BEND
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Jay Seeley
President, High Desert Region PCA
president@highdesertpca.org
The roads beckon…High Desert Region driving activities start in earnest this month with the first Arrive and Drive of the year for all members and all Porsches on Saturday the 2nd, followed by the Classic Car Drive on Wednesday the 20th.
In between those drives, we’ll be doing some Spring cleaning on our little stretch of Highway 20 west of Fryrear Rd on Saturday the 16th. Last year, we had about 20 members volunteer to pitch in on the clean-up. It’s a great opportunity to give back to our community by helping keep the roadsides free of trash. Jerry and Gretchen Kolb are our hosts for the event this year and there will be coffee, doughnuts…and prizes! Please register so we'll have enough equipment; I hope you’ll join us that morning for a good cause.
Save the date…the annual picnic will be held Saturday, July 25th at the Pavillion at Caldera Springs, starting at 11:00 with the new member welcome and orientation. This year we’ll have some special guest chefs reprising their roles flipping burgers and grilling hot dogs.
Looking down the road a bit farther, three of our members have generously offered to open their garages to share their collections. On September 19th, we’ll start in Sunriver, head north to Redmond, and finish the day in Sisters. And yes, there will be food to sustain you. On October 24th, Vintage Underground, the highly regarded restoration operation in Eugene, will host a tour for HDR. All the details for both these events will be on the calendar shortly.
On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for making my first few months as president so enjoyable. I’ve gotten to know a lot more members at the Cars and Coffees, the Tech Sessions and the social events this winter. I love seeing the cars and hearing the stories that come with them, but it really is the people that make our club what it is. I’m looking forward to another great driving season in our beautiful high desert.
Cheers, Jay
HIGH DESERT REGION-PCA LEADERSHIP TEAM 2026
Executive Board
Jay Seeley, President
Randy Lervold, Vice-President
Jeanine Faria, Treasurer
Stein Nielsen, Secretary
Directors (Board Members)
Fred Nielsen, Prior President 2024-2025
Mark Taylor, Membership
Lisa Sarmiento, Safety and Insurance
Hack Heyward, Tech Team
Volunteer Leadership
Ralph Anzellotti, downshift Editor-In-Chief
High Desert Region PCA Post Office Box 113 Bend, Oregon. 97709
HDR-PCA Established April 29, 2000
www.highdesertpca.org
EDITOR RAMBLINGS
Downshift will now feature non HDR sponsored events that are Porsche related by our membership.
This month there are two examples of events that were experienced by our HDR members. One event was a lunch organized by Ken Moore to help support a local restaurant that was impacted by the closing of the Shilo Inn. Great turnout and great food. If you wish to be included in future events there is contact information at the end of the article. If you do something similar, I will be happy to include in downshift.
The second article is a flat tire on a Porsche and how this was handled. Hopefully this will be helpful if this happens to you. Articles of interest like this are most welcome in downshift.
Laura Clark, Webmaster DOWNSHIFT
Downshift wants to include what we do that is Porsche related.
Ralph advertising@highdesertpca.org
Published near the first of every month Deadline 10th of each month
HDR-PCA Email Contacts
president@highdesertpca.org (Jay Seeley) vp@highdesertpca.org (Randy Lervold) secretary@highdesertpca.org (Stein Nielsen) membership@highdesertpca.org (Mark Taylor) safety@highdesertpca.org (Lisa Sarmiento, Monday Announcement) socialevents@highdesertpca.org (Stein Nielsen) tours@highdesertpca.org (Stein Nielsen) carevents@highdesertpca.org (Randy Lervold) advertising@highdesertpca.org (Ralph Anzellotti, downshift) webmaster@highdesertpca.org (Laura Clark) merchandise@highdesertpca.org (Stu Malakoff, Online Store) complaints@highdesertpca.org (Fred Peaches)
Each Monday morning, Lisa emails out event announcements to the membership. These important announcements give information about club events and other activities of interest. If you are interested in being involved with HDR-PCA please open up these once a week emails and see if there is something of interest.
