PorschePatter
Content Contributions
Bogdan Chitimus
Marsha Buss
Stephanie Reuer Steve Buss Greg Hartke Rich Ehrlich Dan Zadra
Photo Contributions
Bogdan Chitimus Henry L. Becker, Jr.
Bogdan Roberson
James B. Beaven III Rob Carter Greg Hartke
Editor
Bogdan Chitimus
EDITOR’S NOTE
Bogdan Chitimus
Editor, Porsche Patter
Wow, less than a year as a member and already writing for the patter. But in a way I was a Porsche fan since I was a child going through my uncle (rally driver) car magazines and falling in love with the 911. Just took a little longer to find my 911.
Back in the 80’s in communist Romania going through the car magazines and falling in love with the 911 I told to my father and uncle that one day I will have one. Of course they laughed hard at me .... yeah right you will!
At the time in Romania the only cars (like 99%) on the roads were Renault 12 made in Romania. It was in a way the people’s car. The only car. So a 911 at that time would just be an impossible dream.
But life brought me here to USA and the dream finally came through. I wish that my father and uncle were around to see it.
It is my privilege to be part of this great community and will do my best to be the patter’s editor.
Bogdan
*(in the picture my little Daniel stealing daddy’s car)
CLUB LEADERSHIP
PS
PRESIDENT Steve Buss president@pcachs.org
SECRETARY Ken Wilmers secretary@pcachs.org
Executive VP
VP VICE PRESIDENT
Mark Miller vicepresident@pcachs.org
TTREASURER
Andy Powell treasurer@pcachs.org
Committee Chairs
Steve Wood executivevicepresident@pcachs.org
Autocross
Greg Hartke / Mark autocross@pcachs.orgHubley
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
Insurance
Wayne Nelms insurance@pcachs.org
Membership
Rob Carter, Jessie Sanchez membership@pcachs.org
Registrar
Marsha Buss msregistrar@pcachs.org
N ewsletter 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
Publicity
James Beavan III publicity@pcachs.org
Saf ety
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
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Greetings Everyone,
As we chill through this year’s snow and salty winter months, the bright side is our Club activities are picking up the southern jet stream and as it gets warmer, we are ramping up our events schedule.
We celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Chesapeake Region’s Slot Car Event and Chili Cook Off in early February. In case you were wondering, chili was served at the first event in 1995 and became a tradition. The event was a sell out and I was overjoyed by the number of PCA Juniors (20) in attendance. We had a super fun day. I am certain we all acted like youngsters that day! My goal this year was to bring more children to the event and we more that doubled that number. Next year we will need a larger room, a good problem to have. The track was set up to represent the Autodromo Nazionale Monza track in Italy. Many thanks to Dan, Danielle, Lucas Zadra and Dennis Zadra, Dan McNally, Terrell Williams for getting the room and track set up and thanks to all of lap counters and track helpers, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone, but I probably did. I apologize.
The Executive Council will have its next Board Meeting on March 12th at Kecco’s Woodfire Kitchen in Reisterstown. Doors open at 6pm, meeting starts at 6:30. I invite all members to attend and learn about the governance of the Club and consider volunteering for an activity that interests you. Volunteering is a terrific way to meet new members and contribute to our success. If you plan to attend please email me at president@pcachs.org and let me know so I can save a seat at the table for you.
Autocross begins their season on March 22nd with the AX School at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Gain confidence in your driving ability, learn your brake limits, practice correct seating, hand and feet positions, and learn the limits of your car’s handling. This school is an excellent opportunity to learn from qualified and experienced instructors. April 12th is the first AX performance driving event. All Autocross events will be conducted at Ripken Stadium this year.
Our first Tour/Lunch is Travel Back to Horse Country and it is coming up on both March 22nd and 23rd. There was such an overwhelming response that our Tour and Rally Chair, Rich Ehrlich, added an additional day for those on the waitlist. Thanks Rich.
Steve Buss
President Chesapeake Region, PCA
Porsche Silver Spring hosted our first New Member Party of the year and we had 20 new members attend. 50 members met in Porsche Silver Spring for a morning of socializing and learning about the club’s activities from the Event Chairs. The new members received PCA Chesapeake swag bags loaded with goodies. There were many raffle prizes with the grand prize, a $200 gift certificate to Porsche Silver Spring, won by John Moore, member since 1979. Congratulations on holding the winning ticket! Thank you Bruce Kim, General Manager and Tyheshia Butler, Customer Service Manager, for your generous hospitality and assistance getting organized and set up. It is always a pleasure working with you, our valued Sponsor.
