PCA Chesapeake Region Patter - June 2024 Vol 65, Issue 6

Porsche Patter

Chesapeake Region

Events Calendar/Editors Message

Month Day Event

June 1st

Autocross #2

Meeting Venue

Bowie, MD

2nd Tour: Linganore Winery Ellicott City, MD

9th-15th National: Porsche Parade 68 Birmingham, AL

18th Social Dinner: Bushel & a Peck Clarksville, MD

23rd Tour: Mason-Dixon Line Owing Mills, MD

29th New Member Party: PHV Hunt Valley, MD

July 6th

Autocross #3

7th Tour: Solomon’s Island Run

13th Tech Session: TPC (tentative)

Bowie, MD

Annapolis, MD

Jessup, MD

16th Social Dinner: TBD TBD, MD

20th Tour: Ice Cream TBD, MD

27th Tech: Garage Crawl, WS&S, Lunch Westminster, MD

28th Autocross #4 Bowie, MD

Editors Message: Looks like we are past the rainy weekends and now in the warm dryer top down driving weather. I know a lot of people enjoyed the Linganore tour that just happened Sunday, you probably saw the photos on our social media.

The last issue was photo intensive, but lacking reading material. We have a tech article by Mark Miller and the return of Greg Hartke’s Autocross journal this month that I hope you find interesting.

As you can see above, we have a lot of great tours coming up. Mason-Dixon is a favorite of mine and was last run back in 2019. The Solomon’s Island Run is brand new and what a destination to have lunch and spend the afternoon!

Have an article idea, member profile, for sale ad or business ad, shoot me an email editor@pcachs.org to get started.

Best Regards,

James B Beavan III

For the latest events and news follow us! Porsche Club of America - Chesapeake Region | Facebook Chesapeake Region PCA (@chesapeakepca) • Instagram photos and videos

Chesapeake Region

Inside This Month!

Pg 2. Events Calendar: June 2024 - July 2024

Pg 2. Editors Message

Pg 4. Chesapeake Board Members

Pg 5. Advertisers Corner

Pg 8 & 9. Membership Figures & Anniversaries

Pg 10. Presidents Message

Pg 14. Tour & Rally Schedule

Pg 16. Socials in Review

Pg 22. Member Profile: Thomas & Amanda Mason

Pg 28. Tech: Dash Camera's

Pg 34. For Sale By Members

Pg 38. Tour: Safeway to the Bay & Food Drive

Pg 42. Sebring Hates Me...by Pedro Bonilla

Pg 48. Stuttgart Market Letter by David Whitlock

Pg 54. Autocross Spring Review

Front Cover photo: Autocross Event by Tom Zdanowicz

The Porsche Patter is the official newsletter of the Chesapeake Region PCA. Contributions to Porsche Patter should be sent by the 25th of the month preceding in Microsoft Word format to editor@pcachs.org. Please send high resolution images. Editor/Publisher: James B Beavan III; Contributing Photographers: James B Beavan III, Pedro Bonilla, Aniano Arao, Steve & Marsha Buss, Jim McKee, Greg Hartke, Mark Miller, Tom Zdanowicz. Contributing Writers: James B Beavan III, Steve & Marsha Buss, Aniano Arao, Mark Miller, Greg Hartke, Pedro Bonilla, David Whitlock. Advertising: For questions about advertising rates and placement in the Porsche Patter, please contact editor@pcachs.org. Unless otherwise reserved, permission is granted to reproduce material published, provided full credit is given to the Porsche Patter and to the respective author. Subscriptions: join Porsche Club of America www.pca.org. The Porsche Patter is published monthly by the Chesapeake Region, PCA. Subscription is limited to members of the Chesapeake Region, PCA.

Chesapeake Region

PCA CHS Board Members

President Steve Buss

president@pcachs.org

Vice President Mark Miller vicepresident@pcachs.org

Treasurer Andy Powell treasurer@pcachs.org

Secretary Ken Wilmers secretary@pcachs.org

Executive Vice President

Autocross Committee

Chesapeake Challenge Committee

Chief Driving Instructor

Community Service

Concours d’Elegance

Historian

Steve Wood executivevicepresident@pcachs.org

Greg Hartke, Mark Hubley autocross@pcachs.org

Stacy Hawver, Tracey Jennings, Jen Kocsan chesapeakechallenge@pcachs.org

Ellen Beck instructor@pcachs.org

Dan McNally communityservice@pcachs.org

Paul Koenigsmark, Phil Andrews concours@pcachs.org

Bob Rassa historian@pcachs.org

Insurance Wayne Nelms insurance@pcachs.org

Membership

Motorsportreg Registrar

Newsletter: Porsche Patter

PCA License

PCA Zone 2 Rep

Rob Carter membership@pcachs.org

Marsha Buss msregistrar@pcachs.org

James B Beavan III editor@pcachs.org

Laurie & Bruce Tarsia pcalicenseplates@pcachs.org

Phil Grandfield zonerep@pcachs.org

Photography Committee Jim McKee, Ryan Boxler photography@pcachs.org

Publicity: Facebook/Instagram

Safety Chair

Social Committee

James B Beavan III publicity@pcachs.org

John Jensen safetychair@pcachs.org

Thomas & Amanda Mason social@pcachs.org

Sunshine Committee Doug Ehmann sunshine@pcachs.org

Tech Committee

Tour/Rally Committee

Jim Earlbeck, Randy Richter, Rick Hawver tech@pcachs.org

Aniano Arao, Rich Ehrlich tour@pcachs.org; rally@pcachs.org

Webmaster Henry Becker webmaster@pcachs.org

Chesapeake Region

Advertisers Corner

Business Name & Address

Pedro's Garage

Contact Number & Website

954-385-0330 15245 Sevares Ct. Odessa, FL 33556 https://pedrosgarage.com/

Porsche Annapolis

866-982-9002 20 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

https://www.porscheannapolis.com/

Porsche Hunt Valley

667-275-4886 10260 York Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030 https://www.porschehuntvalley.com/

Porsche Owings Mills 11309 Reisterstown Rd, Owings Mills, MD 21117

443-541-4630 https://www.porscheowingsmills.com/

Porsche Silver Spring

877-839-3940 3131 Automobile Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20904 https://www.porschesilverspring.com/

PSA Insurance & Financial Services

443-798-7306

11311 McCormick Rd., Suite 500, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 https://www.psafinancial.com/profiles/lee-rock-cpcucic/

Reflected Images

130 Industry Ln., Forest Hill, MD 21050

Rooftop Designs/Top Baths

410-910-9647

https://reflectedimages.net/

877-477-3607 11601 Edmonston Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705 https://rooftopdesigns.net/ https://topbaths.net

Westminster Speed and Sound

410-857-5300

202 Pennsylvania Ave, Westminster, MD 21157 https://www.westminsterspeed.com/

Yanks Auto Detailing

443-865-6337 Falls Rd, Hampstead, MD 21074 https://www.yanksautodetail.com/

Conrey Construction (800) 640-0066

Fax: (410) 442-1444

Email: conreyconstruction@gmail.com

443-286-2225 Conrey Construction Company

Roofing, Siding, Replacement Window Contractor Maryland (conrey-construction.com)

Chesapeake Region

Membership Numbers

By: Rob Carter

CommitteeChairReport:CHSRegionMembership-May2024

Primary Members: 1238

Affiliate Members: 645

NewMembers (13)