If you are not receiving these weekly emails or have questions, you can contact Lisa.
safety@highdesertpca.org (Lisa Sarmiento)
Introducing a new page on the website called "The Year At A Glance." Check it out here:The Year At A Glance.
https://highdesertpca.org/The Year At A Glance
If you want to see more about a particular event on the page, just click on the bolded name of the event. That will take you to the login page and then directly to the detailed view of that event.
The HDR Classic Car Group is planning something different to wrap up the season in October: The Classic Cars, all members and all Porsches are invited to this overnight tour heading north to the Maryhill Loops Hill Climb
(https://sovrenracing.org/maryhill-hill-climb/),
The trip begins on Saturday morning, October 3rd with an overnight in Dufur at the historic Balch Hotel. A block of rooms has been reserved, but be forewarned that some of the rooms share a bath, so reserve early. There’s a car show at the Maryhill Museum on Saturday and the Hill Climb is Sunday the 4th. After watching the hill climb you can return home on Sunday. It should be a great weekend and all are welcome; details can be found at Maryhill Loop Tour -- Savethe-Date.
2026 PCA HPDE events in our area
By Randy Lervold, HDR Driving Events Chair
As a PCA member you may be aware that one of your club benefits is access to PCA’s Driver Education (aka “DE” or “HPDE”) program (https://pca.org/driverseducation). These programs are managed at the regional level, and PCA sets very high standards for the program’s operation. These HPDE programs require significant club infrastructure such that in fact there are only about a dozen Regions in the country offering them. We are most fortunate to have the Pacific Northwest Region (PNWR) just to our North with a longstanding and very well-developed program.
Though as a smaller PCA Region the HDR lacks the resources to put the needed infrastructure in place, the good news is that we are most welcome to attend PNWR HPDE events. Every year they hold events at a selection of tracks, mostly in the Seattle area, but they typically hold an event or two in Oregon. Such is the case for this year with an event in July at Oregon Raceway Park (ORP), and another at Portland International Raceway (PIR) in September.
As a former member of the PNWR I’ve attended a number of them over the years. I have never once not thoroughly enjoyed the entire day (or days) and not been quite glad that I made the effort to attend. I’d especially encourage those of you who might be newer Porsche owners but have never attended one of these events discovering more about what your car is really capable of in a controlled and safe environment is unbelievably valuable to your ownership experience
Interested? The thought of attending your first DE event at a racetrack can be daunting though, so what can you expect at your first event? Everything about the event is well described in advance including prep items that you’ll be responsible for. Upon arriving at 7:00 AM you’ll go through “tech” and then be introduced to your instructor. The staff and instructors are very welcoming and supportive of complete newbies. You will be paired with a qualified club instructor for the day who will very patiently guide you through what you need to know about the event procedures, and driving your car on the track by starting very slowly and never exceeding your comfort zone.
You’ll be put in one of three “run groups” with similar pace drivers and will be registered for six or seven 20 minute sessions for the day depending on the track. Between your sessions you’ll attend a session debrief, have some water, check your tire pressures (if you’re being attentive), and get right back out for your next session. I promise, you will learn so much more about your car and your ability to use it that the experience will seem priceless in retrospect. My personal opinion is that every Porsche sports car owner should do one HPDE at some point with each Porsche they own.
As your current Driving Events Chair I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about these events, and provide some info about prepping your car etc. This year I’m planning on attending the Sunday July 12th session at ORP and also likely the Sunday September 27th session at PIR. Note that both of these are two day events, you have the option of attending either day or both.
For more general info: https://www.pnwr.org/DE
INFO HERE
If you’re considering the ORP event be advised that the Saturday session will run in reverse direction, Sunday the normal forward (preferred) direction. PIR is always the same direction.
-Randy randy.lervold@gmail.com 360-901-2150
D O W N S H I F T F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E
VOLK und PORSCHES “Sonne”
by Ed Hughes
Her I joi Texa sailb as fu track car and added a mint 91 928 as the refined car but sold after 2 years.
We moved back to CA and a ’95 993 was added, again as the nicer car. Track time went by the wayside due to time constraints, so the ’84 was sold after 10 years leaving me with just the 993.
