Porsche Club Of America
SHENANDOAH REGION
IT'S NOT JUST THE CARS, IT'S THE PEOPLE
Holiday Party Reflections
by Jim Kaczorowski Posted 2016 Dec 18
Most members in the Shenandoah Region have been to Michie Tavern at some point in their lives, but it is hard to beat the camaraderie and warmth of our annual Holiday Party held on December 4. A hearty fire, greetings from close to 80 old friends and new, and even a Museum tour complimented a generous cocktail hour.
Traditions continued as host and Porsche owner Sam Morris provided a history of the tavern followed by an overview of the always delicious Southern fare.
After ‘seconds’ by a few hungry patrons, the formal part of the program began over coffee or tea and peach cobbler a la mode. Our new President Hank Weil and Co-Vice Presidents Randy Bell and Mark Doherty and continuing Secretary Lynne Taylor and Treasurer Carey were welcomed by retiring president Clint Shuler. An awards ceremony followed, which included presentations for a number of autocross competitors. Autocross Co-chair Rick Ebinger cited the avid participation of a record number of 27 ladies this year. Improved Class winners Jeffrey Elmore and Jonathan Newhall tied for fastest overall autocrosser. This year Rick and Co-chair Erik Boody created unique wooden awards with a silver dollar embedded in each. Not to be overlooked was the annual drawing for Porsche memorabilia prizes which provided just about everyone in attendance with a desirable remembrance.
To give you an idea of the abundant cheer, no one other than (wife) Anne had a bigger surprise than when she found out that sitting across from her at our dinner table was a young man, Jonathan Newhall, whom she taught in first grade many [many] years ago in the Valley…who wants to give odds on that happening again next year?
The year has certainly brought us all we could have wished for – and more. So we hope it was the same for you and yours as we look forward to seeing each of you behind the wheel in 2017.
The votes received during the November 15–28 balloting period have been counted. The Election Committee (Jim Condon, Gary Hagar, and Deane Parker) congratulates the newly elected 2017–2018 Shenandoah Region Board of Directors:
It is an honor to have been elected to be the President of the Shenandoah Region. Jolly and I moved to Crozet two and a half years ago and built our retirement home in Old Trail. I spent 35 years working for Tenneco and have had the opportunity to live in many towns in the United States. I first joined PCA in 1970. I sold our 914-6 in 1975 when I began working toward an MBA. I did not acquire another Porsche until all three of our children graduated from college. We purchased our 1994 Speedster in 2000 while living in Illinois. I was a member of the Chicago Region for 14 years and served seven years as the Chicago Region Concours Co-Chairman. I have attended 12 Parades since rejoining PCA in 2000. I transferred to the Shenandoah Region in July 2014. I am currently the Membership Chair and have had the opportunity to meet many of the Shenandoah Region Members over the last two and a half years. I look forward to continuing to grow the Region, listening and learning from our members, and getting more members involved in planning and participating in Region and Club activities. I value the great memories and lifelong friends I have made as a member of PCA.
Randolph (Randy) Bell has been a member of the PCA’s Shenandoah Region since 2011. He has been a volunteer at several Richmond Porsche Meets and has designed and led several countryside rallies.
Randy is an enthusiastic Porsche owner and an avid student of all things Porsche. He is a member of the Drivers’ Club at Dominion Raceway, where there are always numerous and diverse Porsches on hand. His own car is a 2011 Boxster Spyder extensively modified by TPC Racing, which he treasures enough to know that it deserves a much better driver. Randy has attended the Porsche Sport Driving School at Barber Raceway and the Bertil Roos three-day Racing School. He wishes more of the instruction had taken, but he has learned enough to know that there is not much that is better in life than mastering turns and techniques on a track in our special cars.
Randy attended the College of William and Mary and Cambridge University before entering the U.S. Foreign Service, from which he and his wife Karla retired to Church Hill in Richmond. They have one son, LCDR Christopher Bell, a Naval Aviator.
