2012 NEWS ARCHIVE

ALMS scores a big hit at VIR: PCA Shenandoah members all over the place
by Greg Glassner     September 20, 2012

The American Le Mans Series descended on Virginia International Raceway's sinuous 3.2-mile road course Sept. 15 for the inaugural VIR 240.

With track records sure to tumble under an assault by the rapid ALMS prototypes and GT cars, thousands of spectators—including about two-dozen PCA Shenandoah members—descended on VIR. Picture-perfect late summer weather didn't hurt either.

The Pickett Racing Muscle Milk HPD P1 car driven by German hotshoes Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr ran off and hid from their P-1 and P-2 rivals during the four-hour enduro, finishing four laps ahead of the Dyson Lola Mazda shared by Chris Dyson, Guy Smith, and Johnny Mowlem.

Much closer was the GT battle, which saw Corvette's Ollie Gavin and Tommy Milner edge the Flying Lizard Porsche 911 GT3RSR of Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister and the Ferrari F458 Italia of Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek. The Dirk Muller/Bill Auberlin BMW was fourth in class and the second Flying Lizard GT3RS of Marco Holzer and team boss Seth Neiman was fifth in GT.

The win sewed up the GT title for the Corvette team, despite the best efforts of BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari. However, the Porsches have been showing late-season promise, with the Flying Lizard and Team Falken Tire 911s both grabbing victories. Kenny Shreves of Charlottesville, who spins wrenches for Flying Lizard, was a busy man all weekend.

The P-2 class was won by the Level 5 HPD of Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut over the Morgan-Nissan of Martin Plowman and David Heinemieir-Hansson.

Colin Braun and Jonathan Bennett took Prototype Challenge honors over the identical Oreca-Chevrolet of Marino Franchitti and Rudy Junco. Venezuelan. Alex Popow finished third in class, but sewed up the driver's title in PC.

The all-Porsche GTC race also came down to the final lap. Leh Keen and Cooper McNeil took their Porsche GT3 Cup to victory over the identical car of Jeroen Bleekemolen and Henrique Cisneros, when the leading Porsche of Chris Cumming and Martin Ragginger had to pit for fuel.

The pole-winning Green Hornet Racing, Fusion Trade Porsche of Peter LeSaffre and Damien Faulkner finished a credible fourth in GTC despite some problems during the grueling four-hour race. A cut tire from a close encounter with careless P-2 competitor put them a lap down. PCA Shenandoah co-founder Cole Scrogham (son of Weldon and Phyllis) is Team Strategist for Green Hornet.

It was difficult not to stumble over somebody with PCA Shenandoah ties at VIR. Kerrigan Smith, who grew up in PCA as the son of Alex Smith of RPM fame, is the Director of Track Operations. Kerrigan and his crew did a great job of managing a huge turnout, putting on a great race and winning over many new VIR converts who filled the hillsides and bleachers on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

No ALMS race report is complete without a shout out to the group that put together another wonderful Porscheplatz. It provided PCAers with a panoramic view of the first five turns, an oasis in which to grab a bottle of water or soft drink, and a hub of good information and some swag. This reporter won a drawing for a hot-pits tour, but gave it to PCA Shenandoah member Keith Welty. (I've hung around a lot of NASCAR, Can-Am, World Endurance, Super Vee, and even F-1 pits back in the day. Besides, I was worried that my Triple-X girth might not slip easily into an IMSA flamesuit!)

However, I did talk my way into a ride aboard a PCA member's 1992 911 for the PCA parade lap and enjoyed it immensely. (Thanks, Mike!) ALMS merges with the Grand-Am series in 2014, but VIR should have the blisteringly fast ALMS cars back one more time next year.

I can't wait.      More photos...

August History Quiz by Harry Kennison:            August 2012

Here is this month's history quiz to test your knowledge of the infamous and famous within the Porsche Club of America's Shenandoah Region as we travel in the "wayback machine" to 2009. Click and drag down on the scroll bar to uncover the answers.

Questions:

1. Who took over as president of the Shenandoah Region in 2009? (I'll give you a hint—he drives a sinister-looking 928 GTS and has amassed more speeding tickets going to and from Regional events than any other member.)
2. Who hosted the inaugural "Porsches & Pastrami" event in March 2009 and where did the points-of-interest drive take them that day?
3. Who won the "People's Choice" Award for the best-looking Porsche at the 2009 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM)?
   A. Deane Parker with his 2007 special edition, orange Boxster S
   B. Rick Ebinger with his 1974 green 914
   C. Johnny Johnson with his 1974 911 Carrera Targa
   D. Vic and Carol Rola for their beautiful Porsche 911
   
4. Who did himself proud at the 2009 "Rumble at the Oak Tree" event held at Virginia International Raceway and what did he do to gain his competitors' respect?
5. In September 2009 the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge regions got together for lunch at Raif Antar's Basil Mediterranean Bistro. Mick Mickelsen from the Blue Ridge Region made a grand entrance in his gorgeous red 1965 356C to the event. What made Mick's car so unique?

Bonus Question: What was unique about the final Autocross course held at the Augusta Government Center in Verona in 2009 and who won the event?

Answers:

1. Bill Sanders stepped up from his role as vice president to take over the presidential duties from Herb Distefano in January 2009. Bill is also known for having one of the slickest looking 928's in the country and seems to have a propensity for acquiring more speeding tickets on his way to and from Porsche Club events than any other member. Bill is a two-time holder of the "Dubious Achievement" Trophy awarded to the Shenandoah member receiving the most recent speeding ticket on his or her way to a Porsche Club event.
2. Gary Hagar served up the first of several "Porsches & Pastram" casual Sunday events that started off with lunch at his Durty Nelly's Pub & Wayside Deli in Charlottesville followed by a points-of-interest drive around the Albemarle County area. Thirteen Shenandoah members turned out for the inaugural event in March 2009 but after a delicious lunch, the tour was canceled due to rain and snow.
3. D. The "People's Choice" Award at the 2009 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) went to Vic and Carol Rola for their beautiful 911.
4. Shenandoah member Matt Einstein in his 2006 997 GT-3 Cup car went off on the first lap of the "Rumble at the Oak Tree" race at Virginia International Raceway near Danville. After letting the entire field pass before he got back on track, he cut through the field to take fourth place gaining the respect of everyone including the corner workers. In the endurance race, Matt came in third overall and first in class despite breaking his shifter on the third lap.
5. Mick Mickelsen made a grand entrance at the Shenandoah–Blue Ridge luncheon in September in his bright red 1965 356C that appeared to be powered by two pink Flamingos attached to the luggage rack on the rear deck lid.

