Lisa Davoren
der Riesenbaum Editor
This month our issue is all about touring. From long distance tours like driving across country with a few friends to drives with hundreds of cars heading to a local brunch, touring is an integral part of the Porsche experience.
Craig Steele offers more of his personal perspective with the final installments of his series.
Even PCA National got into the act by sending us an ad about Treffen which is a fabulous fall foliage Tour in Wisconsin this year. They also have been making a point about disseminating the PCA Touring rules so be sure not to miss the "Rules of the Road" article.
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Ben Davoren
President
July 2021 President’s Message
Greetings Redwood Region members, I hope this summer is being good to you (and not too hot!) out on the road. I look forward to crossing paths at one of our upcoming events which are really kicking into gear!
I personally went on a great drive in Central California at the end of June, down Highway 25 starting in Hollister to Paso Robles for a weekend of beer and wine tasting for my oldest son's birthday. This is a great road for Porsches, though temps were over 100 degrees (I am not really complaining given the creature comforts of my Carrera S Cabriolet). We took the way back home via the never-a-dull-moment Carmel Valley Road west out to the coast where it was 50 degrees cooler, then creatively back up through Soquel trying to stay out of the traffic on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz. Ask me for advice if you're planning a trip down there.
July and August are action-packed. Our first winery-destination drive on Sunday July 18th to the Martorana Family Winery sold out quickly; look for a report in next month's dR. Saturday July 31st we have another great tour from Autobahn Automotive in Santa Rosa up to Bruce & Cheryl Lawton's Pech Merle winery in Geyserville for a big paella lunch. Registration is now open.
In between wine tastings, the first Time-Speed-Distance rally in my club memory will occur Saturday July 24th. Registration for this (free) "Die Trockenbach Rallye" is now open. There will be prizes! All you need is a driver, a navigator, and a Porsche of any shape, size, or age. No experience or training needed, although Rallymaster Jim Robison has a slide deck about how they work up on the internet. It helped me figure out what to expect...we'll see!
August will bring us the best of all worlds. For starters, at least one and possibly two Autocrosses will happen at Sonoma Raceway; Sunday August 22nd is confirmed but Sunday August 15th could also be in the works. Most importantly, since COVID protocols have now been relaxed, we will be able to provide instruction and loaner helmets, so this is your chance to come out and have a fantastic day with friends really exploring your Porsche's handling in the safest, least-stressful environment possible. Just beforehand on Saturday August 14th we will return to the Maple Creek Winery in Yorkville along Highway 128, one of California's great roads. Registration will open soon. Another rally ("Devil's Gulch") will happen on August 28th to close out the month.
I've enjoyed getting to meet many of the new members at our spring tours, and I and the Board have heard your request to ensure that the tour routes are made available on iPhones, Android phones, and Garmin GPS devices. We have set up a Club Account on ridewithgps.com and will be sending out route links by email to attendees on our tours. This will allow you to use the free personal version of their app for navigation instructions during a tour, even if there is no cell service!
For those of you who are enjoying (or contemplating) this year's seriously fun events, I invite you to participate in planning new ones for our future. Our 100% volunteer-run club does have openings on our Board that could benefit from your energy and enthusiasm. If you'd like to know more, please reach out to me directly or attend a Board meeting.
Meetings are open to all interested members on the last Tuesday of every month at 7 pm at Mary's Pizza Shack in Novato. We will still have a Zoom option available for July, but if you come in person, dinner is always on the club - you just pay for your drink. Please see our calendar link at redwoodpca.org. for details.
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Kurt Fischer
Events and Social Media Director
Dateline...Saturday, June 19, 2021...I arrive at the Plaza at 7:45 AM, ready for a horde of Porsches to show up for our 11th Annual “Porsches on the Plaza," one of our favorite venues...especially since the State of California opened up from the Covid on June 15th!
To my surprise...one white Cayman pulls in behind me belonging to past President, Craig Steele and I say...“way too early” and Craig says “I'm here to help you.” We always need help!
