SHENANDOAH REGION

2017 Shenandoah Region Summer Picnic aka Anniversary Party
2017-08-22 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | VA
By Hank Weil
Click here to see a gallery of photos from this event.
It has been 22 years since the Shenandoah Region of the Porsche Club of America (SRPCA) was founded on August 17, 1995. SRPCA was founded by Porsche enthusiasts in central Virginia who found it difficult to attend Porsche Club events owing to the distances to adjacent PCA Regions. The founding officers were Cole Scrogham (President), Terry Felts (Vice President), Dave Lasch (Secretary), and Steven Lord (Treasurer).
In late 1995, SRPCA had approximately 20 members and in August 1996 celebrated its first anniversary with a party and a birthday cake. After that, enthusiasm and events took off. The first annual Holiday Party at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville was so successful that the 1996 Holiday Party was booked before the 1995 Party was over. By the end of 1995, membership had more than doubled from 22 to 43 members. Fast forward to 2017; our Region has grown to approximately 260 primary members and 160 affiliate members.
The Anniversary Party became a tradition, held at different venues each year. The 2017 Anniversary Party (aka Summer Picnic) was held at the Keswick Winery. However, given SRPCA has grown in both members and events, continuing this event as the Anniversary Party became a bit overwhelming. Therefore, the current Executive Committee decided to hold the Anniversary Party only every 5 years and replace it in the other years with a Summer Picnic, which is why this year’s event at the Keswick Winery was a Summer Picnic.
A delicious lunch catered by Basil Mediterranean Bistro was accompanied with wine for sale from the Keswick Winery. The owner of the Basil Mediterranean Bistro, Raif Antar, graciously donated the food as he has done for many events; the $10 lunch charge was set aside for the Club’s 2017 charity fund. Charitable giving is now a major focus of SRPCA. In 2016, SRPCA changed from a taxable corporation to a non-profit tax status and has been approved by the IRS to operate as a 501(c)(4) exempt organization. SRPCA has chosen the Blue Ridge and Central Virginia Food Banks to be the 2017 charities. Attendance at this year’s Summer Picnic (88 primary members, affiliates and friends) put almost $900 into the 2017 charity fund.
The 2017 Summer Picnic concluded with the presentation of several awards to individuals for their service and contributions to SRPCA over the years. First recipient was Raif Antar, the owner of Basil Mediterranean, for his generosity of catering many of the Clubs activities both this year and in past years. The second recipient was Ben Briggs, a principal owner of PrintSource, for providing printing services for SRPCA’s RPM event, as well as other printing requirements over the years. The third recipient was Bill Sanders, a Past President, who has given his time to grow SRPCA and to prepare SRPCA’s annual tax returns. Bill and his wife, Jill, will be moving to Hawaii in the Fall and they will be missed.
Behind the scenes many volunteers ensured a successful event. For those members residing in the eastern portion of the Region, Randy Bell organized a “fun run” from the Manakin Sabot area to the Keswick Winery. Parking at the winery was handled by Jason Wavell and Shannon Kennedy to ensure that the members Porsches were properly parked. No door dings were allowed. Registration was aptly handled by Marquita Doherty and Jolly Weil. Mark Doherty assisted in setting up the picnic area. A great big THANK YOU goes to Katrina Stumpf for her work in finding the venue and working with the winery staff to ensure that the picnic was a success.
Wrapping up the picnic, Cole Scrogham (remember him? Founder and first President and still enjoying SRPCA after 22 years) provided a sneak preview of the 2017 Fall Fling that he and Alex Smith are planning for later this year. He also mentioned that the 2017 Picnic was a great Porsche social event. His enthusiasm was reaffirmed by many of the 88 participants who said that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Thanks again to all who attended and assisted in the administration of this event. Remember, “It’s not just the cars, it’s the people.” This was a great event and “Thank-you” to all who attended!!!