Bonus Question Answer: Driver Education Chair Rick Ebinger decided to change things up for the last Autocross event of the year held at the Augusta Government Center in Verona by offering the 48 participants two autocrosses for the price of one. Rick set up the course so it could be run clockwise and counter-clockwise allowing drivers to set two times. When the dust settled, each driver's times were added together to determine the Fastest Time of the Day. Rick ended up with the third fastest combined time and first among the Porsches in his "forever young" 1974 914. Evans Reynolds was second among the Porsches in his 1988 911 and Erik Boody was third driving Rick's 914. Cristina McCann was the fastest among the Porsche lady drivers in a 2008 Cayman belonging to her father, Paul Sponseller. Cristina, who ended up fastest overall in the Ladies Class for 2009, later received the "Autocrosser of the Year Award" at the Holiday Awards banquet for her spirited drives and continual improvement.

May History Quiz by Harry Kennison:            May 2012

Here is this month's history quiz to test your knowledge of the infamous and famous within the Porsche Club of America's Shenandoah Region as we travel in the "wayback machine" to 2008:

Questions:

1. In 2008 Weldon and Phyllis Scrogham added a unique Porsche race car to their collection. What was it and why was it significant?
2. Shenandoah Club President Herb Distefano related an "unpleasant personal experience" that happened to him while driving his 2005 911 Carrera Coupe. What was it and what Porsche design shortcoming made it worse?
3. The Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) Concours found a new "home" in 2008. Where was it?
4. In 2008 a very special sponsor of the annual Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) was recognized for their continued financial contributions to this showcase event. Who was it and why is his or her contribution so significant?
5. The Heat Exchanger underwent some major changes in 2008. What were they?

Bonus Question: Synergy Racing's annual "Fall Fling" at Virginia International Raceway included a banquet with a nostalgic theme. What was the theme and what was the centerpiece for the banquet?

Answers:

1. Weldon and Phyllis Scrogham added a historically interesting Porsche race car to their stable which strangely never turned an actual lap in competition. It was none other than the ill-fated 1980 Porsche Indy Car to be driven by Danny Ongais in that year's Indy 500. Its speed in early testing caught the eye of other teams who, led by racing legend A. J. Foyt, successfully lobbied USAC, the governing body, to reduce the Porsche's turbocharger boost to slow it down. One month prior to the start of practice for the 500, USAC issued a technical bulletin cutting the Porsche allowable boost and the Company immediately responded by canceling their Indy Car program. The car came to the Scrogham's garage complete with a spare engine.
2. Herb Distefano's "unpleasant personal experience" involved a right rear tire blowout in his 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera with less than 7,000 miles on the tires. After fishtailing to a stop on the side of the road, Herb thought he might be able to use the air pump and "fix flat" container provided by Porsche with the car to get him down the road to a gas station. Unfortunately, the inside sidewall of the tire was destroyed and there was no inflated spare tire for this model by factory design. Herb, who admitted to forgetting his Sunday school lessons once or twice during the incident, had to order a new set of tires (five-day wait) and arrange to retrieve his car. According to Herb, there's no easy fix as an inflatable spare takes up 100% of the trunk space, or you have to place it in the jump seats in the rear.
3. The 2008 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) found a new home for the Concours event which was hosted by Howard and Leanne Faunce at their lovely James River front home. The Faunces hosted the RPM Concours event four years. Due to bridge construction near the Faunces home, the 2012 Concours event will be moved from the Faunces to the home of their neighbors, Court and Kathy Spotts, who aren't even Porsche owners, yet! Their address is 6101 River Road, Richmond, Virginia and directions to this year's RPM Concours event can be found here.
4. At the 2008 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM), Club President Herb Distefano gave a special "shout out" to Joy Tupper for her continued financial support of the Shenandoah's annual premier event. Joy was the mother of Gail Smith and Alex Smith's mother-in-law. Unlike other RPM sponsors who had products or services to sell members, Joy supported the premier Shenandoah event because of her love for Porsches and the Shenandoah Region. Joy passed away in 2010.
5. Phil Audibert stepped down as the Heat Exchanger's award-winning editor, a post in which he had served for six years. Rebecca Morgan and Mark Stubbs were named the new editors of the Heat Exchanger and wasted no time dramatically changing the publication to an 8.5" x 11" format featuring glossy, color cover photos and a fresh, design inside. Wow!

Bonus Question Answer: At the 2008 "Fall Fling" banquet the theme was "James Dean," legendary movie star and Porsche racer. The center piece of the banquet was silver 550 Spyder provided by none other than Weldon Scrogham.

Russ's Ramblings by Bruce Russell:             May 2012

I have to admit that I was very saddened with the passing of Dr. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche on April 5th. Dr. Porsche (aka Butzi) did more to define the Porsche marque than anyone else in the history of Porsche A.G.. Butzi designed the 911 which was introduced to the world in 1963. The iconic 911 is the sports car that the world associates with Porsche and it has been that way for 49 years. An incredible achievement in my opinion.

I will always remember the 1963 picture of Butzi sitting on the left front fender of the new 911. He had a smiling look of approval on his face; I wonder why!

I attended two of Shenandoah Region's events during the last month, although there has been a full slate of events to pick from. There has been a couple of very nice driving tours and the Autocross season is off to a "flying" start.

