Lone Star Magazine - Issue No 7

1961-2021

ISSUE NO.7

1961-2021

Ernie Roberts

1917-2000

60 years

of porsche passion & performance OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF LONE STAR REGION : PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA

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T I N T

THE OFFICIAL &

C E R A M I C

C O A T I N G

2 0 2 0

O F

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E ]

08 LSRPCA CELEBRATES

60 YEARS!

CONTENTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN ROBERTS

03 : DIRECTORY

14 : WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

2021 LSRPCA Board and Sponsors

A Journey With My 1972 911 T

04 : BIG BEND TOUR

18 : SIM RACING

A Scenic Drive To Remember

Paving The Way To Beat a Pandemic Lock

06 : KIEPERSOL WINERY TOUR

Down

A Gourmet Road Trip

24 : LSRPCA CALENDAR Get The Latest On Upcoming GTG's,

08 : 1961-2021: DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

DE's, AX's and Tours

LSRPCA Celebrates Our 60th Anniverary

1 01

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E ]

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT First, I would like to extend a special thank you to Doug Carroll for his leadership last year as President of LSRPCA. 2020 has come to a close, and what a year

LONE STAR:

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LSRPCA MEMBERS

it has been. I am looking forward to 2021

lsrpca.com Facebook.com/groups/lsrpca Instagram @lsr.pca

LSRPCA events. The LSRPCA Board will

Publisher/Editor

continue to provide first class events; Drivers Education (DE's), Concours de Elegance, Auto Cross, Car

VIK DAY editor@lsrpca.com

Art Director/Designer REBECCA CASHWELL

Control Schools, Social Events, Touring Drives and more!

Production Manager

I am honored to be working with the new and returning Board Members.

Sponsorships / Advertising

TARA DOTSON

Cheers to the near year, 2021!

VIK DAY HECTOR MARTINEZ editor@lsrpca.com

Front Cover Design

ORION MEDIA GROUP

Hector Z. Martinez, LSRPCA President

Contributing Photographers DOUG ATKINSON FREDNA MANNEY IVAN HRISTOV JOHN ROBERTS KEN COHEN

Contributing Writers DOUG ATKINSON FREDNA MANNEY JOHN ROBERTS KEN COHEN ROB THACKER

We want your submissions!

Submit articles, event coverage and photos: editor@lsrpca.com

A C P R S L 1 2 0 2 1961 berts

Ernie Ro

2 02

1961-2021 LSRPCA HECTOR Z. MARTINEZ PRESIDENT

DIRECTORY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN ROBERTS

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E ]

THOMAS ROY CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE

PAM FITZGERALD SOCIAL EVENTS

president@lsrpca.com

concours@lsrpca.com

activities@lsrpca.com

ALASTAIR DONALD VICE PRESIDENT

ANDY CAO DRIVERS EDUCATION [DE]

NICOLE GOLDMAN STORE

vp@lsrpca.com

de@lsrpca.com

store@lsrpca.com

KATHY KENDALL SECRETARY

PHILIPPE OBERTI DE-CHIEF INSTRUCTOR

EDWIN GOLDMAN TOURING

secretary@lsrpca.com

cdi@lsrpca.com

touring@lsrpca.com

ROB VAN LANDINGHAM TREASURER

REYNALDO PAGAN DE-REGISTRAR

DOUG CARROLL PAST PRESIDENT

treasurer@lsrpca.com

registrar@lsrpca.com

pastpres@lsrpca.com

LUIS ESCORCIA MEMBER AT LARGE

memberatlarge@lsrpca.com

SEAN LLOYD SAFETY CHAIR

safety@lsrpca.com

2021 LONE STAR MAGAZINE SPONSORS

JIM HEDDERICK AUTOCROSS

DAVID DIULUS CAR CONTROL SCHOOL

XPEL IFC

ax@lsrpca.com

ccs@lsrpca.com

HECTOR MARTINEZ PCA CLUB RACING

STAN TRIPP GET TOGETHERS

NEW HOME DUDE

P. 05

GULF COAST AUTO SHIELD P. 07 FORMULA GARAGE

P. 13

clubrace@lsrpca.com

gtg@lsrpca.com

MOMENTUM PORSCHE

P. 15

TRACE ENGLAND COMMUNICATIONS

LYNN FRIEDMAN HISTORIAN

GARAGE ULTIMATE

P. 19

THE GARAGISTI

P. 21

VIK DAY EDITOR

STAN TRIPP MEMBERSHIP

GARAGES OF TEXAS

P. 23

EINAR'S GARAGE

IBC

EUROCAR WERK

OBC

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historian@lsrpca.com

membership@lsrpca.com

3 03

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : B I G B E N D TO U R ]

Thank you George Meredith Bishop for leading us on the 2020 Big Bend Tour.