Today is going to be hot...like 93F+ and the shade trees in the park are looking quite inviting...a nice breeze is happening...so weather may not be an issue.
David Bunch and Sharon Neidel arrive with his pop-up tent and table and we set up our area ...I'm semi-ready for the crush of fine Porsches to arrive!
Next are President Ben Davoren and First Lady Lisa Davoren who handle registration...a big thanks for their help! The table is ready and cars are arriving! There is madness as we get closer to 9:00AM...I herd the cars into their spots around the horseshoe in front of the Sonoma City Hall.
It seems that there are 2 other car shows in Sonoma today, and I have this old hot-rodder in a rat rod try to come through our area..and my comment to him is “Nein... dein Auto ist verboten!" He looks at my name badge and says...”I guess it's true what they say about Porsche drivers..." I'll spare you the rest of the conversation! Damn... it takes all kinds!.
This year we have super trophies for our People's Choice awards...thanks to Simone, ...she outdoes previous years! We will have 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies to give out!
At about 12:30 PM...after lunch..we gather all the people around the tent and underneath the cooling shade to hand out the prizes! 1st Place goes to Kelly Fernandez in her 2016 Boxster GTS, 2nd Place to Dan MacDonald in his '57 Speedster and 3rd place to Richard Rosenberg driving Kevin Buckler's (of TRG fame) 1973 Carrera RS!
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Sonoma County is our charity and is represented by Kelly Boydell and Amy Heil who share our tent space.
All in all...the heat notwithstanding, another great Redwood Region event! We will do this again next year...for our 12th Annual. Do not miss this event!
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1st Place: Kelly Fernandez |
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3rd Place: represented by Richard Rosenberg |
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Our Charity : CASA
represented by Kelly Boydell and Amy Heil
all photos provided by Kurt Fischer with permission
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Rules of the (Touring) Road |
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Everything you need to know to have an enjoyable and safe Tour.....
Vocabulary:
Lead: lead car, sets the pace, responsible for not getting lost, and getting everyone safely to their destination
Relay: Person with radio in middle of group who can relay radio comments to and from Leads and Sweeps
Sweep: Tail car, the clean up vehicle, responsible for keeping the group together, keeps track of lost people, pulls over to help drivers with issues, blocks road at re-group spots
Re-group: opportunity for cars that have been separated to get back together. Lead pulls over and all other cars pull over behind (in order) and wait for missing cars to catch up. See protocol below.*
Biobreak: short pitstop only to use restroom and get moving again
Rules:
Make sure that you arrive with sufficient fuel in your tank and having checked for adequate tire pressures.
Read the route instructions ahead of time so you have a general idea of where and on which roads you will be driving.
Pay attention during the driver’s meeting!!!
Always keep your headlights on.
Always keep the taillights of the car in front of you in sight, but leave a safe following distance.
Do not allow excessive spacing. If you are lagging, try to keep pace.
If you do lose the cars in front of you, be prepared to lead the group behind you.
Always keep the headlights of the car behind you in sight. If you can’t see them, slow down until you can.
Beware of the “accordion effect.” Control your acceleration and deceleration in order to safely keep together.
Do not pass the Porsche in the line in front of you.
In an emergency or problem: flash your headlights to the car in front, watch your mirrors, do not lose the car behind you.
Do not change groups at rest stops. Stay on the route unless you have informed the group leader and the sweep for your group that you are leaving.
Give bicycles a generous 3 feet when passing.
Obey traffic laws, and understand that unsafe driving, and use of alcohol or drugs is cause for immediate expulsion from the tour.
Radios are fun and useful for communication.* If you have one, bring it and you will be told the channel to turn to during the driver’s meeting.
* Regroup Protocol:
1. The Lead pulls off to the shoulder.
2. Everyone pulls off behind them, maintaining position, closely grouped so everyone can fit.
Do not exit your vehicle! Remain in your car until the car in front of you goes, then immediately pull out right behind them.
3.The Sweep signals the Lead when all cars are present, then blocks the road, so everyone can pull out together. This is where you need to be quick and not hesitate.
