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Pit Stop en route to Gracianna Winery in Healdsburg

Upcoming Calendar

Non-PCA Events of Interest

5/17 – 356CAR Breakfast, 9:00am at IHOP Vintage Oaks, Novato

5/29-5/31 – Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway

6/7 – Marin County Cars and Coffee, 6:30-10am at Vintage Oaks, Novato

6/13 – Porsche Marin 2nd Saturday Motor Social, 8-10am @ Strawberry Shopping

Center, Mill Valley

6/21 – 356CAR Breakfast, 9:00am at IHOP Vintage Oaks, Novato

7/5 – Marin County Cars and Coffee, 6:30-10am at Vintage Oaks, Novato

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

President's Message — A New Car...

Pat Burke

President

Happy May to all in Redwood Region! I have exciting personal news on the Porsche ownership front. It all started just over a month ago while I was falling asleep. As I dozed off, I though about my 2007 C4S and how it was almost 20 years old and in great shape. But what if something went wrong? The cost of repairs on an old car could be astronomical! I would love to upgrade into a new car, one with technology, dependability and maybe a warranty? That thought stayed in my mind for several weeks and I discussed options with my wife Katherine. Do I sell the C4S and purchase a 718, a Macan or a newer 911? 

Several days later, I pulled my C4S into the garage, pulled the door latch to exit, and heard a loud sound of a breaking spring inside the door panel. The door opened, but the handle flopped loosely about. My local repair shop was short staffed and completely booked. My next option was Porsche Marin! I called the service department and scheduled an appointment to drop off my car the following week.

Prior to the appointment, I talked to General Manager Kyle Festog. I mentioned to him my thought of a possible upgrade, and he said that he would personally appraise my car while I survey their website for vehicles. I flipped through many cars in their inventory and landed on a couple that sparked my interest. On the Saturday that I dropped off my car, I test drove two choices. Both cars were beautiful and awesome but one stood out in my mind. Driving home in our loaner car – a 2026 Macan – Katherine and I had conversations about both cars and once again, our options: Do we repair the C4S and continue to put money aside for future expensive repairs or not?

I arrived home and checked my email. The service tech had sent me a report along with a video and an initial estimate to repair my car. I expected the external door latch replacement. But I did not expect the electric locking mechanism, two cracked front strut bushings, both CV boots, a windshield washer pump, and several other items as parts also needing repair or replacement. The estimate was expensive. So, I waited for Monday, when Kyle would get back to me.

Kyle called me and explained the repairs that were needed. He told me that my car was in beautiful shape and that he would like to purchase the car from me on a trade.

Without prompting Kyle, he offered me exactly what I thought the car was valued and he would take the repairs on at his level. He told me that I could sell the car on my own and maybe make a few thousand dollars more, but I would have to deal with the issues of selling and dealing with potential buyers. It was an easy decision. 

I am now driving a 2020 Carrera S Cabriolet in agate gray, tan leather interior with black trim and tan stitching. 15,000 miles and a 2-year CPO warranty, which I extended! It’s everything that I wanted and more. The PDK transmission is fantastic and the in-car technology is spectacular.

The process of the purchase at Porsche Marin was such a positive experience with a great salesperson in Rayshawn and all of the supporting staff that took care of us. There were no surprises or confusion and only a trusted and fair deal that has made me very happy. I can only say that if you are faced with a similar decision or just in the market for a new car, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kyle.

And, please feel free to contact me with anything that is on your mind for our region. Any ideas, events or your concerns are all welcome. You can reach me at redwoodpcapres@gmail.com.

In closing, it’s an honor to be your President. We are always looking for volunteers to help our region, and I would love to have you join us at a monthly Board meeting, which are held on the last Tuesday of every month at Torches Restaurant in Petaluma starting at 6:30PM. We would like to see you there and your dinner will be on us! Hope to see you soon.

