September 2009 - Porsche Club of America â Northeast Region

Precision Auto Restoration Tour 

PTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEM 

heast Region Porsche Club of America Northeast Region Porsche Club of America Northeast Region Porsche Club of America Northeast Region Porsche Club of Amer

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VOL. 37 

ISSUE NO. 9 

SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 SEPT 

FEATURES 

14 

16 

22 

12 Autocross Finale @ Devens 

PorscheFest Concours d ’Elegance @ Newport, RI 

Precision Auto Restoration Tour 

18 NER Auction Action Returns 

20 DE @ NHMS Report & Photos 

Porsches & Polo Report & Photos 

24 PORSCHE News 

26 AutoX #3 - Report/Photos/Results 

33 NER 2010 Nominating Committee Report 

14 

16 

22 

DEPARTMENTS 

COLUMNS 

COVER 

8 

12 

37 

38 

38 

Anniversaries 

Calendar 

Marketplace 

Board of Directors 

and Committee Chairs 

New Member Roster 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

Out In The Passing Lane 

Flat Sixer 

Four Speeds & Drum Brakes 

Around the Cones 

Minutes Of The Board 

Double Clutching 

One Track Mind 

Upshifting 

Cover Photo 

Porsche provided this 

awesome photo of the new 

2010 - 911 GT3RS. 

The NOR’EASTER (ISSN-0199-4425) is published 

monthly for an annual fee of $15.00 by the Porsche 

Club of America, Northeast Region at PO Box 409, 

West Boxford, MA 01885. Periodicals postage paid 

at West Boxford, MA and at additional mailing 

offices. 

Postmaster: Send address changes to: 

The NOR’EASTER 

PO Box 409 

West Boxford, MA 01885 

All communications should be directed to the 

editor. Permission is granted to reproduce any 

material publishedherein, provided the full 

credit is given the NOR’EASTER and the author. No 

material may be reproduced if the NOR’EASTER 

was given the right to publish another 

publications material. They reserve all rights to that 

material. 

Editor 

Dave Weber 

Graphic Designer Susana Weber 

Copy Editor 

John Koenig 

Advertising Mgr. 

Susana Weber 

Advertising - Advertising is inserted on a prepaid 

basis. Discounts are offered for three months (5%), 

six months (10%), and one year (15%). Copy 

should be supplied photo ready or 

equivalent. All advertising inquiries and all 

advertising copy should be submitted to: Susana 

Weber, POBox 409, W. Boxford, MA 01885, Phone 

978-352-6601(business hours please). All checks 

payable to NER/PCA 

Advertising Rates 

Full page - $104/issue 

Inside front & back cover, full pg. - $144/issue 

Back cover, 2/3 pg, - $114/issue 

Half page - $83/issue 

One third page - $68/issue 

Quarter page - $52/issue 

Business card - $37/issue 

www.porschenet.com 

Check in often for 

new features, updates and 

changes in schedules.

Out In The Passing Lane 

Dave Weber 

There are days when I wonder what cosmic 

forces are at work seeking to ruin my day. I had 

one of those days this past week. Things started 

going downhill quickly, starting first with a loud 

crack emanating from my Vectra multistation 

gym. I’d just about finished my workout when a 

cable snapped on the butterfly station. I’ve had 

the setup for eight or nine years, so I wasn’t too 

surprised when the cable broke, the instructions 

advised that, after all, some parts are wear items. 

I quickly went on the web to locate the nearest 

dealer, which turned out to be located in Nashua, 

NH. I set off for work with phone number in hand 

not expecting any major problems affecting a 

repair. I no sooner arrived at work and phone 

rang, Susana was calling to advise that something 

was wrong with our backup storage drive unit. 

She couldn’t see the drive and of course couldn’t 

access files she was seeking to work on. The drive 

unit was working perfectly when I left for work, 

and no error messages had been sent by the unit, 

which is supposed to self-monitor its condition. 

The drive unit was working perfectly when I 

left for work, and no error message had been 

sent by the unit. 

Two problems to deal with and it wasn’t even 

8:00 am. The exercise equipment company 

opened for business at 10:00 am, and I was their 

first inquiry of the day. The pleasant voice on 

the other end noted how far Boxford is from 

Nashua, advising they’d need $200 upfront just 

to make the trip! She also advised that they were 

new to carrying Vectra equipment so they didn’t 

have any parts inventory. Her less than positive 

response to my call left me with a strong feeling 

that they really didn’t want to help me fix my 

problem. So several hours later I called Vectra on 

the west coast. Their customer service person 

was very helpful, and in a few minutes had all 

the details finalized to ship me a new cable, with 

positive words of assurance that I could do the 

repair; if true, my cost was only going to be $65 to 

effect the repair. 

When I got home I checked on the network 

drive unit, which unfortunately was dead as a 

doornail. Pushing the power button didn’t trigger 

any response, so I guessed the power supply 

unit had failed. I dug out the paperwork for the 

original purchase prepared to call for help the 

next day. I will not go into the less than idea customer 

service setup at Netgear, suffice it to say it 

took me about 45 minutes of time, multiple calls, 

and lots of hold time on the phone. I finally did 

end up with very good tech representative, who 

determined that my out of warranty unit was on 

of many built a few years ago using a bad batch of 

power supply units. He advised that even though 

my drive was out of warranty, they were going 

to send me at no cost and new power supply. He 

also provided assurances that I could effect the 

replacement of the power supply; if true, my cost 

for repair was going to be $25 (overnight shipping). 

I forgot to mention that the night before my 

call to Netgear, one of our kitchen cabinet door’s 

hinge assemblies pulled out from the cabinet 

face. It’s only been in place for twenty-one years! 

So, of course, it comes apart on the same day as 

the equipment failures? 

The parts all arrive on Friday as 

expected (surprise). I first tackle the 

exercise equipment. After a bit of 

investigation I determine that yes I 

should be able to replace the cable, 

but I’ll of course have to work with 

my hands in a tube unable to see 

what I’m doing — why is it always 

that way? After a few clumsy attempts and some 

parts removal, and the use of some string trimmer 

line, I manage to feed the new cable through the 

appropriate pulley assemblies. And wonder of 

wonders, everything works perfectly. 

Next I tackle the network drive. Of course, to get 

at the power supply you need to remove about a 

dozen tiny screws that disappear about as fast as I 

unscrew them. The unit comes apart rather easily 

and replacing the power supply, is in, fact pretty 

straightforward. And wonder of wonders, when 

I plug the unit back in and hit the power button, 

everything works perfectly! I’m cruising! 

Fixing the cabinet door wasn’t nearly as complicated, 

well it wasn’t once I found a much longer 

replacement screw. It did take a bit of time to get 

the door to close in the proper alignment, but by 

then I wasn’t too bummed. If the other two projects 

had been more challenging I’d have probably 

sworn a bit. But I was feeling real smug by then so 

the alignment task didn’t frustrate me too much. 

continued on page 35 

page 4 N O R E A S T E R

Flat Sixer 

John Bergen 

By my reckoning this will be one of my last four 

columns, since we have not found anyone to 

take over Dave Weber’s role as Editor. Unless 

someone steps forward soon, and I mean really 

soon, the NOR’EASTER will cease to exist after 

December. I for one will miss the ability to read 

the paper version, but c’est la vie. 

I also want to remind you all that on September 

26 th we are having our Concours d’Elegance at 

one of Newport’s famed mansions, The Elms. This 

promises to be an excellent event with plenty of 

prime real estate for parking and viewing all of 

our Porsches. Do not feel as if you have to be an 

expert to partake in the fun; do what I am going 

to do and get in on the park and wipe category. 

You just show up and the judges give you a 

section of the car to clean and 30 minutes to do 

it. It’s that easy. 

Even if you have no desire to enter your car into 

the concours, you can still show up and park on 

the back lawn. With this being our region’s 50 th 

anniversary there should be a few special surprises. 

As an added bonus, the Newport Wine 

Even if you have no desire to enter your car 

into the concours, you can still show up and 

park on the back lawn. 

Festival is happening on the same weekend as 

our concours; so if you like good food and wine 

here’s a chance to enjoy those along with a great 

car show. Hope to see many of you there. 

Now onto the driving events. As you will recall, I 

ran out of room in my last column and chose to 

hold off writing about my experiences at Calabogie. 

This was my first trip to the new Ontario track 

and I was looking forward to it. I had the good 

fortune of hooking up with two other fellow NER 

folks, John Gralton and Chris Ruggles, and was in 

on renting a house for the days we would be at 

Calabogie. 

John and I decided ahead of time that we would 

head to Calabogie just after our last run at 

Mont-Tremblant. While it made for a long day and 

night, it allowed us to plenty of time to explore 

the area the following day and to visit the track 

earlier in the day. To be honest, there really wasn’t 

a whole lot to explore. John and I ate breakfast at 

a local place called Munford’s, which served 

multiple purposes for the locals. First it was one 

of the only gas stations in town; second it was a 

convenience store including bait and hunting 

supplies; third it served breakfast and lunch; 

finally, it sold clothes and bathing suits. 

The people were friendly and the food was 

good, plus the cost was inexpensive. This was a 

big difference from Mont-Tremblant where the 

same two eggs over easy with bacon and toast 

cost me two times what I paid at Munford’s. 

Needless to say this became my breakfast place 

for the duration of my stay in Calabogie. My only 

complaint, and it is a minor one, was that they 

did not have any Tabasco sauce. 

After breakfast John gave me a quick tour of the 

rest of the town and then we headed to the track. 

When we got to the track we discovered that 

there was a lapping day going on, the event was 

called Friends of Bruce (Bruce being one of the 

owners), and the event was not crowded. We did 

see some PCA people there who were taking 

advantage of the open track event. Since the 

paddock was pretty much empty, John and I 

decided to get our trailers and set up camp. 

The track and the facilities were amazing. It 

seems that the track owners are serious 

about making it a destination. The main 

facility contained showers, classrooms, 

and a viewing veranda that spectators 

could get a bird’s eye view of the track. 

There was also a great control tower that 

shamed many of the other tracks where 

NER runs. 

My main focus was the track, since it has 22 

named/numbered turns and I have to admit that 

I was a bit intimidated. I did watch a couple of 

videos of laps around the track, but you never 

really get a true sense of a track until you are out 

there yourself. Since there were so many first 

timers at this event, the powers that be decided 

to have an instructor lead the solo groups for 

several laps. This would allow people to get a 

sense of the line and familiarize themselves with 

the track surroundings. 

While in theory this sounds like an excellent 

idea, in practice it left a little to be desired. 

During my follow the leader session, I was five or 

six cars back from the leader and I had no way of 

knowing where the line was since the cars in 

front of me were all over the place. Then after the 

leader peeled off, leaving us to our own means, I 

had a sense of feeling lost. There are several turns 

that look similar but the features that await you 

after the exit are vastly different. 


N O R E A S T E R page 5

Four Speeds & Drum Brakes 

Tom Tate 

While my ’57 Sunroof coupe is making the 

trip from the metal shop to the paint shop 

I had a chance to tune up my assembly skills last 

weekend with a trip to see my brother. He’s in 

Maryland and is putting his ’58 Speedster back 

together after an extensive body restoration. As 

the owner for the last 43 years he’s been collecting 

parts and pieces for years knowing that this 

day would come. The car was driven for many 

years but was pushed into the back of the garage 

about 28 years ago when some carburetor issues 

rendered it unreliable. 

