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Fall 2012

The FRONTRUNNER

Fall 2012

President’s Message ¡A Toda Velocidad! 2012 Meet Up and CarShow Living the Dream Finger Lakes Summer Run’12 2012 Clash at the Glen! Fifteen Excuses Calendar 2012-2013 Membership, and New Members! The Exchange Finger Lakes Officers and Volunteers

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On The Cover: John and Elaine Frank’s 2007 911S Targa 4S. “Driving a Boxster followed by a ‘04 996 coupe, Elaine and I were once again faced with the dilemma of Coupe vs Cabriolet. We found the Targa to be the perfect solution offering both the open-air freedom of the Cabriolet and the quite ride of the Coupe. Targa....a winning combination!”

The FRONTRUNNER is a publication of the Finger Lakes Region of the Porsche Club of America. All rights are reserved, Permission is granted to reproduce any material published herein, provided the full credit is given the FRONTRUNNER and the author. Material published herein, reprinted with the permission, or courtesy of another agent may NOT be reproduced unless permission is granted from that entity. They reserve all rights to their material. Editor/Designer Adrianne Ross ([email protected]) Advertising Rates Single Issue: Full Page - $100, ½ page - $75, ¼ page = $40, 1/8 page - $25 Full Year (4 issues): Full Page - $250, ½ page = $200, ¼ page = $150, 1/8 page = $100, Business Card = $50

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Finger Lakes Reflections

“¡A Toda Velocidad!*

A Message from the President, David Schwaner

Luis A. Martínez

As the waning days of summer fade to autumn colors with harbingers of winter to follow, it is time to reflect on the goals and accomplishments of the 2012 Porsche Finger Lakes driving season. We held five monthly meetups at Finger Lakes locations with participation ranging from just four who ventured down to Sarasins on the Lake in Penn Yan to 15 who drove to Lakeville on a cool and drizzly evening to visit with friends and sample the hors dourves at the North Shore Grill. The Spring Tour to Watkins Glen for opening day had bad weather like last year with the addition of impenetrable fog. The Summer Tour fared much better with a warm and sunny August afternoon that looped through Letchworth State Park and ended with the excellent cuisine offered by the Brown Hound Bistro in Bristol Springs. As this issue goes to “press”, we are looking forward to the Fall Tour on Sun. Oct. 7th which starts at the Bristol Mountain Resort in south Bristol and concludes at Belhurst Castle in Geneva. Meanwhile, your officers and chairs have been working with a marketing consultant (theIdeamakers.com) to create a new logo and web site. We introduced the new FLK logo to the membership in an August email. That logo which is now prominent on the masthead of this newsletter is the first step in rebranding the Finger Lakes Region. Later this month, each member will be receiving an adhesive FLK logo decal for placement on the rear quarter window of your favorite P-car. Later in October, we will introduce our new web site with a dramatically new format and design featuring a Google Events calendar that will be regularly updated together with “dashboard” tabs for current and past editions of FRONTRUNNER, Gallery, Contacts, Marketplace, Car Show and more. The new web site will feature photos of members and member’s cars and/or Finger Lakes scenes for the home page and each sub-page. The “re-branding” of the PCA Finger Lakes Region envisions growing the club, growing the membership, growing participation and growing ideas for future activities. Next up is the annual Planning meeting in mid January. This gathering will be held at The Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua and all are welcome to come and share your ideas and visions for your club. The date and time for the Planning Meeting will be announced in November. I hope to see you there. David Schwaner President