*Radio protocols can be found in the next article.
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Lisa Davoren
President's Navigator
I used to think that anyone could just hop on and start to talk if, for example, there was an annoying Prius driving you crazy. Well, it's much more complicated than that. It turns out there is actual etiquette for using radios on tours.
A driver needs to be watching the road. We don't want to distract him/her. The navigator should be monitoring and using the radio. It's important to keep the use of the radios focused and not have extraneous chatter. The lead driver needs to be able to have a clear channel to the relay who needs to have a clear channel to the sweep (or if there is not a relay, lead directly to sweep).
Here are some guidelines for radio use on the channel that is being used for the drive:
1.Use your radio to inform other drivers of a serious safety hazard issue. An issue that should be reported is something that really is dangerous such as a powerline just came down in front of your car or you got into an accident and need help. Routine occurrences such as pot holes or cyclists are an individual's responsibility, and should not be reported. You should also report if you saw the cars in front of you all take a wrong turn and head off down the freeway in the opposite direction.
Inform your lead and sweep that you are now the lead car for the people behind you.
2. Use your radio if you need information because you are lost or you don't know what is going on.
3. Redwood Region uses "FRS" radios, which are essentially standard walkie-talkies. The channel is noted during each event's driver's meeting.
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Touring After Shelter in Place |
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Craig Steele
Past President, Redwood Region
Part 2: Touring after Shelter in Place (white gator)
Searching for my next Cayman S, my son Sean found me my Porsche replacement in LA’s Craigslist. By early January 2018, I was back touring again driving a 2011 white Porsche Cayman S sporting the original ‘GATOR45’ license plate.
My Cayman S has several characteristics that enhance the touring experience. First, it’s a six speed. I love a manual transmission with 325 HP; finding a Cayman S with that combo is very rare. Second, the seating is a superb comfort experience, especially as on a long day’s drive when you are doing 600 miles or 10-11 hours seat time. I have never really experienced a lot of back or bottom ache. I do miss heated seats. Third, the interior controls: temperature (HVAC), lights, Bose sound system for music and talking books, PSM/PASM, mirrors, etc. are easy to use without glancing down to see if I am on the right control. My only non-factory technology needs are a 10” Garmin navigation system using a vent clamp for easy viewing from below eye level, a blue-tooth speaker connector (Firefly), a radar unit, and lots of USB/mini and maxi interface cables. Michelin Pilot Sport tires are a real plus providing low road noise and outstanding handling characteristics in all weather conditions. Plus, it always starts except when I leave the interior light on. I always carry a charging device for when I forget and leave the power on. I added an orange Yeti roadie 24 cooler to handle my cold food and drink needs.
The most important aspect of the Cayman S is its unbelievably agile handling and flawless stopping power.
In 2018, I did my second Zone 7 Shasta Region tour, followed by a 5254-mile round trip to my fifth Porsche Parade at Lake of the Ozark, MO. In 2019, I did another Shasta Region Tour and for the first time the High Alpine Tour (Mammoth Lakes). The High Alpine is not just a tour; it's more like a driving experience with crazy Porsche spirit warriors. I missed the Florida Porsche Parade that year. Covid19 cancelled the Palm Springs Porsche Parade in 2020.
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Above: Souvenir badges
Left: Two Redwood Region Past Presidents, Craig Steele and Mike Hinton in Times Square (the start of the Lincoln Highway)
All photos by Craig Steele
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Brad Williams
New Redwood Member
Brad Williams, new member of Redwood Region, attended our last Board Meeting, and graciously agreed to be interviewed for this month’s Spotlight. I couldn’t help but notice his absolutely beautiful 2007 Cayman parked in front of Mary’s Pizza. He said he had once noticed a similar black Cayman parked in front of Coppola, and thought, “What a beautiful car!” So, when, a few years later this one came up, and it was a good deal, he bought it.
Brad’s Porsche is a Black 987 with a sand beige interior. He says that his favorite thing about his car is the way it handles.
