Porscherama 2009 April by Porsche Club of America, Los Angeles Region

Porsche Club of America

917 Turns 40. Described as the "Greatest Racing Car in History" From PCNA Atlanta - March 9, 2008 - Forty years ago on March 13, 1969 at the Geneva International Motor Show, today's Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche unveiled a car that, even by today's standards, is underestimated when it is described as the "super sports car": The Porsche 917. It became a legend as one of the fastest and most successful racing cars of all time.

Los Angeles Region

Porsche fired the starting shot for Project 917 in June 1968, after the international motor sports authority or FIA had announced a class of "homologated sports cars" with up to five liters cubic capacity and a minimum weight of 800 kilograms. Under the supervision of Ferdinand Piëch, the stipulated 25 units of the new racing car model were completed by April 1969 so that the 917 could begin its racing career in the same year. After it initially dropped out of its first three races due to technical problems, the 917 success story began in August 1969 at a 1,000kilometer race at the Österreichring with a Continued on Page 3.

April 2009

Inside: 917 Turns 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Sebring 12-Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Tesla At Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Monterey Historics Info . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Excellence Still Expected . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 LA Events Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 8 Zone 8 Events Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

12 Hours of Sebring American LeMans Series Opener STUTTGART - March 21 - With a sensational charge through the field, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) gave spectators a gripping show with his works driver colleagues Patrick Long (USA) and Marc Lieb (Germany) at the season-opening round of the American Le Mans Series in Sebring (Florida). After a collision early on in the race which resulted in a twelve minute pit stop for repairs, they continued without any problems in the 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Flying Lizard Motorsports until 1.10 hours before the end of the race, turning one fastest lap after the other. However, after Marc Lieb had overtaken his competitor Ian James in the Panoz Esperante, James hit the back of Lieb’s Porsche and nudged him into a spin on the finish line. In the end, last year’s winner was classified fourth. Darren Law, Seth Neiman and Johannes van Overbeek (all USA) claimed fifth with the second Flying Lizard racer, and as the best GT2 vehicle was awarded third place in the environmental classification "Michelin Green X Challenge". In this special category, average speed and fuel consumption are taken into account.

Typ 917 at Zuffenhausen (c. 1969) Courtesy Porsche AG.

EVENT

INFO

When you open an email from one of our board members it will look just like this. It is notification of an up-coming event and an invitation to join us. Response, contact info and other pertinent data about the event is included. Sometimes events grow from concept to reality in a short period of time. When that happens these email notices may be the only way we have of contacting you in time. All the more reason to be sure your email info is up-to-date. Make your updates at www.pca.org.

At the start, Joerg Bergmeister got away well from the first row. In the second lap, however, a competitor hit the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of last year’s winner. The replacement of the toe link cost a total of twelve minutes. From the back of the field, Bergmeister and his team mates Patrick Continued on Page 3.

www.porscheparade2009.com Parade Registration Closes

June 15, 2009

PORSCHERAMA

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PCA-LA REGION PRESIDENT ......................................................David Altemus 310-478-7727, fax 310-479-5181 1537 Pontius Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025 VICE PRESIDENT ..................................................Arthur Yuter a.yuter@verizon.net SECRETARY .........................................................Roger Ignon rignon@edgesystem.net TREASURER ........................................................Jan Altemus 310-478-7727, fax 310-479-5181 MEMBERSHIP ...............................................Joe Shubitowski joseph.shubitowski@gmail.com ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR ......................................Martin Holford martinholford@me.com ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE Roger Ignon .........................rignon@edgesystem.net Arthur Yuter ................................a.yuter@verizon.net WEB MASTER ...............................................Joe Shubitowski joseph.shubitowski@gmail.com NEWSLETTER EDITOR & ADVERTISING MGR......Bruce Pollock imset@pacbell.net

2009

Zone 8 Calendar

LA Region Calendar

April 3-5

Speed Festival - Zone 8

Autocross - San Diego Region

AutoX at Camarillo - Santa Barbara Reg.