The floors had been replaced back in the ‘70’s 

before we had reproduction panels available. 

Back then when you told the body shop to 

replace a floor they just cut out the old panel and 

replaced it with a big sheet of metal. I’ve seen 

cars with road signs (think STOP and YIELD) being 

held in place with pop rivets and sheet metal 

screws. Remember that the cars weren’t worth 

much back then and the idea was to just keep 

them on the road. Nobody wanted to spend a lot 

I skipped out of work on Thursday, caught an 

early plane on my favorite airline, Southwest Air, 

and was working in the garage befoe lunch. 

on an old beat up 356 that wasn’t worth $1500 on 

its best day. The Speedster had its floor welded in 

place the right way but because it didn’t have the 

factory indentations that gave it strength, there 

was an “oil can” effect when pressure was applied 

to the floor. Like when anyone got in or out of 

the seat. Sorta like a quiet “tink, tink” that became 

part of its character. 

The correct floor panels had been installed, 

along with some other corroded parts under the 

“as long as we’re here” theory. The original ivory 

paint was applied along with plenty of POR 15 on 

the undersides. By the time a year was over the 

car body was ready for Pebble Beach, all the rest 

of it needed was some clean up and assembly. 

Once back in his garage, brother Bill had 

removed the transmission, and suspension for 

cleaning and restoration. We had removed the 

engine, gas tank, and interior before it went to 

the body shop. It was up to us to put the puzzle 

back together. I went down to help with the portion 

of the process that needed two people, like 

the transmission and engine. It’s amazing how 

easily one person can take something apart that 

is so difficult for two people to put back together. 

I skipped out of work on Thursday, caught an 

early plane on my favorite airline, Southwest Air 

(“do what we tell you and nobody gets hurt”), 

and was working in the garage before lunch. The 

rear suspension parts went in first with all new 

bushings and polished bolts. The trailing arms 

had been power coated along with the cover 

plates and looked terrific in place. One bolt had 

been sheared off when removed but Bill had 

drilled it out and all I had to do was a little filing, a 

minute with a tap and it was good to go. I placed 

the trailing arms where memory told me the 

angle was correct and sure enough they matched 

the marks that were left on the blue tape in the 

wheel well that showed where they belonged. Bill 

pointed out the marks after I was done. 

The engine tin had also been powder coated 

and went back on easily. We were short one side 

piece (couldn’t find it – that would turn out to 

be a weekend theme) but that 

didn’t stop the work. The part 

could be installed with the engine 

in place so we kept going. 

Bill installed the transaxle 

mounts and the support hoop 

and we put the transmission up 

in place. It was not that bad with 

the large floor jack that we were using but once 

in place it was clear that we had done something 

wrong. The front transmission mounts were 

about 1 ½ inch short of their correct location and 

no amount of wiggling would make it reach. The 

support hoop can go on one of two ways and it 

looked like we had guessed wrong. Because it 

had taken 20 minutes to put it in place I decided 

to “phone a friend” before we pulled it out. Vic 

Skirmants was still in his shop when I called and 

confirmed our error in an instant. It’s great to 

have friends. 

We got the hoop reversed with the transmission 

still in place and it was all bolted up before dinner. 

Great progress. 

On Friday Bill had an appointment to keep so I 

made a parts run of things that we needed or just 

couldn’t find. Before the gas tank was installed 

the jute like strips that cushioned it needed to be 

replaced. That meant a stop at a local rug shop 

for a sample of padding. The first two stores only 


page 6 

N O R E A S T E R

Around The Cones 

Steve Ross 

Scary as it seems the outdoor activities for 

the region are starting to wind down as fall 

begins this month; to me at least the summer 

did not really start until July due to our miserable 

weather during June. But don’t worry NER/PCA 

has a full palate of activities for you to participate 

in kicking off our final DE event of the year, a one 

day NHMS on the 10 th of September. The month 

concludes with the grand Concours at the Elms 

in Newport on the 26 th of September (sponsored 

by Inskip Porsche and German Motors of 

Providence), the final event of the trio of 50 th 

Anniversary celebrations. You still have time to 

preregister as a number of people have already 

done. Word is another strong contingent of 928s 

numbering as many as 30 will make a presence 

as well as members of the 356 club. With a large 

expansive of grass available to us, all Porsches 

whether entered or not can park on the lawn. 

Check out the promotion in this issue and on the 

web and we will see you there. 

October brings the final autocross of the year at 

October brings the final autocross of the year at 

Devens where yearend championships will be 

decided. 

Devens where yearend class championship will 

be decided, sponsored by Ira Porsche of Danvers 

on October 18 th . Just in, we will have our annual 

fall tour, returning to the gorgeous Quabbin 

reservoir area of central Massachusetts on 

October 11 th , the start will be in Berlin on Rte 62, 

more details in the next issue of the NOR’EASTER 

and on the webpage shortly. November will see 

the return of our Auction again on a Saturday 

afternoon with master auctioneer Tom Tate at 

the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation. 

Last year was the most successful year ever with 

over 60 participants and tremendous selection of 

Porsche items and of course some fantastic buys, 

make sure not to miss this years’ event. 

Here’s an interesting cleaning tip I recently 

picked up from Road and Track, concerning 

cleaning of dog hair from car interiors; they 

include using a rubber cleaning glove to loosen 

up the hairs then vacuum the loose hairs; another 

idea is a window squeegee and it works on home 

carpets too; finally a reader suggested a vacuum 

with rotating heads for cloth interiors. Try them 

and let us know how it works. 

Some thoughts on being more than thirty and 

what people below that age missed out on. First 

the automotive end of things. 

Chokes and carburetors, remember them, there 

was a knob under the dash, on the console, in the 

dash that you had to pull out a set amount (actually 

it was a black art that you sort of figured out 

how much to pull) then slowly push in as the car 

got warmed up. 

Carburetors; American cars were pretty straight 

forward and rarely needed work until they go old 

and corroded, the internal parts starting failing, 

most notably the accelerator pump, check 

valve, and desire to change the fuel filter (which 

was conveniently situated right next to the carb. 

Foreign cars on the other hand had their own 

challenges; Japanese units were metric knock 

off of American units but usually with a maze of 

vacuum lines (especially in the early eighties) 

and for the most part were pretty durable. One 

exception in my case was my Datsun 

(you remember it’s now call Nissan) 

2000 roadster which had dual Hitachi 

(SU knock off) which were identically 

fiendish to adjust as were the British 

counterpart and suffered the same 

maladies. My thoughts on Italian cars, 

a pair of Fiat 124 Spyders were a rather 

simple Weber carb which needed perennial cleaning 

of the idle jets despite having 2 fuel filters to 

capture any contamination. Fortunately it was a 5 

minute task the hardest part being the removal of 

the air cleaner. 

Ignition system maintenance; Boy we do have 

it easy now with individual coils, no distributer, 

ignition wires, vacuum lines or any other complications. 

Remember setting point gap with a dwell 

meter (piece of cake for the GM boys) but everyone 

else had to coordinate spinning the engine 

while adjusting the gap with the other hand fun. 

Brakes; drum brakes were the norm for most 

cars and then came front disc brakes such an improvement, 

drums worked well but were a mess 

to work on with dust all encapsulated so when 

the drum came off you were covered with that 

powdery asbestos and had to spray cans of brake 

clean on the links, springs shoes and levers to 

just see what you were working on. Then you had 



Minutes Of The Board 

Jill Maserian- August 12, 2009 Board Meeting 

The August meeting of the NER board was held 

on August 12 th at the Webers’ residence. In attendance 

were John Bergen, Dick Andersen, Karen 

and Bob Cohen, Bruce Hauben, Jill Maserian, Steve 

Ross, Jim Selders, and Susana and Dave Weber. 

Chris Ryan and Bob Canter were absent. 

John Bergen called the meeting to order at 7:15 

pm, promptly after a most enjoyable and extensive 

dinner buffet. Steve Ross began with the 

activities report. He noted that the 3 rd autocross 

that took place on August 2 nd had a strong showing 

of 60 cars that participated. Unfortunately, 

problems with timing computer and software 

emerged during the day. Steve mentioned that 

these were already being looked at and would be 

fixed before the next event on October 18 th at Fort 

Devens. Turning to Concours, Steve confirmed 

plans for the 50 th Anniversary Concours d’Elegance 

at the Elms mansion in Newport on Saturday, Sept 

26 th . There would be a final return visit during the 

last weekend of the August by Dave Melchar, Tom 

Heffernon and Kim Saal to tie up any loose ends. 

With the main tasks completed, Steve will also 

reach out to the Porsche 356 club members to 

expand participation even more. The next item on 

the agenda was the DE update, which Bruce presented. 

Turnouts for the NHMS events were strong, 

so the upcoming NER DE event on September 10 th 

at NHMS is expected to be well attended. He was 

working on plans for the new weekend DE dates 

at Watkins Glen on August 28 th –30 th . There are 

already 85 registrants enrolled — some from other 

regions. The registration is open and wait-list is 

looking like it will clear. 

Chris Ryan had submitted his monthly administrative 

report in advance of the meeting. It contained 

highlights of the upcoming Polo & Porsches 

event on Sunday, August 16 th at the Myopia Polo 

Grounds. The October tour of Precision Auto 

Restoration is pending final confirmation, as is the 

annual auction at MOT in November. Dates will be 

announced soon. 

The Treasurer had the financials report circulated 

to the board prior to the meeting. Karen 

Cohen confirmed that, last month, expenses were 

higher than usual due to the fact that a number 

of invoices came in for various 50 th anniversary 

expenses. These were paid and finances were still 

running a slight profit. A motion was made to accept 

the financials as submitted. The motion was 

unanimously approved. 

Dick Anderson provided the membership update. 

Last month there were 13 new members and 

10 members who transferred out. This brought the 

total to 2301 primary and 978 affiliate members. 

He reported this netted a slight decrease of 10 

members over last month. 

President John Bergen provided his update by 

stating that he had been focused on various operational 

issues and ensuring that arrangements 

for the 50 th Anniversary Concours d’Elegance at 

the Elms in Newport, Rhode Island were in order, 

which he was pleased to report were in good 

shape. 

NOR’EASTER editor, Dave Weber, circulated the 

schedule prior to the meeting. He re-emphasized 

a request for photos from NHMS DE events. He 

also brought up the fact the next issue of the 

NOR’EASTER would be including the proposed 

slate for 2010 positions of Secretary, Treasurer, 

and Activities Chair — whose terms would be up 

this year. 

New business included an update by Jim 

Selders, who provided information about how 

PCA was making changes to the PCA.org website. 

Bruce also suggested that the board continue 

to look for ways to expand the NER website and 

leverage various content sets from PCA. This 

would include reviewing sponsors for banner 

advertising. (Although not new business, I wanted 

to thank Matthew Wallis for taking the Minutes of 

last board meeting in my absence.) 