Vice President's Message — A Boy's Dream (Pt. 1)

Jeff Hall

Vice President

Every time I see this video of the young boy dreaming about a 911 (997.1 specifically) I remember my entry into the world of Porsche both in my dreams and in reality…

As a young boy growing up in Northern New Jersey, I loved everything about the 356. Occasionally, I’d see one motoring down the street and absolutely thought the upside-down bathtub design was brilliant! Someday, I would own one.

Fast forward to 1974: I was a senior in college and took a trip to Boston for a family visit with my sister who was in school there. While there I peeked at a local newspaper and saw an ad for a 1963 Porsche 356 B – they were asking $1200. Andover, MA was only a short drive away, so my dad and I drove to look at the car. It was rusty, the sunroof was held in place with a wood block and the patina on the grey paint was not exactly concours. It didn’t dawn on me that the holes in the floorboard would be problematic if I ever drove through a puddle. It ran; I drove it and forked over $1200. My dream had come true – I owned my first Porsche! Let the adventure begin.

The adventure began on a beautiful Sunday in the Boston suburbs as I started out on the 7-hour, 450-mile drive to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. What could possibly go wrong? As I meandered through the pristine countryside of western Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York, the “silver bullet” was performing like a champ and I was in heaven, until I got to Route 80 in Pennsylvania (only a few hours to go).

In some ways, a 21-year-old with little or no mechanical knowledge should never have purchased a car that, at the time, was eleven years old and needed a lot of TLC. I realized how true that was when the car wouldn’t accelerate. I knew enough to know that gas was not getting to the engine. Like a pro, I popped open the engine lid and noticed that there was an arm hanging loose from the carburetor – I pulled it and pushed it and the car engine revved. To this day, I don’t know what that arm was, but I thought if I “wedged” it in place I would be in business. I ran into the woods, found a smallish stick and wedged it so that the car continued to rev…

I was in business and made it the final one hundred miles back to my apartment at school. I used the stick to “wedge” myself to a mechanic the next day and he reattached the “arm.” Problem solved.

Stay tuned next month for the next chapter of my life-long love affair with Porsche. After graduation I took a job with Johnson & Johnson in, you guessed it, Boston. I found a lovely apartment in North Andover, about 2 miles from where I purchased the 356 B. Coincidental? Maybe. And winter was fast approaching…

Porsches on the Plaza - June 27th 2026

Join us for the 19th year of one of our most popular events! We gather in front of the historic City of Sonoma horseshoe with our cars for an informal People’s choice award!

We have room for 45 cars and this is a charity event for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Bring your chairs, food and libations!

Watch the website for all the details and join us!

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!

Max Maloney

New Member, Sebastopol

Tell us about yourself

I'm a northern California native and I've been obsessed with cars for as long as I can remember. Cars occupy a probably-unhealthy percentage of my waking thoughts, but my therapist has assured me that "it's not an addiction because it doesn't negatively affect other parts of my life." Well, as far as he knows. I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and I can't imagine doing anything else - tearing things apart, learning how they work, and building them back up again has been my life's passion. I spent a while working at Apple and now I work at Peak Design, a small-ish company of fanatical design-minded weirdos who design photography and travel gear. 

What do you drive?

I drive a 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S, manual. It's my first Porsche. I've been a lifelong "BMW guy" and did not really consider myself a Porsche fan until I drove one of these 991.1's on a whim and was absolutely giggling like a schoolchild at the sound of the thing. I started shopping and jumped on this one because it met my list of must-have options and I absolutely fell in love with the color. I picked a 991 because I wanted a car that could do triple-duty as a quiet commuter, a fun backroads/weekend driver, and a track toy. Mission accomplished so far - it has excelled at all three tasks. I took it to my first track day at Thunderhill a few weeks ago and it's safe to say that I'm hooked. 

Why did you join PCA? 

I joined PCA because I'd love to get involved in more track days with what sounds like a very welcoming crowd. A few fun weekend drives wouldn't hurt, either. And I'd love for someone to feel these too-clicky turn signals in my 991 and tell me if "they're all like that" or not. You know, things like that. 



