0512 - December 2005 & January 2006 Combined Edition

Porsche Club of America Sacramento Valley Re-gion

Porsche Club of AmericaSacramento Valley Region- In its 44th Year!

December 2005/ January 2006

See “About the Cover” inside...

Plus...From the Driver’s Seat Drifting BackSVR Event ScheduleSpeaking of MembershipThe Social ScenePorsche Trivia

Featuring:My First CRAB How to Host a Tour The Boxster Leaf CatcherVision

Winter

www.ipb-autosport.com

Got Track?TrackMasters Racing is a leading

promoter of highquality ‘High Performance Driver

Education’ events in Northern California, and routinely partners

with the SVR PCA on several events per season.

��Laguna Seca (Sept 10/11)��Thunderhill (Sept 23)��Spring Mountain (Sept 30)�� Infineon/Sears Point

(Nov 13) �� Laguna Seca (Dec 1)

Come out and stretch your car’s legs on some of thefinest tracks in the country!

Visit our for more info: www.TrackMasters-Racing.com

About the Cover...Taken at the SVR Tree Decorating and Pot Luck Dinner at the Towe Auto Museum. SVR members share the spirit of the season. Kim Nelson is to blame for the front cover image.

Visit our website for more info

My perfect Grand Prix White 1994 Porsche 968 Coupe

A note from Dennis Stettner, Drifter Editor (2000-02): Newsletter Editor Nick Harrigan injured his hands in late November and was not able to complete the December Drifter. So, I volunteered to complete this combined issue. One of the benefits of filling in for the current Drifter Editor, is the ability to insert a image of your Porsche. Photo taken at the Shriners Concours (1st Place, Street). Get well soon, Nick.

1206 C Street, Sacramento, CA(916)453-1465

Laguna Seca - Thursday, February 2 & Friday, February 3rd NOW OPEN for Registration!

Infineon/Sears Point - Friday, February 17th or 24th - TBD

Thunderhill - Friday, March 10th

Infineon/Sears Point - Thursday, March 30th (three 30 minute sessions)

Thunderhill - Friday, March 31st

1The Drifter

Volume 43, No.12 Volume 44, No.1 December 2005- January 2006

The Drifter is published monthly by the Porsche Club of America, Sacramento Valley Region (SVR), for its members. Written con-tributions and photos are welcome and should be emailed to the Editor. The deadline for material is the first of the month for publication in the following month. SVR members should notify the Membership Director promptly of an address change to insure uninterrupted delivery. All material in this newsletter is protected by copyright. However, newsletter editors of other regions chartered by the Porsche Club of America may reprint any article provided that credit is given to the author and Sacramento Valley Region and The Drifter is cited as the source.

Autocross ChairMatt Deter ____________ 916-630-89245645 Harvest Road, Rocklin, CA [email protected] ChairSusan Fleming _________ 916-985-4142107 Cobb Court, Folsom, CA [email protected] ChairKent Brandon __________ 916-663-17023450 Hector Road,Newcastle, CA [email protected] StoreTom Sisson ___________ 209-296-5352 14537 Surrey Junction AveSutter Creek, CA 95685 [email protected] ChairHelen Ashuckian _______ 916-481-27595440 Tree Side DriveCarmichael, CA [email protected]

Porsche Club of America

Sacramento Valley Region

- In its 44th Year!

Technical ChairRoger Walker ___________________ 916-415-07529726 Magellan Drive, Loomis, CA [email protected] ChairBuzz and Julia Lynn______________ [email protected] ManagerDick MacFarlane _________________ 916-482-06525740 Windmill Way #11, Carmichael, CA [email protected]

SVR Web Site http://www.derporsche.net/

PCA Sacramento Valley Region 2006 Board of Directors

2 SVR Coming Attractions 4 From the Driver’s Seat - Jeff Kinder 4 SVR Event Schedule - Nick & Lindsey Harrigan 5 Drifting Back - Larry Wilson 6 Porsche Trivia - Nick & Lindsey Harrigan 7 Speaking of Membership - Tom Sisson 8 The Social Scene - Julia Lynn 10 SVR People, Places, & Porsches Dennis Stettner 12 Ask Bondo Bob - Dick MacFarlane 14 SVR Goodie Store - Tom Sisson 20 Drifter Classifieds

5 Autocross Update - Matt Deter 9 My First CRAB - Kim Nelson 12 How to Host a Tour - Bill and Cathy Keegan 13 The Boxster Leaf Catcher - Bob Bianconi 18 Vision - Paul Young

3 January Planning Meeting 3 CRAB32 is Coming!

Information and Committee Directory

Upcoming Events

Columns and Departments

Features and Reviews

PresidentJeff Kinder ______________________ 916-765-28014320 Freemont’s Loop, Rescue, CA [email protected]

Vice PresidentAndy Leight _____________________ 916-984-9624106 Atfield Way, Folsom, CA [email protected] ____________________

Secretary Kevin Dougherty _________________ 916-983-7774P.O.Box 6006, Folsom, CA [email protected]

Treasurer Betty Silva [email protected]

Social DirectorJulia Lynn _______________________ 916-402-04432443 Fair Oaks Blvd #71, Sacramento, CA [email protected]

Membership DirectorTom Sisson _____________________ 209-296-535214537 Surrey Junction Lane, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 [email protected]

Competition & Safety DirectorMatt Deter_______________________916-630-89245645 Harvest Road, Rocklin, CA [email protected]

Newsletter EditorsNick & Lindsey Harrigan ___________ 916-315-85483220 Mission Way, Rocklin, CA [email protected]

Webmasters John & Tina Murphy _______________ 916-362-82763300 Cahill Ct., Sacramento, CA [email protected]

Past PresidentKim Nelson _____________________ 916-933-4282305 Glen Ridge Way, El Dorado Hills, CA [email protected]

Zone 7 RepresentativeLarry Sharp - Golden Gate Region ____ 925-371-22581119 Megan Road, Livermore, CA [email protected]

2 The Drifter

Don Joe3532 LA Grande Blvd.

Sacramento, CA 95823(916) 391-4159

So why not make the right one when you need autobody and paint work. Fabrication Specialties.+ State-of-the-Art Body and Paint Technology+ Certified Glasurit Paint (Factory Original - Porsche, Mercedes, BMW)+ Car-O-Liner Unibody Repair Equipment+ Enclosed Climate Controlled Spray Booth+ Industry Certified Technicians

You Have a Choice!

SVR Coming Attractions

December Events and ContactsSVR Christmas PartyMike & Emily Willis .............................................. 916-363-8313 [email protected]/LPR Drivers’ EducationHank Watts .......................................................... 408-245-4040

The RSVP deadline for dinner meetings is also the last day to cancel your din-ner meeting reservation without paying.

Per SVR policy, late cancellations and no-shows will be charged.

Reminder:

Deadline!

Deadline!

MBR/LPR Drivers’EducationLaguna Seca

SVR X-Mas Party SutterClub

SVR Board Meeting

Planning/Dinner Meeting

Zone 7 Awards Banquet

January Events and Contacts

SVR Annual Planning/Dinner MeetingAndy and Diana Leight 916-984-9624 [email protected]: Round Table Pizza, Folsom 6:00-10:00.

Zone 7 Awards BanquetLarry Sharp 925-371-2258 [email protected]

JCM

Rectangle

JCM

Rectangle

3The Drifter

��

��

��

��

4 The Drifter

By Jeff Kinder,President

From the Driver’s Seat

Look here in the next Issue of The Drifter

for

SVR’s 2006 Event Schedule at a Glance

Autocross

Driver Education

Rally

Driving Tours

SVR Christmas Party

By now Christmas will be in the air, my Christmas village will be set up, and I will be anxiously awaiting the 2005 SVR Christmas party. For those of you that have not been it is a special time for SVR. Besides celebrating the spirit of Christmas, we thank our current board of directors and chairs. We will also introduce the new board and chairs.The facility, Sutter Club, will be well decorated as usual. If you have been thinking about com-ing, please contact Mike Willis and sign up.

CRAB 32 is ON!