A little birdie told me that Brad used to be a Ferrari guy, so I asked what made him decide to buy a Porsche, and this is what he told me:
“I’ve been into cars and racing forever, and as an architect, I have always had an appreciation for Italian design. Then, I went to “The Porsche Effect” at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and basically ended up dedicating the better part of a day there. After that, I went to Le Mans in 2017 and Porsche won! I really began to appreciate the history and racing experience, and the cars more and more.
I decided to join the Redwood Region because when I first started looking for a Porsche, I joined the Test Drive Program*, so I could have access to the Marketplace.
I read articles in Panorama. It just made sense to join Redwood Region PCA.
I’d like people to know that I’m an architect, living in Santa Rosa. I just like to take advantage of all the great roads up here - just get in my car and drive. I’m on my way to the Porsche Experience in Carson soon. I’m really looking forward to driving my own car there. Then I’m going to visit the incredible Porsche Museum in Stuttgart in late September.
“Sometimes I get carried away, but it’s fun!”
*(editor’s note: For $40, "PCA Test Drive," a PCA gateway program, provides a 6 month subscription to Panorama, a temporary account to log on to the website, the Test Drive Newsletter and access to hundreds of cars for sale in “the Mart”)
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Collin Fat
Zone 7 Representative
California Lifts COVID Restrictions Effective June 15th:
The California Department of Public Health has eliminated numerous COVID-19 restrictions effective June 15. The color-coded tier system for reopening businesses has been eliminated, allowing businesses to return to more normal operations with fewer restrictions and limitations. One major change is that the State will adopt the new mask recommendations recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear face masks or physically distance in most outdoor and indoor settings. This new guidance was based on additional studies regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines and the declining COVID cases that have resulted as the distribution of the vaccines continues.
For club activities such as autocross and driver education events, in car instruction may now resume with the exception that if the instructor is not fully vaccinated the choice shall be left up to the student on whether to request a fully vaccinated instructor, and vice versa. This option should be fully communicated before the start of instruction. However, if the track or the county in which the event is held has more stringent COVID restrictions, the most restrictive guidelines will prevail. For all other events including tech sessions, dinner meetings, tours and concours events, no restrictions will apply unless county restrictions or the venue in which the event is held is more restrictive.
Regarding the continued requirement for all participants to continue to sign the PCA Communicable Disease Waiver, PCA has notified membership that this waiver is no longer necessary for events after July 1, 2021.
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Zone 7 Concours Series Updates:
Roy Schauben and Simone Kopitzki have been working very hard this month conducting the hands-on phase of the Zone Concours Judges School. Over 60 students registered for the 2 part training. 3 sessions were held in June with training on June 6th at Redwood City Porsche, June 13th at Hi Tech Automotive in San Rafael, and in the Sacramento area that was cosponsored by SVR on June 27th. The following photos are from the June 6th and13th events:
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2021 Concours Series Calendar: |
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Zone 7 Autocross :
Events #3 and #4 were held at the Cow Palace in Daly City on June 26th and June 27th with Golden Gate and Loma Prieta regions hosting. With 8 events on the calendar, you must compete in at least 50% of the events and at least 3 different regions to qualify for year end awards. Please see the updated calendar:
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Events of Interest:
1) Monterey Bay Region 60th Anniversary, TBD
Reg.is open. New location: Bayonet Gold Course overlooking Monterey Bay in Seaside.
5) PCA Fall Treffen American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin, October 13-17 treffen.pca.org
Reg. opens Aug. 4
6) PCA Spring Treffen Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 27-May 1, 2022
Treffens historically sell out in as little as one hour due to their popularity.
Registration for the Treffens typically opens 3-4 months prior to the event.
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Volunteers Needed:
Part of the Rolex Monterey Historic races (#4 above) is the PCA Hospitality Tent and car corral at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. If you are planning to attend and would like to donate a few hours of your time assisting at the hospitality tent, email to Collin Fat to let me know your interest in helping out. The hospitality tent will also be open on Friday, which is new this year. Corral Parking is only available through the raceway and no longer can be purchased through PCA.