Combining the gorgeous weather, perfect driving roads, well-tuned German driving machines, and the great people in the group, made for four unforgettable tour days!!!

QUOTE & PHOTOS: IVAN HRISTOV

BIG BEND TOUR 404

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : K I E P E R S O L W I N E RY TO U R ]

winery TOUR WRITER & PHOTOS: FREDNA MANNEY

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the drive to Kiepersol started a

this 100 percent Texas olive oil family owned business. We

bit earlier than planned because all of the cars arrived early!

tasted extra virgin olive oil, and 6 infused olive oils (jalapeño,

More time to drive! It was a chilly 54 degrees with mostly sun

habanero, parmesan, roasted garlic, lemon and Bourbon

and lots of wind as we began the day at Buc-ee's.

barrel) with artisan breads, as well as stuffed olives. The

We left the Buc-ee's in Waller and took lots of curvy

olives were stuffed with lemon, jalapeño, blue cheese, and

roads through Anderson, Iola, and North Zulch to arrive at

garlic. Yummm! We loaded up our purchases, and were off

the Lone Star Olive Ranch, near Madisonville. The owners,

to gourmet burgers at the near-by TX Burger in Madisonville

Christine and Cathy, gave us an exclusive tour through the

for great 100 percent Texas beef burgers, seasoned fries and

12-year-old olive ranch. As we journeyed through the 14,000

Blue Bell ice cream.

trees, we saw one tree that still had a few ripe olives on

After lunch, we drove on more curvy roads and hills

it left over from the harvest, something we had never seen

through thick pine trees on paved roads that don’t normally

before! This exclusive tour and tasting gave us a real sense of

see a Porsche—much less 10 of these beauties! We crossed

06

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : K I E P E R S O L W I N E RY TO U R ]

over Lake Palestine and reached our destination, just 15 miles

This was not boring banquet fare—our dinner was served on

south of Tyler, Texas, at Kiepersol. We were greeted by one

beautiful china with crystal stemware, by a professional staff

of the owners, Marnelle, who gave us a private walk-about

wearing gloves and masks, in our own private dining room.

tour of the winery and distillery at the end of the tour we had

This was a perfect destination for a beautiful drive through

a seated classroom-educated tasting of three wines and one

the piney woods: a gourmet meal and a beautiful room at the

spirit. The winery has 63 acres of vineyards of red and white

Kiepersol B&B with luxury linens and a delicious breakfast on

grapes that were planted in 1998 and 1999. These wines were

Sunday morning!

easy to drink, complex wine flavors that are Old World style…a

We have booked Oct. 16, 2021 and blocked out 13 rooms

real treat! Next, we changed to business casual attire for a four-

at the Estate so that all 13 cars can stay on this special site

course dinner. Each course was paired with a specific wine.

next year. J

7 07

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : A H I STO RY: 1961-2021 ]

Ernie Roberts 1917-2000 WRITER: JOHN ROBERTS

My dad was born and raised in Robstown, Texas, about 20 miles west of Corpus Christi. His early attraction to cars came directly from his dad, who owned a Ford dealership there, then later in Groveton, Texas. At age 12, dad built his own jalopy from scrap parts, and soon after was driving the backroads with his buddies.

As a young adult, he was a school teacher and married my mom, who was also a teacher. After serving in the Army during WWII and traveling throughout Europe, he became fascinated by the various car designs and mechanics of English and German autos. You might say, that is when he really caught “the Bug”. In 1956, he took his first baby step and bought a Volkswagen. But, all that car did was make him dream of something more.

It was 1959 and I was 10 years old. We lived in Pasadena, Texas, a blue-collar oil refinery town

1961-

along the Houston Ship Channel. My dad had just sold his VW and announced to the family his replacement. Suspense was building as he told us that his latest purchase was sitting outside and it was the first sports car of its kind in the entire city!