We moved to Bend in early 2015. Over the years, my 993 has toured the state and made numerous trips to California, mostly for Porsche events. The last trip was in 2023 to Rennsport Reunion 7. I drove the entire 600+ miles home from Laguna Seca that Sunday in order to fly to Italy the next morning. My spine isn’t the best, having had 2 surgeries with 2 more proposed by my neurosurgeons so my back was fairly trashed after this busy trip. I swear I would have sold the 993 right then given the opportunity.
A couple of weeks in Italy tempered that thought, but something had changed. I didn’t have the same passion for the car that I’d had for the prior 14 years. In the Spring of 2024, I went through my normal post-Winter recommissioning and detailing of the car, but I wasn’t driving much other than a couple of HDR A-D’s.
That Fall I started looking at 991’s as something more modern and comfortable for me to drive. I love 911’s, but I had concerns about the size. They’re well-engineered and drive “smaller than they are” but comparing them to my ’84 and ’95 was a problem. We went to PEC Atlanta a few years ago and drove both Cayman and Boxster GTS’ and had a blast. It used to be that I couldn’t fit well in a Cayman, but the 981 has the same legroom as a 991important to someone with long legs. 981’s had made it onto my list!
A 6 speed, a wild-ish color and desired options such as PSE, PASM, Sport Chrono, etc were important. I pretty quickly decided I’d look for a Cayman GTS, as they have all of my desired options along with a few other differentiating features. A GT4 was also on my mind, but my spine caught wind of it and voted that option down!
I set 991 and 981 alerts on PCA Mart. My 928 and 993 were both great cars found on this PCA site, so it was my 1st choice to search. Rennlist was a possible place too. I’m skeptical of Porsches sold on non-enthusiast sites, so I didn’t spend time on cars.com or similar, nor do I have the temperament to buy sight unseen on auction sites like Bring-a-Trailer. That’s just me. I also prefer original or 2nd owner.
Right away, 981GTS and 991S ads popped up on PCA Mart. Both were Racing Yellow, both manual transmissions, both in Orange County! The 981 was first and after talking to the original owner, it sounded like a great car and he sounded like the perfect guy to buy from. It was a Sunday and I decided to fly down to OC that Thursday to look at the car(s). He promised me he wouldn’t sell it…and I believed him. A side note here is that we were flying to Costa Rica 4 days after this! My wife Debbie asked me why…my response was “this could be THE one”!
I saw the 2015 981GTS first. It literally looked brand new from top to bottom. It had less than 19K miles, but it could have been 19 miles! After a drive and a thorough look, we made a deal pending a PPI, which I’d set for the next day. I am confident enough in my mechanical experience to trust my judgement as I’ve done
ALL the mechanical work on my Porsches, including a hot rod engine build. The PPI was to run a DME report and a full scan on Piwis. I’d made a tentative appointment to look at the 991 on the way to the airport, but I called the owner and told him I’d purchased this car and flew home.
When I got the PPI report showing no issues I wired the money. I now had a 981 GTS-1000 miles away!
This was late Nov and we’d be in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks. I hoped to fly down and drive her home when we returned, but the weather wasn’t good, so I shipped her home. My Sonne (Sun in German) arrived a couple of weeks later and I did her 10 year service to get to know her.
She has spent 18 months tooling around Oregon since and made a trip down to Air/Water in Orange County in April 2025. A 2400+ mile road trip and my spine approved! I might not be done with 911’s, but I do love this car.
I look forward to my next drive the minute I end the last one. This is how Porsche ownership should be.
“It’s
Ed and Sonne
New Member Group Drive Drive Lead, Mark Taylor
Submitted Ralph Anzellotti
NEW MEMBERS' FIRST-TIME DRIVE AND BRUNCH - April 11th
A driving event for new members that joined the club during 2025 or 2026, or others who have NOT yet participated in any HDRPCA group driving event or tour. Joined with other newly minted club members for a fun drive and brunch at Brasada Ranch.
Brunch was the reward for a great Porsche drive
Paint protection film, window tinting, custom wraps, interior/exterior detailing, ceramic coatings, and so much more.
Cars and Coffee April 19th
Submitted Ralph Anzellotti
About 30 Porsches attended this Cars and Coffee at Junction Roastery and Social Club. There was plenty of parking, coffee, and bakery goods.