New Member Social
2017-07-14 08:00 - 17:00
By Bruce Russell
Shenandoah Region’s leadership team hosted a New Member Social on Saturday morning, July 8 at Euroclassics Porsche in Midlothian, VA. This social was not publicized on the Region’s website, but individual invitations were sent to all our new members who had joined PCA in the last 24 months. The management and staff of Euroclassics were very gracious hosts for this event. They had the showroom full of new Porsche models for us to climb into and admire, and they had a big screen HDTV which was televising live the qualifying sessions for the F1 Grand Prix of Austria. The Region provided the food and drinks; the food came from Wegman’s Catering and was excellent!
The only negative of the day was attendance from our invited new members. We invited 48 new members that had joined Shenandoah Region, and PCA, during the last two years. We had one new member attend this event. As a bit of background, Shenandoah Region is trying to strengthen our relationship with Euroclassics Porsche and we thought this social would be a nice gesture towards that goal. We did not expect a large turnout because we realize Euroclassics is located in the far eastern section of our region; we had expected more that one new member to attend.
I have been in PCA since 1986 and have been a member of seven different regions. One common trait that all regions experience is very low participation from new members. PCA leadership constantly struggles with the age old question — why? Why don’t we see more new members at our events? I have some ideas, because I can remember back to when I was a new member. We would like to hear from our new members. Tell us what you like and what you don’t like. Tell us what we can do to attract you to some Shenandoah events. My email is russell911@comcast.net. Seriously, I would like to hear from you.
In the meantime, there will be another New Member Social at Flow Porsche in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 19. Invitations to our new members will be going out soon, so watch your email. Hopefully, we will see you there!

Porsches & Pastrami Social
2017-07-04 08:00 - 17:00
By Bruce Russell
Shenandoah Region held one of its very popular Porsches & Pastrami social events on Sunday, June 11 at Dürty Nelly’s Pub in Charlottesville. We were again the guests of Gary Hagar; Gary is both a SRPCA member and the co-owner of Dürty Nelly’s. Gary drives a beautiful 968 coupe; most 968s are cabs, so Gary’s coupe is somewhat unique.
These Porsches & Pastrami social events are periodically held on Sundays throughout the year. Gary has been hosting them at Dürty Nelly’s for at least the last five years. I for one really enjoy these low-key social events where I can enjoy a great deli sandwich, salad, or homemade soup and socialize. I find this is a great time to meet new members and socialize with old friends.
Folks began to gather at the deli around noon. Gary already had his staff working in the kitchen, so the sumptuous “deli delights” were already being served when I arrived. My step-son Tim Mabes had joined me for this event; Tim lives in Alexandria and has a beautiful dark green 2010 Boxster.
SRPCA members came and went for the next couple of hours. All total, we probably had 20–25 members stop in for a bite to eat and to socialize. It was a warm late spring day, so we did not have to many members sitting outside on the patio. I found myself engaged in “Porsche-talk” at a table with Dan Graff, Bates McLain, Iain Fraser, Tim Mabes and a couple others. Our conversations covered a myriad of automotive topics.
One of the big topics of discussion was the recently held RPM event. The consensus was it was another successful multi-day event with kudos going out the Sherry Westfall for making it such a success. Around 2 pm, I bid my farewells and departed for home. I love these socials at Dürty Nelly’s; I just kick back and relax. Hope to see some more friendly faces next time! Check the Region calendar for specific dates.

Pickel Barrel Breakfast
2017-07-04 00:00
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 second breakfast of 2017 was held at the Pickel Barrel Restaurant, 12912 Plaza Drive, Centerville, VA on June 17.
The Pickel Barrel had set aside three tables for about 24 members in a private room. 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 smaller than expected and 10 Club members came out to meet and discuss our favorite topic, Porsches. We spent about two hours at the restaurant before leaving to get on with our day.
The next Club breakfast is scheduled for July 15 at the Tip Top Restaurant at 1420 Richmond Road. Charlottesville, VA at 9 AM.
We will be back at the Pickel Barrel on August 12 at 9 AM.
The Club wants to encourage new members to attend these breakfasts, as well as older members to meet with other Club members and renew old acquaintances. Come on out for a casual get-together and some good food and friendship. We hope to see you there!!!,