On May 5th, the Shenandoah and First Settlers Regions had a joint event here in Richmond. The event started with First Settlers' regular monthly breakfast meeting at the Silver Diner. These breakfast meetings are fun and a good to time for me to catch up with PCA friends who live here in Richmond and belong to the First Settlers Region. After the breakfast, the "party" moved a mile down Broad Street to Concours Detailing.

Concours Detailing is known in the Richmond area for making something ordinary look exceptional, and they do it very well. We were treated to demonstrations of how the Concours technicians work their magic. Cleaning and detailing a car is not rocket science, but is does take having the proper equipment, car care products, and time. Of course, there is a proper sequence of steps to achieve the "exceptional" look. The folks at Concours took us through all the steps as they actually detailed a car. They explained what products and equipment they use to achieve that Concours look. Many questions were asked during the demonstrations and a lot of very good information was shared.

Concours also demonstrated their installation of clear paint-protection film to a new car. I am always amazed at the demonstration of applying the film to the forward-facing surfaces of a car. If you have ever tried to apply the film yourself, you will appreciate seeing a professional installation with NO air bubbles under the film. I have the 3M paint-protection film on my Carrera. I love it because it saves the front of my car from the perils of "road rash" and the acidic damage caused by squished bugs. I also have the film on my wife's new Honda Accord. Good stuff.

I couple of my work colleagues from the police department joined me for the breakfast and the Concours demonstrations. One of the gents is a British sports car guy and the other gent has a 1966 Sting Ray. They do not own a Porsche, but they love sports cars and that is fine with me.

The event ended with a wonderful catered lunch provided by Concours Detailing. We were treated to "world-class" BBQ and fixin's from Buzz & Ned's BBQ. Buzz & Ned's is a Richmond institution and is not to be missed if you like Virginia BBQ. Thanks to the folks at Concours Detailing for the great event!

On May 17th I attended a rare mid-week event at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in Ruckersville. I know you have seen the crash testing videos of a new car being driven at 45 mph into a solid wall as the crash dummies get hurled around inside the car...this is the place that does that testing. I must confess I never knew this facility was located right in our backyard!

The event was organized by our member Keith Welty, and Keith did an outstanding job. I was surprised how well attended the event was for a Thursday morning. Maybe we should have more weekday even...hint, hint.

The event started with an hour-long presentation about the IIHS, how it is funded, what types of crash testing they do, and some of the empirical studies they released on car safety. The presentation was done in a huge hangar-like room. Probably 30+ cars they have crash tested are on display; this is just a sample of all the cars they have tested. They even have a 1959 Chevrolet Bel-Air that they crash tested against a new car. Trust me when I tell you the old cars were built like tanks, but did not provide very much occupant protection in a crash. No, there were no crashed Porsches on display.

The young lady making the presentation was extremely knowledgeable about all the crash test vehicles that were on display and the results of all those tests. My head was spinning and she just moved on to the next topic.

The highlight of the day was the actual crash test of a new Chevy Malibu into a tractor-trailer rig. If you have ever driven behind a tractor-trailer, you will note a metal bar that hangs down from the rear of the trailer. This bar is to prevent a car from going under the trailer in a frontal collision. If the bar were not there, the crash would have catastrophic consequences for the automobile's occupants because the car would ride under the trailer and cut the top of the car off. The test we observed from the observation balcony was the Malibu driven at 35 mph ramming into the rear of the trailer to test the strength of the metal bar.

If you had been driving the Chevy Malibu, you would most likely have survived with only minor injuries if any at all. The metal bar on the trailer did its job and the car handled the crash very well. Let me stop and digress for a moment. In my job with the police department, I respond to numerous automobile crashes. Today's cars are very safe, especially those with the side and side-curtain airbags. We see more injury from the airbag "explosions" that occur during a crash than from actual crash damage to the vehicle. But remember, if the airbags did not deploy the chances are very good your injuries would be much more serious; airbags work.

After the excellent tour and demonstration at IIHS, we all adjourned to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch and fellowship. All in all, it was a very fun and informative day. I drove back to Richmond at 35 mph!

Our Region management team has a great slate of events planned as we head into summer. RPM is right around the corner; I hope to see you there.

Until next time, drive safe.

A crashed Chevy at the IIHS A Car Crash and Lunch: Located in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Greene County is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a non-Government and non-profit agency whose mission is "reducing the losses—deaths, injuries, and property damage—from crashes on the nation's roads," and reducing the claims that the insurance industry has to pay, no doubt. Keith Welty made a reservation with the IIHS so we could tour their facility and watch their test of a Chevrolet Malibu underriding a semitrailer on May 17.

The tone of the tour was set as soon as we entered the building. In the foyer were two old wrecked Chrysler LeBarons. Their real on-road crash was the first in which air bags in both cars deployed. Both cars were totaled, but both drivers walked away. (To see the cars described throughout this article, look at these photos.) Then our tour guide rounded everybody up and led us to a huge room filled with wrecks from the many IIHS test collisions. The IIHS is to be commended for its extremely informative displays and clear presentations.

To illustrate how much safer modern cars are than older and supposedly stronger cars, the IIHS crashed a modern Chevy into a big old 1959 Chevy. Both cars were totaled, but the front of the modern Chevy crumpled and sacrificed itself to save the passenger compartment, which remained intact. In contrast, the stiff hood of the old Chevy got pushed into the passenger compartment, which partially collapsed and failed to protect the driver.

The original government crash test simply drove every car into a barrier, which is equivalent to a head-on collision with a car of the same mass (weight). This test made small, light cars look good but failed to take into account conservation of momentum. In real collisions, light cars tend to do worse than heavy ones. The tiny "Smart Car" did well in the government barrier test but badly when the IIHS crashed it into a Mercedes.

Rollovers account for many fatalities, so the IIHS built a rollover simulator, a giant press that squashes the roof of a car by applying a force equal to four times the car's weight. If the roof collapses more than a few inches, the driver is likely to be hurt.

