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Upcoming Events at a Glance
Click on the event name for a link to additional details, including contact and RSVP information. Event dates subject to change.
Click here
to view the full 2017 Redwood Region calendar online.
September 2017
October 2017
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| From the Editor |
by Jamie DeRuiter, der Riesenbaum Editor
This is my final issue as editor of the der Riesenbaum. It's been a pleasure doing this job these past three years. I've gotten to know so many more members by doing this job. I hope one of you is able to take over my position and do this much needed work. I remember the day I volunteered for this position. I emailed the former editor(s) and asked what was up. They replied with 'do you want to be editor'? I thought it over for a few hours while looking at the snow fall an realized I had to do the job. So take some time and think about it. It is a very rewarding position.
I'm sitting in an empty house nearing the end of my big move to the mountains. One more run to the dumps and one more run up the hill and we're done! The last thing to go up will be my 912. I look forward to that drive. I bought my 912 in the same town I'm moving to so in a way my car is going back home. The former owner is my best friends father. He'll have to take it for a ride and see what I've done to it over the years.
I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me out or written a story for this newsletter. May our roads cross again soon.
Shift Toward Adventure,
Jamie
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Presidents Message  |
by Craig Steele, President
Hello Redwood Region. August did shape up to be loaded with lots of Porsche events to excite your spirits. Before I cover last months activities, I need your help on two items: finding a new treasurer and planning for our 2018 events. Jerry Gladstone, our current Treasurer, has decided not to run for that position next year. None of the current Executive members are interested in running for treasurer either. So we need at least one volunteer to step forward to run for Treasurer. If you are interested, or you can recommend a candidate, please contact anyone on the board. We need to present the executive council roster on our October 21
st
members meeting. In addition, we need your input and participation for our 2018 events. Currently, between 7-10% of our membership attend our events. We have a very small pool of volunteers to plan and execute these Redwood Region events. Kurt Fischer has been singlehandedly doing most of the heavy lifting as Events Director and Concours Director. Several other event coordinators have retired. November 9
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is our traditional planning session to fill the 2018 calendar. We will populate the nine AX events, plan tours, tech sessions, etc. We also need to know what key 2018 Zone 7 and PCA events are planned and incorporate them into out 2018 events calendar. Help! We need volunteers to suggest new events as well as run them.
Our winery tour to Pech Merle is always a highly social affair. This year was no exception. The drive was short and sweet from Kaffe Mocha to Geyserville weaving our way up Hwy 128 to the winery. As we parked our cars, the festivities unfolded. We were greeted by glasses of our host's vintage products. We observed all the various potluck entries delivered to the back of the dining area. Our noses were entertained by the smell of fine wines and chicken cooking coated with a special marinade by our master griller, Mike Hinton. This event was so popular this year our host allowed us to exceed the capacity to accommodate the demand. Sandy and I had great time and I'm sure we were not alone.
Autocross #7 turned out to be one of Bob Schoenherr's challenging course twisters. I was doing fine until his Chicago box and the tight gates just before the checkered flag. Many a great time was blown during this last part of the course. My best time was my last run when I broke my previous time by 0.75 of a seconds. Autocross is a solo driving event that take place in 35-45 seconds and first and second place can be decided by a tenth of second. I've said this before, autocross teaches you how to drive your Porsches to the limits of your skills, while the cars still have more to show you. I so appreciate the core of volunteers who show up early Saturday morning and assemble the course, organize and run the event, then break down everything and return the taxiway to a quiet stretch of asphalt.
August is Monterey Car week. My favorite event is the Werks Reunion. This event split off from the Legends of the Autobahn into a Porsche only venue. It's sponsored by PCA and is free to the spectators and must see on Friday morning of Car Week. Last year, we learned that the current golf course was being sold and no longer available to PCA. The organizer located the Corral de Tierra Country Club, located off Hwy 68 a mile from Laguna Seca.
I always volunteer for this event and was asked to man the front entrance. I became the Gatekeeper for this new venue, staff and new location with a new set of traffic logistics. My day started at 5:30 am parking my Cayman S in the corral with a flashlight. At 6:00am vendors, PSA staff and volunteers started to arrive. We also had the Country Club members accessing the clubhouse. By 7:00am things were getting interesting. We had a lot of challenges to resolve during most of the day; however, the volunteers and event organizer figured it out. The Country club manager and staff were very helpful and innovative in resolving most issues. The event was a big success and we had a thousand Porsches of all vintages to photograph and appreciate. The CHP were very helpful managing the massive traffic impact the event created on HWY 68. I hope to be a part of the gate keeping process next year. After we cleaned up the golf course and returned it back to it's native condition we were treated to food and drink at the clubhouse with words of well done. It was the best attended Werks Reunion to date.
