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Porsches provided the backdrop to a fun day at Sonoma Plaza

Upcoming Calendar

Non-PCA Events of Interest

7/11 – Porsche Marin 2nd Saturday Motor Social, 8-10am @ Strawberry Shopping

Center, Mill Valley

7/12 – Cars, Coffee, and Clam Chowder, 12-3pm @ The Tides Wharf & Restaurant,

Bodega Bay

7/19 – 356CAR Breakfast, 9:00am at IHOP Vintage Oaks, Novato

7/26 – ESCA Autocross at Sonoma County Fairgrounds

8/1 – ESCA Autocross at Sonoma County Fairgrounds

8/2 – Marin County Cars and Coffee, 6:30-10am at Vintage Oaks, Novato

8/8 – Porsche Marin 2nd Saturday Motor Social, 8-10am @ Strawberry Shopping

Center, Mill Valley

8/16 – 356CAR Breakfast, 9:00am at IHOP Vintage Oaks, Novato

9/5 – ESCA Autocross at Sonoma County Fairgrounds

9/12 – Porsche Marin 2nd Saturday Motor Social, 8-10am @ Strawberry Shopping

Center, Mill Valley

9/20 – 356CAR Breakfast, 9:00am at IHOP Vintage Oaks, Novato

9/24-27 – Ironstone Murphys Concours

President's Message

Pat Burke

President

I’m in 7th gear in my 992, traveling through the beautiful redwood forests on Highway 128, leaving Geyserville and heading toward Fort Bragg on our Region’s annual Salmon BBQ Run, and I can’t help but reflect on the 70th Porsche Parade that Katherine and I just attended in Lake Placid, New York.

After flying into JFK and taking a 2½-hour Uber ride into Manhattan, we arrived at our Hyatt property, The Time, just a block off Times Square. We hit the ground running with three days of dinners, shows, the Knicks in the NBA Finals, the World Cup, the top of the Empire State Building, and more food. The Big Apple did not disappoint!

So, what did we rent to drive to Parade? I reserved a generic full-size sedan through Avis to pick up in Manhattan on Saturday morning. What did I receive? A huge Mazda CX-90 SUV! After dealing with that and getting the GPS programmed, we left New York City for our first destination: the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where we paid homage to so many chefs that I revere in my culinary life. After a fabulous two-hour lunch, we continued north to our stopover in Saratoga Springs, the hub of thoroughbred horse racing. What a beautiful town!

The next morning, Sunday, we continued north on I-87 toward Lake Placid. Setting the cruise control (of the largest SUV Mazda makes) at 73 mph, we saw so many New York State Troopers sitting in the center median just beyond nearly every subtle rise in the road. I never traveled over that speed. Along the three-hour trip, Katherine and I were surprised that we saw only a few Porsches traveling north with us. Everyone must have already been there...

We arrived in Lake Placid and, yes, the Porsches were there! After PCA Parade check-in and navigating our way to our hotel, we settled into our room to rest and get ready for the Pirelli Welcome Reception and Banquet at the Olympic Convention Center. What a fabulous night! Sitting with fellow PCA Zone 7 members from Diablo and Golden Gate in the Herb Brooks Arena, on the "Miracle on Ice" rink where the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team won the gold medal, was amazing.

The next morning, we woke to a rainy day, which was a bit of a bummer because the Parade Concours was being held outdoors on the speed skating oval next to the Olympic Center. The wet weather did not dampen anyone’s spirits, though. The cars were beautiful! So many favorites! My overall favorite was a beautiful Guards Red 959. It is a stunning car.

After the Concours, Katherine and I were treated to a two-hour event that was so much fun: curling! After a short lesson on the basics of the game, we were handed helmets for our safety, as the ice can be a bit slippery and unforgiving if you fall. Our team was made up of Zone 7 members Kirk and Lisa Doberenz from the Diablo Region. Much like bocce ball, it’s a fun game. We won two out of three matches! Yay!

Later that evening, I was invited to attend the Presidents Reception, held at the Olympic Ski Jumping Training Center. Watching 16 to 18-year-old young men sail through the air after launching themselves off the 120-meter ski jumping tower was amazing and almost unbelievable! There was no fear in their bodies whatsoever... at least not from what we could see!

There are a couple of statistics worth mentioning regarding this event. First, it was the largest-attended Parade to date, with almost 2,700 attendees. Second, 47% of those attendees were first-timers, Katherine and I included.

