PCA Chesapeake Region Patter - April 2024 Vol 65, Issue 4

Events Calendar/Editors Message

April 6th Tech Event: At Speed Motors Elkridge, MD

6th Social Lunch: Guinness Brewery

7th Tour & Rally School

Halthorpe, MD

Marriottsville, MD

13th Autocross: Intro to Autocross Bowie, MD

14th Tour: Eastern Shore Drive

16th Social Dinner: HighTopps Grille

27th Tour: Drive to Porsche Swap Meet

May 5th Family Picnic&Cinco de Mayo Poker Rally

11th Social Brunch: Inverness Brewery

Easton, MD

Timonium, MD

PA Boarder, MD

Linthicum Heights, MD

Monkton, MD

11th Tech Event-Monkton Trifecta Garages Monkton, MD

18th Autocross #1 Bowie, MD

19th Tour: Safeway to the Bay

22nd Social Dinner: Garten

Editors Message:

Annapolis, MD

Severna Park, MD

April showers are something that had no affect on our April 6th-7th events, Saturday’s Tech Event and Social Lunch brought out large crowds of PCA members to both. The Monkton Trifecta Garage Crawl sold out in about 3-minutes this week and has a growing waitlist. Hopefully the weather will be good for the Swap Meet in Carlisle as well as our many upcoming Tours.

We now have over 2300 followers on Facebook and 900 on Instagram, we will also top 1850 members as a region any day now. I can’t attend every event, so please share your photos with me and I’ll give you credit when they hit our social media. A lot of people share photos on our Signal Chat group, which make it online too.

Have an article idea, member profile, for sale ad or business ad, shoot me an email editor@pcachs.org to get started.

Best Regards,

James B Beavan III

For the latest events and news follow us! I’m always posting photos from our events on our socials that don’t make it in the Patter and there’s no delay to see what you missed or attended.

Porsche Club of America - Chesapeake Region | Facebook

Chesapeake Region PCA (@chesapeakepca) • Instagram photos and videos

Pg 2. Events Calendar: April 2024 - May 2024

Pg 2. Editors Message

Pg 4. Chesapeake Board Members

Pg 5. Advertisers Corner

Pg 6 & 7. Membership Figures & Anniversaries

Pg 8. Presidents Message

Pg 10. Tour & Rally Schedule

Pg 14. Socials in Review

Pg 20. Member Profile: Michael & Jet Wah

Pg 28. Autocross: Test & Tune Results

Pg 38. Porsche VIN by Pedro Bonilla

Pg 46. For Sale by Members: Car Trailer

Pg 50. Stuttgart Market Letter by David Whitlock

Front Cover photo: 911 Targa in Guards Red by Jim McKee

Rear Cover photo: Gt4 RS with its race car siblings at TPC Racing by Michael Wah

The Porsche Patter is the official newsletter of the Chesapeake Region PCA. Contributions to Porsche Patter should be sent by the 25th of the month preceding in Microsoft Word format to editor@pcachs.org. Please send high resolution images. Editor/Publisher: James B Beavan III; Contributing Photographers: James B Beavan III, Pedro Bonilla, Aniano Arao, Steve & Marsha Buss, Greg Hartke, Jim McKee. Contributing Writers: James B Beavan III, Steve & Marsha Buss, Aniano Arao, Pedro Bonilla, David Whitlock, Greg Hartke. Advertising: For questions about advertising rates and placement in the Porsche Patter, please contact editor@pcachs.org. Unless otherwise reserved, permission is granted to reproduce material published, provided full credit is given to the Porsche Patter and to the respective author. Subscriptions: join Porsche Club of America www.pca.org. The Porsche Patter is published monthly by the Chesapeake Region, PCA. Subscription is limited to members of the Chesapeake Region, PCA.

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Chesapeake Region

PCA CHS Board Members

Steve Buss president@pcachs.org

Mark Miller vicepresident@pcachs.org

Andy Powell treasurer@pcachs.org

Ken Wilmers secretary@pcachs.org

Executive Vice President

Autocross Committee

Chesapeake Challenge Committee

Chief Driving Instructor

Community Service

Concours d’Elegance

Historian

Insurance

Membership

Motorsportreg Registrar

Newsletter: Porsche Patter

PCA License

PCA Zone 2 Rep

Photography Committee

Publicity: Facebook/Instagram

Safety Chair

Social Committee

Sunshine Committee

Tech Committee

Tour/Rally Committee

Webmaster

Michael Murphy executivevicepresident@pcachs.org

Greg Hartke, Mark Hubley autocross@pcachs.org

Stacy Hawver, Tracey Jennings, Jen Kocsan chesapeakechallenge@pcachs.org

Ellen Beck instructor@pcachs.org

Dan McNally communityservice@pcachs.org

Paul Koenigsmark concours@pcachs.org

Bob Rassa historian@pcachs.org

Eric Saletel insurance@pcachs.org

Rob Carter membership@pcachs.org

Meilyng Wigney-Burmaka msregistrar@pcachs.org

James B Beavan III editor@pcachs.org

Laurie & Bruce Tarsia pcalicenseplates@pcachs.org

Phil Grandfield zonerep@pcachs.org

Jim McKee, Ryan Boxler photography@pcachs.org

James B Beavan III publicity@pcachs.org

John Jensen safetychair@pcachs.org

Marsha Buss social@pcachs.org

Doug Ehmann sunshine@pcachs.org

Jim Earlbeck, Randy Richter, Rick Hawver tech@pcachs.org

Aniano Arao, Rich Ehrlich tour@pcachs.org; rally@pcachs.org

Henry Becker webmaster@pcachs.org

Advertisers Corner

Membership Numbers

NewMembers (23)

Marcus Sciadini Highland, MD 2015 Macan S

Rob Carter

Allison Carter Catonsville, MD 2009 911 Carrera Cabriolet

Glenn Bydume Gambrills, MD 2009 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet

Elizabeth & Philip Adkins Jarrettsville, MD 2015 911 Turbo S Cabriolet

Matthew Klatsky Baltimore, MD 2024 911 Targa 4S

Michael Breen Owings Mills, MD 1999 911 Carrera

Robert Cornell & Robert J Cornell North East, MD 2005 Boxster

Michael Peterson

Severna Park, MD 2011 911 Turbo S

Lisa Carr Severna Park, MD 2011 Cayman

Jason Parkins Towson, MD 2013 911 Carrera 4S

Aaron Brooks Lutherville, MD 2010 Cayman S

Anthony & Cindy Pagonis Monrovia, MD 2000 Boxster S

Craig & William Longenecker Lutherville, MD 1981 911 SC

Robert Berke Westminster, MD 1985 911 Carrera Cabriolet

John Carroll Kingsville, MD 2023 911 GT3

Todd Mizrahi Finksburg, MD 2004 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

Viv Nieves & Justin Tufts

Halethorpe, MD 2016 Macan S

Tawnya & Sean Horton Boonsboro, MD 2018 Panamera

Jeffrey & Teresa Grant Forest Hill, MD 1978 911 SC Targa

Steven Bennett

John & Mira Panek

Crownsville, MD 2000 911 Carrera

Annapolis, MD 1987 924S

Robert & Holly Arneson Annapolis, MD 2024 911 Turbo S

James Haddaway Parkville, MD 1999 Boxster

Member Anniversaries

ANNIVERSARIES

30 Years

Martin & Phyllis Pokrzywa

20 Years

Richard Reische

Marc Bunting

Aaron & Minta Miller

20 Years

Lee & Gabriela Fishpaw

10 Years

Anne McGlumphy

Charles Gilman

Larry & Jennifer Robinson

William Meissner

Jan McGlumphy

Brian Debrincat

5 Years

Dean Vonk

Jeffrey Cramer

Damon Streat

Florin Selaru

Michael & Susan Ford

Christine Raymond

Bradley Shapard

Matt Thomason

David Raymond

Robert Forsyth

1 Year

Nine Arend & Matt Elliston

Bic Cung & Cristina Feather

Mike Curtis

Ryan Gauthier

Mike & Katie Tozier

Carolyn Bernota

Michael Nepini

Peter & Randi Framson

Kevin Muniz

Meghan Snide & Robert Mariani

By: Rob Carter

Megan Thomason

Kevin Smith

Juan Padilla & Jacquelyn

Reid

Albert Slinkman, Jr

Zane Wagner

Rebecca Buelt

Tyler Abbot & Kelsey

Mccurdy

Balbir & Rekha Lakhanpal

Keena Wells

Wayne Ross

Presidents Message

By: Steve Buss

As March ends so does the winter season and that means the 2024 Calendar of Events is officially underway. We currently have a full calendar of Autocross, Tours, and Social Events for our 1,844 members. A fun fact regarding membership – 41% of our members have joined since January 2020. I am excited about the opportunity to join you at many of these activities.

