Tom Provasi Membership Director

We would like to welcome Peter Kuepper who joins us from Germany!

If any of our overseas members travel to the San Francisco Bay Area,

please let us know that you'll be here! Perhaps you could join us on a tour, rallye or even a social gathering where you can meet fellow enthusiasts. Send me, or any board member an email, and we would be happy to welcome you in person!

 

The new year brings a packed calendar of events for 2012. Check it out and make a New Year's resolution to become active in LPR. There is a full slate of activities to choose from. Let the Good Times roll!

 

Interested in becoming a PCA member? Complete information is available here.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tom Provasi

Membership Director

LPR's 2012 activities calendar is packed with fantastic tours, rallyes, autocross events, tech sessions and social events!

We'll start out the year with a January 15 tour and brunch to the Crow's Nest Restaurant with its beautiful waterfront views of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.You can join us for the tour leaving from the San Jose area, or just meet us for brunch! 

Email Les Schreiber Les996@me.com with questions or to RSVP for this popular event!

Larry Sharp's Presidents Day Death Valley Tour, February 18-20, is an exciting new addition to LPR's calendar! We will travel over the southern part of the Sierras to enter Death Valley from the northwest. The route is isolated and scenic going from high alpine peaks to the lowest spot in the western hemisphere. Think sand dunes, desert wildflowers, Scotty's Castle, Furnace Creek, craters and of course, great driving roads.

Larry, who has done the tour twice, once as a participant and once as an organizer notes, "There is a special road on the way to Death Valley that lets you explore your car's limits...I always giggle when I drive it!"

Participants will need to prepare for winter weather as the tour passes over the Sierras in winter. Final routes will be determined taking into account weather and road closings. And while this is a Porsche tour, participants should feel free to drive their "other" car.

The tour will leave at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday from the Best Western Plus Town and Country Lodge in Tulare. Room rates are reasonable and most will probably arrive there on Friday for a more relaxing Saturday. There will be a potluck lunch on the way to Stovepipe Wells where a block of rooms has been set aside at the Stovepipe Wells Village Hotel for Saturday and Sunday nights.

On Saturday night there will be a group dinner with Sunday free to enjoy the day exploring all of Death Valley's sights. Sunday night you'll be free to choose your dinner location with fine dining available at Furnace Creek resorts.

On Monday we will travel back home with no formal route. However, in the past groups have gathered for an informal tour back home.

Detail can be found on the LPR Calendar or email Larry (larrysharp@comcast.net) with questions or your RSVP.

You couldn't ask for better weather for a "top-down" drive to Livermore's annual Holidays in the Vineyard celebration where area wineries celebrate the season with a weekend overflowing with Christmas cheer. The tour is a tradition for Paul Seidel Smith and Nanci Bishop who had planned visits to four fantastic wineries where the tasting rooms were filled with arts and crafts vendors, 

holiday music and special tastings.

Eight cars gathered at our starting location, Ruby Hill Winery. Their wines are designed to be rich, with a good balance between fruit, oak, acidity and tannins. Here you'll find Zinfandels and Petite Sirahs and some Italian varietals such as Sangiovese and Barbera.After a bit of socializing, tasting and shopping, the group headed to nearby Crooked Vine/Stony Ridge winery. A beautiful courtyard beckoned us to relax, enjoy the weather, the wines and a fantastic pizza oven that was turning out delectable selections like pear and goat cheese pizza. With an outside shopping fair, we almost had to drag ourselves to our next stop, La Rochelle Winery. However, once we were through the door we were handed beautiful souvenir crystal glasses for a wine and snack pairing including a port-style wine with some intensely dark chocolate. Finestra Winery was our last stop where we tasted wines and shopped in a rugged barn filled with wine aging in huge barrels. 

As the sun dropped low in the sky, Paul and Nanci led us to our dinner stop, Johnny Garlic's in Dublin. The specialty of this Guy Fieri Signature restaurant is the Hunter's Creation: wild boar tenderloin served over a bed of celery root puree which was the most popular dish at our table and did not disappoint! Paul capped off the perfect dinner with a gift of a single dark chocolate that burst into a mouthful of delicious port!

After dinner our group split up, some north to San Francisco, others south to San Jose and Santa Cruz, but we all left feeling a bit more like Christmas, with some great new friends, new favorite wines and a few holiday gifts! Thanks to Paul and Nanci!

More photos here!  

Anne Roth  Autocross Co-Chair

Congratulations to all of the 2011 AX winners! Our drivers were well represented at our Annual Awards Banquet last month. LPR handed out a record number of trophies for 2011 Class Awards. Job well done, guys!!

Congratulations also go to the 2011 AX Team, that hard-working group of folks that makes our autocross program so fantastic. The group was the proud recipient of the Harry Reed Memorial Worker of the Year Award selected by our LPR members. Besides their individual trophies, the team is listed on the perpetual plaque making them part of LPR history! It is a well-deserved recognition and I am so proud of you all!

With the new year, I'd like to welcome Larry Sharp as AX Co-Chair! Larry has been a PCA member since 1988 and is a two-time President of Golden Gate Region as well as a Zone 7 Rep from 2005-2008. He began AXing in 1974 with an MG Midget and a Chevy Vega. He graduated to a 1972 911T Targa in 1988. He has won numerous class championships with LPR, GGR, Zone 7, GGR Pax and Zone 7 Pax as well as one First Place finish and a few Second Place finishes at PCA National Parade!

