GOOD BYE AND FAREWELL!

This is my last In the Zone. My term as Zone 6 Rep ends December 31st. Starting January 1st, Brad Pape will be the Zone 6 Rep. Brad is, in my opinion, a great selection as Zone 6 Rep and I know he will do well.

It has been our privilege to be the Zone 6 Rep. Yes, I noted; ‘our’, Nancy has been supportive and, in many cases, leading me all along. She was the brains behind the zone region presidents’ meetings, she edited my musings in these pages, and many more. We will really miss all the opportunities to help and interact with all our friends in Zone 6. However, I fully support the idea that Zone Reps should have specific terms. It keeps the position fresh with new ideas and energy.

Nancy & I have several PCA activities planned for 2026. First up is a trip to Parade – Lake Placid in June. I will drive out and Nancy will meet me in Columbus, Ohio. We will also be participating in Canada West/ BC Interior’s Escape 2026 in Penticton in September. We hope to connect with many of you at these events.

For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14th, 2026. Registration opens in January 2026. Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29th to April 2nd. Event registration opens December 18th at 3 PM EST. 2026 Treffen at Sea Pacific Wine Country cruise will depart from Vancouver, BC on September 19th, 2026. Parade 2027 will be held in Boise, ID, starting July 11th.

Nancy and I have thoroughly enjoyed all our visits to the Zone 6 regions over the last four years and look forward to enjoying Zone 6 signature region events in the future. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot. Santa’s sleigh reimagined.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

A BUSY TERM IS NEARING IT’S END

As I wind down my term as Zone 6 Representative, I have been reflecting on what a breath of offerings are available to PCA members. As a zone rep I have participated in almost all; socials, driving tours, Parade, Treffen, Treffen at Sea, autocross (as a volunteer), and this past weekend I volunteered at the PCA Club Race at The Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Our PCA has continued to grow and thrive. We now have 149 – the creation of Greater Columbia Region was the 149th. While there are over 170,000 members yet we retain, with PCA’s region structure, a smaller feel.

My successor as Zone 6 Rep has been named – Brad Pape from the BC Interior region will be the Zone 6 Rep starting January 1st.

Have you experienced COTA as a spectator or a racer? My visit this past weekend was my first. COTA is quite the track and PCA Club Racing in conjunction with the local regions put on quite an event. This was the final race of the 2025 season and over ninety racers registered in two run groups for a two-day event. Providing yet another opportunity for PCA’rs to enjoy their vehicles. It was something to roam the pits where F1 teams work and go to the podium balcony where the race winners receive their trophies. Did you know that select club races are live streamed? To see a live stream recording go to: https://www.youtube.com/live/SarZkxnvlQg

For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14th, 2026. Registration opens in January 2026. Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29th to April 2nd. Event registration opens December 18th at 3 PM EST. 2026 Treffen at Sea Pacific Wine Country cruise will depart from Vancouver, BC on September 19th, 2026. Parade 2027 will be held in Boise, ID, starting July 11th.

Nancy and my Zone 6 region visit plans are complete. We have visited ten regions so far and have plans to visit the last one in December. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot. Podium at COTA

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

A BUSY YEAR NEARING IT’S END

I just returned from a very full weekend of region visits.  I had dinner on Friday night with the Olympic Peninsula leadership.  I went to PNWR’s TechEd with Alwin Springer on Saturday.  Then closed the weekend with a ferry ride up to Victoria to have lunch with the Vancouver Island region leadership.   

Last year I wrote about the 46 car and Rod Emory/Cameron Healy’s restoration of it.  At this year’s TechEd we learned about Alwin Springer, founder of Andial and leader of Porsche Motorsports North America.  Alwin’s insights were great.  I will soon be seeking a copy of his book – “Racing with Porsche in North America.”  The session concluded with the entrance of a 962.  Per Jay Gilloti, it was a 962C chassis number 105.  It started as a Group C car for John Fitzpatrick Racing, so it is one of the rare 962’s that raced on both sides of the Atlantic.  The owner’s mechanic was removing some of the cowling and Alwin quickly pointed out he had forgotten to disconnect a wire.    