11-12

Drivers’ Ed. - Las Vegas Region

Autocross/DE - Grand Prix Reg.

16-19

Porsche Platz @ LBGP - Zone 8

Rally - Santa Barbara Reg.

ZONE 8 REPRESENTATIVE....................................Michael Dolphin carrera3@msn.com ZONE 8 WEBMASTER..............................................Ken Short webmaster@zone8.org CONCOURS CHAIR .................................................Joe Nedza jcnedza@aol.com RALLY CHAIR .........................................................Tom Gould tcg3@aol.com CHIEF DRIVING INSTRUCTOR.................................Paul Young pdyoung@cox.net TIME TRIAL CHAIR/DE CHAIR.................................Paul Young pdyoung@cox.net AUTOCROSS CHAIR ........................................Neil Heimburge porschebadboy@cox.net CLUB RACE COORDINATOR ...........................................Vince Knauf vvvince@aol.com RULES COORDINATOR................................................Tom Brown tb911@adelphia.net TREASURER ..............................................Linda Cobarrubias MS993@aol.com REGION COORDINATOR ....................................Gary Peterson Gary.Peterson@HRH.com CHANGE OF ADDRESS .....................................Notify at once: pca.org - Member Services & Contacts & Joe Shubitowski - joseph.shubitowski@gmail.com SUBSCRIPTIONS PCA members of other regions may become “Dual” members of PCA-LA and receive the Porscherama for 12 months by sending $24.00 to Joe Shubitowski, Membership Chairman, joseph.shubitowski@gmail.com Non-member subscription $36.00/ year. EDITORIAL POLICY Porscherama is the official publication of the Porsche Club of America, Los Angeles Region. (PCA/LA), a California Non Profit Corporation. It is published in accordance with the club by-laws and conditions of the charter granted by the Porsche Club of America. Statements contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not constitute an opinion of the PCA/LA, its board of directors or staff. All contributions become property of Porscherama. Porscherama reserves the right to edit all contributions. ADVERTISING POLICY Classified Advertising: Porscherama accepts classified ads for Porsche cars, parts, and Porsche related items. Ads can run for three consecutive months. No charge to PCA/LA members. Non-member cost is $10.00 per month payable in advance, after which time they must be resubmitted. Porscherama is not responsible for the accuracy of information contained in any ad and does not warrant or guarantee the condition of items offered for sale, nor the accuracy of any claims or representation made by the advertiser. Type or print clearly, include your PCA number and email ad copy to: imset@pacbell.net with “Porsche Classified” in the subject line

April

Watch Your Email.

1 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify 3-5 (Fri.-Sun.)........................................Speed Festival California Speedway 19 (Sun.) ..............................................Fun Run & Tour Getty Villa, Malibu 25 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

May

PCA-ZONE 8

April 2009

Concours - S. Ariz. Reg.

2-3

Time Trial - San Diego Reg.

Autocross - S. Ariz. Reg.

Concours - Grand Prix Reg.

Autocross - Golden Empire Reg.

Drivers’ Ed. - Cal Central Coast Reg.

Concours - OC Reg.

Rally - Cal Inland Reg.

May 6 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify 23 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

June 3 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify 14 (Sun.)........................................Mount Wilson Tour Spitfire Grill 27 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

June 13

Rally - San Diego Reg.

Need For Speed - Cal Inland Reg.

Autocross - OC Reg.

29-4(Jul.) 54th Porsche Parade

29-4 July (Mon. - Sat.)...........PCA Porsche Parade Keystone, Colorado Event Info:

Martin Holford martinholford@me.com

April 2009

917 Turns 40 (cont.) victory by Jo Siffert and Kurt Ahrens. The engine configuration of the 917 was just as unusual as its different car body versions: Behind the driver's seat extended an air-cooled, twelvecylinder engine with horizontal cylinders, whose crankshaft designated it as a 180-degree V engine. The 520 HP engine had an initial cubic capacity of 4.5 liters. The tubular frame was made of aluminum, the car body out of glass fiber reinforced synthetics. Porsche engineers developed different car body models to best meet the different demands of different racetracks. The so-called short-tail model was designed for heavily twisting roads in which a high contact pressure was necessary for fast cornering. The long-tail model was designed for fast racetracks and a high final velocity. Then came the open 917 Spyders, which were used in the CanAm and Interseries races. At the end of the 1970 race season, Porsche confirmed its superiority with the 917 and 908/03 models, winning the Racing Series World Championship [Markenweltmeisterschaft] in nine out of ten possible victories. This series of victories began in Daytona and continued in Brands Hatch, Monza, Spa, on the Nürburgring racetrack, at the Targa Florio, in Le Mans, Watkins Glen and the Österreichring. However, the season's high point was the long-desired overall win of the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race, a trophy that Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood brought home to Zuffenhausen on June 14, 1970. Their 917 short-tail model painted in the Porsche Salzburg colors of red and white with the start number 23 not only successfully defied its competitors but also the heavy rainfall. As in the previous year, the 1971 season was dominated by the 917 model so that the Racing Series World Championship [Markenweltmeisterschaft] went to Porsche again with eight out of ten race victories. And once again, a Porsche 917 was victorious at the Le Mans 24-Hour race – this time with Gijs van Lennep and Dr. Helmut Marko, who set a world record with an average speed of 222 km/h and 5,335 kilometers driven, a record that still stands today. One special feature of their 917 short-tail model, visually characterized by its "shark fin", was the tubular frame made of magnesium. A 917 long-tail coupe model set a further record in 1971: On the Mulsanne straight stretch, which is part of the route in the Le Mans 24-Hour race, the sports car with the start number 21 recorded the highest speed of 387 kilometers per hour. Another Le Mans racecar achieved major recognition: The Porsche 917/20 was a mix between the short-tail and the long-tail models and was notable for its broad proportions. Although the pink colored racecar, nicknamed "the Pig", dropped out halfway through the race, its unusual paint color made it one of the most

PORSCHERAMA famous Porsche models ever. When the European FIA regulation for the "fiveliter sports car" expired at the end of the 1971 season, Porsche decided to enter the Canadian American Challenge Cup (CanAm). In June 1972, the private Penske race team in motor sports used the turbo-charged Porsche 917/10 Spyder for the first time. With a performance of up to 1,000 HP, the Porsche Spyder dominated the race series and won for Porsche the CanAM championship with victories in Road Atlanta, Mid Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Laguna Seca and Riverside. In the following year, the 1,200 HP 917/30 Spyder had its racing premiere. The superiority of the monster car driven by Mark Donohue was so obvious that the regulations of the CanAM series had to be changed in the end in order to exclude the 917/30 from competing further in the 1974 season. Typical for Porsche: The technologies for increasing performance developed for these races were successfully transferred to the onroad sports car. That's how the 911 Turbo, with its side-exhaust turbocharger, began its career in 1974 and has been, since this time, a synonym for the performance capacity of the Porsche sports car.

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the wall. "I had already passed Ian James but he simply didn’t leave me any room," said Lieb annoyed. "What a huge pity," said Joerg Bergmeister. "Third would have been crucial for our championship." Patrick Long added: "We did everything possible to bring home points. It was an incredible effort from the whole team."