CRAB Chairs Kim Kinder and Kim Nel-son have selected the Towe Auto Museum as the headquarters for the 2006 CRAB. This promises to be a very spectacular event indeed. I am told that there will be all the usual activities during the weekend and maybe something new. You may remember the Towe from various events we have had there, including our combined Christmas and 40th anniversary a few years ago. This is a wonderful venue for our event. The car displays change on a frequent basis, so even if you were there six months ago, you will see new cars and displays. Besides, where better to have a car event than a car museum. For our newer members who have not attended an SVR CRAB event, talk to some of our more experienced members about the ac-tivities. This location may help to make this one of the best CRAB events ever! Watch for more information to come. If you have ideas or questions, please send those emails to [email protected].

PCA Parade 2006The next Parade is scheduled to take place August 6-11 2006 in Portland, Oregon. Club members from all across North America come together once a year to participate in a week of competitive events, socialize with old and new friends, and enjoy the cars. The 2006 proposed changes to the Parade Competition Rules have been posted. The comment period is open until 11/15/2005. To review the new rules go to:http://www.pca.org/members. Logon and then go to Member Services & Contacts.

Click on Library. Then you can see the docu-ment: 2006 Proposed Rule Changes.

PCA To Stop Production Of Up Fixin’

Due to strongly reduced member demand for “Up Fixin,” the Club will stop producing new hardcopy volumes of the books that contain the technical material which have appeared in Panorama over the years. However, until supplies are exhausted, or until January 31, 2006, interested members can obtain cop-ies of “Up Fixin” for the cost of shipping and handling only. Go to: http://www.pca.org/news/news.asp

Wintertime

Winter brings on one of several reactions from SVR members. For some, it will be the ceremonial tucking away of the Porsche until spring time comes. For others, it will be a chance to see how sideways you can put one and recover, yee haw. For the rest of us, we will continue driving because we just can’t get enough of it! I have been quoted as having said, “If we were not meant to drive in the rain, paint would never have been invented.” A few members have told me I am wrong, paint was invented so men would have something to polish and wax. For me, the waxing and polishing were the price to pay for getting to drive in winter. My last Porsche, a 911SC, had almost 200,000 miles on it when I upgraded. There was no season that was not made for going for a ride. One tour I went on in my early days with SVR went through the snow. What a time we had! If I remember correctly, only one Porsche was high centered on the snow by the end of the day. The hot cider at our stop at Strawberry never tasted so good.

Reduced Visibility

There is one other issue with winter driv-ing besides the fun: reduced visibility. We all know our driving style and capability. Some of us tend to drive rather “spirited” on occasion. As visibility reduces with clouds, rain, and shorter days, we need to be more attentive to our own driving as well as others. Porsches, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, sit lower than many of those vehicles with which we share the road. Consequently, we are not seen by others at all times. This is a good thing to keep in mind as we drive through traffic. When I was in 8th grade (yes they had schools back then) I was standing at the corner of Arden and Fulton in Sacramento. In a moment, I watched as a semi truck pull up to a stop light not seeing a motorcyclist, which he ran over. The truck driver later said

that he never saw the motorcycle.My point is that we need to watch others more critically and drive a little safer since we will not be as visible to others this time of year.

Planning party

SVR will be having our annual Planning Party in January. This is where we get to-gether to plan activities for the year. Andy Leight, our VP, has a really good format for organizing the year. Put on your thinking caps, get some ideas, and bring them to the Party. Remember, if SVR can have driving tours in the snow, any idea you have can not be that far out. Bring all your thoughts and let’s make 2006 the best year yet.

Drive safe and have fun!

5The Drifter

By Matt Deter,Autocross Chair

Autocross Update

We had another great day of weather when 30 drivers attended the October 2nd auto-cross event in Stockton. Although staffing all the worker positions with a small group was

a juggling act, everyone’s effort paid off. We had enough time for four runs in the morning and four more in the afternoon -- a total of eight two-lap runs per driver.

Infineon

In November, it was off to Infineon for what has become an annual DE /Autocross combo event. Some drivers chose to drive the road course, while others chose to autocross the course set up in the large paved paddock area adjacent to the track. With a full load of almost 50 drivers, we managed six runs that day in clear, sunny weather. A large contin-gent of Redwood Region members lead by region chair Gary Bayless turned out to assist with course setup on Saturday, which was of great help. Michael Andretti didn’t leave his tractor-trailer rig in the middle of course, like he did last year, so that helped as well!

Time Flys

It seems a very short time ago that I wrote my first autocross article for the Drifter. In fact, an entire year has now transpired, and the 2005 Season has come to a close. I have met a lot of great people. Rolling up my sleeves and lending a helping hand has definitely

Continues on Page 16 ...

NEED USED PARTS?

916-631-7300800-783-4911

PORSCHEMercedes Benz

All Parts GuaranteedWorldwide Shipping

Silver Star Recycling

11315 Dismantle Court

Rancho Cordova, CA 957428-5 Mon -Fri

9-3 Saturday www.silverstarrecycling.com

By Larry Wilson,SVR Member

Drifting Back

30 Years Ago (December 1975)

The December 6 Christmas Party, with Eva Kay in charge, was held at the Mansion Inn. Dinner choices were London Broil at $12 or Filet of Sole at $11; prices included dinner, tax, gratuity, and the band. Entertainment and activities included live music dancing, door prizes, activity trophies, installation of new club officers, and a “funkiest Porsche tree ornament contest” with all entries displayed on a Christmas tree. This month’s The Drifter introduced new members Kerner and Cynthia Breaux who transferred in from Germany Region. Kerner drove a new yellow 911S coupe and owned the Marco Polo tavern on Fruitridge Road. SVR Treasurer Harvey Cain, prepared an end-of-the-year report for 1975 published in the December issue of The Drifter. It showed $2,806.33 of income, $2,481.08 in expenses with a net increase of $325.25 for the year. Share The Wealth net income was $344.24. The Club’s cash balance on December 31, 1975 was $845.45.President Dan Boone estimated the region had 160 members by the end of the year.


The December 8 Sara’s Tree Cutting Tour visited Christmas tree farms near Apple Hill with a return stop at Garth and Vicki Mason’s home for warm refreshments. In the December issue, outgoing The Drifter Editor Karen Mangin, thanked her yearlong newsletter assembly crew: Sue McGlumphy, Mike Willis, Rik Larson, Julie Jack, Stan Breyfogle, Dolores & Allen Weddle, Lee Coleman, Jim & Mary Jo Austin, Linda Mitchell, Cyndee Nightingale, and Pat & Larry Wilson. SVR’s Christmas Party at the Clarion Ho-tel December 14 was chaired by Cyndee Nightingale with help from Karen Mangin who did a great job with decorations. C.C. Craig kept the program moving smoothly, and Mary Siles and Ron Boeck played Santa Claus with gifts donated by a very long list of local businesses and SVR members. Those attending also brought gifts for the kids at Stanford Home. Christmas tree ornament contest winners were Marci & Randy Vid-

mar, Dwight & Linda Mitchell, and Ron & Sally Boeck. Randy and Marci won the “Rookies of the Year” award, and Ron and Sally won the “Event of the Year” award for the Tahoe Tour.


Chaired by Cyndee Peart and Daymon Nightingale, it was a change of pace for the annual SVR Christmas Party held on December 7 at the Towe Ford Museum. It was a food lover’s delight with tables of hors d’oeuvres, including Baron of Beef, Poached Salmon, Antipasta trays, heavenly desserts, etc. All these mouth watering eats were pro-vided by our caterer (A.B.’s CafŽ in Rocklin) instead of the usual sit-down dinner. After a tour of the museum and the sampling of all food and drink while listening to Wurlitzer music bouncing off the beams, members of the new board of directors for 1996 were introduced and the program featured the annual awards for 1995. Rookie of the Year award went to Deborah & Dan Catherwood who became members after the 1995 planning meeting. Competitive Event of the Year went to Masuo Robinson for his “Parade Warm Up Autocross” which benefited many Zone 7 autocrossers in Port-land. Social Event of the Year was awarded to Bob Brewer for the Hog Island Oyster Tour, to be repeated in 1996. Hidden Hero awards went to Bob Brewer’s son, Justin, who at 4:00AM staked out the Oyster Tour picnic area, got the fires going, and made all the salads, and to Diane & Steve Harris for their company’s (the Dirty Shirt Company) shirt-support of many past SVR events. Also at the SVR Christmas Party, the President’s Award was made to Allen & Dolores Weddle. This is a very special award, not always made every year, but this year President Greg Peart chose to recognize Al-len and Dolores for their long-term support and dedication to SVR. A standing applause indicated agreement by all 76 people in at-tendance.