Most crashes are not head-on, so the IIHS simulates a wide variety of collisions, including straight-on collisions in which the cars are offset and sideswipe each other and "T-bone" collisions in which one car hits the side of another. Not only do these IIHS tests provide a lot more safety information than the old government tests, the published IIHS safety ratings spur car manufacturers to redesign their new models and make them safer. If you must crash, do it in a heavy new car!

The collision we watched involved a Chevy Malibu crashing into the rear of a parked semitrailer. This didn't test the car itself, but rather the collision bar below the rear of the semitrailer. A badly designed collision bar can decapitate the front-seat passengers (see the photo of another Chevy Malibu that underran a badly designed bar). Shortly before the crash, we were led into another large room with the semitrailer waiting at one end, and the victim car was at the end of a long tunnel at the other end. 750000 watt floodlights were turned on, and the movie cameras rolled. The car was accelerated to about 50 mph and crashed into the truck. I had expected to hear the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass, but all I heard was a loud "Bang!" like a gunshot. It was the sound of the airbags going off. Unfortunately, the IIHS does not all me to post photos of the crash itself; the crash data are proprietary.

This tech session was a real eye-opener. If you missed it this time, be sure to catch it when you can in the future. Everybody paid attention and left with a new appreciation of crash safety. Except possibly Jim Condon and Sherry Westfall, who drove in the DE at VIR later that weekend.

Weldon Scrogham and Jim Bailes
judging 917s at Amelia Island in 2010
  PCA's Weldon Scrogham a veteran judge at Amelia Island Concours   by Greg Glassner

Weldon Scrogham, founder of G&W Motorwerkes, Ltd. and a widely recognized authority on all things Porsche, has been a judge at Florida's prestigious Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance for 16 of its 17 years. To put that into perspective, peruse this sampling of the 2012 judges list at Amelia: former drivers Derek Bell, Brian Redman, Bob Bondurant, David Hobbs, Vic Elford, Sam Posey, and Johnny Rutherford, plus motoring journalists William Jeanes, Denise McCluggage, Jean Jennings, Ken Gross, Keith Martin, Matt Stone, and Robert Cumberford.

As Scrogham puts it, he had a good excuse for not being at the first Amelia Concours, even though event founder and chairman Bill Warner and Scrogham had known each other for years. "I was judging at Pebble Beach and Bill Warner came running up and said, 'Why don't you judge at Amelia?' I said I had a good reason because Sebring [race] is the same weekend."

"He changed it the next year," Scrogham said.

Scrogham and Amelia's Warner raced against each other in the International Motor Sports Association days and Warner was also an IMSA photographer. Since its start 17 years ago, the annual car show on the greens and fairways of the golf resort at the Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton just north of Jacksonville has grown into the premier mixed-makes car show east of California.

As you can deduce from the credentials of the judges, racing cars and Porsches play a big role at this show, but Warner and the charitable foundation that runs the event cover all bases, from the pre-WWI brass radiator years through the foreign and domestic classics of the 1920s and '30s, the flamboyant fifties, and the exciting sports and high-performance cars and dream cars of the decades since. The owners of 300 cars were invited to the 2012 event and 296 of them answered the call. (See these Photos by Greg Glassner from the 2012 event.)

Special displays this year included a variety of Shelby Cobras, a dozen of the 38 Ferrari GTOs in existence, Chevy Corvette show cars and one-offs, and cars raced by 2012 Honoree Vic Elford, including a Porsche 911 Rally car, two 907s, two 908s, and two 917s, and a Chevy Chaparral 2-J.

When each car represents the pinnacle of its manufacturer's craftsmanship, how do you judge a show like this? "I look at it much differently than most people," Scrogham said. "I ask myself, how original is this car?" He added that many factory racecars did not look as good when they actually competed as they do now.

Saturday's panel discussion included many of the aforementioned judges, plus Jim Hall and Porsche drivers Gerard Larrousse, Hurley Haywood, and Joe Buzzetta, all with some amusing and poignant anecdotes to tell. Hobbs took a lot of good-natured ribbing from the other drivers on how slow he actually drove.

Scrogham, who also judges many PCA events, began his long association with Porsches and motor sports in 1967 by racing a Speedster in SCCA competition. He graduated to the Daytona 24 hours and 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races by 1968. "Bob Holbert ran an RSK and I had a skinny-tired Speedster," he remembered.

His PCA associations also date back that far. He was president of the First Settlers Region in 1968–69 and was instrumental in founding the Shenandoah Region when the membership expanded. His wife Phyllis and son Cole have also served as presidents, and the Scroghams have kept our region going and hosted many events over the years. Although the cars are the stars at Amelia, Scrogham credits the people, from the volunteers, to entrants, to retired drivers, for making the event what it is.

"It starts out, like everything, with people. That's how things started out, with people. And you still have to go with good people," he said.

"When the people assembled include multiple race winners at Sebring, Daytona, Watkins Glen, Le Mans, the Nurburgring, and the Targa Florio, there is a lot of camaraderie and a lot of good stories get passed around," he added.

This year, Scrogham was also responsible for selling the Drendel Family collection of Porsches at Friday's Gooding & Co. Auction at Amelia Island.

He tells about lingering over a very entertaining lunch with Elford, Redman, and Bell, all former Porsche drivers, when he and Elford both realized they were due over at the auction on the other side of the island, and that Elford's ride hadn't arrived. "I said I'd take him, but Vic wanted to wait for his ice cream. So we grabbed two ice creams and raced over there," Scrogham said.

It turned out OK, an understatement. The Drendel Porsches broke 11 sales records for a total of $17.8 million, with one of the cars, a Porsche 917/30 Can-Am hammered down at $4.4 million. Although discretion prevents Scrogham from discussing who bought which car, Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a noted Porsche collector, has been reported to be the purchaser of two big-ticket Porsches.