The next meeting of the board is scheduled for 

Wednesday, September 16 th at 6:30 at the Andersons’ 

home. With no further business to discuss, 

the meeting was adjourned promptly at 7:47 pm. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Jill Maserian 

Happy PCA Anniversary 

ThirtyYears 

David ASffonso 

Twenty-Five Years 

John Buckley 

Twenty Years 

Joe Mancuso 

Fifteen Years 

Mark Aaronson 

Bill Seymour 

William Pfister 

Ten Years 

Adrian Flatgard 

Robert France 

Edward Gleason 

Five Years 

Steven Fischer 

Chris Geldmacher 

Philip Pomeroy 

Chris Ryan 

Rick Rys 

page 8 

N O R E A S T E R

Double Clutching 

Bob Canter 

Well, we are into the middle of August and it 

is still amazing to me that as I get older time 

seems to working at a much faster pace. When I 

was a kid and the school year would end in June, 

it would seem from that point that summer vacation 

would last an eternity until it was time to go 

back to school in September. Now it seems like 

it was just yesterday that my two youngest were 

finishing up their spring semesters in college this 

past June. I was looking forward to summer and 

here it is the middle of August. True, we seem to 

have had inordinate amounts of rain this year, 

and the number of days that we have had a continual 

string of sunny days has been few and far 

between. That probably makes it seem even more 

as though we haven’t had much of a summer but, 

here it is, the middle of August, and I’m already 

having to plan for my kids return to college, 

which will be in just a few weeks. The good news, 

though, or at least seems to be, is that whenever 

the date called for an autocross, the heavens 

blessed us with good weather. 

On the first test drive all seemed to be working 

well, albeit that when I went to shift into second 

gear it felt a bit different. 

I have to admit it has been a very strange summer 

when concerning my 911. Back in May I decided 

it would be a good idea to change out the 

rear coupler in my car. I always had felt that the 

shift linkage was always a bit sloppy. My friend 

Chris had replaced his with an aftermarket version 

and felt that he noticed a big improvement, 

so I decided to make the change myself. Now 

here is an example of where a little knowledge is 

a dangerous thing. It actually is a relatively simple 

change to make. It just means taking out the 

stock one and replacing it with the new one or at 

least I thought. I was careful to mark where the 

old one lined up and I was certain that I put the 

new one identical to the old one. On the first test 

drive all seemed to be working well, albeit that 

when I went to shift in to second gear it felt a bit 

different. It didn’t seem to have that sort of locked 

in feel but all gears seemed to shift smoothly and 

the linkage definitely had lost some of its slop. 

You know that feeling when your gut tells you 

something isn’t quite right, yet everything seems 

to be working fine? You find yourself caught 

between ‘should I do something’ and ‘should I just 

leave it alone,’ and your fear becomes that if you 

tinker with it you might just screw everything up. 

Well, that’s how I felt and I chose to leave it alone, 

which, as you will see, was definitely the wrong 

choice. Now there will be a price to pay — I just 

don’t know yet how much. 

It was in May that I went to the first DE event of 

the year up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 

On the second day I was coming into turn 3 and, 

while downshifting, heard this loud grinding 

sound. Needless to say, this wasn’t good. Actually 

I was quite surprised because nothing about the 

way I had shifted indicated I had done anything 

differently than I had thousands of times before 

when downshifting. In this respect I am a bit of 

a very old-school person, in that I still double 

clutch while the rest of the civilized racing world 

is heeling and toeing. My problem has been that 

the height of my brake peddle in relation to my 

gas pedal has made it impossible for my size 14 

feet to have the necessary room to work 

both pedals at the same time and I was 

under the impression that there was no 

way to adjust the brake pedal to lower it. 

So, while every instructor I have had has 

commented on the speed with which I 

double clutch, they all have still said it is 

probably an unnecessary act on my part, 

given there are such things as synchros in modern 

transmissions. Some habits are just hard to break. 

Not to get too far off track here, but I do want to 

mention that I happened to reading through an 

issue of Panorama after that May DE, and someone 

had written in about the same issue as mine 

when it comes to heel and toeing. I was surprised 

to find out that, in the answer given, there actually 

is an adjustment in the 1984 Carrera that 

would allow you to lower the brake pedal without 

negatively affecting braking. Having slightly lowered 

the pedal since, I am slowly now being able 

to teach myself to heel and toe. 

Now, back to my story. For the rest of day it 

would happen a few more times, but I figured 

whatever damage was done I would have to get 

the transmission fixed anyways and so why stop 

driving unless the problem seemed to get worse, 

which it didn’t. The funny thing here is that at the 

end of the DE and after packing up and heading 

out everything shifted fine on the way home. No 



One Track Mind 

Dick Anderson 

It was inevitable. The day had to come and it 

passed without even a hint of a tear. The venerable 

silver C4, previously owned by Laurie Jitts, 

then by me, then by daughter Sarah, has given 

way in favor of a 2004 Boxster S in triple black 

trim. While technically not the first Anderson 

Porsche, that nicely modified C4 was, metaphorically, 

like the first taste of heroin., the one you get 

for free or at a discount so that you will become 

addicted and spend more and more on the habit. 

The Boxster becomes the fifth Porsche we’ve had 

in the family since joining PCA in September of 

2005. If you include the ancillary purchases, i.e., 

the trailer, the F-150, countless tires and myriad 

other modifications, the heroine metaphor is not 

too far off the mark! The real difference, of course, 

is the fun factor and there’s no drug (save adrenaline) 

that compares with that. Of course I have no 

one to blame but myself for becoming so carried 

away. As a side note, Sarah is quite pleased with 

her new ragtop and openly lauds the cushy street 

ride (compared to the stiffened C4). The upshot of 

As Membership Chair, I actively solicit your help 

in recruiting new members. They are what keeps 

are club vital and fresh. 

this, of course, is that she wants to take it easy on 

her new Boxster and continue to drive dad’s GT3 

at the track. We’ve come full circle. 

Recently, I fielded a phone call from a wonderful 

lady who’d been referred to me by Susana Weber. 

“Norma” is interested in rejoining NER after a 

lengthy absence that, unfortunately, included 

the death of her husband, her own serious illness 

and a drawn out settlement with her insurance 

company over damage to her Porsche after last 

year’s devastating ice storm. She shared a delightful 

story of her introduction to Porsches (and not 

knowing much about them at the time) and how 

she acquired one of the first fifteen 356’s to be imported 

to the states. She eventually sold that car 

which years later found its way back to Massachusetts 

in fully restored condition to be displayed in 

the auto museum in Deerfield (associated, I think, 

with Yankee Candle). The present owner of that 

car, none other than Jerry Seinfeld! I gave Norma 

all the info she needs to rejoin us and I’m looking 

forward to welcoming her as a member in the 

near future. 

I hope some of you watched Nascar’s Heluva 

Good Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen on TV 

and enjoyed it as much as I did. Those boys from 

Nascar have a novel approach to road courses 

including frequent detours over the grass, and a 

new line through the “bus stop” – straight over 

the “island.” It’s not fair, of course, to compare 

stock car racing to DE events but I couldn’t help 

but enjoy those “black flag” moments. Speaking 

of WGI, Ann and I are looking forward to NER’s 

inaugural three day weekend at the Glen. This 

year we’re breaking with previous years’ tradition 

and staying, not at the Seneca Lodge with all of its 

“charm,” but at the Falls motel recommended by 

several WGI “regulars.” Joining us again (as he did 

at Mont Tremblant) is Aussie-Texan, Laurie Jitts 

who must have an unlimited travel budget (we’re 

glad he does). 

Allow me a few words about PCA and more 

specifically, NER. Offering all of the events and 

activities that we do (while trying 

to minimize costs to our members) 

requires a couple of very important 

ingredients. First, a large enough (and 

active enough) membership base to 

support these activities. As membership 

chair, I actively solicit your help 

in recruiting new members. They are 

what keeps our club vital and fresh. Those of you, 

who have not yet participated in our events, are 

urged to “give it a whirl.” My guess is you’ll come 

back for more. Second, and equally important, 

are volunteers. Bob Cohen, Nominating Committee 

Chair for the region’s 2010 board of directors, 

is currently developing a list of proposed 

candidates. If you would like to put your name in 

nomination, please contact Bob at RobertNCohen@spamarrest.com. 

You’ll see more info on this 

elsewhere in the Nor’easter. Further, a variety of 

volunteer positions exist in our various activities 

committees. See the last page of the Nor’easter 

and contact the appropriate NER committee rep if 

you’d like to help out in a particular area. 

Finally, summer is fun and frolic for all of us but 

please take a moment to remember our men and 

women in uniform who serve proudly on our 

behalf. See you at the Glen. 

page 10 

N O R E A S T E R

Upshifting 

Bruce Hauben 

Joyce and I recently returned from the PCA Club 

Race at Mosport, one of our jointly favorite 

tracks. Not surprisingly, her comfort level manifested 

itself in lap times closer to mine (percentage-wise) 

than any other track we both drive. No, 

she doesn’t race, there is a DE mixed in with the 

various race groups. And, where there have been 

two DE groups at past races this time there was 

only one, so she was driving with many Cup cars 

and their ilk. 

Unfortunately, friends and I, in our Stock I 

and Stock J cars, were driving in the Cup car 

and GT/GTA group, including several pros who 

were ‘warming up’ for a race. In the past I’ve not 

minded being in that group as those cars — and 

drivers — are so much faster than I am that they 

haven’t really bothered me with their passing. 

This time, however, was different, as there were 

very few of us Stock-class cars. When there are 

more ’slower‘ cars in the group, the fast guys’ 

trains get broken up. The one or two fast passing 

cars are simple to handle, but the trains of 5, 6 or 

8 Cup/GT cars, when they are bumper to bumper, 

Anyway, this is all leading up to an article in the 

daily National Post titled Desire for Speed Leaves 

Woman Wanting More. 

completely throw off whatever momentum and 

rhythm one has. 

Anyway, this is all leading up to an article in 

the daily National Post titled Desire For Speed 

Leaves Women Wanting More. One of the Toronto 

Porsche dealers, Downtown Fine Cars, who also 

provided the pace cars and touring laps at the 

Club Race, runs an annual Downtown Fine Cars 

Ladies Advanced Driving School at Mosport. I 

was grinning all through the article as its comments 

so closely mirrored what many of our own 

NER instructors believe. Now you testosteroneloaded 

drivers don’t have to excoriate me and 

load up my inbox with ‘mea culpas’ or ‘not mes.’ 

There are exceptions to everything; in fact, the 

first one that comes to mind (contrary to the drift 

of this report) is one of our own instructors with 

a female student this year who was at his wits’ 

end. The student did not listen to his instructions, 

drove as though she hadn’t heard a thing he said, 

and whose only thought was speed. We’re only 

discussing averages and trends here. 

The author, David Booth, writes, “Certainly, 

virtually every driving instructor I’ve ever met 

professes a preference for teaching the fairer 

sex. Manifold reasons are cited… but it all comes 

down to… women listen.” During the first drivers’ 

meeting when the chief instructor, a former 

CASCAR racer, admonished them to, “heed the 

instructors and not drive beyond their abilities… 

some even… started taking notes… actually paying 

attention during the dreaded safety seminar.” 

Booth goes on to say that nobody scared the 

‘*&^%’ out of the driving instructors, drove over 

her head, or crashed any of the school’s Porsches. 

He states that what tries the nerves of every 

racecar driver trying to make a living instructing 

the less gifted — and here it is easy and appropriate 

to substitute NER instructor doing this for 

gratis and to give back to the organization — are 

the, “guys who just don’t, or won’t, accept their 

limitations.” 

In all fairness to my own XY-chromosome brethren, 

I’ve instructed many men (and I know many 

other instructors with similar good experiences) 

who listen, want to learn in the 

proper sequences, drive within their 

present capabilities and, as a result, 

progress rapidly with their track skills. 