Name

Marcus E. Glenn

Harvey Chambers

Oliver Lippman

Christopher & Danielle Sokol

Stanley Williams

Oluwaseun O. Balogun

Troy Brijbasi

Jason & Lurine Jackson

Michael C Myronuk

Robert Petty

Life Members: 2

Total Members: 1885

City, State

Ellicott City, MD 2019 Macan

Jessup, MD 2022 Taycan 4S

Baltimore, MD 2007 911 Turbo

Clifton, VA 2003 911 Carrera

Essex, MD 2015 Panamera GTS

Columbia, MD 2017 718 Boxster S

Baltimore, MD 2004 Boxster S

Severn, MD 2007 Cayman S

Cockeysville, MD 2009 Cayenne GTS

Annapolis, MD 2019 Cayenne

Sean & Casey Osenburg Fallston, MD 2022 718 Spyder

Lewis H. Weaver Columbia, MD 2019 Panamera GTS

Joanne Laguana Columbia, MD

Transfer In: 4 (2 from Potomac, 1 from Motor-Stadt, 1 from California Inland )

Test Drive Participants: (3)

Transfer Out: 1 (1 to Palm Springs)

https://pcachs.org/

Chesapeake Region

Member Anniversaries

ANNIVERSARIES

30 Years

Bob Miller & Gabrielle Von Rabenstein

John & Frances Wolfe

25 Years

Todd & Lisa Bernard

15 Years

Michael & Leslie Rafferty

Justin Howard

10 Years

Robert & Linda Frazee

5 Years

Ronald Sheff

Donald Kagle

Andre & Nina Bonaparte

1 Year

Steve St. Claire

Gordon Long

James Genus

Gabriella & Lauren RiffleGonzales

Manu Kuppalli

John Crowder

Thabata DePaola

Alex Maydanich

Sunil Patel

Jon Van Buren

Brian Kaplan

By: Rob Carter

Chesapeake Region

Presidents Message

President’s Message June 2024

By: Steve Buss

Well, we have moved into the unofficial start of Summer and we have a full calendar of events to enjoy! Hopefully it will stop raining on weekends.

Unfortunately the Poker Rally and Family Picnic were casualties to the stormy weather. Guest Tour Master Marsha Buss was disappointed as she had a wonderfully historic urban route planned that ended at Patapsco State Park for the family picnic. Meilyng and the Social Committee had the family event planned and ready to go but alas, Mother Nature did not cooperate. I sure would like to do more family events, so we’ll see where we can shoehorn some into the schedule.

Porsche Parade starts on June 9th and many members are heading down to Birmingham for all the fun and excitement. Good luck to all our members registered for the numerous competitive events. Safe travels to the caravan of Pcars driving down to Alabama.

I am very pleased about the tremendous growth we have experienced this year. A big shout out to the 103 new members who have joined us this year. Welcome and I hope you will join us at Porsche Hunt Valley on June 29th for our New Member Party. There will be food and drinks and a raffle for cool PCA swag. Afterwards there will be a Tech Session presented by Porsche Hunt Valley. Tech Sessions are great opportunities to meet fellow PCA members and talk cars, experiences and whatever comes to mind. Please get involved. I expect you will have an enjoyable experience and find many opportunities to participate and socialize and drive! It’s not just the Cars, it’s the People.

Although unable to attend, I heard Autocross #1 was a resounding success. Although the day began with rain, it stopped during the first heat and continued to improve throughout the day. All rac-

Chesapeake Region

Presidents Message

ers got six heats in, on what I was told, a very enjoyable race course.

By: Steve Buss

The Monkton Garage Crawl was an absolutely amazing event. Thanks to everyone who helped organize and direct the traffic flow. Thanks to the drivers who brought their 4 door cars in an effort to allow more members to view the collections. And a huge thank you to the garage owners who opened up their homes for us. Fantastic event! Then add a Social brunch at Inverness Brewery and it was certainly the perfect Trifecta.

There are many opportunities to volunteer, make new friends and meet new members. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events so we can discuss how you can contribute to our successes.

Thanks to all of you for making Chesapeake Region so much fun!

It is the cars that bring us together, but it is the people that make it special.

Steve

Chesapeake Region

2024 Tour & Rally Schedule!

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee is planning to hold 18 events in 2024, plus one joint event with PCA Potomac. The dates and events listed here are provisional and subject to change. Registration will open 2 to 3 weeks before the events’ scheduled dates. To sign up, PCA members have to log on to their MotorsportReg accounts at www.motorsportreg.com. (Ver. 13, 05/29/2024)

April 7 (1) Tour & Rally School by Steve Graham, Bob Rassa, Aniano Arao, 18 people, 12 cars

April 14 (2) Eastern Shore Tour, guest tour master Tom Divilio, 89 people, 49 cars

April 27 (3) Drive to Porsche Swap Meet in Carlisle, tour master Rich Ehrlich, 23 people, 15 cars

May 5 (4) Cinco de Mayo Poker Rally & Picnic, guest rally master Marsha Buss, canceled/rain

May 19 (5) Safeway to the Bay Tour & Charity, guest tour master Hank Lucas, 65 people, 35 cars

June 2 (6) Linganore Winecellars Tour, Howard/Frederick counties, guest tour master Ron Farb

June 23 (7) Mason-Dixon Line Tour, Baltimore/York counties, guest tour master Steve Graham

July 7 (8) Solomons Island Run, Arundel and 3 other counties, guest tour master Steve Wood

July 20 (9) Ice Cream Tour, guest tour master Mark Miller

Aug. 3 (10) Potomac Speed-Limit-Sign Rally Presented by Chesapeake, rally master Rich Ehrlich

Aug. 16-18(11) West Virginia Summer Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

Aug. 25 (12) Off-Road Tour, guest tour master Jim Hemig

Sept. 15 (13) Chesapeake Challenge 55 Gimmick Rally, rally master Rich Ehrlich

Sept. 22 (14) Baltimore County Horse Country Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

Oct. 13 (15) Tour of guest tour master Mark Miller

Oct. 27 (16) West Virginia Fall Colors Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

Nov. 3 (17) Barns & Bridges Gimmick Rally, guest rally masters Craig & Linda Davidson

Dec. 7 (18) Kindertime & Linda’s Legacy Tour, tour master Rich Ehrlich

Oct. 26 (00) Joint PCA Potomac-PCA Chesapeake TSD Rally

Check www.pcachs.org, Porsche Patter, www.motorsportreg.com and the events’ e-Blasts for details and updates. Send questions to tour@pcachs.org. – Aniano Arao & Rich Ehrlich, Co-Chairs, Tour & Rally Committee

Chesapeake Region

Crab Feast: August 24th

Join us for the Region’s Traditional Crab Feast at Kemptown Park on August 24th

For the 18th consecutive year, the Chesapeake Region Crab Feast will be held at Kemptown Park in Monrovia, MD on Saturday, August 24thrain or shine! Bring your appetite and your Porsche for a wonderful, relaxing outing with friends and family.

There will be tons of crab, shrimp, burgers, dogs and drinks that the Region will provide - not to mention tables of side dishes and desserts that you will provide. Lighthouse Seafood of New Market will once again be steaming our crabs and jumbo shrimp. We’ll have two pavilions at Kemptown Park, with reserved parking, and we have been assured the lovely breezes that have graced the event in the past will be returning for the 18th repeat of this event! A large playground will keep your young Porsche enthusiasts occupied and a real, honest-to-goodness bathroom with running water will appeal to the most persnickety of crab feast clean freaks.

One of the fun traditions of the Crab Feast is our non-competitive car show where cleanliness and condition have never mattered for cars to receive the attention of the judges. It’s all tongue and cheek- the awards are always fun and unpredictable, and will be based on your Porsche’s unique curb appeal.

This year’s event is once again scheduled on its traditional date the weekend before Labor Day. We’ll start at 3:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM to enjoy the cooler early evening air and breezes.

