February Tour Articles

2023 Tour & Rally Schedule

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee has 15 events on its 2023 calendar. The dates and events listed here are subject to change. Registration for most events will open 2 to 3 weeks before their scheduled dates. Log on to your account at www.motorsportreg.com to sign up. (Ver. 02, 02/03/2023)

March 26 (1) Tour & TSD Rally School, with rally, tour co-chairs and guest rally master Bob Rassa

April 15-16 (2) Delmarva Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

April 29 (3) Drive to Porsche Swap Meet in Carlisle, PA, tour master Rich Ehrlich

May 6 (4) Eastern Shore Tour, guest tour master Tom Divilio

June 4 (5) Tour TBD, guest tour master Ron Farb

June 25 (6) Drive to the Bay Tour, guest tour master Hank Lucas

July 16 (7) Ice Cream Tour and Food Drive, guest tour master Steve Graham

Aug. 6 (8) Air & Space Ice Cream Tour, tour master Rich Ehrlich

Aug. 27 (9) Tour TBD, guest tour master Ron Farb

Sept. 16 or 23 (10) Chesapeake Challenge Gimmick Rally, rally masters Aniano Arao & Rich Ehrlich

Oct. 1 (11) Off-Road Tour, guest tour master Jim Hemig

Oct. 22 (12) Fall Colors Tour #1, tour master Rich Ehrlich

Oct. 29 (13) Fall Colors Tour #2, tour master Aniano Arao

Nov. 5 (14) Fall Colors Tour #3, tour master Aniano Arao

Dec. 3 (15) “Kindertime & Linda’s Legacy” Tour, tour master Rich Ehrlich

Check www.pcachs.org, Patter, www.motorsportreg.com and the events’ eBlasts for details and updates. Send questions to tour@pcachs.org

Aniano Arao & Rich Ehrlich

Co-Chairs, Tour & Rally Committee

Allegheny Mountain Tour

I had already planned to create a tour based around Ron Farb route instructions from the Flight 93 Memorial Tour from September 2021; “However, I strongly recommend taking PA-30 East and then weaving your way to PA-26 South in Everett PA. This road is FANTASTIC…”. Little did I realize where this advice was going to take me.

By:RichEhrlich

After following Ron’s advice, and driving home down PA-26, I knew I had to make a tour featuring this road. In the planning process I also became a Tour and Rally Co-Chair with Aniano Arao. Talk about having a tough standard to live up to.

Planning a tour seems very easy to do: find a start point, make a cool, twisty route, and find an end point. Well, it’s that middle part that gets tricky. But even the start and end points can be challenging. Finding a start point that is not already a haul for the attendees, but also doesn’t make the route longer than it needs to be is not always straight forward. Given that I was covering the same general area as Ron’s tour did make it easy. I used the same start point.

The middle part was really the tricky bit. I went through at least four versions of the first stage. In one version, we had a ¾ mile drive on a paved road that was just over one lane wide. The problem was is that it went between two working farms and was covered in mud and dirt. Another version was just too long of a drive. But, several Google

The turn onto Dry Run Road from MD-

Map reviews, and a few reconnaissance drives sorted out a good route without too many complicated parts.

Well, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about one certain turn on the route, the turn from MD-494 onto Dry Run Road in Clear Spring, MD (instruction #24 if you are keeping score). Given how easy this turn was to miss, as I missed it at least three times, I tried to find a way around it to no avail. Between the distance from the last instruction, and the fact that I think I tended to focus on the curve of the road, I got distracted. Thank goodness I had my wife Kathy as my navigator, as she sternly reminded me about the turn.

Finding a mid-tour stop was also a challenge. Not only are there not an overwhelming number of restaurants in the general area but finding one that meets the needs of a PCA tour, like good parking, big enough for the group, and most importantly, good food, is not simple. Fortunately, Jimmy Joy’s Log Cabin Inn came through with flying colors.

The route for PA-26 was straightforward, I don’t think there is much to improve on that part. The end at the Bell Grove Grocery and Exxon was a great location as it has gas, restrooms, and was near the highway. Of course, it had the added surprise benefit of ice cream.