The bottom line is that, regardless of 

your sexual persuasion, it is a good 

idea to check your ego at the door. 

Lastly on this topic, is the thought 

to always drive within your capabilities and comfort 

level. Unfortunately there are some instructors 

out there obsessed with the idea of pushing 

their student for speeds beyond their comfort 

level — comfort level and capability are closely 

interwoven. If you are ever assigned such an 

instructor (thankfully there are not many of them 

around) and the situation is impacting your fun 

and learning at the track (some students enjoy 

this approach), ask the Chief Instructor for another 

instructor. If you stay with the original one 

at best you’ll have a miserable time, and at worst 

you risk damaging your car. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest to all you readers 

out there a NY Times bestseller I just finished 

— “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. 

Those of you still going into an office everyday 

can look forward to the day when you needn’t 

stay current on the latest TV episode or movie 

or book to discuss at the water cooler or coffee 

room the next day. You’ll get to it when you get 

to it… 



Calendar 

At A Glance 

September 

10 NER DE @ NHMS 

21-22 NCR DE @ Lime Rock 

26 50th Anniversary Concours 

d’Elegance @ The Elms In 

Newport, RI 

October 

11 Fall Tour to Western Mass 

12-13 NCR DE @ NHMS 

18 NER Autox #4 @ Fort Devens 

24 Tour of Precision Auto 

Restoration 

November 

7 NER’s Annual Auction 

@Larz Anderson 

December 

5 Annual Dinner 

Autocross Competition Finale 

Sunday, October 18th 

The sound of flat 6s and Turbos will be echoing across the region complimenting the rustling 

of multi-colored leaves as the Northeast Region Cone Killers shift up into top gear for our 

final event of the season on Sunday, October 18 th , once again made possible through the generous 

sponsorship of Ira Porsche of Danvers. We are privileged to be able to return on last time 

to Moore Airfield, located on the former Fort Devens site. Like all our autocross events, we will 

feature speeds ranging up to 65 MPH on a course guaranteed to be over a mile and a quarter 

long. Theres little doubt that you will have the time of your life and make some new friends! 

All Porsche club members are welcome to attend and can drive their Porsche or “other” vehicle 

in one of 15 Porsche and one non-Porsche classes. The events are designed to permit friendly 

competition while providing a venue for developing and honing your driving skill. We make sure 

you get to enjoy your Porsche in the way the manufacturer intended without running afoul of 

the authorities! So if you’ve never tried AX and just wonder what its like, come on out and try it. 

It’s never too late to start. We have plenty of instructors on hand to help introduce you to this 

exciting form of motor sport. 

Beyond the thrill of competing with others in as many as 8 individually timed runs, we continue 

this year with our relaxed passenger rules so that you’ll be able to ride with experienced 

competitors to see just how they do it. Even more seat time! And, of course there are trophies for 

each event as well as a season championship for each of the Porsche classes. All Novices, defined 

as someone who has not trophied in an NER event, can vie for top honors in each of the classes. 

All other experienced drivers are eligible for trophies throughout the class depending on entry 

size. And think about it, despite the higher cost of fuel and travel this year, you can still have the 

time of your life for just $35 as a PCA member when registering by mail or on line at www.motorsportsreg.com 

in advance. Onsite registration is also available for a cost of $40. 

Our sponsor for this event is one of the premier Porsche dealerships in North America, Ira 

Porsche of Danvers. A full service dealership, Ira has maintained its strong support for the North 

East region over many, many years. They beautiful facility is located at 97C Andover St. Danvers. 

Be sure to pay them a visit if you contemplating a new Panamera or other fine Porsche automobile. 

Plan to arrive in plenty of time to allow registration, tech inspection and course walkthrough 

before the driver’s meeting, see the schedule on the autocross web page. Also make sure you 

bring adequate clothing for any weather be it hot, cold or wet. Lunch is offered for a nominal fee 

or you can bring your own picnic style eats, while liquids are always provided throughout the 

day free of charge. You will be required to perform a modest work function during the day as 

part of the event. We look forward to seeing you at this first event and if you have any questions 

concerning the event feel free to contact Ron Mann at rjmann@yahoo.com. If your planning on 

attending or for further registration information, contact Jon Cowen at jcowenner@gmail.com. 

Directions to Fort Devens 

The event will be at Moore Airfield on Route 2A which is separate from the main Army base. 

From 128: Take Route 2 West. After you go under Route 495, travel another 3.6 miles. Take 

Route111 North for 2 miles. At the rotary, take Route 2A West toward Ayer. Stay on 2A as it turns 

right in downtown Ayer. After the right turn take a left turn onto Bishop Road (0.4 miles from 

right turn). Continue straight onto McPherson Rd. Watch for sign pointing to autocross entrance. 

From 495: Take Route 2A west for 7 miles into Ayer. Stay on 2A as it turns right in downtown 

Ayer. After the right turn take a left turn onto Bishop Road (0.4 miles from right turn). Continue 

straight onto McPherson Rd. Watch for sign pointing to autocross entrance. 

page 12 

N O R E A S T E R

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fax. 508.879.9119 

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PorscheFest 2009 

On the Lawn of The Elms in Newport, Rhode Island 

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Concours d' Elegance 

Saturday, September 26th, 2009 

If you only go to one 50th Anniversary region event this year... make it this one! Join your 

fellow PCA members and friends on the spectacular lawn of The Elms - Newport, RI for a 

day of celebration of all things Porsche. From the early morning placement of the cars 

on the lawn, and the excitement of the judging... to the casual picnic atmosphere of a 

family day in the 10 acre park of one of America’s most beautiful homes... the experience 

will be one you will not forget. 

PCA member Porsches from Northeast Region, as well as other PCA regions in 

Zone 1 and beyond are welcome to show and be judged in one of four different catagories. 

Adjacent Porsche parking will be available for those who wish to park and show off their 

cars informally. 

Be sure to bring your camera and capture the day... and a great photo of your 

car on the recently restored grounds of The Elms... which features terraces with marble 

and bronze sculptures, large specimen trees, marble pavillions, fountains and a sunken 

garden. Bring your own picnic lunch or purchase lunch at the carriage house, set in the 

gardens. If you’ve never been to a Concours, come and join us - this is the perfect time 

and place to view one. Experienced Concours hands know this will be a very special 

setting to exhibit and compete with our beloved cars. 

As an added bonus, the Newport Wine and Food Festival will take place on the 

same weekend... so, plan to stay over and enjoy the Festival! 

A Special Festive Day of Everything Porsche... for Family, Friends and Cars! 

Watch your July Nor'easter for additional information or schedule changes. 

Schedule for the day: 

Entrants arrive 

Spectators arrive 

Park N' Wipe Concours 

Judging - Top, Full, Race 

Picnic Lunch 

Awards Presentation 

Classes - Something for everyone! 

9:00 am 

10:00 am 

10:30 am 

11:00 am 

12:30 pm 

1:00 pm 

Park & Wipe Concours - Get started with 

this fun and easy class. At the event, we’ll select a small 

section of your car for judging. Entrants get 30 minutes 

for cleaning and then it’s time to judge. Give it a try! 

Track / Race Car Concours - Park your 

Club Racing or DE Porsche on the lawn, and let the 

people speak. Our attendees will cast ballots to pick 

the coolest racecars. 

Top Only Concours - In this class, the exterior 

and interior of your car will be jusged by the entrants. 

Make it shine, but don’t worry about the trunk or 

engine compartment. 

Full Concours - The real thing. The exterior, 

interior, engine conpartment and trunk are judged by 

our experts. The fine details count Special here. Activity and 

Prize for every kid. 

Something for the kids, too. 

As usual, we will have some special 

activity or prizes for all the children 

at the event. Some of them are 

Concours entrants in the making! 

Concours Registration Form 

Please help us plan for a successful event by Pre-registering for the event. It will 

help us prepare the right number of trophies and judges. Thank you. 

Entrant Name: ___________________________________________________________ 

Select an entry option & 

Address: _______________________________________________________________ check the box: 

City / State / Zip: _________________________________________________________ Full 

Phone (day): ______________________ (evening): ______________________________ 

E-mail address: __________________________________________________________ 

Porsche (year / model / color): ________________________________________________ 

PCA Region: ____________________________________________________________ 

Top Only 

Track & Race Car 

Park & Wipe 

Please send your check for $30 

($50 day of event) 

per car entered (payable to NER/PCA) 

along with this form to: 

Steve Ross 

49 Village Brook Lane 

Natick, MA 01760 

Questions? Contact Steve Rossat 

508-653-1695 evenings until 9:00 

or e-mail to: slr944@aol.com

A Visit To Precision Auto Restoration 

Saturday, October 24th 

On Saturday October 24th , NER will be visiting Precision 

Automotive Restoration in Newburyport, MA. 

Precision is a vintage restoration shop that specializes in 

European cars from the 1950’s to the 1970’s, including 

Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferraris, to name a few. They 

have prepared winning cars for a variety of well-known 

Concours events such as Amelia Island, Cavallino, and 

Pebble Beach. Precision also services some pretty interesting 

cars, and routinely sees cars like the Ferrari 250 GT SWB 

California Spyder, 1973 Porsche RS, and even a Porsche 917 

in their shop. On their website, Precision claims, “the 917 is 

one of the most iconic sports racing cars of all time, largely 

for its high speeds and high power outputs, and was made 

into a movie star by Steve McQueen in his 1971 movie, 

LeMans … This is possibly one of the coolest cars to come 

through our shop”. Precision AR also offers full vintage racing 

support, including transportation and track support. 

Many of the cars either serviced, repaired, or supported by precision should be available for viewing during our visit. 

Please register for this event by email or mail using the form below; please send your registration requests in by October 20th. 

Plan to arrive at 11 AM. Refreshments will be served and we’ll be finished by around 1 PM. Any scheduling changes will be emailed 

to registrants prior to the event. 

Name (s): ___________________________________ Phone:___________________________ 

Address: ______________________________ City / State / Zip________________________ 

email: __________________________________ 

Pre-register for this event by October 20th th via mail or email 

Chris Ryan, 28 Myrick Lane, Havard, MA 01451; or email at: ryan28@charter .net 

Directions: 

From the South: 95 N to Exit 56 (Scotland Rd), Turn right (east) off exit ramp (Graf Rd), left at first traffic light, 4 Mullikan Way is the 

first driveway on the right hand side 

From the North: 95 S to Exit 56 (Scotland Rd), Turn left (east) off exit ramp (Graf Rd), Left at first traffic light, 4 Mullikan Way is the 

first driveway on the right hand side 

PORSCHE, BMW 

& MERCEDES 

SPECIALIST 

ALL INSURANCE 

WORK 

MIKE’S 

A U T O B O D Y 

MIKE NOONAN (781) 324-9831 

251 BROADWAY, MALDEN FAX 324-1804 

page 16 

N O R E A S T E R


Annual Clean Out Your Garage Time - NER’s Annual Auction Is Back 

Saturday, November 7th - 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM 

The Northeast Region has a long history of auctions that go back to the ‘70’s. Long before Ebay, parts and pieces were being 

passed between members at yard sale prices. The auctions have been held in warehouses, parking lots, restaurants and the 

Boston Museum of Transportation. At last year’s auction veteran auction attendees noted that this particular event had attracted 

an even greater amount of high quality automotive merchandise than in the past, including parts, tools, accessories, posters, and 

models. Not a single pair of slippers or kitchen gadget was seen. 