6 The Drifter

The Drifter Trivia Question Of The MonthSee how far your Porsche knowledge goes.

Can you answer this?:Which single model year did Porsche produce the 406

Weissach Edition 911’s?(The answer will be in the next issue of The Drifter)

Last month’s trivia question: 911 was not the original model designation. What was it?

Answer: In 1963, Porsche debuted its all-new Porsche 901. However, Peugeot had already

claimed model number 901. As a result, Porsche changed the model number to 911.

AnniversariesCongratulations to the following SVR Members:

Bud & Mary Ann Behrens [30]

Paul & Alicia Pontrelli [10]

Robert & Cindy Bell [10]

John & Lisa Nelson [10]

Paul Sickert [5]

Robert Becker [5]

7The Drifter

By Tom SissonMembership Director

Speaking of Membership

Welcome New Members!

The SVR has 604 regular members and 18 dual members. This is a net increase of three members. Twenty-three members have been lapsed for non-payment of dues (not included in the above totals) but not yet deleted.

Check your membership cards

Once again I have notified members of expir-ing memberships as provided by national and our own records. The response was immedi-ate—there are still a lot of errors/missing data in both sets of records. please check the date on your membership card and make sure it says what you think it should say—if it doesn’t, notify both national and me about the incorrect data.

Planning Meeting

On January12th the SVR has its planning/dinner meeting. Make a note to come and give your input on SVR events in 2006.

CRAB: The 32nd CRAB

The premier Porsche Weekender is coming on April 7, 8, and 9. For those not familiar with CRAB, it consists of three full days of Porsche-style events; the Friday night wel-come party, the Autocross, Driving Tours, a Funkhana, a Walking Tour, the CRAB Banquet and Dance, and a Rally, a Con-cours d’elegance, and a Beer ‘n Brat Picnic. New members—you don’t want to miss this event—put it on your calendars now!

Congratulations

Bud and Mary Ann Behrens have been PCA members for 30 years!

New MembersRichard & Carole DavisPlacerville, CA [email protected]/642-264886 911, 87 930

Donald FaerberRancho Cordova, CA [email protected]/870-371303 996

Ted FranseFair Oaks, CA [email protected]/965-826606 Cayenne

Sean & Mark GjerdeElk Grove, CA [email protected]/483-304099 911

Matt & Ann HamelSacramento, CA [email protected]/833-552579 911

Randy & Julie KerslakeGranite Bay, CA [email protected]/355-130006 997

Ben & Heidi LeveroniCamino, CA [email protected]/210-200601 996

Mark & Jeanne RogersGrass Valley, Ca [email protected]/274-322078 911

Ruth & Eric TesarSacramento, CA [email protected]/737-321105 997

Daniel & Randi WeitzmanSacramento, CA [email protected]/444-118698 911

Gerald Williams & Cindy ToughApplegate, CA 95703ctghw@foothill .net530/887-567888 924S

Scott EverittRocklin, CA [email protected]/996-075686 930

Don Frenna & Cynthia BurdickRoseville, CA [email protected]/773-999004 Boxster

Katherine & David HigdonSacramento, CA 95864916/482-398905 Boxster

Robert & Robert Hrabak941 Trestle Glen Way, SacramentoCA [email protected]/428-009299 Boxster

Stanton Lee & Yvonne Ng6328 Fordham Way, SacramentoCA [email protected]/837-887693 911

Scott & Jill SchneiderElk Grove, CA [email protected]/714-537458 356

Gregory & Kimberly SoaresRoseville, CA [email protected]/772-473388 930

TransfersJoseph & Deborah BurlinStockton, CA [email protected]/870-711087 911, 96 993(from Yosemite)

Leroi & Sara GardnerEl Dorado Hills, CA 95762-7699650/941-711489 911(from Loma Prieta)

Douglas Kubany & Bonnie DillonPenn Valley, CA 95946530/432-250185 911(from Suncoast Florida)

ChangesEdward & Carole GoodinRancho Cordova,CA [email protected]

Carl Griffith & Alease [email protected]/933-8949

Robert & Toni HoySpring Creek, NV [email protected]/778-3582

Don Kinkel Foresthill, CA [email protected]/367-2191

Phil Lawrence and Emily Barbee902 Charlotte PlaceCharleston, WV [email protected]

Keith McMahan & Mary [email protected]

Dave & Mary Parker530/878-3935

Robert & Julie [email protected]

James & Cindy ShuellCarmichael, CA [email protected]

Dennis & Carol Ann SmithAuburn, CA [email protected]/889-6302

Pete & Carol [email protected] GT3

Richard & Carole Davis86 911, 87 930

Samuel & Natachia GrecoRancho Murieta, CA 9568304 GT3 05Cayenne

Hani & Kristi GreissGranite Bay, CA [email protected]

Robert & Toni HoySpring Creek, NV [email protected]/778-3582

James Lawrence04 GT2, 04GT3

Ann & Ripley SarliDiamond Springs, CA 95827-1429

Ray & Betty SilvaSuisun Valley, CA 94585

Todd & Jamee ThrushElk Grove, CA 95757-3508

Richard Wetzel & Delores McKinnonSacramento, CA 95835916/419-4334

Courtney & Carol [email protected]

Michelle WillisVista, CA 92085 Mike & Emily Willis02 Boxster S

8 The Drifter

By Julia LynnSocial Director

The Social Scene

The end of the year is near and now it’s time to start thinking about great activities for 2006. The planning meeting is next month so get your thinking caps on and dream up a great tour for the Club to go on. If you have never hosted a tour, there is help from seasoned members as well as the following article (written by former Social Directors Bill & Cathy Keegan) to get you on your way.

By Bill & Cathy KeeganFormer Social Directors

How to Host a Tour

Do you have a favorite road or special place that you’d like to share with your fellow Porschephiles? Have you been wanting to get involved in the Club, but you’re not sure how? Hosting a tour is easy and fun, and a great way to get more out of your PCA membership. If you don’t have an idea for a place to take us, or if you’re just not sure whether or not you want to jump right in, consider getting your toes wet by offering to help someone else with their tour. Either way, the Planning Meeting coming up on January 12 is the perfect opportunity to do just that. To help you prepare, here’s what’s involved in hosting a tour:

Four Or More Months Ahead

Pick a destination and date, and sketch out a plan. Will it be a day or overnight trip? Will there need to be a minimum or maximum number of cars due to parking or other con-siderations? Confirm possible stops along the way (lunch, destination, etc.) to include in the ad in The Drifter. Schedule the date at the January Planning Meeting or with the Social Director.Will there be costs associated with the trip, such as meals, accommodations, prizes, or entrance fees? Develop a budget and be cer-tain to include at least $2.00/entrant for the Club treasury. If you need advance money, or if the tour will incur over $1500 in cost liability due to guarantees, a budget must be submitted to the Board.

When is your last date for reservations? Do you need to advise a restaurant or other provider of the number of people, meal selections, etc.? Will you need to purchase tickets, passes, etc. in advance?Develop an ad for The Drifter, our web site, email notification, and/or an event flyer. Items for The Drifter are due to the editors by the first of the month prior to publica-tion. For example, if the sign-up deadline for your event is in the first week of April, then you may want to submit at least a brief teaser ad by January 1st for the February edition of The Drifter. You’ll need to send in a detailed ad for the March issue by February 1st. On March 1st you could submit a “last chance” ad in the April issue, or decide to continue or discontinue your March ad.

