Tue

1/28

Redwood Region Board Meeting

 

Sat	2/8	Redwood Region Two Bird Brunch Run
Sat	2/22	Redwood Region Tech Session
Tue	2/25	Redwood Region Board Meeting

Click here for a single-page 2014 Redwood Region calendar in PDF format.

 

As with 2013, we have a calendar filling with activities. Just like last year, filling does not mean filled. If you have an idea for a drive or other event please pop me an email and we will work with you to make it happen. I think this Region does very well at supporting our members in the pursuit of new and unique activities. Please take a look at the upcoming events listed above to get a preview of what we already have scheduled for the first few months of 2014.

 

I enthusiastically encourage both long time and new members to come out to a Brunch Run, Autocross, Wine Tour, or other event. We continue to be a very friendly and welcoming group. Whether you are new or not, if you would like to get more involved there are several ways to make that happen. There are little ways to assist, like handing out route maps at driver's meetings, assuring that waivers get signed, or writing a newsletter article for an activity you have attended. Many hands do make light work. As President I am always looking for ways to lighten the work and increase the fun. All Board members, committee members, and event staff are volunteers. The more fun we can have while serving our members the better our experience, and the better yours.

 

I would like to start this year, as I have each Presidential term, in a spirit of thanks and acknowledgement. The contributions of all Board and Committee members are an integral part of the Region's success, and at this time I want to give special recognition to the efforts of these individuals:

 

Barbara McCrory - Webmaster and der Riesenbaum Co-Editor. Barbara's humor and efficiency are always appreciated and very much needed. I greatly appreciate her willingness to give to the region as well as the superior quality of her work. You should know that the vast majority of event flyers you see in the newsletter are created by Barbara. Thank you Barbara!

 

Jerry Gladstone - Treasurer and der Riesenbaum Co-Editor. I know I can always count on Jerry to find ways to save us money and keep our treasury sound. He along with Barbara are the cornerstone of our newsletter. The two of them have kept dR sound and always improving. Thank you Jerry!

 

While Jerry and Barbara have agreed to keep their dual interim roles for 2014, we do continue to look toward a day when they can hand the reins of dR over to a competent successor. David Yusem has expressed some interest in this and did contribute both his writing expertise and editing skills to dR in 2013. Unfortunately David's busy schedule has not as yet allowed him to take on more.

 

Don Magdanz -- Our Event Director - Don had a very busy 2013, he implemented the policies and forms for event management that he developed in 2012. These have streamlined the process of putting on Region events. Don gets pretty busy throughout the year with all that this region does. I especially appreciate his reminders to me to order insurance for each moving car event. Thank you Don!

 

Craig Steele - Our  Secretary - Thank you Craig for keeping track of (and storing) all of our Region documents, taking minutes at Board meetings, for reminding the Board to submit their monthly reports, and particularly for putting all of those into a simple document for us all to read.

 

Mike Hinton - My VP -  Vice President in our Region tends to be a role that morphs into other roles as needed. He has  been the guy to create humorous and very well written event articles when no one else has volunteered. If the Secretary cannot make a board meeting, then the taking of the minutes falls to the VP. Mike has planned and led several of our driving tours as well. Thank you Mike!

 

Grady Carter - Our Autocross Director - Continuity and competency are very important in Autocross. Grady has done most Redwood AX's for the last few years, as well as many with GGR, and has also done frequent track events. As AX director he has been a liaison with the airport regarding our site. I am very happy he has consented to give his time to us for yet another year. 

 

Bob Schoenherr -- Grady's AX co-chair - Bob did most of our course layouts for 2013 and we hope to continue to benefit from this expertise in 2014. He is also continuing to be our chief instructor this year. He constantly and competently juggled individual instruction of many AX newbies while making sure that those he could not personally help had other instructors assigned.

 

On top of all this Bob continues to hold the position of Membership Director. We really need to give this guy a break (as well as big praise). Membership Director is a great position for getting to know new club members and inspiring others who share our passion for these amazing cars to join. Please contact myself, Bob, or any other Board member if you would like to contribute to the Club in this way.

 

Simone Kopitzki - Sponsorship Director - Simone has kept up with all of our sponsors throughout 2013, and continues to do a great job at bringing in advertising income and event sponsorship from them. She also shoots lots of event pictures, many of which you have seen in 2013 editions of dR.