That's all for now...
Craig
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| In The Zone |
by Sandy Provasi, Zone 7 Representative
There are two more Zone 7 Autocrosses this month. Saturday, September 16
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will be Loma Prieta Region's Zone Autocross, which is number #7 in the series. Sunday, September 17
th
will be Golden Gate Region's Zone Autocross #8. Both will be held at Marina Airport, Marina. Not running the Zone series? Come out and have fun anyway!
That same weekend there will be another Zone 7 Concours. This time it will be up in Redwood Region for their Zone 7 event. Ledson Winery will be the location at 7335 Sonoma Hwy (Hwy 12) in Kenwood. If you are out and about, stop by to check out the Porsches and sip some wine.
Are you heading down to the IMSA race at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca on Saturday, September 23rd or Sunday, September 24
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? If so, Porsche Cars North American (PCNA) will be sponsoring the Porscheplatz tent at turn 5. They will have speakers and other cool "in the pits" experiences throughout the weekend. Everyone with a Porsche or Porsche key is welcome in tent. I will need some volunteers to help direct Porsches and check in at the tent. Let me know if you will be there and can volunteer at
[email protected]
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The last Concours of the Zone 7 Series 2017 will be held at Porsche of Livermore. Please join Diablo Region for a beautiful day in the valley showing off your Porsche. Check
https://diablo-pca.org for registration. Along with your entry to show your Porsche, there are two lunches included in the cost. Thank Kevin at Porsche of Livermore for hosting the event.
Looking Forward (info at the zone website, zone7.pca.org)
Golden Gate Region Zone Autocross #9, Alameda, October 29
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Zone 7 President's Meeting, Hilton Garden Inn, Fairfield, 9am-4pm, November 11
th,
Zone 7 Awards banquet, Hilton Garden Inn, Fairfield, 6pm-9pm,November 11
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Safe Driving,
Sandy Provasi
Zone 7 Representative
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| New online Goodie Store |
Visit our NEW Goodie Store!
To see our NEW online store click
HERE.
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| Mystery Driver Profile |
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by Tristan Bayless
The clock is ticking.
A
flash of red streaks past my worker station. Not just any red. The only true German red: Guards Red. The best red.
I've seen this red before. I've heard this elemental noise before. We humble course workers would be forgiven for mistaking this manic shape for something plucked direct from the Mulsanne straight. Who is this driver?
One remembers this phantom chariot from a race ago, but something is different. Something is...
faster
. The poise of both this vehicle and its captain (henceforth, "Driver X") come into focus. The author notices a mechanical modification has taken place. A keen eye on the front tires reveals this particular vehicle's tire sidewall corresponds to its paved surface more precisely than before. The careful right-angle geometry of the tires would make Pythagoras proud for their exacting grip of the surface they roll upon. Who could have deduced such an accurate measurement; such a subtle, yet precise adjustment?
Roll back the clock and together we open the early chapters of this Driver X. Their first automotive tool, a Plymouth GTX 440, taught them the launch, the corner exit, the careful balance of accelerative cohesion. Driver X logged this experience and soon applied it to their next challenge: a Lotus Europa Special. The engine of their chosen chariot, now sat unfamiliarly behind, was to be an omen to the lifetime of future Porsche ownership. As experience grew, Driver X evolved into Racer X. The Lotus was traded for a Carrera. The Carrera was then traded for another Carrera. We see the direction of the trend, the growing comfort with a rear-slung engine, the increasing loyalty of the Porschephile. Those with a long history of infatuation with the Porsche's singular sportscar are, ultimately, no stranger to anticipating its trademark pendulous oversteer. The skill tree of Racer X developed (and continues to grow) on the autocross course.