We had a wonderful time in Lake Placid. Upstate New York is beautiful and serene. I’m not sure if we’ll ever make it back, but I would love to!

Enjoy these pictures of our trip, and let’s begin planning for Parade 2027 in Boise, Idaho. I’m sure we can have a large representation from the Redwood Region. And in 2028, it will be held in Traverse City, Michigan.

Letter from the Editor

Connor Newton

der Riesenbaum Editor

Many of us members are very excited for this year’s Werks Reunion and all the fun associated events during Monterey Car Week. It has been difficult in previous years for PCA clubs, ours included, to organize group drives to Car Week because everyone is on a different schedule. Alas, I would still like to try, and I’ve been approached by several members who would as well. 

Although we have no official club driving tour to Car Week, I have created this Google Form to facilitate communication between members who may be interested in contacting one another before or during the week. Those who select their departure date will be matched with one another (in other words, receive each other’s email addresses) so that they may organize their own logistics. About a week prior to Car Week, I will send out an email matching members leaving on the same day. These are not PCA events, there is no PCA liability insurance for any group or individual driving, and no prepared routes.

The Google Form is here. If interested, please fill out by August 2nd.

This edition of der Riesenbaum features SIX new member introductions in der Scheinwerfer. Thank you to those who participated, and welcome to the club. Enjoy reading!

Vice President's Message — My Life-Long Love Affair with Porsche (Part III)

Jeff Hall

Vice President

The time between Porsches resembled a who’s who of fun, really fun and practical cars: Austin Healy 3000 Mk III (really fun); BMW 2002 (fun); Buick Century (company car and neither); BMW 320i; Volvo 850 (practical for four golfers); three Acura TLs and a Volvo XC90 (beyond practical!). The timeline from the Healy looked like a calendar of getting ‘older’ and hopefully ‘wiser’.

356 - Polaroid courtesy of Jeff Hall

Funny thing that amazed my friends at the time – Kathleen, my wife, egged me to get a 911 during FIVE of these ownerships! She had no qualms, “you’ve wanted one for a long time, just buy one!” Not sure what the delay was? Was I not ready for the 911? Did I not deserve a 911? One thing for sure, my friends thought I was a fool for not pulling the trigger…

So, life ticked on (pun intended as you’ll see) through a series of fun, practical cars while still dreaming of a 911. Kathleen became more insistent which was kind of endearing for 15 years!

In the Spring of 2021, my cardiologist discovered I had Aortic Stenosis - and you don’t want to know what the potential outcome could have been… I underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). A scary sounding but minimally invasive procedure that took all of 26 minutes. So quick, that when the interventional cardiologist who performed the procedure came out to the waiting room to tell Kathleen it had been a success, she was petrified that he was about to give her horrible news!! That was in April of 2021.

Just prior to the procedure I had two friends who passed along some wisdom that I took to heart (yes, another pun intended): along with “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR WIFE IS TELLING YOU TO BUY A 911” one said, “you know, someday, we’re going to run out of somedays”; the other quipped, “in all my years as a psychologist, when patients were on their deathbeds, they only ever regretted those things that they never did…”. I started shopping for the 911 the day after the procedure!

911 - Photo courtesy of Guy Foster & Jeff Hall

With the help of two friends, one a PCA member from Sacramento and the other an old friend who sells Duesenberg’s on consignment and has been a judge at Pebble Beach thirteen times – most definitely car guys! I knew what I wanted (a 997.2) with low mileage if possible. Kathleen said, nothing older than 2000 so there went the 993… Suddenly, she’s narrowly focused on her Porsche dream!! We researched through several means including Bring a Trailer and the like. BAT is great for research but as I watched many auctions, I noticed there was a lot of emotion involved. For example, a car which was the exact same year as mine, with low mileage (24,000) and in great shape BUT, it was Racing Green, tan leather and a manual. It sold for $30,000 more than I paid for our 997.

Good news, I finally found the car that I wanted through PCA Classifieds / bad news, it was in Maine!! It spent ten years in Beverly Hills and one year in Maine. When I asked the owner why he was selling after only one year he told me, “I’m 80, it’s hard to get in and out of and the roads up here suck”. Oddly, after selling us his car he bought a red Honda with a huge wing…

I had contracted with the only Porsche Dealer in Maine to perform a Pre-purchase Inspection (PPI) – the owner said he’d gladly drive the 90 miles from his home on the coast to the dealership… On the day of the inspection, the owner, Ulf, called me to tell me that he had postponed the PPT! I thought that was weird and when I asked him his reasoning for postponing, he told me that it was raining!! He had kept the car in a heated garage and never drove it in inclement weather. I knew then that I had chosen the right seller couldn’t have been happier.