Our first event of the spring season was a New Member Party followed by a Tech Session at our valued Sponsor, Porsche Owings Mills. With over 80 members in attendance, the morning was a resounding success. Rob Carter, Membership Chair, welcomed more than 20 new members. They were given PCA Chesapeake swag bags and had the opportunity to learn about the Club as Rob went around the room introducing each Committee Chair and gave them the opportunity to talk passionately about their activities.

The Tech Session was highlighted by the Porsche Owings Mills Alpine Restoration reveal. Peter Simpson, Service Manager showed us the beautiful 2004 C4S that was purchased in California for this project. He went on to explain the upgrade process and equipment mods to be installed to the large crowd in the service bay. We had a terrific day. The next New Member Party will be at Porsche Hunt Valley on June 29th .

Following the Monkton Trifecta Garage Crawl on May 11th will be a lunch social at Inverness Brewery. The garage crawl registration opens April 5th .

I was proud to represent the Chesapeake Region at the Porsche Annapolis Hop Into Spring fundraiser benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County where I presented a check for $250 to Loren Weisman, Director of Resource Development. Porsche Annapolis did a fantastic job – even the Easter Bunny made an appearance for the children.

Auto Cross had its first sold-out event of the year on a great weather day. Thanks Greg H and Mark H and the entire team of volunteers for another successful event.

The Cinco de Mayo Poker Rally proceeds will be donated to Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter. We hope you will join us for the rally which concludes at the family picnic at the Patapsco Valley State Park – Avalon. Registration fee includes a catered lunch from Chipotle and a hand of poker. A vintage trophy will be awarded to the winning poker hand.

Chesapeake Region

Presidents Message

By: Steve Buss

It’s not the cars, it’s the people or we are a social club with a serious car problem, has been said over and over and the proof is our social events sell out quickly. For example, the social lunch event at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery on April 6th (following the tech session at At Speed) has over 80 members registered, and registration is still open, however the dinners at Hightopps and Garten sold out quickly. Don’t be discouraged about getting on the waitlist, we are often able to confirm everyone either through attrition or expanding our reservation (when possible). As always, please, if you registered and cannot attend, go to MSR and cancel to allow those waitlisted to attend.

A special thank you to all the volunteers and active participants for all you do to make each and every event special. You are always welcome to send your suggestions, recommendations, and feedback to me at president@pcachs.org.

I want to encourage all club members to consider getting more involved with our numerous committees. There are many opportunities to volunteer and engage with friends and new members.

Thanks to all of you for making Chesapeake Region so much fun! It is the cars that bring us together, but it is the people that make it special.

Steve President, Chesapeake Region, Porsche Club of America

2024 Tour & Rally Schedule!

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee is planning to hold 18 events in 2024, plus one joint event with PCA Potomac. The dates and events listed here are provisional and subject to change. Registration will open 2 to 3 weeks before the events’ scheduled dates. To sign up, PCA members have to log on to their accounts at www.motorsportreg.com. (Ver. 10, 03/25/2024)

April 7 (1) Tour & Rally School, Tours: Aniano Arao; Rallies: Steve Graham (G), Bob Rassa (TSD)

April 14 (2) Eastern Shore Tour, Easton to Oxford to Cambridge, guest tour master Tom Divilio

April 27 (3) Drive to Porsche Swap Meet in Carlisle, tour master Rich Ehrlich

May 5 (4) Family Picnic and Cinco de Mayo Poker Rally, guest rally master Marsha Buss

May 19 (5) Safeway to the Bay Tour, Arundel/Calvert counties, guest tour master Hank Lucas

June 2 (6) Linganore Winecellars Tour, Howard/Frederick counties, guest tour master Ron Farb

June 23 (7) Mason-Dixon Line Tour, Baltimore/York counties, guest tour master Steve Graham

July 7 (8) Tour of guest tour master Steve Wood

July 20 (9) Ice Cream Tour, guest tour master Mark Miller

Aug. 3 (10) Tour of tour master Rich Ehrlich

Aug. 16-18(11) West Virginia Summer Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

Aug. 31 (12) Off-Road Tour, guest tour master Jim Hemig

Sept. 15 (13) Baltimore County Horse Country Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

September (14) Chesapeake Challenge 55 Gimmick Rally, rally master Rich Ehrlich

Oct. 13 (15) Tour of guest tour master Mark Miller

Oct. 27 (16) West Virginia Fall Colors Tour, tour master Aniano Arao

Nov. 3 (17) Barns & Bridges Gimmick Rally, guest rally masters Craig & Linda Davidson

Dec. 7 (18) Kindertime & Linda’s Legacy Tour, tour master Rich Ehrlich

Oct. 26 (00) Joint PCA Potomac-PCA Chesapeake TSD Rally

Check www.pcachs.org, Porsche Patter, www.motorsportreg.com and the events’ e-Blasts for details and updates. Send questions to tour@pcachs.org. – Aniano Arao & Rich Ehrlich, Co-Chairs, Tour & Rally Committee

Social Dinner: Garten: May 22nd

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday night, May 22nd, at 6:30pm at Garten located in Severna Park, Anne Arundel County. The restaurant features an international menu, beers and wine. Check out their menu here.

All participants must register for the dinner on www.MotorsportReg.com by May 18th

Seating is limited to 32 people (you will be placed on the waitlist if the limit is met but may be contacted should anyone cancel and there is availability). There is no registration fee for this event.

WHEN and WHERE

When: May 22, 2024, Wednesday

Meeting time: 6:30pm

Meeting point: Garten, 849 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Severna Park (443) 261-3905

Parking lot in rear of restaurant will be reserved for our group.

End of social: 8:30pm

Cost: Members are responsible for their own dinner. Registration is free and required for planning purposes.

PARTICIPATION

Participants must comply with PCA, CDC, state and county guidelines for COVID prevention. By signing up for and joining any of our social events, registrants acknowledge and assume all the risks in and full responsibility for their participation. Note that planned events are subject to change, for weather-related or other reasons. While we are striving to make this event safe, with your Participation in and Registration for this social event, you recognize and acknowledge the hazards of COVID-19, and you assume the risk of illness or death arising from a COVID-19 infection at this event. If you feel sick during the week prior and/or the day of the event or if there is any chance you may have COVID-19 or be contagious, PLEASE do not attend the event.

REGISTRATION

The eBlast announcing this event will have a weblink for registration. Click it. Log onto your Motorsportreg account or create one at www.MotorsportReg.com

Registration will close at midnight on Saturday, May 18th . There is no fee for this event.

QUESTIONS

March Social Events – April 2024 Patter

By Marsha Buss

Marsha Buss

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Kelsey’s Irish Pub in Ellicott City on Tuesday, March 19th. We pretty much filled the dining room with Porsche Club of America members and had a great time.

Upcoming events:

We are returning to Guinness Open Gate Brewery on Saturday, April 6th immediately after the Tech event at At Speed Motors for a Lunch Social. As I am writing this article, we have 53 cars and 79 people registered for the Lunch Social. Registration is still open – I hope you’ll consider joining us.

Our Dinner Social at High Topps Backstage Grille on Tuesday, April 16th in Timonium still has openings since we requested (and received) a larger dining room.

On Sunday, Cinco de Mayo, the poker rally will conclude at the Patapsco Valley State Park with lunch catered by Chipotle. Hope you’ll join us, bring your family, and support the Baltimore Animal Rescue and & Care Shelter.

Saturday, May 11, we have a Lunch Social planned in Monkton, Baltimore County, at Inverness Brewery. The nearby roads are stunning! The brewery is along the state of Maryland’s Horses and Hounds Scenic Byway.

Garten in Severna Park on Wednesday, May 22nd has a long waiting list, even after we added a table in an adjacent dining room.

In June we are returning to the Bushel and A Peck Kitchen and Bar in Clarksville. Registration is open now for this Dinner Social on June 18th .

We hope to see you at our future events! Our Dinner Socials are generally on the third Tuesday every month. Breakfast Socials are the first Saturday of some months.