The clock strikes 2017 and the we return to witness the Red Baron roar across the finishing line. The heavenly rasp of two downshifts from twin central exhausts reverberate off the western Eucalyptus. The sun reaches for the outstretched fingertips of their branches and it is time to stack the cones. Looking closely at the scrub of rubber on the aged asphalt, the author can discern the newly optimised path of Racer X. The difference is small in geographic terms, but inches are miles on this chalked course and the results speak for themselves. After assisting with course disassembly, Racer X quietly removes the magnetic numbers emblazoned to Red Ben-Hur, reverts the exhaust flaps into church mode and prepares to putter on home. A beautiful, calm engine note in stark contrast to how, just shortly beforehand, their intense 3.8 litre Mezger-inspired masterpiece took our breath away. Today, this vivid, visceral display of motorsport mastery is thanks to Racer X, who has finally removed their helmet to reveal their true identity...
Mike Beavers, we humble cranks to the holy chapel of rubber conoid salute you!
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Ledson Concours d'Elegance |
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| Autocross |
Greg Matsumoto, Autocross Director
August 12th was our 7th autocross with 32 drivers having a great day. It was a somewhat smaller turnout since Sacramento Valley Region (SVR) had their autocross on the same day. Even with advanced planning we were unable to avoid the time conflict.
Golden Gate Region (GGR) helped us out by having five drivers attend our 8/12 event. GGR was interested in checking out our timing lights and our new timing system, so Grady Carter encouraged them to join us. We assigned GGR drivers to practice using the timing system for each run group.
When drivers attend from the San Francisco area they frequently say they enjoy getting out of the city and coming to the beauty of the wine county. It was apparent that we tend to take the beauty of our site for granted.
Bob Schoenherr designed another great course that received rave reviews. The course combined an even number of right and left turns, a slalom, a Chicago Box and ending with a fast dash to the finish.
The top times were:
Angelo Kljavin Stalker 38.10 TTOD
Andrew Blyholder (GGR) '75 914-4 38.695 TTOD-Porsche
Doug Brekke (RR) '11 Spyder 39.749
Grady Carter (GGR/RR) '02 Boxster S 40.257 - Yes, Grady's Boxster is back!
Tristan Bayless '68 912 40.568
Joe Lee (GGR) '68 912 40.789 - The 912 battle continues.
Anita Benzing (RR) '74 914 44.828(38.462 PAX)
TTOD-Ladies and 2nd Place in PAX
Kim Powers (RR) '64 356 45.230 raw/38.310 PAX TTOD-PAX
- Kim defends and continues her historical PAX title run.
Yes, Grady's car has magically returned to life. After extensive inspection and a detailed plan for repairs, his Boxster was loaded on a flatbed tow truck headed for Hi-Tec Automotive. The tow to Hi-Tec evidently scared his Boxster into the "self-healing" mode. I am going to select that option on my next purchase. Perhaps Ferdinand was watching as he waved his magical torque wrench in Grady's direction. Regardless, it's great to have Grady back behind the wheel.
The ladies were competitive throughout the day. Four of the ladies were vying for the win and their times were hundreds of a second apart.
Anita Benzing 44.828
Brenna Comacchio 44.866
Stacy O'Connell 44.906
Kim Powers 45.230
Anita Benzing kept refining her technical skills and came through on her last run to take the TTOD-L. And, Kim Powers returned with her 356 to defend her PAX title. Perhaps, she can "three-peat" on 9/2.
I'm sure that everyone receives different emails from various driving sites. The Aug. 23 Winding Road email had an article on sensory input sessions by Ross Bentley. Bentley spoke about integrating visual, kinesthetic and auditory inputs to improve driving skills. This was evident at a previous SVR AX when my tires were squealing away and were talking to me around a difficult turn. Listening to my tires had helped me recognize the correct speed and line to take. Other instructors talk about knowing the difference between tire squeal and tire squall. It's nice to read concise information for what we may intuitively recognize.
Well, the autocross season is winding down. It's surprising how quickly time flies when you're having fun. Sept. 2nd will be our 8th autocross. Sadly, Oct. 14th will be our last autocross. We will go out with an adrenaline splash by having an Enduro on 10/14.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of the remaining events before we go back into autocross hibernation and withdrawal. If you're planning to place in your specific class/division, keep attending to accumulate those points.
And, we are always seeking people to arrive early for course set up and to help break down the course. Autocross is a community effort and we are fortunate to have a generous team of volunteers to make each autocross a success. See you Sept. 2nd.
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| Autocross #8B |
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| Club Racing West Coast Series 2017 |
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| Membership Report |
by Tom Short, Membership Director
In August 2017, 24 PCA Redwood Region members marked five or more years in the club, including two members with 44 years, and three others who have been members for over 30 years! Congratulations and thank you to all of you who are marking anniversaries - I hope you are enjoying your membership and taking advantage of all the great benefits our club has to offer!
