Porsche Patter January 2026 ● Volume 67 ● Issue 1
Chesapeake Region
Porsche® Club of America
Back Cover Photo by Ken Wilmers
Cover Photo by James Beavan
20 30 38
European Delivery
PCA 70th Event:
Car Stories Tour &
Rally
TABLE OF
CONTENTS Content Contributions Bogdan Chitimus
Marsha Buss
Stephanie Reuer
Steve Buss
Greg Hartke
Rich Ehrlich
Rob Carter
James B Beavan III
Mark Miller
Photo Contributions Bogdan Chitimus
Ken Wilmers
Jim McKee
Jim Orrell
Ryan Boxler
Steve Wood
Marsha Buss
James B Beavan III
Rob Carter
Scott Johnson
Editor
Bogdan Chitimus
i rs e 7 Advertiser Index 9 Club Leadership 10 President’s Message 14 Upcoming Events 16 Prost! 17 Member Numbers 6 Ed to ’ Not
ming Events Details 36 Socials Review 38 Tour and Rally 34 Upco
42 AX 2025
Porsche Patter is the official newsletter of the Chesapeake Region of Porsche Club of America. Contributions to Patter should be sent by the 25th of the month preceding in Microsoft Word format to editor@pcachs.org. Please send high resolution images. ADVERTISING: For questions about advertising rates and placement in Patter please email editor@pcachs.org.
Unless otherwise reserved, permission is granted to reproduce material published, provided full credit is given to Porsche Patter and to the respective author and photographer. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Join Porsche Club of America as a Chesapeake Region member. www.pca.org Porsche Patter is published monthly by the Chesapeake Region, PCA. Subscription is limited to members of the Chesapeake Region, PCA. Porsche Patter - Issue 1 2026
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EDITOR’S
NOTE
Bogdan Chitimus Editor, Porsche Patter
Happy New Year dear PCA members!
Thank you Ryan Boxler, one of our official photographers, for this beautiful shot of my car at Porsche Hunt Valley.
Looking forward to 2026 with all the new events including Tech Tactics, tours, Porsche Parade in Lake Placid, etc.
Maybe I will give a try to AutoX this year.
You have a Porsche story. Why not share it? If you have a Porsche, there is a story in there somewhere. Complete the Chesapeake Ten Questions: Your Story so other members can get to know you.
OR Get the Ten Questions:Your Story Questionnaire
If you have an article to submit, send us 300 - 1,000 words (and some pictures). Email your story and pics to editor@pcachs.org
ADVERTISER
INDEX Porsche Hunt Valley
2
Linda Ben Foundation
16
Westminster Speed & Sound
4
Group C Curation
19
Porsche Annapolis
5
Yanks Auto Detailing
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Porsche Owings Mills
8
Reflected Images
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Porsche Silver Spring
12
PSA Financial
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Advertise with us Annual advertising rates Personal classified items are free to PCA members
All advertisements or changes to advertisements must
Full page add - $750
be received no later than the 25th of the month prior to
Half page add - $600
the month of publication.
Quarter page add - $400
SEND TO: EDITOR@PCACHS.ORG
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CLUB
LEADERSHIP
P
PRESIDENT Steve Buss president@pcachs.org
VP
S
SECRETARY Ken Wilmers secretary@pcachs.org
T
VICE-PRESIDENT Rob Carter
vicepresident@pcachs.org TREASURER Jessie Sanchez treasurer@pcachs.org
Committee Chairs Publicity
Executive VP
Insurance
Steve Wood
Wayne Nelms
James Beavan III
executivevicepresident@pcachs.org
insurance@pcachs.org
publicity@pcachs.org
Autocross
Membership
Safety
Greg Hartke / Michael Ricketts autocross@pcachs.org
Historian Bob Rassa historian@pcachs.org
Driving Instructor Ellen Beck instructor@pcachs.org
Community Service Open comunityservice@pcachs.org
Concours Paul Koenigsmark, Phil Andrews
Dan Zadra
concours@pcachs.org
Chesapeake Chlng Kristen Allen chesapeakechallenge@pcachs.org
Mark Miller /Rob Payne Rob Rohrbach
membership@pcachs.org
Registrar Marsha Buss
registrar@pcachs.org
Newsletter Editor Bogdan Chitimus
editor@pcachs.org
PCA License
Laurie & Bruce Tarsia pcalicenseplates@pcachs.org
PCA Zone 2 Rep Phil Grandfield
zonerep@pcachs.org
Photography
Jim McKee / Ryan Boxler
Jim Orrell
photography@pcachs.org
John Jensen safety@pcachs.org
Social Stephanie Reuer and Randy Bruscup social@pcachs.org
Sunshine Doug Ehmann sunshine@pcachs.org
Webmaster Mark Richburg
webmaster@pcachs.org
Tour & Rally Rich Ehrlich
tour@pcachs.org
rally@pcachs.org
Tech
Jim Earlbeck / Randall Richter
Rick Hawver tech@pcachs.org
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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE Steve Buss
President Chesapeake Region, PCA As we ring in the New Year, I want to thank all who volunteered to make 2025 a truly terrific year. Your dedication to the Club made certain our events ran smoothly and safely. There were thousands of registrations across our 60 events this year.