Registration opens August 1st and closes on August 21st. Registration is $40 for adults, $20 for teens, and as always, the Crab Feast is free for children 12 and under. Please be sure to specify what salad, dessert, or side dish you will bring to the event. Dust off your Crabby Name Badge from prior events, or let us know if you need a new one! Look for an eblast with the registration link, reminders, and details. For crabby questions J, email Ellen at ebeck944@comcast.net

See everyone at Kemptown Park on Saturday, 24 August!

Chesapeake Region

Socials In Review

May Social Events – June 2024 Patter

By Steve Buss, pictures by Jim McKee

Unfortunately our Family Picnic was canceled due to the lousy weather. We hope to plan another family outing later this year. Following the Monkton Garage Crawl, we had over 100 people descend upon Inverness Brewery for our Social lunch. They knew we were coming and set up an extra lunch tent serving pit beef and ham for our hungry group. Thank you Inverness…..we will see you again!

On a beautiful evening we had a tremendous dinner social at Garten restaurant, 48 members attended. Unfortunately we were not able to clear the waitlist this month. Prior to the dinner, Rahul and Hemma opened their home for a social happy hour. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. Thank you very much for your hospitality.

Upcoming events:

The June social dinner will be at Bushel and a Peck in Clarksville on June 18th. Attendance is capped at 50 people and we currently have 45 registered. We also have a lunch social following the Mason-Dixon Line Roller-Coaster Tour at Wyndridge Farm.

Our July Social dinner will be on Tuesday July 16th at a restaurant TBD in Baltimore County. After the Solomon’s Island Run Tour on July 7th the group will split apart for mini lunch socials in the local area.

On July 27th, there will be a Garage Crawl and a Tech Event, followed by a lunch social at Bullocks. There are plenty of spots open for just lunch. We hope to see you at our future events! Our dinner socials are generally on the third Tuesday every month. Breakfast socials are the first Saturday of some months.

We continue to work with Thomas and Amanda Mason to transition the Social Committee responsibilities. Feel free to reach out to them at social@pcachs.org.

Marsha Buss

Bushel and a Peck Social Dinner - June 18

Chesapeake Region

Socials

In Review (cont’

Cars and Beverages before dinner

Chesapeake Region

Socials In Review (cont’d)

Sunshine Member Support

Sunshine Member Support

Do you know a Porsche Club member that could use a little sunshine? Please let us know. TheClubhasestablishedanewSunshineposition. IfyouknowaClubmemberwhois ill,hasahospitalstay,afamilymemberhaspassed,orisfacingsomedifficultorchallengingtimes,wewouldlikesendacardtoletthemknowtheClubisthinkingabout them.

PleasecontactDougEhmannatSunshine@pcachs.org. Thanks!

Chesapeake Region

Member Profile: Thomas & Amanda Mason

By: James B Beavan III

Member Names & Join Date:

Thomas & Amanda Mason 2021

Current Cars, Previous Cars:

2024 Cayman S, 2021 Boxter

Have you served on any Regional or National committees:

This is our first time serving inside of PCA and we’re super excited to have the privilege of stepping into the social chair, so if it goes well, you’re welcome! If it doesn’t go so well Amanda’s phone number is…

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America: When Amanda decides to do something, she’s all in. I believe she signed us up the day she bought her first Porsche.

When it came time to buy a vehicle, what made you choose your Porsche, and is this your first Porsche (if not please detail prior Porsche's):

It was an easy decision, Amanda has always wanted a Porsche to drive cross-country in and how she has one. The next step is to schedule the cross-country drive.

Thomas and I currently have a 2024 Cayman S and previously had a 2021 Boxster. Since I was a young girl living in Los Angeles, I was always enamored with Porsche. It definitely was a life long goal to own a Porsche. I definitely have a car addiction and Thomas is the best enabler. We have owned two early broncos and have one more 77 Bronco in the works.

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events:

My favorite social event was the recent Guinness lunch. That event solidified my desire to serve this group. The only thing better than the location, were the amazing members. I attend plenty of professional networking events and see the look on attendees faces trying to introduce themselves and start a conversation. I have to say our PCACHS socials are warm and inviting, even for first timers and people who may not own a Porsche (yet); I knew I wanted to be a part of this.

What is your favorite PCA memory:

Chesapeake Region

Mason (cont’d)

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a tour, but I remember a few years ago we did a tour out of Annapolis and took some amazing back roads around Arundel County. Our oldest son was with me for that drive. Some might remember I was one of the group leaders and accidentally got the group off track because my son needed a “pit stop”! (Whoops!!). At that time, our family had been living in the county for at least 15 years and we had never been to that area. I wish I could remember where we drive because I want to visit some of those waterfront restaurants we passed.

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members: Getting involved with all that the club has to offer was the big reason we volunteered for the social chair. We have sat on the sidelines for the past few years and only made a couple of events. Now we are becoming more involved, attending events, with some time we will become better equipped to answer the question “What’s your favorite event”.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why: 1956 356 Speedster. The lines of the car are timeless

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc):

Thomas and I are both former military. Thomas was a Navy Diver and I just retired from Air Force after 27 years (with 20 active years spread across Active Duty, Reserves and Air National Guard). Thomas works in residential real estate, with a focus on investment properties. I have been in commercial real estate for approximately five years, with a focus on Security Operations.

Chesapeake Region

Chesapeake Region

Tour: Mason-Dixon Line Roller-Coaster

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee is pleased to offer as its 7th event of the year the Mason-Dixon Line Roller-Coaster Tour on June 23, Sunday. This 90-minute driving tour will take participants through some of the most scenic and delightful roads in northern Baltimore and southern York counties. As usual, guest tour master and former Tour & Rally chair Steve Graham has designed another wonderful route for fellow PCA members to enjoy. The lunch destination will be Wyndridge Farm in Dallastown, PA. The capacity of this event will be limited, in terms of people and cars. So if you are interested in joining this tour, sign up as soon as possible.

ASSEMBLY PLACE AND TIME

Where: The Baltimore County address will be sent via e-mail to confirmed registrants by June 22.

When: 9:00 AM, June 23, Sunday

Drivers’ meeting: 9:30 AM

Departure of first group of cars: 10:00 AM

Lunch destination: Wyndridge Farm, 885 South Pleasant Ave, Dallastown, PA 17313

ETA of first group of cars at restaurant: 11:30 AM

PARTICIPATION

By signing up for and joining any of our driving events, registrants acknowledge and assume all the risks in and full responsibility for their participation. PCA waiver forms must be completed and signed by all, online or on paper. Note that planned events are subject to change, for weather-related or other reasons.

REGISTRATION

Chesapeake Region

Tour: Mason-Dixon (cont’d)

Click on this link to register: msreg.com/24PCACHSmdlt

Log on to your MotorsportReg account at www.MotorsportReg.com

Registration will open at 1 PM on June 1 and close at 1 PM on June 21.

PCA members and their guests must be registered and confirmed to join this event. Drivers must be adult PCA members with a valid driver’s license.

Registration fee $5 per adult; maximum fee $10 per car; minors (17 and younger) free. MotorsportReg charges a $2 booking fee for every registration (not for every person).

Route instructions and other documents will be sent to confirmed registrants via e-mail by June 22. This tour has capacity limits for people and cars.

All interested PCA members should register ASAP. Remember: first-come, first-served.

Registrants who are wait-listed should not give up hope.

Confirmed registrants who can’t make it to the tour should cancel their registrations, so fellow club members who are wait-listed can be accommodated.

Registration-fee refunds will be given if cancellations are done before the registration period closes at 1 PM on June 21.

This tour will be held rain or shine, except in stormy weather or when a flash flood is expected.

QUESTIONS: Send questions to Tour & Rally Committee Co-Chair Aniano Arao at tour@pcachs.org.