My Duesenberg friend knows the President of Reliable Carriers through his Pebble Beach judging days, and he was able to get me a decent deal on the cross-country trek. The car was delivered detailed and wrapped in plastic in the Costco parking lot – the only place I could think of to handle an 85-foot semi-trailer. So, you could say, I got my car at Costco. 

To say it’s been a love affair ever since would be an understatement! It’s been our sheer joy to drive it and to do all that we do with the Redwood Region PCA! 

Thanks for reading and indulging me… See you on the road.

Please join the Redwood Region and Platinum Sponsor Porsche Marin for the monthly

“Marin Motor Social” Cars & Coffee at Strawberry Village in Mill Valley.

The next event is on Saturday 6/13!

Hosted by Porsche Marin on the second Saturday of EVERY month - we’ll see you soon.

See over 100 cars including Lamborghinis, McLarens, Ferraris AND lots of Porsches.

Take a look at the latest news from Porsche Marin here!

Roger and Caitlin Clary are the owners of Capricorn Automotive in Healdsburg, proudly serving the Sonoma County community. Originally established over 30 years ago, Capricorn Automotive was purchased by Roger and Caitlin in 2021. With them came decades of combined European automotive experience and a commitment to providing honest, high-quality service to every customer.



Capricorn Automotive specializes in the service and repair of European, luxury, and performance vehicles. They provide dealership-level expertise with the personalized attention and boutique experience of a locally owned independent shop.

Jordan Livingston

New Member, San Rafael

Tell us about yourself

My name's Jordan. I’m 43. I live in San Rafael with my wife Rachel who moved here from Ireland in 2016. I work in the film industry as a “digital imaging technician,” which means I help realize the cinematographer’s vision during production by establishing the color, density, and overall look of their movies, tv shows, and commercials. Aside from cinema and photography, my next great passion has always been eye catching modern design; architecture, furniture, and especially cars! 

What do you drive?

I’ve always wanted a Porsche 928, a lifelong favorite ever since childhood. Then one day something pulled up at a stoplight that I’d never seen before. It looked sort of like a 928 front end with a 944 rear end, yet perhaps more modern looking and dare I say better proportioned than both. And those cup wheels! What is this thing?! A 968?! Somehow, I’d never heard of this car before. The interior! The colors! The 6-speed, 3 liter, 4 cylinder VarioCam! What is this freak of nature?! I decided if should ever find a turnkey 968 in a color that I loved at a price I could afford, I would probably have to buy it.

It turns out finding a solid 968 in just about any color is pretty difficult. As you can tell from my job description, I’m somewhat obsessed with color, so white, black, or red just won’t suit me. I figured maybe if I’m lucky I might someday stumble upon a gray or green one. But after several years this unbelievable Wimbledon Green with Gray interior 968 suddenly showed up on Bring-A-Trailer. It’s got to be the most beautiful 968 I've ever seen! The previous owner, it turns out, is not only a well established Porsche collector and restorer, he also happens to be the current design chief for Kia. An extremely talented guy, to say the very least. Talk about “turnkey.” This is probably as good as it gets for a used car. I knew I'd never see another 968 like this again. If I was ever going to buy one, it was gonna be this one. So I bid, admittedly a bit more than I'd budgeted (but hey, some of that would have gone toward deferred maintenance on a lesser maintained car, right?), and just when I reached my absolute maximum walk away now final this is it really no I mean it this is the last bid, much to my genuine surprise, I'd won! Now I just needed to tell my wife… 

My favorite thing about the car so far? I’d have to say, the steering! I don’t know if every Porsche is like this, but I’ve never driven a car with such incredible steering before, and my goodness, this thing was built in 1993! The turning radius seems to defy the laws of physics. This thing can turn around on itself like a contortionist. And the responsiveness to the wheel is just incredible. It just begs you to turn harder, faster. No car I’ve driven has ever given me such confidence in its handling. That said, it’s early days, and I’m definitely still getting used to it. It seems to prefer a heavy foot, both on the gas and on the clutch. I’m used to a much lighter touch. I’m learning I really need to put both feet down. The car rewards strong, deliberate inputs. You gotta pay attention and really drive, which I suppose is the whole idea, right?