Many thanks to Mark Miller, outgoing Vice President and Andy Powell, outgoing Treasurer and a warm welcome to Rob Carter, Vice President and Jessie Sanchez, Treasurer. Thank you for stepping up to lead our very active Chesapeake Region.
The EC goal for January is to prepare our committees budgets and fill the calendar with plenty of memorable activities. Leading the way, as he always does, Greg Hartke has the 2026 Autocross season under contract. Thanks Greg.
The holiday season’s annual charity drive for Linda’s Legacy and Kindertime was a tremendous success, albeit Jeanette from Linda’s Legacy got her dates mixed up. Thank you for your generosity. Your toy donations were delivered to the Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital by Phil Andrews and yours truly. We filled two Cayennes and completely overwhelmed the staff. It was a wonderful, feel good experience. With your wonderful generosity, we were able to donate $6,950 for Linda’s Legacy. Thanks to all of you who donated and participated in our annual holiday charity event.
Happy New Year to you and your families. As we switch gears to 2026, I wish you another year of unforgettable drives, engaging social events, good health and much happiness.
Our annual After Holiday Party will be on January 17th at the Turn House in Columbia. Registration is open in
MSR, but there is currently a waitlist.
Thanks to all of you for making Chesapeake Region so much fun! It’s the cars that bring us together, but it is the people that make it special.
The first board meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday January 27th at the Green Turtle in Hanover. As always, everyone is welcome to attend, just let me know so I can save you a seat at the table.
Let’s be careful out there.
Phase I of the 2026 Porsche Parade registration opens at noon on January 28. A list of hotels in Lake Placid can be found at https://www.porscheparade.org/ PhaseIRegistration
Super Slot Cars, our winter family tradition for 30 years, will be held on Sunday, February 15th at our valued sponsor, Porsche Annapolis. Registration is open in MSR.
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Steve
UPCOMING
EVENTS January
February
After Holiday Sat 17 2026 Party
Tue 27 Board Meeting
Sun 15
Super Slot Car Racing
Sat 21
Tech Tactics East 2026
March
Reunion Amelia Mar 6 Werks Island
Mar 29 Treffen Low Country
Upcoming event details are subject to change. Please visit the Chesapeake Website for the most up-to-date information. Find us on: @ChesapeakePCA @PCAChesapeake
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PROST! Anniversaries 30 Years
Thomas & Lisa Benney
25 Years
Joseph Zuramski
20 Years
Kathy Downs
Thomas Madigan
15 Years
Arthur & Sarah Allinson
Lynn & Cheryl Scott
by: Rob Payne 10 Years
Neil & Laura Leary
Matt Marzullo
Richard Pugh
Alan & Jeremy Scharf
5 Years
Peter Cerutti
Kenneth Code
Jon Homme
Iskender Ibragimov
Elizabeth Jennings
Nicholas Kellogg
Rachel Linde
Christopher McKay
Wayne Nelms
Dan ONeill
Duane Orth
Mark Richburg
Richard Stevens
Dr. Edward Zebovitz
*** Please excuse us for any inconsistencies in reports
as PCA HQ continues to improve the system.
See CHS PCA website for full Membership Committee Report or
contact Rob Payne, Membership Chair, for any assistance. ***
It’s not just the cars, it’s the people. 16
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1 Year
Derek Bailey
Leeann Bailey
Bret Barrow
Cecily Christian
David Edwards
Rosalyn Hunt
John Jay
Jackie Linaberry
Gaylen Lowe
Gary Marino
Steven Marino
Patrick O’Brien
David Purdie
Evan Ruch
Quinn Schultz
James Scott
Brent Seward
Kelly Seward
Anusha Sonnad
Tricia Szurgot
Kevin Timmons
MEMBER NUMBERS
New Members
by: Rob Payne
Ruhi Agharabi
Paige Drake
Charles Barnett
Chris Garliss
Jerry Bodman
Michael & Valerie Glynn
Timothy Byrnes
James & Althea Hodson
Doug Degitz
Jade Kane
Robert Dent Jr.
Frank Porzillo
Dagem Desta
Michael Price
(Co-member)
2023 911 Carrera GTS 1997 911 Turbo
2022 718 Boxster (Co-member)
2023 Macan GTS
2026 911 Carrera S
New Members
12 Transfers in 3
Timothy & Lisa Wagner
(Co-member)
1995 911 Carrera
2021 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 2013 Boxster
2006 Cayenne S (Associate)
2026 911 Carrera GTS 2012 Panamera S
Test Drive Participants 18
PCA Juniors 129
Lapsed
19
Transfers out 0 Primary Members 1316
Total Members
Affiliate Members 667
Life members 1
1984
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FEATURED
STORY
by Michael Myers
European Delivery 911 Carrera T Leipzig Delivery
Like most car enthusiasts, I had always admired the 911, but it wasn't until the 991.2 Carrera T arrived that I seriously considered I could - and should - actually buy one. As it would be my first Porsche, I wanted to make an event of it. And having done BMW European Delivery for an M2 back in October 2017, I knew I had to pick up my 992 Carrera T in Germany and spend all 16 "free" days driving it around Europe (2023 being the last model year there was no charge for up to 16 days). After 25 months of waiting - and having spent even longer planning the 16-day, 2300-mile road trip from scratch - it was finally time to leave for Germany on August 19, 2023 for my delivery scheduled for August 22.
