g)
By-Laws
– Gregg Plourde reported that the updated SVR By-Laws were sent to the PCA National Policy Committee on March 8, 2020. We are waiting for their feedback and/or approval.
h
)
Digital Projector
–Gregg Plourde gave an update and received the approval to purchase the projector.
i)
Eventbrite
– Bill Fargo and Gregg Plourde are working on a new user-friendly form.
j)
Autocross
– Greg Zajic reported that the Autocross School will be held at the end of March. In the event of any cancellations, individual deposits will be held for the next event.
k)
Drifter
– Mike Willis reported that he is very pleased with the March issue so far. Articles are due March 15, 2020.
l)
Advertising
– Dick Murphy reported that there have been no complaints from any of our advertisers as a result of the decision of the Drifter going online.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:03
Next Board Meeting:
April 7 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Bob Peake’s Residence
125 Darrington Drive
Folsom, CA 95630
Respectfully Submitted – Julie Lee, Secretary
|
|
|
|
3,500 Miles Without
an Argument
By Christy Barden
Photos Christy Barden
Unfettered country roads, small towns, ghost towns, out of the way cafes. What’s that all about? Well listen closely as three Sacramento Valley Region 2 couples and myself took 10 days to have a trip of a lifetime.
Gregg and Rebecca Plourde, Brian and Sue Sanders along with me hit the country roads to Kerrville Texas. We started on February 24th by meeting in Yerington Nevada. Our destination was Kerrville Texas to attend the Hill Country Rally. This was the 19th year for this event. We met for lunch and met Brian’s friend Dick Weber, a first-class welder that worked for Dan Gurney building the American Eagle race cars. He had some great stories.
Brian and Sue led the way down highway 95 toward Boulder City. Over the walkie- talkie, “Christy your door is not closed”. Gregg made our hotel reservations; the Best Western was the first one. Brian driving his Crystal Blue 1968 912 would set a good pace for the followers.
|
|
|
|
The next day we set out for Albuquerque. Over the walkie- talkie, “Christy your turn signals are on”. We stopped in Winslow Arizona for lunch. “Standing on the corner of Winslow Arizona”. The words of the song came to life with an actual 1951 Red Ford flatbed truck parked on the corner, along with a statute of Glenn Frey (of the Eagles). This was a great photo opportunity, so we took it. Spending the night in Albuquerque can be a scary affair. Lots of shady characters lurking around.
We set out the next morning for Big Spring Texas. Over the walkie- talkie, “Christy your door is not closed”. Uneventful until my 912E’s engine stopped running. It just quit. The walkie-talkies came in handy at a time like this (along with requested potty stops). Here Brian jumped into action. Check the fuel pump, undid the fuel line at the filter and see if fuel comes out when you try to start the car. Starter would try to turn over the engine, but just couldn’t do it. Oh, a dead battery? Yah! So, Brian turned his 912 around and got out his jumper cables (that guy carried everything) and hooked us up. Then he charged the 912E’s battery sufficient enough to get us all to Big Springs. The alternator had given up the ghost. And I bought dinner for the group that evening.
The next morning in Big Springs I went to the Napa store and bought another battery and a battery charger. If we didn’t use head lights we could make about 300 miles on a charge. Swap out the batteries for another 300 miles. This continued for the rest of the trip, for 912E alternators are not to be had here. Gregg was always helpful with observations on what was happening. We found out that puns are his favorite way of getting attention.
We arrived in Kerrville Texas on February 27th and stayed at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel along with 300 others and 210 air cooled Porsches. A food truck in the parking lot furnished good Mexican food and the beer was on ice. Imagine all those people and Porsche’s, along with all the stories that were told and listened to. Brian, being an outgoing guy, shared his 912 story. Bought new by his dad in 1968. He and his kid brother use to ride in the back seats. Then he had his two young son’s ride in the back as well. The Crystal Blue is the rarest color of all the early Porsches. And the engine is a built-up type 1 and moves right along.
|
|
|
|
Gregg got out Rebecca’s electric scooter, which he carries in the front of his 2013 Carrera S so Rebecca could be independent with her 7 hour battery. The following day there were 12 routes to drive from 160 to 250 miles. Great colored glossy maps with an instruction sheet, turn by turn. You could go on your own or join others. Very open and unstructured. Brian & Sue along with Gregg & Rebecca toured with some people they met. I spent the day trying to find an alternator for this 912E and also took the opportunity to take a well-deserved nap. Seems I did a lot of that.