08

History of the Lone Star Chapter

2021 LSRPCA 09

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : A H I STO RY: 1961-2021 ]

History of the Lone Star Chapter

1961-2

10

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : A H I STO RY: 1961-2021 ]

Wow, we all ran to the driveway in excitement to see this new exotic form of transportation. What we saw was a pale blue, squatty thing that none of my buddies had ever heard of before. He called it a Porsche. Then he called it a 356A, 1600N coupe, again using language we were not familiar with. But the smile on his face and the joy in his voice obviously meant we should all get on-board soon! Being a former

2021 LSRPCA English teacher that would always stress the importance of correct pronunciation, he would often remind people of the correct name. For instance, he would say, “think of the name as two syllables pronounced as Por-sha.” By the way, I have the original bill of sale from Norman Scott Motors for $4,050. (state tax of $50). This little car was going to take our family on a lifestyle ride that would influence us for decades to come.

11

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : A H I STO RY: 1961-2021 ]

By mid-1960, dad was starting to think of more ways to grow a community of like-minded individuals that want

History of the Lone Star Chapter

to share their energy and time with their Porsches. There were only a handful of owners in the Houston area at that time. In 1957 a few folks actually received a charter from PCA and formed the Gulf Coast Region.

Alas, after only a year, the program was moving very slow and activity interest had already started to wane. Said former Gulf Coast member and later charter member of LSR in 1961, Bob Miessler: “We received our charter as the Gulf Coast Region and immediately started a struggling existence - meeting

1961-20 in the sales room of the local dealer, showing a few movies with liquid refreshments - but still the program

was very slow. Finally, we were able to attend an SCCA race event in Galveston, and even paid an undertaker to erect a tent. I’ve always felt this was symbolic of

our future. With waning attendance and no activity PCA National recalled our charter.”

John Roberts

SO N OF ER NI E RO BE RT S

11 e g a n Joh 12

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : A H I STO RY: 1961-2021 ]

In the fall of 1960, Dad had a plan in his head. He

contribution.

sat at his desk in our den and started penning postcards

As the months clicked by, the charter grew and

to a network of Porsche owners and interested others

had a visible presence at SCCA sponsored events up

in the greater Houston area. The cards asked: “Do you

and down the gulf coast. We attended multiple national

want to start another PCA Region? If so meet with me

Porsche Parades, and the highlight of my early club

to break bread," signed Ernie Roberts. They met, about

memories occurred at The Broadmoor in Colorado

10 of them, and decided to try again.

Springs, 1965. Dad introduced me to a distinguished looking gentleman that shook my hand - Ferry Porsche.

The Lone Star Region charter was dated June 28,

I don’t think that hand was washed for weeks after!

1961, and by including a lot of Texas, the numbers had slowly grown to about 50 members.

Dad was

October 1962 was the turning point of long

elected as the first President of the Lone Star Region.

sought success. PCA National honored Lone Star

The meetings became regular, with a planned program,

Region by featuring the charter on the cover of Porsche

movies, tech talks, and guest speakers. Member

Panorama. A fitting photo of Dad’s little blue squatty

021 LSRPCA turnout averaged about 22 attendees that first year as

car poised proudly in front of the grandest symbol of

the charter continued to mature. Spouses also played

liberty and freedom in Texas history. I am so proud of

a valuable role with new and fresh ideas such as raffles

my dad and truly blessed to have been a witness to his

and silent auctions to gain revenue and promote spirit.

Porsche legacy.

A monthly newsletter was mailed outlining upcoming

J

events and other announcements. Slowly, members started taking initiative and each member had a valued

HOUSTON'S MOST UNIQUE EVENT VENUE WWW.FORMULAGARAGE.COM

13

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : W H AT CO U L D G O W R O N G ]

what could go

wrong?

