It’s the PEOPLE that make the CARS

BY Jennifer Harrenstein

INDE March 24-26

In a word, INDE is spectacular. Maybe this weekend was extraordinarily beautiful, sky-wise, and the wildflowers-WOW- but to drive in and take in its grandeur and scope (over 1700 acres!) is something every single PCA member needs to do. 'Participated in AMP? Graduate to INDE.

Set in a small valley surrounded with hills and mountains south of Wilcox, AZ, INDE is a 2.75 mile year-round track designed for adrenaline fun. It's a "technical" track, full of elevation changes, off camber multi-sized radius corners, and speed straightaways that provide an intense thrill to those driving their beloved Porsche. It's MADE for Porsches! What better place to challenge your car and grow your driving skills, in a remarkably appointed facility, replete with ameni ties for everyone.

C.J. Dorland, the owner, was on the grounds the morning of the 24 th Starting in 2009, he and his father developed the premises namely with The Track, capable of over 40 unique configurations. There's far more a shop where members and staff can maintain vehicles, a 5 acre drift and skid pad, 60 private member garages, 12 casitas for overnighters, a game room, a museum, a grill, even a private chef Members can utilize 1-on-1 coaches for all kinds of training. The grounds display a myriad of fullsize warplanes to stroll by and read about during track downtime.

In addition, there are 20+ staff all very friendly and accommodating. The first person I met was Ben, the Shop Manager. 'Started out as the landscaper, moved indoors, though he was very much out and about, frequently checking in with us. There's Carlos, who's now the landscaper/groundskeeper, whom I met as he was talking to a THRIVING rose garden Then Heather, one of the hospitality staff who was carrying out a huge armload of sheets from the casitas. She doubled as the order taker at lunch. In fact, on Saturday, half the staff was manning the kitchen. Heather said it's "all hands on deck" while serving a group as large as ours. Then there's Richard "Parts are Parts" Whalen, the Warcraft Assembler. He allowed me a peek in the museum, a very interesting collection of art, models, a Canadian Northrup Freedom Fighter and a de Havilland Vampire. What struck me was how large these aircraft are, ESPECIALLY the aircraft carrier plane he was working on outside. HUGE. One cannot comprehend the size from mere pictures.

Dan and Kellie Bouet, our prima hosts, started the weekend with registration and tech check-in on a blustery Friday afternoon. The majority of participants checked in as expected, with Saturday morning welcoming the last of the 79 cars, a nice turnout. AZ Region has utilized the track for several years, and the Club is starting to offer this event twice a year, due to our Club's love for this track. This weekend's configuration included the superfun, superfast straightaway. We ran the track one direction on Saturday and the opposite direction on Sunday, "to even things out," per Dan, whose ride, btw, pushes 126 mph, pedal to the floor. As the song goes, "this-is-why-we-do-it!" Also included were individual time-trials, making those drivers with a little competitive streak in them most happy. Time trials are useful for setting up "the grid," lining up fastest to not-asfast within each Driver Ed skill level, ensuring the safest release of drivers.

The cool thing, shoot, ONE of the many cool things about this event was the little groupings of people that came together around a car after a run. The driver gets out, obviously awash with adrenaline (this is why we do it!) and starts talking up his experience. It's a joy thing fer shur.

Other groups included the ground crews women who took care of family matters, like dogs and kids. They seemed quite comfy, basking in the sun, relaxing. This is a time to develop friends. There's instructors with their students. There're groups of people who discuss what they've done to their cars, what works, what needs work…even I got some advice on my car, and I was merely a spectator! There is no shortage of sage wisdom on this worthy ground.

I spoke with a few people throughout the day. Hector Olmo, brand new to driving on any track let alone this one, came off it with a HUGE smile. His instructor, Jon Betancourt in the passenger seat, began the education to push Hector's and his car's limits. His first lesson began with numerous laps, first going slow and getting a feel for the asphalt, then ending with some untapped speed and newfound awareness of camber, maybe a little g-force. Jon, through headset connection, told him what to aim for, like a tree on the horizon or a particular road marker After the run, I saw the two of them discussing how the car reactions as it's put through the various elevations and inside/outside curves. "Scary," Hector said, but "really REALLY fun."

Speaking about camber, I myself got a lesson on that and also toe from Oliver a participant from Munich. He was very animated and a great teacher, using his feet to explain what happens in a turn and how best to position tires for optimum road stability (therefore speed). Also from Jim, who drove 635 miles to get here, and his co-driver, I heard how this track's stickiness compares to other tracks in the Region, and how Jim could have gotten "2 more seconds if he'd had the right tires." I'm learning all kinds of things!

I MUST try this someday. I love being in the thick of it, people watching and volunteering at registration, but to actually be on the track…

As I sit here and type at the registration paddock, I hear the different skill level groups gun it in the background while and see various tools being used, drivers cleaning off bugs checking their tires. Betsy Andrade is nearby selling AZPCA merch and giving away free stuff. I bought a hat to contain my blown-out hair from camped out in their motorhomes, others are staying in the track casitas. Most folks trailered their cars in. Others like Jim, who has tracked his red 914-6 for 20 years, is fine with a tow dolly. That thing has 200 hp! Others…yours truly, tent camped. 'Word of advice…don't. Spring for a casita.