Tour: Drive to the Porsche Swap Meet: April 27th

Aniano Arao

Come and join PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee for a drive to the 47th annual Porsche-Only Swap Meet at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. This annual event is oganized by the Central Pennsylvania Region of PCA. This event is the largest Porsche gathering of its type in the world. It usually features hundreds of vendors, countless parts, a variety of paraphernalia, several Porsche-related seminars, as well as about 1,000 Porsches, including many that will be for sale in a special corral. A People’s Choice Concours will also be conducted. Be sure to register for this extraordinary event.

WHEN and WHERE

When: Saturday, April 27, 2024, Assembly time 7:00 AM; drivers’ meeting 7:15 AM; departure of first group 7:30 AM

Assembly point: The Reisterstown, MD, address will be sent to confirmed registrants by April 26th Driving time and distance: approximately 1.5 hours, 72 miles Destination: Carlisle, PA

47th Annual Porsche-Only Swap Meet

• Admission with Parking: $25 per car with one person, $10 for each additional person

• Admission is cash only payable at the gate

• Swap Meet runs from 8:30 am until 3:00 pm

• People's Choice Concours

• Complimentary Porsche Seminars

• No pets, animals, drones, or motorized carts are permitted For additional information, visit; https://www.cpa-pca.org/events/2024/4-24/swap/index.html

REGISTRATION

● Log on at http://msreg.com/PCA20243 and sign up from 1:00 PM on March 24 through 1:00 PM on April 25, 2024 at 1:00 PM EDT.

● $5 registration fee for each adult. Maximum fee $10 per car. No fee for minors (17 and younger).

● MotorsportReg charges a $2 service fee for registration (not for every person).

● Don’t forget to complete the Speedwaiver: https://pcachesapeake.speedwaiver.com/kypg

● Tour documents, as well as a link to the Scenic navigation route, will be sent to confirmed registrants by April 26th via e-mail.

QUESTIONS: Send tour-related questions to the Tour & Rally Committee at tour@pcachs.org.

Social Dinner: HighTopps Backstage Grill: March 19th

Please mark your calendars for Tuesday night, April 16th, at 6:30pm at Hightopps Backstage Grille located in Timonium, Baltimore County. The restaurant features American food in a casual atmosphere. Check out their menu here.

All participants must register for the dinner on www.MotorsportReg.com by April 12th .

Seating is limited to 30 people (you will be placed on the waitlist if the limit is met but may be contacted should anyone cancel and there is availability). There is no registration fee for this event.

WHEN and WHERE

When: April 16, 2024, Tuesday Meeting time: 6:30pm

Meeting point: Hightopps Backstage Grille,2306 York Road, Timonium 410-560-7101

End of social: 8:30pm

Cost: Members are responsible for their own dinner. Registration is free and required for planning purposes.

REGISTRATION

The eBlast announcing this event will have a weblink for registration. Click it. Log onto your Motorsportreg account or create one at www.MotorsportReg.com

Registration will close at midnight on Thursday, April 12th .

There is no fee for this event.

QUESTIONS

Send social event related questions to the Social Committee at social@pcachs.org.

Sunshine Member Support

Do you know a Porsche Club member that could use a little sunshine? Please let us know.

TheClubhasestablishedanewSunshineposition. IfyouknowaClubmemberwhois ill,hasahospitalstay,afamilymemberhaspassed,orisfacingsomedifficultorchallengingtimes,wewouldlikesendacardtoletthemknowtheClubisthinkingabout them.

PleasecontactDougEhmannatSunshine@pcachs.org. Thanks!

Member Profile:

Michael & Jet Wah

By: James B Beavan III

Member Names & Join Date:

Michael and Jet Wah, 2015

Current Cars: 2018 GT3 Touring, 2023 GT4 RS, 1999 996, 2001 996, 2002 996, 1999 Boxster, 1983 944 Race Car, 2021 Cayenne, 2015 Cayenne S

Have you served on any Regional or National committees: I have not but perhaps once kids are out of college?

What encouraged you to join the Porsche Club of America: I'm fascinated with all things Porsche, Porsche Motorsports and chatting it up with like minded individuals. Porsche to me equals passion and excellence and the members are a pleasure to get to know. I also enjoy getting my children involved in the Porsche brand and sharing my passion with them.

When it came time to buy a vehicle, what made you choose your Porsche and is this your first Porsche (if not please detail prior Porsche's): I especially enjoy naturally aspirated GT cars that rev to 9k. The sound the engine makes is something that makes me forget about the worlds problems. Being in the drivers seat is my happy place. I also enjoy early build 996's. To me that's the link between air cooled and water cooled and is a significant car in Porsche's history.

What are your favorite Regional &/or National events: My favorite Porsche event to attend is anything related to Motorsports. Especially club racing at Summit Point seeing everything from 944 spec cars to 991 RSR's.

What is your favorite PCA memory: Attending IMSA VIR with my brother, his son and my son. We drove the touring and GT4 RS from Rockville to VIR through Skyline drive and then did parade laps before the race.

What advice about PCA or Chesapeake would you give to new members: Get involved, attend events, find what your passionate about and be active. You will likely meet friends for a lifetime.

If money was no object, what Porsche would you love to own and why: Any 962 race car

Anything additional you would like to share about yourself (Family/Work/Etc): I used to be a golf professional and like finding unique ways to fit golf clubs in the back or front of each car. I also

enjoy teaching my kids how to drive a manual and taking them to club events. Sharing your passion with your kids is a dream come true for me. I’m teaching my daughter to drive stick as the 1999 Boxster will be her car. Jet learned to drive stick on his 996, while my wife prefers to drive a Cayenne. I own a upholstery company and created custom seat inserts for some of my Porsche’s. Follow my Instagram @911_m_enthusiast • Instagram photos and videos to see some of my work.

Seeing the touring for the first time. We drove it home from highland park IL

Road trip to the Canadian Grand Prix in 2022. 30k miles on the touring and counting

Member Profile: Michael & Jet Wah

By: James B Beavan III

2001 996.1 factory aero car. One year only color for the 996.1 in seal gray.

{Aero Kit makes such a huge difference and those are great wheels too} Editor Early build 996.1. 2800 lbs with gt3 bucket seats and hollow spoke turbo frost wheels

2024 is the year of green.

Custom Tartan inserts for the touring.

Wool from Scotland

Teaching my 16 year old daughter how to drive a manual in the 99 Boxster

Ambers on the 996.1 and Boxster. Both 99’s

Gt4 RS with custom inserts I personally made

944 SP2 car at Mont Tremblant in Quebec for some track day fun. Going fast in a slow car is much fun.

1:59’s around Circuit Tremblant

Autocross: Test & Tune Results

By: Greg Hartke

We’re off and running! On Saturday March 30th, we held Instructor Day (in the morning) and Test & Tune (in the afternoon). Because this is a double event with both morning and afternoon sessions, it makes for a very long day for those of us involved with both, but we were rewarded with lots of fun driving.

Instructor Day is a big thank you for the Instructors who work at our events and at the AX School. Basically, we invite them to come out, break them up into two groups, and drive for a couple/three hours on the course that’s being used for the Test & Tune with timing set up so they can see how they’re doing. We had a good turnout of Instructors this year, but even so they got lots of runs and had lots of fun. It was a great way for everyone to knock off the rust and prepare for the season.

The Test & Tune event for the afternoon is designed for experienced AXers who want to come out and practice or set up their cars for the season.

Besides the practice time, this is an opportunity for drivers whose cars have adjustable suspension components to get ‘em tweaked and ready for the competitive racing season.

I had brought a lot of equipment home for winterizing and repairs during the off-season, so my car was packed to the gills when I left home for Prince George’s Stadium (PGS) in Bowie. ‘Course, there was plenty more that had to go (timing equipment and display, backpack blower, gas cans, water, snacks, etc., etc.), so my self-proclaimed “AX soccer mom” Marilyn (who was coming down later) had her car full of gear, too. I’d be lost without her!

I arrived at PGS around 4:45 to discover that there was a utility truck sitting with engine idling down in a corner of the lot and the driver napping inside. Hmm. Not the first time that’s happened and I’m sure the driver was a bit surprised when he finally awoke to find all the activity on the lot. He eventually snuck out, but he had to move cones to do it because we block off the entrances to the lot. That’ll larn him to pick a better spot to nap! ;)

The rest of the fabulous AX Team (Co-chair Mark Hubley, John Cho, Pinto Soin, and Doug Slocum) arrived shortly thereafter, with Doug showing up in his beautiful newly-acquired Ford GT. Do you think that baby drew a lot of interest during the day? Betcha dupa it did! Everyone had to take a look. The GT is a fab-

Autocross

ulous and very rare car (I’ve seen a few, but not many), but not too well suited to AX, so Doug planned to not push it too hard when he was out there that day.