WRITER: ROB THACKER

Rob Thacker was an amazing spirit; he was so many things to so many of us who knew him. Originally from North Carolina, Rob was an “ad man” by profession, a visual artist and a hugely talented singer, songwriter and guitar player. He battled colon cancer for five years before giving in to it, spending his last days recording his original music, touring the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, PA and playing one last gig a month before he “left the room”. He loved deeply and authentically; everyone and everything he touched reflected his goodness—except for his Porsche restoration experience, which stands apart from everything we know of Rob. This story makes me laugh and weep at the same time; “What Could Go Wrong?” - Ken Cohen

two dudes aimlessly crisscrossing the country, drag racing the

THE PERSISTENCE OF DREAMS

but it was my 911. I parked it in the driveway and got out to look

When I was a college boy, I restored a Triumph TR-6 back to its relatively original glory. My brother had restored many classic sports cars over the years. I had owned everything from a '67 Jaguar E-Type to an MGA Twin Cam. But neither of us had ever ventured into the flat, air-cooled world of Porsche, although my very first car was a '59 VW Beetle, with semi-fore turn signals and a cloth sunroof, purchased for

yokels for pink slips in their ragged looking '55 Chevy. Ragged looking, yes, but under the hood, the thing was engineered like something from NASA. This was my paradigm for my 911: Stop the rust but let it look like a beater, while blueprinting the engine and sorting the handling completely.

Then I met my Porsche expert, a man I won't name, but who came highly recommended by the former owner, with a resume that included high office in the local PCA hierarchy.

When I picked the car up at the local dealership - the previous owner worked there - it was one of life's great thrills. Yes, it was making some scary sounds involving at least one dead cylinder, it over. I was struck by how petite it was, in a very cool Steve McQueen way. It seemed to come up only to my knees, yet because of the long doors, it was so easy to fit my middle-aged 5' 11" frame into the driver's seat.

As soon as I met my "Porsche Expert," the entire project began to take a route different from the one I'd envisioned. Overall, the plan was to pull the engine, replace the bank of cylinders that

$150 from a Finnish exchange student. Perhaps that German

had the one with a thrown piston rod, and convert it from the

experience is why I felt qualified to tackle the restoration of a

original fuel injection set-up to Weber carbs. He assigned me the

1972 Porsche 911 T in the late 90's. What could go wrong?

task of removing the engine. I had never taken the engine out

At the time, my wife and I were parents of two boys in their early

of anything - not even a lawn mower - and now I'm removing a

teens and tweens, and I could not afford a new anything badged

flat six Porsche? This was a bit like becoming a DIY cardiologist

Porsche. More importantly, I didn't want a new Porsche: in the

performing his first heart transplant.

90's, their flashy opulence had come to seem a little too Gordon Gekko for my tastes.

I fell in love with my 911 the first time I saw it, parked in one of the less-stylish precincts of Trenton, New Jersey. It was painted what some might call **** brown, with a tattered brown houndstooth interior, some serious rust issues, and, more fatefully, some very serious mechanical issues. But it was love at

I also began the fundamental bodywork that would secure the 911 against death by rust. I removed the driver's side front fender, which was too eaten with rust to save, and ground out the one major rust spot at the jack point aft of the driver's side door. Mr. Porsche Expert (let's just call him PE from here on in) had surveyed the patient, suggesting the switch to Webers and also pointing out

first sight. What could go wrong?

that the oil tank - unique, I believe, to this model year for having a

My restoration plans for the 911 stemmed from my love of the

filler hatch identical to the fuel hatch but aft of the passenger-side

obscure American road movie Two Lane Blacktop. James Taylor

door - was leaking and would need replacing. Okay, no problem,

(you know him) and Dennis Wilson (a Beach Boy) starred as

replace it. What could go wrong?

14

[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : T H E PAC E RAC E ]

Electricity.

Anything but static.

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[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : W H AT CO U L D G O W R O N G ]

PHOTOS : CARANDCLASSIC.CO.UKCOM

PE would do the welding of metal that would replace the areas ravaged by rust,

We hauled the shiny bauble back to my little white garage and I began the long

and I would buff/grind it down for final painting. Mission Creep had already set

task of putting the pieces back together again. It was now early spring in New

in; we had evolved from my idea of a beater/sleeper 911 to a full repaint of the

Jersey, and I could sense that when the weather finally broke, I'd be close to

little orphan, with me doing the donkey-work basics so the body shop would just

driving around in my very own 911. PE was taking his time on the engine, but

have to hit it with primer and final coats of brown lacquer to complete the job.