After a night in Munich, we took trains to Leipzig where we spent the typical night at the Steigenberger hotel. Waking up the following morning on my longanticipated delivery day, I had great expectations. Which were about to be crushed by the Leipzig delivery team. My delivery experience descended into a farce immediately upon our arrival around 12:30pm when we were promptly informed that they did not have tags ready for my car. They offered another car so we could get going that day, but I came to Germany to drive my car, not a rental. After the presentation of the car with no tags, I insisted they let me drive the car around the parking lot so I could at least say I drove it on day 1, and so I could get a brief feel for the clutch and shifter.
If it wasn't for the fact that they had over five months to have tags ready, I might have been impressed that they sent someone to drive to Stuttgart around 3 AM
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the following morning (day 2) to be there when the department of motor vehicles opened at 7:30 AM. He arrived back in Leipzig with the tourist plates around 12:45 PM and we were finally on our way soon thereafter. We missed a couple castle tours and a stop in Eisenach as we had to go straight to Cochem to get back on track with my itinerary.
The next morning, day 3, we drove to Eltz Castle and took a guided tour. It was definitely worth the stop. We drove on to Baden-Baden for the night. In the morning of day 4 we were supposed to take a one-minute WALK from our hotel to visit the Roman bath ruins but I simply, inexplicably, forgot about it. I suppose I was too excited to drive! Instead, we immediately took off in the rain - down the Black Forest Road (B500).
At the end of the first segment in Freudenstadt, we headed for Strasbourg for the night. On day 5 we'd drive the second, disconnected segment of the Black Forest Road. Even if it hadn't been raining (again), I'm not sure how much I could enjoy this road as it's plagued by both low speed limits and traffic. On the way down, we'd stop for our first Alpine coaster ride great fun for any age! We continued on to Zurich. Unfortunately we got in too late to check out the city. I do regret stopping in Strasbourg and Zurich - while both cities are absolutely worth visiting, I don't like driving in big cities.
Day 6 was the first of seven straight days of driving Alpine passes. The first loop consisted of Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel, and Susten passes. On Gotthard pass, it was pouring rain (yet again) and there was a lot of traffic. On Furka, we could not stop for any photos since it was still pouring rain. That said, it was still enjoyable though it does get a bit narrow at times. Grimsel was very nice, and it's pretty much two full lanes the whole way. Susten was similar to Grimsel two full lanes plus it has many stretches where you can go pretty fast. The rain finally took a break so we could get a few photos. What an incredible road! I love these passes even with the tight hairpins - it's quite enjoyable to downshift into these tight turns (often down into first), then to unwind the steering wheel and accelerate uphill. This is what I came for more than anything!
Day 7 was supposed to be another loop of passes; however, as we winded around the many hairpins of Gotthard, we discovered it was snowing at the top (ironically after sweating the first 5 days of our trip!).
After turning off toward Nufenen, we found that it was closed (due to snow - in August!). That meant we ended up turning around and going back through snowy Gotthard, which by that point had worsened considerably. Nonetheless, we made it through ok.
Oberalp was fortunately open - a very nice pass with plenty of hairpins and hill climbs. Lukmanier pass was also very nice - full of sweepers and curves, not just hairpins. This was another day of essentially nonstop rain!
Day 8 went poorly. Blame it on another unexpected closure which forced us to replan the day on the spot. The day started with San Bernardino pass, which is a nice, long pass with many tight switchbacks. Then we came upon the unexpected Splugen closure. We ended up taking the Swiss highway all the way around so we could run Maloja and Julier passes. Both of these are great drives, two lanes wide with sweeping turns & not too many hairpins - a nice mix. The final pass of the day was Albula pass - this one I'd skip in the future as it is quite narrow for most of the way.
Day 9 started with Passo del Bernina, which was very enjoyable with both hairpins and curves. This was followed by Forcola di Livigno (aka Livigno Pass). That, in turn, was followed by Foscagno pass, which was on the way to Stelvio pass (the first & only pass I did on my M2 trip in 2017).
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The final pass of this day will never be forgotten Gavia pass. While some passes may shrink to about one & a half lanes in width at times, this pass is a two-way road that is only one lane wide most of the way. With no guardrail. It was by far the most treacherous pass I've ever been on. Any encounter with a vehicle coming in the opposite direction is a problem.
Day 10 started with Tonale pass. Our route then took us to Mendel pass which is really enjoyable with both hairpins & curves. We ended the day on Sella pass which is quite nice despite a close encounter with a bus on a tight hairpin (its ill-tempered driver nearly backing us into a rock wall). Day 11 - thankfully sunny after it rained for more than half the week - included a total of 7 passes in the Dolomites: Gardena, Valparola, Falzarego, Giau, Campolongo, Pordoi, and Sella (again). All of these are awesome to drive except for two issues: traffic and bicyclists. With apologies to all you cyclists, the latter are quite a menace on Alpine passes. Motorcyclists are everywhere as well, but when you're in a car, they pass you. With bicyclists, it's of course the opposite - you have to pass them (without hitting any).