Lunch was imminent. Everyone started wandering toward the Grill down by the track. Awesome food. Reasonably priced. The burger was supergood and well appointed. Addictive seasoned fries. A perfect midday break.

Then guess what. The following all happened so quickly I don't know how it all materialized, but one second I was loaning this laptop to an instructor, Chris, so he could show his student video proof of "skill perceptions that need work" from their morning session. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Next thing I know Dan was talking about beta-testing a "Track Experience" for people who want to see what it's like. Hmmmm….that would be me. Chris told me to go get my car. "We'll do this compliments of my membership," he winked at me as he took the driver's seat. 5 minutes later we're entering the track. Holy Toledo, here we go..?!! There we went, and how. 3 laps. WOW. I guarantee you my car has never seen a track, nor done turns like that, nor done straights like that, nor downshifted like that, nor braked like that.

I was floored. Big ol' smile, my cheeks were pushing out the foam in the helmet. Chris. Chris Lesadd. An INDE member, PCA instructor, "one of the craziest I could have gone with, second to me," Dan said after the fact. But oh he had skills. I didn't know my car was capable of all that, for one thing. And for him to jump in and KNOW all its idiosyncrasies from the get-go was nothing short of genius. He put it through ALL its paces, and I just sat there, plastered in the seat, daring myself not to grab something to hang onto, and soaked it in. Pretty darn fun, I gotta say. What a fabulous, exhilarating experience. Later I asked him how fast we were going. "Barely 75," he cracks. "I didn't push it. I was Driving Miss Daisy, after all." Tsk, tsk. Surely we broke 100! Well, no matter. When's the next track event??!!

Iwelcome this opportunity to introduce myself to the newer members of our club. My wife Nancy and I joined AZPCA over 11 years ago, although my involvement with Porsche began much earlier.

I was born in Windsor England in 1931. I received a technical education, served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the Korean War, and emigrated to Vancouver British Columbia Canada in 1957. In 1960 I then moved to California USA, and I became a proud US citizen in 1965. During my career, we have lived in several states and returned to the UK for two five-year periods.

I was attracted to Porsche after having been impressed by their performance in racing. My first Porsche was in 1963, a 356B coupe. I then owned a Porsche 912, followed by two Carrera 911Ts. I enjoyed them all.

On arriving in California, I became a member of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) San Francisco region. The region, which had 3,000 active members, was responsible for staging a very wide range of race events both professional and amateur at Laguna Seca Monterey, Sonoma Raceway and other circuits in Northern California. These included the original Trans Am and Can Am series. I volunteered and worked for 9 years in all phases of these race events. I served on the region’s Board of Directors and was twice elected as Regional Executive.

Toward the end of 1969, I was invited to join the national staff of SCCA as Director of Club racing and moved to their headquarters in Denver, Colorado. In the course of my duties, I was required to coordinate with Porsche and other manufacturers regarding rules and specifications of their cars competing in our races. This included factory visits to Porsche, Stuttgart. On one of which Nancy joined me, as we were on our honeymoon. Following a factory tour and lunch with Competition Director Baron Von Hanstein, we were taken to the Development Facility at Weissach. To our surprise, they rolled out one of the previous year Le Mans 917K racecars and treated each of us to several laps of the test track with I believe factory driver Willi Kaussen. What a honeymoon!!!!

A couple of years later, I was hired by John Bishop of IMSA to serve as their General Manager. They have now been absorbed by NASCAR. While at IMSA, Nancy and I worked the 24 hours of Daytona.

The rest of my career was in Sales Engineering Management in the USA and the UK, the last several years of which I formed my own Manufacturing Representative company, in Roswell GA. During those years, I was supplied with company cars – therefore no Porsches.

In 1999, I retired, and we moved to our current home in Scottsdale, where we have lived for 24 years. At that time, I was heavily involved in my second passion – motorcycles. I owned a series of BMW GS and RT motorcycles and competed in long distance rallying.

On my 81st birthday I decided, much to Nancy’s relief that it would be safer to hang up my helmet. At which point she said – ‘Now what?’. I said back to PORSCHES, where upon I bought a 2003 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S and we joined PCA and the local Arizona region. We have since owned a 2009 Cayenne GTS, a 2011 997.2 Carrera, and our current love, a 2013 Panamera 4S. Nancy calls her ‘Heidi’. At this stage in our life, she is the ideal Porsche for us.

Belonging to AZPCA, volunteering, and serving on the Board of Directors and VP in 2017 has enabled us to make a lot of wonderful friends. We look forward to meeting new members as the opportunity arises and hearing your Porsche experiences.

Bob and Porsche 917 at Weissach

Wow – what a ride!!!