progress was being made. Time and again I'd drop in on the absolutely awesome

Coming home from my day job at the ad agency I'd started years before, the

Porsche Man Cave that was his suburban garage. I'd find him unapologetically

sight of the toy-like Porsche with its lovely little butt up in the air on yellow stands

hard at work on someone else's Porsche­related project; feeling quite out of my

in our white clapboard garage never failed to make my heart soar. After dinner, I'd

league, I would not push the matter.

work into the night out in the unheated garage. The process pushed my limited

Then came the day when he arrived to haul the 911 off for the knitting together

skills to the limit and, despite the outcome of this cautionary tale, I still have the

of the newly reborn engine and the newly reborn body. Words can't express the

fondest memories of those days.

excitement I felt as completion approached. And then one day, when I called him

Directed by PE, I slowly and ham-fistedly disconnected the engine from its life

-he never called me once that I recall-he told me she was ready. Ready!

sustaining sources of electricity, fuel and oil. I carefully marked each tube and wire

Standing in his pristine garage, we marveled at the beauty we had restored

and hose with info scrawled on masking tape describing where it came from and

together. The only thing ratty about the interior now was the houndstooth cloth

what it connected to. Not to say I didn't do some damage in the process; I did, for

driver's seat. I hadn't figured out yet what I was going to do about refreshing

instance, raggedly shear the oil feed pipe, and much more damage the years have

that, but I knew I wanted to keep that tweedy look, so not high tech, so true to

clouded the details of. But one cool autumn night, a somewhat worse for wear

the original spirit of the car. As we circled her there in the driveway, I carefully absorbed the instructions he imparted to me to ensure the most successful

flat six engine sat on a wheeled cart on the concrete floor, waiting for PE to truck

break-in possible. They were daunting.

it away for open-wallet surgery.

With the newly reborn engine idling away, he told me to keep the oil level

The weeks passed. And passed. I continued the prep for the body shop: installing

a little down so as not to blow out the seals. Anyone who has ever tried to

the replacement fender, dutifully coating the underside with tar protectant,

check the oil level on a '72 911 equipped with the outside filler cap knows

sanding down the minor rust and slight perforation on the doors and applying

how tricky this would be. Because it's a dry sump engine, you can only check

primer, removing the bumpers and the Porsche badge from the hood and the

the oil level with the engine running: you open the oil filler hatch and oil is

chrome sills from the doors, until, by my newly refined standards, the 911 was

splattering everywhere. The effect is something like trying to check the level of

ready to be towed to the body shop.

electrons bouncing around inside a nuclear reactor. Pull the dipstick and guess

PPE had recommended a shop that does all the local Mercedes-Benz dealer's

just how much oil you really have in there. Sitting in the driver's seat, I looked

work and they did a magnificent job. When I went to retrieve it several weeks

at the gauges: the oil gauge was bouncing all over the map. No info there. Then

later, I fell in love all over again. The thing was beautiful, more beautiful than

came the real killer: after all the months he'd had my car, PE hadn't replaced

I'd expected, and though there were miles to go before she was complete, I felt

the leaking oil tank. In fact, he was releasing her now, not so much because the

I could see the finish line from there. My plan now was that my 911 would be

work was done, as that he needed the space it took up in his garage shrine. He

as 1972-stock as possible. I hate it when owners try to make a 911 look like a

could take care of that later.

newer era model, instead of going with what Stuttgart had in mind at the time

Mere details. I had my very own 911, and it actually ran!

of manufacture.

What could possibly go wrong?

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[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : W H AT CO U L D G O W R O N G ]

PHOTOS : CARANDCLASSIC.CO.UKCOM

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

streetlight to the next. Though it was a perfect starlit evening, my wife in the

Volvo behind had the windshield wipers on full tilt because some substance

Even during break in, the thing sounded so great. I was concerned that the oil

that wouldn't wipe off was being aero soled onto it from out of the night

gauge was all over the map, and I wasn't absolutely certain what the dipstick was

ahead.

telling me. But I was driving to work in my very own 911.

Finally, and I admit far too late, I pulled the 911 onto the breakdown lane

Actually, I drove it only once to work. I had a meeting with a client that day, a

and killed the engine. My wife pulled up behind, and it was then that I saw the

major manufacturer of tennis racquets, and I was looking forward to driving the

mist of motor oil-my baby's life's blood- coating the windshield of the Volvo.