This year’s auction will be held at the Boston Museum of Transportation on Saturday Nov 7th. That will give everyone plenty 

of time to clean out the garage and put the good stuff aside for the auction. No buyers fee, no sellers fee, and free food besides. 

That’s a deal that even Barrett Jackson can’t match. 

We can auction anything that you can carry in as long as it’s reasonably clean. So you can change out of your Saturday morning 

chore clothes for the event and won’t have to get dirty. It would be helpful if you put your name on your items so that we can get 

the cash to you faster. 

The doors will open at 11:30am with a luncheon buffet available at 12:00pm. We’ll start the bidding soon after that, but give 

you time to eat so that you won’t have to worry about jumping up with a plate full of food in your lap. And you will be jumping up 

as the bidding gets going. Many of these items find their way to Ebay for a sizable profit the week after the event. That also means 

that if you want to eat you’d better be on time. Side deals have been known to be done before the bidding starts so gauge your 

arrival accordingly. 

Anything automotive qualifies and we will accept the occasional kitchen appliance. Bring what you’ve got. As long as it’s not 

on the way to the dump we’ll put it up to bidders. Our auctioneer, Tom Tate, seems to have the ability to put a value on anything. 

So bring stuff, see friends, have a bite and go home with cash. 

We’d like to have a headcount for food purposes, so please let us know if you’ll be attending and how many will be in your party. 

Name (s): ___________________________________ Phone:___________________________ 

Address: ______________________________ City / State / Zip________________________ 

email: __________________________________ 

Pre-register for this event by October 20th th via mail or email 

Chris Ryan, 28 Myrick Lane, Havard, MA 01451; or email at: ryan28@charter .net 

Directions: 

From Boston: Take Route 9 West and take a left on Lee Street (Rt. 9 Reservoir will be on your left). After taking a Left at Lee Street 

follow until the road dead ends at your next set of lights about 1.5 miles. This will be Newton Street. Take a Left at lights and then 

immediately bear right. ¼ of a mile on your left will be Larz Anderson Park and the entrance to the museum. 

From Points North: Take Route Route 128/95 South to Route 9 East towards Boston. Follow Route 9 about 5 miles until you reach 

Lee Street. Take a right on Lee Street and follow 1.5 miles until you reach your next set of lights. Take a left at the lights on to 

Newton Street. Immediately bear to your right and follow 1.4 mile. On your left will be Larz Anderson Park and the entrance to the 

museum. 

From Points South: Take Route Route 128/95 North to Route 9 East towards Boston. Follow Route 9 about 5 miles until you reach 

Lee Street. Take a right on Lee Street and follow 1.5 miles until you reach your next set of lights. Take a left at the lights on to 

Newton Street. Immediately bear to your right and follow 1.4 mile. On your left will be Larz Anderson Park and the entrance to the 

museum. 

From Points West: Take Route 90 East until you reach Route 128/Rt. 95. Take Route Route 128/95 South to Route 9 East towards 

Boston. Follow Route 9 about 5 miles until you reach Lee Street. Take a right on Lee Street and follow 1.5 miles until you reach your 

next set of lights. Take a left at the lights on to Newton Street. Immediately bear to your right and follow 1.4 mile. On your left will 

be Larz Anderson Park and the entrance to the museum. 

page 18 

N O R E A S T E R

The Breakers 

Jacques Pépin 

Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way 

Marble House 

Presenting Sponsor 

September 25-27, 2009 

The Breakers & Marble House 

Newport, RI 

• A Vintage Evening at The Breakers 

honoring award-winning Chef Jacques Pépin 

• A collectible wine auction with 

auction services provided by 

• Grand Tastings – Saturday & Sunday 

• Sunday Jazz Brunch 

• Celebrity Chef Demonstrations 

GET $10 OFF 

Sunday Grand 

Tasting Tickets. 

Use Promo Code PORSCHE 

when ordering your tickets 

by August 31, 2009! 

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Prime at Foxwoods 

Joanne Weir 

Joanne Weir’s Cooking Class 

Sponsored by 

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Driver Education At NHMS - A Little Rain Came & Went 

Copy By Bruce Hauben, Photos By Dave Weber 

Driving in a monsoon – NOT!! NER’s recent two day fling 

(DE) at bright and sunny NHMS on July 27-28, co-hosted 

by NCR, was almost completely that. Skies were partly 

cloudy, doesn’t that also mean partly sunny, and in the 80s, 

really ideal track weather. While the weather report – I wonder 

if anyone looks for that info in a hard copy newspaper anymore 

but that’s another article – called for a high chance of thunderstorms 

throughout the day, we were lucky until about 3:30 that 

afternoon. 

Fortunately our balance between instructors and students 

was such that the Green and Yellow run groups could be combined 

as well as Blue and White, yielding more track time for all 

than normally. Many first time track drivers thoroughly enjoyed 

their first day’s experiences walking around with smiles all day. 

Well, most good things have to come to an end and around 

3:30 that first afternoon our “control” people saw giant thunder 

storm clouds headed our way, the kind of thunder heads that 

watching from the ground you think “…glad I don’t have to fly 

through those”. The problem those conditions create revolve 

around the lightening associated with the storm and the corner 

workers at, near or in trees around the race track. Yes, at NHMS 

one of the flagging stations is actually in a tree and referred to 

as “the tree house”. At other tracks the flaggers use hard wired 

radios and head sets. I didn’t believe the cause and effect of 

lightening in that situation until one year at LCMT I left my 

“control” head set on and was zapped with a mild shock which I 

realize could have been far worse with a more direct hit. 

So, simultaneous with rain beginning to fall the cars were 

black flagged off the track and directed into the paddock and 

the corner workers began exiting their positions. Before the 

last car off the track got to the paddock the heavens opened 

up, and I’ve never seen a time when that expression was more 

appropriate. 

Wisely the folks in control had lowered and removed the top 

of the “pop-up” or it would have been blown into Maine. It 

Track Chair Bruce Hauben with Joyce Brinton at control 

The day starts with a driver’s meeting 

Do they look at all bored at wishing they were back at work? 

Instructors get their instruction prior to the day’s work 

rained and blew so hard for the next 40 minutes…how hard 

did it rain oh Karnack the magnificent? Those of you familiar 

with NHMS will remember the lake that used to form between 

the air compressor garage and pit entrance; well a new high 

volume drain was installed and even after the rain stopped 

there was an 18” deep whirlpool draining the area. 

page 20 

N O R E A S T E R

Braking for Turn 3 

On the main straight 

Entering Turn 3 - headed for the apex 

The workers at pit staging 

As soon as the rain slowed down to a reasonable rate where 

the flaggers were agreeable to going back to work, I took a ride 

around the track in my F350 to assess conditions. There was 

sufficient running water across the track and standing puddles 

that safety was a significant issue and the final 45 minutes of 

the track day were cancelled. 

Gorgeous paint scheme 

So everyone got an early start on the wine and beer (and 

soft drink) social planned for the end of the track day. Did folks 

enjoy themselves? Every drop of beer and most of the wine was 

gone…so yes, a good time was had by all. 

The forecast for day two was for extremely hot and the early 

morning conditions at the track certainly led one to believe it. 

During the drivers’ and instructors’ meetings everyone enjoyed 

the message that short sleeves would be the uniform of the 

day. 

Our Instructor Development Chief, Steve Artick spent most 

of his 2 days at the event mentoring future instructors and 

coordinating other instructors to role play with them either as 

instructor or the student from hell. Our congratulations go to 

Moe Auger and Chris Outzen, newly certified NER instructors. 

All in all, an incident free two days, loads of track time, having 

fun with good friends, life is good! 


Polo & Porsches 

Copy By Chris Ryan, Photos By Chris Ryan & Lesia Shaw 

NER returned to the Myopia Hunt Club again this year for 

another entertaining Sunday on the Polo field in Hamilton. 

The day turned out to be quite warm, so we were 

particularly thankful to be situated on the shady side of the 

field. Over 30 Porsches and over 60 members (several families 

actually put those “back seats” in their 911s to use) lined up 

along the sideline for some afternoon tailgating and socializing 

before the match, which was delayed by approximately 

30 minutes to let the sun go down a bit further to reduce the 

heat to which the ponies would be subjected. This year’s match 

between the Green and Red teams was dubbed the “Porsche 

Cup” by announcer Jim Jones, in honor of NER’s presence. This 

turned out to be only the beginning of a special day in which 

NER was honored in multiple ways. 

As is the tradition, members quickly settled in for some 

relaxation time, chatting with friends and wandering along the 

row of cars checking them all out. New member Dave Roberts 

drew a crowd around his 1973 911T that he recently acquired in 

Ohio — a spectacularly clean specimen. The Devens autocross 

contingent had a presence with Chris Ryan, Bob Canter, George 

and Christine Skaubitis, Jeff Johnson, Steve Ross, Mike Orsini, 

and a several others participating in the day’s event and enjoying 

the festivities. 

At about 3:45 pm the horses were seen parading onto the 

field and the match was soon underway. The teams are made 

up of players who live in the area and others who play Polo on 

various collegiate teams across the country. The Myopia Hunt 

Club players are led by Team Captain Albert Ellis, and Polo Manager 

Rory Torrey, who played with the Red Team at the match. 

Sixty plus members enjoyed the action 

The match got off to a rousing start, which quickly got the 

attention of the NER members as, on one of the first plays, a 

ball was hit over the rail into the crowd. It went scooting under 

Steve Ross’s car, missing people and painted car surfaces. 

Soon thereafter, another play resulted in a ball skipping over 

my daughter Serena’s dinner plate as she enjoyed her lunch. I 

handed the rather beat-up looking (plastic) ball to one of the 

kids sitting next to us who were eager for a souvenir. The match 

went on to be very close, with the teams remaining within one 

goal of each other until the final chukka. 

Because of the heat, the match was divided into three segments, 

with breaks between the 2 nd and 3 rd chukkas as well as 

Chris Ryan (center) presents the team awards 

page 22 

N O R E A S T E R

Chris Ryan leads a spirted drive across the field 

the 4 th and 5 th chukkas to give the ponies a break. In fact, the 

effect of the extreme heat was evident in the number of times 

riders either slipped off their horses due to sliding girths, and 

had to reclaim their ponies after they had ran right off the 

field back to the shade of their trailers. At each intermission, 

we had a chance at the traditional stomping of the divots, and 

everyone had a chance to stretch their legs and help perform 

a little needed grounds maintenance. Although they held the 

lead through the 5 th chukka, in the 6 th the Red team managed 

to take the lead and win the match, making for an exciting 

afternoon. 

Next up were the award ceremonies, and NER members were 

invited to participate as they arranged their cars in a semicircle 

behind the Polo players as a backdrop. Once the cars were positioned 

to the satisfaction of the photographers, I was invited 

to make the player awards and pour the traditional champagne 

toast — quite an honor. Following this, we were encouraged to 

make a final presentation of the cars so, after a brief solicitation 

announcement, I soon found myself, George Skaubitis, Bob 

Canter, and Mike Orsini lined up at one end of the field ready 

for a spirited drive across and back to let the crowd have a live 

look at the cars in action. It was all great fun, and the Northeast 

Region PCA wishes to thank Nancy Keller, Jim Jones, and the 

rest of the Myopia Polo Team for a memorable afternoon. 