Every year I attend several track events at different race tracks as a PCA Track Instructor. This year, during Labor Day weekend at Watkins Glen Raceway, a lady driver, Renatta, approached me and said, “I know you’re a good Porsche track instructor, can you go out with me and give me a few tips?” I said, “Of course!” As we approach her car, I see that it’s a Porsche 911 C4S. Settling into our racing seats, putting on our helmets and adjusting the Chatter Box interhelmet communicator, I’m thinking about the “4”, as in C4S, which of course means she has 4-wheel-drive. I’m thinking – she has a built in advantage over the many other cars on track. As we go out on track I ask tell her, “When you do your warm up lap, do your best line; I want to see your line.” As we approach and exit a few turns, her line is pretty consistent, but I notice that she’s not using the 4WD to her advantage. Hah! I have a good tip for her already. I tell her, “As you approach the apex, get on the throttle sooner, and power out of there! Your four wheel drive will pull you through!” She agrees to try it, but it takes a few turns for her to really start pressing on the gas through, not after, the apex. But when she started doing so, she was soon catching and passing other Ferrari and Porsche drivers who only had conventional rear wheel drive. By the way, in your career or business - what is your advantage? Are you great with numbers and details? Is strategy and planning your forte? Can you close a deal when others give up? Do you receive accolades for extraordinary customer service? One way to ascertain your strengths is to reach out to trusted friends and advisors and simply ask – what am I really good at? With information on hand, you can then execute, gather results, redefine, continue to use and deploy your advantage until it becomes second nature. Back to Renatta. Later that day, in the afternoon, a racer walks up to me. With a serious demeanor he said, “Hi, I’m John, and I don’t know what you said to Renatta, but she has so much more confidence, and she’s driving that car faster that she ever did, she’s so happy! Thank you!” *At Maximum Speed!

C4S

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2012 Meet Up and CarShow Luis Martinez

This year’s Meet Up and Car Show exceeded attendance compared to previous years. The village of Hammondsport, NY, is proving to be a great destination for many sports car enthusiasts. Hammondsport was voted America’s Coolest Small Town of 2012 by Budget Travel Magazine, and if you were there, you’d know why! The best part, Hammondsport is in the heart of our Finger Lakes Region. Think about it! We have not only Hammondsport, but also Watkins Glen International Raceway, the International Motor Racing Research Library in Watkins Glen, and of course, the wineries and beauty of the Finger Lakes. Actually, I think this is the most beautiful of all PCA regions. But I digress… Attendance to our 16th Annual Porsche Meet Up and Car Show includes any Porsche from any region, and we had several regions represented, so it’s not just a roundup of all “the usual suspects.” We changed the name of our show to “Meet Up and Car Show”, dropping the moniker “concours” to encourage more participation, e.g., it’s not just a show for trailered garage queens. It’s a show of cars driven daily, washed and waxed for the event. Or not even! (Hah! You had to be there when I had my 944 Turbo race car, complete with empty gas cans inside and bugs on the windshield which had met their maker at 140mph). We are grateful to Jim Arendt, President, Niagara Region, and to Joyce Gladle, President, Central NY for promoting our event and encouraging their members to attend this event. We encourage cross-regional participation to our social events, just as we do in our Driver’s Ed and Club Racing events. We are planning another great event next June, and we encourage all readers of The FRONTRUNNER from any region to participate. So put it on your calendar! The weekend before Father’s Day, June 9, 2013.

Beautiful turn out

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Hammondsport Village, NY, offers many attractions, was voted Coolest Small Town in the US

Gazebo in Hammondsport Village Park, NY, serves as Show Headquarters.

16th Annual Porsche Meet Up and Show

Long time member Hank Kramer and friend enjoy beautiful day and spectacular cars. In the background, Hank’s 356 drop top, which he purchased new - in 1963.

From left, Sue Miller, Michelle Manzer, Eric Smith, Andrew Manzer, Deborah Smith and Dave Schwaner.

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Living the Dream: Pit Crew for Grand Am #1 Luis A. Martínez

In June, my son Bradley and I were part of pit crew for Berg Racing's Redcom Spec Boxsters, running in the Grand Am Continental 150 Challenge. Berg Racing owners, John and Dinah Weisberg, were co-driving the 40 car, with Richard Picut and Sergio Musacchio driving the 50 car in the Enduro. Total blast!

Our pit area Brad sits on wall prior to green lag. Berg Racing is grateful to Mazda Speed for sharing work space and pit equipment. Brad and me ready for duty! Part of pit crew for Berg Racing. Brad is fuel man and I'm fireman for Berg Racing Porsche Spec Boxsters #40 and #50.