RPM Concours Judging Clinic
2017-05-27 08:00 - 17:00
By Jim Condon
This event, organized by RPM Chair Sherry Westfall, began with members meeting at Zion Crossroads for a short but scenic morning tour up to Gordonsville and then back down to Keswick, where Roger and Gail Borsink live. Roger opened his Porsche garage to us, where we could see his immaculate cars — a classic 993, a 996 turbo S with the X50 power package, and a shiny almost-new (just finished its 2000 mile breakin) 991 GT3 — in their pristine environment. His garage has all the conveniences needed for detailing and minor mechanical work, and the walls are decorated with car photos, advertisements, and illuminated signs sporting manufacturers’ logos. Click here to see the day’s photo gallery.
The official justification for this event (as if any were needed) is the 2017 RPM concours judging clinic, led by long-time Head Judge Dave Lasch. Dave explained that the RPM concours is “tops only,” meaning that judges do not look underneath the cars to see if the mufflers are rusty. However, the judges may ask owners to open compartments for inspection (e.g., trunk lid, gas cap cover, glove compartment,…). The areas being judged are listed in the five RPM concours judging sheets, which you can find by clicking here. Dave calls the RPM concours “family friendly” to distinguish it from much stricter concours like Amelia Island or Pebble Beach. The main judging criteria are cleanliness, condition, and care; period correctness is not required. At RPM, all cars in a given class (e.g., air-cooled 911 or Boxster/Cayman) will be judged by the same judging team (four judges doing the actual inspections, plus a team leader). The judging team gets to spend only five minutes looking at each car, so the individual judges can’t judge everything. They should pick a few items to inspect on all of their judged cars in order to treat them as consistently as possible.
If you would like to volunteer to be a Concours Judge, just email Dave at dlasch00@hotmail.com.
After the clinic, Roger gave a guided tour of his Porsche garage and three Porsches to a very interested audience, and he fielded a number of enthusiastic questions.
Finally, all good PCA events end with food. In this case, a great outdoor buffet lunch provided for free by member Raif Antar. If you liked what you ate, or wonder what you missed, visit his Basil Mediterranean Bistro in Charlottesville.

Crozet Car Show
2017-05-24 08:00 - 17:00
Bruce Russell
The 4th annual Crozet Car Show was held at Claudius Crozet Park on Saturday, May 20th. All the proceeds from the entry fees went to benefit the Crozet Park. We were blessed with great weather for the event. Shenandoah Region was well represented at this event. As a matter of fact, all entries into the “Foreign” class were Shenandoah members’ Porsches!
Some of the Shenandoah members in attendance were Hank Weil, Mark Doherty, Rick Ebinger, Bruce Russell, Jeff Elmore, Iain Frazer, Eric Huggins, Johnny Johnson, Jeff & Linda Sivers, Steve Upman, Tim Messer, Jason Wavell, and Peter Chapin. Not all the members attending displayed their cars, but we did have nine beautiful Porsches that were on display.
The show had eight classes of cars. The “judging” was done by the show entrants. Each entrant received a ballot and could cast a vote for one car in each class. Seven of the classes covered American muscle cars, antiques, and motorcycles. There was one “Foreign” class.
Once all the ballots were collected and tallied, the winners were announced and “piston” trophies were presented to each class winner. The “Foreign” class was won by our president, Hank Weil! Hank brought his beautiful 1985 911 “Turbo Look” Carrera: it’s a beauty! A good time was had by all attendees. Click here to see Bruce’s photos from the event.

Tip Top Breakfast
2017-05-11 08:00 - 17:00
By Hank Weil
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.

Euroclassics 2016 Columbus Day DE at VIR
2016-12-31 08:00 - 17:00
The 2016 Euroclassics Columbus Day (October 10) DE at VIR was covered by professional track photographer Art of F & S Enterprises. Click here to see some of his photos.

2016 Holiday Party Reflections
2016-12-18 08:00 - 17:00
Jim Kaczorowski
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. Click here to see photos from the 2016 Holiday Party.

Shenandoah Region 2017–2018 Board Election Results
2016-12-01 08:00 - 17:00
Jim Condon, election committee chairman
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:
President: Hank Weil
Vice President: Randy Bell
Vice President: Mark Doherty
Secretary: Lynne Taylor
Treasurer: Carey Lockhart

President: Hank Weil of Crozet, VA
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.

Vice President: Randy Bell of Richmond, VA
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.

Vice President: Mark Doherty of Charlottesville, VA
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.

Secretary: Lynne Taylor of Crozet, VA
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.

Treasurer: Carey Lockhart of Midlothian, VA
Carey is married and has two daughters. He is a licensed CPA and is controller for Markel/Eagle Partners, LLC in Glen Allen. He has been a PCA member since 1995 and has owned Porsches since 1990. His favorite Porsche activities are our Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) and social and technical events. In addition to his passion for Porsches, Carey enjoys old British cars (He has a 1959 TR-3.), running, photography, and football, especially rooting for LSU and the New Orleans Saints. Carey will be serving his third term as Treasurer of Shenandoah.