Dedication. You want to hear dedication? Let me tell you AX Team member Phong Nguyen discovered a coolant leak in his car the previous day, so he couldn’t drive it to the event (and that car is his daily). Did that stop Phong? No way! He actually took an Uber from his home in Hanover to PGS so he could be there to help out. Unbelievable! I took Phong home afterwards, so at least he only had to Uber one way. Thanks, Phong!!!

Keep in mind also that this is an opportunity for us to test our equipment and procedures because a Test & Tune is not a competitive event. It’s practice for experienced racers who wants to register to come out and drive. This is an excellent way to start the season and we get a lot of nonPCA members anxious to come out and get their season started, too. We were using the same course for the day that we did last year, which is a slightly modified (i.e., a bit more complicated) version of the AX School course and participants agreed that it was a lot of fun to drive.

Last year, we had problems at AX#7 with rain killing the timing display. I resurrected the display over the winter and determined to do a better job of waterproofing our equipment. I modified an exterior outlet cover to protect the power and ethernet sockets on the back of the display and made a new shroud out of 4 mil plastic sheeting to cover the entire display with everything sealed so that no rain could get to the display. I also bought clamshell cases to cover the plugs to the main power supplies and hopefully all this work will put an end to our equipment problems in the rain. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and it was dry all day for the race on Saturday, but I’m confident that our rain problems are a thing of the past.

When I arrived at PGS, it was about 34 or 35 F, which is quite chilly for racing. (It takes time for the tires to get any heat in them and develop grip.) Mark came back with his car after dropping off his trailer tow vehicle and went out to get the course into its final shape after Phong, John, Doug, and Pinto put all the cones in their initial places. Just about the time I finished getting the equipment at the trailer set up, he finished his

Autocross 2024 Taking Off

By: Greg Hartke

work, so he and I were off to do the safety checks on the course in my car. It was immediately obvious that the cold temps were causing me to have no grip and the car was sliding all over the place, so I had to be quite careful. Mark had done a great job with the final configuration of the course with the result that I think we only moved one cone to open up a corner for better flow. That was it. Sight lines were good and IIRC, we didn’t even add any extra pointer cones to provide navigation direction. Good job, Mark! As soon as we completed the safety runs, we opened the course for walking and shortly thereafter, got the racing underway.

There were 24 Instructors registered for the morning session (though one couldn’t make it and Phong didn’t have his car – he had a good time taking rides with a variety of other Instructors), so I split the morning session up into two groups of 11 drivers. We drove our butts off! Some of the Instructors must have gotten 15 runs or more. I know Chris “Crash” Nolan had even more than that. He’s amazing. He just wants to drive and drive and drive.

We started around 8:40 or 8:45, so I allocated about 75 minutes for each group so we would finish in time for the Test & Tune participants to arrive around 11:30. It was no surprise that with so few drivers and a fast pace (remember, these were all experienced and very good drivers), the racing in each heat petered out before the 75 minutes was up because everyone had had enough, so we ended the morning racing with time to spare.

Autocross

The course was straightforward (though not without its subtleties) and lots of fun to drive. The slalom was quite fast, as was the finishing section starting above and to the left of Station 4 and continuing through the channel.

Howard Leikin, Mark Hubley, and I were all frustrated by our inability to get out of the 48’s for our run times. On the other hand, Kevin Keaty managed one time in the 47’s when he clocked a 47.6 sec. Kevin told me he only did that when he stayed tight in the figure 8 and ran in 1st gear all the way to the slow corner down by Station 1. Hmm. I think that highlights the big mistake I was making that was keeping me out of the 47’s. I let myself run wide in that lowest section of the figure 8 to set up the sharp corner to turn back to the top of the figure 8. It never felt fast on that line and I stupidly didn’t try the tight line, despite lots of runs to do so. Idiot. ;) Kevin also downshifted in the slow corner down in the lower left of the course map, but he has PDK, so he can do that without penalty. I saw Kevin’s video of his fast run and I was taking the same lines as he was except for the lower portion of the figure 8. Oh, well.

At least I was doing the slalom right. That was fun because I could roll on the power to full throttle coming out of the top of the figure 8 and set it up so that I didn’t have to brake ‘til I was approaching the second cone of the slalom. I was then rolling back into full throttle as I approached the last cone of the slalom and carried a lot of speed down the hill to the chicane.

The sequence heading out of the tight corner in the upper left was also gangs of fun. I was rolling on the throttle at exit and quickly was up to full bore to snake through the gates, never needing to lift ‘til I got to the

Autocross 2024 Taking Off

By: Greg Hartke

offset cone just above Station 3. I probably could have taken the sharp swing into the stop box faster, but I was aware of my old tires and slightly cool temps, so didn’t push that as hard as I might have. In the afternoon, someone went overboard at that sequence and wiped out a bunch of cones in the stop box twice. Very spectacular, but no big deal, really, because the timing equipment was untouched. The driver got DNFs for those efforts because we never allow anyone to even touch a cone in the stop box. ;)

Danny Kao was FTD for the morning session with a 46.4 sec, followed by Dave Critcher with 46.5 sec and Dean Moheet just a tick slower than Dave. Fast times, to be sure! Great to see Dean coming out to race with us again, too. He bought POT AXer Eric Core’s Cayman S when Eric was forced to retire from racing for health reasons.

After we finished racing in the morning, we had some free(ish) time, so PCA National Executive Director (and AX Instructor and enthusiast!) Vu Nguyen and others organized a photo shoot to show what the cool kids are driving. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out which picture that is. ;) The drivers are Dean Moheet, Howard Leikin, Mark Hubley, and myself. Yes sir, coolness personified. Or something. ;)

It was great to see Vu out there – he’s frequently busy with PCA stuff on the weekends and can’t attend races, but he certainly comes out and tears it up when he can. He caused that day pandemonium when, in conversation with others near the equipment trailer at the end of the morning racing, he said, “I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Greg wear so many clothes.” In my own defense, it was chilly that day. ;)

Autocross

As usual with the afternoon Test & Tune, registration was full. (In fact, it filled weeks in advance and had an extensive Waitlist.) I capped it at 40, accepted 42, we had 2 no-shows, and 2 folks from the Waitlist showed up on the off-chance that they might get in. Perfect! Participants were very happy because we gave them 7 runs (which is good; AXers are always happy with lots of runs) and with two heats of 21 drivers each, we spent just about 90 minutes on each of two heats. Racing completed at 4:06 PM and the participants were extremely helpful in getting all the equipment up to the trailer for us to pack away. We were all done by 4:45.

Several of the Instructors hung around after the morning session to help with the afternoon racing, which was great because although this event is supposed to be for experienced AXers only, a few beginners showed up as well. Lisa Gritti was flying out of BWI in the early evening, but even so, she showed up to help work as Gridmeister for the first heat, which was especially helpful because with the limited registration, we were a bit short of workers and especially for the skill positions. Lisa also brought her fabulous chocolate chip cookies to help sustain the crew through the long-running event. Thanks, Lisa!

Afternoon racing started at 1:10 PM, which was slightly earlier than scheduled. Everything proceeded nicely with minimal delay and no timing problems. The fastest time of the afternoon session was turned in by Lenworth Woolcock in his highly modified 2005 Mazda RX-8 at 48.328 sec. Second was Mark Eller, returning to AX again this year in his 2023 GT4 (Class P5) with a time of 48.510 sec. Third was POT PCAer Ken Wojcik in his 2018 GT3 (Class S5) with a time of 48.575 sec. Ken surprised me in two ways. He registered his other car (a 2010 911), but forgot he’d done so and brought his GT3. (That was pretty funny!) Secondly, the GT3 is new to him. I would have expected that his “other car” was the 2011 Turbo he raced last year. He really threw me!

Fourth was Mark Hubley in his 2015 Cayman GTS with a time of 48.748 sec. He might have been a little faster in the morning, but that might be expected since we were hot-lapping in the AM, which keeps the tires

Autocross

toasty (thus more grip). Fifth was Tom Carroll in his modified 1990 Miata with a time of 49.174 sec.

It was a great day and though it’s always tough to tell, it seemed as if everyone had a good time. I am soo-o-o-o thankful that the weather stayed dry for the day, too. Phew! I won’t say the forecast was ominous, but it was such that I was a bit worried.