During the early phase of the twelve hour race in Sebring it initially looked as though the pole-setting Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Farnbacher Loles Racing would be the car to beat. Start driver Dirk Werner (Germany), who shared the cockpit with Porsche works drivers Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria), began to pull clear of the field lap after lap and by the time he came in for his first pit stop had already put around 25 seconds between him and the fastest Ferrari. But several laps later the team not only lost the lead position but also had to relinquish all hopes of a podium result. Damage to the power transmission cost the team 1:48 hours to complete the complicated repairs. "In the end we just wanted to complete the minimum distance to score points toward the championship," explained a visibly disappointed Wolf Henzler. "Although our position in the fight for the championship looks much worse now compared to after our win last To date, the reputation of the 917 is legendary. year, we will definitely not be giving up." His Therefore, 50 international motor sports experts team mate Dirk Werner added: "Our goal is and from the famous British trade magazine "Motor Sport" nominated the 917 as the "greatest racing remains to defend the GT2 class title." Richard car in history". All in all, Porsche built 65 units of Lietz stayed positive after the race. "Although we the 917: 44 sports cars as short-tail and long-tail had bad luck here today I know that the new 911 coupés, two PA Spyders as well as 19 sports cars GT3 RSR is even better than its predecessor. That makes me confident for my season in the as CanAm and Interseries Spyders with up to European Le Mans Series." 1,400 HP turbo engines. Seven of the most important 917 models – among them the Le Mans victory cars from 1970 and 1971 and the 917/30 Spyder – are currently on exhibit in the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

Sebring (cont.) Long and Marc Lieb took up the chase with a spirited drive, turned the fastest race lap with 2:02.494 minutes and one hour and ten minutes before the end moved into third position. But then the No. 45 Porsche spun and crashed into

"Of course we would have been thrilled if our customer teams could have repeated their win from last year," said Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. "But racing luck was definitely not on our side today. As far as the performance of our new 911 GT3 RSR is concerned, I’m very pleased. The car ran well this weekend under all conditions and set the fastest lap times. With this in mind, we have a good starting point for the rest of an undoubtedly exciting season."

911 GT3 RSR, Farnbacher Loles Racing: Wolf Henzler, Dirk Werner, Richard Lietz. Photo courtesy Porsche Motorsport.

PORSCHERAMA

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Tesla Test Drive The February 28th Breakfast meeting featured a special treat, beginning at 8:30 prior to our regular starting time for breakfast. A representative of Tesla Motors on Santa Monica Boulevard right next to the 405 freeway brought one of their cars for our members to test drive. This is one of the most well-promoted new auto

marques of recent times and everyone was excited about the prospect of a personal test drive. There were many smiles. We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t checked yet to see if any sales resulted from the activity, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure that Tesla knows good PR when they see it. And having a couple dozen Porsche drivers talking well about their own experiences with the cars is sure to result in good things sooner or later.

April 2009

Meanwhile we extend out thanks to Tesla Motors for offering us the opportunity to dive their car and wish them well in their quest for success. More photos from the event can be viewed at:

http:www.flickr.com/photo/bolkar/ The photos posted at the site above are from our member Bolkar Acikkol of Los Angeles.

Photo by Martin Holford.

Photo by Bill Clarkson.

Photo by Martin Holford.

Photo by Bill Clarkson.

EVENT

Photo by Bill Clarkson.

INFO

www.porscheparade2009.com Parade Registration Closes

June 15, 2009

PORSCHERAMA

April 2009

Monterey Historics

be found on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca website.

Porsche Featured Marque For 2009

Links:

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http://mby.pca.org (MBR official website)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monterey Bay Porsche Club Schedules Events around Historic Automobile Races Monterey, CA, Feb 25, 2009 – The Porsche Club of America Monterey Bay Region (MBR) is organizing the Porsche Corral parking and other club activities surrounding the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, August 14-16, 2009. Porsche is the featured marque at the Historic races. MBR is organizing the following events to occur during the week leading up to the Historic Races: • Monday, 8/10 – MBR "Heritage Avenue Exhibit," at the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue, where Porsche & Ferrari will be featured • Thursday, 8/13 – Driving tour showcasing Monterey County and post-tour reception at the Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach • Friday, 8/14 – Welcome Party at the historic Carmel Mission • Saturday & Sunday, 8/15 & 8/16 – Corral parking, hospitality area, catered lunches and a Parade Lap at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca • Monday, 8/17 – Driver’s Education Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca MBR’s event registration will be through www.motorsportsreg.com and will open in the near future. Registrants will need a free user name/password on that site and elect to "join" the PCA - Monterey Bay club. Future email announcements of MBR event details will be sent through motorsportsreg.com and made available on the MBR website. Some events have space limitations. Participation in the Heritage Avenue Exhibit and acceptance in the Driver’s Education Day will be by MBR organizing committees. New this year, MBR's registration fees will be discounted through May 31, 2009. Registration for the Heritage Avenue Exhibit will occur separately. Concours on the Avenue information is available from Motor Club Events, LLC, through their website. Monterey Historic Automobile Races tickets must be purchased separately from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca through their ticket ordering website or by calling 1-800-327-SECA. Lodging information and assistance services can