The day of the tour finally came, and I was excited to be the Tour master for my first tour. One of the hardest jobs, identifying people to be lead drivers, was done (thank you to all our lead drivers!), I had my driver’s meetings notes set to go, and Kathy and I were on our way. Then, disaster struck.

Just as we pulled into the shopping center we were starting from, the on in my 2009 Cayman. It seemed to run ok, but now I was afraid I wouldn own tour. Mark Miller came to my rescue, he ran my car over to a nearby auto parts store, and an OBD reader determined it was an ignition coil, so I was going to be able to drive. Ron also helped keep me on track and overcome my distraction in worrying about my car. I also can’t forget to thank Kathy again for her great photographs and her support.

The rest of the tour went very well. Jimmy Joy’s has good food, and honestly, PA26 is one of the best driving roads in the area. One of the hidden features of this tour was the old Amoco sign, and a really cool

If all goes well, this same route will be used for the first Fall Colors Tour on October 22, 2023.

stone underpass. Plus, how can you go wrong when at the end of a tour you can get ice cream? I know I had a good time, and many of the participants seemed to have enjoyed it.

For the record, the car needed all the ignition coils replaced. But, with 90,000 miles, it was not a surprise. (Ed: yes, ignition coils should be replaced at least every other spark plug change, which is 4 years or 40K for a 987 Cay-

A few general observations for the upcoming Tour and Rally season:

I managed to secure a discount code for the Scenic app that I have been using to plan and run the tours, watch the Patter for the code and an introduction to navigation by Scenic

2022 Tours: Looking Back

By:ArianoArao

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee held 13 events last year. The Eastern Shore Tour to the Suicide Bridge, above, was the first one. The April 10th drive was conceived, planned and led by guest tour master Tom Divilio. His 54-mile route took us on some of the most enjoyable and scenic back roads on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. A total of 72 people in 39 cars took part. Most attendees joined the lunch at our destination, the Suicide Bridge Restaurant in Hurlock.

Next came the Drive to the Porsche Swap Meet on April 30th, above. For many years, this huge event had been held in Hershey by PCA’s Central Pennsylvania Region. Last year’s 45th meet was only the second one held in Carlisle. Many Chesapeake members usually go to this annual gathering on their own, especially those who have Porsche vehicles, parts or merchandise to sell or swap. Only 19 members in 12 cars joined our drive last year. We used the same route I created for the 2021 drive.

We usually hold at least one driving tour each year on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Last year we held two. Our May 15th Delmarva Tour was the second one. It marked the first time any of our driving events took us all the way to Delaware. The 92-mile route I created started from the Queenstown Premium Outlets in Queenstown, MD, and ended at our lunch destination, Thompson Island Brewing Co. in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Rainy weather on the tour’s original May 8th date prompted us to reschedule to our May 15th rain date. This event, our third in 2022, was dogged by rainy forecasts and inclement weather from early May until almost the time we assembled on the 15th. The result was that our roster and turnout were reduced to way less than half. The 19 brave souls, above, who showed up in 11 cars were rewarded with dry weather and dry conditions, an enjoyable time on back roads with minimal to nonexistent vehicular traffic, and fairly scenic surroundings, as well as a great lunch. The clouds were kind enough to disappear and to let the sunshine through by the time we reached the restaurant.

We usually divide the cars in a tour into groups of 8 to 12 each, for easier and safer caravan management. Last year’s fourth tour was unique in that its three groups had separate assembly times – 8:15, 9:00 and 9:45 AM – and their own drivers’ meetings 15 minutes later, the first one of which is shown in the photo above.

The June 5th Nike Missile Base / Linganore Tour was conceived and planned by guest tour master and PCA Chesapeake President Ron Farb. It was a reprise of his 2021 event. The group departures had to be staggered because the guided tour of the buildings and silos of the Cold War era missile base could accommodate only 20 people at a time. The route from the Ellicott City assembly point to the missile base and then to the lunch venue – Linganore Wine Cellars – was made up of delightful Howard County and Frederick County back roads. The event attracted 55 people in 30 cars. I presided over all three drivers’ meetings but could not join the tour because of a problem with my left foot.