Ben Davoren

Redwood Charity Liaison

Our club picked a great way to end April, with our sixth “Charity Adventure Day” that supports the Redwood Empire Food Bank. We started out on a beautiful morning with a brand new one-hour driving tour route, along a creative west Sonoma map created (and swept) by VP Jeff Hall. We had mostly unimpeded fun along River Road, Westside Road, and Eastside Road, and nobody got lost in the Healdsburg roundabout despite road work on both sides. At the food bank warehouse we assumed our stations along the conveyor assembly line creating “senior boxes” of non-perishable items from oats to beans to juice. They had expected we could get 400 – 500 done in our three hour shift, but we beat that with 528 boxes in 2 ½ hours. That’s 17,028 pounds, enough for 14,190 meals! Those totals are very gratifying, so my hat is off to Brian Barber, Pat and Katherine Burke, Lisa Davoren, John Dolan, Peter and Margie England, Duke Ferris, Kurt Fischer, Eileen Gaines, Jeff Hall, Ron Harness, Miranda March, Reuben Rivera, Brad Williams and Rod Williams for their great teamwork. Beyond the reward of knowing how many of our NorCal neighbors we helped, we of course headed back to the Barley & Bine Beer Café in Windsor for refreshment and camaraderie over lunch. My bet is that we will have a seventh charity day like this in the fall and we would love to have you come experience this heartwarming group effort. In the above photo you’ll see our smiling faces at the end of our shift, along with regular food bank volunteer Marcia, giving back after relying on food bank support herself.

More photos from the event can be found here.

In other charity news, our primary charity CASA has graduated a new class of over 20 volunteers, meaning that scores of needy foster children in Sonoma county will soon be able to have an advocate for them in the legal system. If you’d like to know more about where our donations go and meet their Board President Joanne Brown, she and another CASA volunteer will have a table at our club’s annual Porsches on the Plaza event on June 27th in downtown Sonoma.

There is also news at Homeward Bound of Marin which has acquired a property in the Dominican area of San Rafael with a plan to create 28 apartments of affordable community housing for seniors otherwise facing homelessness. Construction starts in 2028.

As an unrelated Spring footnote, if you don’t know about our annual Martorana Family Winery event (two hour optional backroads driving tour, wine tasting, box lunches, and for the competitive members, bocce ball), registration is now open. The event date is Sunday June 7th. The tour departs from Vintage Oaks in Novato at the end of the monthly Cars & Coffee scene. It’s a great day in the West Dry Creek Valley!



Brad Williams

Membership Director

I recently had the opportunity to visit two Porsche Museums that are housed within existing Porsche dealerships. These are not publicized like the well-known Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen Stuttgart or even the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles that frequently has several Porsches on display and sometimes complete Porsche themed exhibits. No, these repositories of Porsche history take a little, or a lot, of effort to visit.

Porsche Santa Clarita

Our relatively nearby museum is literally in the basement of Porsche Santa Clarita. If you're heading to Magic Mountain, don't. Or at least, not yet. Exit at Magic Mountain Parkway and go east instead of west. A couple of miles from the freeway you'll find Porsche Santa Clarita – from the outside, a standard Porsche Destination Center. However, as you approach the reception desk, you will likely notice something quite different from what you will see at other Porsche dealerships you may have visited. Underneath a glass cutout in the showroom floor sits a vibrant orange Jägermeister 962. The receptionist will direct you to the nearby elevator which will take you down into the basement where the exhibit lives.

That striking 962 is just the start. Also on display are many street and racing Porsches starting, of course, with early 356s, both street and racing versions. 911s? Of course. Racing and street, convertible and coupe. If contemporary supercar Porsches are your thing it is hard to miss the Guards Red 918.

For PCA members, there's an added draw: several well-produced exhibits covering club history. Budget more time than you think you'll need. Magic Mountain will still be there.