Three Or More Months Ahead

Select a route and begin to develop route instructions. Make notes of times and dis-tances, and remember that a group travels slower than one or two vehicles. Confirm arrangements for your start point and stops or points of interest along the way. Make certain there are scheduled rest stops along the way.Make certain that the vice president has ordered insurance coverage. If you have costs with providers, make certain you have written agreements.

Two Months Ahead

Continue to publicize the event. Make announcements and/or hand out flyers at dinner meetings and other events. Have a sign-up sheet available for when people begin to make reservations.Arrange for another member to assist you. Schedule a day a week or two before the tour to “proof ” the route with another car.

One Month Ahead

Make arrangements with the social director for an email blast.Obtain an insurance binder from the vice president. Have liability release forms (in color) available.

One To Two Weeks Ahead

“Proof ” the tour by running the route with your helper. Is your route still available? Has there been road construction that neces-sitates changes to your route?Finalize and print your written route in-structions with distances, turn instructions, maps, etc. You’ll hand out copies on the day of the tour.

Identify at least one photographer. Persuade someone going on the tour to write and submit a review article for The Drifter.Consider breaking into more than one group if you have over 15 to 20 cars. Recruit helpers to lead and follow any additional groups.

Tour Day

Collect the tour fee and have everyone sign releases, including drivers, passengers, adults, and children, no exceptions!Distribute instructions, maps, etc. when participants sign in.Conduct a drivers’ meeting. Discuss the route. Designate a radio channel, and go over usage. Identify the lead, middle, and “back door” vehicles. Go over touring rules such as: turn headlights on when underway, use turn signals so others know where you’re going, and always keep the cars in front of you and behind you in sight, stay together. Safety is our primary consideration. Be courteous to those on the tour with you and those you encounter along the way.

After the Tour

Make sure that a review article and photos are submitted to The Drifter editor by the 1st of the month. You can write an article yourself, but it’s even better to have one of the participants tell everyone what made your tour fun and memorable. Don’t forget to thank your helpers.Submit photos for The Drifter, for the re-view article and for the center page—maybe even a cover shot! Be sure to identify the “People, Places & Porsches” in your photos as well as the photographer; include cap-tions if you like.Forward the proceeds to the treasurer. Re-turn the insurance paperwork and signed releases to the vice president.

That’s it, piece of cake, right?? I hope to see a lot of you at the Planning Meeting!

9The Drifter

My First CRAB

The Beginning

The year was 2001 and it was CRAB 28 with Tim and Sue Fleming being our CRAB Chairs. I had been in the club for a little over a year and had already met a number of club members from going to dinner meetings, several driving tours and a Concours. People had been talking about CRAB and how fun it was and how there were more activities scheduled than you could possible do, but I kept thinking – 3 days, can I really afford that much time right now. Well I did and I’m glad because I had the time of my life.

The CRAB Start

CRAB starts out with a Welcome Registra-tion Party on Friday evening which, like the whole CRAB weekend, is pretty low key. Here you mingle with the other CRAB en-trants and sign up the events that you want to participate in during the next two days. Don Koepke from Niello Porsche has gener-ally brought out the Niello Goodie Store to the Welcome Party for people to look at and purchase the latest in Porsche goodies.

Events on Saturday

Saturday was a blur of activities. We did the driving tour, which took us on some great Porsche roads through the Amador Wine Country. The weather was beautiful and we visited several wineries before stopping for lunch. We got back in time to participate in the Gymkhana, which was put on by Greg and Cyndee Peart. If you’ve never done a Gymkahana before, you’re in for some fun! This is a low speed test of driving skill as you maneuver your Porsche through some tight-coned spaces. But that’s not all – I, as the driver, was blindfolded and my passenger had to get me through all the cones while they were busy throwing basketballs into buckets and doing all sorts of other stuff. Good communication is a must here! The CRAB banquet started at 6:00 pm with cocktails in the ballroom and a social hour. The food itself was great but the socializing with other CRAB participants and meeting many, many other club members was the highlight of the evening. Following dinner were some door prizes and well-deserved awards for the Au-tocross and Gymkhana. Music and dancing ended an event filled day.

Saving the Best for Last

On Sunday we started with the Rally. Now, I’ve never thought of myself as a Rally per-son – basically because I can get lost going to the grocery store, but we had a ball. Yes, we got lost, but somehow managed for find our way back on track and cross the finish line and not in last place! Quite an accom-plishment. After the Rally we put the car on the Concours field and actually got some bonus points for driving it in the Rally. The CRAB Concours is obviously not a serious event and it becomes more of a Porsche car show. We ended the weekend with the traditional Beer ‘N’ Brat. There were more awards handed out for the Rally, Concours and Walking Tour and believe it or not they have traditional awards for the “Crabbiest Person” and the “Crabbiest Car”. 4:00 pm came all too soon and we were all bidding each other farewell until CRAB 29. I left that afternoon tired, stuffed and thinking that I could hardly wait until next year – It was that much fun.

By Kim Nelson,Past President

The CRAB of 2006

Our next CRAB – CRAB 32 is scheduled for April 7th, 8th and 9th of 2006 and every-thing is going to be held at the Towe Auto Museum in Old Town Sacramento except the Autocross which will be held at our Autocross site at the Stockton Fairgrounds. We have been working on the event for the past couple of months and have over 20 club members helping to put this event together. In the coming months you will see a number of articles in the Drifter about the upcoming CRAB and we all hope that you will consider this event as the one you don’t want to miss in 2006. We will have information on our club website in January about the different activities planned and the Registration form. If you have any questions or want more information before then please contact me at [email protected] or Kim Kinder at [email protected] .

CRAB32 is Coming!April 7,8,9, 2006

The Legendary SVR West Coast Weekender is Back!

Fun Concours! Great Rally! Autocross!

Driving and Walking Tours!

Beer&Brat and more....

Location: Towe Auto Museum, Sacramento

CRAB32 Co-Chairs: Kim Nelson & Kim Kinder

CRAB32 Co-Chairs, Kim Kinder and Kim Nelson, will work tirelessly to make this a CRAB to remember.

10

Herb and Jan Hoover, hosts of the SVR Tree Decoration Party and Pot Luck Dinner at the Towe Museum.

The “Greeting Group”. Mike Willis, Emily Willis, Rachael Johnson, Tom Kroetz and Herb Hoover.

Getting the SVR Christmas Tree set up, is Rich Swenson. Leave it to an engineer!

SVR Tree Decoration and Pot Luck Dinner at the Towe Auto Musuem

Wine in hand, Emily Willis appears to be having a good time. Rich McGlumphy, Mike Willis and Andy Leight pose for the cameraman (Kim Nelson).

Drifter Editors Nick and Lindsey Harrington, and Past Drifter Editor, Dennis Stettner (2000-2002).

The Drifter thanks Kim Nelson for providing all the images of this event.

11The Drifter

SVR Member Ruth Stark sent in this image taken on her recent trip to Scotland. Thanks Ruth!

Kirk Bradford’s 911 from the Novermber 2005 Mendocino Tour.View from the balcony at Little River Inn. Mendocino continues to be the most popular tour of the year.

Great weather, great views!

The Old Water Tower, Mendocino.

SVR Annual Mendocino Tour

Shop, Shop, Shop!

Sunset from the Little River Inn.

The Drifter thanks Kirk Bradford for providing all of the Mendocino Images.

12 The Drifter

The Drifter is pleased to announce the inclusion of nationally known automotive adviser “Bondo Bob” to appear in our publication. Bondo Bob can answer those tough questions that come up between Porsche owners and their friends and family. Feel free to ask Bondo Bob any car re-lated question and have those long unanswered situations put to rest. Also, we should all thank our advertising manager, Dick MacFarlane for arranging this syndication.

Dear Bondo Bob……..I heard that long time SVR member Phil Lawrence is running for the governor of West Virginia. If Phil wins he says he will have all law enforcement in the state driving early Porsche 911s and they must be green. My question is that the green Porsches will probably be okay, but don’t you think it could hurt his election chances to have all of the state vehicles entered in the” West Virginia Moon Shiners Concourse” once a year? If you don’t score enough points on your trac-tor, street sweeper, semi, patrol car, fire truck, or what ever you are enrolled in the “Phil Lawrence School of Concourseing” for one year without pay.Signed…..WV state worker with a raggedy dump truck.