Day 12 was our last of 7 straight days of Alpine passes. Fortunately another sunny day, we would start with Jaufenpass. But before we got there, we'd try the Italian highway, which turned out to be a terrible idea because it had a toll and was clogged with traffic. We'd come to find out in the following two days that the highways in western Austria are even worse, as they clog with traffic and don't move. At all. Eventually we made our way to Timmelsjoch, a surprisingly steep pass with some tight hairpins that reminded me of Stelvio. After that, we drove on towards Hahntennjoch, another fine pass.
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On day 13, we were not supposed to do much driving but we ended up spending about 2.5 grueling hours on what should have taken an hour at most to get from Fussen to Zugspitze via an Austrian highway. Afterwards we got stuck in an Austrian highway traffic jam - again. I toured both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau in 2017 with my father & sister on my M2 trip so this return visit on day 14 was to take my wife on the castle tours. We had time to tour Linderhof afterwards, despite navigating into a third Austrian traffic jam. Having had enough of Austrian traffic, we navigated a German route back to Fussen afterwards and, surprise, the roads were nearly empty and we made swift, highly enjoyable progress back to our Fussen hotel.
Day 15 was our last significant driving day. First, we'd hit one last pass (our 28th pass of the trip!), Oberjoch pass, which ends in Bad Hindelang. This is a short pass but it's fun plus it's close to Fussen and somewhat on the way to our second Alpine coaster of the trip. Afterwards, we stopped to take a tour of Lichtenstein Castle. I had hoped to get a top speed run in on this day but traffic would not allow it. Since I was so disappointed to have hit only 140 mph so far, we got up early on day 16, the last day, for a simple two-hour autobahn blast. Unfortunately, traffic again would not cooperate and I could only reach 145 mph, which was not even a personal best. Afterwards, I paid a couple guys at the Porsche dealer next door to the V8 Hotel to wash my car. Then we were off - a mere 4 min away to the Sindelfingen drop-off. While I was sad to part with my new 911 after 2300+ miles, I was quite relieved it had made it there without any damage, esp considering we had so many hairy moments along the way!
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Linda’s Legacy & Kindertime Toy Drive
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New Member Party Porsche Owings Mills
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PCA 70th Event:
Car Stories Ron Farb’s
2011 997.2 Turbo S The 997.2 Turbo S coupes and cabriolets were produced from 2011-2013 with 2,333 made for North America. They differed from previous generations with:
· New 3.8 liter water cooled engine with direct fuel injection (no longer the Mezger engine)
· Twin Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) turbo chargers (a first for a Porsche production car)
· Power bumped to 530 hp
· New PDK 7-speed transmission (a manual was not offered for the S version)
· Carbon-Ceramic brakes standard
· Sport Chrono Package standard (but no clock functionality yet in the timer)
· Center lock wheels standard but 5-lug available
My highly optioned Turbo S was built in Nov 2010 with a MSRP of $186.3K. I bought it from a California
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Porsche dealership in Aug 2018 with 13.5k miles. I’ve since driven it over 30k miles including to multiple Treffens, a Porsche Parade, two Boardwalk Reunions, autocross, and Chesapeake tours. I’ve tracked it twice at Summit Point and laid down 11.5 sec at a drag strip. The car is a beast in Sport Mode and truly seems to have endless acceleration but is very livable in normal mode. The PDK is always in the right gear and the hydraulic steering provides perfect road feel.
My modifications include:
· DSC Sport Controller from TPC Racing in Jessup
· Performance tune from Softronic to >600hp
· Europipe Exhaust from Belgium. It now sounds like it has 600hp!
· PPF, ceramic coating, & Porsche Triple Stripe
· The 997 911s ranged from
· Carrera 345 hp (3.6l)
· “S” 385 hp (3.8l)
· GTS. 408 hp (3.8l)
· GT3. 435hp (3.8l)l
· Turbo. 500 hp (3.8l)
Turbo S. 530 ho (3.8l)
Donna Brandt’s Irish Green 1968 911 Targa I joined PCA in 1968 and have many fond memories of being in the club all these years. In 1969 I agreed to be the club secretary. In my earlier years, we did lots of autocross and high performance driving events and I participated in both of these categories.
One of my fondest memories was the humor of our then president Don Rowzie. He made our meetings even more fun.
Some of you may remember that back in the day malls weren’t open on Sunday’s and we often used their parking lot for our AutoX events.
I bought this car in 1971 as a replacement for my 1963 356B cabrio. In recent years I had many parts of the car restored over two different periods and am grateful I can still own it and enjoy it after all these years. I also have a 1997 Carrera 4S and a Macan S.
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Upcoming Events - A Closer Look
January 17, 2026
2026 After Holiday Party
Come celebrate the end of 2025 and welcome in 2026!
Join us at the Turn House on Saturday, January 17th for our annual After Holiday Party, followed by the highly anticipated Yankee Swap conducted by “The Bob and Manny Show,” with your hosts, Bob Gutjahr and Manny Alban!