Chesapeake Region

Tech Article: Dash Camera’s

By: Mark Miller

Dash cameras are a category that may finally be getting their due in this country. In many countries such as the UK and Canada, the adoption rate for them is infinitely higher. It does seem that as more and more people realize that telling the truth seems to be more optional these days, having video to back up your claims is important. It can prove your innocence while also applying blame to the proper party. Imagine this scenario; you are in an accident with another vehicle. The driver admits fault to you in person, but when you decide to call the police, their story instantly changes. So, imagine the benefit of showing the authorities what really happened BEFORE any tickets are written? It can save you lots of headache, time, and expense. So, let’s explore some different technologies and important things to consider when making a purchase.

Odds are, if you are reading this article, you probably did not buy the optional Porsche unit when ordering your vehicle. So now you have some decisions to make. Do I want a camera with only a forward view, or do I also want a rear facing model as well? Some folks may even want an interior facing camera so it can record someone breaking into their vehicle or assaulting the occupants. If you own a cabrio or newer targa, a rear facing option is probably out as you don’t have a stationary rear window to mount the camera itself. I like to have a rear facing camera, when possible, in case my vehicle is hit from behind. It can often record the tag number of the offending party, assuming they had a front tag installed.

When it comes to price, camera systems can be as low as $19.99 and go into the several hundreddollar range. I can tell you that as of the time of this article being published, quality systems begin in the $300 range before installation. What are the biggest differences? Quality is the first part of the equation. Low dollar units are well made, so reliability can be suspect. The second factory is image quality. The lens makes up a big part of the cost, so cheaper units tend to do a poor job letting you read license plate numbers or other important details. Especially when

Chesapeake Region

Dash Camera’s (cont’d)

it is dark outside. So what good is it to have a dash camera if the images you capture aren’t useable? I think you get the point. Some systems are front only based with options for a rear camera or interior camera.

You also want to buy the largest MicroSD card that the unit can handle AND buy one that is a Class-10 design and good for active use purposes. They are only a little more expensive, but again, if you end up with a corrupted card, you are out of luck.

Some camera models have built in WIFI to allow you to connect to them with an app on your phone. It allows you to change settings and view content. Other models allow you to connect to the vehicle’s hotspot so you can see what is going on live, assuming the camera and WIFI are active at that point.

If the camera doesn’t let you connect to your phone for settings, you often change them using the small touchscreen on the back of the forward-facing camera. Since you will rarely change a setting, this option may be better than you initially think. The really inexpensive units typically require you to use extremely small buttons with no screen and to say it is frustrating would be an understatement.

Once you have decided to buy a dash camera, I highly suggest buying it from the same place that is going to do the install. That way, they can do the initial set up for you and guide you through any operational questions. And should an issue ever come up, it is the same dealer that sold you the unit and performed the labor. Depending on the vehicle, we often allow 2-2.5 hours to install a unit assuming a

Chesapeake Region

Dash Camera’s (cont’d)

rear camera is being utilized.

By: Mark Miller

Finally, my company, Westminster Speed & Sound, has been installing these units since the category began. We have found models from BlackVue, ThinkWare, and Momento to be the best products on the market. Thinkware is probably 90% of our business these days. Please know that this article and any future ones are NOT a sales pitch, but rather, an opportunity for me to share the knowledge I have gained over my 37 years in the vehicle technology business with the fine folks at Chesapeake. I was honored to be a part of the last Tech Tactics Live show at the end of 2021 where dash cameras were a primary topic. Should you have any questions for me, feel free to send me an email at mark@WestminsterSpeed.com.

Chesapeake Region

Another Tech TriFecta?

Well no….that’s already been done so this one is Dreierwette! Its not three garages but rather a combination event for your enjoyment that will be held on July 27th .

A special Garage Crawl will happen before the tech session. Starting at 8:30 am you will get to visit an amazing garage with a cornucopia of fine automotive machinery. The garage crawl will end at 930am to be on our way to the next stop.

At 10:00am we will gather at Westminster Speed & Sound in Westminster, Maryland for one of our summer Tech Sessions. Mark Miller is the owner and an active participate in the Chesapeake Region. For over 30 years now, they have offered custom-installed radar detectors along with portable units. Escort has been the leader in this category for decades now, offering both portable and hidden solutions. Mark has made arrangements to have one of the factory reps from Escort fly in to join us for the session, so you don’t want to miss this one. WSS & Escort will also be giving something away at the event, and you can let your mind chew on that one for a little while.

Westminster Speed & Sound will also be unveiling their new division; Artistry by WSS, and will be giving tours of their new experience center. It is dedicated to designing, fabricating, and installing the finest products available in the automotive aftermarket. Come enjoy a morning with a business celebrating 55 years in the automotive aftermarket.

Join us after the tech session at Westminster Speed & Sound for an optional great lunch at Bullock’s Restaurant. We will gather there at 12:30pm. They have been in business for several decades now and have an on-site bakery and butcher shop. You go up to the counter and order everything from burgers, fresh cut steaks, fried chicken, and their famous soup and salad bar. Their address is

Chesapeake Region

Another Tech TriFecta? (cont’d)

2020 Sykesville Rd, Westminster, MD 21157. You can see their menu by clicking here: https:// www.bullocksrestaurant.net/menu

You can also register for the lunch without attending the tech session. Bullock’s does have a capacity limit, so please register as soon as possible. We went to the same restaurant in 2019 after the last event at WSS and it was well received.

An announcement will be forthcoming for registration. There will be separate registrations for the garage crawl/tech session and the lunch. The tech session/garage crawl will be limited to 35 cars/60 people so pair up. Lunch registration will be limited to 120 people.

Chesapeake Region

For Sale by Members

Soul catted stainless headers for sale

They fit 2020-2024 Boxster/Cayman GTS 4.0 and 20-24 GT4 and Spyder. They were on my 2023 Spyder for 6,000 miles. Retail on them is $5175. I am asking $3,000.

My email is mark@westminsterspeed.com and my cell is 443-970-0644

Mark Miller

Chesapeake Region

For Sale by Members

22” Cayenne Sport Classic wheels (9Y0 - non coupe) with Pirelli Summer tires. Asking $3500

Contact Jesse jsanchez6160@gmail.com or 904 -738-5622

Chesapeake Region

Safeway to the Bay Tour & Food

Drive

By: Aniano Arao

The “Safeway to the Bay Tour and Food Drive” was the fifth driving event of PCA Chesapeake’s Tour and Rally Committee in 2024. This two-hour driving tour took participants through some of the most scenic and enjoyable roads in Anne Arundel and Calvert counties on May 19. As he had done privately and for PCA Chesapeake six times before, guest tour master Hank Lucas again shared his wonderful route with fellow PCA members. It started and ended at a shopping center in Annapolis.

This event was also a food drive for the LindaBen Foundation, a charity that aims to reduce childhood hunger in Howard County, among other goals. For this summer and the coming school year, LindaBen is working with the county’s after-school program to provide healthy snacks for the students.

The club’s per-person registration fee was waived for registrants who pledged to donate healthy food items and other necessities. Practically everyone who signed up for this event did exactly that. They were provided information on what items they could donate.

On the day of the tour, 65 people in 35 cars showed up, about 80 percent of those who registered. The LindaBen Foundation ended up with a good haul of donated goods, which were received by Nora Talevera, who stood in for LindaBen founder Annabelle Beavan.

Chesapeake Region

Safeway to the Bay (cont’d)

I divided the 35 cars in the tour into four groups, which were led by the following couples:

(1) Hank and Ellen Lucas; (2) Steve and Marsha Buss;

(3) Rob and Grace Carter; (4) Aniano and Myrna Arao.

Our thanks go to them for volunteering to lead, to chief photographer Jim McKee and to those who volunteered to serve as group sweepers, namely:

(1) Jonathan and Tibor Mester;

(2) Eric Tipton and Carter Sotkiewicz; (3) Debra Starkey and her children;

(4) Kip and Megan Lusby.