Why did you decide to join PCA?

One of my good friends and mentors in the early years of my career in film (he’s retired now), has always shared my passion for classic cars. He’s a longtime Porsche owner and PCA member, so naturally, he was the first person (not married to me) who I told about the 968. Immediately, he told me all about the PCA, invited me to their next regional meetup, introduced me to all the regulars, and extolled the virtues of membership. It didn’t take much to convince me. This is just one of the many joys of owning such a special car and belonging to a community who shares similar passions.

What else would you like other members to know about you?

I also happen to own a DeLorean DMC-12, and I made an independent documentary feature about the history of the DeLorean called “DeLorean – Living the Dream,” which is available on Amazon Prime and YouTube. 

Shelley Hyder

New Member, Corte Madera

Tell us about yourself

I am a sales professional, with experience in the beverage and hospitality industries, and have led a colorful life, which has involved life in Florida, China, and Italy.

What do you drive?

I purchased my Macan "Tiger" from Porsche Marin on 12/31/2019 as I am a Marin County resident. I love this car and have driven her to Las Vegas with my 89 year old father and my Bostons, Allegria and Enza. Now I got lucky and was notified by Porsche Marin to purchase the 2025 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 manual. She is amazing and fierce; I named her Miss Mqueen.

Why did you decide to join PCA?

When I bought my Macan, a friend referred me to join the PCA.

What else would you like other members to know about you?

I created the clothing brand GreyDache to assist and create awareness for racing sighthounds and stop cruelty and track racing, and I work with clothing manufacturers from the USA.

Manuel Oncina

New Member, San Rafael

Tell us about yourself

My wife and I have lived in La Jolla, CA for 41 years but decided to move to Marin County to be closer to our daughter and her small family. I am a retired architect and Norma, my wife, was the CFO for my company. Our specialty was libraries. We designed a dozen of them mostly in San Diego County. We retired in 2020 after 36 years of practice.

What do you drive?

Our current Porsche is a 2004 Targa we bought new from Pioneer Porsche (now Porsche of San Diego). We’ve owned this car ever since. Our first Porsche was a 1972 914, our second was a 1978 911 SC Targa, our third Porsche was a new 2000 Boxster, which we kept alongside the new 2004 Targa for many years. We bought our current car because we really loved our aging ’78 SC Targa (over 200K miles) and had seen the new style Targas while visiting Europe. We fell in love with the sliding roof… We love driving this car because it’s fun, fairly economical and relatively low maintenance.

 

Why did you decide to join PCA?

We joined PCA and RR, mostly because we are retired and want to have some fun with local folks. We have had many opportunities to join previously but always were too busy to do so.

What else would you like other members to know about you?

We love cars. We also own a Ferrari California and if our garage was large enough, we could probably own more. We’ve also owned two Alfa Romeos (a 1956 Giulietta spyder and a 1967 GTV), and a Mercedes 230SL. We’re both fluent in French, Italian and Spanish and love traveling.

Jeff Austin-Weir

New Member, San Rafael

Tell us about yourself

Hello! My name is Jeff Weir. My wife Heather and I have lived in San Rafael for 25 years and Marin for 30. I’ve been a life long car enthusiast having grown up devouring my Dad’s Road & Track, Car & Driver and Motor Trend magazines. My very first car was my parent’s beaten up 1971 Camaro but even back in my teens I was Porsche dreaming. On my wall I had that cool personalized poster promo Porsche was doing back then that had my last name on the license plate of a 911 getting air. 

What do you drive?

In the late 90s, I test drove the Boxster pretty soon after the 986 was released. I really liked it but wasn’t ready to commit back then. The Boxster, though, always held a soft spot in my heart and I always dreamed of owning a Porsche someday. Fast forward again to earlier this year, I was staying at an AirBnB in Healdsburg and the owner had a 986 Boxster. I complimented it and he graciously asked if I’d like to take it for a drive. I couldn’t turn that down! I was completely impressed with the car even though it was 25+ years old. I told my son, who is a huge car enthusiast, all about it. We started to research all the Boxster generations, colors and options. I decided that the 981 was the right one for me. I loved the looks and equally love that the 981 still retained the flat 6 in S trim. I made a hierarchy of colors I was interested in. Loving red and the classic 80s vibes of the color, Guards Red shot to the top of the list. 