The Chesapeake Region has established a reputation for the finest and fiercest Yankee Swap in PCA, one that has been copied by other regions, but never quite duplicated. A “Gift Exchange” is merely a mild description of the feeding frenzy that takes hold at this triple steal event. Chesapeake Region, despite being below the Mason Dixon Line, puts the “Yankee” into Yankee Swap…. The good stuff is coveted, hoarded and only grudgingly given up under duress.
Get more info here.
Sun, Feb 15, 2026
Super Slot Car Racing
Super Slot Car Racing 2026 promises to be more exciting than ever. This will be the first time that we will be having the event at one of our local dealers and valued sponsor, Porsche Annapolis. One of our Region’s winter family traditions and a fixture on our winter calendar for over 30 years, this family event is scheduled to take place on Sunday afternoon from 10am – 3 PM, February 15th in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County.
There is a change this year. This year with the gracious support of Porsche Annapolis the event will only cost $5.00 per adult. Kids are free. Also, with Porsche Annapolis’s generous support, they will be providing lunch for us as well.
Get more info here.
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Sat-Sun, Feb 21-22, 2026
Tech Tactics East
Tech Tactics is a day dedicated to Porsche technical information. This event is for all Porsche enthusiasts, from the casual information gatherer to the everyday Porsche mechanic. Get the latest news directly from the source. Topics range from balancing carburetors to understanding how the new hybrid systems work.
Tech Tactics is a one-day event that allows entrants to choose, at registration, whether to attend on Saturday or Sunday. Topics and speakers are the same on both days.
Get more info here.
Sat, April 4, 2026
AX School
Are you a new Porsche or sports car owner and want to understand what your new car is capable of doing? Have you owned your Porsche or sports car for a while and wondered what this thing called “Autocross” might be? Do you want to become a better driver by understanding how to control your vehicle when near its limits? Are you already an experienced autocrosser, but want to improve your skills? The Chesapeake PCA Introduction to Autocross is the event for you!
Get more info here.
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Socials
Events On December 16th, we had dinner at The Manor Tavern in Monkton, MD.
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words by Stephanie Reuer
photos by Jim Orrell
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TOUR &
RALLY
words by Rich Ehrlich
For the 2026 tour and rally season, The Chesapeake Region Tour and Rally Committee is planning several events for this year. Below is the tentative schedule. We will have some great new destinations as well as some old favorites. Registration will open several weeks in advance of each event and will be announced via email, www.pcachs.org, The Porsche Patter, and www.motorsportreg.com.
March 28 Tour Lead, Sweep, and Development Academy at Porsche Silver Spring
April 11 Off We Go tour
April 22 Weekday Wander #3
April 25 Safeway to the Bay, Guest Tour master Hank Lucas
May 2 Drive to the Porsche Swap Meet
May 25 A tour or rally to be named later
June 6 Wags, Wings and Wheels, Guest Tour master Tom Divillo
June 10 Weekday Wander #4
June 28 Ladew Topiary Gardens
July 17-19 Overnight tour in WV
July 29 Weekday Wander #5
Aug 22 A tour or rally to be named later
Sept 6 Off-Road Tour
Sept (TBD) Chesapeake Challenge 57 Gimmick Rally
Oct 11 A tour by Guest Tour masters Craig and Linda Davidson
Nov 7 West Virginia Fall Colors tour
Dec 5 Linda’s Legacy
*Please note that all dates and events are tentative and may be changed.
Send questions to tour@pcachs.org. – Tour & Rally Committee
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To preview and register for upcoming Tours, visit the Tour and Rally page on PCACHS.org: https:// pcachs.org/tour-andrally/
2025 Tour Recap
and 2026 Preview
Traditionally, this annual article is an event-byevent recap of the past year’s tour and rally season, and while I want to celebrate the successful season we had this year, I also want to spend some time looking forward. So, I am going to spare you from having to read a recap of every event and instead hit the highlights.
The Tour & Rally Committee hosted seventeen events this year and if you attended every tour, you drove a total of 1,002 miles! 794 people and 458 cars total were present at the events in 2025. We had two mid-week Weekday Wander tours and three amazing rallies this year.
The largest single day event was Mark Richburg’s Seven Run to the Old Stein, and the second largest was Wags, Wings and Wheels, by Tom Divillo.
I want to take a moment and discuss our three gimmick rallies from this year. Marsha Buss created our first rally which was held in the Ellicot City area. This was a traditional poker rally, where participants followed the route and collected playing cards at each checkpoint and then tried to build the best poker hand possible.
Linda and Craig Davidson crafted our next gimmick rally, called “All About the Speed.” First, this rally used an absolutely amazing route through the Fredrick County area. In this rally, you had to spot the various speed limit signs along the route and add and subtract them according to the rules to make a final total. The closest to the correct total was the winner. Linda and Craig hosted a fantastic event, with the start and finish line at their community center where we had a great lunch.
The final rally of the year was at our region’s premiere event, the Chesapeake Challenge. In this rally that I developed, participants had to both spot signs on the side of the road, as well as identify the order along the route that certain photographs appeared.
Gimmick rallies are a lot of fun and do not require any kind of special equipment or skills, only a clip board and some pens. I encourage everyone to participate in the gimmick rallies as they are always a lot of fun, even if you don’t win.