From left: Hank Lucas, James Beavan III, Aniano Arao, LindaBen’s Nora Talevera and Jim Mckee.

Chesapeake Region

Safeway to the Bay (cont’d)

By: Aniano Arao

Chesapeake Region

Safeway to the Bay (cont’d)

Chesapeake Region

Sebring

Hates Me...

By: Pedro Bonilla

... but I love Sebring!

As I start my preparations for the 2021 48 Hours at Sebring (under COVID-19 Protocols), my memory recalls what happened one year ago, on my way to the 2020 48 hours. I’ve said it (in previous articles) and I’ll repeat it here: Sebring hates my car!

If you’ve read my other Sebring-related articles you’ll remember how my car has:

• lost clutch function (slave cylinder gave up the ghost) • had a full coolant leak

• blown out the plastic rear window on the convertible top • blown the engine (lack of lubrication –cylinder 5)

I had convinced myself that I wasn’t being singled out because a bunch of other people also had issues at Sebring.

A wise man once asked: “Do you know why there’s the 24 Hours of LeMans and the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, but only the 12 Hours of Sebring … ‘cause there ain’t a car nor driver that can last 13 at Sebring!

Those things had happened to my car some 10 and 12 years ago. Fast forward to 2020. I’m heading to my favorite track, you guessed it, Sebring. This time not to run but to work.

I am Chair of Tech & Impound for the 48 Hours at Sebring PCA Club Race. My co-Chair and I are responsible for providing support to the National Club Racing Team (Scrutineers and Stewards). We have to organize and run the Tech & Impound which includes, among others running the scales for the racers. In order to do that we arrive early to make sure that all is in order, including the “circus tent” under which we operate.

Having packed the digital scales and all other necessary equipment the night before, I hook up the little track trailer to my Boxster and head down to Sebring. It’s 9:30 AM on Wednesday morning in late January, 2020. A beautiful day if ever there was one. Cool 60ºF weather and not a cloud in the sky.

I stop in my driveway and decide to put the top down. I also don my favorite PedrosGarage orange hat, and finally take off. Traffic is light on SR54 as I make my way east towards I-75. The same is true for I-75 heading south. I quickly come to the speed limit and set the cruise control. All is good, I think to myself, and settle into my comfy, well-worn driver’s seat.

About 10 minutes after, as I run in the leftmost of the three lanes, the car in the center lane, just ahead of me runs over some debris on the road and lifts it in the air. I instinctively raise my right foot and hover it over the brake pedal even though it looked like a harmless piece of cardboard

Chesapeake Region

Sebring (cont’d)

By: Pedro Bonilla

which now flies onto my lane. I hear a loud WHACK! (I guess it’s not a piece of cardboard) but nothing else happens so I relax a bit.

All of the sudden everything goes dark! I can’t see a thing and something hit me VERY hard on top of my head! I feel dazed but the instinctive spatial awareness ingrained by many, many hours on the track tells my brain that it’s OK to get on the brakes and turn left to get off the road. There was no one immediately behind, so I do that, still not being able to see forward.

As I finally come to a stop in the median, I open the door to get out of the car, and I catch a look of my face in the rearview mirror.

The right side of my face is literally covered in blood, which is still flowing but what my brain focuses on is my missing hat. I get out of the car and immediately start looking for my hat. Searching the road toward the north I finally see a speck of orange on the median, next to the guardrail about 150 yards behind and immediately head out to retrieve my hat. I get out there, pick it up but decide not to put it on because of all the blood and head back to the car to figure out what happened and if it’s drivable.

I walk in front of the car and finally realize what has happened. The debris was a piece of 3/16” plywood that first hit my right headlight, breaking it and then lodging itself between the top edge of the front bumper and the hood. At 75 mph it must have moved towards the center and released the security latch and the main latch, sending the hood towards the windshield as if it were a parachute.

The two gas struts did nothing to stop the hood’s movement. They were both sheared in two. When the hood hit the top of the windshield, the protruding 24 inches or so bent it back and that’s what whacked me on the head. The metal Porsche crest was what cut my head (I think). At the same time the two sun visors were smashed as well as the two mesh windscreens inside the roll hoops and the clear windstop between them!

I am convinced that I am here writing about it because 10 years before I had replaced my steel front hood with a carbon fibre one (saved 25 lbs). That’s why it didn’t break the windshield and didn’t crack my skull! I owe my life to carbon fibre!

I start to wonder how am I going to get the car back and then it occurs to me that maybe the carbon fibre can be bent back and maybe the latch can hook. To my surprise, although the structural underside of the hood is mush, the top layer is intact after I straighten it and I managed to close it with a click! Wow!

Now the adrenaline is wearing off and the pain is setting in. I get in my car, find a micro-fiber towel and press it onto my head to try to stop the bleeding. I’m thinking clearer now but my head really hurts.

Chesapeake Region

Sebring (cont’d)

By: Pedro Bonilla

For a moment I think about returning home but quickly come to my senses knowing that there is much to be done and many people depend on me and the equipment I’m bringing to the track. I decide to keep going and look for a walk-in clinic to take care of the head wound.

As I arrive in Bartow I see a Walk-In Clinic, pull in, walk through the glass doors and before I say anything the lady at the counter says: “We can’t treat you here. You need to go to the ER! Should I call 911 for you?” I said: “I just want you to see if I need stitches because I can’t see the top of my head”. They emphatically said that any head trauma needs an ER which will be better equipped.

So, I get back in my car, still holding the bloody towel on my head, and get back on the road, looking for the next ER. I finally get to the town of Sebring and check into the main Hospital to get my head looked at since I was still bleeding.

They check me in, I wait 15-20 minutes and the doctor and nurse come to see me. The doctor checks me out, glues the top of my head together because she says stitches wouldn’t hold and decides to run a CT Scan of my head. They put me in a wheelchair and roll me into the Radiology Suite and run the Scan, then they wheel me back to the ER.

As I’m waiting for the results, the nurse and I chit-chat a bit. I’m anxious to get out of the hospital and she asks where I’m going in such a hurry.

I say: “Sebring!” She then says: “Honey you are at Sebring!” And I say: “I mean the racetrack at Sebring”. She then asked if I was a racer and as I’m about to answer, another nurse opens the curtain and beckons my nurse over. A few minutes later she returns and says: “Honey, I got good news for you: If you’re a racer you don’t need no helmet, ‘cause you’s got a haaaard head! Everything looks good and you can get back on the road.”

After that, I was able to check out and make the short drive over to the track. I get there just as the gates are opening to let the teams in.

Other than a bad headache over the whole event, I was fine. I still have the scar where no hair grows and I think that I probably have the Porsche crest embossed backwards on my head for the rest of my life. People pay a lot of money to get it on their seat’s headrest. I got mine for free!

But, at the time, who knew that this incident would be just the beginning of the infamous year of 2020!

Happy Porsche’ing

Chesapeake Region

Social Dinner: Bushel and a Peck: June 18th

The Bushel and a Peck Kitchen & Bar menu celebrates what grows, swims, and grazes in the Chesapeake watershed. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday night, June 18th at 6:30pm at the Bushel and a Peck Kitchen & Bar located in Clarksville. We will have a PCA selected menu including your choice of appetizers, entrees, and sandwiches with an intense focus on local ingredients. You can view the menu here.

All participants must register for the dinner on www.MotorsportReg.com by June 8th .

Seating is limited to 50 people (you will be placed on the waitlist if the limit is met but may be contacted should anyone cancel and there is availability). There is no registration fee for this event.

WHEN and WHERE

When: June 18, 2024, Tuesday Meeting time: 6:30pm End of social: 8:30pm

Meeting Point: Bushel and a Peck Kitchen & Bar, 12250 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, 410-531-1868

Cost: Members are responsible for their own dinner. Registration is free and required for planning purposes.