 

David Bunch and Sharon Neidel - Goodie Store Co-Directors - I am very glad that we were able to give David a little break in 2013. Last year, he had only one role on the Board. He was not AX Director. He was not Secretary. He was not President. He was not producing a procedures manual for our region. He was just Goodie Store Director...and he was at most Autocrosses, often towing the AX trailer. Thank you David! Thank you Sharon! 

 

Greg Maissen, thank you Mr. Most Recent Past President for always being available for advice.

 

James Heisey - Concours Director - Thanks James for making it look so easy!

 

Mac Cranford - Safety Director - Thank you Mac for speaking your mind and bringing up safety concerns whenever needed. I appreciate your calm demeanor and your integrity. I also appreciate the worker herding you have done at AX.

 

Anita Benzing - Bob Schoenherr's (much) better half. Thank you Anita for all the work on AX registration and worker herding in 2013. Thank you also for your always positive attitude and smile!

 

Tom Strobel and Family - Thanks for the help with AX in 2013, including Tom's willingness to tow the AX trailer when we've really needed it, and Alycia for registration help!

 

I know I have missed a few of you, so please accept my thanks as well as my apologies for not getting your names specifically mentioned.

 

Let me end with  the same words I used in January of 2013 -- Great People, Great Cars, Great Fun. Come out and share these with us! I am looking forward to seeing and talking to each and every one of you this year. I said the same last January. Those of you who participated in 2013 know I did just that and I had a great time doing so. This club is its people and I very much enjoy you all!

 

That's all for now...down the road,

 

Vern

 

 

 

 

After a historically dry calendar year 2013, what kind of weather would you predict for the Redwood Region's 2014 One One Fun Run? If you guessed crystal clear and dry, you won the prize!

 

This year's run abandoned the traditional Novato starting point for the friendly confines of the Owl Café parking lot located on old U.S. 101 in downtown Cloverdale. When Brenda and I arrived there were only a handful of cars present. Shortly thereafter, Porsches old and new began streaming in and completely filling the parking lot.

 

Don Magdanz, our event coordinator, headed up the drivers' meeting with the standard safety checklist followed by asking if anyone was participating in their first Redwood Region event. I believe that there were four or five newcomers, which is fantastic! One of those folks was driving one of those EYE-TAL-IAN cars (AKA Ferrari), and he accepted the expected ribbing in good humor. We offered to let him lead to make sure that the course was free of law enforcement! :)

 

Our route for the day was long, over 130 miles, but simple: turn left onto Highway 128 out of Cloverdale, then when Highway 128 ends, turn left on Highway 1. What could be simpler? Bob Schoenherr agreed to lead the first segment of the run in his beautiful 1976 912E. Bob's segment of Highway 128 wound its way through the rugged hills of the Coast Range, through the village of Yorkville, and then into the flatlands of the Anderson Valley. Even with less than 100 horsepower, Bob's 912E maintained an entertaining pace up and down the hills, and around the many tight turns on the way to Boonville.

 

The group of 20+ cars filled the curbside parking in beautiful downtown Boonville as we paused for refreshments and a bathroom break. Following the pit-stop, I was assigned to lead the group to the next rest stop in Gualala on the Mendocino coast. I was eagerly awaiting the drive through and past Navarro, as Highway 128 sweeps through a long stretch of curves which are (closely!) bordered by ancient redwood trees. Of course, since it was approaching noon the group had to deal with the usual nemesis: very slow-moving traffic.

   

Not long after I began leading the group we closed quickly on the first slow car of the day. Then amazingly, the driver pulled over and let our entire group by. I was flabbergasted! Incredibly enough, that same scenario repeated itself five more times before we reached Gualala. Thanks to those unnamed drivers who were paying attention, and allowed us to proceed briskly on our way.

 

Kurt Fischer graciously consented to lead the home stretch of the run to Jenner in his Weissach Edition 911SC. As you may know, the stretch of Highway 1 along the Mendocino and Sonoma coast is beautiful, with a mix of straight sections and hair-raising hills and turns. Kurt had good luck with the slower traffic as well with our group only being held up on the final run into Jenner.

Almost precisely on schedule our group met at the Jenner Inn for lunch. We also had several other members who were unable to participate in the drive join the group for lunch. Our group filled one of the large dining rooms to capacity, and it was time to relive and share the experiences of the drive. I do think that the size of our group overwhelmed the staff of the restaurant as our table was finished with our meal before others had been served. I know that the servers did their best...