The ice cream tours of Steve Graham are always among our most popular events. That’s because the former Tour & Rally Committee co-chair and former executive vice president of PCA Chesapeake never fails to deliver a wonderful summer treat – usually two of them. His first tour and the committee’s fifth event last year was the double-barreled Ice Cream Tour and Food Drive on July 10th (see photo above). We held it in conjunction with the Community Service Committee, chaired then by Dan White. All 70 attendees in 35 cars donated food stuff and other essential items in lieu of paying the $5 per person registration fee – a brilliant idea hatched by Ron. Dan later said that he had never collected as many donations, and never so easily, in all the years of his involvement in charity campaigns. Dan loaded the donated goods into his SUV and a friend’s pickup truck at the Sparks assembly point. They then delivered them on the same afternoon to the Anne Arundel County charity Sarah’s House, which serves families experiencing homelessness. The tour participants, in the meantime, proceeded on a 59-mile route through northern Baltimore County and Harford County. Their destination was Keyes Creamery in Havre de Grace, one of the 10 stops in Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail

My fellow Tour & Rally Committee co-chair, Rich Ehrlich, planned, organized and ran his first PCA Chesapeake tour on July 24th, the committee’s sixth event in 2022. It was a huge success, as the photo above shows. Rich’s Allegheny Mountain Tour attracted 52 people in 33 cars. The 61-mile Stage 1 started from Frederick and ended at Jimmy Joy’s Log Cabin Inn in Hancock, MD, where everybody had lunch. The 72-mile Stage 2 started from there, went through wonderful roads in southwestern Pennsylvania and concluded at a gas station in Little Orleans, MD. The attendees had a long and thoroughly enjoyable day. Unfortunately, my wife and I were unable to join the fun because we had health problems during the weekend of Rich’s tour. Rich managed the whole event superbly. He will be putting together and overseeing more tours this year.

Guest tour master Steve Graham’s Ice Cream Tour No. 2 was almost as popular as the earlier one he had offered to club members. The Aug. 13th event, the committee’s seventh, attracted 50 people in 26 cars, shown above. Steve’s 42-mile route featured some of the most delightful roads in Frederick County. It started from Middletown and ended at Rocky Point Creamery in Tuscarora. Like Keyes, Rocky Point is one of the 10 stops in Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail.

For the committee’s eighth and his second tour last year, guest tour master Ron Farb, shown above, took 48 people in 27 cars on an awesome 68-mile route through Howard County and Frederick

County on Aug. 28th. His Bavarian Inn Tour’s 35-mile Stage 1 started from Ellicott City and stopped for a restroom break at the Royal Farms in Urbana. The 33-mile Stage 2 passed the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg and concluded across the Potomac River at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, WV, where most of us had lunch.

Our ninth event last year was the Drive to the Bay Tour of guest tour master Hank Lucas. The Sept. 24th route consisted of some of the most delightful and scenic roads in Anne Arundel County and Calvert County. This event was a modified version of Hank’s 2021 “Safeway to the Bay Tour.” It drew a strong turnout of 49 people in 27 cars.

After the two-hour, 91-mile drive, most attendees joined the group lunch at Edgewater’s Old Stein Inn. A “People’s Choice Contest” was held after the tour participants had consumed their dessert. They had a chance to vote for their favorite among the Porsches driven in the tour, as well as their favorite among the Porsche scale models that a few attendees remembered to bring.

In the photo above, John and Tilo Owsley’s 2014 50th Anniversary 911 came in second in the People’s Choice Contest, losing by just one vote.

During our “Oktoberfest Trifecta: Tour, Car Show & Lunch” on Sept. 29, 2018, Steve and Joan Wood’s Aqua Blue Metallic 2010 GT3 (997.2) won the People’s Choice Award. Four years later, on Sept. 24, 2022, their car won the coveted honor again, shown above. And, coincidentally, both victories occurred at the same venue, the Old Stein Inn.

In the People’s Choice Contest for scale-model Porsches, Donna Brandt’s 1:18 replica of her Irish Green 1968 911 Targa was the runaway winner, above. Unfortunately, Donna drove her black 993 in the tour instead of her immaculate, concourscondition Targa.