And to add to the excitement for me, I had not seen Richard in years. He was my green student several years ago, and now he’s racing pro in the 50 car!

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Early in race the 40 car of co-drivers John and Dinah Weisberg spins back into wall. Extensive damage to transmission cooler. Rear bumper cover is being ripped off. Bradley is in blue suit on his back under the car.

All hands on deck to pull out tranny cooler and create bypass. Bradley in blue suit.

To go? Or not to go? Crew has to assess extent of damage to the 40 car and after significant but quick repairs, decide whether to send John back out to the race.

Oh, no! The 50 car also gets hit in back by the lead car overtaking it! Brad is called to run back to the pits! Brad jumps over wall and goes to work.

They discuss the situation with John and they decide the 40 car is ready. John gets in driver’s seat. He actually went on and finished race without transmission cooler!

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Finger Lakes Region PCA Summer Tour 2012 Luis A. Martínez

The Finger Lakes Region 2012 Summer Tour took place on July 21st. The group of hearty and hungry enthusiasts gathered at the parking lot of beautiful Bristol Mountain Ski Resort in the town of South Bristol on a warm summer afternoon. We met at 1:45pm for the drivers meeting and promptly departed at 2:00 PM. The tour was 115 miles long and our tour designer, Dave Schwaner, routed us through picturesque hamlets and villages of upstate NY, including: Honeoye, Leicester, Portageville, Nunda, Dansville and Naples. The tour was approximately 3 hours and initially guided us by portions of three of the westerly Finger Lakes including Honeoye Lake, Hemlock Lake and Conesus Lake. So as not to make driving the tour into an enduro, David and lovely wife Sue prudently included a rest stop in majestic Letchworth State Park, where we observed a wedding taking place in front of the Glen Iris Inn and admired the beauty and serenity of the Upper Falls. The Summer Tour concluded traveling north on scenic Co. Rd 12 with distant views of Canandaigua Lake behind a foreground of hillside vineyards. We then gathered, famished and thirsty from all that clutch and shift work, at The Brown Hound Bistro on Route 64 in Bristol Springs. Relieved to be there, we enjoyed Trish’s excellent cuisine, dining and sharing beverages on the breezy, shaded deck. Living the dream.

Dave Schwaner holds drivers meeting Safety first.

What a beautifu; group!

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LetchworthUpperFalls

Gathering at Bristol Mountain Ski Resort, NY

Brown Hound Bistro, Naples, NY

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2012 Clash at the Glen! Luis Martinez

This year’s annual Porsche Clash at Watkins Glen was another great success story. We had 290 racer entries, which are divided into 4 run groups based on power / weight criteria, which means that on average there are about 70 race cars on the track for any given race. Even NASCAR doesn’t put that many cars on the track at the same time. That takes a lot of organization and collaboration among all concerned. The Clash is a Porsches only race held in many race tracks around the U.S. Every year we have a Clash at Watkins Glen International Raceway, right in the heart of our Finger Lakes Region. The event is officially 3 days long, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in June. This is a very complicated project which is planned with many months of anticipation because the track is rented every day of the week from April to October. PCA has to ensure with years in advance that we can rent the track for our Porsche Clash. This year’s race was very exciting, with so many racers coming out for sprints and endures. The cars are somehow faster each year. For example, last year’s P1 qualifying time gets you only into third or fourth place on the grid this year. Everyone finds a few more tenths of a second per lap year after year.

Eager to jump into my office and lead the races for 3 days, in a beautiful 2004 GT3 owned by our former Zone 1 Rep, Botho Von Bose, Upper Canada Region. This was my 3rd consecutive year as Pace Car Driver for the Porsche Clash. What goes on in a Pace Car? Read my story in the spring 2012 issue of The FRONTRUNNER.

PCA Race Steward holds mandatory driver’s meeting. Serious stuff. Every morning, and sometimes again during the day, there is a Driver’s Meeting to emphasize safety and rules of conduct on the track during the race as well as around the garage and paddock.