For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14^th, 2026.  Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29^th to April 2^nd. 2026 Treffen at Sea Pacific Wine Country cruise will depart from Vancouver, BC on September 19^th, 2026. Parade 2027 will be held in Boise, ID, starting July 11^th.

Nancy and my Zone 6 region visit plans are complete.  We have visited nine regions so far and have plans to visit the last two in November. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions.  Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues. 

Parting shot.   962

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Nancy & my September was relatively quiet. We only had one region visit, but it was a great one. We visited with the newest Zone 6 Region – Greater Columbia and celebrated PCA’s 70th anniversary in style enjoying German food and beer.

My term as Zone 6 Rep is nearing its end. Zone rep terms are for two years and can be renewed once. So, we are now trying to figure what comes next for us. It is also that time of the year when PCA regions seek volunteers to staff the key positions. PCA as the saying goes: Is fueled by Volunteers. Will you be a volunteer?

Fall is a special time of the year. The last of the Zone 6 signature events take place. Oktoberfast, 101 Loop Tour, Tech Ed with Alwin Springer to name a few. I will be making two of these three great events. Unfortunately, two of these events overlap. How about you? Or will you be attending Treffen Jackson Hole. Then I will be thinking about getting my cars ready for winter; storing my Spyder. Putting snow tires on the Macan.

For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14th, 2026. Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29th to April 2nd. 2026 Treffen at Sea Pacific Wine Country cruise will depart from Vancouver, BC on September 19th, 2026. Parade 2027 will be held in Boise, ID, starting July 11th.

Nancy and my Zone 6 region visit plans are complete. We have visited six regions so far and have plans to visit the remaining five. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot: Fall Colors

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

A BUSY SUMMER IS WINDING DOWN

Nancy & my busy summer continued in August.  I have been working with Greg Dino, Cascade Region President, to bring PCA Club Racing back to Zone 6.  PCA offers several venues to learn about the capabilities of your Porsche.  The entry level is the PCA car control clinic.  Next up are Autocross and High-Performance Driver Ed (HPDE), the top level is PCA Club Racing.  Greg and I are targeting to have a PCA Club Race as part of the Rose Cup at Portland International Raceway in July 2026.  This club race will be part of the PCA West Coast series.  My thanks to Greg for taking the lead, and to the PCA National Club Racing team for their help.

Next up on our agenda are the following region visits:  Greater Columbia Region for their 70^th PCA anniversary picnic.  This will be followed by Silver Sage’s Oktoberfast. Unfortunately, as there are limited weekends in the Pacific Northwest summer, we will miss Olympic Peninsula Region’s 101 Loop Tour.  Both Oktoberfast(Silver Sage Region: OktoberFast 2025 – PCA Zone 6), and the 101 Loop Tour (Olympic Peninsula Region: 101 Loop Tour – PCA Zone 6) are great opportunities to get your Porsches out.

For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14^th, 2026.  Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29^th to April 2^nd. Parade 2027 will be held in Boise, ID, starting July 11^th.

Nancy and I continue our planning for Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit ten and are looking for ideas for the other one visit.  Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions.  Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues. 

Parting shot.   Zone 6 Reps, past and present

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

ZONE 6 ABOUNDS IN EVENTS

Nancy & I had a very busy July. It started with the 69th Porsche Parade in Oklahoma City. Congratulations to all the Zone 6 winners – there are too many to list in this short piece. Did you see that Parade 2027 is coming to Zone 6. 71st Porsche Parade will be held in Boise, Idaho, starting July 11th, 2027! We hope to see many of you at the 2026 and 2027 Porsche Parades. Besides Parade, Nancy and I participated in Canada West Region’s 50th anniversary celebration. Aaron Ambrosino, PCA National President, was also in attendance and helped present many of the awards. Next up was a trip to Oliver, BC and participation in BC Interior Region’s Shades of Stuttgart event. Over 100 Porsches from Zone 6 were on display. Nancy and I were fortunate to win People’s Choice award. For those long-range planners in the audience, I would note; Porsche Parade 2026 will be held in Lake Placid, NY starting June 14th, 2026. Besides Porsche Parade, PCA National has several events of note; 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6th. Treffen at Sea registration is open! Spring 2026 Treffen will be held at the Montage Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton, SC) March 29th to April 2nd. Nancy and I continue our planning for Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit nine and are looking for ideas for the other two visits. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues. Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone! Nancy & I had a very busy month.  It started with our participation in the Selkirk Loop driving tour put on by the Inland Northwest region.  This tour had participants from Oregon, Washington and Idaho – 47 cars & 87 people.  The tour started in Coeur d’Alene with a boat cruise and continued with drives into British Columbia.  It ended in Spokane with a car show.  However, Nancy & I bypassed the Spokane portion as we had to leave for our next adventure.