Porsche Centrum Gelderland, Heteren

This one requires a flight to Amsterdam and a 70-mile drive southeast into the Dutch countryside. Call ahead – the museum is private and access isn't guaranteed without prior arrangements. Make them anyway.

Here you will find an amazing Porsche facility that not only includes a Porsche showroom, but also a Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur showroom, Porsche Classic Center, Porsche Classic Workshop, the Restoration Workshop and the previously mentioned museum.

Regarding Porsches, you will find 911 police cars, 911 parade cars from the Dutch Grand Prix, a beautiful 904, a one-off Porsche van, a near perfect 550 used by Porsche Center Gelderland’s owner, Mark Wegh, in the Italian 1000 Miglia, and rare 356 sedans among many other “like new” 356s. 918? Pedestrian. A 1958 Wendler Cabriolet? Of course!

Beyond Porsche: six Herbie the Love Bug VWs used in the original Disney films, a red VW prototype EV, and a serious Audi collection for anyone whose loyalties extend to Ingolstadt.

Is the museum in Heteren and Porsche Centrum Gelderland worth a trip to the Netherlands? IMHO, probably! And while you're there, the tulip fields, Rembrandts, and canals aren't bad either.

Don & Carrie Krieger

The “Banana” (our 2013 Boxster S) travelled 4,638 miles. As usual, we try to stay off the major highways and interstates, following the scenic byways and two-lane roads. The impetus for taking our road trip was to attend the Gathering of The Nations – the largest pow wow in the country. It was held over 2 days in the latter part of April in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the weeks both before and after this event, we visited several national and state parks and monuments along with unusual and weird sights.

Our first stop was visiting the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno before spending the night in Tehachapi. The next morning was the obligatory visit to Kohnen’s Bakery in Tehachapi. During the day, we visited the Route 66 Museum in Kingman, AZ (photo right), the Keepers of the Wild (an animal rescue facility) in Valentine, AZ, and then finishing the day in Seligman, Az – all along Route 66. Dinner at the Roadkill Café included a spectacular piece of banana crème pie.

The next day included a visit to the old mining town of Jerome & its historic museum, looking at a state map created by using only pennies in Clarkdale, and then hiking in the Tuzigoot National Monument. Afterwards, we went to Fort Verde in Camp Verde.

The following morning, we drove to the Tonto Natural Bridge, believed to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge. Later in the afternoon, we hiked in the Chiricahua National Monument near Willcox, Arizona with its amazing rock formations (photo left).

The following morning took us to the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument in Mimbres, New Mexico, home of the Mogollon people who lived there in the 13th century. Before spending the night in Las Cruces, we also visited the City of Rocks State Park in Deming.

Driving eastward, we went to White Sands National Park, consisting not of sand but of gypsum (photo below). Then in Ruidoso, we viewed the world’s largest pistachio at McGinn’s PistachioLand, the putting green grave of Richard “Ruff” Jones, complete with putter and some golf balls, and the Billy the Kid Museum. Before reaching Albuquerque, we stopped at the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument west of the town of Mountainair.

The Gathering of the Nations pow wow in Albuquerque was magnificent with almost 250,000 attending. Indigenous people from around the nation took part in the dancing, singing and drumming competitions. Of course, we had to visit one of the weird sights in Albuquerque- the Tinkertown Museum.

The second half of our trip began with a couple night’s stay in Santa Fe. On the way, we hiked in Bandelier National Monument, seeing the many cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. We also visited Pecos National Historical Park, took the Enchanted Circle scenic byway outside of Taos, and visited Chimayo, famous for its church/sanctuary as well as shops featuring traditional weavings. Santa Fe has much to see – the galleries along Canyon Road, several museums, and great restaurants. We had dinners at The Shed and Coyote Café with its rooftop cantina.