Plans, arrangements and the details for the 2012 AX Season are coming along. Check the LPR website calendar or sign in to Motorsportreg.com to see dates. Mark your calendar for our AX Ground School that will be held at Borelli Motorsports on March 10. Old-timers, new-timers and not-yet-timers are all invited! Last year's Ground School was fun and informative, and included brownies and margaritas! After class, of course!

As a reminder, LPR's helmet requirement for 2012 will be Snell rated at 2005 or 2010. If you are using a 2000 or older helmet, it's time to get a new one! PCA requires us to accept M (Motorcycle), SA (AutoSports), MX (Motorcross), and K (Karting) rated helmets. LPR must also replace all of the loaner helmets we presently have. Donated helmets, new or used will not be turned away!

Once again I must plead for trailer transport! This need not be a commitment for the whole season. Sharing the transport duty with a few other people makes it easier! If you, or anyone you know, can help us out by towing the timing trailer to Marina, please contact me. If we do not have a way to get the trailer to Marina, there will be no AX.

I'm looking forward to the 2012 Season. Not only do I have to reclaim 1st place in AX 16, (yes, I am talking to you, Tony) my neighbors are going into brownie withdrawal. They, too, get brownies. I use them as a peace offering -- Martina is a bit loud at o'dark thirty on AX mornings!

See ya in Marina!

Anne

________________________________________________________

Hi Everyone!

Larry Sharp Autocross Co-Chair

I'm pleased to be Co-Chair of AX this year with Anne. Her enthusiasm and commitment has made our program one of the best in the area! We hope to continue the good times we had in 2011 by doing the same great things as before, but with a few extra treats! Look forward to having a Zone 7 Race of Champions (ZROC) at the last event of 2012! If you really want to race heads up with the best in Porsche Club of America, plan on being one of the top drivers in LPR to be eligible. We'll give you more details next month.

We also plan to spotlight results more in the coming year. After each event you'll find my commentary about everyone's efforts in our monthly AX column in the Prieta Post. Everyone likes seeing their efforts recognized but we also hope the stories will spark interest in our members who haven't yet tried Axing.

If you haven't already, take a moment to LIKE LPR on Facebook! You'll enjoy checking out the great links and find the most up-to-date AX information like course maps and results. And of course, the virtual camaraderie and witty banter with fellow enthusiasts!

I am pleased and proud to be on the LPR team this year. My goal is to help everyone have as much fun as I do with Loma Prieta Region.

Larry Sharp
LPR AX Co-Chair

Tips from AJ Auto Detailing 

Rain, mud, snow and salt are all tough on drivers. But have you ever thought how tough these elements are on your car? Most drivers don't think about washing their car during the winter months. Some even think that washing their car in winter will damage their vehicle.

Washing your car in the winter months can be one of the most beneficial things you can do to maintain the value of your car. If left on your car, mud, salt, rain and snow can damage your car's clear finish. Mud and salt caked on the undercarriage can even help promote rust - especially in older vehicles - and can also affect how well your car drives.

According to studies, one of the most critical times to wash your car is immediately after a rainfall. As rain falls, it collects pollutants from the air, a concept commonly referred to as acid rain. Even after a light rainfall, rainwater and pollutants fall on your car. The water eventually evaporates, leaving behind a thin film of pollutants that can damage your car's finish.

The longer you leave these pollutants on your car, the more damage they will inflict on your car's finish. Washing your vehicle immediately after a rainfall helps prevent damage.

Snow and sleet can also result in the same damaging

effects as acid rain and are often compounded by chemicals in road salt. To prevent winter damage, it is recommended that you wash your vehicle every 10 days.

To minimize, and possibly eliminate, damage to your car this winter, follow these simple tips:

• At a full-service car wash, ask the attendant to thoroughly dry around the inside of the door and trunk, as well as the joint where power antennas attach to the vehicle. At a self-service or exterior only car wash, bring a few towels with you so you can do this yourself.
• Immediately after washing the vehicle, open and close all doors, the trunk and other parts of the car with locks several times before parking it (this will eliminate water freezing in locks in extreme cold).
• Periodically apply a good silicone spray to all weather stripping during freezing weather.
• Wash your car every 10 days and right after a snow or rain shower.
• Wax your car at least every six months. More frequent waxing is needed if your car is not garaged.
• Go to a professional car wash that is professionally managed, has clean facilities and uses well-maintained equipment.

Parade is the biggest Porsche Club event of the year: our annual national convention. Club members from all across North America come together for this annual extravaganza to socialize with fellow enthusiasts, compete in events, go to informative seminars and enjoy the sights on leisurely tours. For many club members, Parade is their big vacation for the year. It provides them with an opportunity to see new parts of the country as well as to visit with PCA friends that they only see once a year...at Parade!

The term "Parade" evolved in August 1956, when 64 enthusiasts gathered at a suburban Washington, D.C. motel for four days of Porsche enjoyment and friendship. A parade of Porsches through the countryside caused everyone to refer to the event as the "Parade" and the name has continued. The current size of our convention makes a true parade of cars logistically difficult but we still do it when we can, and it is always a sight to see.

Besides PCA membership, representatives from the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, and from Porsche Cars North America also attend, along with numerous automotive-related spokespeople. Participants can compete in the Concours d'Elegance, a Time-Speed-Distance Rallye, Autocross, and a Technical and Historic Quiz.

Salt Lake City is only a two-day drive giving LPR members an opportunity to attend along with their car! Stay turned for more information on PCA's Parade as well as LPR's plans for an informal tour getting there!

LPR Trivia: Membership Chair Tom Provasi has attended all 33 Porsche Parades since joining LPR in 1979!