Dear WV dump truck driver……The good folks of West Virginia would very lucky to have a man like Phil running your state. Even if he doesn’t do much else you will have fast good look’n state vehicles. Signed…… Double B

Dear Bondo Bob…….I want to impress my new boyfriend and buy him a new Carrera GT for Christmas. I don’t know much about the car, but if I sell my new Corvette, Hummer, and ski boat will I be able to buy him one? Signed........Carrera Clueless

Dear CC……….Sell the Corvette, Hummer, and the ski boat and then sell the house. Yes….then you can by him one of those beautiful new (F-16 jet fighter like) automobiles…… And trust me darling….he will be impressed.Signed…..Bondo (maybe my wife will buy me a GT for Christmas) Bob

Dear Bondo Bob……I really need your help….My wife just gave me her Christmas list and I am having a prob-lem on what to buy her. I built her an 19 car garage and she has filled it with Porsches of all styles and colors. HELP!!!!!Signed……DMV Poor

Dear DMV (I hope you don’t have to stand in line) Poor……Here are Bondo Bob’s Christmas suggestions for you……Now pay attention…. 1. Buy her a brand new Carrera GT from Niello Porsche in Rocklin.2. Pick up a new BMW motorcycle from A&S BMW in Roseville3. Have the life story of her 1964…18 win-dow bus printed at Enterprise Printing4. Get her 911 turbo repainted at European Body shop in Sacramento5. Upgrade her driving suit and helmet from FDR Autosports.6. Take her 917 to Fabrication Specialties for some body work.7. Her 356 needs a tune up…take it to Franks Automotive on Folsom Blvd.8. How about oil changes for all 18 Porsches at the new IPB Autosport location9. New interior for her 914 from Bob at Karma Kreations10. Gift certificates for her 924 and 944 from Parts Heaven11. Carbon fiber upgrades for her 996 from Performance Products.12. Go to OK tires on Auburn Blvd for a new set of 911 comp T/A tires.13. Call Racers Group for her new unichip piggyback computer for her 996 turbo14. Have the kitchen window etched with her Boxster from Reflections in Glass.15. Insure her Cayenne with Arnold O’Shields of State Farm Insurance.16. She would love a day on the track at Laguna Seca..call Trackmaster.17. Walt Stickel could do wonders with her 912 paint job.18. A short trio to Weidmans Wheels and her original Fuchs could look like new. 19. Go see Ryan Jones at Silver Star Recycling for parts, parts, parts.20. BUT IF NONE OF THESE GREAT CHRISTMAS IDEAS GRAB YOU…. DO WHAT I AM DOING….CALL TOM SIS-SION AT THE SVR GOODIE STORE AND BUY HER A $5.00 BRIDGESTONE HAT...…WISH HER A MERRY CHRIST-MAS AND CALL IT GOOD……Signed……Bondo HO HO HO Bob

Bondo Bob

13The Drifter

Debris in your Boxster

Take a peek. The leaves are there… along with candy wrappers, cigarettes, pebbles, stones and anything else floating around on Texas highways. Where? Why, the two air intakes on the front bumper (or 3 on a “S” model). If it’s been a while since you peaked in the radiator air intakes (or maybe never…), you’ll be sure to find all manor of road debris. Surely all of this debris can’t be good for the cooling efficiency of your radiators, espe-

cially on a typical Texas 100� summer day. When it’s hot, you want the airflow to your radiators to be unimpeded and performing at their best.

Time to take action

So, maybe it’s time you spent a few minutes this spring performing a leaf-ectomy. It’s not hard once you know the trick. If you’ve taken a look at the openings, you’ve already noticed that the air intake grills are not removable (without removing the whole bumper cover). This makes access to the debris a bit more challenging.

A cleaning trick

A simple vacuum cleaner will be the tool of choice albeit with a slight modification. Your

By Bob Bianconi, Maverick Region, “Slipstream”

The Boxster Leaf Catcher

standard vac attachments won’t work because of the intake grills; they are just too large to fit through the openings. But we can take care of that. Besides, your trusty vac, you’ll need 3 cardboard paper towel rolls; you know the kind, the cardboard roll that you throw away when you have used up the last paper towel. Here’s the trick: Insert one roll into the other and then flatten the first 2 such that they fit in between the lower set of louvers on the grill. Insert the end of the vacuum into roll three and turn it on. A flashlight helps you aim the end towards the far corner; that’s where you will find most of the debris. Leaves, wrappers, stones and pebbles will all get vacuumed up. Be careful to not hit the fins of the radiators. As a finishing touch, take your hose and rinse down the radiators, not too strong, not too weak.

Ready to go

So there you have it; a simple trick to keeping your radiators operating at their best for the upcoming summer months. Save those paper towel rolls, you’ll be needing them.I think you’ll find this spring cleaning tip also works on the Boxster’s big brother, the 996.

Figure 1.Overall view of the process.Figure 2. Showing Towel Rolls.Figure 3. What is in your Boxster?

1

2

3

14 The Drifter

The SVR Goodie Store: December......SANTA COMES EARLY

The Goodie Store has all types of goodies but some require ordering so buy early for Xmas presents! Examples include Tshirts with Porsche Crest or script (Navy with gold Porsche; Red with gold Porsche; Black with red Porsche; Grey with red Porsche), baseball shirts, polo shirts, denim shirts, sweat shirts and microfi ber jackets with outlined script, Crest, script, or SVR logo—or even your car in color. We have shirts for the ladies (v-neck, scoop neck, wide or spaghetti straps) in varying colors and even tone on tone embroi-dery. Don’t forget the SCVR and PCA car badges! All at great prices! Remember, with all these new clothes you will never have to pull a “Lady Godiva” and drive your Porsche in the nude. BTW, Lady Godiva really did exist in 11th century England, but her name was Godgifu. She was married to Leofric, the hard-nosed tax collector in Coventry, whose policies she deemed unduly harsh. But did she protest them by a little streaking on horseback? No source from her time reports that she did and surely someone would have noticed. In fact the story was written 150 years later by a monk, who said Leofric offered to let up on the peasants if she sacrifi ced herself on their behalf by riding nude through the streets, thus pinning a convenient moral on the tale. That’s all that is known about the lady who gave new meaning to the phrase “bare back riding.”

The SVR Goodie Store: January......HAPPY NEW YEAR

Out of the goodness of it’s heart, and because you may still be inebriated from the New Years Eve festivities, the Goodie Store has some special buys to help you use up all that money you saved at the Xmas sales! Don’t miss out! We have T-Shirts with PORSCHE embroidered across the front. ONLY $18 total. Many colors are available, such as Navy with gold Porsche, Red with gold Porsche, Black with red Porsche, and Grey with red Porsche. Green and white are also available, and the script can be in different colors. Some are in stock, but all can be ordered. Outline Porsche script is $2 more.For you colder types, heavyweight SWEATSHIRTS with Porsche script are available in red, black, white and Navy. Also available are POLO SHIRTS, DENIM SHIRTS, and other garments with the SVR logo. Many logos are available--we can order the crest in the old style, the new style, and black and white. Various cars can be put on the garments-there are 911’s, 356’s, 928’s, 914’s and Boxster’s. It may even be possible to match your car’s color. WOW!!! There are also microfi ber jackets with the above logo’s --$55 to $60 depending on logo.Last but far from least are the SVR and PCA car badges. Every Porsche should have at least one of these.Why do you celebrate New Years? Because you like booze—well, maybe. The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was fi rst observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. Around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the fi rst New Moon after the fi rst day of spring. The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical or agricultural signifi cance. It is purely arbitrary. The Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to start the New Year. Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established the Julian Calendar which again set January 1 as the new year. The early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the church began having its own religious ob-servances with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Years was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ’s Circumcision by some denominations. During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.With all these educational moments brought to you for free by your Goodie Store, don’t just want to rush over and buy stuff just to help offset the high cost of the research? Contact your friendly Goodie Store people! See Tom Sisson at meetings and events, or contact him at 14537 Surrey Junction Lane, Sutter Creek, CA 95685, 209-296-5352 or E-mail [email protected]. Items can be mailed for a small shipping/handling fee.

in color. We have shirts for the ladies (v-neck, scoop neck, wide or spaghetti straps) in varying colors and even tone on tone embroi-dery. Don’t forget the SCVR and PCA car badges! All at great prices! Remember, with all these new clothes you will never have to pull a “Lady Godiva” and drive your Porsche in the nude. BTW, Lady Godiva really did exist in 11th century England, but her name was Godgifu. She was married to Leofric, the hard-nosed tax collector in Coventry, whose policies she deemed unduly harsh. But did she protest them by a little streaking on horseback? No source from her time reports that she did and surely someone would have noticed. In fact the story was written 150 years later by a monk, who said Leofric offered to let up on the peasants if she sacrifi ced herself on their behalf by riding nude through the streets, thus pinning a convenient moral on the tale. That’s all that is known about the lady who gave new meaning to the phrase “bare back riding.”