We had one smudge on the day. Marilyn and I were really pleased with our use of the chiller in the trailer to supply cold water last year (reducing our need for one-use plastic water bottles), but a serious problem arose with it on race day. After we connected it to the 5-gal water bottle, I came back to the trailer to find water all over the place. I had lots of fun mopping out the trailer and while I did that, the guys opened up the chiller to see what was going on. Apparently, the pump was the culprit, spewing water all over the place, and it did not look repairable. Drat! Marilyn and I are now considering other inexpensive ways to provide chilled water without relying on one-use bottled water.

As I write this, the CHS PCA Intro to Autocross is only 10 days away. The registration is full (happy about that!) and we have a substantial Waitlist. This is a big and complicated event for us, but we’re ready. I’m complicating things slightly because Marilyn and I are going to Ohio this weekend to give ourselves an opportunity to see the eclipse within the path of totality, so I’m certainly hoping for clear weather (or at least, clear enough) on April 8th. We’re driving back on Tuesday the 9th, which doesn’t give me much time to put everything together for the AX School. I’ll manage, though. After all, I’m retired now. Why would I need sleep? ;)

Don’t forget about our Taste of Autocross program! If you’d like to see what AX is like, show up at one of our races (no registration necessary), pay a nominal $5 fee (mandated by PCA National), and we’ll arrange for you to go out for multiple rides with our Instructors during their competitive laps. Those who have taken advantage of the opportunity in the past tended to come away with big smiles. ;) Just look for me or one of the AX Team (Co-chair Mark Hubley, Pinto Soin, Phong Nguyen, John Cho, or Doug Slocum) and we’ll set you up. We’ll be happy to have you!

Here we go! Looking forward to seeing you soon at the races!

Greg Hartke CHS AX Chair

By: Pedro Bonilla,

The Vehicle Identification Number is a unique digital identification for motor vehicles, towed vehicles, motorcycles, scooters and mopeds.

As we know it today, the VIN is a 17- character identifier which does not include the letters O (o), I (i) or Q (q) to avoid confusion with the numerals 0, 1 and 9.

It is generally printed or embossed on a small metal plate on the driver’s side of the dashboard, visible when looking through the windshield from the outside.

This is my car’s vin, as viewed through the OEM, highly pitted 300,000 mile windshield.

The first official VIN appeared in 1954. At that time, the US government requested that automobile manufacturers and the Automobile Manufacturer’s Association develop a new standardized identifying numbering system, which was called the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Up to that time vehicles had been registered according to their engine’s number, but it quickly became apparent that a new system was required because of the common practice of engine replacement.

The standardization of the modern VIN started in 1981 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The standard was changed several times since then and now, modern VINs are based on two related standards, originally issued by the International Standardization Organization (ISO) in 1979 (ISO 3779) in 1980 (ISO 3780). Compatible but different implementation of these ISO Standards have been adopted by the United States and the European Union.

The VIN is not just a random string of alphanumeric characters. Each digit or group of digits refers to something specific about the vehicle’s manufacturing or design.

Starting from the left:

Character 1: Country of manufacture

Characters 2 and 3: Manufacturing company

Characters 4 -8: Type and size of engine

Character 9: Manufacturer’s security code

By: Pedro Bonilla

Character 10: Model year

Character 11: Manufacturing plant

Characters 12 – 17: Vehicle’s serial number

Following you can see the two standards (EU and USA) for comparison:

For our particular (Porsche) cars:

Position 1 identifies the country where the vehicle was assembled: W – Germany (originally West Germany)

Position 2 indicates the manufacturer of the vehicle: P – Porsche

Position 3 identifies the exact brand division even in cases where the manufacturer has more than one division.

Position 4, 5, 6 for Porsche vehicles made for the European and RoW markets, these positions are

By: Pedro Bonilla

filled with a “Z” that does not represent anything other than non-North American.

For vehicles made for the North American market, Position 4 of the Porsche VIN identifies the model line of the vehicle.

A - 911 Carrera Coupe / 911 Carrera 4 Coupe / 911 Carrera 4S Coupe

A - 911 Turbo Coupe / 911 GT2 A - 911 Turbo 4WD (997) Coupe

A – 924 Coupe A - 928 S-4 Coupe (for 1990)

A – 928 Coupe (for 1991) A - 944 Coupe

A - Cayenne A - Carrera GT (990)

A - Cayman A - Panamera (970)

A - Macan B - 944 Cabriolet

B - 911 Carrera Targa (964) B - 911 Carrera Targa (996)

B - 911 Carrera 4 Targa (4WD) (997) B - 911 Carrera Targa 4 (2WD) (997)

B - 911 Carrera Targa 4S (4WD) (997) C - 911 Carrera Cabriolet / 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet

C - 944 S-2 Cabriolet C - Boxster

C - 911 Carrera Turbo Cabriolet (997) C - 918 Spyder

D - 911 Carrera Targa (991) Coupe E - 911G Carrera Cabriolet

E - 911G Carrera Turbo Cabriolet E - 911G Carrera Targa

J - 911G Carrera Turbo

Position 5 identifies the engine type.

924

A - L4, 2.5L 147HP (924 S)

944

A - L4, 2.5L 143HP A - L4, 2.5L 147HP

A - L4, 2.5L 188HP (944 S) A - L4, 2.5L 217HP (944 Turbo)

A - L4, 2.5L 247HP (944 Turbo (for 1989)) a - L4, 2.7L 162HP (944 (for 1989))

B - L4, 3.0L 208HP (944 S (for1989)) C - L4, 2.5L 247HP (944 Turbo (for 1990))

928

A - V8, 5.0L 326HP (for 1991) B - V8, 5.0L 288HP

B - V8, 5.0L 316HP (928 S-4) B - V8, 5.0L 326HP (928 GT (for 1990))

911G

B - B6, 3.2L 200HP, engine 930 / (20 | 21) B - B6, 3.2L 214HP, engine 930/26

911G Turbo (930)

B - B6, 3.3L 275HP engine 930/66 B - B6, 3.3L 282HP engine 930/68

911 (964)

A - B6, 3.3L 315HP (911 Turbo (for 1991)) A - B6, 3.6L 270hp (Carrera (for 1991))

By: Pedro Bonilla

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 247HP (911 Carrera)

911 (993)

A - B6, 3.4L 300HP (Carrera)

911 (996)

A - B6, 3.6L 320hp (Carrera / Targa (for 2002))

A - B6, 3.6L 345HP (Carrera S / Targa (for 2003))

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 415HP (911 Turbo 4WD (for 2002))

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 415HP (911 Turbo Cabriolet 4WD (for 2004))

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 444HP (911 Turbo 4WD (for 2003))

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 444HP (911 Turbo Cabriolet 4WD (for 2004))

Bed and - B6, 3.6L 456HP (911 Turbo / 911 GT2 (2WD) (for 2002)) the C - B6, 3.6L 380HP (911 GT3) the C - B6, 3.6L 400HP (911 Turbo)

911 (997)

A - B6, 3.6L 325HP (Carrera / Carrera Cabriolet / Carrera 4 Cab/ Carrera 4 Targa)

A - B6, 3.6L 345HP (Carrera / Carrera 4 / Carrera 4 Targa)

B - B6, 3.8L 355HP (Carrera S / Carrera 4S 4WD / Carrera S Cabriolet Technical / Carrera 4S Cabriolet Technical / Carrera 4S Targa)

B - B6, 3.8L 385HP (Carrera S / Carrera 4S / Carrera 4S Targa (for 2009))

B - B6, 3.8L 408HP (Carrera GTS / Carrera GTS Cabriolet (for 2012))

C - B6, 3.6L 415HP (911 GT3 / 911 GT3 RS) C - B6, 3.8L 435HP (911 GT3 / 911 GT3 RS for 2010)

D - B6, 3.6L 480HP (911 Turbo 4WD / 4WD 911 Turbo Cabriolet)

D - B6, 3.6L 500HP (911 GT2 / Turbo 911 (for 2010))

D - B6, 3.8L 500HP (911 Turbo (4WD) / 911 Turbo Cabriolet with the 2012 model)

D - B6, 3.6L 530HP (911 GT2 (for 2012)) D - B6, 3.8L 530HP (S Turbo (4WD) / Turbo Cabriolet Technical / S (for 2012))

E - B6, 3.6L 620HP ( 911 GT2 / 911 GT2 RS (for 2011))

911 (991)

A - B6, 3.4L 350HP (Carrera / Carrera 4 / Carrera Cabriolet / Carrera 4 Cabriolet)

A - B6, 3.6L 272HP (Carrera) A - B6, 3.6L 282HP (Carrera)