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It’s an interesting thing that when German and other European VIP’s come to the US to watch PCA Club Races, they can’t believe that all this, all these race tracks across the country holding dozens of races involving thousands of drivers year after year are organized, coordinated and executed by a solid corps of dedicated, experienced and very hard working, wait for it: PCA volunteers. Next year, the Porsche Clash will be at Watkins Glen again, probably in June. Watch for it. Sign up to be a volunteer! Come out and have a fascinating experience!

Porsche Clash at Watkins Glen third day; pit stop during enduro race for splash of gas and change tires from rains to slicks: Joel, Ted, Larry and Mark assisting driver Ron.

"Steward to Pace Car, are you ready to go racing?" "Steward, this is Pace Car. Copy that. Cut'm lose!" PCA scrutineers plug into OBD outlets connected to iPads, raise driven wheels, run engine and check for cheater trannies.

Real racers race in the rain! Dick Strahota, from Connecticut Valley Region demonstrated in his beautifully prepared Carrera.

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Reprinted with permission. FRONTRUNNER PG. 13

Membership Report New Members & Transfers

June 2012 Raymond Leone – new 2003 911 C4S Anne Schneiderman – new 2006 Cayman July 2012 Michael Feldmeyer (transfer from Niagara) 2001 911 Transfer Out – 2 (to CNY & Niagara) August 2012 Joe Ajavon (transfer from CNY) 1974 914 Tim Wilson (transfer from Mid Ohio) 1987 911 September 2012 Ernest Schmidt – new 2013 Boxster October 2012 Stu Aberte – new (from Orchard Park deep in Niagara territory) 2002 Porsche ED O’Connor – new (currently from Fairport but building a new hose next to me on Lakeview Lane) 2004 Cayenne

Calendar for 2012-2013

J

an. 12th - Annual Planning Meeting from 9 AM to noon at the Inn on the Lake in Canandaigua

The Exchange

Advertising Guidelines Publication of paid advertising in the FRONTRUNNER does not constitute the endorsement by this publication or the Finger Lakes Region of the products or services set forth therein. The FRONTRUNNER reserves the unqualified right to approve for publication all advertising submitted. The Exchange Guidelines Deadline for submitting ads for the EXCHANGE to the editor is no later than the 15th of each month to appear in the next issue. Advertising Porsches or Porsche parts or to solicit materials is free to members in this section of the publication. Ads will run for two months unless the editor is formally notified. To place your want ad send a note to the editor containing your copy. Please limit copy to a maximum of six lines. The Editor reserves the right to edit as needed for space. Ads can be emailed to: aross@ porschenet.com.

Anniversaries 5 Years Frank Gigliotti – July 2012 Eric Smith – Sept. 2012 Philip – Oct. 2012 10 Years Hank Kramer – Sept. 2012 15 Years David Bakken – July 2012 20 Years Luis Martinez – Aug. 2012 James Hughes – Oct. 2012

Other Membership Trivia

64.5% of our members have belonged to PCA for 10 years or less. 32.3% of our members have belonged to PCA for 3 years or less. Number of Charter Members – Dec. 1995 – 30 Charter Members still on the Oct. 2012 Membership List – 5 Dominick Pullano – Joined PCA Jan. 1994 John Malvaso – Joined PCA June. 1989 Jim Butler – Joined PCA Sept. 1991 Alexandre Galskoy – Joined PCA May. 1983 James Hughes – Joined PCA Oct. 1992

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Finger Lakes Region celebrated it’s 16th anniversary in 2012

Finger LakesRegion Elected Officers and Volunteers: President Dave Schwaner 343 North Main Street, Suite 102 Canandaigua, NY 14424 [email protected] Vice President Rod Pedersen 9025 South Lake Road Hammondsport, NY, 14840-7904 [email protected] Secretary Chuck Chada 2525 East Ane. Rochester, NY 14610 Treasurer Jim Butler 184 Park Road, Pittsford, NY 14534 [email protected] Membership Mike Hortiatis 42 Chelsea Park Pittsford, NY 14534 Newsletter Editor Luis A. Martínez PO Box 242 Pittsford, NY 14534 [email protected]

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