Our upcoming Social dinners will be at Kelsey’s Irish Pub on March 25th, The Lodge on April 15th, and Fisherman’s Inn on the eastern shore on May 13th.
Porsche Annapolis is hosting a Tech Session on March 29th at 9:30. On hand will be a Michelin Tire Engineer. Your tires are the only contact your car has with the road, so hopefully you will have the opportunity to attend this valuable Tech Talk. In addition to hosting this event Porsche Annapolis is offering attendees the opportunity to purchase and install Michelin tires at $10 over dealer cost for any vehicle….not just Porsches. Thank you to our Valued Sponsor, Porsche Annapolis. click here to register
Saturday April 5th we will conduct a Training Class for the development of tour leaders. Do you want to lead tours or be sweeps or even design your own tour for the members? Our first annual Tour Academy is your opportunity to get comfortable designing, developing and leading members safely through your favorite routes. Gathering time is 8:30 and classes start at 9:00am. A continental breakfast will be served. click here to register
The 2025 Chesapeake Challenge planning has begun under the leadership of Kristen Allen. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 20th, at Frey’s Brewing Company in Mt. Airy. Once Kristen has everything lined up, I’m sure she will be looking for volunteers, so thank you in advance for considering supporting this longest running PCA event (56 years).
I attended the Zone 2 President’s Meeting in Harrisonburg, VA. Seven of the ten Region Presidents were in attendance. Subjects included a recap of 2024, a 70th Anniversary update, Boardwalk 2025 update, Membership, Insurance, Risk Management, Safety, Bylaws, PCA Juniors and Volunteerism. It was a terrific day led by Zone 2 Rep Phil Grandfield with PCA Executive Council VP, Ron Gordon in attendance. There were discussions on helping each other, sharing ideas and working together. The day was very beneficial and enjoyable meeting and interacting with the other Region Presidents.
Bogdan Chitimus has generously accepted the position of Patter Editor and is currently working with Henry Becker to transition. Thank you, Bogdan, for volunteering for this very important position in the Club. Please congratulate and support Bogdan in his new role as Patter Editor as he continues to deliver our newsletter to us. Thank you Henry for all your time and effort and skill in producing the best of class magazine to our members.
All Executive Council positions including President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary will be up for election later this year. Per the Bylaws, the Nominating Committee will be formed and candidates selected not later than August 15th.
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.
Be well and safe travels,
Steve
*(Picture by Bogdan Roberson)
UPCOMING EVENTS
March
Members Advertisement Corner
SOUL valved X-pipe Exhaust for 991.2 with PSE.
Description: SOUL valved X-pipe Exhaust for 991.2 with PSE. Less than 500 miles. $3k OBO
Reach out to: 9047385622 or jsanchez6160@gmail.com
PROST!
Anniversaries
40 Years
Bryan & Veronica Powers
35
Years 10 Years 5 Years 1 Year
Richard & Sandra Milstead
25 Years
William Hokemeyer Michele Snyder Jeffrey Snyder Lana Yablonovsky
20 Years
Scott Johnson
Jacob Kahan & Marc Kahan
Phyllis Cramer Carol Ekwall Carrie Rowland
by: Rob Carter
Erica Brock-Lelyo Jan Sutton Scott Yackley Annaline Walsh Zach Wagner Risa Reyes Joseph Rouland Joseph Dilworth Angela Gruenfelder Douglas Hopkins Dwayne Burke David Staub Thomas Driggers Richard Ro
Wesley Tomlinson Nicholas Brock-Lelyo Bobby Oler
*** 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 Carter, Membership Chair, for any assistance. ***
It’s not just the cars, it’s the people.
New Members
Martin Barrett 1987 911 Carrera Targa
Shelly2024Bradley Macan 4 (EV)
Edward Carrasco 2025 911 Carrera
Ryan2006Charlier 911 Carrera Cabriolet
Eric Chen
2025 911 Carrera
Donald Chipley
2006 Cayman S
Mehran Chowdhury
2024 Cayenne S
Pedro Irazoqui 2025 718 Cayman GTS 4.0
Barbara Ancer PCA National
by: Rob Carter
by Dan Zadra
2025 Slot Car/Chili Cook-Off
The 2025 Slot Car/Chili Cook-Off event was a tremendous success, marking its 30th anniversary. We've come a long way from hosting the event in people's homes to consistently drawing over 50 attendees each year. This year, we had more than 60 registered participants on February 1st, with 50 adults and 19 kids. There was a wide variety of chili and desserts to enjoy, ensuring no one went home hungry —not even the kids. With such a large turnout, we needed a high-speed layout to match, so we chose a modified Formula 1 Monza track, featuring the iconic Parabolica turn leading into the long straight.