We hurried home to clean our clothes and pack for our trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  This was a trip of a lifetime.  We flew in Sunday/Monday before the race.  While the focus of our trip was the race, we had the opportunity to visit the Normandy D-Day beaches, wine tasting, and more.  Our tour was hosted by a 14-time Le Mans driver, Robin Donovan.  Robin had teamed with Derek Bell, and Robin arranged a lunch with Derek.  The stories were fascinating! The race experiences were unbelievable:  We were in the pits during a pit stop.  We were at the end of the Mulsanne straight, at midnight, 15 feet from the track – you could see the red-hot brakes. We visited the Daytona Chicane during the race.  Robin told us of driving the original 6-kilometer Mulsanne Straight in a Porsche 917 before the Daytona and Michelin chicanes were added.   And the answer to the question: did we stay up for the entire race?  Was no!  The race ended with a 14+ second difference between first and second place Hyper cars. 

Besides Porsche Parade, PCA National has several events of note; 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30^th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6^th.  Treffen at Sea registration is now open!  Fall 2025 Treffen will be held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, WY.  Check it out at:  Treffen Jackson Hole (Fall 2025) | Treffen North America .  I am sorry to report, registration for Treffen Jackson Hole sold out in 4 minutes.

Nancy and I continue our planning for Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit nine and are looking for ideas for the other two visits.  Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions.  Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues. 

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone and at the 69^th Porsche Parade!

24 HOURS OF LE MANS

Nancy & I had a very busy month.  It started with our participation in the Selkirk Loop driving tour put on by the Inland Northwest region.  This tour had participants from Oregon, Washington and Idaho – 47 cars & 87 people.  The tour started in Coeur d’Alene with a boat cruise and continued with drives into British Columbia.  It ended in Spokane with a car show.  However, Nancy & I bypassed the Spokane portion as we had to leave for our next adventure.

We hurried home to clean our clothes and pack for our trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  This was a trip of a lifetime.  We flew in Sunday/Monday before the race.  While the focus of our trip was the race, we had the opportunity to visit the Normandy D-Day beaches, wine tasting, and more.  Our tour was hosted by a 14-time Le Mans driver, Robin Donovan.  Robin had teamed with Derek Bell, and Robin arranged a lunch with Derek.  The stories were fascinating! The race experiences were unbelievable:  We were in the pits during a pit stop.  We were at the end of the Mulsanne straight, at midnight, 15 feet from the track – you could see the red-hot brakes. We visited the Daytona Chicane during the race.  Robin told us of driving the original 6-kilometer Mulsanne Straight in a Porsche 917 before the Daytona and Michelin chicanes were added.   And the answer to the question: did we stay up for the entire race?  Was no!  The race ended with a 14+ second difference between first and second place Hyper cars. 

Besides Porsche Parade, PCA National has several events of note; 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30^th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6^th.  Treffen at Sea registration is now open!  Fall 2025 Treffen will be held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, WY.  Check it out at:  Treffen Jackson Hole (Fall 2025) | Treffen North America .  I am sorry to report, registration for Treffen Jackson Hole sold out in 4 minutes.

Nancy and I continue our planning for Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit nine and are looking for ideas for the other two visits.  Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions.  Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues. 

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone and at the 69^th Porsche Parade!

SNAKE AND BAKE TOUR

Nancy & I participated in our first 2025 driving tours with Zone 6 regions. We would like to thank the Oregon Region for a great Snake & Bake tour. Eastern Oregon has some great Porsche roads. We would also like to thank the Silver Sage region for a great President’s Mystery tour drive.