Porsche. With one of my account executives as co-pilot, we started out for the

My heart sank even further, as I began pushing the little Porsche along the

client's that afternoon. At perhaps the third red light, the engine died. It started

gravel verge towards a "Scenic Overlook" about a mile ahead. I told my wife

again relatively easily, but a precedent had been established, like a dysfunctional

to go on ahead and we'd meet there. As I trudged along with my shoulder to

relationship with a supermodel who does her level best to embarrass you in

the opened driver's door, a form materialized out of the darkness and began

public.

pushing with me. It's still amazing to me how such a decent soul could have

After the meeting we headed back to the agency. I pulled into a gas station on

appeared like an angel in that hour of need to help me push my burden to

the way to fill her up. As I sat there at the pumps feeling very Steve McQueen,

the sodium-lit oasis of the Scenic Overlook, where my wife sat waiting on the

a fellow in a Ford Taurus across the island yelled something to me. I assumed it

hood of our old wagon, diplomatically saying nothing.

was praise for my coolness, so I asked him to repeat it. He informed me that my

I thanked the young man, and he again disappeared into the night, while we

car was leaking oil. I opened the shiny new driver's door and looked down at the

called a tow service to flat bed my lost angel the rest of her journey, and to call

concrete, which was running black with a small lake of engine oil. I thanked the

PE with the news.

man and, after dumping a quart into the oil tank for safety, proceeded back to the

Several days later, PE called me with the real news: the renovation was

agency. Smoking all the way: something my man PE assured me a certain amount

aborted. All that work, all the lovely blueprinting and Weber-izing and hand

of was normal to the break-in process.

bodywork etc, done in by a lethal combination of my ignorance, a leaking oil

Of course, as a newbie Porschephile, I had no idea what constituted normal.

tank, and an expert who, for reasons I'll never understand, chose to release a

The ingredients for disaster were now in the pot, ready to cook: a squirrelly

patient for break-in with a flaw as lethal for a dry sump engine as a leaking oil

oil pressure gauge, instructions from an expert to "keep the oil level a little low,"

tank. It had come down to a beautiful body with a charred mass of metal where

the daunting task of checking the oil in the outside filler cap, and, the piece de

her flat six heart should be.

resistance, an assurance that a little smoke was normal during break-in. Oh, plus

I was stunned. I'm still stunned. As I went through the sad and pathetic

there's an inexperienced idiot at the wheel.

motions of selling the hulk on to someone who still had the heart for such

In the course of days, even a rank amateur like myself gradually came to realize

an endeavor, several really decent Porsche people approached me to help "re-

that something wasn't right. And so, one warm Springsteen summer evening,

restore" my dream 911 with no profit to them. But it was too late.

followed by my wife in our Volvo wagon, I took my little baby out for one last

The process, and that strange relationship with PE, had taken something away

dance, down the darkened highway to PE's Man Cave to establish what was what.

that I'll never get back. I don't blame him: it was my fault, or the fault of one of

Buzzing, literally, along the dark interstate in the slow lane, I attempted no more

those pre-condemned relationships we all come across in life, where one party's

than 40 mph for the ominous jangle that had replaced the lovely gear symphony

weaknesses perfectly dovetail with the other party's hubris to annihilate the

from the engine bay in recent days. With each mile, the sound grew scarier, and

dreams of the weaker. As Vonnegut would say, “so it goes.”

the power curve weakened further, until I was coaxing it from one lonely pool of

17

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[ LO N E STA R M AG AZ I N E : S I M RAC I N G ]

PCA SIM RACING W R I T E R & P H O T O S : D O U G AT K I N S O N

WHAT IS PCA SIM RACING?

on the service: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, Porsche 911 RSR, and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Computer-based PCA Sim Racing has been active for less

Tracks are licensed and are meticulously detailed like their

than two years, but it has already grown from very humble

real-world counterpart. All tracks are laser-scanned and take

beginnings as a national pilot project in early 2019, before

many months to produce. It’s no secret some HPDE and PCA

advancing to the latest PCA national member benefit in 2020.