So I had to ask Scrogham a question posed by fellow PCA Shenandoah member Keith Welty, namely, how did a G&W Motorwerkes sticker get on the refrigerator in the apartment set of Seinfeld's TV show?

Weldon said he wasn't aware of it. Then he explained, "I guess I sold him three cars about ten years ago, a 550 Spyder, a Speedster, and a Carrera."

March History Quiz by Harry Kennison:             March 2012

Here is this month's history quiz to test your knowledge of the infamous and famous within the Porsche Club of America's Shenandoah Region as we travel in the "wayback machine" to 2007:

Questions:

1. In March 2007 the Shenandoah Region held its largest Autocross in Club history. Where was it? Who sponsored it? Who set Fastest Time of the Day?
2. At the 2007 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) who won the Concours "shine" award in the late model 911 Class as well as "Best of Show?"
3. In August 2007 the Shenandoah Region added 29 new members to its ranks, an all time record for the Region. What caused this jump in membership?
4. Which long-time Shenandoah Club member won the "Boomerang" Comeback Award for 2007?
5. Susie and Phil Audibert led the 2008 Fall Foliage Tour for the second year in a row. What car do they drive in the Tour and what is its name?

Bonus Question: At the 2007 Porsche Parade in San Diego, what Porsche Club of America Zone Challenge did Zone Two which includes the Shenandoah Region win? Who represented the Shenandoah Region on the Zone Two team?

Answers:

1. The first Autocross of the 2007 season took place the end of March at Richmond International Raceway. It was sponsored by Euroclassics Porsche of Richmond and attracted 46 entrants. The event offered the opportunity to drive on a 14 degree, big-bank oval track just like the NASCAR boys. Despite all the heavy-hitter new cars entered (GT-3's, 997s, 996s, Cayman S's and Boxster S's) it was Safety Chairman Erik Boody in his 1973 911 who set fastest time of the day. Chess Earman hustled his Cayman S to second place and Tom Stenzel in his 2004 GT-3 finished third overall.
2. At the 2007 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) Alex Smith, RPM Chairman, won the Shine Award in the late model 911 Class with his GT3 and Alex also won the "People's Choice" Award for Best of Show.
3. In the biggest single one month jump in its history, the Shenandoah Region added 29 new members during August to bring our total primary member count to 198. Although it had been rumored that the Membership Chair, Rebecca Morgan, was chasing down Porsches at stop lights and making them sign up on the spot, she claimed she had nothing to do with it. She gives all the credit to Mark Cooke at Euroclassics Porsche in Richmond who decided to pay for one-year memberships for everyone who bought a Porsche from Euroclassics throughout 2007. This is just one more example of the tremendous support Shenandoah has received from Mark and his Euroclassics team over the years.
4. "Mad Mel" Brannan received a "Boomerang" Comeback Award for returning to the track after undergoing back surgery.
5. Susie and Phil Audibert led the second annual Fall Foliage Tour in their green Porsche 356C affectionately known as "The Green Bean."

Bonus Question Answer: At the Porsche Parade in San Diego the Zone Two Porsche Club of America won the Sand Castle Challenge event. The team which consisted of 35 sand-digging members, including Shenandoah's Weldon and Phyllis Scrogham, completed "Wolfgang's Castle" in two hours which featured a bridge, moat and German flags lining the route to the top.

Russ's Ramblings by Bruce Russell:             March 2012

This has to be one of the mildest winters I can remember here in central Virginia. So with Mother Nature giving us a "pass" from winter's grip, Mary Jean and I decided to capitalize on the mild temperatures and take a short trip in the Porsche.

We headed up to White Sulphur Springs, WV for a short stay at The Greenbrier resort. Timing was perfect because we were blessed with mild weather, winter room rates, and no crowds. In addition, The Greenbrier gives military personal (active, retired or veteran) a 20 percent discount off your room rate. You do need to show your military ID, so be sure to take it with you if you are planning a stay at The Greenbrier.

We have stayed at The Greenbrier a couple of times in the past, but we wanted to see what had changed since the specious property was purchased by Mr. Jim Justice from the CSX corporation a couple of years ago. In addition, since our last visit about four years ago, a night club and casino have been added and the Bunker has been opened for public guided tours.

First, let me say I was a bit worried about parking my "baby" in the self-park lot (no Valet touches my Carrera). My worries were allayed because I was invited to park in the VIP circle adjacent to the Grand Portico entrance of the hotel. I have to admit she looked good sparkling in all her Guards Red radiance against the celestial white backdrop of this grand hotel.

We had the Bunker tour scheduled at 1:30 pm on the day of our arrival. We arrived a little before noon and planned to get some lunch before the tour. We were advised by the front desk that our room was already available. Official check-in time is 4:00, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

The bunker was a secret US government facility opened in 1961 and is located under the west wing of the hotel. Its purpose was to provide an underground fallout shelter for the US Congress in case of a nuclear attack on the United States. You need to remember this secret facility was build during the Cold War and was to allow the government of the United States to remain functional even after a nuclear attack. The President and Vice-President would have gone to various other secret facilities located elsewhere in the United States.

The guided tour and the video presentation of the Bunker take about 90 minutes and are well worth the price of admission. It is a fascinating story and one you should not miss if you are in the area. The bunker tours are open to both hotel guests and visitors, but you do need to call the hotel and make an advance tour reservation.

The all new nightclub and casino are "Top Shelf" and a real first-class operation. I was a bit worried that the casino would be like the Atlantic City strip with tour buses streaming in 24 hours a day. That is not the case because only hotel guests are allowed in the casino and they have a "business casual" dress code that is enforced. It is a wonderful gaming environment with Slots, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and table Poker games.

I have never seen a one cent (i.e. penny!) slot machine before. I had to try it and after pumping about eight cents into the machine, it started playing all by itself and doing crazy things. After the festival of lights and sound, I was awarded 500 pennies! Now I can afford that coke. I spent about an hour playing the various gaming venues while Mary Jean enjoyed some nice wine in the nightclub. It was a lot of fun, even for a non-gamer like me. I must admit I played Craps and had NO IDEA what was going on, even though I won a few bucks on that table also.