I hope the readers of this column saw the recent Treffen Stuttgart/Leipzig 2025 announcement. This incredible new Treffen event is hosted by Porsche Travel Experience – with only 20 spots available – July 13-18, 2025. While this event may already be sold out, I expect many more in the years to come.

I hope you will be joining me at this year’s Porsche Parade. Porsche Parade 2025 is scheduled for July 6-12 in Oklahoma City. In addition to the normal Parade events – Concours, Autocross, Driving Tours, etc. This year’s Parade will include a historic display and PCA 70th Anniversary Celebration. Parade 2025 Registration is now open. As usual, Parade registration will be a two-part endeavor. First, one registers as an entrant and reserves their hotel room. In the second phase, registrants sign for events and meals. Phase 2 registration is now Open!

Besides Porsche Parade, PCA National has several events of note; 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6th. Treffen at Sea registration is now open! Fall 2025 Treffen will be held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, WY. Check it out at: Treffen Jackson Hole (Fall 2025) | Treffen North America . Registration opens on June 11th.

Nancy and I continue our planning for Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit nine and are looking for ideas for the other two visits. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot. Its not just the cars, It’s the People!

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

SPYDER ON THE RUN!

Finally, I can get my new Spyder out! Warmer temperatures have arrived and the roads in my area are now free of winter debris. I see many posts of drives occurring in Zone 6 regions. I hope that you are getting your Porsches out and joining in one of the many events occurring in your region.

I hope you will be joining me at this year’s Porsche Parade. Porsche Parade 2025 is scheduled for July 6-12 in Oklahoma City. In addition to the normal Parade events – Concours, Autocross, Driving Tours, etc. This year’s Parade will include a historic display and PCA 70th Anniversary Celebration. Parade 2025 Registration is now open. As usual, Parade registration will be a two-part endeavor. First, one registers as an entrant and reserves their hotel room. In the second phase, registrants sign for events and meals. I expect Phase 2 registration to open in early May.

Besides Porsche Parade, PCA National has several events of note; 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6th. Treffen at Sea registration is now open! Fall 2025 Treffen will be held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, WY. Check it out at: Treffen Jackson Hole (Fall 2025) | Treffen North America . Registration opens on June 11th.

Nancy and I are in the midst of planning our Zone 6 region visits, so far, we have plans to visit eight and are looking for ideas for the other three visits. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot. First drive of the season.

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone!

GET READY FOR THE ’25 DRIVING SEASON!

March came in like a lion. The local ski areas received over three Feet of snow in the last two weeks. I’m happy that we have the snowpack build up and longer ski season, but…that means it will be the end of April before I can get my Spyder on the road. Hopefully you will be able to get your Porsches out sooner.

This past weekend I held the 2025 Zone 6 Region Presidents meeting in Boise, ID. It was great to have region leaders from all eleven Zone 6 regions actively participating. Richard Strahota, PCA National Treasurer, joined us to give an update on the status of PCA and focus for 2025. Key for PCA in 2025 is the celebration of our 70th anniversary. Have you seen the YouTube video that came out last week. Celebrating PCA’s 70th Anniversary: It’s not just the cars, it’s the people – YouTube.

PCA National has several events of note; Porsche Parade 2025 is scheduled for July 6-12 in Oklahoma City and Porsche Parade 2026 is scheduled for June 14-20 in Lake Placid, NY. Parade 2025 Registration is now open. As usual, Parade registration will be a two-part endeavor. First one registers as an entrant and reserves their hotel room. In the second phase events and meals are signed up for. 2025 Treffen at Sea sets sail Sunday, August 30th from New York, NY, returning on Sunday, September 6th. Treffen at Sea registration is now open! Fall 2025 Treffen will be held at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, WY. Check it out at: Treffen Jackson Hole (Fall 2025) | Treffen North America . Registration opens on June 11th.

Nancy and I are in the midst of planning our Zone 6 region visits, so far we have plans to visit seven and are looking for ideas for the other four visits. Zone 6 signature region events can be found PCA Zone 6 – The Pacific NW Regions. Zone 6 abounds in great roads to drive and great automotive venues.

Parting shot. ‘Garage Queen’ Shot at the PECATL garage.

Stay healthy and we will see you in the Zone in 2025!