The next major attraction on the way back home was visiting Monument Valley. Travelling there from Santa Fe, we first toured the home of Georgia O’Keefe in Abiquiu, then a stop in Aztec, seeing the Aztec Ruins National Monument with its well-preserved Chacoan structures. Natural Bridges National Monument was our next destination after lunch in Bluff, Utah (photo left). Of course, Monument Valley was beautiful. We booked a morning tour to Mystery Valley (which is just south of Monument and equally as stunning) and then did the sunset tour of Monument. Having time between the tours, we travelled to Gooseneck State Park. This park offers one of the most impressive views of entrenched river meander in North America, more amazing than Horseshoe Bend outside of Page, AZ.



Continuing our way west, we took a hike to see the Toadstool Hoodoos near Kanab, had lunch at the Thunderbird Restaurant and its Ho-Made Pies in Mt. Carmel, then spent the night in Zion National Park. Heading to Yosemite National Park, we had to first visit the Donkey History Museum in Mesquite, Nv. (our younger daughter has a donkey!) Yosemite was where we had our honeymoon, and we celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary there.

Finally, our travels ended at our home in Sea Ranch. A great road trip adventure! Feel free to contact us if you want further details on any of the places we visited.

Stacy O'Connell

Autocross Chair

Sunday, May 3 at Thunderhill was Redwood's first autocross of the season – and it came with a course twist because it was a Zone 7 event.

At the end of last season we changed how we run Zone 7 autocrosses – running the course one way in the morning and the opposite way in the afternoon. The best time from each heat is combined in a single final result time – which means consistency matters as much as outright speed. One strong run and one average one doesn't get you to the top. You have to bring it twice.

Sunday's course was designed by former Redwood Autocross Chair Grady Carter – it was technical, engaging, and generous with opportunities to collect cones or a DNF. Plenty of drivers took advantage of both (myself included).

GGR member Monty Pack took Top Time of Day honors, while Zone 7 Autocross Chair Drew Powers won PAX – quite the achievement given he completed exactly one clean run all day!

You can see everyone's results on our timing platform Clokkr.

This event was the second half of a Zone 7 weekend with SVR – they kicked things off on Saturday. Between events on Saturday night, a PCA National subsidy covered a group dinner at the local Roundtable, where we brought back a crowd favorite: the Porsche Price is Right quiz. Drivers tested their market knowledge against a handful of recent Porsche sales, with the closest guess under price taking the win. GGR member Caevon Hekmaty took first place and Yosemite member Cameron Goeppert second. It was a fun night.

Redwood has another event at Thunderhill in October, and a number of us will participate in ESCA's more local autocrosses at the Sonoma Fairgrounds. [Schedules below.] Hope to see you out there.

Any questions? Email me.

Brad Williams

Membership Director

The weekend of May 1-3 was IMSA race weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey. Three classes of cars, the same that race during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, were represented: GTP, GTD-Pro and GTD. Porsche was present in each of the three classes.

The Porsche Club of America - Redwood Region organized behind the scenes tours for PCA Zone 7 members with two of the most popular racing teams there. These were Porsche Penske Motorsports and AO Racing.

Porsche Penske Motorsports races in the top class of sports car racing, GTP. The “P” standing for Prototype. Chance Stewart, the Partnership Manager for Team Penske professionally led both tours on Saturday, prior to race qualifying. PCA guests had the opportunity to ask any question that they wanted while literally inside of the race team’s garage. This occurred as mechanics and engineers were making suspension adjustments, doing computer analysis and transporting wheels and tires to the track all around them while the partially assembled 963s sat in the middle on their jack stands! If there were any technical questions that Chance didn’t have the answer to (very few) she simply turned around and asked one of the engineers or mechanics for the answer. This weekend was livery “throwback” weekend and the 963s looked particularly resplendent in the Apple Computer livery first, and last, seen back in 1980 on the iconic 935.