The meals were great and you are offered several choices of dining opportunities. One night we ate in Jerry West's Prime 44 restaurant. Superb food (mostly steaks and seafood) at a premium price. If you do not care for the "5-Star" dining experience, you can get a burger and fries in the nightclub adjacent to the casino. I will just summarize by saying you will not starve while staying at The Greenbrier.

On our return trip from The Greenbrier, we made a side stop in my hometown of Clifton Forge which is located in the Alleghany Highlands of Virginia. My first stop in Clifton was to fill-up with premium ethanol-free gasoline at the East Coast Petro station on W. Ridgeway Street. My car runs so much better with pure gasoline. Just two blocks east of the gas station is a very nice eating establishment named Jack Mason's Tavern. It is a relatively new establishment with a very nice menu and an ample selection of beverages. It is clean, cozy and a fun spot to stop for a bite to eat and something to quench your thirst.

The primary purpose of our stop in Clifton Forge was to visit the Chesapeake and Ohio (Railroad) Heritage Center located on E. Ridgeway Street. Most of my mother's family had some direct connection to the C&O Railroad, so the railroad was a big part of my youth. We took the guided tour of the six acre facility. They had an old passenger depot, a freight depot, a switch tower, maintenance shed (w/handcars), a beautiful steam locomotive, a passenger dining and baggage car, and a couple of old cabooses. The tour takes about an hour and you are allowed to climb, wander and explore all the exhibits. If you are in or around Clifton Forge, I think you would enjoy this look back at the golden era of rail travel.

It was a great little winter getaway with spring-like weather. I took some of my favorite back roads and byways that the Carrera enjoys. I recently dialed in some addition negative camber on the front suspension and I am very pleased with the results. There was noticeable reduction in oversteer and the car now "glides" through the twisties and hairpins along old Route 60 and Route 42. It is darn near therapeutic medicine to drive these cars on a challenging road!

Until next time, drive safe.

February History Quiz by Harry Kennison:            February 2012

Here is this month's history quiz to test your knowledge of the infamous and famous within the Porsche Club of America's Shenandoah Region as we travel in the "wayback machine" to 2006:

Questions:

1. Heat Exchanger editor Phil Audibert was disturbed by the number of vehicle/deer accidents that plague Virginia highways and decided to do a little research. According to the Virginia Transportation Research Council, how many deer are killed annually on Virginia highways?
   a. 12,500
   b. 21,000
   c. 34,000
   d. Over 50,000
   
2. Andy Chisholm, a First Settlers Region member, recounted his 1974 trip to the Porsche Parade in Pennsylvania where his 912 dropped an exahaust valve. With a lot of help from Weldon Scogham and a bunch of his friends, he was able to get the necessary parts to replace the faulty valve and make the Autocross held at Pocono Raceway. The overnight repairs were almost completed, but no one had a can of lapping compound needed to lap the valve. What did Weldon come up with to solve Andy's problem?
3. Porsche ceased production at their Leipzig, Germany plant of what car on May 6, 2006?
4. On a seven-day "boondoggle" (make that "business trip") to Stuttgart, Rick Ebinger had the opportunity to take a 1.5 hour tour of the Porsche factory where they make 911s. Each station along the production line is alloted 4.8 minutes to complete a task before the car is moved to the next station. How many 911s did each production shift put out?
5. At the 2006 Richmond Porsche Meet (RPM) Autocross held at the Southside Speedway who set the Fastest Time of the Day and what was the margin of victory? What happened to three-time RPM Autocross winner Bobby Smith?

Bonus Question: What was the largest Autocross event ever conducted by the Shenandoah Region through its first ten years and who won the event?

Answers:

1. According to the Virginia Transportation Research Council, 34,000 deer are killed by vehicles annually in the state of Virginia. This not only impacts the deer population, but also repair costs. In 2006 the average repair costs for deer related accidents was $3,000-$5,000. One could surmise that the cost for fixing your Porsche would be considerably higher!
2. In order to complete the overnight valve repair on Andy Chisholm's 912 at the 1974 Porsche Parade in Pennsylvania, he needed to find a substitute for valve lapping compound. Weldon Scrogham, who had previously had the necessary parts sent up from his G & W Motorwerkes in Waynesboro "worked like some mad, ancient alchemist and mixed a magic potion" composed of Boraxo cleanser and Castrol motor oil that allowed them to lap the valve and complete the reassembly. How did Andy do? The next day he not only had his 912 running, but placed first in the Autocross 912 Class with a lot of help from his friends.
3. On May 6, 2006 Porsche ceased production of the mid-engined V-10 supercar, the Carrera GT. In all, 1,270 cars were produced between 2004 and 2006 at their Leipzig, Germany plant, with nearly half of the cars being sold in the United States.
4. On his business trip to Stuttgart, Rick Ebinger had the opportunity to take a 1.5 hour tour of the Porsche factory where they make 911s. Each station in the production process has 4.8 minutes to complete their assigned tasks before the partially assembled 911 moves on to the next station. The Porsche factory operates two shifts with each shift putting out 88 cars each or 176 911s per day.
5. Rick Ebinger driving his 914 took fastest time of the day in the Autocross held at Southside Speedway, nosing out friend and Safety Chairman Erik Boody in his 1973 911T by just 0.307 seconds. Chess Earman in his Cayman S was third fastest, less than 9/1000ths of a second behind Erik. Bobby Smith, the Fastest Time of the Day winner in the previous three RPM Autocrosses, had a driveshaft problem in his 914.

Bonus Question Answer: The largest Autocross event ever conducted by the Shenandoah Region through its first ten years was the July 2006 Autocross held at the notorious Richmond International Raceway. The 3/4 mile banked NASCAR oval track challenged 46 drivers with Chess Earman coming out on top with the fastest time of the day in his 2006 Cayman S.

