January 2022: yos.pca.org

President's Message

Happy New Year. I would like to start by wishing everyone a prosperous 2022.

Event planning in 2021, with COVID precautions, was ever changing. The board of directors did a lot of thinking “outside the box” to come up with great drives and social gatherings. The events ranged from traditional touring, WERKS, tech talks, the new members’ BBQ, the annual holiday party, and the addition of several social breakfast meetups. We are working on completing the 2022 calendar of events, so more great things to come!

After two great years under the leadership of our outgoing president, Mr. Brian Sturkie, on behalf of the Yosemite membership, we would like to congratulate him on a job well done. During the last two years, our membership has grown to just short of 300 members. This was evident by the successful turnout we had at the 2021 new members’ BBQ at the St. Jorge Winery. The new board, with the past president, will be working hard to offer fun and interesting events in 2022.

Cheers,

Dave Boyd

The 2022 Yosemite Board

President: Dave Boyd

Vice President: Jeff Rosenthal

Secretary: Cathy Kuhn

Treasurer: Larry Inman

Member at Large: George Hatfield

Membership: Gary Loudermilk

Events Coord: Carrie Stone

SIM Racing Chair: Jeff Rossenthal

Webmaster/El Portal: Don Chaisson

Past President: Brian Sturkie

Cover Image: Don Chaisson

Yosemite Region Website: yos.pca.org Zone 7 Represenative: Colin Fat

El Portal, published quarterly by Yosemite Region, PCA, is intended to inform members of club and club related activities and other matters of interest. Interim "El Portal Extra" issues are published as desired. Typed or printed contributions and photographs are welcome and should be submitted to the editor, who has the sole authority to accept or modify as appropriate. Contributions will be returned to the author only if requested. The deadline for all contributions is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. The news and opinions expressed within the newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Yosemite Region or the Porsche Club of American.

A Tale of Two "Phoenix" Porsches

Sometimes, our Porsche cars are more than just cars, they are efforts of love, persistence and effort to bring them into our family. You don't just go out and "buy" one of these cars. They are fathered and mothered into existence. They are driven as one of the family and cared for as one of the family.

This is a story about two such classic Porsches owned by members of the Yosemite Region family, Phil Harris and Sam Read. It is a story about the car's "adoption" into their families, about their reflection of the owner's view of what is a "Porsche". It is a story about pride of ownership, their use and sharing them through display and ... about a bit of disaster.

And it is a story about their "second" life, as the Phoenix birds of legend are re-born into the world.

For Part 1 of their stories, click HERE for Phil Harris story, click HERE for Sam Read story.

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This month's featured sponsor is McCoy Tire. Tell them you saw their ad in the El Portal

Miscellaneous Ramblings

Editorial by: D Chaisson

While each issue of Panorama is a welcomed sight in my mailbox, I also celebrate getting the latest "excellence: The Magazine about Porsche" each month also. Both are MUST READS!

Johannes Van Overbeek, a local who had a successful driving career with the likes of the Flying Lizard team and Extreme Speed MotorSports, writes a monthly piece, "The Right Line," in "excellence". It was both disturbing and thoughtful. The premise was that every car enthusiast and for sure every Porsche enthusiast has a "bucket list" of related activities. The thoughtful part was to consider my own Porsche "bucket list" items that I have in the back of my head. The disturbing part was a quote "Looking at your life in the context of how may useful summers your have left may help prioritize what you want to do in the remaining ones"

Yikes! Next year, God willing, I will celebrate 75 years on earth. So, how many more "summers" do I have left? And how many of them would be considered "useful" is a palpable subset of the ones left. Johannes listed his three bucket list things: Do a European delivery, Do a vintage race at Spa, Drive across the US. Talk about outside my wallet and/or skill set... my 2015 Cayman GTS is probably my last Porsche and vintage racing falls into the realm of a pipe dream, not bucket list!

A more reasonable scope of things to do, for me, boils down to what sort of Porsche related things do I can and want to do in 2022. Maybe not to the level of "bucket list" things, but a good place to start would be the solidifying 2022 Yosemite Region calendar. There are some interesting motorsports events that I'm looking forward to: IMSA at Laguna Seca in Apr 29-May1. GTLM, with its 3 entrants last year, is OUT and enhanced fields of GT3 with GT3 Pro and GT3 Pro/Am will take the sports car stage. Competition should be stiff and the field large and diverse. Our region will be organizing a "stay and play" package for this event. Then there is WERKS, always a fun time. And if Dave Boyd's 914 project is ready, maybe a chance to watch him take the car to the CSRB, HSR and Vara Historical events. That would be cool.

These sort of events, as well as some "drives" and Yosemite Region social events are in the real of possible.

But, maybe, just maybe, a Track Day at Laguna when I'm 75. THAT would be both possible and COOL !!

Membership Corner

Membership Totals: 189 Primary, 98 Associate

Welcome to New Members who joined Sept, Oct and Nov!

Paul Neumann 2004 911 Cab

Luis Alecio 2003 Carrera 4S

Norbert Pereiva 1997 Boxster

David Woods 2015 911 Targa 4

Oscar Martinez: Test Drive

Gene Fields: 2008 Cayman

Donald (and Sylvia) Gay 2007 911 Turbo

Jim Knapp: 2019 718 Boxster GTS

Andrew Suess: 2008 911 Carrera S Cab, 2008 Cayman

Tim Williams: 2019 Cayenne S

Transferred In from other regions:

James Griffith: 1987 911 Turbo, from Sac Valley

Jon Sturevant: 2017 718 Boxster, from Sac Valley

Daniel Ward and Janet Bechthold, 2007,11 Carrera, 2018 Macan, from Sierra Nevada

David Woods, 201 911 Targa 4, from Sac Valley

Francis Racioppi, 2017 Macan, from Santa Barbara

Best "Quote" in Q4 2021

From Dec Excellence interview with Lars Kern (Porsche factory driver responsible for setting "street car" lap times on Nurburgring Nordschleife) on the difference between driving "street" cars and "race" cars:

You have to be calm and easy on the track with a street car, but you can drive the GT3R pretty rudely.

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Reports from Recent Events

Get caught up on what's been happening with members enjoying recent events.

New/Old Member BBQ

The New/Old Member’s BBQ was held at St. Jorge Winnery. The turnout was maxed out, after all, this is one of Yosemite Region’s “signature” events! The photo above is our New Members “Class of 2021”. Interestingly, two new members have already volunteered to be on the “board”

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2021 WEERKS Reunion

After missing last year (due to COVID), WERKS Monterey returned in August to the Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside. There were 700 cars in the “judged field” and the “Corral”, with more parking in the General Admission. The cars were unique, but more interestingly, the people were unique.

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2021 Annual Party

The final event of the year was a dinner at The Chefs of New York, on 13th street, Modesto. Thanks to Chris Boughton and her daughter, and the restaurant for organizing the event. Attendance was about 70 members and special guests and 36 cars lining up on 13th street.

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Our Turkey and a $20 Drive

This actually was our third "food drive" event. The 2021 version was the best attended to date, with 26 cars partipating in the food drive. All but two did the drive which was a short, brisk drive ending in Copper Square for lunch.

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