We decided to introduce a major change for this year's event and moving forward. It is now allowed to replace a car on the track if it comes off, and we also added a Last Chance Qualifier round. This change gave participants a second opportunity if they didn't advance from their heats, and it received a lot of positive feedback and support. The Men's final came down to Brad Martinez, Bryan Winter, and John Bengal, with Brad taking 1st place. Brad’s car was flawless throughout the race. The Women’s final featured Janice Gordon, Hannah Gutjahr, and Stephanie Martinez. It was a close race between Hannah and Janice the whole way, but in the end, Janice pulled ahead and secured the win. The kids had an amazing time and truly enjoyed themselves. A special thanks to Marsha and Steve Buss for providing fun items to keep the kids entertained while waiting to race, as well as for donating a prize for the 1st place winner in the kids' group.
The Enduro Race is always a thrilling event to watch. With four people on each team, it’s exciting to see the perfectly coordinated handoffs between drivers. We raced 40 laps in total, with each person completing 10 laps before passing the car to the next teammate. The winning team had a dominant car throughout the race, and their driver exchanges were seamless—looking like they were ready to take on a real endurance race with no time wasted during the handoff.
The Chili Cook-Off contest was a tough one to beat, with everyone having 9 different chilis to choose from. Each chili was unique, making the judging even harder. The winner of the Chili Cook-Off needs no introduction. In a landslide victory, Elen Beck claimed 1st place, picking up right where she left off at the Chesapeake Challenge.
A big thank you goes out to Steve and Marsha Buss, Grace Carter, Dan McNally, and Danielle Zadra for volunteering to help set up and tear down for the event. We'd also like to thank everyone else who volunteered during each round of racing to help count laps and reset cars. This event truly became a success thanks to the collective effort of everyone who pitched in to lend a hand.
This was a great way to bring in the 30th anniversary of this event with this many people.
Upcoming Events - A Closer Look
Saturday, March 8th
Social Breakfast @ Eggcellence
Come out and join your fellow PCAers for a morning of fun in Annapolis. We’ll meet Saturday morning, March 8th, at 8am in Annapolis. Eggcellence Brunchery features comfort food for breakfast including waffles, pancakes, build your own omelettes, benedicts and more. Check out their menu here.
All participants must register for the breakfast on www.MotorsportReg.com by March 6th.
Seating is limited to 30 people. There is no registration fee for this event.
Get more info here.
Saturday, March 22 - Sunday March 23
Travel Back to Baltimore
Horse Country
Our Sunday tour sold out so please join us on Saturday, March 22nd, for our first tour of the year. We will pay a return visit to Baltimore County Horse Country. Our route will take us through 50 miles of some of the better backroads that Maryland has to offer. Wake up your Porsche for the spring and polish up your car (or not) and come and join us for the start of a brand-new tour season.
We look forward to seeing you on this tour but register soon, as there is limited capacity for this tour.
Get more info here.
Tuesday March 25
Social Dinner @ Kelsey’s
Tuesday April 15
Social Dinner @ The Lodge Annapolis
Let’s have an After St. Patrick’s Day party! Please mark your calendars for Tuesday night, March 25th, at 6:30pm at Kelsey’s Restaurant located in Ellicott City, Howard County. The restaurant features Irish classics and American food. Check out their menu here.
All participants must register here by March 21st. Seating is limited to 36 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.
Get more info here.
The Lodge – where rustic dining meets farm freshness. PCA members enjoyed The Lodge last year and we’re returning for our April Social Dinner! Please mark your calendars for Tuesday night, April 15 at 6:30 pm. You can view the dinner menu here.
All participants must register for the dinner on www.MotorsportReg.com by April 10th.
Seating is limited to 42 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.
Get more info here.
Socials Events
Our year is in full swing with Social Events – with lots more to come.