Stein hit a home run selecting this location.and says this will be our future location for Cars and Coffee the third Sunday of each month.
Real Taste Of India Bend
April 21st
Submitted Ralph Anzellotti
You may heard on the news that the restaurant Real Taste of India had lost most of its business since the Shilo Inn closed. Ken Moore quickly reached out to dozens of HDR Porsche members and set up a lunch with the restaurant owner to help support this worthy business.
The restaurant was busy, seems the word went out and people wanted to show support for a deserving restaurant. Most of us opted for the extensive buffet that included chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, lamb curry, goat madras, and lots of naan flatbread, The food was fresh and super delicious.
Show your support and enjoy a top notch Indian restaurant for lunch or dinner. Taco Tuesday will return next month! If you wish to be included on the invite list contact Ken Moore. nowdow@hotmail.com
If you have a Porsche related gathering for downshift, please contact ralph@teleport.com
[3]
Norbert Singer
Norbert Singer (born 16 November 1939) is a German automotive engineer. He has played a key role in every one of Porsche’s 16 overall race victories between 1970 and 1998 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Singer was born in Eger (Cheb), which is today part of the Czech Republic, but was part of the German Sudetenland, in 1939.
[3][1]
Singer joined the racing department of the Porsche company in Stuttgart in March 1970 The young engineer from the Technical University of Munich was soon given the job of cooling the gearboxes of the powerful 917 racers which had broken down in 1969. His first task was successful and the Porsche 917 dominated the event in 1970 as well as in 1971, the first year Singer attended the great race.
Singer was involved in the 911 Carrera RSR and RSR Turbo 2.1 from 1972 to 1974 Singer was then given the task of developing the Porsche 911 road car for racing, and in doing so he created eventually what is by far the most successful customer race car that Porsche ever produced: the Porsche 935 which won at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans outright, a remarkable feat for a modified 15-year-old road car design. [3] [1]
Following this, Singer designed the bodywork of the Porsche 956 and 962 Group Ccars which won 7 24 Hours of Le Mans titles and three Manufacturers’ and two teams’ World Championships between 1982 and 1986 In the 1990s, Singer engineered the Porsche WSC open sports car which claimed two victories in 1996 and 1997.
[4] [1] [3]
He oversaw the Porsche 911 GT1 project which finally put the 911's engine into the middle, something that he'd wanted to do since the 935. The 911 GT1 achieved Porsche's 16th victory at Le Mans.
[5]
[6]
Singer was a consultant on the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study, a modified version of the 964 which was produced by Singer Vehicle Design, a company whose name is partly an homage to his work on 911s.
HDR Social
At Bevel Craft Brewing
April 23rd
photos submitted by Lisa Sarmiento
A Funny Thing Happened On Our Way To The HDR Social At Bevel Craft Brewing
by Ralph, Linda, & Olaf Anzellotti
“Olaf”our 2015 Porsche Cayman just woke up from hibernation and had a spa day that included an oil change and inspection. Olaf was more than ready for the driving season.
As we got ready to drive to the HDR Social at Bevel Craft Brewing, Linda asked me if I wanted to drive, I declined, which was a wise decision.
As Linda drove north on Highway 97 just south of Walmart there was a loud bang from the passenger rear tire and the instrument panel lit up, the tire had 13 pounds of pressure. Thank goodness we had just slowed to a 45 mph zone and were able to slowly turn on the street behind Walmart.
I confirmed we had a flat tire and there was a gash/hole in the tire tread, the good news the tire was only flat on one side, the bad news it was damaged beyond repair. Due to the mileage on the other back tire, I knew matching new tires was on the menu. I already knew there was no spare tire and me changing a flat was not going to happen.
As a long time AAA member, I made the call for a tow truck with a flat bed.
We decided to tow the car back home to Sunriver since it would take time to order and receive the new replacements. The the next day we ordered two new tires from NW Wheel and Tire in Bend, which could take up to week. When the new tires arrive we will have Olaf towed to NW Wheel and Tire..
I received many comments from friends about the flat tire situation but one text message i received really stood out sent by Ken Moore, ““Really, if it happened with you driving you would never hear the end of it. Still your fault. Had you driven, it would not have happened. How could you!”.