The Red and Green teams in action 


Porsche News 

Copy & Photos Courtesy of Porsche Cars North America 

Porsche Readies 2010 911 GT3 RS 

ATLANTA, August 19, 2009 â€“ Delivering even more engine 

power, lower weight and shorter transmission ratios, as well as 

upgraded body and suspension components than all previous 

GT3s, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS sets the foundation for homologating 

the race version of the 911 GT3 and will be introduced 

at the Frankfurt Motor Show September 17-27, 2009. 

The heart of the new, uncompromising GT3 RS is the power 

unit. Like the engine featured in the 911 GT3, the naturallyaspirated 

RS power unit now displaces 3.8 liters and delivers 

even more power, while revving up even faster to its 8500 rpm 

redline. It now delivers 450 horsepower, 15 more horsepower 

than its 911 GT3 counterpart. Even with a specific output of 

more than 118 hp per liter from the six-cylinder boxer engine, 

the power unit in the new GT3 RS remains fully suitable for 

everyday use. 

The new 911 GT3 RS comes exclusively with a six-speed 

manual gearbox optimized for short gearshift travel, low 

weight and high efficiency. To enhance the level of performance 

throughout the entire range of engine and road speed, 

the transmission comes with shorter ratios than found in the 

911 GT3, deliberately conceding an even higher potential top 

track speed. 

Dynamic engine mounts are standard and serve to improve 

the carâ€s handling to an even higher level. Depending on 

driving conditions, the mounts change in their stiffness and 

damping effect, improving the connection between the engine 

and the body when driving under very lively conditions, yet 

allow for more comfortable conditions during everyday street 

use. 

Porsche is also introducing another new option in 2010 for 

the GT3 RS, a lithium-ion battery. Delivered with the car and, 

when replacing the conventional lead-acid battery, it reduces 

the weight by more than 10 kg or 22 lb and is mainly intended 

for the track. 

To further improve its sporting behavior, the new 911 GT3 RS 

comes with a purpose-built and specially set up PASM suspension, 

a wider front and rear track and corresponding bodywork. 

The front axle comes with nine-inch-wide wheels running on 

245/35 ZR 19 sports tires while the rear axle features twelveinch-wide 

wheels incorporating 325/30 ZR 19 sports tires. 

The new 911 GT3 RS shows its close connection to motorsport 

through its dynamic looks, in particular by its low ride height, 

the new, extra large carbon-fiber rear wing and titanium exhaust 

system. 

The 2010 911 GT3 RS goes on sale in the U.S. in early spring of 

2010 and will be priced at $132,800. 

2010 911 GT3 RS 

page 24 

N O R E A S T E R

New Flagship 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo to Debut at Frankfurt 

Motor Show 

ATLANTA – August 7, 2009 – Porsche has traditionally put great 

emphasis on the efficiency of its cars, but the new flagship 911 

will give a whole new meaning to its high performance label: 

while its acceleration, braking and handling capabilities make 

it a true super sports car, it will go about its business with a 

thriftiness that is equally remarkable and by no means the 

norm in its class. 

Combining technological innovations with clear-cut refinement 

for an even greater dynamic driving experience, Porsche 

AG will present its new flagship, the new 2010 Porsche 911 

Turbo at the Frankfurt Motor Show September 17-27, 2009 in 

both Coupe and Cabriolet form. 

The new Turbo features the first entirely new engine in its 

storied 35-year-history. The new flat-six boxer engine now 

displaces 3.8 liters and delivers 500 bhp, an increase of .2 liters 

and 20 bhp from the previous model. Direct Fuel Injection 

(DFI), a new expansion intake manifold first seen on the GT2 

and Porsche’s exclusive turbocharger system with variable turbine 

geometry (VTG) lead the innovations. Maximum torque is 

up by 15, to 516 lb. ft. when equipped with the optional Sport 

Chrono Package Turbo. 

The Sport Chrono Package Turbo allows the 2010 911 Turbo to 

accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds when combined with 

the new, highly acclaimed Porsche-Doppelkupplung, or PDK 

seven-speed transmission. Also included in the Sport Chrono 

Package Turbo is Porsche’s innovative dynamic engine mounts. 

Introduced earlier this year on the 2010 GT3, the new mounts 

utilize magnetic fluid that automatically adjusts for comfort or 

sport, depending on the driving conditions. Top track speed is 

194 mph for both the Coupe and the Cabriolet models. 

This combination of technology and evolution ensures an 

unprecedented standard of efficiency and performance. 

The new 911 Turbo reduces CO2 emissions by almost 18 per 

cent compared to its predecessor while using significantly less 

fuel. Official EPA fuel economy figures are not yet available. 

A new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift 

paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with 


2010 911 Turbo 



Autocross #3: Anticipation Is Everything 

Copy By Geoff Kronik, Photos By John Bergen & Charles Charcedi 

Thirty years before I ever autocrossed, my father may have 

taught me the most important tenet of the sport. I pondered 

this as I accelerated onto the course Steve Ross had 

designed for NER’s 2009 event #3. 

I found myself in a slalom, 10 seconds out of the gate... a long 

slalom… with an optional entry. I heard cones against my bumper, 

and my father’s voice in my ear. 

“Anticipate. Anticipate! An-ti-ci-pate!” 

It was 1978, and he’d been teaching me to drive a standard. I 

was a slow learner, and my father eventually became impatient. 

As I lurched and jolted down our quiet street, his vocabulary 

dwindled to that single imperative, bellowed from the passenger’s 

side. I eventually learned the dance of clutch and shifter, 

but the word became a family joke, to be invoked whenever 

one committed some behind-the-wheel gaffe. 

In autocross, however, anticipation is no joke. As I flailed 

through that surprise early slalom, I suspected it might be the 

most important discipline there is. 

An-ti-ci-pate. Two days earlier, I’d noticed my state inspection 

was literally hours from expiry. I hurried to my local gas station, 

well aware I’d savaged my tires at Calabogie three weeks earlier. 

Sure enough, my ragged Michelins drew an “are you kidding?” 

look from Inspection Guy. It was 3:00 pm, and I had an appointment 

in two hours. 

Within ninety minutes I’d raced home, put on winter tires in 

July, hauled back to get my sticker, then swapped wheels again 

so I wouldn’t be autocrossing on Blizzaks. I hadn’t known I 

could do all this, and if I wasn’t aware that learning in this fashion 

has a name — the hard way — I’d be tempted to think poor 

anticipation has benefits. 

Anticipate! So, after an artless first run at NER # 3, I looked 

ahead. After the slalom was a long straight ending abruptly in 

several offsets. Then a sharp pivot, more offsets and two additional 

slaloms separated by sweepers. After that some clamshells 

came a minefield of closely-set, widely-staggered gates, 

then finally the finish. It was a course where failure to anticipate 

could mean “plus six,” but alertness would have rewards. I took 

another run, got back in line and waited. 

And waited. People scurried around the timing tent, fiddling 

with wires. 

Anticipate! It applies to event organizers as well, and at NER 

#3, they had. The timing gear went AWOL, as it is wont to do, 

but the team under the tent fixed it. Soon the course was hot 

again, and on my final pre-lunch run, during which I channeled 

my father actually wagging his finger, I was nimble enough for 

a two-second improvement. 

A happy group of trophy winners 

page 26 

N O R E A S T E R

Pavel Murnikov 



Autocross - continued from page 27 

Robert Cipriano 

Benjamin Chang 

Tom Tate & Marck Schnoerr 

Taking in the instructions at the drivers meeting 

Bill Seymour 

page 28 

N O R E A S T E R

Ron Orr at the wheel 

Then it was time to work the course. At this event the usual fine selection of Porsches 

was augmented by, among other vehicles, a Formula Ford 1600. I watched it pass, and 

too late realized the possibilities of cones becoming projectiles when launched by 

open wheels. I sprinted desperately while apologizing to my father for the lapse, as the 

physics of this phenomenon could have been predicted. 

Good job. Rain began to fall during that same work session, but I’d brought proper 

gear to my corner. I put on my jacket and smiled, because anticipation by any other 

name — call it preparedness, preparation, readiness — smells just as sweet. 

Perhaps it was a genuine spiritual presence with me that day, or maybe I truly did 

anticipate, but for a brief period in the afternoon, I led my class. In autocross, 1 st place 

is as foreign to me as Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, Porsche’s new word for automatic, is to 

the English language. I didn’t expect to stay there, and in fact finished last, but sometimes 

what you learn is more important than what you win. 

That’s more like it. I’d become convinced that to improve at autocross, anticipation 

truly is the X-factor. It’s the art of doing everything a little sooner, because if your sole 

focus is where you are now, what comes next will be a surprise, and not a nice one. 

There’s no bad time to be looking up at the big picture, instead of down at that cone 

going under your car. You can hit a cone long before you hit it, and you can nail the 

next turn well before you get there. 

My father, a college professor, would like the philosophical nature of those thoughts. 

He also would have liked a Porsche but, out of immigrant thrift, drove only practical sedans 

during his life. I often imagine him at the wheel of my Cayman, because a Porsche 

is not a VW or a Toyota, and certainly not his old Peugeot 404 that long ago went to 

that great Paris in the sky. My father would inevitably stall my Cayman in first gear, and 

in a friendly spirit of revenge I’d intone, at peak volume, syllables from family lore. 

Anticipate, dad! I can imagine us laughing as he sheepishly restarted the car, but 

that’s the best I can do. His enjoyment of my Porsche is a matter of wishful thinking, 

because I only got it the year after he died. In retrospect I could have, should have gotten 

it sooner, but you can’t anticipate everything. 

You can always look forward to the next autocross though, and that’s anticipation of 

the best kind. 



Results Autocross #3 - Sponsor 

Class Pos. Driver Car Model Total 

1S 1 Francis O’Day 914-6 102.008 

1R 1 Mark Schnoerr 914 85.819 

2 Sigrid Schnoerr 914 90.509 

2S 1 David Case 944 94.453 

2 Joe Kraetsch 924 S 96.845 

3 Bill Aubin 944 99.605 

4 Lisa Roche 944 100.274 

2R 1 Neil Halbert 944 S2 90.283 

2 Georges Rouhart 968 91.246 

3S 1 John Bergen 964 C2 89.151 

2 Bradley Spink 911 95.925 

3 Cuan Coulter 911 SC 97.756 

4 Steven James 911 98.938 

5 Paul Hohensee 964 105.185 

6 Russell Shu 911 Carrera 106.146 

7 James Anonuevo 911 RSA 110.523 

3R 1 Tom Tate 911T 88.898 

2 Robert Canter 911 Carrera 90.297 

3 Chris Ryan 911 Carrera 91.94 

4 Jeff Johnson 911 Carrera 95.995 

4S 1 Steve Ross Boxster 94.133 

2 Charlie Carchedi Boxster S 99.399 

3 Gary Hebner Boxster 99.699 

4 Berdj Kiladjian Boxster 108.721 

5 Amy Ambrose Boxster 121.756 

5S 1 Bill Seymour Cayman 93.202 

2 Michael Orsini Cayman S 94.17 

3 Geoff Kronik Cayman S 94.727 

6S 1 Pavel Murnikov 911 91.537 

2 Christopher Fahy 911 93.417 

3 G Champagne 996 98.322 

4 Marc Polk C4S dnf 

Class Pos, Driver Car Model Total 

7R 1 Oliver Lucier Boxster 85.858 

2 Jonathan Cowen Boxster 87.143 

3 Fred deNapoli Cayman 87.961 

4 Fred Cowen Boxster 91.78 

5 Rick Humphrey Cayman 95.512 

8 1 Jake Moreau 997 C4A 89.299 

2 Susan Kelley 997 C2S 93.229 

3 Robert Cipriano 997 C4s 97.168 

4 Benjamin Chang 996 98.467 

5 Ronald Orr 997S 99.441 

6 William Nerney 997 C4S 106.197 

7 Thomas Dodd dnf 

9 1 Stephen Lefebvre 997C2S 82.959 

2 Mark Skala 914-6 84.224 

3 C Stromeyer 993 TT 85.839 

4 Greg Osche Boxster S 87.346 

5 Joe Topor III 911E 3.0 96.249 

6 Steve Smith 944 100.92 

12 1 Jim Garry FF1600 75.693 

2 Ken Hurd FF1600 78.576 

3 John George Challenge 89.334 

4 Ben Wagstaff Miata 91.318 

5 Bjorn Zetterlund M3 LTW 92.923 

6 Cris Raposo Miata 94.06 

7 Ash Perkins Cobra 94.786 

8 Sean Mulkern 325i 96.849 

9 Brandon Mulkern 325i 98.54 

10 C Skaubitis Mini 104.251 

Christopher Fahy 

Susan Kelley 


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Double Clutching- continued from page 9 