 

All in all, this year's One One Fun Run was again a success. Many thanks to Don Magdanz for his tireless efforts in designing the route and securing the lunch venue. On behalf of the Board, I'd like to welcome and thank those members who made this event their first Redwood Region event. I hope to see all of you soon at another event - just check the calendar on the website to see what is in store for 2014.   

Bob Schoenherr's complete collection of great photos of the One One Fun Run can be seen by clicking here.

by Sharon Castle, Redwood Region Member                                                             

 

                                                                 Overcoming Wet Palms

 

Exactly 41 years ago in January 1973, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a drive up Highway 1 to the Timber Cove Inn. The day was as clear, dry and beautiful as was our One-One-Fun Run run this week. I owned my second Porsche a 1959 Cabriolet: hardtop convertible with nerf bar bumpers. I had purchased the car from a young lawyer in Berkeley for $2,200. Jan Armstrong, my boyfriend, was driving the car; he owned a 1960 MGA.

 

On the way up the coast Jan mentioned that the Porsche was looser in the rear than his car. I said to him: "it's only a matter of time before you will get used to the difference from your tight MGA".

 

We stopped at the Timber Cove Inn where Jan had a coffee and I had a Sherry. Afterwards we headed back down the coast towards home. For no apparent reason (the road was dry and there was no gravel or oil on the road), my car lost control and hit the right side embankment. It flipped over and slid upside down 16 feet across the curve of the turn and then proceeded to roll off the left side of the road and down a cliff.

 

By the Grace of God we tumbled down about 300 feet and came to rest upside down on a grassy knoll; the hard top was mostly off the car. We could feel the grass with our hands. We asked each other if we were OK; we seemed to be. We unfastened our seat belts, dropped down and crawled out through the windows. We climbed hand-over-hand up the cliff to catch a ride with a local hippie who took us to Jenner. We went skiing the next day as we had planned. It turned out that I had a minor concussion and Jan a few scratches on his head where the broken glass scraped him.  

 

A few days later I contacted my insurance company and they seemed fit to be tied. The agent said it took several hours to get the car up the cliff and they had to put it together, as it had broken into three pieces, then to tow it away. Apparently they were checking hospitals for me. I had insured the car as a classic and actually got a bit more than I paid for it. The insurance agent refused to show me the pictures of the car. Needless to say whenever driving near any cliffs my palms would get sweaty and I would be very tense to say the least.

 

Fast forward to 2013. As a retirement present to myself I purchased a beautiful green 2010 Boxster. I have to admit that I was a bit backed off and really did not understand how different it was from the old 356.  

 

I joined the PCA and received a notice that there would be a driving school with instructors who would teach me how to drive my car. Well it was autocrossing and I was hooked! I joined the Redwood Region and have to say they have changed any fear that I may have had through their good instructors and by being able to practice driving in autocross. I now totally enjoy driving Highway 1, and do so without wet palms.  

Porsche 911 RSR in 2014 Spec at WEC Bahrain Finale 6

Questions?  Contact Vern Thomas by email  or phone 925-681-8290

 

by Craig Steele, Redwood Region Secretary

 

Membership Report - December 2013

 

Happy New Year everyone. Overall membership was very stable with an overall growth of 61 members year over last year at this time - a 9% increase for 2013. Congratulations to Bob Sherwood for his 43 years as a PCA member. Be sure when you see Bob and his black slant nose 911 to ask about his trip to Germany a couple of years ago. On another note if we miss your anniversary date, please let me know so we can make corrections.

 

Anita and I had the pleasure of leading the first leg of the One One Fun Run on New Year's day -- it was great fun! Queenie, our 912e, was ready for a cruise through the Redwoods and out to the ocean. Great to see the 20 plus cars that got to enjoy the drive too. Thanks Don for setting this up!

 

Be ready for the first bunch run soon to come in 2014. You can always contact me if you have any questions. Please feel free to email me at  b_schoenherr@yahoo.com or call me at 707.995.5082 with any questions.

 

Bob

  

New Members	2	Primary Members	518
Transfers in	3	Affiliate Members	363
Transfers out	2	Dual Members	18
Renewals	20	Total Members	899
Non-renewals	4

 

 

Please contact Bob Schoenherr, Membership Director for general information about Club membership, including changes of address and/or contact information, dual-membership inquiries, inter-region transfers, membership referrals, and name badges.

510.501.9278

707.525.8623

707.995.5082

415.577.0647

hitecauto@sbcglobal.net

415.258.9619

707.478.7962

415.258.0242

415.299.7563