The SVR Goodie Store: January......HAPPY NEW YEAR

Out of the goodness of it’s heart, and because you may still be inebriated from the New Years Eve festivities, the Goodie Store has some special buys to help you use up all that money you saved at the Xmas sales! Don’t miss out! We have T-Shirts with PORSCHE embroidered across the front. ONLY $18 total. Many colors are available, such as Navy with gold Porsche, Red with gold Porsche, Black with red Porsche, and Grey with red Porsche. Green and white are also available, and the script can be in different colors. Some are in stock, but all can be ordered. Outline Porsche script is $2 more.For you colder types, heavyweight SWEATSHIRTS with Porsche script are available in red, black, white and Navy. Also available are POLO SHIRTS, DENIM SHIRTS, and other garments with the SVR logo. Many logos are available--we can order the crest in the old style, the new style, and black and white. Various cars can be put on the garments-there are 911’s, 356’s, 928’s, 914’s and Boxster’s. It may even be possible to match your car’s color. WOW!!! There are also microfi ber jackets with the above logo’s --$55 to $60 depending on logo.Last but far from least are the SVR and PCA car badges. Every Porsche should have at least one of these.Why do you celebrate New Years? Because you like booze—well, maybe. The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was fi rst observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. Around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the fi rst New Moon after the fi rst day of spring. The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical or agricultural signifi cance. It is purely arbitrary. The Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to start the New Year. Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established the Julian Calendar which again set January 1 as the new year. The early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the church began having its own religious ob-servances with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Years was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ’s

15The Drifter

4545 Granite Dr., Rocklin - 916-625-8300

16 The Drifter

increased my enjoyment of the club.

Thanks!

However, running an autocross is a some-what involved process and would not have been possible without the assistance of club members. Kerner Breaux, who knows au-tocross inside out, helped with everything from towing the trailer, to course design and setup, to in-car instruction. Steve Nieslony as chief instructor conducted course walks for novices and helped organize the assignment of instructors and students. Lee Deter and Joy Sease served as registrars. Others arrived early to help set up, tech cars, or anything else I could think to ask for, including Mike Ambrozewicz, Bud and Mary Ann Behrens, Tyler Breaux, Doug Chalmers, E.J. and Susan Fontaine, Doug Klein, Larry Sharp, and Rob Sime. Thank you to everyone who helped make 2005 a successful year.

On to 2006

I enjoyed the experience and plan to continue as Autocross Chair in 2006, starting with our first event in April at CRAB 32. If you

Matt Deiter, Autocross Chair, Continued from Page 5...

www.fdrmotorsports.com

Offering PCA Club Member Pricing on

Performance and Appearance Products

Now Offering Performance Friction

Brake Products Frozen Rotors

Micro Fiber Detailing Towels Brey-Krause

CarGraphic USA Crow Enterprises Harnesses Sparco, Helmets, Seats, Suits and more…………

Call or Visit Our Website

Phone: (916) 989-0580

www.fdrmotorsports.com

Email: [email protected] *MSRP for base model 2006 K 1200 R is $14,250. MSRP includes distribution and handling charges but excludes license, registration, taxes, title, insurance and options. Actual price isdetermined by dealer. ©2005 BMW Motorrad USA. A division of BMW of North America L.L.C. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.

HOW FAST? LET’S JUST SAY WECAN’T SAY IT LEGALLY.

THE RIDE IS ON.

A&S BMW Motorcycles1125 Orlando Ave

Roseville, CaliforniaWWW.ascycles.com

1-800-689-9893

The K 1200 R is the most powerful naked bike ever.A&S BMWMotorcycles

K 1200 R$14,250*

It’s About the Ride

17The Drifter

have attended CRAB before, you already know how much fun it is. If this is your first CRAB, expect a full weekend of Porsche fun, including a Saturday autocross that is not to be missed.

Upcomng events

In May we will begin a series of events with some sort of class and point system. The more autocrosses you attend, the better your chances for fame and glory will be (what could be better than that!) After our first event, we will not be holding an autocross event for a few months due to the County Fair in June and the brutally hot summer months of July and August. The series will continue with events in September, Octo-ber, and November. Watch your upcoming Drifter and club Web site for announcements and exact dates.

Help needed

To help ensure a successful season in 2006, I am looking for volunteers in a number of areas. I need people with pickup trucks to tow the trailer and then help distribute cones during course setup (tossing ‘em off the back of the pickup). The club owns over 450 traf-fic cones, and we use most of them during

an event. Many hands make light work, and arriving at 6:30 AM (I know! Early!) to assist with course setup makes a big difference and helps ensure the event starts on time.

Feedback?

Do you have any feedback from last year’s events? Expectations or ideas for next year? Questions about autocross? Do you want to tow the trailer? (yes, yes you do) Or help set up early? Drop me an email: [email protected] or give me a call: (916) 630-8924.

I’m looking forward to another great year. See you out on the course!

Our Mission: To provide tasteful and unique design while meeting orexceeding our customer’s expectations.

We look forward to the opportunity to serve you!

Bob Rinker - Owner & Master CraftsmanErik Carlson - Apprentice Craftsman

11300-G Sunrise Gold Circle, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742(916) 858-1808

www.karmakreations.com

Custom or restoration for fine cars, classic Street Rods, and boats

Cabriolet TopsSeatsDoor PanelsCarpetsTonneau CoversCar Covers

Master Craftsmanship with over 25 YearsExperience10 Year Porsche Club Member andSponsorPorsche owner (911, Classic 914)Visa and MasterCard Accepted

“If you can dream it, we can build it!” — Bob

Mike Ambrozewicz, in his very fast and modified 914 at Infineon. Thanks to Frederick Rauch for the image.

18 The Drifter

Vision

Corners of the Mind: Chapter 7by Paul Young, San Diego Region (from The Windblown Witness)

Drivers Vision

Vision is an interesting subject. Besides having lightning reflexes, a race driver is thought to have eagle eye vision. As a mat-ter of fact however, professional race drivers have reflexes that are not particularly better than the average individual. Nor is their eyesight 20/15 or better as a group. Indeed, examples can be found of successful drivers wearing spectacles. Alas, my own eyesight has been slowly getting worse over the years, and although I wish I didn’t need corrective lenses, I can work with it.

The art of the line

As you might have surmised though, we are not really concerned with the eyesight type of vision we are interested in the process of seeing, or learning what to look for while driving. Since the eyes are controlled by the brain, and the mind is where visual process-ing takes place, this certainly qualifies as a cerebral function. For lack of a better term, I classify ‘the art of finding the line’ and some other processes under the heading of ‘vision’. We want to look at (hah hah) what we can do to improve our performance driving through training ourselves in the vision department.