grinding or any other problems to report. After getting home 

I parked the car in the garage. It wasn’t until a few days later, 

as I went to drive the 911 again, when I found that every time I 

went to shift into 2 nd gear, that, more often than not, I couldn’t 

get into gear. Sometimes it worked fine but for the most part as 

soon as I shifted in to second it would pop out and sometimes 

it would grind, but not always. From this point I was resigned to 

the fact that I had done some serious damage, and a transmission 

rebuild was in my future. Furthering my problem was 

that the following weekend was the first NCR autocross of the 

season, and I didn’t want to miss it, so I just resigned myself 

the idea that I would just start in 2 nd gear at the autocross. The 

funny thing is that, with four other people in my bracket, I still 

managed to take 1 st place. Compounding my problem was that 

the following weekend, after the autocross, I was leaving for 

16 days in Spain to be followed upon my return in a few weeks 

by NER’s second autocross of the season. From there it seemed 

that there was an autocross scheduled just about every other 

weekend. Between that, my work and my own procrastination 

I never got around to getting the transmission fixed. I 

must admit though, I got pretty good at starting in 2 nd at each 

autocross as I rationalized that since I was going to have to pull 

the transmission anyway, I would be replacing the clutch at 

the same time so it didn’t matter how much wear I put on the 

clutch. 

Finally, with the promised assistance of Tom Tate and Chris 

Ryan, I was all set to pull the engine and transmission from the 

911 and get the transmission issue resolved. For whatever reason, 

on the day just prior to going to one last NER autocross on 

August 2 nd , while I was changing the street tires on the car for 

the R-Compound tires, I got to thinking about the rear coupler 

I put in the car way back in May and how, at the time I went to 

shift into 2 nd gear, everything worked fine. Now, however, my 

gut sensed something wasn’t right. Figuring I had nothing to 

lose, I took off the rear plate covering the coupler and decided 

to try making an adjustment. With that I backed the 911 out 

of the garage and went for a ride. To my surprise, the 911 

shifted into 2 nd gear with no problems at all. Not believing my 

own good fortune, I continued to drive the car for another 20 

minutes, attempting to shift the car into second gear at varying 

speeds and rates of acceleration — still no problem. 

Now, surely I have done some damage to second gear. No 

one could grind second gear as much as I had without doing 

something that will have to be addressed at sometime, but for 

now all seems to be working fine. And, of course, this doesn’t 

even take into consideration all that unnecessary wear on my 

clutch by starting in 2 nd gear all those times. For the record 

though, even though I don’t tend to be a superstitious person, I 

just found myself knocking on wood hoping to not have jinxed 

myself by saying, “All seems to be working fine.” 

Porsche News- continued from page 25 

its proven shift buttons is also available for PDK equipped Turbos. 

Mounted directly on the steering wheel, the right paddle 

is for shifting up, the left paddle for shifting down. 

Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) can now enhance the standard 

Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive and 

Porsche Stability Management (PSM). This new optional system 

includes a mechanical limited slip differential and actively 

distributes power between the rear wheels, making the car 

even more agile and precise in corners for an even higher level 

of driving pleasure. 

The 2010 Turbo Coupe and Turbo Cabriolet go on sale 

January 2010. U.S. pricing is $132,800 and 

$143,800 respectively. 

Follow us: www.twitter.com/Porsche- 

NewsWire and www.facebook.com/ 

Porsche. 


2010 NER Board Nominating Committee Report 

Copy By Robert Cohen 

Robert Cohen Nominating Committee Chair, reports that the following individuals are being proposed as candidates for 

the region’s 2010 Board of Directors. All region members and affilates are eligible to vote when ballots are mailed in early 

November to all members of record as of October, 2009. 

President: John Bergen 

VP Activities: TBD 

VP Admin: Chris Ryan 

Secretary: Mike Kerouac 

Treasurer: Bob Cohen 

Membership: Dick Anderson 

Newsletter Editor TBD 

Should any region members wish to put their name in consideration for any of these positions in 2010 they should contact Robert 

Cohen at RobertNCohen@spamarrest.com, or by phone at 978-779-2226. 

Four Speeds- continued from page 6 

used synthetic pads so they couldn’t help but the third guy 

(“I’ve been here 26 years”) had plenty. When I told him that it 

was to cushion a gas tank in a 51 year old Porsche he gave it 

to me for free. Then to the hardware store for a grease brush, 

to replace two popsicle sticks, a pint of anti-seize compound, 

some rattle can paint (to color the padding strips), and a bag 

full of metric nuts and bolts. Seems that the long bolts needed 

to hold the engine in place had been carted off by aliens and 

I had run out of washers for the engine tin screws. There were 

there when I started but not there when I needed them. Ever 

have that happen? 

There is just something about putting shiny new parts on an 

old car that makes my day. Certainly everything goes on easily 

once it’s lined up right but it’s the look of the finished task that 

makes my day. With the small tasks there is the reflection of a 

new bolt or nut but with large items like a shock absorber or a 

tie rod end it just looks so good. Maybe it’s because I believe 

that it looked like that when it was new so many years ago and 

I can be there when it’s new again. Probably has something to 

do with getting old. Fortunately I don’t need to ask a shrink, I’d 

rather spend my couch time on the floor of the garage. 

We had a family dinner that night so we stopped early to get 

cleaned up. The weather in the DC area was its normal self, 90’s 

with high humidity and while the fan pulling air conditioned air 

out of the house into the garage it was still seemed like a sauna 

after moving a few heavy parts around. 

After dinner we suited up in dirty jeans again and attacked 

the engine installation job. Bill had the car up on four jack 

stands and it was pretty level, just right for putting the transmission 

in place. I’m used to installing engines with the tail up 

and nose down so that the engine sorta drops in place. After 

pushing and shoving the engine for far too long with no success 

I finally looked at the angles and knew that it was never 

going to drop in as I expected. Maybe it was my friend Johnny 

(Walker), who I met at dinner, who was making me think that 

I could do it with the car level and the engine at an angle. No 

chance. 

The next morning with NPR on the radio talking about the 

new Obama health plan (it was DC after all) the nose of the tub 

was lowered and the engine slid in like it says in the books. No 

problem. 

The front end needed the new rod ends installed and the tie 

rods put in place. That’s when I discovered that the front shock 

absorbers, which hadn’t been installed yet, were actually the 

stop needed to prevent the front trailing arms from dropping 

down too far. When the front trailing arms drop down too far 

the tie rods contact the inside body sheet metal and the rod 

ends can’t reach far enough through the link on the spindle to 

install the nut that holds it on. You can see where this is going. 

You can’t put the shock in place unless there is enough weight 

on the front end of the car to twist the torsion bar. With Bill 

sitting on the front fender (you don’t have any rivets on your 

jeans, do you?) a battery and two spare tires in the trunk the upper 

bolt lined up just right. Front suspension was in and it was 

starting to look like a real car. 

The remaining tasks, while time consuming, are all one man 

jobs. That means that the next time I fly down to BWI maybe Bill 

can pick me up in a restored Speedster. We’ll see, I’m betting he 

will. KTF 


Flat Sixer- continued from page 5 

I did manage to survive the rest of the first run, but I decided I 

would seek out an instructor to accompany me on my second 

run. As luck would have it, Camp NCR was very close to us so I 

approached Paul Frucci, who is the NCR Track Chair and he 

drives an RSA, and asked if he would be willing to go out with 

me. He happily agreed to ride shotgun and was glad that as a 

first timer at Calabogie that I was seeking advice on the track. 

We took the first lap at a conservative pace and Paul pointed 

out many visuals that I should be looking out for. As we picked 

up the pace, Paul had me work on going deeper before turning 

in on a few turns. He also cautioned me on being tentative with 

my throttle since Calabogie is a track where it is better to be on 

the gas in the corners than not. By the end of the run I felt 

much better about my line and more confident in my car’s 

ability to stick to the track. I also felt pretty good about my own 

abilities, too. 

I asked Paul if I could ride along with him in his car during a 

run and he was happy to oblige. The ride was amazing; I 

couldn’t believe how quickly Paul was able to take the turns. 

Now, granted, I would not be attempting to replicate Paul’s 

speed, but having experienced the capabilities of the 911 gave 

me more confidence for my future runs. 

Well, maybe I was a bit over confident for my third run. I was 

driving well and trying to keep up with a Black GT3 that was in 

my group. Towards the end of the session I managed to get a 

‘point-by’ from the GT3 at turn 4, also known as The Big Easy, 

and was psyched as I headed down the long straight toward 

turn 6, better known as Big Rock. As I turned into 6, I realized I 

was carrying more speed than I had been all day, which caused 

me to lift. Doh! One of the first rules of thumb when driving a 

rear-engined, rear-wheel drive car is, ‘Never, ever lift in a turn.’ 

Before I realized the error of my ways, the rear end of the car 

was rotating around and, since I was on Hoosiers, I did not get 

the tell tale tire screeching to alert me to my folly. Now if I had 

been alert, I could have counter-steered and applied throttle to 

plant the backend and stop the spin. Instead I went ‘two feet in,’ 

pressing both the brake and clutch in with all my might, and 

ended up spinning 180 degrees, but staying on the track. I 

managed to capture this all on camera, and later that night a 

group of us watched the video and critiqued my mistake. 

For the next two days I continued to work on my technique 

and speed. I have to say that, after driving Calabogie for three 

days, it has become one of my favorite tracks. One thing I will 

do differently next time is to break up the drive home into two 

legs. This would allow me to drive a full day on the last day and 

it would also get me home at a reasonable time. You see, John 

and I skipped our last run and drove all of the 10+ plus hours it 

takes to get home. I was exhausted when I rolled into my 

driveway and I barely managed to make it up to my bed before 

I was sound asleep; this was close to 2:00 in the morning. 

