August Member Profiles

Member Profile: Rouj Chalabi

Member Names & Join Date: Rouj Chalabi, Joined March 31 2022 Current Cars, Previous Cars: Current Cars are 2016 Subaru Legacy Limited and 2016 Porsche Boxster

Have you served on any Regional or National committees: No

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America: Develop my love and admiration for Porsche. To learn about Porsche and how to take good care of my car, learn to track the car, experience how to drive the car as this is my first midengine car. Understand the history and prestige of 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): This is my first Porsche, what made me bought it was kind of unusual. I got into an accident with my Subaru Legacy and someone hit my car on area around my gas tank on the back right side and caused issues for me ever since. Passenger window won’t work properly, will go up and down then get stuck. Took it to so many places to get it fixed and it didn’t work, my gas tank wouldn’t open anymore, and I would have to use

a card to slide it in the side of the gas tank cover so it would slightly open it then I can open it with my latch button. It was frustrating to do this every time I went to get gas and I went to different locations to look for cars to replace it. I always loved Porsches since I was a kid, but I never could afford it. I went to many Car- Max locations to test drive cars but didn’t really fall in love with any. One day I saw a BMW M3 in Dulles VA CarMax and I went there to drive this car but when I drove it, I didn’t feel any connection at all. It was fast and so but not engaging, I then gave the car back and saw the Boxster in a corner far away on the lot and fell in love right away. I absolutely loved it and drove it; the guy initially gave me a hard time saying he didn’t think I could afford it and wanted to check my credit first because I drove so many cars but haven’t purchased one. I let him run my credit then drove the car and absolutely loved it, it was so much fun to drive, it was fast, engaging, handled well and I loved everything about it. After a few mins of driving at a stop light I saw I wasn’t in sport mode, and it was this fast already so I then put it in sport mode and wow it was so much faster, so I quickly drove it back to CarMax and bought it. Guy was shocked I like it so much and I was going to buy it right then. I kept the Subaru because after I bought the Porsche everything started to work again with no issue after 2 years of constant issues. Must have been jealous I bought the Porsche hahaha. I left my Subaru there overnight and

took the Porsche home. I’m super grateful for finding it and super grateful for it, it puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events: N/A because I haven’t gone to many yet.

What is your favorite PCA memory: First one but not my last!

Garage Kriechen! It was one hell of an experience, I absolutely loved it! We saw the garage, we saw his restored cars, it was such a beautiful and useful experience to have. I learned so much about different Porsches, I learned so much about how he restored it, the time it took him and the investment it takes to get a Porsche back up and running. I met so many people and enjoyed talking to them, learning things from the other PCA members. Truly an amazing experience!

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members: Join ASAP if you haven’t, well worth it! You learn a lot and will have a community to depend on if needed for things. I’m happy to just join and looking forward to more years of learning and developing. AutoCross is my next thing to do but I would recommend trying it once you can and get the experience of racing. Try to join as many events as you can, you’ll always learn something.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why: I choose two, I couldn’t help it!

If money was no object, I would like to own a 911 turbo S or a 918 Spyder. I would love the 911 turbo s because it can be my daily car and my weekend car, it’s the best of both worlds! It would be a blast to drive but can be tame at the same time. It’s truly a wonderful combination, I would like it to be a convertible, it will truly be amazing. Fast with the top down, the handling, luxury, prestige is all there. My dream car and the car I aspire to get in the future.

The 918 because it’s a legendary car, an icon, a rare super car that is still good to this day. Well built, great engineer, successor to the Carrera Gt I believe. It looks stunning, unique, and amazing. It will be a collector’s car for many if it isn’t yet and many will look back at how amazing of a car it was and for how early it was on the market with the quality and speed it offered.

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc): I love Anime, Movies, Music, Videogames, Tv Shows, Computers and Sports. I enjoy watching shows, movies, anime or play games in my free time. I use these to relax after long days at work or to unwind at the end of the day. I love building computers, and anything to do with computers. I work on networks, security, Linux, mac or windows. Anything I can learn with computers I will try my best to learn. I now have a new hobby and that’s my Porsche, I will use it to increase my skills in fixing my car, learning to work on cars with it and my Sub- aru. I’m always willing to learn new things, always get super engaged in things I like and give it my 100% every time I do get involved in something I’m interested in.

I lived in Canada and the spend my life in the states Canada.

I love to travel, I’ve went Germany, Iraq, turkey, and France.

Another interesting fact the Boxster, I would drive night I was driving by my past a few places and stopped at was the Porheadquarters and I didn’t was very funny and won’t signed up for PCA.