On race day, Sunday, Redwood Region and Zone 7 members had the privilege of having the only garage tour provided that weekend by AO Racing. AO Racing is the home of the famous 911 GTR’s named Roxy and Rexy. This weekend Roxy, typically in the GTD class was not competing and Rexy, entered in the GT Pro class, had been transformed into Sketchy. As AO Racing was only founded four years ago for a “throwback” livery they were inspired by the early sketches done for the Rexy design; hence Sketchy. Well, our tour participants had a treat as our contact at AO Racing, Kelly Brouillet, introduced our tour guide, Gunnar Jeanette. Gunnar is a former GT racing driver who also is a co-founder and manager of AO Racing. Gunnar took time out of his race day preparations to conduct the tour through the garage and then thoroughly answered many questions posed by his PCA guests.

All of the tours were great experiences, and I believe that all attendees came away with a significantly expanded understanding of the “behind the lines” workings and preparation for teams entered in the highly competitive WeatherTech IMSA racing series.

Our tour to Gracianna Winery turned out to be another memorable PCA Redwood weekday drive on some of the most beautiful driving roads that offered beautiful views and scenery. Our group of 20 cars drove through velvety green hills and valleys, rustic little towns and villages, and narrow tree-lined West Marin and Sonoma County local roads that remind us how lucky we are to live in some of the most beautiful environments in Northern California!

Full driving focus was required on the twisty and tight up and down hills which included some semi-fast and off-camber blind turns along the 75 mile route, which thankfully saw little traffic. The spirited driving allowed us to enjoy the true fun factor (Fahrvergnügen) of driving our Porsches.

Of course once we all arrived at Gracianna Winery, owner Trini Amador and his staff were delightful and very welcoming, and made everyone comfortable while pouring at least 5 different great wines for us to taste.

Thank you to Don Magdanz, the main organizer of this great event, as well as many other Redwoodies who helped throughout the day.

More photos from the tour can be found here.

-Essy Fariab

Hi-Tec Automotive: Celebrating 40 Years of Porsche Excellence

Since 1986, Hi-Tec has been a trusted name in Marin County as a top-rated Independent Porsche service & repair facility, delivering expert maintenance, innovative upgrades, and unmatched customer care for Porsche vehicles.



Deven Wailes, owner of Hi Tec Automotive, is a factory trained Porsche Technician and ASE Master Technician with over 30 years of experience in Porsche and Audi. After running a shop in Colorado, he moved to California, worked at Felton Porsche as both mechanic and shop foreman, and opened Hi Tec Automotive when Felton Porsche closed in 1985. A dedicated European car enthusiast, Deven has owned more than 25 Porsches and many Audis, starting with a Porsche 911 at age 16.



Greg Maissen has worked at Hi-Tec Automotive as a sales manager and specialist for many years, with his expertise in classic Porsches. Greg is instrumental in organizing Hi-Tec events, conducting technical sessions and assisting with Porsche sales. He is often cited as a key contact for purchasing vintage Porsches and managing high-end, detailed vehicle work.

Many thanks to Hi-Tec Automotive, a longtime supporter of the Redwood Region, for including our members in their April 4th Open House event!

Lend a Helping Hand

Sandy and Craig Steele have provided this club with a tremendous amount of time and dedication over the years. Craig served as club President in 2017 and 2018, and both have provided years of volunteerism and service. 

In June 2025, Craig was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. The VA has linked this to Agent Orange exposure during his service in the Vietnam War. 

Sandy has since been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and is receiving care from her naturopath and Kaiser Oncologist.

After being our friends, our support, and beloved members of our community, it’s time that we unite around them as they experience raising medical bills that they have limited ability to pay.

So, I hope you will join me in contributing to this GoFundMe to help offset some of their medical expenses. Every little bit will help to reduce the burden they are experiencing and treasured as an expression of our love for them.

Please see the link for the GoFundMe here and keep Sandy and Craig in your thoughts.

Brad Williams

Membership Director

Our May Membership Report recognizes Redwood Region changes that occurred during the month of April. At the end of April our Redwood Region had a total of 1,186 Members/Co-members (768 Primary Members and 418 Affiliate/Co-Members), 8 of these joined PCA, and the Redwood Region, in April. In April we also had two members transfer in from other regions. One member did transfer out. We had two new Test Drive Subscribers, totaling 20.