In August we welcomed six new members - I hope you take advantage of the excellent activities our club offers throughout the year. You will be receiving a complimentary Redwood Region name badge shortly, along with a coupon good for a free autocross. Check out our website for upcoming autocross events. Also, you can order a name badge for your associate member there as well.
Be sure to check out the calendar on our website, and keep an eye on it as new events are added as we finalize them. I encourage everyone to participate in your club's events - it's a great way to meet other PCA members and have some fun with great people and our amazing cars.
If you spot any errors or have any questions about membership please feel free to email me at
[email protected]
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Best,
Tom Short
New Members
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| Board Meeting Minutes |
by Alan Geddes, Redwood Region Secretary
Redwood Region Board Meeting Minutes - The minutes from the August 29th, 2017 Board meeting will be available after approval at the September 26th, 2017 meeting. Read previous board meeting minutes
here.
Our next Board Meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on September 26th, 2017 at Novato Mary's Pizza Shack, 121 San Marin Drive, Novato, CA 94945. All members are welcome to attend.
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| Membership Information |
Please contact
Tom Short, Membership Director for general information about Club membership, including changes of address and/or contact information, dual-membership inquiries, inter-region transfers, membership referrals, and name badges.
Redwood Region Members are welcome and encouraged to attend monthly Board Meetings, held on the last Tuesday of each month (except December) at 7:00 p.m. August 29th, 2017 meeting will be at Novato Mary's Pizza Shack, 121 San Marin Drive, Novato, CA 94945.
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| Redwood Region Contacts |
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2016 Redwood Region Board of Directors
Executive Council Appointed Directors
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| der Marktplatz |
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FORSALE Set of Fuchs rims 16x6 and 16x7 in excellent shape Rims dated 4/87 and 11/87 not curb rash, two rims have a very small defect. will send more photos if interested. $1300.
George Nostrant
707-695-2402 |
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PORSCHE 911 993 Left and Right Headlight Lenses 1995-1998
From 1998 993 with 140,000 miles. Mild pitting. Driver's side has small hole patched with clear tape (see photo). $175
Contact:
Alan Geddes
Phone: 415-377-7120
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Porsche 911 993 Front OEM Windshield Glass W/ Antenna 1995-1998
Good condition,- mildly pitted, no cracks. Came from car with 140,000 miles that was converted to show car. Green tint at top, antenna at center.
$395
Contact:
Alan Geddes
Phone: 415-377-7120
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Rims and Tires for sale $800
Two 7.5x18 ET 50 mounted with Toyo R888's 225/40Z R18.
Two 9X18 ET 52 With Toyo R888's 285/30 R18.
The rims are powder coated black and are in excellent condition.
Tires are in good condition with 5-8 heat cycles. Lots of life left.
Contact Mac Cranford
[email protected]
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Classified ads for Porsches and Porsche-related parts or accessories are available at no charge to PCA members and may be submitted to the editor via
email by the 5th of the month to be included in that month's issue of der Riesenbaum. Ads will run for three months, space permitting, unless canceled by the seller. Classified ads are also included in the
der Marktplatz section on our Club website. Editor may modify ad copy as needed based on space constraints, and is not responsible for content, errors or omissions. Commercial ads are not accepted. Please contact
Sponsorship Director Simone Kopitzki at 415.299.7563 for sponsorship information and rates.
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| Der Riesenbaum is the official newsletter of the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region, encompassing Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. This publication is intended to inform Club members about Club activities and other related matters of interest. The opinions expressed in der Riesenbaum are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region, its officers, or its members. Letters to the editor, feedback, questions, and suggestions about der Riesenbaum and the Redwood Region in general are welcome. We also encourage members to submit photos and/or write-ups about Club events or related activities. Written contributions and photos are welcome and should be emailed to the editor. The submission deadline for publication in der Riesenbaum is the 5th day of the month for that month's publication. Material received after the deadline will be considered for publication the following month. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. All written content and images in this publication are protected by copyright. Permission is granted to reprint any original content herein provided credit is given to the author, to der Riesenbaum, and to the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region. Click here to visit us on the web or here to visit our Facebook page. Thank you all for supporting your Club! Jamie DeRuiter, der Riesenbaum Editor Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region 
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