In January, our After Holiday Party took the place of our monthly social dinner, which was, as always, a tremendously fun and delicious event. What Randy and I enjoy about the After Holiday Party is that we get to see friends from all areas of our PCA Chesapeake family: Touring, Autocross, Social, Tech, et al. It really reminds us how much the club offers to us and it’s fund to connect with folks that we run into less frequently.
Our February Social Dinner was brought to us by the wonderful Rob and Grace Carter. A big group of us gathered at LoonAsea Restaurant in Essex, MD. The Carters found this new restaurant several months ago, loved it, and arranged our dinner. It’s a great (and BIG) casual waterfront restaurant with great food, drinks and exceptional service. We look forward to returning there when we can enjoy the water view. In the meantime, if you’re in the area, you might want to check it out yourself.
Upcoming events
We are having social breakfasts at Eggcellence Brunchery in Annapolis on Saturday, March 8. This will be our last breakfast event until the Fall, as tours, autocross and other events start up again for SPRING! (So glad Spring is just around the corner…) We currently have a waitlist for the March breakfast, but please do register – people’s schedules change frequently and seats open up. You can register here for the March Breakfast.
Our March Social will be our traditional “After St. Patrick’s Day” dinner at Kelsey’s Irish pub in Ellicott City, Howard County, on Tuesday, March 25. We already have a waitlist for this often sellout event since this restaurant is a member favorite. Again, if you’d like to attend, please sign up for the waitlist. The Shepherd’s Pie and Bangers & Mash will be hot and tasty and the Guiness will be…well, cold…so it’s not exactly like Ireland, but it’s still terrific. You can register on motorsportreg.com.
words by Stephanie Reuer
Tuesday, April 15th takes us back to The Lodge in Annapolis and we thank member Steve Shuh for welcoming us again. The menu selections are excellent and range from old favorites to the more adventuresome. They hope to have some special parking roped off for us to showcase the event. Unbelievably, we’re in a waitlist situation for this event as well. But it’s a few weeks away, so please do register, you could still get a spot for some yum and fun!
For our May event, we’ll take a drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridges to Kent Island for dinner at Fisherman’s Inn. This restaurant is an iconic, oldfashioned Chesapeake Bay destination just across the bridge, with easy off/easy on access from Route 50. And, of course, great parking (it’s a requirement for our dinners!) We’ve got a number of members who live on the Eastern Shore and we wanted to bring a Social Dinner a bit closer to their neck of the woods. Fisherman’s highlights the bounty of the Bay, of course, but also includes plenty of choices for those that don’t particularly enjoy seafood. Lots of space left for this dinner, so register here
Please remember you need to register on MotorsportReg.com. If you decide to not attend, please go back into MotorsportReg.com and cancel your reservation. This will allow members on the waitlist to be confirmed.
Do you have restaurant recommendations or interesting ideas for Socials? Send us an email social@pcachs.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Thanks, Randy & Stephanie
LoonAsea restaurant Essex MD
The Chesapeake Region Tour and Rally Committee will be hosting many events this year, including some old favorites and some brand-new tours. Registration will open several weeks in advance and will be announced via email, www.pcachs.org, The Porsche Patter, and www.motorsportreg.com.
(1) - March 22 Travel Back to Baltimore Horse Country
(2) - March 23 Travel Back to Baltimore Horse Country
(3) - April 5 Tour Lead, Sweep, and Development Academy at Porsche Silver Spring
(4) - May 3 Drive to the Porsche Swap Meet
(5) - May 10 Safeway to the Bay, Guest Tour Master Hank Lucas
(6) - May 18 Poker Rally, Guest Tour master Marsha Buss
(7) - June 1 Just Retired, Let’s Drive Route 26
(8) - June 22 Baltimore County Tour, Guest Tour master Steve Graham
(9) - July 20 Tour by Guest Tour master Craig and Linda Davidson
(10) - July 26 Pending
(11) - Aug 9 Wings, Wags, and Wheels, in Cambridge, MD, Guest Tour master Tom Divillo
(12) - Aug 24 Off-Road Tour, Guest Tour master Jim Hemig
(13) - Sept 14 Pending
(14) - Sept 27 Chesapeake Challenge 56 Gimmick Rally
(15) - Oct 11 Allegheny Mountains Fall Colors, Guest Tour master Ron Farb
(16) - Nov 8 Pending
(17 - )Dec 6 Kindertime/Linda’s Legacy
Send questions to tour@pcachs.org. – Rich Ehrlich Tour & Rally
Travel Back to Baltimore Horse Country
PCA-CHS 2025 Tour & Rally Event No. 1 – Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd
Due to the demand, we have added a second day for this tour. Please join us on Saturday, March 22nd or Sunday, March 23rd, for our first tours of the year. We will pay a return visit to Baltimore County Horse Country. Our route will take us through 50 miles of some of the better backroads that Maryland has to offer. Wake up your Porsche for the spring and polish up your car (or not) and come and join us for the start of a brand-new tour season.