Before I move onto the plans for next year, I want to take a moment to thank my guest Tour Masters for the year; Hank Lucas, Steve Graham, Mark Miller, Tom Divillo, Ron Farb, and Mark Richburg. I also want to thank all the volunteers who helped me run the tour, serving as leads, sweeps, and in organizing the chaos at the start of the tours.
Frankly, without the support of the Guest Tour and Rally Masters, as well as the leads and sweeps, the tours would not be as amazing as they are. I am very appreciative of the support and assistance.
For next year, Andy Powell, our former Treasurer, will be joining the Tour & Rally Committee. Andy has already helped with many of our tours, and he will be a valuable member of the committee.
While the schedule is still in development, we are looking at a tour to the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, as well as the return of two of our most popular tours, Wags, Wings and Wheels on the Eastern Shore and the West Virginia Fall Colors tour. The always popular Safeway to the Bay tour will feature a new end location so we can have lunch together. In addition, there are a few things still in the planning stages including a potential multi-day tour.
I am also planning on several more of the midweek tours known as the “Weekday Wander.” I know not everyone can take off in the middle of the week, but this way we can expand our range just a bit. As generally, these tours will be limited to twenty cars and will go to some places that can’t handle a full tour. I have a few places I want to try out, including a few of the smaller creameries.
If you have an idea for a tour, but aren’t quite sure how to get it started, or are interested to learning to lead or sweep a group, come to the Tour School, which will be held in late March or early April at Porsche Silver Spring.
Grant me a moment of indulgence, as I say a special “thank you” to every single person that attended a tour or rally this year or supported myself and the Tour & Rally Committee in any way. Without this invaluable help and support, I would not have been selected as the 2025 PCA Chesapeake Volunteer of the Year for 2025. In my 30 years of military and police service, I have received multiple awards and commendations. To give you an idea of how much being the Volunteer of the Year means to me: If you came to my house and asked to see my police and military awards, they
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are tucked away in a file cabinet. Meanwhile, the trophy for Volunteer of the Year sits on my mantle in the family room.
I am always looking for more Guest Tour and Rally Masters, as well as lead and sweep drivers. I would also welcome having more people join the committee. Please contact me if you are interested.
With some luck from the weather, and a little help from everyone, I think the 2026 tour season is going to be something special.
One more request, especially for our longer-term members. I have copies of the route instructions for all the tours from 2022 through today. But, if you have tour route instructions from 2021 or before, I would love to get a copy. If you can email them, please send them to tour@pcachs.org. Or, if you have paper copies, I can pick them up or we can otherwise sort out getting them. At some point, I would like to make a “Tour Archive” so we have a record of the tours, as well as making the routes available to others in the region.
Thank you all again for your help and support. I will see you all on the road in 2026.
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Linda’s Legacy & Kindertime Toy Drive
PCA-CHS 2025 Tour & Rally Event No. 16 – Saturday, December 6th
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AUTOCROSS
2026
AX I hope everyone had a great holiday! It’s been busy here as we prepare for the 2026 racing season and I’m happy to finally be able to announce that the schedule for 2026 has been finalized:
2026-04-04 AX School
2026-04-25 AX#1
2026-05-23 AX#2
2025-06-27 AX#3
2026-08-15 AX#4
2026-09-05 AX#5
2026-09-19 AX#6
2026-10-17 AX#7
As it was for the 2025 season, all events will be at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, MD.
In the process of getting the schedule set, I also pushed my Ripken contact about the condition of the lot. Before the final race of the 2025 season, the town of Aberdeen held a festival on the lot that left a lot of debris – FOD (foreign object debris) that could damage tires as well as nubs of rebar sticking up out of the asphalt in certain places. We managed to avoid the rebar for AX#7, but something has to be done about it for the 2026 season. The good news is that I’ve been told that plans are being made to do so. The intention is to clean the lot, but how they do it and how well it’s done is an open question. At the time that I was discussing this, they hadn’t plowed the lot yet from the recent substantial snowfall (the implication being that they would) and I pointed out that it would be interesting if a plow blade caught one of those
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Porsche Patter - Issue 1 2026
words by Greg Hartke rebar nubs. That made them worry! After all, that could actually damage the pavement. Not my problem, but it’s going to be interesting to see how plowing at Ripken shakes out over the winter.
Anyway, I’m expecting everything to be shipshape at Ripken for the 2026 racing season. I’m pleased that we won’t have to start our season in March, much preferring to wait ‘til April to get the ball rolling because March weather can be a bit more of a problem. We started at the end of March last year (with the AX School) and got away with it, but I prefer not to take that chance. We have two races in September separated by two weeks, which is not my favorite timing, but it was necessary to avoid overlapping with a Potomac AX. I’m also pleased that we’ll manage to avoid having CHS and POT racing on the same weekend as we did a couple of times in 2025. For those of us involved with running events for both Clubs, it can be quite brutal doing back-to-back races on the same weekend!
The CHS AX schedule is up on MSR already, but not yet visible. I’m waiting for the SCCA to publish their 2026 rulebook so I can add the proper reference to the registration information and as soon as that appears, I’ll be opening the registration for all events. I like to get these out there early because serious autocrossers always want to know race dates ASAP so they can get their schedule set. We’ll get out an eBlast to let everyone know when the events go live on MSR.