A full forty-five of our Redwood Region members will be celebrating their five year, or more, PCA Mem-bership anniversaries in May. They are shown in the table to the left. For May, our longest-tenured Porsche Club member, a very im-pressive 57 years, is James Brown. James has been a PCA member since 1969. You can find James driving his 1958 356 through the hills and valleys surrounding San Rafael.

der Marketplatz

Brian Adkins

Zone 7 Representative

Email

Hello Zone 7!

There’s a rhythm to this time of year that’s hard to miss. Engines are no longer just being started—they’re being driven. Calendars aren’t just filling up—they’re being lived. Across all 10 Regions, PCA is in full motion, and the energy is exactly what makes this club so special.

Whether it’s a quick local drive, a full weekend event, or planning ahead for something bigger, this is the season to get out, get involved, and enjoy everything our Regions, our

Zone, and PCA National have to offer.

Crab 39 – A Zone Highlight

Sacramento Valley Region’s Crab 39, held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, once again proved why it’s such a staple in the Zone 7 calendar.

This event continues to bring together everything that defines PCA—driving, social connection, competition, and fun—all wrapped into one dynamic weekend. From tours and autocross to concours, rally, and social gatherings, Crab 39 delivers a complete experience.

The entire team who were involved put on an event that was FANTASTIC. Thank you to all and every volunteer who made the multi cast nets harvest a huge haul of crabbers.

If you were there, you know. If not, it’s one to keep firmly on your list. I am certain CRAB 40 will be everything it could be cracked up to be.

Zone Series – Get Involved

The Zone 7 Autocross Series is in full swing, and the competition is already heating up. Whether you’re chasing tenths or just learning the ropes, autocross remains one of the most engaging ways to experience your Porsche.

The Zone 7 Concours Series continues to build as well, with strong participation and impressive cars on display throughout the Zone.

Zone events are a great opportunity to visit another Region, meet fellow members, and expand your PCA experience beyond your home base. If you haven’t done that yet, I encourage you to make it happen this season.

Thank You, Simone Kopitzki

I’d like to take a moment to recognize Simone Kopitzki, who has served for many years as a Zone 7 Concours Co-Chair. Simone has brought tremendous dedication, insight, and enthusiasm to the program. Her contributions have helped shape and grow the Concours Series into what it is today, and her presence will certainly be missed in that role.

Thank you, Simone, for your years of service and everything you’ve given to Zone 7.

Moving forward, Roy Schauben will continue as Concours Co-Chair, working alongside Region Concours Chairs and myself to support the upcoming events already scheduled for this year.

PCA Summer Member-Only Raffle

The PCA Summer Member-Only Raffle is underway—and this is one you don’t want to miss.

First Grand Prize: 2026 PCA 70th Anniversary Club Coupe + $60,000 cash

Second Grand Prize (based on ticket sales): 2026 Porsche 911 Carrera + $40,000 cash

Entry deadline: June 1, 2026, Winner announced: July 31, 2026

PCA Treffen @ Sea – Pacific Wine Country Cruise

Looking ahead to fall, the PCA Treffen @ Sea Pacific Wine Country Cruise will sail September 19–25 aboard the Grand Princess.

This continues to be a unique and popular way to combine travel, relaxation, and PCA camaraderie. Several Regions are planning group activities and shore excursions, making it a shared experience beyond just the cruise itself.

If you’re considering joining, now is the time to take a closer look.

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

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Zone 7 Concours Facebook – Zone 7 Concours Facebook

JDC-Miller MotorSports made history at Laguna Seca, taking the first win for a privateer team since the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship introduced its new regulations in 2023. Read More

Find our event photos on Flickr

Eileen Gaines

Secretary



The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26th, 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.  

You can read previous Board meeting minutes here.

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

Visit Redwood's on-line 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.

Want to reach an audience of Porsche enthusiasts with your marketing message? Consider advertising in der Riesenbaum. Contact the sponsorship director for more information and rates.

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