PARTICIPATION

Participants must comply with PCA, CDC, state and county guidelines for COVID prevention. By signing up for and joining any of our social events, registrants acknowledge and assume all the risks in and full responsibility for their participation.

REGISTRATION

Log onto your Motorsportreg account or create one at www.MotorsportReg.com

Registration is now open and will close at 1:00pm on Saturday, June 8th. If there are cancellations after this date, we will replace the spots with someone on the waitlist. There is no fee for this event.

QUESTIONS

Send social event related questions to the Social Committee at social@pcachs.org.

By: David K. Whitlock

April 2024 put up some big numbers compared to April 2023 with $42.8 million in sales vs. $29.9 million, thanks to almost 100 more units crossing the block, 55 of which came courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions’ all-Porsche sale held during the Air | Water event at the Orange County Fairgrounds at the end of the month. But big numbers aside, 2024’s Sell-Through Rate has continued to fall short of 2023’s with only 69% of Porsches on offer selling.

The Porsches that hammered at the Broad Arrow sale accounted for 31% of our total dollar volume at $13.4 million. Top sales from the auction included a 457-mile 2015 918 Spyder Weissach finished in $63,000 Liquid Metal Silver paint over a $26,000 Black Full Leather interior with Acid Green accents that sold for $2,865,000. We also saw a 1988 959 Komfort sell for $1,930,000 and a 3,900mile, one-owner, 2005 Carrera GT sell for $1,792,500.

The all-Porsche sale did, however, see a lower than average Sell-Through Rate with only 62% of

By: David K. Whitlock

cars hammering on the block and only a handful selling post-auction. Notable no-sales were a 1996 911 GT2 that failed to sell at a final bid of $1,600,000 and a 1997 RUF BTR Twin that failed to sell at $1,050,000 on the block but found another $100,000 post-sale to get the deal done. Not surprising was the 1969 908/2 Langheck “Flunder” Spyder that failed to sell at $4.2 million as vintage Porsche race cars have struggled at auction over the last few years.

At the newer end of the market, we finally saw a 2023 911 GTS Cabriolet America find a buyer at a final bid of $240,000, which is about MSRP for this limited edition Cab. We also saw a 2024 911 Dakar sell for $360,000 and a 2023 911 Sport Classic sell for $478,000, both on par with comps over the last few months. 718 GT4 RSs, on the other hand, saw a bit of a resurgence with three examples selling in the $236,000-$246,000 range, which is strong compared to a few months ago.

356s struggled in April with only 33% of the twenty-one cars on offer finding homes. The top sale was a 1957 356A 1600 Super Speedster that sold for $362,500 followed by a 1960 356B Roadster at $235,000. The rarest car of the bunch was a 1964 356C Carrera 2 Cabriolet finished in Ruby Red with a Black Reutter hardtop and Black leather interior. It failed to sell at a high bid of $700,000, which is only $35,000 shy of the current asking price online.

Other notable cars to cross the block in April were a 1986 962 IMSA GTP race car campaigned by Dyson Racing during the 1987 IMSA season. With two victories under its belt, it sold all-in at $775,000, a price that seems like a steal for such a storied race car. We also saw a 1993 RS America with only 6,600 miles set a new five-year record at $302,000. An eye-watering sum for a 964, but try to find another in this condition.

Overall, there are some mixed feelings about April’s results. Our Sell-Through Rate keeps trucking along below last year’s while we still see new highs for the crème de la crème. We’ll see what May brings with two catalog sales featuring three Carrera GTs, another 918, and a 959 crossing the block. Until next month.

David K. Whitlock is a writer for The Stuttgart Market Letter, a daily market update for Porschephiles, by Porschephiles, delivered free to your inbox. To sign up, go to: www.stuttgartmarketletter.com

Chesapeake Region

PCA License Plates

What Are PCA License Plates: Chesapeake Region PCA coordinates the purchase of PCA Organizational License Plates issued through the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The PCA License Plate Program promotes the visibility and camaraderie of PCA. PCA Maryland License Plates are pre-numbered Organizational Plates, not vanity plates. PCA License Plates are available for all cars, trucks and minivans, but not for motorcycles or trailers.

Cost: The one-time cost for the PCA License Plates is $40.00, which includes the $25.00 MVA fee and a $15 Chesapeake PCA fundraising fee to support the PCA License Plate Program and Chesapeake Region events.

How To Apply: The only way to apply for PCA Organizational License Plates is to complete the online PCA Maryland License Web Form at https://pcachs.org/pcamaryland-license-plate/ and submit it electronically. Please click on the above link to learn the details and requirements to apply for PCA License Plates.

If you have any questions regarding the purchase of PCA Maryland Organizational License Plates, please contact us at: pcaLicensePlates@pcachs.org. Safe and Happy Motoring.

Requirements: You must be a PCA Member and the car must be registered in Maryland. The PCA Plates are not limited to Porsches. You can apply for PCA plates for all your cars registered in Maryland!

Name and Car Badges!

Now you can obtain your Chesapeake Region Name Badge!

Go to www.pcachs.org and use the “GOODIE STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page. The Name Badge cost is $25, inclusive of handling and shipping.

This is your opportunity to purchase a heavy “gold- plated” Chesapeake Region metal car badge.

Each metal car badge comes complete with stainless steel slotted retaining plate, screws, washers and nuts to mount it through your car grille or separate mounting plate.

You can order right now! The cost per metal car badge is $30 or two for $50, inclusive of handling and shipping.

Here’s how you order your metal car badge: Go to www.pcachs.org and use the “GOODIE STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page and make your payment.

Chesapeake Region

Autocross Re-cap

Words By: Greg Hartke, Photos: Tom Zdanowicz

I somehow managed to miss getting an article written for the last Patter, so this one is going to be a little long as I try to catch up. It’s been a busy period. Besides three autocross events since my last installment (Intro to Autocross, AX#1, and AX#2), Marilyn and I went out to Ohio to view the total solar eclipse on April 8th. The weather was not perfect (we had some high, wispy clouds), but it was good and we were excited to have had the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle.

I started in astronomy when I was knee high to a cricket and have seen everything imaginable (and some things unimaginable to the non-specialist), but though my life-list of astro events is extensive, I’ve never seen a total eclipse. Until now. It’s amazing how much darker the landscape gets during the last seconds before totality and (of course) during totality. Quite surreal. But what’s totally weird during totality is looking up in the sky and seeing a black hole surrounded by a silvery nimbus (the solar corona) where the Sun would be. In addition, there were pinky red solar prominences visible to the naked-eye around the limb of the Moon, which was a distinct bonus. What a scene!

I took one of my telescopes with me and we (quite safely) viewed the eclipse during the partial phases. I also took a few pix through the scope during the partial phases and have included one here to show you what it looked like that day. This picture was taken just before the Moon covered the major sunspot that was visible. You can see the high haze that was present, but it was still a great experience. To add a little PCA flavor, this was the first road trip with Marilyn’s new-to-her 2017 Macan GTS. That certainly made for a fun drive!

The timing for the eclipse (Monday April 8th) was not good at all because the most complex autocross event of the year (Intro to Autocross, aka the AX School) was held the following Saturday, April 13th. There’s always a huge amount of prep work that has to be done for this event and I was basically unable to do anything significant from the preceding Friday thru Tuesday when we got back home. Of course, I got done what I could before and during the trip, but there’s always a lot to do that can’t be done until right before the event. The good news is that everything worked out just fine!