Mark has been a member of the Shenandoah PCA for 15 years. He currently serves as the Tour Chair and has served as the Nominations Chair. Over the years, he has enjoyed — for the most part — working on/ driving/ restoring cars including TR-3s, MGAs, a MK IX, and an E-type Jaguar, prior to attaining automotive enlightenment with the purchase of his first Porsche in 2001. Since then five Porsches have graced his garage, including currently a ’14 Carrera S and a ’16 Macan S — the pride and joy of his wife Marty. Both he and Marty have been active in the region as participants in many touring and social activities, tour planning, and other volunteer work. He has also participated in the ’16 SRPCA annual planning meeting and two Zone 2 Presidents meetings. Both he and Marty are recently retired from UVa and are actively engaged in community and local volunteerism. Other activities include motorcycling, travel, scale modeling, and diorama building.
Lynne is a veterinarian who works in public health. She has been a PCA member since 1981 in the First Settlers, Maverick, Peachstate, and Shenandoah regions. She has owned four 914s, two 911s, and now owns a Boxster. After completing a Bondurant performance-driving course, she enjoyed competing in autocross and track events (especially Road Atlanta) and currently enjoys touring scenic Virginia. Other interests include riding her two horses, playing flute, riding motorcycles and bicycles, hiking, and running. Lynne will be serving her third term as Secretary of Shenandoah.
Posted 2016 Dec 31
The 2016 Euroclassics Columbus Day (October 10) DE at VIR was covered by professional track photographer Art of F & S Enterprises.
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Sep 18
The IMSA/Weathertech races were the big events at VIR this year, on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28.
PCA Zone 2 sponsored the Porscheplatz tent on the hill overlooking Turn 4 and the adjacent Porsche Corral. This location provides a good track view and was perfect for watching the practice session on Saturday morning. See the photos of the Porsche GT3 cup winners Jesse Lazare (the winner in #21), Lucas Catania (second place in #26), and Jeff Mosing (Platinum Masters winner in car #01) practicing. The Platinum Masters class is for drivers age 45 and older. Factory-supported GTLM (the “pro” GT class) cars like the Porsche #912 often climb the very bumpy gators in Turn 4 in order to straighten and shorten the track. They probably replace a lot suspension parts after each race. Factory drivers also push the limits so hard that they frequently go off—see the Audi mowing grass coming out of the Hog Pen turn.The Porscheplatz offered tours of the Alex Job Racing transporter and workshop to PCA members who signed up early on Saturday morning. We got to see them preparing their GTD-class GT3 RSR for Sunday afternoon’s enduro race and to ask questions about strategy. Most Porsche teams (even the sponsor Weathertech) skipped the GTD race because they were unhappy with the “balance of performance” handicap imposed on Porsches, which is intended to keep any one manufacturer from dominating the race series.The whole paddock was full of fast cars with spectacular paint jobs on full view of anyone who was willing to walk around.Saturday afternoon was dominatd by the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (CTSC) 2.5-hour endurance race. The qualifying cars were lined up in the hot pits for viewing by spectactors just prior to the race. The #33 Cayman GT4 clubsport driven by Danny Burkett & Marc Miller won the race, which started out in sunshine, had several restarts following incidents, and was hit by a monsoon in the middle. After a number of cars went off due to low visibility and high water on the track, the race was interrupted for almost an hour. See the photo of a mechanic waterskiing on a piece of plywood while being pulled through the paddock by a golf cart.Sunday morning started with the Mazda MX-5 race. This “entry level” race was quite competitive and fun to watch. It was followed by the agressively driven Supertrofeo (SuperCup) race for angry-looking Lamborghinis. One unfortunate driver spun in NASCAR bend, overcorrected, and shot across the track into the Armco on the inside of the bend. The final event of the morning was the Porsche GT3 Cup race, which was won by Jesse Lazare. Many of us couldn’t watch the whole GT3 Cup race because we had to line up for the Porsche parade laps immediately following.During the noon break, Sherry Westfall got to ride in a new GT3 for one of the “hot laps” with a PCNA pro driver. These “hot laps” are fairly fast, but not quite as fast as Sherry driving her Cayman S in a DE.The main event of the weekend was the GTLM (GT Le Mans for factory pro drivers) and GTD (GT Daytona for others) enduro race in the afternoon. In GTLM, the #3 Corvette won, followed by the #66 Ford GT and the #912 Porsche driven by Earl Bamber and Frederick Makowieski. Somehow the “Eco Boost” label on the side of the Ford GT doesn’t seem appropriate for a 600+ horsepower twin-turbo racer. The #911 Porsche was slowed down by several off-track excursions at South Bend. See the resulting grass-covered radiator grill, which must have caused an overheating problem until it was cleared. The only Porsche racing in GTD was the #23 GT3 RSR driven by Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas for Alex Job racing; it came in 5th in class.These annual races and the Porschplatz at VIR are quite an experience for Porsche fans and amateur racers, who get to see what the best teams and drivers can offer. Just be sure to bring your hearing protectors—it can get painfully loud!