For the inexperienced, those who want to sharpen their skills, and anyone who’s never AXed before but might be thinking about trying it, note that the AX School is held at the very beginning of the season. The rationale is that we want to provide instruction early in the season so that the students who attend will have all season to participate in full race events. With no prior experience, your first AX event can be a decidedly intimidating experience and the AX School will go a long way towards mitigating that. I did the AX School (with POT, actually) before I started racing and I still recall it well. Interestingly, I was really nervous ‘til I started driving, but once I got going, I quickly calmed down.
I’ve said this before: If you’ve ever had an itch to see what your car can do when pushed to its
handling limits, AX is a wonderful opportunity to do so and the AX School provides a golden opportunity to learn and practice important elements of the necessary driving skills before taking them out on a full course. Whether or not you actually decide to pursue AX on a regular basis is immaterial. Either way, the AX School is a unique opportunity to learn car control and can safely open your eyes to a whole new world of excitement.
When you race in autocross, you’re using the car the way it was meant to be used and just about the only things you’re really wearing are brakes and tires. If you’ve never tried AX before but thought about it, you really owe it to yourself to come out and go for it. And of course, the best way to get started is to attend the AX School where you’ll get plenty of seat time with an Instructor in the car to help you along. And note that we really focus on the driving portion of the school.
Since the AX School is an early season event, now is the time for anyone with an interest to consider attending. The School is for newcomers and inexperienced drivers who desire focused instruction at the basic skills of AX. (The School is not necessary before attending an AX race, but it is helpful.) The day will begin with AX Co-chair Michael Ricketts providing a short period of instruction on performance driving techniques, after which the real fun begins. In the morning, students will rotate through three instructor-led driving exercises to give them the opportunity to actually apply the techniques discussed: a skidpad, a slalom, a threshold braking section, and a small section of an AX course where the student will practice finding the racing line. In the afternoon, the three major exercise elements will be joined to form a full AX course and students will drive with Instructors for timed racing through the course.
Do you remember the articles by Manny Alban and Randy Pobst about autocross? Manny did a PCA Tech Tips entitled, “Ten Reasons Why You Need To Try Autocross” (https://www.pca.org/news/tenreasons-why-you-need-to-try-autocross-pcatech-tips). Manny is a long-time AXer and comes out to race with us when he can. I’ve also heard from students that he’s a very fine Instructor (he works the AX School when he can fit it into his schedule). I’m hopeful we’ll see more of Manny this year since we’re racing practically in his backyard at Ripken. He was a no-show for 2025 (he’s a busy guy!), but hopes to do better for 2026. We’re really hoping to see you out there with us this year, Manny!
Well-known racing personality Randy Pobst got his start in autocross, as he details in his article, “How autocross can make you a better road racer” (https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/ randy-pobst-autocross-improves-car-control/). Pobst is an unbelievably good driver and it’s interesting to see what he thinks about learning car control through autocross. As an aside, note that one of our exercises at the AX School is a skidpad. You would be amazed how much you can learn driving your car as fast as possible in a circle – this gives you the opportunity to really feel understeer and oversteer and how to recover from these conditions.
For the veterans among the readers here, I should mention that the AX rules will be changing. Our current rules are based on the 2021 PCR (Parade Competition Rules). Well, guess what? The 2025 PCR is substantially different and it’s important that we keep in step with the National AX rules. This change won't mean much in practice, but they substantially rewrote some important sections and we need to stay in sync. I've already done a synthesis of CHS and POT rules (we keep them very close, though they have drifted a bit since the last time I did this), folded in the new PCR rules, and as soon as I have some final comments from the POT AX Co-chairs, I'll get the finished version up on the CHS PCA website on the AX page.
Our dedicated CHS PCA AX team (Co-chair Michael Ricketts, Phong Nguyen, Pinto Soin, John Cho, and Doug Slocum) will once again be working hard on race day to provide a fun event. This will be Michael’s first year doing course design work and I imagine it’ll take some time to get a good feel for course design, but former Co-chair and course designer Mark Hubley will be working with him, so I’m certain we’ll have fun designs this year that include lessons-learned from 2025.
The hot news in the autocross world is the availability of the new Bridgestone entry into the 200-TW rating tire list. Serious AXers live and breathe tires and are sensitive to every change. Bridgestone has dominated the 200-TW segment, first with its RE-71R, then more recently with the RE-71RS, though the Yokohama ADVAN A052 has also been considered to be an excellent choice over the last couple of years. The new entry is the RS replacement (the RE-71RZ) and early reports are that it’s an excellent tire and even an improvement over the RE-71RS. I’m sure a lot of AXers will be sporting the new RZs this season and that will certainly include me. I haven’t ordered them yet, but I will!
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For those of you who might be newcomers to this world, let me explain. I put my car (a 2014 Cayman S) on the AX track about, oh, 16 times a year. By the end of the season, my tires are toast. 2025 was interesting because I could really tell that my tires were down on grip for the last couple of events – I thought that was a bit unusual, with less grip than I expected at the end of the season. Weather? Driving? More aggressive alignment after suspension mods? Who knows? Doesn’t matter, really. In any case, the point is that I always replace my tires at the beginning of the season and that works out just about right for the number of events I’ve been driving. There are many AXers that race far more than I do, too, so they either put up with the tire degradation or replace their tires more often.