Vision at speed

Finding the best line through the course requires a certain type of vision or seeing. Let us investigate ways to improve this mental skill. When analyzing the course, we look at the turns and classify them as Type I (lead-ing on to a straight), Type II (at the end of a straight), or Type III (in between turns). This classification helps us determine the line through a corner or part of the course. Overall, we can analyze the turns on the track to find the ideal line for an entire lap. Iden-tifying and sorting the significant straights is the first step in classifying the turns. Usu-ally we can determine where the significant straights are by a course diagram or at least walking the course. A parade lap or two can give a better view of where significant straights may be. But sometimes we must wait until we drive the track at speed to find out where the straights truly are. It is best to allow for flexibility in this manner, and not

start out with a fixed set of classifications for the corners until we have spent a lap or two on the course.

Maximize the straights

Common sense tells us that a car will be able to travel faster in a straight line than around a corner. I know, Porsches are renowned for superior handling, but even a stock 914 1.7 liter with big, gooey tires will go faster in a straight line than while turning. With this in mind, I find it useful to look for ways of maximizing the straights. If we can make the straightaways longer, the turns will be shorter. We’ll spend more time on the straight going fast, and less time in the corner going (relatively) slowly. We should develop the ‘vision’ of lengthening the straights. On the track diagram, or while walking or driv-ing the course, look for ways of extending the straightaways between Type I and Type II turns. With a track map, I’ll draw arcs or straight lines out of turns that look like Type I. The straight line or arc represents the extension of the straightaway. While exiting a Type I corner onto a straight, I’ll test moving the acceleration point earlier (or using more throttle earlier) in the turn. Try to picture the point at which the car will be optimally using all of the track. Similarly, I will use my vision to seek a deeper extension of the straight into a Type II corner, again lengthening the straight.

Consistency

The key to successfully refining this tech-nique is consistency—we must be able to put our car where we want on the track, at the speed we want on every lap. The level of this consistency determines the level of refine-ment we can work on. Then, we make varia-tions in these points and measure the results in order to find what works best. Obviously, we must first have good car control, and in fact, the better the car control, the better we can find these optimum points. Beyond car control is the need for reference points on the course. Without a physical, unvarying landmark, we cannot effectively try different modifications of the line.

Car control

Think of this process as an experiment. First we must have reasonable control over the process this corresponds to car control; the ability to place the car in the location we want with the speed and attitude we want. If the process is out of control, then any changes we might want to make would be swamped out by variations in the process

itself. I mean, it would be worthless to try an earlier apex point on a corner if we can’t keep from blowing away the cones in that turn on every other lap! Don’t panic or give up if you don’t have pinpoint precise car control. It’s just that we should not be working on refining a line to a finer degree than we can consistently drive.

Reference points

The physical reference points are also impor-tant. Again, with the experiment analogy, we can’t measure results accurately if we aren’t sure of what we put into the experiment. Here we must look for and use points on the course that allow us to reference our driving to these locations. Willow Springs has about a zillion paint marks and other features on the track surface, so there is no shortage of reference points. The hard part is not mistak-ing one for another! Once a unique spot is picked out, we can refer to it and try differing lines. We might try turning in just before the ‘triple white stripe’ instead of right at it. The trick is to find a fixed reference (not a cone!), and work with it.

Results

Now, with our experiment we have a relative-ly stable process (car control), and adjustable, but known inputs (track reference points). The output of our experiment is the result, which we should find some way of measur-ing. A stopwatch or timer is certainly the most obvious way of objectively measuring the effect of our changes. However, there are drawbacks to using this measure exclusively though. By timing the overall lap, we bear the burden of keeping every other part of the lap constant. This is difficult to do from a consistency standpoint: We can’t tell if a different lap time was due to the effects of a new line we are testing through the turn we’re working on, or the result of an inadvertent change in the way we took another corner. Similarly, it doesn’t allow us to experiment with any other part of the course. Nonethe-less, lap time is the ultimate measure of our performance on the track. We could limit our timing to just that section of track affected by the line we are varying, difficult to do without a group of precise, dedicated timing folks in your pit crew (there are actually fairly cost effective, car mounted, timing systems that will allow you to measure time and speed for different sections of a track. These telemetry systems will show graphs of this data in the car or it can be downloaded onto your laptop in the pits).

19The Drifter

I have found it quite useful and accurate to simply observe the sensation and handling of the car, as well as the amount of track I am using. If a change I make causes me to use more of the track, and it feels faster, smoother and better, then it likely is. If I am carrying more speed at the end of the straight follow-ing a turn, it was due to a better line through the preceding Type I corner. Even if the actual time was no better or worse, a better feeling will instill confidence that is benefi-cial for consistency and motivation. I firmly believe that there is real value in that.

Progress

At a time trial in Las Vegas a few years back I worked on improving turn eight the last turn leading onto a long straight. I could tell that I was getting the hang of it, because I would gain on cars that had a lot more power down the straight (or at least not lose ground to them). This was a good measure for me, and it actually correlated well with my overall lap times. On the other hand, I was having trouble with turn three a corner that should have been one of the easiest on the track. This is a 180 degree right hander at the end of a straight. Usually I would find myself exiting the turn with a lot of room on the outside definitely not using all the track. When I finally picked a couple of fixed reference points and worked from these, I was able to make some steady progress. As I perfected my driving line in Turn three, I was using more of the course, and it felt faster. My overall lap times improved too: the secret was looking for and using reference points.

Timing

It is beneficial to be able to project, estimate, and interpolate when searching for the opti-mum line. This means to know not just that we need to try an earlier apex, for example, but to guess exactly how much earlier. If we can make a reasonably sound estimate of the correct point, we can zero in on the optimal spot sooner, and make our learning happen faster. Since we have a limited time to drive the course, it pays to reduce the experiment time so we can learn quickly. Of course, we should not try to refine a single corner to the point of millimeters if there are more signifi-cant things that we should be working on.

Margin

When optimizing parts of the course, our goal is to use all of the track, but we must always leave some margin. This margin al-lows for variations from lap to lap due to our inconsistency. We all have different levels of

accuracy and repeatability, and this will even differ in different situations, courses, and turns. We should allow for an appropriate margin. If we don’t use all of the course, we may lose a very small fraction of a second. If there is insufficient margin though, the loss of time can be much greater due to scram-bling, having to slow down, hitting cones, spinning out, etc. Obviously, if we can drive more consistently overall, we can reduce the margin and use more of the course.

Lessening the corners

The corollary to ‘maximizing the straights’ is ‘lessening the corners’. An adage I like to use is “Don’t make a turn where there doesn’t need to be one.” Another way to think of this is to envision looking for ‘non turns’. Often I’ll have a student who will make a corner out of a simple bend in a straightaway; they are struggling with the turn. We can look for ways of making a turn nonexistent by simply setting up for it and finding the right line. Using the Las Vegas track again as an example, turn two is a right hand bend of about 45 degrees. It can be taken flat out in nearly any Porsche with the correct line, that is. Start out on the left side of the track, bring the car all the way in to a middle apex on the right, and let the car drift out to the left. With the wrong line, it becomes a 100 plus mph nightmare, and you might have to lift or brake. This is not only slower, but downright unsafe as you do not want to lift in a corner at 100 mph!

Using all of the track

Turn seven at Willow Springs is a gentle left hand bend that also can be taken at full throttle. Here the temptation is to use all the track, even if you don’t need to. If we use our vision skills correctly while we are driving, we will see that we may not need to use all the track in this corner (or ‘non corner’). By weaving from side to side down a straight, we could certainly increase our lap times. So why would we use all of the track if we didn’t really need to? It is wise not to fight the steering wheel while exiting the corner, but it is also counterproductive to drive the car to the outside of a turn, artificially ‘using all of the course’. There are some corners where your Porsche won’t need to drift all the way out to have the best line. If you can shorten the course, you will shorten your times. The saying for this is “Don’t make a turn more than it needs to be.”

Vision of the line

The esses at Riverside (ah yes, those where

the days!) were also a good exercise for the ‘vision of line’ procedure (as are slalom cones at an autocross, or Type III turns in general). Here, the secret is to look for as straight a path as possible through the section of the course, with a minimum of turning. Some-times the turns can be eliminated completely; other times reduced to mere ‘lane changes’. We should still keep in mind the importance of setting up for the straightaways. Type I corners are always the most important, and nothing we do to minimize Type III turns should sacrifice the Type I. Yet, even the process of thinking about the minimization of corners will help us subconsciously drive with a minimum of effort.