Club Racing drivers use iRacing to learn and practice tracks

PCA’s involvement mirrors Porsche’s international activity

they will be competing on. Or tracks they will never have the

in simulation racing and recognized as a viable eSport

pleasure of driving in real life.

within Porsche. So much so that the eSport Champions are

In addition to the racing itself, PCA Sim Racing has some

acknowledged at Porsche’s prestigious Night of Champions

of the best Porsche discussions and debates on tactics, racing

held each year. Porsche recognized very early that sim racing is

hardware, tuning, setups and other popular topics a member will

a viable way to attract new Porsche fans, but it is also a superb

find at other PCA events. Using the Discord communications

way to learn a new track, practice situational awareness in

tool, which is similar to Zoom but with a forum structure

wheel-to-wheel competition, and for those who live in winter

addition, it is where daily discussions are held.

snowbound environments.

All national events are broadcasted by Podium eSports on

Currently, nearly 500 PCA members (active and pending) have

YouTube, Facebook, the iRacing Live network, and other popular

joined the racing fun and camaraderie found typically at all PCA

video media outlets. Since the first broadcast, there have been

events. PCA Sim Racing uses the Internet service iRacing to host

over 150,000 views across the dozens of events.

events in one of the supported and licensed Porsches available

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EDE DRIVER EDUCATION PCA Sim

Racing

holds

where the activity is based on proximity and time zones. Because multi-race

series

with

point

championships in each of its four classes: PCA Challenge, PCA Sport, PCA Club, and PCA Pro. When drivers join PCA

North America spans across multiple time zones, finding a time that works for racers can be daunting. Zone Groups bring areas together. Each Zone Group has coordinators. As a Region in Zone

Sim Racing, they run a few events and participate in the sim

5, Lone Star Region participates in Zone Group 5, 10 & 13.

racing version of PCA HPDE. Known as eDE Driver Education,

LONE STAR REGION INVOLVEMENT

the training program is managed and maintained by many PCA HPDE instructors who also have a passion for PCA Sim Racing.

ZONE GROUPS As mentioned earlier, PCA Sim Racing started with a national “showcase” events. As explained by Jim Hemig, PCA National Director of Marketing and weekly sim racing participant said:

Not surprisingly, Lone Star Region has some prominent involvement In PCA Sim Racing at the Zone Group level. At this time, Lone Star has 12 drivers in the group. They are Christopher Paiz, Adam Golightly, Claus Nielsen, Philippe Oberti, Ken Tubman, Steven Bukoski, Jesse Bobbit, Marc Granoff, Richard Day, Christopher Ramirez, Michael Cassin, and Mike Briggs. Some Lone Star Region former and current officers participate in sim racing.

“Typically PCA activities start out locally and grow to national

Steven Bukoski built a system in 2019 and joined the league

interest and activities. PCA Sim Racing did it the other way

in his Roaring Tigers machinery. Lone Star Region CDI Philippe

around. It had the national exposure from the beginning and is

Oberti is active in both Zone Group and National Series and

now building a strong grassroots to complement the national

Special Events.

showcase events and activities”

Chris Paiz is a Zone Group 5, 10 and 13 chairperson who guides the

The “strong grassroots” is the newest addition to PCA Sim

group. Chris is also the sole PCA Pro driver in our region and scored the

Racing, Zone Groups (ZG). In addition to multiple national series

second win by a Lone Star Region driver. Chris has been a participant in

and special events in 2021, Zone Groups bring PCA Sim Racing

PCA Sim Racing since its beginning in early 2019. Chris won Series 5 events

to the Regional and Zone level. There are five Zone Groups

at Barber Motorsports and Circuit of the Americas.

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Experience the same anxiety on grid

Chris says, “Sim racing gives me a unique opportunity to

blowing on the rig to keep me cool. The lack of G forces is

practice racecraft away from the actual racetrack. I can

a limitation and I’m still adjusting but I’ve been in real cars

experience multiple situations in one night where in real life,

enough that I can mostly feel what’s going on. The first time I

that experience would take a whole season.”

went over a virtual hill and felt the lightness in my gut it was

He continued, “The PCA Sim Series gives PCA members a

very strange. And it’s terrific getting to drive different cars

great opportunity to do performance driving without the risk

and tracks that I would never get to do in the physical world.”

of substantial cost. Tires, fuel, and repair damage is all free!

Ken further commented, “I started all this when my sons

Not to mention, PCA Sim Racing helps new drivers through

took me to Germany to drive Nürburgring as a birthday gift.

the eDE Driver Education program.”