January History Quiz by Harry Kennison:

Here is this month's history quiz to test your knowledge of the infamous and famous within the Porsche Club of America's Shenandoah Region as we travel in the "wayback machine" to 2005:

1. Which Shenandoah members took top honors in their class at the 2005 Porsche Parade Concours as well as winning the overall Preparation award and what was their car? (Clue: it's black and quite fast!)
2. Who won his class in the RC (Remote Control) Car Autocross at the 2005 Porsche Parade and then set Fastest Time of the Day against all comers?
3. After finishing 30th overall at the 2005 RPM Autocross held at Richmond's Southside Speedway, what Shenandoah member said, "I'm an Early Model driver in a Late Model car"?
4. Who hosted the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Shenandoah Region and who was voted the Club's official Head Cook?
5. Why couldn't Rick Ebinger race his 1974 914 at the August Autocross held at the Augusta Government Center in Verona, what car did he drive, and where did he finish?

Bonus Question: Any Porsche Club member who has taken part in one of Shenandoah's driving tours over the past few years will attest to the large number of cars and participants. However, it wasn't always that way. How many cars turned out for the May 2005 tour to the Luray Caverns Auto Museum?

Answers:

1. Weldon and Phyllis Scrogham took best in class honors as well as the overall award for Best Preparation at the 2005 Porsche Parade Concours held in Hershey, Pennsylvania with their stunning, black Porsche Carrera GT. They scored 299.6 points out of a possible 300.
2. Zane Johnson, son of Shenandoah members Johnny and Lisa Johnson, won his class in the RC (Remote Control) Car Autocross at the 2005 Porsche Parade. Zane then entered the Adult RC Class and set Fastest Time of the Day. Not bad for a 15 year old!
3. After finishing 30th at the 2005 RPM Autocross, Regional Vice President Herb Distefano, defended his result by stating, "I'm an Early Model driver in a Late Model car."
4. Rick Ebinger couldn't race his venerable 914 at the August 2005 Autocross because he didn't have time to trailer his car to and from the Augusta Government Center and still catch an afternoon flight out of Charlottesville. Instead of his 914, Rick drove the 1973 911 of his friend Erik Boody, winding up second overall after doing a spectacular slide into the cones on an early run. John Kessler ruled the Autocross that day setting Fastest Time of the Day in his 1971 911.
5. The 10th Anniversary Celebration was hosted by Herb Distefano at his beautiful home on Lake Anna, and Bill Sanders was unanimously voted the Shenandoah Region's Head Cook after grilling burgers and hotdogs for the 39 members and guests.

Bonus Question Answer: Maybe it was the proximity to the upcoming RPM event, but only two cars and two people turned out for the Luray Caverns Auto Mueum tour in May, namely, tour organizers Robert Whissen and Mike Shutty. According to these two, those who couldn't make it missed a spirited drive and interesting museum tour!

John Zilles and the IMSA/ALMS Porsche Cayenne Rapid Response Vehicle, by Greg Glassner:

When drivers try to take a corner at eleven/10ths instead of ten/10ths, or when the red mist descends and they turn expensive prototype or GT cars into armored personnel carriers, disaster can strike. Medical teams and fire crews need to respond within seconds of racetrack incidents and they must get to the scene quickly and reliably—lives literally hang in the balance. So it should come as little surprise that the Rapid Response Vehicle at International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) sanctioned events is a specially equipped Porsche Cayenne.

John Zilles, 63, a retired paramedic from Green Bay Wisconsin, drives the Rapid Response Vehicle, a 500 horsepower twin-turbo Cayenne at all major IMSA events, including the American LeMans Series (ALMS).

My curiosity was piqued when I saw this white and blue Cayenne on the grid before the 2010 Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta. So, when it pulled up to the Porscheplatz before the start of the Baltimore Grand Prix ALMS race in September, I grabbed my camera, borrowed pen and paper, and sprang into action.

"I've been doing this a little over 20 years," said Zilles obligingly. Zilles said he alternates two emergency room physicians riding shotgun in the Cayenne during race weekends. At Baltimore it was Dr. Greg Summerville, who is based in New Jersey.

If race control spots something on the track that warrants instant response, Zilles and his traveling doctor are dispatched, even if cars are still traveling at speed on the track. Zilles said he believes IMSA/ALMS is the only sanctioning body and race series that does this. "The twin-turbo Cayenne is fast enough to not get in the way. We get going pretty good," he noted. "I don't drive it at 100 percent, but I drive pretty hard. We have a mutual understanding with the drivers [who race]."

"When we get there, we are equipped to do anything needed to save a driver's life. We can take a driver with us, if necessary. Sometimes the worst accidents are the ones that don't look that bad. We have pre-treated most of the drivers, which helps in concussion evaluations."

The design of race cars and their safety equipment has improved dramatically over two decades, Zilles said. "In the early IMSA days we had a lot of rollovers and some major fires," he added. Zilles was dispatched to the dramatic wreck in 1998 when Yannik Dalmas flipped his Porsche 911 GT1 at the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta. (You can still view that one on youtube.com.)

An experienced crew of Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel follows in two trucks on the heels of the Porsche Cayenne. "For the first 12 years it was just me and the doc. We have added a Fire/EMS crew of eight guys, four on each fire truck. All of them are from the Sebring and Atlanta area. An airline pilot dispatches the team. He really knows how to communicate in emergency situations," Zilles added. "The firefighters are the best problem solvers. We practice at Sebring, extricating drivers and dealing with the different fuels used in ALMS. We get the fuels and start fires and practice getting them out."

Zilles had some dirt track racing experience in his younger years, but after he was hired by IMSA, he went to a road course driving school to sharpen his skills behind the wheel. Before the Cayenne came along, IMSA had a Porsche 928 as a safety vehicle. The Cayenne provides room for more emergency equipment and can hold Zilles, the doctor and an injured driver.