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2021 PCA West Coast Race Series Schedule
With Federal and State directives pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club Racing schedule is very fluid and subject to change on a day-to-day basis. The racing schedule shown here will be frequently updated with the latest official status of each of our races.
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Shasta Region Z7 Tour:
Shasta region held its Zone 7 Tour on Saturday, June 12th with some 20 cars participating. The route covered more than 250 miles of some of the most challenging roads in the region with a lunch stop in Etna just north of the city of Redding. Tour chair Allen Krohn and his team of volunteers broke the tour into 2 groups. The weather was perfect with day temperatures well below the100 degree mark. The tour was followed by a dinner at the Gaia Hotel’s Foxwood Grill.
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Loma Prieta Region Celebrates 50th Anniversary:
Loma Prieta Region, chartered in March 1970, celebrated a delayed 50th Anniversary at the beautiful Cinnabar Country club in Morgan Hill with some 100 members in attendance. 3 of the original 27 charter members are still active with the club: Terry Zaccone, Ken Isles, and Mark Esper. The club went all out and provided a no host bar, tray passed appetizers, and a fabulous dinner. Region president, Peter Ridgway, the master of ceremonies, introduced charter member Terry Zaccone who read prepared remarks from Ken Isles. The evening concluded with dancing to some 70’s and 80’s tunes. Kris Vanacore chaired the event.
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Rick Duste
Secretary
Board meetings are held on the last Tuesday of every month at 7 PM. Meetings are open to all members. We have returned to in-person dinner meetings at Mary's Pizza Shack in Novato. You can also join the meetings via Zoom from the comfort of your own homes. Please see our calendar link at redwoodpca.org. for details.
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Jim Robison
Rally Master
Forty-six people attended the Redwood Region Rally School at Sonoma State University on Saturday, June 26th. The classroom session lasted over two hours, including practical exercises calculating the expected elapsed time for various sections of a short time-speed-distance, TSD, rally.
Following the classroom presentation, 22 Porsches departed the campus at one-minute intervals and drove the 25-mile, 48-minute practice rally. The finish was at the Bear Republic Brewpub in Rohnert Park, and so the rally was dubbed the Racer 5 Rally. Awards to both driver and navigator were 22 ounce bottles of Racer 5 ale.
First place went to Greg and Joanne Giffra in a 2021 Porsche Cayman, who completed the course with only a 3 second error. Second place went to Jeff Hall and Kathleen Smith in a 2010 Porsche 911, with a 4 second error. There was a tie for third place between Jeannie Parker and Chloe Bao, in a 2015 911 Carrera; and Serena and Shannon Cheng in a 2015 Cayman. Both cars had a six second error. Interestingly, the Carrera was six seconds early and the Cayman was six seconds late, but early and late are the same when scoring rallies.
The next event in the Redwood Region Rally Series is the Trockenbach Rallye on Saturday July 24th. Registration is open to any PCA Zone 7 member at MotorSportReg.com. The rally is about 5½ hours long, including a bio break, and covers about 150 miles of gorgeous country roads. The route, and the speeds, are suitable for a sports car, a sedan, or an SUV. The Trockenbach Rallye will start in Windsor, with Route Instructions available at 10:00 and first car out at 11:01.
For more information, please contact Jim
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Membership Report & Information |
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Tom Short
Membership Director
In June 2021, 33 PCA Redwood Region members marked five or more years in the club, including two members with over 40 years in the club! We also had two members with over 30 years, and five more with over 20 years. Congratulations to all of you for such long-term loyalty, and thank you to all who are marking anniversaries – I hope you are enjoying your membership and taking advantage of all the great benefits our club has to offer!
In June we welcomed 11 new members to Redwood Region PCA as well as four transferees from other regions. You will be receiving a complimentary Redwood Region name badge shortly. Also if you’d like to order a name badge for your associate or family member, check out our website for full details and instructions.