I set up the sim rig then and practiced the track a lot before

The honor of the first race win by a Lone Star Region

going. Part of the way around my first real lap I realized I knew

member goes to Ken Tubman. Ken took the win in Series 5 at

the track, not just the upcoming corner but multiple corners

the Mosport event.

ahead. Even the bumps were familiar. It was amazing."

Ken is very energetic about his PCA Sim Racing experiences.

Another great thing about PCA Sim Racing is the low cost

He says, “Incidents are never the objective, but they often

of “repairs”, “tires”, “fuel” etc. Fixing repairs and changing tires

lead to new friendships. There are a few people I am always

with the push of a button is much cheaper and easier than

around in the races. That means we sometimes rub paint, or

real life!

worse. One has taken me out a few times. We always go back and forth in Discord after the races and talk about incidents.

WHAT'S AHEAD

I’ve never met him in person, but I feel like it’s the start of

In 2021 PCA Sim Racing will hold Zone Group racing

a friendship. There are a number of people I’ve talked with.

through February that culminates in runoffs for winners

Yes, I should have fewer incidents! You get to know people

in the Zone Groups. There will be two national Series.

through racing and side conversations. PCA Sim Racers are a

Series 6 will feature the GT3 Cup car and Series 7

great group—very polite and very friendly."

will (probably) feature the RSR. There will be a teams

Continuing, “The racing itself is very realistic. The maneuvering, the passing, the trade-off of battling for position

endurance series starting in January along with multiple

and giving up time, etc. is quite authentic. It’s really a lot of

Special Events planned.

The PCA Sim Racing tagline says it well: They’re not real

fun. Using a virtual reality headset makes it very immersive for me. I get up from a long race and I am tired. I need a fan

cars, but it is real racing™ –And it is.

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at the start of a race as in real life.

— STEVEN BUKOSKI

If it all sounds interesting, please join us.

The reference links below will get you started.

PCA Sim Racing website https://pcasimracing.com YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/pcasimracing Getting Started / Signing-up https://pcasimracing.com/getting-started eDE Driver Education https://pcasimracing.com/ede iRacing Service https://iracing.com Discord https://pcasimracing.com/joining-our-discord-server In the next article, I’ll address the equipment needed to start racing.

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Want to stay up-to-date on all the latest PCA and Porsche news?

Subscribe to the club’s weekly email newsletter, e-Brake News, which includes news articles, exclusive stories, and video from all over the internet. e-Brake News has a bit of everything, from tech to road tests to motorsports — and you don’t have to be a PCA member to subscribe! Every Tuesday evening, e-Brake will have the latest on PCA National events and club programs and entertaining, informative content.

SIGN UP TODAY AND VIEW PAST EDITIONS: pca.org/e-brake-news

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LSRPCA EVENT CALENDAR Our club hosts a number of fun and engaging events.

If you’ve never been to one of our events, come out and say howdy and more importantly—DRIVE! You can always see what is happening in real time by checking out LSRPCA.COM Register for all events at clubregistration.net

[GTG] CENTRAL

[HPDE] HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER’S EDUCATION / SCHNELL FEST

First Saturday of the Month Time: 8:30 am - 10:30 am Location: King’s BierHaus 2044 E. TC Jester Blvd.

Houston, TX 77008

Location: Circuit of The Americas (COTA) Dates: Feb 26-28, 2021 *Advanced Solo HPDE and PCA Club Race

[HPDE] HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER’S EDUCATION

[GTG] NORTHWEST

Third Saturday of the Month Time: 8:30 am - 10:00 am Location: French Press Coffee House 13126 FM 1960 Road West Houston, TX 77065

Location: MSR Houston Dates: March 20-21, 2021

[HPDE] HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER’S EDUCATION Location: MSR Houston Dates: May 1-2, 2021

[GTG] SOUTHWEST

Third Saturday of the Month Time: 8:30 am - 10:30 am Location: Starbucks 18802 University Blvd Sugar Land, TX 77479

[AX] AUTO CROSS

Feb 21: Houston Chapter BMWCCA Mar 14: Lone Star Region PCA Apr 25: Houston Chapter BMWCCA May 23: Houston Chapter BMWCCA Jun 20: Lone Star Region PCA

[GTG] NORTH

Fourth Saturday of the Month Time: 8:30 am - 10:00 am Location: Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen 4526 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381

Special Section

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