Eye focus

Another visual tool that should be practiced is determining where to keep the eyes focused on the track. All too frequently, a driver will look at the course immediately in front of the car. It is deceptive, but we need to look farther ahead than is originally intuitive. The reasons are that first, we are traveling a bit faster than we might in normal, everyday driving, and this means we must look farther ahead. Second, any change to the steering wheel we make will be delayed somewhat by the mechanics of the steering, the response time of the entire vehicle (including tires), and the dynamics of the way cars work: Cars simply don’t turn as abruptly as we might think. Finally, there is the lag between what we visually see and physically do, after brain processing (response time). There is no rule or guideline as to where exactly one should look. We must simply be aware of where we are looking, and compensate for any tendency not to look far enough ahead.

Focus on features

While driving at the track, you need to learn to focus your vision on what features ahead can affect the car’s balance. For instance, elevation changes can greatly influence the adhesion of our Porsche’s tires. Uphill, this can be used to our advantage by delaying braking, whereas we must begin braking earlier when on a downhill section. An educated right (or left) foot and the vision to look ahead and recognize the impact of elevation changes will help us get the most out of the situation.

Negotiation of features

A banked turn can be taken at a faster speed than a flat one, and similarly, an off camber turn (reversed banking) will have to be negotiated more slowly. An uphill turn

20 The Drifter

Please support our Drifter advertisers!Stop by and say “Thank you!” for their support.

With their product or service donations and financial support of SVR, we are able to bring you

more and better activities.

A&S BMW Motorcycles 16Enterprise Printing 17European Body Shop 12Fabrication Specialties 2FDR Motorsports 16Frank’s Automotive IBCIPB - Autosport IFCKarma Kreations 17Niello Porsche 15, BCOK Tire ‘n Wheel IBCPartsheaven 6Performance Products 15The Racer’s Group 16Reflections in Glass 6Silver Star Recycling 5State Farm - Arnold O’Shields 6Trackmasters IFCWalt Stickel 14Weidman’s Wheels 6

Advertiser Index

Drifter Classifieds for Porsches and/or Porsche-related parts or accessories are available at no charge to PCA members (pictures with text are $15 each); non-members may submit ads, $20 each; pictures with text add $15 each (member & non-member). Make check payable to PCA-SVR and send with ad to PCA-SVR, P.O. Box 254651, Sacramento, CA 95865-4651. Com-mercial ads are not accepted. Please contact our Advertising Manager for commercial advertising information and rates. All ads must be submitted by email to [email protected] and received by the editor by the 1st of the month prior to publication. Ads may be shortened to fit available space. Editor is not responsible for content and reserves the right to reject any ads submitted. Not responsible for any errors or omissions. As an additional benefit to our members, all ads are included in the classified section of our web page. Ads are not verified for content. It is the buyer’s responsibility to verify the information in the ads. Ads run for two months unless cancelled.

Porsches Parts/Acc

1986 944 Turbo track car, but street legal, set up for PCA F class or PRC production, charlie arms, autopower full cage, 2 KLRs & DMEs with extra chips, sparco seats with 5-point harness (2004), 8” & 9” fuchs, strong engine and very smooth drivetrain, many extras( Car will be at special NASA Porsche event at Infineon on October 29-30).Ted Phillips [email protected] 530-622-2992 (days), 530-644-0980 (eves/weekends) (11)

1999 Carrera, Rare Glacier White exterior with Graphite Grey full leather interior. 19,000 miles, Factory Full Aero Kit, 18 inch Sport Classic II wheels, nearly new Pirelli PZero’s, Navigation, CD Changer, hi-fi sound, carbon fiber shift knob and handbrake, supple leather, short shift kit. Perfect car, no issues. All service up to date, new battery. $43,500. Please call Jim Finley @ (916) 716-4086 or email [email protected]. (10)

Porsche OEM Parts - 996 car cover $50.00, 996 red seat belts $200.00, 996/993/Boxster CD changer cartridge $20.00, 996/Boxster cell phone console (black) $100.00, 993/964 cell phone console (black) $100.00, 996/Boxster non smoker option (replaces ash tray) $50.00, 996/Boxster Brey-Krause fire ext bracket $40.00. Call Bill Wallace 916-716-7787. (10)

Tires. Four 911 Comp T/A tires, still lots of tread, radials, tubeless. Two P225/50 R16 92V M/S, and two P245/50 R16, 96V M/S. $25.00 for all. Call Greg Peart (916) 684-6678. (11)

Cup Wheels w/Dunlop Tires. Four 968 original equip-ment in good-excellent condition 16” Cup wheels. Mounted Dunlop 9000 tires with 25K miles included at no charge. No Porsche crest hub included. $400. Contact Dennis Stettner for more details. 916-787-1212 or [email protected]. Local delivery only. No shipping. (12)

will simulate banking, and this too can be used to our advantage if we look ahead for it. And of course, we must go slower for a downhill corner than we would for a flat and level one.

Material on the track

Paint on the roadway surface can reduce traction and make the tires squeal. Usually not a problem, but it can be a surprise if we are not looking for it or expecting the results. The presence of gravel, dirt, or oil can reduce our traction, and we must always be on the lookout for these factors. The material and texture of the track also makes a difference. Although our speeds are probably not over 200 mph, the aerodynamic influence of other vehicles does come into play. The point is to train ourselves to have vision the ability to look forward and anticipate any influences that may need to be taken into account.

Developing Vision

By properly developing our vision, we can develop skills of knowing what to look for when analyzing and learning a track. We need to have reference points at places on the course where we wish to experiment with trying different lines.

Thinking along the lines of minimizing the amount of turning, we can feel the effects of our changes to measure the improve-ments. These sensations will nearly always be borne out by the stopwatch, so trust your senses. Besides straightening out the turns, our vision skills should always be looking far enough ahead. We learn to recognize track features such as surface irregularities and elevation changes. All of these abilities can be used to our advantage so our Porsche gets the most it can from the course.

1988 911 Carrera coupe, Diamond Blue Metallic, Marine Blue interior, Northern California car, 76,000 miles, Sticker, Purchase Order, manuals, tools, pump, no rain/snow, no smokers, no competition, no modifi-cations, damage, body repairs or paint, engine/trans-mission never opened, everything functions as new. $29,500. Stuart Honse, PO Box 8320, Tahoe City, CA 96145 530/581-4393 [email protected]

2001 Boxster S, Lapis blue metallic w/ black leather interior. Tiptronic, just turned 40k miles, still under fact warranty. Xenon litronics, sport pkg, 18” turbo wheels, heated seats w/ memory, PSM, service records, new battery, garaged, non-smoker, adult driven, one owner car. $33,995. Interesting Porsche trades considered. Excellent cond with all service up to date at Niello. 916-771-4476 or [email protected]. (12)

Independent Service and RepairPorsche | BMW | Audi | Mercedes | VW | Volvo

916-452-0917Frank LettiniNick Lettini5220 Folsom BoulevardSacramento, CA 95819Lic # 010502

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Cards

Our motto: “If you like our work,tell others. If not, tell us.”

Frank’sAUTOMOTIVE

Since 1969

4545 Granite DriveRocklin, CA 95677916-625-8300Showroom Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:30am to 8:00pm Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm1-888-298-3070

New Store open in Rocklin!Come Visit Our New State-of-the-Art Facility

Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit Number 2840

Sacramento, CA

Porsche Club of AmericaSacramento Valley RegionPost Office Box 254651Sacramento, CA 95865-4651

The Drifter is published by The PCA-Sacramento Valley Region, and is intended to inform our members of activities and other matters of interest. Typed contributions and photographs are welcome and appreciated, and should be sent to the Editors. The deadline for submission is the first of the month prior to the month of publication. Address changes and questions regarding membership need to be submitted to the Membership Chair. The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Sacramento Valley Region, its Board of Directors, or PCA, Inc.

0512 - December 2005 & January 2006 Combined Edition

Documents

Transcript of 0512 - December 2005 & January 2006 Combined Edition