http://www.motorsportreg.com (MBR event registration) http://www.motorclubevents.com (Concours on the Avenue website) http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/tix-historic09 (Historic races ticket order page) http://www.mazdaraceway.com/pages/hotels_rest aurants (Lodging information & services) Porsche Club of America – Monterey Bay Region Contacts: Ginger Mutoza, Historic Races Event Coordinator George Von Gehr, President mbrpcaregistrar@yahoo.com 831-596-4041 georgevg@mindspring.com 650-888-1848 About PCA-MBR: Porsche Club of America was founded in 1955 to serve the needs and interest of Porsche owners. It is the largest independent single marque club in the world. PCA has 139 chartered regions within the club throughout the US and Canada. The Monterey Bay Region is based in Monterey and San Benito Counties, with many members residing in the Monterey Bay Area, including Santa Cruz. Several members also volunteer for the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), operator of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Excellence Still Expected 2008 Edition of Classic Karl Ludvigsen Tome Available By Bruce Pollock We’ve recently become aware of a new, 2008 edition of Karl Ludvigsen’s definitive Porsche work Excellence Was Expected. Like previous editions, the collection of three hardbound books is presented in an attractive, slipcase storage box. Much has been written about this book since it was first introduced. Both Excellence and Road & Track were among reviewers who suggest that if you can select only one book about Porsche, this should be the one. I checked with Bentley Publishers to verify that there is an upgrade path for those who own prior editions still available. The complete 2008 set as well as the upgrade option are available on their web site: www.bentleypublishers.com. There are 1,688 pages featuring 1,854 color and black & white photos or illustrations. The complete ‘08 edition is priced at $299.95, with the upgrade priced at $150.00.

The 2008 edition of Karl Ludvigsen’s comprehensive Porsche work “Excellence Was Expected” is available as a three-volume set, presented in an attractive, slipcase storage box. It is rather universally agreed that this is the definitive work regarding Porsche ever published.

PORSCHERAMA

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April 2009

David E. Altemus

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April 2009

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BREAKFAST CLUB

your current membership number and contact information. Porsche Cars 1997 Porsche Targa White with gray interior. 26,500 original miles in pristine condition. 6-Speed manual and custom sound system. $38,500.00. Car is garaged in Camarillo - Dean 661-209-2896••

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2009 — APRIL — MAY Dates are subject to change.

April 1 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify 3-5 (Fri.-Sun.)........................................Speed Festival California Speedway 19 (Sun.) ..............................................Fun Run & Tour Getty Villa, Malibu Mountains 25 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

May 6 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify 23 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

May

Event Contacts:

6 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting

2009 Events

Martin Holford

call 310-478-7727 to verify

martinholford@me.com

Dates are subject to change. 23 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

Watch Your Email For Notification of Upcoming Events April

Roger Ignon rignon@edgesystem.net June 3 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting

1 (Wed.).........................................LAR Board Meeting call 310-478-7727 to verify

call 310-478-7727 to verify 14 (Sun.)........................................Mount Wilson Tour

3-5 (Fri.-Sun.)........................................Speed Festival

Spitfire Grill

www.porscheparade2009.com

27 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

Parade Registration Closes

California Speedway

June 15, 2009

19 (Sun.) .........................................Fun Run & Brunch Malibu Mtns. — Getty Villa

29-4 July (Mon. - Sat.)...........PCA Porsche Parade

Don’t Miss A Thing. Update Email Addresses At:

pca.org

Keystone, Colorado 25 (Sat.) ..................................................Breakfast Club

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