The Shenandoah Region’s 21st Birthday Party
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Aug 29
The Shenandoah Region PCA turned 21 this year! To celebrate, Beverly McNeill proposed we get together on August 8 at Stevenson Ridge near Fredericksburg. She brought the two birthday cakes and organized the event with the help of Clint Shuler. The Stevenson Ridge property covers 87 acres and has a lodge with a large dining room plus a number of restored private buildings that can be rented for getaways. In the woods behind the building complex there are old earthworks remaining from the Civil War. The owners are Dan and Debbie Spears, and the managing partner is their daughter, Debbie Mackowski. Dan is also a Porschephile with several older Porsches undergoing restoration in his garage.
The buffet lunch concluded with birthday cake and ice cream. When we left the lodge, we were surprised to see a genuine Bugatti Veryon in the driveway. This Volkswagen on steroids is powered by a 1200 hp 8 liter VW engine with 16 cylinders in a W-shaped (double V) configuration boosted by 4 turbos. It reaches 150 mph in 10 seconds from a standing start, and its top speed is supposedly 250+ mph, for those who can find a place to drive that fast. Needless to say, if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 May 1
The Dominion Raceway & Entertainment complex combines a 4/10 mile banked oval, a 1/8 mile drag strip, a festival concert venue, and a 2 mile road course in a single facility just off I-95 in Thornburg, VA. The oval recently opened, and the rest is still under construction. To see the photo gallery covering this tour and the raceway complex.
Randy Bell led our April 16 driving tour in his Boxster Spyder. Randy is member number one of the Dominion Raceway driving club, which is conveniently located close to his home. When we arrived at Dominion Raceway, there was a long line of racers waiting to sign up for the oval-track race scheduled for that evening. Some of us drove around the line and parked along the pit-out area of the road course, while others parked beside the entrance road and walked to the main building.
The director of the driving club, Jim Lorimer, took us to the roof for a bird’s eye view so we could easily see the oval and most of the road course. The 2700-foot front straight passes beside the main building and ends in a left turn named after the nearby Po river. As we watched, the base layer of the front straight was being patched to repair damage caused by the wet winter weather. The road course is 36 feet wide everywhere, has 12 turns, and has 70 feet of elevation change. It is driven counterclockwise and passes under the bridge in the photo above.
We ate lunch in the main building, and co-owner Steve Britt explained the planned operation of Dominion Raceway. Free passes to the evening’s oval race were offered to those who could stay, but most of us had to head home during the afternoon.
The PCA First Settlers Region (FSR) planned a DE for the weekend of April 30 and May 1, but that DE had to be canceled because the road course was not ready in time. Their next DE at Dominion Raceway is scheduled for July 9 and 10.
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Aug 6
Zone 2 sponsored a combination PCA club race and advanced DE at VIR over the weekend of June 24 through 26, 2016. Nine members of the Shenandoah Region drove in the advanced DE, which is open to experienced solo drivers in the white, black, and red run groups. They were Jim Condon (2007 Cayman S), Randy Copeland (2014 991 Turbo S), David Israel (996 GT3), Erin Israel (race-prepared 993), John Kessler (1971 911), Emmett Richardson (2016 Cayman GT4), Clint Shuler (2009 Cayman S), Bill Speidell (Cayman GT4), and Sherry Westfall (2007 Cayman S).