If you have a Porsche story to share please contact ralph@teleport.com
IT’S NOT JUST THE PORSCHES IT’S ABOUT THE PUPPIES!
MEET TWIX
If you don’t know the definition of Twix, no worries. We all know it, but not because of its dictionary meaning, which doesn’t exist. We know it because we all ate it and loved it as kids. That nice chocolatey bar made by Mars, consisting of a biscuit with other confectionery toppings and coatings (most frequently caramel and milk chocolate). Who not to love it?
Jeremy Williams, owner of Bend’s Porsche repair shop, Matrix Integrated, loves Twix. Not because of its famous chocolate confectionary history, but because it is one of our beloved ‘Puppies and Porsches’
While volunteering at the Humane Society, Jeremy recently adopted Twix from the Humane Shelter after the loss of his last companion. He vowed not to get another dog so soon. But who can resist Twix? Chocolate or otherwise. At 1 ½ years old, Twix was lucky to get such a caring and dedicated Dad. She’s a mix between a Doberman, Pit Bull, and a Chihuahua. What? Yes. Strength of a Doberman, stature of a Pit Bull and portability of a Chihuahua. And, yes, the sweetness of a Twix Chocolate Bar.
Twix loves Jeremy’s 2012 Cheyenne Turbo named Pepper. She puts her head out the window, rides in the wind free, having fun, and being goofy. Ahhh. Perfect companion!
When we asked Jeremy if his next pick would be a Puppy or a Porsche? He said Puppy.
Good dog!
SkidCar Training
Desch y g ement program taught with the aid of the SKIDCAR System. The SKIDCARframework attaches to the suspension of a vehicle to allow the front and rear tires to be lifted or lowered independently with a controller. The system allows drivers to experience the inclement driving conditions that cause a vehicle to lose traction in a safe and controlled learning environment. The course costs $100.00 and is available through Deschutes County Risk Management and sponsored by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners.
Training includes one hour of classroom instruction followed by three hours of hands-on driving in the vehicle. The instructor will cover various techniques, including proper eye placement, acceleration, braking, steering, weight and energy management, as well as proper tire decisions and maintenance. Participants will learn the proper use of anti-lock braking systems and understand the differences between rear wheel drive, front wheel drive and four wheel drive systems, as well as Electronic Stability Control and Electronic Traction Control in modern vehicles. Participants will also learn about skid prevention, control and recovery.
https://www.deschutes.org/administration/page/skidcar-training vp@highdesertpca.org Randy Lervold;
HDR-PCA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
Mark Taylor, Membership membership@highdesertpca.org
Robert Levine
Sunriver , Oregon 97707
2005 911 Carrera S
Schuyler C. Malakoff
Bend, Oregon 97703
2015 Macan Turbo
Ben Petersen
Bend, Oregon 97702
2024 Macan
Jon Davis
(Transferred-In from Sacramento Valley Region)
Bend, Oregon 97701
2004 Boxster
Jeff D. Long
(Transferred-In from Dakota Region)
Bend, Oregon 97707
2000 Boxster S
Jan E. Nordmo
(Transferred-In from Golden Gate Region)
Powell Butte, Oregon 97753
2021 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid
PCA ANNIVERSARIES
Tenure Congratulations!
We are very grateful to these members for their membership tenure, not only with the High Desert Region but also with PCA, through the end of April 2026:
John and Cooper Naitove: 45 years
Dan and Lynn Christensen: 41 years
Doug McMullen: 34 years
C and Mary Zilk: 25 years years
James and Jan Chambers: 20 years
Andy and Julie Burke: 20 years
Douglas Dense: 15 years
Thom and Cyndie Bell: 11 years
DD and Bonnie Davidson: 9 years
Joe Angel and Susan Corey: 9 years
John Spomer: 8 years
Patrick and Francine Duffy: 7 years
Tami Webster: 7 years
Don and Gail LeBart: 7
Constance and Bruce Halperin: 5
Adam Davidson: 5 years
Clayton Dolan: 4 years
Steven Nerud: 4 years
Tony Doy: 4 years
Michael Elderkin: 4 years
Jay and Karen Bergevin: 4 years
Patrick and Kristen Moylan: 4
Sean Neary: 3 years years
Cory and Molly Darling: 3 years
Mike and Cindy Chrystal: 2 years
Michael Osborn: 2 years
Brian Justice: 1 year
Ethan Copeland: 1 year
Donald Jobe: 1 year
Jeff Long: 1 year
Thomas Nadermann: 1 year
Did You Know?