A - B6, 3.8L 350HP (Targa 4) B - B6, 3.8L 400HP (Carrera S / Carrera 4S / Cabriolet Carrera S / Carrera 4S Cabriolet / Targa 4S)

B - B6, 3.8L 430HP (Carrera GTS / Carrera 4S GTS / Carrera GTS Cabriolet / Carrera 4S GTS Cabriolet / Targa 4 GTS (for 2016))

C - B6, 3.8L 400HP (911 GT3)

C - B6, 3.8L 475HP (911 GT3 (for 2014 model year))

D - B6, 3.8L 520HP (911 Turbo / 911 Cabriolet Turbo)

D - B6, 3.8L 560HP (911 Turbo S / 911 the S Cabriolet Technical Turbo)

F - B6, 4.0L 500HP (911 GT3 RS for 2016))

Boxster (986)

A - B6, 2.7L 217HP A - B6, 2.7L 225HP (for 2003)

B - B6, 3.2L 250HP (Boxster S) B - B6, 3.2L 258HP (Boxster S (for 2003))

Boxster/ Cayman (987)

A - B6, 2.7L 245HP A - B6, 2.9L 255HP (Boxster (for 2010))

A - B6, 2.9L 265hp (Cayman (for 2010))

By: Pedro Bonilla

B - B6, 3.4L 295HP (Boxster S / Cayman S)

B - B6, 3.4L 310HP (Boxster S / Boxster Spyder (for 2010))

B - B6, 3.4L 320HP (Boxster R (for 2012))

Boxster/ Cayman (981)

B - B6, 3.4L 320HP (Cayman S (for 2010))

B - B6, 3.4L 330HP (Cayman R (for 2012))

A - B6, 2.7L 265HP (Boxster) A - B6, 2.7L 275HP (Cayman)

B - B6, 3.4L 315HP (Boxster S) B - B6, 3.4L 325HP (Cayman S)

B - B6, 3.4L 330HP (Boxster GTS (for 2016)) B - B6, 3.4L 340HP (Cayman GTS (for 2016))

C - B6, 3.8L 375HP (Boxster Spyder (for 2016)) C - B6, 3.8L 385HP (Cayman GT4 (for 2015))

Carrera GT (980)

B - V10, 5.7L 605HP

Cayenne (9PA / 955/957)

A - V6, 3.6L 290HP A - V6, 3.6L 300HP (for 2012))

B - V8, 4.5L 340HP (Cayenne S) B - V8, 4.8L 385HP (Cayenne S (for 2009))

C - V8, 4.5L 450hp (Cayenne Turbo) C - V8, 4.8L 500HP (Cayenne Turbo (for 2009))

C - V8, 4.8L 550hp (Cayenne Turbo S (for 2009))

D - V8, 405HP 4.8L (Cayenne GTS)

D - V8, 4.8L 405HP (Cayenne Trans-Syberia (for 2010))

Cayenne (92A / 958)

A - V6, 3.6L 300HP B - V6, 3.0L 420HP (Cayenne S (for 2015))

B - V6, 3.6L 420HP (Cayenne S (for 2016)) B - V8, 4.8L 400HP (Cayenne S (for 2012))

C - V8, 4.8L 500HP (Cayenne Turbo (for 2012))

C - V8, 4.8L 550hp (Cayenne Turbo S (for 2014))

D - V6, 3.6L 440HP (Cayenne GTS (for 2016))

C - V8, 4.8L 520HP (Cayenne Turbo (for 2015))

C - V8, 4.8L 570HP (Cayenne Turbo S (for 2016))

D - V8, 4.8L 420HP + 52HP electric (Cayenne S Hybrid)

E - V6, 3.0L 380HP + 52HP electric (Cayenne Hybrid S (for 2012)) F - V6, 3.0L 240HP Diesel (Cayenne Diesel)

Panamera (970)

A - V6, 3.6L 300HP (Panamera / Panamera 4)

A - V6, 3.6L 310HP (Panamera / Panamera 4 (for 2014))

B - V6, 3.0L 420HP (Panamera S / 4S Panamera / Panamera 4S Executive ( for 2014))

B - V8, 4.8L 400HP (Panamera S / Panamera 4S)

C - V8, 4.8L 500HP (Panamera Turbo)

C - V8, 4.8L 520HP (Panamera Turbo / Panamera Turbo (for 2014 Executive)

C - V8, 4.8L 550hp (Panamera Turbo S (for 2012))

C - V8, 4.8L 570hp (Panamera Turbo S (for 2015))

C - V8, 4.8L 570hp (Panamera Exclusive (for 2016))

D - V6, 3.0L 333HP + 95HP electric (Panamera S EHybrid (for 2014))

By: Pedro Bonilla

D - V8, 4.8L 400HP + 52HP electric (Panamera S Hybrid (for 2012)) F - V8, 4.8L 430HP (Panamera GTS (for 2014))

F - V8, 4.8L 440HP (Panamera GTS (for 2015))

918 Spyder (918)

A - V8, 608HP + 4.6L electric 279HP

Macan (95B)

B - V6, 3.0L 340HP (Macan S) F - V6, 3.6L 400HP (Macan Turbo)

Position 6 for North American vehicles, represents the passive safety systems

0 - Inertial seatbelts pre tensioners 2 - Inertial seatbelts

Position 7 – 8 represents the sports car lineup.

For the European Market

91 - 911G (code 911) (1974 ... 1989)

92 - 924 (code 924) (1976 ... 1988)

91 - 918 Spyder (code 918) (2013 ... )

92 - 928 (code 928) (1977 ... 1995)

93 - 911G Turbo (code 930) (1977 ... 1989)

94 - 944 (code 944 ) (1982 ... 1991)

95 - 944 Turbo (code 951) (1985 ... 1991) 95 - 959 (code 959) (1986 ... 1988)

96 - 911/911 Turbo (code 964) (1989. ..1993) 96 - 968 (code 968) (1992 ... 1995)

97 - Panamera (code 970) (2009 ... 2016) 97 - Panamera (code 971) (2017 ...)

98 - Boxster (code 986) (1997 ... 2004), 98 - Boxster (code 987) (2004 ... 2011)

98 - Boxster (code 981) (2012 ... 2016)

98 - Cayman (code 987) (2005 ... 2012)

98 – 718 Boxster (code 982) (2016 ... )

98 - Cayman (code 981) (2012 ... 2016)

99 - 911/911 Turbo (code 993) (1994 ... 1998)

99 - 911/911 Turbo (code 997) (2004 ... 2012)

99 - 911 / 911 Turbo (code 996) (1998 ... 2005)

99 - 911/911 Turbo (code 991) (2011 ...)

99 - Carrera GT (Code 980) (2003 ... 2007) For the Porsche crossover platform, it’s different

9P - Cayenne I (9PA / 955) (2002 ... 2007)

9P - Cayenne I (9PA / 957) (2007 ... 2010)

92 - Cayenne II (92A / 958) (2010 ...) 95 - Macan (95B) (2014 ...)

For the North American Market

A1 - 918 Spyder (918) A2 - Cayenne II of (92A / 958)

A5 - Macan (95B) A7 - Panamera (970),

A8 - Boxster / Cayman (987, 981) A9 - 911 (997, 991)

Position 9 for Porsche vehicles made for the European market, position is a “Z”.

For the North American market it is a value that checks whether the VIN that has been entered is a valid.

Position 10 – Model Year A - 2010

By: Pedro Bonilla

Y - 2000 9 - 2009

Position 11 – Assembly Plant This position is used to identify the assembly plant of the vehicle:

•K - (Boxster, Cayman) Osnabruck, Germany

•

L - (Cayenne, Panamera, Macan) Leipzig, Germany

•N - (924, 944, 928, 911G, 911) Nekkarzyulm, Germany

Stuttgart Zuffenhausen, Germany

•

•

S - (Boxster, Cayman, 911)

U - (Boxster, Cayman) Uusikaupunki, Finland

Position 12 represents the third factory code mark pattern.

The other two are represented by positions 7 and 8.

Position 13 -17 – Serial Number

These positions represent the serial number of the vehicle. This series of numbers is used to identify the exact vehicle in question. The set of numbers are not standardized and their choice depends on the manufacturer’s preference.

With a car’s VIN, you can obtain specific information about the vehicle, such as the manufacturing build sheet, historic service and repair reports, CarFax, specific manufacturer recalls and updated information, etc. The VIN is really your car’s DNA code.

For more information on gauges and more, please visit my website:

www PedrosGarage.com.