The event chairman’s Family of the Tour Award went to the Richburgs – Ethan, Ava, Logan and their father, Mark, above. Their plan had been to peel away midway through the tour and proceed to a children’s camp, but the young Richburgs enjoyed the drive so much that they unanimously urged their father to skip the camp and, instead, to stay in the tour until the end, and then to join the group lunch. Moreover, they told their dad that, now, they all want to learn how to drive. Future PCA members! Won over by Hank’s wonderful tour route and Mark’s masterful driving of his Midnight Blue 911 Carrera 4S (992).

As guest tour masters, Hank, Ron, Steve and Tom did a great job planning, designing and leading their respective tours. We will again be enjoying tours from them this year.

Our 10th event last year was a Gimmick Rally on Oct. 23rd, during the 53rd running of the Chesapeake Challenge, our region’s premier gathering. It started from and concluded at the venue of CC 53, Kurtz’s Beach in Anne Arundel County. A total of 58 drivers and navigators took part in 29 Porsches.

Over the years, we have made it a point to make each of our rallies totally different from each other. So last year’s competition was another unconventional offering from us. I assured the rally participants that the general instructions might sound complicated, but that the gimmicks and the two questionnaires themselves were simple. I added that they needed to go through the rules’ complexity in order to reach and enjoy the contest’s simplicity. (Details are presented in my article on the gimmick rally in the November 2022 issue of Patter.)

I had no idea how the participants would find the highly unconventional rally I had created for them. Upon reaching the finish line, most of them told me they had fun and enjoyed the gimmicks. The positive feedback was very gratifying and was a pleasant surprise.

Jim Earlbeck and Steve Groh kindly helped with the staging of the rally cars, as shown in the photo above. Their assistance made my launching of the cars go smoothly.

Rich and Kris Townsend also kindly volunteered to help me score the participants’ questionnaires (see photo above). Their assistance was crucial and much appreciated. Without their awesome help, I wouldn’t have been able to come up with the results in time for the presentation of the awards after dinner, which we barely had time for.

Holding their trophies: Manny Alban and Bob Gutjahr finished second, while David Dukehart and his better half, Atena Rosak, won the top prize in the CC53 Gimmick Rally (see photo). Steve and Kelly Russo came in third, but they had left Kurtz’s Beach before dinner.

Our 11th event last year was my West Virginia Fall Colors Tour on Oct. 30th. A total of 51 people in 27 cars took part. We drove on scenic back roads from Middletown, MD, to Berkeley Springs, WV, in the morning. After lunch at Canary Grill, we drove some more in the afternoon on the delightfully

twisty roads between Berkeley Springs and Paw Paw, and then back to Canary Grill. We ended the tour by having some ice cream in Middletown at the South Mountain Creamery, one of the 10 stops in Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail

Our second fall colors drive and 12th event in 2022 was my Catoctin Mountain Fall Colors Tour on Nov. 6th. With 78 people in 45 cars, this afternoon tour was our biggest event of the year, in terms of turnout. We started from Reisterstown, had a restroom break in Thurmont and concluded the tour in Middletown. The 77 -mile route took us on some of the most enjoyable back roads of Baltimore County, Carroll County and Frederick County.

PCA Chesapeake’s annual “Kindertime and Linda’s Legacy” Tour – in support of the charity campaigns to collect toys for Baltimore’s disadvantaged children and winter necessities for the city’s homeless – was our 13th and final event of 2022. The charity gathering was hosted by Porsche Towson and its general manager, Steve Postol. Steve kindly provided snacks and beverages during the morning event.

Afterwards, 32 event attendees in 17 cars joined a 28-mile scenic drive from Towson through Northern Baltimore County. The destination was Carrabba’s in Hunt Valley, where most of the participants had lunch, as shown in Rich’s photo above. I designed the route and arranged the lunch but was out of town. Rich kindly led the tour.

Altogether, our single gimmick rally and 12 driving tours attracted 652 attendees in 358 cars. These numbers represented about 85 percent of total registrations, which meant that our combined no-show and cancellation rate was about 15 percent.

Our provisional 2023 Tour & Rally Schedule is now available in this issue of Patter. We look forward to seeing you in our 15 events this year.

Thanks,

Aniano