A few exotic cars usually show up in the advanced DE, and this year was no exception, with two DP cars, an “improved” Cobra, and a NASCAR-style Mustang.
There were three race groups as well: the new Cayman GT4 Clubsport class had its own separate race. All of the faster PCA classes raced together, and all of the slower PCA classes also raced together. There was a fair bit of carnage in the GT4 qualifying sessions as drivers got used to their new cars, so three GT4s failed to start the race itself.
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Apr 24
Euroclassics Porsche held their “New 911” launch event at Beecroft & Bull in Richmond on the evening of April 14. The weather was perfect, Porsches old and new filled the parking lot, and three New 911’s (a.k.a. 991.2’s) were in a tent next to the Beecroft and Bull store. Last but not least, drinks and food were served inside the tent.
Emmett Richardson’s new GT4 was parked in front of the tent. After it is broken in, it will no doubt be passing a lot of cars in upcoming DEs at VIR. Nearby were two even faster Porsches: a Carrera GT and a new 991 GT3 RS. Although it is normally aspirated, it has the turbo-like air intakes just in front of the rear wheels, and it also has conspicuous cooling vents above the front wheels.
Three 991.2’s were unveiled: a gray targa, a black coupe, and a white cab. The biggest visual cue differentiating them from the 991.1’s is the vertically striped engine grill with a red brake light bar along the top. Under the grill is a 3 liter turbo engine, but only the air intake and two cooling fans are visible.
After the unveiling, door prizes were given out inside the Beecroft and Bull store, including prepaid Porsche Driving Experiences at the new Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. One of the two winners was a happy Sherry Westfall.
Flow Porsche of Charlottesville
Launches the New 911
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Apr 7
Flow Porsche of Charlottesville sponsored the new 911 launch event at the scenic King Family Vineyards on the evening of April 7. Several dozen Porsche fans, many of them Shenandoah Region PCA members, braved the fickle sunny/windy/rainy weather to socialize, drink some King Family wine, eat munchies, and see the new 911 for the first time.
To meet new European limits on fuel consumption and CO2 emission, all new Porsche 911 Carreras (model 991.2) have 3.0 liter turbo engines instead of the old 3.4 liter or 3.8 liter normally aspirated engines. The new turbos have only slightly more peak horsepower but significantly higher mid-range torque, so they should be much livelier for normal road use. Later this year, most Boxsters and Caymans will switch over to 2.0 liter (regular model) or 2.5 liter (S model) four-cylinder turbos. Again, the power increase will be small but the torque increase should improve performance in everyday use.
The evening concluded with a raffle drawing for several prizes, the best of which is a free Porsche Driving Experience at the new Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta.
Tip Top Breakfast:
by Hank Weil Posted 2017 May 11
The Shenandoah Region PCA Board decided to have several casual Saturday Club breakfasts to increase the opportunity to meet with other Club members and enjoy talking about cars, Porsches, and anything else of interest. The first breakfast of 2017 was held at the Tip Top Restaurant, 1420 Richmond Road, Charlottesville, VA on May 6. The weather was a bit ominous and probably kept a few members from taking out their Porsches.
Our host, Club member and owner of the Tip Top, Terry Vassalos, had set aside two tables for 20 members. The restaurant was packed and it was great to have our own space to meet and eat breakfast.
The event was designed to be a casual get-together to renew friendships, meet new members, and just sit and talk while enjoying a great breakfast. The initial turnout was good. There were 14 Club members who came out to meet and discuss our favorite topic, Porsches. We all spent about 90 minutes at the restaurant before leaving to get on with our respective Saturdays.
The next Club breakfast is scheduled for June 17 at the Pickle Barrel at 12912 Plaza Drive in Centerville, VA at 9 AM. We will be back at the Tip Top on July 15. Come on out for a casual get-together and some good food and friendship.