Happy Porsche'ing,

Tour: Eastern Shore: April 14th

By: Aniano Arao

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee is pleased to offer as its 2nd event of the year a new edition of the Eastern Shore Tour on April 14th, Sunday. This delightful 57-mile scenic drive will start from Easton, MD, pass through Oxford and end in Cambridge, where we will have lunch. Guest tour mas-

ter and Eastern Shore resident Tom Divilio designed this event and will host it. (v05, April 1, 2024)

WHEN and WHERE

● When: April 14, 2024, Sunday

● Assembly time: 9:30 AM; drivers’ meeting 9:45; departure of first group of cars 10:00 AM

● Assembly point: Easton, MD. Address TBA via e-mail to registrants by April 13th

● Tour’s end: Parking lots and spaces near RAR Brewing, 504 Poplar St., Cambridge, MD 21613

● Restaurant ETA: Between 11:45 AM and noon.

● Lunch at RAR Brewing is optional: Attendees may order and pay for their lunch, a la carte.

● Lunch at RAR is limited to the first 50 registrants who opt for lunch.

● Tour registrants that don't get confirmed for lunch at RAR will be added to the waiting list; or they can opt for "tour without lunch," get confirmed and then just go to other nearby restaurants on their own.

● There are limits to the number of attendees and cars that will be confirmed for this tour.

REGISTRATION

● Click here or copy-and-paste the URL to log on and register: http://msreg.com/24PCACHSest

● Or visit www.motorsportreg.com, log on to your account and look for this event.

● Registration will open at 1:00 PM on March 22nd and will close at 1:00 PM on April 11th.

● $5 tour registration fee for each adult. Maximum $10 per car. No fee for minors (17 and younger).

● $2 MotorsportReg booking fee

● All PCA members are welcome.

● Drivers must be licensed adults and PCA members.

● This tour has capacity limits for lunch, people and cars, so register ASAP if you want to join it.

● Cancellations must be made before the end of the registration period to obtain refunds.

● Tour documents will be sent to confirmed registrants via e-mail a day or two before the event.

● Send questions to Aniano Arao of the Tour & Rally Committee at tour@pcachs.org.

For Sale: 2021 FeatherLite Car Hauler Trailer

Asking $8,000.00.

2021 FeatherLite Aluminum

Car Hauler Trailer. Model

3110-0014

Lightweight, all aluminum construction. Weighs just 1350 lbs.

Bed length is 14.0’. Perfect for a smaller car, or sports car (ex: 911, Boxster, Cayman, race car).

Bed width is 8’ 6” between fenders.

Total length is 17’ 6”.

Skid resistant aluminum floor.

Two aluminum ‘Flex Foot’ ramps; storage underneath the trailer with locking access door. Both fenders are removeable, for easy access in/out of a loaded car. Stainless steel fender latches.

Stainless steel tie-downs (4).

Tandem axles, with E-Z Lube hubs.

Four Goodyear Endurance 205/75-15 tires on 15” steel wheels.

Spare wheel and tire.

Bumper hitch.

Electric brakes, with electric break-away safety system. Brakes are applied with a separate brake controller mounted in your tow vehicle.

LED lights – brakes, turn signals, side lights.

Electric winch with wireless and wired controllers. Separate battery box. Tongue jack with wheel and flat pad.

FeatherLite has an outstanding reputation as one of the very best trailer manufacturers on the market.

Gently used, and carefully maintained. No corrosion, no dings, or dents. You’d be hard pressed to find a car hauler trailer that is as nice as this one. Contact me for more details and photos, or a walk-around video.

This is a trailer you really need to see to appreciate. Buyers from away – I can do a FaceTime video call with you, and/or line up a pre-purchase inspection for you.

$8,000. Call Doug on cell: 410-917-3271, or DougEhmann@gmail.com.

Social Brunch: Inverness Brewery: May 11th

By: Marsha Buss

All members are welcome to join us on Saturday, May 11th, noon, at Inverness Brewery for some for some brick oven pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and craft beer. The brewery is featured in the State of Mayland's House and Hounds Scenic Byway video at the 1:53 minute mark.

Check out the brewery’s food truck menu here.

All participants must register for the brunch on www.MotorsportReg.com by May 9th .

There is no seating limit. We hope to be outside if the weather is nice. There is no registration fee for this event.

WHEN and WHERE

When: May 11th, Saturday

Meeting time: noon (or immediately following the Monkton Trifecta Garage Crawl)

Meeting point: Inverness Brewery, 16200 Markoe Rd, Monkton 21111 phone: 443-829-2142

End of social: 2:00pm

Cost: Members are responsible for their own meals and beverages. Registration is free and required for planning purposes.

PARTICIPATION

Participants must comply with PCA, CDC, state and county guidelines for COVID prevention. By signing up for and joining any of our social events, registrants acknowledge and assume all the risks in and full responsibility for their participation. Note that planned events are subject to change, for weather-related or other reasons. While we are striving to make this event safe, with your Participation in and Registration for this social event, you recognize and acknowledge the hazards of COVID-19, and you assume the risk of illness or death arising from a COVID-19 infection at this event. If you feel sick during the week prior and/or the day of the event or if there is any chance you may have COVID-19 or be contagious, PLEASE do not attend the event.

REGISTRATION

The eBlast announcing this event will have a weblink for registration. Click it.

Log onto your Motorsportreg account or create one at www.MotorsportReg.com

Registration will close at midnight on Thursday, May 9th

There is no fee for this event.

QUESTIONS

Send social event related questions to the Social Committee at social@pcachs.org.

By: David K. Whitlock

February’s Porsche market appeared in line with last month as our sellthrough rate stayed at 68% for the second month in a row, but with both unit volume and dollar volume topping last February thanks in part to day one of the Amelia auctions falling on the 29th of the month. Take out the Amelia sales, though, and our dollar volume fell significantly from the previous year to a total of $27,750,297 compared to $33,572,283 in 2023 with unit volume staying relatively the same. That large gap was influenced by the lack of $500k+ cars offered last month.

Our only million-dollar sale was a 2005 Carrera GT finished in GT Silver Metallic over an Ascot Brown leather interior with 7,000 miles on the odometer. Recent comps have sold in the $1.3-1.4m range, so why did this one appear to be below market? The fact that this car was missing its luggage set and showed no sign of a recent major service are most likely what kept bidders at bay. The only other car that had the potential to cross the $1m mark was a 1994 911 Turbo S 3.6 ‘Package’ car that failed to sell at a final bid of $990,000. With only seventeen units produced, ‘Package’ cars sport the normal 911 front end as opposed to the Slant Nose that the rest of the world Turbo S’ received. Questions about paintwork and lack of service history kept bids below $1m, where they should have been.

The GT market had a strong month with forty-two cars on offer selling at a 69% sell-through rate and bringing in an impressive $5.8m. 992 GT3s have settled at an average of $260,000 while we saw one 992 GT3 RS bring $400,000, which is the lowest price paid at auction so far here in the US. Every 718 Cayman GT4 found a new home with an average price of $117,000, right in line with the sixmonth average.

When it comes to Turbos, the 993 Turbo market has kept on climbing with an average price last month of $258,000 thanks to a Polar Silver example with only 2,300 miles hammering at a very impressive $471,050. 964 Turbos didn’t see much action last month with only one out of the two examples on offer finding a home. But the biggest surprise in the Turbo market was the 14% sellthrough rate for 992 Turbos. It looks like it’s time for sellers to start adjusting their expectations and let these cars go for what they are actually worth.

By: David K. Whitlock

Mixed results were had at the 356 end of the market as we saw a very impressive result for a 1958 Emory Special Roadster that sold for an eye-watering $802,000. Starting life as a Coupe, this 356 was converted into a Speedster-look by an earlier owner before Rod Emory, of Emory Motorsports, got ahold of it and added a 550 Spyder-inspired nose and a 2.6-liter flat-four designed by Jeff Gamroth of Rothsport Racing. There are plenty of custom 356s that hit the auction block with average prices just shy of $250,000. But an Emory build is not your average build, with the top two custom 356 sales of the last five years being Emory Outlaws. Aside from the Emory car, most other 356s seemed to be soft with a sell-through rate below 50% and prices below averages other than a 1955 Pre -A Speedster that hit right on the average at a final bid of $365,000.

My biggest question leading into March is: will we finally see the return of a seasonal market as we’ve lacked the swings post the 2020 run-up? March is also the month of Amelia Island, but this year we also have RM Sotheby’s down in Miami for their Moda event. For Florida auction coverage, take a look at the Porsche Club of America’s YouTube channel where I covered some of the most impressive sales, and no sales, with Vu. Until next month.