Both days will follow the same route and use the same timing.
We look forward to seeing you on this tour but register soon, as there is limited capacity for these tours.
http://msreg.com/SatBaltHorseCountry
http://msreg.com/SunBaltHorseCountry
Post-Tour Lunch (Optional)
We will have an optional post-tour lunch on both Saturday and Sunday at Kecco's Woodfire Kitchen, 14 Westminster Pike, Reisterstown, MD 21136. Kecco’s is a family run restaurant that has been a longtime friend of the Chesapeake Region. Kecco’s offers some of the best Italian food in the area. More information on Kecco’s can be found here, https://www.keccoswoodfire.com/. You will be responsible for paying your own bill.
Drive to the Porsche Swap Meet
PCA Chesapeake 2024 Tour & Rally Event No. 3 – May 3rd
Come and join PCA Chesapeake’s Tour & Rally Committee for a drive to the annual Porsche-Only Swap Meet organized by the Central Pennsylvania Region of PCA at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. 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. https://www.cpa-pca.org/events/2025/5-25/ swap/index.html
WHEN and WHERE
When: Saturday, May 3, 2025
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 May 2, 2025
Driving time and distance: approximately 1.5 hours, 72 miles
Destination: Carlisle, PA
AUTOCROSS
2025 AX
Racing season is almost upon us and I’m certainly getting revved up! Not too much to report for the last couple of months because I had to dial it back a bit during the for medical reasons, but I’m rarin’ to go now. As has been previously reported, we’re changing our racing venue from Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie to Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, which boasts a larger and more open lot than what we had at PGS. Nicer facility in many ways, but I have to admit PGS was certainly more convenient.
One of the concerns with the move was logistics. In particular, how do we handle getting the equipment trailer to the site for our races? As I’ve detailed previously, we kept the trailer at Co-chair Mark Hubley’s farm and that was very manageable, but is not an option for Ripken. The solution was to rent storage someplace in reasonable proximity to Ripken and develop a scheme to move the trailer to and from the facility.
We now have that in place. We wound up renting outdoor storage in White Marsh, which was the closest place we could find to Ripken that had storage available. AX Team member Pinto Soin will provide a pickup that we can park at a colleague’s establishment near Ripken and use to shuttle the trailer to and from Ripken. Mark lives far enough away that driving up on race day is too much, so he’ll be renting a motel room in Aberdeen and picking up the trailer the night before the race. It’s complicated, but we think we have it all in hand now.
words by Greg Hartke
When we were at PGS, we could actually power our equipment from the mains – PGS management provided power via an extension cord that we ran to our trailer and powered everything from there. That’s no longer an option at Ripken. We have a generator that we’ve used at previous events at Ripken and that works well, but it’s a little dicey because it’s a single point of failure for the entire enterprise. To mitigate that risk, we bought a backup generator to make sure we never have to close down an event due to generator failure.
I still have a few more hardware updates on my list that have been delayed by my downtime, but those items will be ticked off the list shortly and we’ll be good to go. This is new territory for us. By moving to Ripken, we’re going to lose some of our regulars who will find it too far to go, but hopefully gain new participants. I hated to do it, but we really had no choice. I imagine it’ll take us some time to find our stride with the new venue, but I don’t anticipate that it will take long. Amazingly, the entire AX Team (Mark, Pinto, Phong Nguyen, John Cho, and Doug Slocum) will continue even though it’s a longer drive for several of them. Thanks, guys! You’re the best!!!
For those of you have never tried autocross, it really is crazy fun. Where else can you go out and legally drive your car like your hair’s on fire? The registration for the 2025 CHS PCA Autocross School scheduled for Saturday May 22nd is filled, but the waitlist is actually rather short. If you’ve been thinking about registering, do so immediately. There will probably be a few cancellations and I always give PCA Members priority over non-PCA Members. Even if you don’t get in, you can still come out and race with us during the season. We always have Instructors present to help newcomers.