Tech Session at Newhall Mobileworks
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Mar 27
Hidden inside a windowless old metal building in a nondescript industrial park just north of Gotham City (a.k.a. Waynesboro) is Jonathan Newhall’s Mobileworks automotive shop, the site of our March 26 Tech session. The two black Mafia staff cars (a 1957 Lincoln and a ’30s Buick) parked nearby provide the first clue that something is unusual here. Inside the building are two rows of Porsches and other European cars in various stages of repair or construction. Only those who sign the oath may enter…
At the back, Rick Ebinger’s black 996 was on the lift with its engine out on a nearby cart. Jonathan showed us the dreaded IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing responsible for the sudden and premature deaths of so many early water-cooled 986 Boxsters and 996 Carreras, and he demonstrated the special tools needed to install a more reliable IMS bearing. Rick pointed out some cording in the inner edge of the left rear tire, something that would be hard to see if the car were not on a lift; and he warned that cords have much less grip than rubber. He noted that tires more than six years old should not be trusted, even those with little use and deep tread. Jonathan and Rick also discussed the pros (less power wasted revving up the engine) and cons (harder to drive smoothly) of a lightweight aluminum flywheel.
We saw Jonathan’s “batmobile” — an overpowered Allard with a big American V8 inside. Jonathan is also building a tiny 1000-pound Sprite with a 200 hp motorcycle engine for autocrossing. See the photos of other cars in his shop, including a 356 coupe, a Mercedes 190SL, and a supercharged 996 whose engine caught fire on the track last year.
Following the tech session we ate lunch at the Heritage on Main Street. After all, in the PCA it’s not just the cars, it’s the food.
Zone 2 DE at VIR
by Jim Condon Posted 2016 Mar 27
Every year PCA Zone 2 (the union of ten PCA Regions in Virginia, DC, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) runs a very popular late-winter DE at VIR to satisfy the “need for speed” of drivers who have been off the track since last fall. This year the Shenandoah Region was well represented by nine drivers: Chris Beveridge, Hamish Brookeman, Bob Brown, Jim Condon, David Israel, Emmett Richardson, Clint Shuler, Bill Speidell, and Sherry Westfall.
This time of year, getting ready for registration and the tech inspection starts at first light, and usually in the cold. It is light by the time of the drivers’ meeting, and the first run group (normally the “intermediate solo” White group) is on the track by 8:30 AM. This gives instructors in the Red and Black (“advanced solo”) groups time to meet with their students in the Green and Blue groups. The Red and Black groups are allowed to pass anywhere on the track, even in turns. Such “extended passing” requires the drivers to stay on their side of the track to avoid contact. This year, the first two laps in Red and Black were “side by side” exercises in which pairs of cars went around the track twice in pairs, to get used to staying on one side of the track and watching out for the other driver.
Shenandoah Region President Clint Shuler brought his enclosed trailer with new cabinets and woodwork he built himself over the winter, starting from his own trees. It was a welcome respite from the cold and wind on Saturday and Sunday. He also set up the new Shenandoah Region tent.
Past President Sherry Westfall was kept busy as the the volunteer coordinator who recruited and organized the dozens of volunteers needed to run event registration, tech inspections, and track entry. She also had time to drive, as shown by the photo of her white Cayman chasing down a blue Cayman at Turn 4. Bill Speidell replaced the stock toe links in his GT4 with Tarett Engineering to increase camber and reduce understeer; his formerly fast car is now even faster. Some cars of our friends in nearby Regions are also shown in the photo gallery. Note especially the white and blue 964 “Wunderbread” car formerly owned by past PCA President Manny Alban; it no longer has the multicolored Wonder Bread spots.
Annual Holiday Party
by Gary Hunter Posted 2016 Feb 12
Following the awards, “grab-bag” door prizes were awarded to the people lucky enough to have their names drawn from a hat. This event was another fine end to a year made better by the hard work of so many people. I find this is one of the best opportunities to gather with friends, catch up with acquaintances, and meet new members. Good job everybody!
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