The Shenandoah Region's 21st Birthday Party
2016-08-29 08:00 - 17:00
By Jim Condon
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. Click here to see photos from this event.
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.

The 2016 Zone 2 Club Race and Advanced DE at VIR
2016-05-06 08:00 - 17:00
Jim Condon
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). Click here to see the photo gallery of this event.
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.

Porsches & Pastrami: Concours Judging Clinic & Automotive Aesthetic Tech Session
2016-05-05 08:00 - 17:00
I’m what you call a Noob. I have only been in the Porsche Club for about two years. So compared to other members I’m a big time Noob. I have been around Porsches my whole life as my father always had at least one and we lived in Germany (I am an Army brat and proud of it!). One of the first events I ever attended as an official club member was Shenandoah’s Porsches & Pastrami at Dürty Nelly’s Pub in Charlottesville in 2015. I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect and got there early to learn about Concourse Judging. I learned so much that I was able to be a judge at the 2015 RPM using the knowledge that I gained. I judged engines and learned even more about Porsche engines at the meet from other judges as we discussed the different cars, an amazing experience.
Fast forward to 2016 Porsches and Pastrami. (Click here to see the photo gallery covering this event.) Again, I have to say it was another event that I’m so happy I attended because of the Porsche education that I get from all the friendly members. It opened again with the Concourse Clinic, but I mostly floated around and looked at beautiful cars and met new people like Mike Higgins, who was attending his first Porsches & Pastrami. Again I picked up so many tips from the non-noob members. For instance, I got advice on where to send my Fuchs for restoration—Harvey Weidman of Weidman’s Wheels was the recommendation. Everyone there is either in the middle of a Porsche project or has done many already and has a plethora of information to share if you just ask. It really helps you to avoid mistakes that can be expensive. Water cooled and air cooled cars were both well represented and lunch was great. This year I got the Hot Sicilian (Don’t let the college pub reputation of Dürty Nelly’s fool you; this joint makes an awesome sandwich, oh, and they have beer!) I had a fantastic time chatting with members about their cars and picking up tips about restoration from wheels to interior. Shenandoah PCA has amazing members like Sherry Westfall and her husband Jim Condon that make me look forward to every event.
The second part of Porsches & Pastrami’s activities was a detailing clinic at Automotive Aesthetic with Daniel Wendell and Daniel Offield of Clear Detail in Richmond. You think “What can I learn about washing my car? That is stupid!” You would be wrong as I learned in the first 5 seconds to use two buckets when you wash. One for soaping your Microfiber wash mit and the other for rinsing it after you have washed a panel. Another tip I learned in the first 10 seconds was DON’T “Wax on wax off Danielson!” Never make circular motions, wipe your car panels in long straight strokes. Most of the scratches, swirl marks and hazing comes from washing. Sigh, I have been messing my cars up for years. They used two product lines at the clinic—the first GTechnic, the other Swissvax—and again advising us amateurs to use longitudinal application. These products are only available on line, but I will be purchasing some for myself, especially that GTechnic wheel cleaner, Iron and General Fallout Remover. (Luckily GTechnic will not sell you the products that can really screw up your paint, you have to be a licensed detailer to get those, so order away and go crazy!) I did ask the detailers some tough questions, for instance “How much does it cost to get my paint corrected?” The Daniels were very honest and explained it in hours. It depends on how bad your paint is and how many hours they believe it would take for them to correct the issues. The other factor is the customer’s ultimate goal. A perfect looking car to you and me is not the same as a car being prepared for Pebble Beach. They demonstrated washing, drying, and paint correction. They gave us tips about products from clay bars to microfiber towels. It was extremely educational. Both Automotive Aesthetic in Charlottesville and Clear Detail in Richmond offer a wide variety of services beyond cleaning, so please go to their websites linked above and check them out.
The event was well planned and executed. Lunch and comradery at Dürty Nelly’s was great, and I have to say that I also enjoyed the refreshments and noshes at the detailing clinic. If you haven’t made it out to one of these yet you are really missing out. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Dominion Raceway Tour
2016-05-01 08:00 - 17:00
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, click here.
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.

Euroclassics Porsche Launches the New 911
2016-04-26 08:00 - 17:00
Jim Condon
Euroclassics Porsche held their “New 911” launch event at Beecroft & Bull in Richmond on the evening of April 14. Click here to see the photo gallery covering this event. 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.