Zilles worked for the company that set up a hydraulic extrication system on the 928. That led to his being hired to drive the Rapid Response Vehicle. Before that, a retired racing driver drove it.

Although Zilles and his emergency team are paid to work race weekends, he said, "We're not doing it for the money. We get pay and per diem. Nobody's come out ahead on that yet." The pilot and the ER doctors take time off from lucrative professions and one of the Fire/EMS crew is the Chief of the Sebring, Florida Fire Department, Zilles said. "We do it for the sport, the drivers and the people. It's not all about the race cars, but we are all huge race fans," Zilles said. And, yes, the trackside hospitality and race weekend parties are also part of the lure, he admitted.

When Zilles turns back the keys to the Cayenne at the end of along race weekend and heads home to Green Bay, does he have a Porsche of his own in his garage?

Nope.

"I've got a Chevy Tahoe and an old BMW. I can't afford one of these," he said, laying a hand fondly on the Cayenne's hood.

During a presentation Zilles made to PCA members at the Baltimore G.P. Porscheplatz, he mentioned that the Cayenne is placed in the IMSA hauler at the end of a weekend, where it rides from race to race. "When it's turned back to Porsche, you might try to buy it. It would make a great buy. It's got very low mileage and was only driven by a little old man on weekends," he joked.

Russ's Ramblings by Bruce Russell:

Hopefully, everyone had a wonderful holiday season. My holiday was great except for the fact that Santa missed one small item on my Christmas list. The Cayman R w/PDK was missed! When I confronted Santa about this small oversight, I was given "the look". Oh well, maybe next year.

I don't know about you, but January is always depressing. "Why?", you ask. For starters, all of my holiday bills come due in January (ok, call me Scrooge). Second, I start receiving W2's, 1099's, etc. which reminds me of what looms ahead. And lastly, it is usually a dismal month to drive a Porsche although this is not always the case, so read on. Enough of my grumbling.

I attended three very nice Shenandoah events that were held in the fourth quarter of last year. I was able to make the Fall Foliage Tour, the New Member Dinner/Social, and the Holiday Party.

The Fall Foliage Tour was postponed one week from its original date due to a early-season winter blast that hit western Virginia in late October. It was unfortunate, because the planners and hosts, Phil and Susie Audibert, were unable to attend the re-scheduled event. The tour started with a wonderful reception hosted by Weldon and Phyllis Scrogam at their G&W Motorwerkes showroom. If you have never been to G&W Motorwerkes and you are in the Waynesboro area, do yourself a favor and stop in. You will not be disappointed.

It was a beautiful day for a drive in the country. As in years past, we were treated to a scenic route through the central valley area and ended up at the Fareways restaurant located in the beautiful Massanutten Resort. The weather actually was warm when standing in the sun, so I removed the top from my Targa. All was well until we got out of town and starting traveling at highway speeds. The radiant heat of the sun was replaced by a brisk wind chill. Ever try to put on a coat while driving a Porsche? It can be done, but I recommend you stop when making wardrobe adjustments. In summary, it was a wonderful event and one that I look forward to every fall. Again, my thanks to Phil and Susie.

Our Region had a Member Social/Dinner Party in mid-November that was hosted by Flow Porsche at their Pantops showroom. A special effort had been made to get new Shenandoah members to attend. Based on some unfamiliar faces, I think they were successful in getting some new folks out for the event. The buffet dinner was prepared by the C&O restaurant; it was fabulous. On a side note, I highly recommend the C&O for a very nice dining experience; the restaurant is located in downtown Charlottesville across the street from the old C&O rail station.

The staff at Flow Porsche treated us to a guided tour of their facilities, and I must say I was impressed by their service area and overall operation. After dinner, the Sales staff entertained us with Porsche-related trivia questions; correct answers were rewarded with a door prize. I won a very nice Porsche 918 hat after correctly answering the question, "How many M8 bolts are used in a 1957 Speedster engine?". Just kidding...

My final event of the year was the Region's Holiday Party that was held at historic Michie Tavern. We were treated to a wonderful private dinner party that was hosted by fellow Shenandoah member Sam Morris. Sam just happens to be the General Manager at Michie Tavern, so you know we got the VIP treatment!

Michie Tavern is a wonderful venue for a Holiday party with its colonial (real stuff!) decor, holiday decorations, large cozy fireplace and gracious servers. The food is served buffet style, but "seconds" are brought to your table by the numerous servers. The food is a traditional southern feast! I doubt very many folks leave Michie Tavern still hungry.

After dinner, awards were presented to several special individuals for excellence on the Auto-X circuit. The evening concluded with the awarding of a bounty of door prizes. It appeared the vast majority of folks left with a prize, which is nice. Mary Jean was unable to attend the party because she had left earlier in the day on a business trip. A couple of weeks later I treated her to a surprise lunch at Michie Tavern while we visiting some wineries in the Charlottesville area. It was not the same as the private Shenandoah party, but we had fun and enjoyed the lunch.

This is the time of year that most PCA activities slow down, unless you live in California or Florida. That does not mean you are forbidden from taking the car out on a nice day and enjoying the winter here in Virginia. So far, this winter has been fairly mild and there have been ample opportunities for me to take the Carrera out for a nice drive in the countryside. I hope you have similar opportunities.

I hate to admit, but I am thinking about selling my wonderful '84 Carrera and trading up for something newer. We bought the Carrera in 1997 and it has become part of our life. We would love to be able to keep the Carrera and buy something newer, but honestly we can not justify that scenario. I am still "on the fence" with this wacky idea, so I will keep you posted. Not sure what I would buy, but I was very impressed by the Cayman R that I drove at last summer's Parade.

I am planning that my next installment of "Russ's Ramblings" will start you thinking about getting your car ready for the Spring driving season. I will share some of my tips for making the interior and exterior sparkle. I will also share some preventative maintenance tips, so until then...enjoy Winter.

Drive safe.