Fast forward a couple weeks later and a red 2013 Boxster S showed up online with only 16k miles on it – 16,000 miles!! I couldn’t pass it up. I inquired about it immediately and was thrilled to hear that it was still available. The only challenge – it was in Scottsdale, Arizona. I decided, why not, let’s turn it into an adventure. What better way to get to know a car than a long road trip! My son and I flew down, grabbed it and made a beeline from Arizona to Highway 1. We drove up the glorious California coast, enjoying the amazing beauty and even more amazing curving roads. It was phenomenal and the car drove like a dream!

I’ve owned the car for almost 3 months now and couldn’t be happier. Each time I take it out for a spirited drive I learn more and it never fails to reward my efforts to drive it better. And the top down experience is incredible. I love feeling connected to the beautiful world around us. I’m so very happy to have fulfilled a 30 year old dream of owning a Boxster!

Why did you decide to join PCA?

I just joined the Redwood Region’s PCA to meet local fellow enthusiasts and learn more about owning, driving, repairing, upgrading and driving these wonderful vehicles. 

Elizabeth Goldstein and David Peterka

New Member, Santa Rosa

Tell us about yourself

My name is Liz. My husband, our dog (Oatmeal), and I live in Sonoma County. I have loved Porsches for as long as I can remember - my dad drives a Turbo Cabriolet!

What do you drive?

My husband and I have a 2014 911 - we call it Patty Mayonnaise (after the cartoon character) (My daily driver is a Scion FR-S and he drives a Tacoma!). This is our first Porsche. My husband bought the car - he surprised me with it when we got married because he knew that I've always wanted a Porsche - it was a huge surprise!! One of his co-workers has several Porsches and they sneakily asked me about my favorite models and then they went car hunting together - I think they had a lot of fun. They ended up finding Patty in Florida. We don't drive the Porsche every day, so when we take it out, it is always a treat! Favorite thing... It's a manual

Why did you decide to join PCA?

We are always looking for new car meet-ups!!

What else would you like other members to know about you?

My husband and I are pug owners. I ended up meeting a lot of people within the pug community who are also Porsche enthusiasts and created a "Pugs and Porsches Club" Instagram account (@pugsporschesclub) for fun. We share photos and dog-friendly meet-ups. A group of us met up at Air|Water in Orange County earlier this year and are hoping to continue to meet more dog-loving Porsche friends!

Bryce Jehling

New Member, Corte Madera

Tell us about yourself

My name is Bryce, and I'm excited to be joining the Porsche Club of America

What do you drive?

I recently purchased my first Porsche, a 2009 Porsche Boxster (987.2). I've always loved driving the roads around Marin County ever since I got my license at 16, and over the years a lot of my friends in the Bay Area have owned Boxsters and Caymans. Many of them are PCA members, so being around these cars definitely gave me the itch to own one myself. I found my Boxster locally at HI TEC Automotive in San Rafael, a shop I've driven past countless times growing up. As soon as I looked at the listing and realized it was only a few minutes from home, I knew I had to act quickly. It was originally sold new at Stevens Creek Porsche and has spent most of its life here in the Bay Area, primarily in Marin County. It's cool knowing the car has stayed local. What I enjoy most is simply getting out on the incredible roads around Marin and the rest of Northern California with the top down. The Boxster is such a rewarding car to drive, and sharing those drives with good friends makes it even better.

Why did you decide to join PCA?

I decided to join PCA because I've heard nothing but great things from friends who are already members. Also, Greg at HI TEC who I bought the car from was talking about PCA membership and all that it offers. I'm looking forward to meeting other Porsche enthusiasts, participating in drives and events, and learning more about these cars. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone and hope to see you on a drive soon!



Kurt Fischer

Director of Events

It was a dark and stormy morning—oops, no — the sun was out and shining in my eyes as I headed for Joe Burroughs's home to pick up his pop up tent in the Porsche Support Vehicle (PSV), my old 2000 BMW 323i wagon.

Off we go, heading for the Plaza – the horseshoe in the Historic City of Sonoma for our 19th year of sponsoring this charity event for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Sonoma County, a very worthwhile organization! We were joined by Joanne Brown, Susy Martes, and Torran Korman from CASA.