David K. Whitlock is a writer for The Stuttgart Market Letter, a daily market update for Porschephiles, by Porschephiles, delivered free to your inbox. To sign up, go to:

www.stuttgartmarketletter.com

PCA License Plates

What Are PCA License Plates: Chesapeake Region PCA coordinates the purchase of PCA Organizational License Plates issued through the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). The PCA License Plate Program promotes the visibility and camaraderie of PCA. PCA Maryland License Plates are pre-numbered Organizational Plates, not vanity plates. PCA License Plates are available for all cars, trucks and minivans, but not for motorcycles or trailers.

Cost: The one-time cost for the PCA License Plates is $40.00, which includes the $25.00 MVA fee and a $15 Chesapeake PCA fundraising fee to support the PCA License Plate Program and Chesapeake Region events.

How To Apply: The only way to apply for PCA Organizational License Plates is to complete the online PCA Maryland License Web Form at https://pcachs.org/pcamaryland-license-plate/ and submit it electronically. Please click on the above link to learn the details and requirements to apply for PCA License Plates.

If you have any questions regarding the purchase of PCA Maryland Organizational License Plates, please contact us at: pcaLicensePlates@pcachs.org. Safe and Happy Motoring.

Requirements: You must be a PCA Member and the car must be registered in Maryland. The PCA Plates are not limited to Porsches. You can apply for PCA plates for all your cars registered in Maryland!

Name and Car Badges!

Now you can obtain your Chesapeake Region Name Badge!

Go to www.pcachs.org and use the “GOODIE STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page. The Name Badge cost is $25, inclusive of handling and shipping.

This is your opportunity to purchase a heavy “gold- plated” Chesapeake Region metal car badge.

Each metal car badge comes complete with stainless steel slotted retaining plate, screws, washers and nuts to mount it through your car grille or separate mounting plate.

You can order right now! The cost per metal car badge is $30 or two for $50, inclusive of handling and shipping. Here’s how you order your metal car badge: Go to www.pcachs.org and use the “GOODIE STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page and make your payment.

PCA Juniors

What is the PCA Juniors program?

✓PCA Juniors is a program for Porsche enthusiasts under age 18.

✓Participants must be registered by an active PCA member.

✓It’s not just the cars… and now it’s not just the grownups!

✓With our new PCA Juniors program, PCA is about the kids too!

The PCA Juniors program has been created so kids can enjoy PCA events, learn about Porsches and build the enthusiasm that runs through all of the Porsche Club of America.

Who is eligible?

Any child under age 18 who is registered by a current PCA member can participate in the program.

(Note: This is not a PCA Membership.)

What will the child receive?

PCA Juniors will receive a welcome package that includes an ageappropriate gift and PCA Juniors ID badge. We look forward to developing the program and its features over time.

What does it cost to register?

It’s FREE! Participants must be registered by an active PCA member, and there is no cost to join!

Tour & Rally: Cinco de Mayo

Poker Rally: May 5th

By: Rich Ehrlich

PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee is pleased to offer as its 4th event of the year, a Poker Rally, on May 5th, Sunday. Our 36-mile scenic drive through historic roads of Elkridge, Ellicott City, and Catonsville will start from Linthicum Heights, MD, and end at the Family Picnic at Patapsco Valley State Park - Avalon Area, pavilion 104, where we will have an awards ceremony and a catered lunch from Chipotle. Guest tour master and Social Chair Marsha Buss designed this event and will host it.

Event proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS), a 501(c) organization. Additional poker cards and poker hands may be purchased when you register. For those only attending the Family Picnic, hands of poker and additional poker cards may be purchased during registration.

WHEN and WHERE

When: May 5, 2024, Sunday

Assembly time: 9:00 AM; drivers’ meeting 9:15 AM; departure of first group of cars 9:30 AM. The drive is approximately one hour and 20 minutes.

Assembly point: Linthicum Heights, MD. Address to be sent via e-mail to registrants by May 4th.

End of Poker Rally, Awards and Family Picnic: Patapsco Valley State Park - Avalon Area, pavilion 104, 5120 South St, Halethorpe, MD

The Poker Rally is optional for those who only want to attend the Family Picnic. The picnic will start at 11:00am.

PARTICIPATION

Tour & Rally Poker (cont’d)

By signing up for and joining any of our driving events, registrants acknowledge and assume all the risks in and full responsibility for their participation. PCA waiver forms must be completed and signed by all Poker Rally drivers and passengers, online or on paper. Note that planned events are subject to change, for weather-related or other reasons.

REGISTRATION

Registration for this tour will open on March 27 at 1 pm and close on May 2nd at 1 pm.

$50 registration fee for the Poker Rally Driver (includes one poker hand, lunch, and park entrance fee).

$20 registration fee for other adults (navigator, passenger, or family picnic attendee) includes lunch and $3 park entrance fee.

No registration fee for minors (17 and younger).

This event has a poker rally car capacity limit of 30 and 100 people picnic limit, so sign up ASAP. We may add more cars based on picnic registration results.

All Poker Rally registrations must include a navigator.

Drivers must be licensed adults (18 and older) and PCA members.

All PCA members and their family are welcome.

Event proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS), a 501(c) organization.

Cancellations must be made before the closing of registration to obtain payment refunds.

If you have already registered and need help to cancel your registration, refer to this link for detailed instructions.

Poker Rally documents will be sent to confirmed registrants via e-mail a day or two before the event.

QUESTIONS: Send rally-related questions to Rich Ehrlich of the Tour & Rally Committee at rally@pcachs.org.

Chesapeake Region

Tech Event: Garage Crawl: Monkton Trifecta: May 11th

WHEN: SATURDAY, May 11th, 8:15 AM to 11:30 AM WHERE: Monkton, MD

REGISTRATION:

• Will open 7:00 PM EST Friday April 5th on MotorsportReg.

CLICK HERE to register

• This event will be limited to 35 cars with 2 people per car maximum (i.e. 70 people)

• The cost is $5 per person

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions contact the Tech Chairs- Randy Richter, Rick Hawver and Jim Earlbeck, at tech@pcachs.org

DETAILS: We’ve visited large garages that contained more than 170 cars and none of them were driven, we’ve seen garages were the owners had several restoration efforts in process, we’ve seen garages that had 4 cars in them even thought they were only 2 car spaces and we’ve seen some garages that had massive art work while others had none.

Chesapeake’s Garage Crawls are extremely popular for many great reasons. Sure, the cars the fantastic, but more uniquely the Garage Crawls give us the chance to see what a person values in a car and to contemplate why it is important to them. Often it will make you reflect on what is meaningful to you. The Garage Crawls also allow us to see how others embrace the automotive lifestyle. The Monkton Trifecta promises to deliver on all fronts. We will visit three separate collections that total more than 100 cars! The first and third garage have many different marques- Porsche, Buick, Ferrari, Ford, Cobra, Maserati, Citroen, Mini, Chevrolet, Singer, RUF and others that you may not even be aware of. The second garage has nothing but Porsches. Sadly, that owner has the brains of a squirrel and is not very creative! All three collections are dynamic. Cars enter and exit these collections, so we are not going to guarantee anything. We can say that all the cars are worthy of your time and that you can learn from what you’ll see. The first collection has cars that pre-date the standard order of gas pedal on the right, brake in the middle and clutch on the left.

The distance from the first garage to the last is less than 7 miles. To preserve the privacy of the collections, neither the owner’s names nor the locations will be announced in advance. Only those that have registered through MotorsportReg will be provided with the addresses. Registrants will be given the address of the first garage. We will meet there to reduce the time spent going from one garage to another and maximize the time spent at the garages. We will meet at the first garage at 8:15 AM Saturday May 11th. At 8:20 AM there will be a launch meeting. This event will not include Tech’s usual coffee, donuts or gift certificate. The launch meeting will also review the rules of this event which include-

No public release of the address of the facility

No public release of photos and/or videos. That includes not only the cars and boats, but the inside and outside of the facilities. Attendees are permitted to take photos, but only for their personal use.

No public release of the owner’s name- either first or last. No public release of the types of cars or memorabilia.

Our ability to have future Garage Crawls depends on our ability to treat each facility with the respect that it deserves. Please remember that you are visiting someone’s home. While this may not be where they live, it is their home, it is where their heart is. We are their guests. You may sign up for the lunch social at Inverness Brewery when you register for the garage crawl. If the garage crawl is sold out you are still welcome to come to the lunch social – see separate Inverness Brewery lunch social registration