You can find our AX events on Motorsportreg.com, but to make it easier, here’s our schedule along with direct links to all the events:
msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AXschool
AX School 2025-03-22 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX1
AX#1 2025-04-12 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX2
AX#2 2025-04-27 (Sunday) msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX3
AX#3 2025-05-17 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX4
AX#4 2025-06-14 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX5
AX#5 2025-08-16 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX6
AX#6 2025-09-06 msreg.com/2025CHSPCA-AX7
AX#7 2025-10-18
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 have always said it was a total blast. 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’re happy to have you!
Tires are always an important subject for autocrossers. Perhaps surprisingly, the best solution for autocrossing is not necessarily the best solution for the track. For autocross, you want your tires to heat up fairly quickly because you’re only driving for one lap that usually runs between 40 and 75 sec, depending on the venue and the course. On the track, you’re running lap after lap at high speed, so you want a tire that heats up more slowly and doesn’t get too hot. Really good autocross tires can heat up too quickly on the track and get too hot – no good because the tires won’t last.
The two tires favored by AX enthusiasts these days are the Bridgestone RE-71RS and the Yokohama ADVAN A052. Both are excellent tires and most of the top AXers in the area use one of these. You can’t really go wrong with either choice. I just ordered the ‘Stones for my car and they’ll make it through the entire racing season (I’ll do 15 to 20 races), though they’ll be pretty tired by the end.
This is my 7th year as AX Chair and ever since I’ve taken this position, I’ve come out to every New Member Party to talk about AX and chat with anyone interested in the sport. Or at least I did until last spring when I missed the NMP at Porsche Owings Mills due to a Potomac Autocross meeting I had to attend. This year has been worse. I actually missed two NMPs due to my enforced downtime. I’m really embarrassed about that and certainly hope to get out to the future NMPs like I normally do. Look for me next time if you want to talk about autocross. I’ll be there!
Can’t wait for the racing season to start! Needless to say, the AX Team is looking forward to seeing you out racing with us soon!
Greg Hartke CHS AX Chair
Tech Tactics 2025
Tech Tactics event was an awesome opportunity to learn a lot about our cars and also to see and touch different car components as well the entire engines and chassis.
Beautiful atmosphere all around and a great opportunity to meet other members from different regions.
The lectures were a great way to learn about most technical aspects of our cars and also about sales strategies, restoration process and options, the current and future electric models lineup, current market, etc.
During lunch time we had a impressive facility tour where we learned about how parts are shipped all over the USA after they are imported and sorted at the facility.
Here are some photos I took during our visit
Photos by Bogdan Chitimus
Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee
Many of you probably already know about this event that takes place every Saturday in Hunt Valley. This is a great spot to see all kind of beautiful and interesting vehicles and also to hang out with some of our members.
This weekend we had a very special visitor. Here are some of the pictures I took.
Photos by Bogdan Chitimus
STUTTGART MARKET LETTER
Early 2014 911 GT3s suffered from a critical engine defect caused by faulty connecting rod fasteners, which could loosen over time, leading to catastrophic engine failures and, in some cases, fires. In response, Porsche immediately halted production, issued a stopsale order, and recalled all units worldwide. Instead of simply replacing the faulty components, Porsche opted for a full engine replacement in every affected car. Additionally, they extended the engine warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles.
This 2014 911 GT3 is finished in GT Silver Metallic over a Black leather and Alcantara interior and shows 33,000 miles on the odometer. It came from the factory with Front Axle Lift, PDLS+ headlights, and PCCB brakes. It also came from the factory with one of the early, affected engines. When Porsche first issued the recall, owners had the option to just give the car back, which it looks like the original owner of this example did, as it shows a “Lemon Buy Back” on the CarFax. Even though it was “bought back,” the engine wasn’t replaced until 2021 with a new G6 unit.
I’ve been waiting patiently for early 991.1 GT3s to get below the $100,000 mark as engine warranties start to come due. Even though it had a branded title, most Porsche-people completely understand the reason. Add to that the engine being replaced within the last few years, PCCB brakes, and a color other than White, and this one wasn’t going to see under $100k. It sold at a final bid of $113,000, about right for a 2014 as they’re still hovering above $100k.
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.
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.
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!
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.
917 at the Zuffenhausen Porsche Museum from November 2024.