Last year during the off-season, I had some mods done to my car by my friends at GT Performance in Essex. Added a tune, new drop links, and stiffer sway bars along with an aggressive alignment (or as aggressive as I could go with an otherwise stock setup). The results were quite good and this year, I’m taking the next step. We’re going to coilovers (Ohlin R&T’s), adjustable lower control arms, new toe links, and braided steel brake lines with an even more aggressive alignment that’ll be well suited to AX. That’ll move me to Class I and should make for quite an interesting season. We’ll see if the driver is up to the car. ;)
Happy New Year to everyone and I’ll look forward to seeing you again at the races!
Greg Hartke
CHS AX Chair
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Porsche Patter - Issue 1 2026
Members Advertisement Corner
Porsche Brake Kit $125.00
Rich Potere
rpotere35@gmail.com
540-220-2447
Zimmerman 95B615601GKT1 from FCP Euro. Currently on FCP Euro for $281.68
This brake kit fits Macan Base, S and GTS models with PR code 1KD, 1KE, 1KY.
Kit contents: 1 -rear brake set w/hardware (brake pad sensor included) 1 -additional brake pad wear sensor 2 -brake rotor screws 2 -330mm rear brake rotors
Only 2 of the bolts included in the brake pad set are used on the Macan Base, S, and GTS models. We have included the other two caliper to carrier mounting bolts, WHT001921, in this kit to allow for a full and complete installation. The remaining two bolts in the brake pad set will be discarded.
It is recommended to replace the brake caliper mounting bolts, (2) N91041702 and (2) N91126801, since they are one time use only. 1 of each bolt is required per brake caliper.
Description SKU: KIT-95B615601GKT1 Aftermarket OE Numbers
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Zimmerman's guiding principle is "As close to OE as possible." This commitment ensures that all Zimmermann products align closely with OE quality standards. Porsche Patter - Issue 1 2026
45
STUTTGART
MARKET
LETTER
PHOTO CREDIT: BRING A TRAILER
By: David K. Whitlock
The 991 Speedster was unveiled in Stuttgart during Porsche’s 70th anniversary celebration and capped the 991 generation with a limited run of just 1,948 cars. It borrowed its chassis and 6-speed manual transmission from the 991.2 GT3 and was powered by the same 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat-six capable of spinning to 9,000 rpm. True to Speedster tradition, it featured a shortened and more steeply raked windshield, reduced side windows, and a signature double-hump rear tonneau cover, blending classic design cues with GT-level performance.
This 2019 911 Speedster was #1,756 of the 1,948 examples produced and carried more than $84,000 in options and special features. Finished in Paint-toSample Meissen Blue, it featured a Black leather interior with Bordeaux Leather Door Panel and Dashboard Trim, along with nearly $53,000 in additional custom tailoring specified by the owner, including extended leather on the air-vent surrounds, steering-column casing, and door-sill guards. Showing just 100 miles with a one-owner CarFax, it presented in exceptional condition.
Over the last twelve months, 991 Speedsters have averaged $452,800, with a low of $365,000 and a high of $543,000 set by a 25-mile example in Jet Black Metallic. 991 Speedsters have been on a strong run lately, and with our Spotlight car showing just 100 miles and loaded with options, a new twelve-month high felt likely. It ultimately sold at a final bid of $531,000, just shy of the top mark.
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NOTEWORTHY SALES (AND NO-SALES)
There were absolutely zero comps for this modified 1974 911 Targa, and you can probably guess why from the picture above. This one has been transformed into a 993 Turbo Cabriolet using replacement body panels and a turbocharged 3.0liter engine. It sold at a final bid of $77,500, which is surely far less than the cost to recreate.
This 2007 911 Turbo Coupe 6-Speed came finished in Black over a Black leather interior and showed 46,000 miles on the clock. It looked to be in nice condition with plenty of photos in the gallery including paint meter readings and service records. Still, it was a fairly standard Turbo, nothing too out of the ordinary, but it sold near the top of comps with a final bid of $130,000.
Another one to beat expectations was this 2024 911 GT3 Touring 6-Speed. Finished in Chalk over a Black leather and cloth interior, this Touring showed 3,000 miles and wore White aftermarket wheels with a Dundon Motorsports exhaust. Missing were Carbon Buckets and PCCB brakes, which makes it all the more surprising that it topped the high estimate of $265,000, selling at a final bid of $272,000.
PCA Plates & Badges 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 prenumbered 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 $45.00, which includes the $30.00 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/pca-maryland-license-plate/ and submit it electronically. Please click on the above link to learn the details and requirements to apply for PCA License Plates.
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!
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.
Chesapeake Region Grill Badge Get 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.
The cost per metal car badge is $30 or two for $50, inclusive of shipping and handling. To order: Go to
www.pcachs.org and use the “STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page and make your payment.
Chesapeake Region Name Badge Get your Chesapeake Region Name Badge!
Go to www.pcachs.org and use the “STORE” menu from the main page. Click the button and complete the order form page. The Name Badge cost is $25, inclusive of shipping and handling.
New members party at
Porsche Owing Mills