Porsche will take your high-mileage 911, strip it down completely at the factory in Germany, rebuild every component from the ground up, and return it to you with zero kilometres on the odometer officially, fully documented, and factorycertified.
The programme is called Factory Re-Commission, part of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch (“special request”) division, which has been around since 1978. The car is fully disassembled at Porsche’s facilities, every technical component is restored to original factory specification, and the finished vehicle is officially recorded as being in zero-kilometre condition. At the same time, you can redesign the exterior colour, interior, and specification to match the car you always wish you had ordered.
Porsche hasn’t revealed the price, but if you have to ask, you already know the answer.
911 steering wheel, a few minor scratches on leather, easy fix with duct tape. Make offer.
Jay
downshift features FREE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED ads for our club members. Private ads for Porsche related items such as cars, tires, wheels, accessories, or parts. You can place a free ad with a photo and up to 40 words.
Ralph@teleport.com
Two Pirelli high performance “PZERO" tires, unused, maybe one of them has 500 miles on it. Size: 235/35 ZR19. Date codes: 1). 3022. 2). 2619. Price: Make offer. Don Good: 831-566-9400
Removable hardtop for 996 (’97-05 911). Can fit 997 (’05-13) once a few OEM parts are added—I can provide further info. Comes with rolling stand and soft support. Good condition. Black in color. Paint is shiny. One smaller ding in center of top. Located in Portland, OR. $1800. Jeremy Williams
Matrix Integrated Inc.
jeremy@matrixintegrated.cc
Bend 541-241-5348
For Sale 912 Coupe 1969 912 5 speed
$75,000. OBO
Bought in Sacramento, California where it resided until recent sale in 2022. Numbers match, solid original floors. 2- owner car. original interior. New sport seats. Original seats are included. New OEM Porsche dash pad. Tangerine color. One exterior repaint. All new brakes. All maintenance records. Fresh rebuilt SOLEX carbs.
Cary Gressinger Redmond, Oregon
503-780-5730
cgressinger@yahoo.com
$800 for 4 Michelin X-ICE Snow Tires 20" (For front narrow/rear wide staggered Porsche SUVs)
These Michelin X-ICE Snow SUV tires are basically brand new, with approximately 600 miles of winter driving on them. These tires cost about $1,700 for the set from Kendall. ($350 ea. for the fronts and $475 ea. for the rear tires) We just need to sell them to someone who can use them, and to get them out of our garage. They do not fit our new SUV. Tires were always stored in a warm space.
All 4 tires fit 20" rims:
2 tires are 265/45 R 20 for the front
2 tires are 295/40 R 20 for the rear
Tires are for Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs with wider tires on the back than the front, with Staggered 20" rim set-up (Also fits with SUV's by BMW, AMG, Lambo, and Mustang Mach-E)
Studio Man Cave For Rent. Indoor cozy parking so you can snuggle up to your beloved Porsche. A perfect way to afford a Porsche and a place to live. mancaverentals@gmail.com
1974 Porsche 914 2.0 project. Yellow, pretty complete, but basket price. Has title. Price, lets discuss. Depends on what is included
1974 Porsche 914 2.0 project. Phoenix Red (bright orange). Rolling chassis with typical rust. Could throw in 1.8 motor. Has title $1,500
1977 911 coupe tub. No suspension etc. Has title. $8,500. Trade for boxster or?
3 piece aftermarket 20” 911 Turbo wheels off 997. Chrome is chipping and they bend when you look at them. With tires. Good rollers and front tires are good. $100
Matt Carey
541 410 1932
PCAHistoryBook
Updated for 2026, the PorscheClubof America History Book is online now.Inside, you’ll find a comprehensive look at the club’s journey, detailed sections on keymilestones,ashowcase of events, and prominent National Awards, complete with descriptionsand past winners. Read the updated book here: https://ww2.pca.org/pca-history