The next day we took the “Smooth Operator” route, north east of Kerrville. At a potty stop we picked up a couple from Austin in their 911. Lunch was the best part of the day. The Blue-Bonnet restaurant. The front door was the exit. The entrance was in the back, with a long line of people waiting to get in. Why? Well that’s easy, twenty different freshly made pies for our consumption. I had a German Chocolate Cream pie along with an Apple pie A la mode, boy did I pig out. Our 911 friend was a realtor. He remarked we were near Lake LBJ where there were million-dollar houses. We commented that that seemed cheap. He retorted that yearly taxes were 3% of value. So the taxes on a million dollar home would be $30,000 a year. WOW!
|
|
|
|
That evening was the banquet. Gregg won a set of two-way radios in the raffle. I and Brian received the long-distance award (1,760 miles), which included a $100 gift card, a Porsche book, a Yeti thermos, a coffee cup and a poster. Boy what a haul for spending almost two grand for the trip. Afterword’s more beer and bragging in the parking lot. Sunday had us start the trip home. Over the walkie- talkie, “Christy your trunk lid is not closed”. We stopped in Carlsbad New Mexico for the night. Boy, this is an oil town. Our restaurant was full of oil workers and their pickup trucks. Our Porsches were lost in their midst.
Monday morning, we toured the Carlsbad Caverns. What a moving experience. Brian and Sue walked down, down, down the 750 feet and 45 minutes into the cavern. Gregg, Rebecca and I took the elevator 750 feet down in 2 minutes. We all took the elevator back to the top and had lunch in the snack bar. I took the last of the ice cream, which left Brian to have to buy cookies. Our next stop would be Socorro New Mexico, or as Brian would call it “Sarraco” New Mexico. It was one of our most fun driving days. Highway 60 west, two lanes, no traffic, good curves in the road. We were able to travel “rather quickly” for long stretches. Passing the sparse traffic was much fun. Wheeeeee! Stopped for lunch at Whole Foods in Albuquerque at MY insistence. We went on to spend the night in Kingman Arizona. Dinner at a nice Italian restaurant with music of Frank Sinatra and the like.
Wednesday headed north west thru Death Valley, 200 feet below sea level. Climbing out of the valley was a good Porsche road. No traffic, roads curving around the hills, good speeds achieved. My oil temp went to about 265 degrees, because I turned off the fan for the external oil cooler to save electric power. We were going to stop in Bishop for the night, but instead continued to just south of Bridgeport California. But not before stopping at everyone’s favorite bakery, Erick Schat’s Bakery in Bishop. We spent the night at the Virginia Creek Settlement. Rustic log cabin types, warm rooms and a restaurant for dinner. Pizza was great and highly recommended.
Sunday we knocked the ice off the cars and after breakfast we took a photo and all agreed that we had had a great trip. Maybe one in a lifetime for Porsche owners. We spent about $1,200 for rooms, about $550 for fuel, and of course meals. Each of us took a different path home and had a restful night in their own beds.
|
|
|
|
 |
TrackMasters Racing is a leader in the High-Performance Driver Education events in Northern California and invites SVR-PCA drivers to participate in these events. For the complete schedule click the link below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SVR 's Classified Porsche Ads. For additional information and ads Click below
|
|
|
|
PCA Members may place non-commercial classified ads for no charge. Photos will be published on this web page at no charge.
Non-PCA members may place ads on our webpage, on a space available basis, as follows: Ads without photos $20.00; Ads with photos $35.00. All ads run for two months unless canceled. There will be no refunds for paid ads.
Ads must be submitted electronically with attachment to
classified@svr-pca.org. PCA members must include your PCA membership number on all submissions as proof of membership.
Paid ads will not be published until payment has been received. Checks must be made payable to PCA-SVR, and mailed to: Porsche Club of America; Sacramento Valley Region; PO Box 254651; Sacramento, CA 95865-4651
|
|
|
|
Sacramento Valley Region Web Store
|
|
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Red House® - Mini-Check Non-Iron Button-Down Shirt
Price:
$72.99
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Eddie Bauer® Ladies Hooded Soft Shell Parka
Price:
$104.99
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Element 095
Price:
$33.99
|
|
|
|
2020 West Coast Race Series Calendar
Tentative - as of January 7, 2020
April 25-26
th
Thunderhill Raceway
April 25-26
th
Auto Club Speedway
May 22-24
th
WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca
June 6-7
th
Utah Motorsports Campus
August 29-30
th
Sonoma Raceway
September 19-20th High Plains Raceway
September 26-27
th
Thunderhill Raceway
October 10-11
th
Sonoma Raceway
|
|
|
Submitting Material to the Drifter
The Drifter is Produced online monthly for its members. Written contributions are welcome and should be e-mailed to the editor. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month prior to the month of publication. Submissions in WORD or TEXT are preferred.
Photos are always welcome.
Photos should be sent separately from the text. (You may also use a downloadable link to the photos.)
To change your email address or street address, please email our membership director to insure uninterrupted delivery.
Rebecca Plourde at
or call her at 530.210.9686
All material in this newsletter is protected by copyright.
However, newsletter editors of other Porsche Club of America regions may reprint any article provided that credit is given to the author and Sacramento Valley Region and that The Drifter
is cited as the source.
|
|
|
|
Follow SVR on Social Media
|
|
|
|
|
|