I volun-told several people to help me — Pat Burke, our President; Jeff Hall, Vice President; Essy and Rosa Fariab, our concours chair people; along with Ben and Lisa Davoren, who manned and womaned the registration table with great aplomb along with Joe Burroughs, who came up with this idea 19 years ago! Remember it's not just the cars... it's the people!

The cars started to arrive way too early (as the deadly bugs acquired during the trip from our participants' homes need to be taken care of) but my helpers slotted them into their proper place on the horseshoe. We have a special way of parking in compliance with the City of Sonoma fire regulations!

After lunch we held the ceremony for the People’s choice, and had enough prizes for 3 winners! 1st place was Jim Hybiske with his orange 1973 RS Clone, 2nd place is Thomas Schlesinger and his green 2025 Spyder RS, and 3rd place went to Mike Burns in his gray 1979 930 Turbo! 

Next year, our 20^th visit to the Plaza, we will come up with something extra special!

In closing, here is the link to all the pictures taken by Paige Gaines and Katherine Zimmer Burke!

The Press Democrat stopped by and did a story on us too!

Again… thanks to all our members for showing their cars as well as all our members that came out to hang with us! This is one of our most popular events of the year! Be there next year or be square!



Joe Burroughs

Safety Chair

The third annual Redwood Region PCA Salmon Barbeque Run to Fort Bragg was a success! On the 4th of July, a group of 8 Porsches arrived at Kaffe Mocha in Santa Rosa on a beautiful morning. We held our typical driver’s meeting and off we traveled northbound up Hwy 101 to Dry Creek Valley enjoying some back roads to Cloverdale. We connected with Hwy 128 to start this enjoyable twisty and well-maintained highway winding past the natural beauty and vineyards that Mendocino County has to offer.

We arrived in the small town of Booneville for a brief bio-break, retail, coffee and pastries. We hit the highway traveling northwest through Anderson Valley’s small communities of Philo and Navarro while taking in the beautiful sights of the vineyards and wineries. Most of the grapes in this region are Pinot Noir, and many of these wineries produce the best sparkling wines!

Northwest of Navarro, we entered an area with a spectacular redwood forest creating a delightful canopy over the favorable curves in the highway. We eventually arrived at Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) to soak in the cool coastal weather. The views of the Pacific Ocean along Highway 1 were breathtaking. We continued north up Highway 1 to Fort Bragg to the Salmon Barbecue. After seeing that the Noyo Harbor parking lot was full, we took advantage of the off-site parking at the Mendocino Coast College Center and hopped on the timely shuttle bus to the event. Thank you, Mike and Kim LaFrenais for being the sweep and safely bringing up the rear during the drive!

We arrived at the barbecue at approximately 11:45am. We were greeted with friendly volunteers while being served salad, ears of corn, garlic bread and a very generous piece of salmon. We found a table for all to sit together among the large assembly of people and enjoyed the amazing food, variety of drinks and live music. After feasting on salmon and all the fixings, we finished it off with ice cream under the partial cloudy skies and refreshing 64-degree temps.

This year’s Salmon Barbecue was the 55th Annual. The event raises money for the Salmon Restoration Association, a non-profit organization located in Fort Bragg, CA dedicated to restoration of the salmon resource in Mendocino County, CA.

That evening we met at Cucina Verona restaurant in downtown Fort Bragg for a group dinner, and we enjoyed the social company. As darkness settled in, several of us enjoyed the colorful fireworks show from the hotel near the Noyo River. The local fire department launched rockets from the coast bluff near the mouth of the Noyo River just west of the Pacific Coast Highway.  

Footnote, let’s reschedule this event next year!



Jeff Hall

Vice President

On a spectacular Saturday morning, June 13th, 25 Redwoodies in 14 Porsches set out on the Porsche Picnic Rally 2026! After meeting, and caffeining-up, at Starbucks in Petaluma we set out on a 53-mile Tour of Western Sonoma County.

Western Sonoma (and Marin) Counties offer some of our most fun and challenging roads. The scenery has no peer and the traffic is usually minimal! We headed out D street in Petaluma which, shortly after leaving downtown, turns into a hilly, scenic, twisty and well-paved road! Passing lakes, meadows and lots of cows and sheep, we headed toward the coast…

Just before Point Reyes Station we took a right on Hwy 1. I call the stretch of road between here and Marshall the “Corkscrew”! Up, down and around the route hugs Tomales Bay sporting whitecaps, low clouds and peaking sunlight!!! By the time we turned inland, the sun was out and we headed toward our picnic venue at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol.