United States, mostly but few young years in

to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada,

about me is once I got it everywhere and one old home, and I drove stopped. The place I sche club of America even know about it, it ever forget it then I

Chesapeake Region

Member Profile: Michael & Tara Buck

Member Names & Join Date: Michael & Tara Buck. I joined in 1999 and added Tara in 2005 or so when we started dating.

Current Cars, Previous Cars: Current: 1988 944 Turbo, 2011 911 Coupe Past: 1989 944

Have you served on any Regional or National committees: No, but have been part of national HPDE Instructor program since 2007

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America: Always liked Porsches, but I saw PCA as an avenue to enjoy my car(s) as Porsche intended, at speed on a racetrack

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):

My father was casually into sports cars when I was growing up, nothing too serious. He bought his first Porsche, a 1986.5 928S, when I was in 8 th grade. He joined PCA, but never did much. We did make one trip to watch an auto-x in a parking lot that is now M&T bank stadium, and I was hooked.

When I got older, I wanted to get a Porsche and do that! Started with a basic 944 and drove that for a few years until the right deal on a Turbo came along. In February 2001 I got my 944 Turbo and still have it. Drove it my last year of college as a streetcar and then took it to the track after graduation. My father played around with various 968’s and other 944 Turbos, but I stuck with my trusty 1988 and built it for club racing and have had lots of fun and made great memories.

At the 2008 Potomac Club Race, Porsche Tysons Corner had a bunch of then new 997.2 models available to test drive. I could never afford one at the time, but the experience I had in a white base model coupe just stuck with me. I knew it was the one to get and I finally made it a reality in 2020. In the midst of emerging COVID, I found an absolutely unicorn spec 6-speed coupe in Aqua blue and had to have it. Been a blast ever since. Puts a smile on my face just looking at it.

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events: Club races, the crazy machinery that shows up to the track all over the country is amazing.

What is your favorite PCA memory: Too many. People that came into my life as some of my first driving instructors are now my friends. It is like a family. There is a page in our wedding album of “PCA people”

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members: Get out and do something with your car. Don’t keep them locked in garage. But also, be good ambassador for the Porsche brand.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why: Porsche to me. I would drive it everywhere.

A Carrera GT. Ultimate

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc): I got lucky when I met my wife. She and her family are even more into cars and racing than I am. So even as we have gotten older and life crazier, we are still able enjoy car culture. When I bought the 911, I fully intended to sell my 944, but my wife would not let me.

A Family Affair-

Member Profile: The Comerfords

The story starts like so many other Porsche dreams- Buy your first Porsche…. Well, my addiction started when I bought my 2017 Cayman and decided I wanted to do an HPDE day. Like many newbies I needed to learn the ins and outs of registration, car preparation for the event and then showing up and driving. It seemed like such a daunting task that I would soon learn was the root cause of my newfound lifestyle.

I was a lucky man as my first event August 8 th , 2021, was the Colonial Cup Challenge at Summit Point. It was designed to get beginner drivers on the track and my wife Jen decided to come with me and we shared the car. Well to say we were hooked was an understatement. After a wonderful day we were driving home and talking about how cool it all was and we decided we wanted to do more events. To my surprise Jen made the comment that she needed her own car! Well, no good husband would not listen to his wife and a week later I had a car carrier arrive at our home with our second Porsche a 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS.

Well, the Fall was filled with lots of Track events and our two boys Kyle and Will decided they wanted in. Humm now faced with the question of what a good Dad would do…. So, we started getting them involved and renting Miata’s so they could join in the fun. Now they too have gotten the bug and are fully engaged in this newfound addiction. We got 10 track days in that fall, and it led to the decision to fuel the now newfound love of driving.

Over the winter we made some decisions to continue working on the “Fleet”. Now, my wife, kids and I found that new BFF- Sloan Palitti from SSI Performance. We started down that slippery slope and started to upgrade and build a new car with Sloan. Can’t say enough great things about him and the support he has given us. Kids decided they wanted to do more and soon there was a new 1999 SM Miata to join us at the events in the spring. As march rolled around, we were ready- Our first event was snowed out. Arrg But…

Then…. Getting involved with the PCA Potomac Group:I started this saying it is a family affair and so far we have been able to get everyone involved and

have been to VIR-Watkins’s Glen and Summit events with the club- We all have enjoyed getting to know everyone and cant wait to continue being a part of what feels like a big family of people that love driving fast!

We look forward to getting to know everyone. Please come over in the Paddock to meet the Comerford’s and say hello. Jackson and Chesapeake our dogs may be around too. We are thrilled to be part of this group and we are learning more at every event! Thanks to all for making this fun.

Ken, Jen, Kyle and Will