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

What makes this event especially difficult is trying to coordinate Instructors for the Students. The registration is capped at 36 and it filled early with an extensive waitlist. Thirty-six Students meant we needed 18 Instructors. Ideally, Co-chair Mark Hubley and I are held back and don’t instruct. Instead, we spend our time keeping things organized and moving smoothly, as well as being available in case any of the Instructors develop motion sickness and can’t continue. (And yes, that happens, though thankfully, not this year.) I also prefer to have one other Instructor in reserve to help out on an asneeded basis.

This year was especially tough because there was a DE at VIR that weekend, which meant an automatic loss of a number of Instructors who would otherwise have been available for the School. Let me tell you I was really sweating it, but in the end (and at the last minute), I was able to make some key additions that brought the number of available Instructors to 21, which was dead nuts perfect. Phew! I was certainly relieved!

School day dawned quite chilly and a very blustery wind added a layer of difficulty (it actually moved cones and blew them over at times!), but we managed. In the end, the event went very well. Co-chair Mark Hubley (who tows the equipment trailer from his farm) didn’t have to go back to get his car, so the cone placement for the exercises was done more quickly than for our usual AX event with the result that we were able to get ahead of the schedule. That’s a good thing because it meant I could allocate more driving time for the exercises.

The day started off with Mark providing 45 minutes or so of schooling to the Students via his Chalk Talk, which is the classroom portion of the AX School. While Mark was busy with the Students, I walked through the exercises with the Instructors, discussing what to emphasize and how the exercises were to be run. We keep the Chalk Talk short because the emphasis is on seat time, so as soon as Mark was done, the Students gridded up and we got right into the driving exercises. Since we had the right number of Instructors, Mark, Phong Nguyen, and I kept things rolling rather than Instructing. With 3 exercises, the Students were broken up into 3 groups of 12, then further subdivided into A and B groups with a single Instructor assigned to one driver in group A and one in B.

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

Words By: Greg Hartke, Photos: Tom Zdanowicz

When driving the exercises, group A started and we cycled through all the Students in that group while the group B students watched. When the time came to changeover, the Instructors swapped to their other students and the group B Students drove.

While all this was going on, I was carefully noting the times on my master schedule so that we could keep everything running smoothly. The Students were scheduled for an hour at each exercise, which broke down into 25 minutes of driving for each group and 5 minutes for the changeovers. Because we started early, I was able to extend the exercises to 30 minutes for each group of students instead of 25 minutes. Hey, extra seat time is always good! If you think all this seems complicated, that’s because it is. Amazingly enough, it all works out quite well, though.

I typically spend most of my time at the skidpad exercise at the School because that’s the toughest one to administer while in this case Mark and Phong were keeping an eye on the other two exercises. Things were going so smoothly, though, that I was able to ask Phong to take over at the skidpad while I focused on the overall. I always talk to the drivers as they cycled through to see how they were making out and every time I asked, the answer was always the same – they were having a blast and learning a lot.

The Students always start off driving a bit tentatively (perfectly normal!) and it’s getting past this that’s so important to progress. I had emphasized to the Instructors in the Instructor meeting that I wanted them to gently push the Students to get out of their comfort zones. The Students don’t learn anything about car control if they just cruise around – you have to actually push the car to get a feel for what you can do. I don’t know whether that made any difference or not, but the Students progressed dramatically and drove excellently.

Once the exercises completed, the Students broke for lunch while Mark and the Team moved cones to configure them for racing and I got race timing set up. I had some trouble with the timing equipment (I was unable to get it to work at first), but that was fixed when I finally simply rebooted the computer. (Neither Phong nor I understood why that fixed the problem, but it did.) As soon as Mark and the gang had the course in shape, he and I went out for the safety checks in my car, which

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

is the normal procedure after completing the course build at one of our races. We smoothed out a few things (with an eye to safety, of course) and were ready to go.

After the morning exercises, the afternoon racing went very well. The Students got 8 runs each over a period of about 3 hours. I must say, despite the wildly windy conditions, it looked as if everyone had a great time and they must have learned a lot because they were flying. In fact, it was incredibly gratifying for me and the Instructors to see the fabulous progress made by the Students as they worked on the exercises, then translated their skills to the AX course. I can say this without reservation: This group of Students were the best I've ever seen at our AX School. I was talking about this afterwards with a group of Instructors and they were all really wowed by how well the Students drove this year. That's a tribute to the work done by the Students in the exercises and how they applied it to driving on the course, as well as a tribute to the Instructors for doing a great job working with the Students to improve and use their skills. Truly impressive! It was a long day, but well worth it. We finished racing at 5:55 PM and were cleaned up and ready to leave about 6:30 PM.

After the AX School, we had a 5-week hiatus until AX#1 on Saturday May 18th. We had a ton of entries for this event and AX#1 went to the waitlist really early – like 6 weeks before the event. For that reason, I decided to up the registration cap from 65 to 75 and go to three heats. (Venue limitations keep me from going beyond 75.) There are tradeoffs here. More people mean a longer event, of course, but we’re also adding the overhead of another heat changeover, which is not insignificant, thus making for a still longer event. On the plus side, it also means course workers aren’t out there nearly as long, which always makes everyone happy. Anyway, with 75 drivers, there was no question we had to go to three heats – the heats would have been too long with only two. I actually wound up with 102 entries for this race. There were several early cancellations (which is normal), but I had a lot of people on the waitlist.

Then there was the weather forecast… I spent all day every day the week before the race trying to get people off the waitlist to replace cancellations because the forecast for Saturday was rain, rain, rain. It would have been comical if it weren’t so much work with umpty-seven iterations of the driver/assignment roster. Sheesh. Anyway, I really did have 75 confirmed by the Wednesday before the race when I sent out the first iteration of the roster to participants. Little did I know… After a slew of further cancellations and continual Roster rework, I finally finished with 64 confirmed when I went to bed Friday night before the race.

Ah, yes, the weather. When I arrived at PGS at 4:40 AM, it was dry (though I drove through some rain getting there). The rain didn’t start at PGS ‘til about 6:45 and was light to moderate, with a short period of moderately heavy precip. During set up, I had several more cancellations come in via email and a few no-shows, thus our actual count of drivers wound up at 58. That was actually a bit of a problem because I was stuck with 3 heats (there was no way I had time to rework for two heats –that would take hours) and with so few participants, we hardly had enough workers to cover the

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

Words By: Greg Hartke, Photos: Tom Zdanowicz

needed tasks. It wasn’t easy, but we managed, thanks to a few key folks doubling up on work assignments and a couple of volunteers helping out.

Mark’s course for AX#1 was straightforward, fast, and fun – we got very high reviews for it. Interestingly, when Mark and I did the safety runs on the course after the build, we barely changed anything. I think there was maybe one cone placement we changed to smooth out the flow in one spot and that was it. That’s always good news because it means we can open the course early for walking, giving us a chance to get ahead of the schedule.