One of the aspects of this event was the “fancy picnic setup” competition! Members dropped poker chips on that picnic setup that they thought went above and beyond in terms of creativity, accoutrements, food and beverages… There were many excellent designs but, after a close vote, we ended in a tie for first place: Connor Newton and his fiancée Elizabeth, with their romantic spread. and Ben and Lisa Davoren with their barnyard theme complete with “balloon” farm animals (AND all homemade foods) split the vote! First and second place teams were awarded bottles of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay… Connor and Elizabeth took this opportunity to officially announce their engagement – a hearty Redwood congratulations on this happy news!

And a Happy Birthday to longtime member Kurt Fischer!! Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next event!!

More photos are available on the Redwood Flickr.

Stacy O'Connell

Autocross Chair

ESCA, the Empire Sports Club Association, has a few autocrosses coming up locally at the Sonoma Fairgrounds. Redwood members are welcome to attend:

• July 26
• August 1
• September 5

If you sign up for both the July and August events, you'll get a $20 discount. But act fast, the ESCA team wants to confirm 30 registrants by July 11 to commit to both weekend events. Contact Marci for registration information.

Redwood's next autocross is at Thunderhill on Sunday, October 18. It's a bit farther than Sonoma, but well worth the drive. Want an extra day of fun? Sacramento Valley Region hosts their event on Saturday, and both events will run morning and afternoon course configurations. That's four courses in two days and a great opportunity to sharpen your skills, learn the ropes, or see what autocross is all about! A Zone 7-hosted dinner on Saturday night is a bonus.

Hope to see you out there soon.

Any questions? Email me.

Ben Davoren

Redwood Charity Liaison

As many of you know, our largest charitable beneficiary for many years has been CASA, the Sonoma Court Appointed Special Advocates organization, and our annual Porsches on the Plaza event directly supports our donations. This year’s event on June 27th was another tremendous success with a big turnout, wonderful cars, and terrific weather. CASA volunteers, including their Board President Joanne Brown, Susy Martes, and Torran Korman staffed their information table under our club canopy so that the general public could learn more about them while browsing a tremendous color palette of Porsches. Thanks to all of you who attended, especially those showing off your beautiful auto babies. For those interested in further supporting CASA, their annual “Hearts Fore Children” charity golf tournament is Friday August 14th and registration is open. This marks their 30th year supporting the youth of Sonoma County.

In other charity news, our next “Charity Adventure” day will be Thursday November 12th. We will once again have a one-hour driving tour followed by a three-hour warehouse shift at the Redwood Empire Food Bank in Windsor. Afterwards we will have a club-sponsored lunch at the Barley & Bine Beer Café nearby. Ask anyone who’s been and they’ll tell you that you should come join us for what will be our 7th volunteer event! Signups will begin in September; look for an MSR link in the September der Riesenbaum.

CASA volunteers Susy Martes and Torran Korman, along with Redwood member Lisa Davoren and President Pat Burke, calmly staff the registration and charity table in a small windstorm at June’s Porsches on the Plaza.

Brad Williams

Membership Director

This July Membership Report recognizes Redwood Region changes that occurred during the previous month, June. At the end of June our Redwood Region had a total of 1,201 Members/Co-members (779 Primary Members and 422 Affiliate/Co-Members), 12 of these joined PCA, and the Redwood Region, in June. In June one member transferred in from a different region while no members transferred out. Again, we did not have any new subscribers to our Test Drive program, so this number remains at 20. If you do meet someone interested in purchasing a new or previously owned Porsche, remind them that the PCA Test Drive program is a great way to learn about Porsche and the PCA while searching for their perfect first Porsche. The resources available to the members are quite extensive.

Forty-seven of our Redwood Region members will be celebrating their five year, or more, PCA Membership anniversaries in July. They are shown in the table to the left. For July, our longest tenured PCA member, 54 years, is David Merz. David joined PCA all the way back in 1972. David drives a true classic, a ’57 356, around the “census-designated place” of Penngrove.

der Marketplatz

Brian Adkins

Zone 7 Representative

Email

If summer had a soundtrack, it might just be the sound of a flat-six, a healthy 4 cylinder song or even something a lil different than that echoing through a mountain pass, a convoy of Porsches rolling into a Cars & Coffee, or friends gathering after a day spent behind the wheel.