Our events are a great way to meet other PCA members and have some fun with great people and our amazing cars. In the meantime, we wish you and your families and friends well during these extraordinary times.
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Transfers into Redwood Region PCA |
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Touring After Shelter in Place |
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Craig Steele
Past President, Redwood Region
Part 3: Porsche Parade Tour Planning
So, what does it take to plan an out and back tour to a Porsche Parade?
First, check the where and when of the event and what the weather is like.
This year, Porsche Parade 2021 repeated in French Lick, Indiana.
Then, I blocked out the rough routes on Google Maps, and divided my tour into 3 stages:
1) Pre-Parade: Santa Rosa CA to French Lick IN, 2300 miles -5 days
2) Porsche Parade - 7 days
3) Post tours to various southern state destinations, then going west to Colorado and finally home to Santa Rosa
I estimate the entire tour will cover 6400 miles, 100 driving hours, and 25 days away from home.
There’s a key checklist to consider for a tour like this. Is your Porsche completely road checked from proper fluid loads, tire wear, electronics, safety/emergency equipment, dual 2-way radios, binoculars, cleaning supplies, tools, first aid kit, oil and coolant bottles, sun and night driving glasses, flashlights, folding chair, storage bags? How much storage space will you need for clothes and a cooler for food, water, coffee?
Driving with other Porsches is the best of all worlds. As you attract other Porsche drivers there are certain conditions to observe not necessarily in any order:
Never trust the other drivers, they will always do the wrong thing to cause you grief.
Avoid getting boxed in with slow drivers and large trucks or RV’s (you have the right vehicle to get clear of these conditions).
Watch your speed and stay alert for traffic cops; radar units are helpful.
Premium (91 octane) is not always available, especially in rural areas. Always fill your tank when your range is less than 100 miles.
Rest every 100-150 miles; get out of the car and stretch. Drink lots of fluids and eat regularly.
Pay attention to the current weather; sudden winds and rain are common and can cause unsafe driving conditions.
Check for points of interest or historical monuments along your way.
Always know your current location; avoid getting lost, that’s why you have GPS.
Pay attention to your cell service especially when you have weak service, and get every driver’s mobile number.
Remember touring is an adventure with no attachment to the destination.
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An example of a rough route plan indicating three stops SLC, Sydney, Neb., and KC-MO |
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Got something to sell? We'll post it for free. Send us details and a picture by the 5th of the month to be included.
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Official Merchandise
We are revamping our Redwood Region Goodie Store because PCA National has ramped up their webstore. Don't worry, you can still buy Redwood Region branded merchandise to show your club pride!
Please patronize the PCA Webstore at www.pcawebstore.org and look for the drop down menu option for Redwood Region. |
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Porsche Marin
When you want the best selection and prices on new, used and pre-owned Porsche vehicles, Porsche Marin offers exactly what you’re looking for. 911, Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera and more.
Mill Valley
415 578-9101
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Autobahn Automotive
Sonoma County's premier automotive location for maintenance, servicing, auto repairs and performance upgrades for your Porsche and BMW since 2007
Santa Rosa
707 545-1958
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der Riesenbaum is the official newsletter of the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region, encompassing Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. This publication is intended to inform Club members about Club activities and other related matters of interest.
We encourage letters to the editor, feedback, questions and suggestions about our newsletter and the Redwood Region in general. Want to contribute to the newsletter?Submit photos and articles about Club events or related activities. Please submit your entry by the 5th day of the month for inclusion in that month's newsletter. Articles received after the deadline will be considered for the next month's newsletter. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all materials submitted for publication.
Want to reach an audience of Porsche enthusiasts with your marketing message? Consider advertising in der Riesenbaum. Contact the editor for more information and rates.
All written content and images in this publication are protected by copyright. Permission is granted to reprint any original content herein provided credit is given to the author, the der Riesenbaum and to the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region. The opinions expressed in der Riesenbaum are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region, its officers, or its members.
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Thanks for supporting our Club!
Lisa Davoren
der Riesenbaum Editor
Porsche Club of America, Redwood Region
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