The only real difficulty we had all day was that the timing display went down in the rain during the first heat. I was really miffed about that after all the work I put into it over the winter to try to keep it working during any rain. My next guess is that the ethernet cable is the problem. It has nicks in it and it’s possible it’s becoming lossy when it gets wet and the signals are no longer latched at the display. I may replace the cable and see if that takes care of the problem. The difficulty here is that it’s only tested when it rains, so who knows when we’ll see it again? Hopefully not soon, if at all this year. ;)

Those who cancelled due to the weather really lost out because the rain tapered off early in the first heat (first car off at 9:25) and actually stopped by the middle of the heat. Second heat had some sprinkles and the third heat had nothing. The course didn’t completely dry out, but it was getting close with some dry spots by the end. I had been examining the portents and it looked to me as if it

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

was going to start raining again during the afternoon, so I kept it to 6 runs. That was tough because we were absolutely flying and under ordinary circumstances could have gotten a bunch of runs. I kept it to 6 to make sure everyone got their runs done under good conditions. It may be hard to believe, but we finished at 1:10 PM, then were packed up and ready to leave about 1:45. A dozen of us went out for a late lunch (per usual) and shortly after we got to the restaurant, the heavens opened upon us. Well… they would have opened upon us if we’d still been outside. Foxed ‘em. ;)

The top 10 placing Porsches for AX#1 were:

1st overall, 1st in Class S5, 47.779 sec: Howard Leikin, 2021 718 Boxster GTS

4th overall, 2nd in Class S5, 49.921 sec: David Critcher, 2016 GT3

5th overall, 1st in Class P3, 50.096 sec: Michael Ricketts, 2005 997

7th overall, 1st in Class S4, 50.440 sec: Greg Hartke, 2014 Cayman S 8th overall, 1st in Class S3, 50.591 sec: Michael Press, 2014 Boxster 9th overall, 2nd in Class S5, 50.814 sec: Ken Wojcik, 2010 911 10th overall, 2nd in Class S4, 51.085 sec: Kevin Keaty, 2014 Cayman S 11th overall, 3rd in Class S5, 51.123 sec: Joel Vengrin, 2023 Cayman GTS

13th overall, 2nd in Class P3, 51.163 sec: Phong Nguyen, 2005 Boxster S 14th overall, 1st in Class I, 51.320 sec: Damon Lowney, 2007 Cayman

In addition, Darrell Pope was 1st in Class P1, Allison Whitehead was 1st in Class P4, Mark Eller was 1st in Class P5, and Collin Wirick was 1st in Class S2. I must say, Mike Ricketts is really killing it in the rain. He did really well at AX#7 in the rain last year with another exceptional finish. Good one, Michael!

I feel as if we really dodged a bullet yet again with the weather for this one – the forecast was far worse than the reality. AX#1 was certainly another highly successful event for us with the drivers really enjoying the course we had for them even if it was a bit damp. That’s actually a priority. We want to have courses that are fun to drive, plenty of runs for the drivers, and finish at a reasonable time so that participants haven’t used up the entire day.

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

Words By: Greg Hartke, Photos: Tom Zdanowicz

With the completion of AX#1, we were only 2 weeks away from AX#2, which was held on June 1st at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. Unlike AX#1, the forecast for AX#2 was as good as it gets with a high temperature in the low to mid 80’s and light winds. It was actually quite chilly when I arrived at the venue to set up, with all of us wearing jackets before the Sun rose and started to warm things up a bit. It did indeed get warm, though, which means good grip was available when you really needed it.

We did have one interesting little problem to resolve when we arrived at PGS. A small dumpster had been left in a position that was along the edge of our racing line. Fortunately, we were able to rectify the situation because Mark had a tow rope, which we affixed to the dumpster, then used his truck to drag the dumpster out of the way. Problem solved, but it could have been otherwise if Mark didn’t happen to have a tow rope with him. Very fortunate! Our racing line doesn’t usually go through the channel that the dumpster was partially blocking, but as fate would have it, this time it did. That could have been worse. ;)

Because Mark’s son Nick was racing in this one, Mark didn’t have to go back to get his car (Nick was bringing it), so he could go out with Phong and John Cho to build the course while Pinto Soin and I took care of setting up all the equipment at the trailer. That was a good thing because this course took a while to build, but even so, Mark came in ready for the safety runs just about the time I was done with the equipment setup. Perfect timing!

This was one of those courses where Mark and I wound up spending a lot of time whipping it into shape when we did the safety runs. We spent a good 45 minutes or so making sure it was safe and flowed well. In the end, all that work really paid off because we got a lot of very positive comments about the course. Howard Leikin said it was “FedEx worthy,” which is indeed a high compliment in local AX-speak. ;)

This was an interesting course to drive. It was very fast, but there were a number of places where you really had to do it right or you were going to lose a lot of time. The section coming up from the lower right of the course map all the way through to the entry to the channels was extremely fast. One driver in a 944 told me he actually used 3rd gear there, which is pretty unusual for AX courses

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont’d)

around here. You really had to look ahead as you came over the crest adjacent to worker station 2 so you could hit exactly the right line because if you didn’t, you might have to slow down a bit to negotiate that section, thereby losing time. Heaven help you if you didn’t hit your braking point right, too. In the second run, both Mark and I got a little too exuberant and braked too late. Neither of us could slow down in time for the corner after the channel, so we both just gave up and went around the next gate, which put us off course. Oh, well. ;)

The finish sequence was another example of how you better do it right or you were going to be slow. You could really roll on the throttle for that section that started below worker station 4 (I had the rear end wiggling as I exited the corner to enter that section) and hold it all the way up to the channel, but you really had to stay to the left and hit the braking point just right, then backside the cone for the entry into the finish chicane. If you did that, you could snake through that sequence very fast, but if you didn’t backside that first cone properly, you were totally screwed and could never catch up. Fun!

The top 10 placing Porsches were:

1st overall, 1st in Class S5, 50.458 sec: David Critcher, 2016 GT3

2nd overall, 2nd in Class S5, 52.049 sec: Howard Leikin, 2021 718 Boxster GTS

3rd overall, 1st in Class I, 52.731 sec: Damon Lowney, 2007 Cayman

4th overall, 1st in Class S4, 52.968 sec: Dan Ruddick, 2015 Cayman GTS

Chesapeake Region

Autocross (cont

Words By: Greg Hartke, Photos: Tom Zdanowicz

6th overall, 1st in Class S3, 53.586 sec: Michael Press, 2014 Boxster 11th overall, 2nd in Class S4, 54.022 sec: Mark Hubley, 2015 Cayman GTS 12th overall, 3rd in Class S4, 54.029 sec: Greg Hartke, 2014 Cayman S 13th overall, 3rd in Class S5, 54.163 sec: Scott Borden, 2010 GT3 Touring 15th overall, 2nd in Class S3, 54.372 sec: John Clay, 2011 Cayman 17th overall, 4th in Class S4, 55.087 sec: Dan Laurent, 2016 Cayman GTS

In addition, Darrell Pope was 1st in Class P1, Phong Nguyen was 1st in Class P3, Greg Whitehead was 1st in Class P4, Mark Miller 1st in Class P5, Luigi Crespo was 1st in Class S1, and Daniel Mattes was 1st in Class S2. Michael Press is off to an impressive start to the season. He’s been flying so far this year and really killing it. He’s a quiet guy, so I’m going to have to start calling him the Silent Assassin. ;)

S4 is always hotly contested and had the most entries (10). I see now that my Co-chair Mark Hubley beat me by 0.007 sec. Scumbag. No respect for his elders. ;) Let’s think about that for a second… 0.007 sec. Hmm. Pinto told me the course was 0.55 miles long and knowing the lap time, we can get an average speed. From there, I find that he beat me by about four-and-a-half inches in the head-tohead. Oh, well. I know where I lost more time than that on my fastest run, anyway. ;) The best part of the day was that Lisa Gritti brought the trailer crew not one, but two tubs of her fabulous chocolate chip cookies! Actually, the second tub of cookies was baked using a different recipe, so we were ordered to make sure we sampled both to determine which we preferred. Tough duty. ;) Thanks, Lisa! We were certainly well taken care of that day!

Don’t forget about our Taste of Autocross program! If you’d like to see what AX is like, show up at one of our races (no registration necessary), pay a nominal $5 fee (mandated by PCA National), and we’ll arrange for you to go out for multiple rides with our Instructors during their competitive laps. This has certainly been a popular exercise for those who have taken advantage of the opportunity. Just look for me or one of the AX Team (Co-chair Mark Hubley, Pinto Soin, Phong Nguyen, John Cho, or Doug Slocum) at the race and we’ll be happy to set you up.

Looking forward to seeing you soon at the races!

Greg Hartke CHS AX Chair