July is one of those months that reminds us why PCA is so special. Across our Regions, members are touring, auto crossing, competing, volunteering, socializing, and simply enjoying the camaraderie that comes from a shared passion for Porsche.

One of the things I appreciate most about Zone 7 is the variety of opportunities available to our members. Whether your interests lean toward driving, concours preparation, driver education, social gatherings, motorsports, or simply enjoying a great road trip, there truly is something for everyone. My encouragement this month is simple: find an event and participate. Visit a neighboring Region. Try an activity you’ve never experienced before. Introduce yourself to someone new. Some of the best PCA memories begin with simply showing up!

Read all of Brian's In the Zone here!



Werks Reunion Monterey is Open!

This year, we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the introduction of the 924 in 1976, as well as the series of transaxle Porsches, which will be the feature cars for Werks Reunion 2026. 

Porsche owners interested in participating must register in one of two categories: 

Porsche Corral - Display your cherished Porsche proudly alongside others of its model type. Corral participants are not considered in the judged competition.

Porsche Judged Field - Compete against other owners to take home a Werks Reunion Award. Register early as this category sells out fast!

The registration link is available here on Motorsportreg.com.

This event is free to attend as a spectator. Parking will be available on-site for $40 per car (cash only). 

Juniors Judging, sponsored by Hagerty - will be available at 10:30 AM. This activity is best for ages 6-14. To sign up, please register kids at Werks Monterey Juniors Judging.

2026 Sacramento Valley Region (SVR) Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) Rally Series

• Open to all members in all Regions.



The Sacramento Valley Region (SVR) of the Porsche Club of America will be hosting a series of Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) road rallies that start at various locations within the greater Sacramento Region. The rallies are scheduled for Saturdays with the first car departing at 9:31 AM. They will typically be 90 to 120 miles in length and less than four hours in duration. The rallies will have reasonably easy to follow directions using mostly scenic low volume paved roads.

• Route instructions will be consumable for the beginning rallyist but still providing challenges and learning experiences for all participants.
• Time and location details for all events will be posted to the SVR website svr-pcaor.org
• Registration for all events will be through MotorsportReg.
• The entry fee for each event will be $25 per car. Entry requires a street-legal vehicle, a licensed and insured driver, a navigator, and a smart device (e.g., cell phone or tablet) running the FREE Richta GPS Competitor ‘app.’

Click here for a list of upcoming PCA events (the national website).

• Porsche Parade 2026 – Lake Placid, June 14^th to 20^th; registration opens January 28^th
• Werks Reunion Monterey – August 14^th
• PCA Treffen @ Sea 2026 – West Coast Wine Cruise, September 19^th -25^th

Zone 7 … stay connected.

Zone 7 Website – zone7.pca.org

Zone 7 Facebook – Zone 7 Facebook

Zone 7 AX Facebook – Zone 7 AX Facebook

Zone 7 Concours Facebook – Zone 7 Concours Facebook

Porsche Sprint Challenge action sizzles in the VIR heat

Karel Staut continued his winning form in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama with a GT3 Cup sweep at VIRginia International Raceway, while Ford Koch and Anna Cecchi split Cayman Pro-Am class victories during the series' fifth event of the season.



Read More

Find our event photos on Flickr

Eileen Gaines

Secretary



The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, July 28th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Torches in Petaluma at 256 Petaluma Blvd North.

Our monthly Board meetings are open to all Redwood Region Members. The club will buy your dinner; you pay for your beverage.

If you’re interested in joining the next meeting via Zoom, send me an email and I will forward you the meeting link.

Send me an email to read previous Board meeting minutes.

Dress in style and get your Redwood Region branded items in our Goodie Store.

Visit Redwood's online Goodie Store here.

Porsche Marin

When you want the best selection and prices on new, used and pre-owned Porsche vehicles, Porsche Marin offers exactly what you’re looking for. 911, Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera and nmore.

Mill Valley

415 578-9101 porschemarin.com

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. 

We encourage letters to the editor, feedback, questions and suggestions about our newsletter and the Redwood Region in general. Want to contribute to the newsletter? Submit photos and articles about Club events or related activities. Please submit your entry by the 5th day of the month for inclusion in that month's newsletter. Articles received after the deadline will be considered for the next month's newsletter. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all materials submitted for publication.

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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, the der Riesenbaum and to the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region. 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.

Thanks for supporting our Club!

Connor Newton

der Riesenbaum Editor

Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region

Cover photo courtesy of Paige Gaines