My next DE event was an NER two-day event at NHMS. For 

this event I brought along my 13-year-old son Dylan, who is 

quickly becoming a track junkie. He is looking forward to the 

time when he can be driving, which is only a few short years 

away. Dylan and I loaded up the truck and trailer and headed 

north so that we could get to the Red Roof Inn before 6:00 pm 

to meet Steve Ross, Bill Caterino and Bill’s girlfriend, Holly, for 

dinner. Once we got to the Red Roof, we met up with a few 

other ‘DEers’ — Stan Corbett, Ron Mann, and Michael Orsini — 

who joined us for dinner. 

Dinner was good; we ate at Makris, which has both seafood 

and steak. This was important since my son Dylan is allergic to 

seafood. By the time we got back to the hotel Dylan and I were 

ready for bed. We needed to be up bright and early since I was 

working the Tech Line. For me, getting up early is not an issue, 

but for a teenager it is quite a feat. 

I am happy to report that Dylan had no problem getting up 

early, and we managed to make it to the track on time. I was 

happy to discover at registration that I was not the only parent 

who brought their child along; Jerry Coholan had his son, Ryan, 

who had flown in from Texas; Bill Seymour brought his daughter 

who is an experienced autocrosser; and Steve Schindler, 

from Vermont, had his son along. 

For most of the drivers at the event, this would be our first time 

experiencing the rebuilt south chicane. 

If you will recall, the last time I was at NHMS in May, the south 

chicane was undergoing massive restructuring and we ended 

up running on the South Oval. During my first run of the day, I 

quickly discovered that the new chicane was nothing like the 

old one. It took me several laps before I became comfortable 

with the new set-up, but once I did I found that I could carry 

some good speed through it and was able to catch up to many 

people at turn 2B, which dumps you onto the back straightaway. 

Another thing that I quickly discovered was that there was 

another change to the track that had not been mentioned. It 

seems that the maintenance crew had put some new asphalt 

onto the north chicane just before the last turn that puts you 

onto the front straightaway. I couldn’t see anything wrong with 

the pavement but when I came through turn 12 at speed I 

could feel it. There was a bump and with my car’s stiff suspension 

it caused me to catch some air. This was not a good feeling 

so I adjusted my speed and line to avoid the bump. 

While I was out driving, Dylan was having a great time taking 

pictures, chatting with drivers, and sitting in cars. He was also 


put to work as a pit hand and helped both Steve Ross and me 

with changing our wheels and tires. I think some of the biggest 

thrills for Dylan were sitting in a real Cup Car, thanks to Dave 

Weber, and chatting with Ray Bahr about his Subaru STi. All in 

all it was a fun two days spent at the track among fellow track 

rats and with my son. 

My last driving event for this column was the 3 rd NER autocross 

of the year. Since I have been spending much of the summer 

down in Little Compton, and really enjoying it, I had to be up 

and out of there a little after 5:00 in the morning. This was so I 

could get to Fort Devens by 7:00 am to help with the set-up of 

the timing equipment. 

On my way up Route 24, near the Freetown exit (Route 79) 

where they have been doing construction for a while, I ran into 

a whole bunch of white paint. At first I did not realize what had 

just happened, other than hearing a sound similar to driving 

through a puddle of water. It wasn’t until I looked in my rear 

view mirror and saw white polka dots on my 911’s right side 

mirror that I sensed that something was wrong. 

My first thought in seeing the white dots was that a large flock 

of birds had deposited a present on the car for me, but then I 

noticed that the right fender of my trailer was completely white 

and I knew it was something else. I stopped at the next rest 

area and was shocked to see white paint all over my truck, my 

trailer, and my car; needless to say I was slightly ’POed.’ I have to 

say that I was glad, however, that I was not either driving my 

prized green Targa or trailering it, because I would have been 

heartbroken. 

After I surveyed the situation and realized that any kind of 

cleaning effort now was pointless, I jumped back in the truck 

and continued on my way to Devens 

because the show must go on. Upon 

arriving at Devens, my new custom paint 

job became the topic of conversation. 

Some people even suggested that it 

looked cool and that I should keep the car 

that way. I must admit that the thought 

had crossed my mind, but I digress. 

Since Ron Mann was off at NHMS running 

some time trials for something or other, we 

were treated to a course designed by Steve 

Ross. The biggest thing I noticed about 

Steve’s course when I walked it was that 

there were many tight areas where car 

control and not speed would be the 

primary factor in getting through them 

quickly. 

As is usual, I took my first run conservatively 

and managed to make it through the 

course unscathed, and with a respectable 

time of 98 seconds or so. With a clean run 

under my belt, I then concentrated on 

increasing my speed. For my next run I 

managed to shave off six seconds and 

posted a clean 92 and change. By the end of the day I had 

gotten my time down to a little over 89 seconds. All in all, it was 

a good day if you forget about the white paint 

Now for the standard closing line: Well, that’s all for this 

month. I hope to see many of you at some of our upcoming 

events! If you see me, please introduce yourself and say hello. I 

will be trying to do the same. Until then, stay safe! 

Out In The Passing Lane - continued from page 4 

There was also a light bulb failure to deal with, a constant task 

at our house. And I did end up tossing a role of seamless paper, 

which I use for studio photography, when it unrolled itself into 

a wrinkled pile. But those problems occurred a day or two later. 

Good thing I have so much free time available to deal with 

these nuisance problems. :) 

I guess I’ll not be purchasing an Audi RS6 any time soon (note 

my picture caption in last month’s Goodwood article). Audi 

apparently doesn’t think there’s much of a market for the car 

in the U.S. I’m told by my local Audi contact that they have a 

number of customers who’d like to purchase that model, but 

sadly Audi isn’t going to import the car into the US. Guess the 

European’s are going to have all the fun. 


Around The Cones- continued from page 7 

to remember how everything went together after you took it 

apart and of course there was a special tool you either forgot to 

find or never had to put those blasted springs back on properly. 

Interior cleaning; there was not amoral (just as well) or Wurth 

products, you used standard household products to clean the 

dash, fantastic was a common one, left the dash with a white 

haze looking as fake as the plastic vinyl it was made of. Hot 

tip was Pledge furniture polish which smelled good, a sort of 

lemony scent, but when put on the seats you slipped and slid 

all over the place. 

Speaking of seats, remember the early bucket seats, well the 

amount of bucket was minimal, they were more aptly labeled 

individual seats since their holding capacity of a passenger was 

minimum at best. 

And how about the first shoulder harness seat belts with 

either the position to choke you as you drove or the fiendish 

complication of multiple adjustments just to get them tight. 

Plus retractors were in their infancy if they were available at all. 

And of course the ultimate seat belt was the mechanized ones 

where you had the “little mouse” run across the roof panel to 

tighten up the shoulder belt. 

Speaking of useless devices, remember the talking Japanese 

cars reminding you to turn off or on you lights or shut the door, 

or the infamous 1973 seat belt interlocks that didn’t even make 

it a year, word was the congressman in DC were so frustrated 

with it on their cars that they passed emergency legislation 

allowing them to be bypassed. 

So have you got some stories from you past, pass them on 

to me and you will see them in my column in future issues, or 

better yet submit them to the editor and share the past will the 

club members. 


Marketplace 

For Sale 

’‘99 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe. 6 Speed manual. 47K miles. Speed Yellow/Black. California 

car, only two meticulous owners. Always garaged, no accidents, no track or winters. 18” factory 

wheels with colored crests. Power everything including heated seats, Traction Control, white instruments, 

custom sound, CD player, headlight covers. Service documents and original manuals. 

Looks beautiful and drives like new. $30,500. Contact David at 978 810 0036 or davidwalton7@ 

comcast.net 

DAS Sport bolt-in roll bar for 996/997 (with sunroof). Would cost about $1500 new (including 

shipping and paint). $ 750 OBO. Please contact Sarah Anderson at sarah.kate.anderson@gmail. 

com 

2004 GT3 OEM shocks/springs. Only 4000 miles on them. $2500 OBO. DickAnderson114@ 

gmail.com 

‘78 Porsche 924- 4 new perelli tires, new battery, motor is in good shape, all original, new 

wiring is needed. Great project car, must see to appreciate. Please call Gary at 860-230-2120 or 

860-383-3166. $2500 or best offer. 

1965 356 Coupe: Slate Grey / Red Interior, Best Offer Please call for details. Car is in New 

Hampshire. Bob Harrison 508-528-8491 Cell 508-395-1901 

’90 928S4: Auto, 95K miles, black/tan int, timing belt & water pump changed at 84K, runs like a 

scalded cat. $11,500, Brian (603)463-0133, cell (603)703-3895 

Tires: ContiWinter TS810s, 235/40/VR18, 265/40/VR18, used only one season and are mounted 

on sport edition cup rims, two are 18x8, two are 18x9. Mounted and balanced with TPMS valves 

and hardware. Paid $2700 for the package. Tires can be seen at Direct Tire in Natick. I will take 

$1500. Pickup only or you can have Direct Tire put them on and store your summer tires. Ed 

Polansky 978-369-1853, Edward750@comcast.net 

Classic 1975 911S - one owner, always garaged, all original with matching numbers. 71,900 

miles. $15,995. Contact Maralyn McPherson (401) 662-1259 

Wheels: After-market 993 “Cup” style as sold by Tire Rack. Two 7-1/2” X 17”, two 9” X 17”, good 

to excellent condition, no center caps. Fit 993, 996, 997(?), Boxter, post-’85 944, 968. Asking 

$600.00. Charlie, chl986@aol.com 978-263-4684. 

Advertising Guidelines 

Publication of paid advertising in the NOR’EASTER does not constitute the endorsement by 

this publication or the Northeast Region of the products or services set forth therein. The 

NOR’EASTER reserves the unqualified right to approve for publication all advertising submitted. 

Marketplace Guidelines 

Deadline for submitting ads for MARKETPLACE to the editor is no later than the 15th of each 

month to appear in the next issue of the magazine. 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 - it’s not necessary to mention every detail 

of your Porsche - an interested buyer will call if he/she needs more info! Ads can be faxed to 

(978)352-6819, or emailed to: david.weber1@verizon.net 

Fab’s 

TO Filters 

Custom Removable GT3 Cage 

In-House By Musante Motorsports 

Musante 

Motorsports 

Provides: 

• Oil Change & Tune-Up 

• In-House Dyno Tuning 

• Alignment & Corner Balance 

• Engine & Transmission Building 

• Revo Tuning Software 

• Safety Upgrades & Equipment 

• Race Car Transportation 

• Trackside Tuning & Support 

• Race Car Construction 

& Maintenance 

Call Chris or David for more information 

800-381-5563 

MusanteMotorsports.com 

PORSCHE ® PARTS, SERVICE 

& PERFORMANCE 

FROM PORSCHE ® PEOPLE 

Club RaCeRs 

De InstRuCtoRs 

1265 John Fitch Blvd. (Rte 5) • South Windsor, CT 06074 

P: 860.291.9415 • F: 860.291.9416 


NER Board of Directors 

Welcome New Members 

President 

John Bergen 

11 Beethoven Ave, Walpole, MA 02081 

Home: 617-720-6638 email: bergenj@comcast.ne 

Vice President - Administrative 

Chris Ryan 

28 Myrick Ln., Harvard, MA 01451 

331 Bolivar St, 3H, Canton, MA 02021 

Home: 978-772-9546 email: ryan28@charter.net 

Vice President - Activities 

Steve Ross 

49 Village Brook Lane, Natick, MA 01760 

Home:508-653-1695 email: slr944@aol.com 

Treasurer 

Karen Cohen 

110 Harvard Rd, Bolton, MA 01740 

Home: 978-779-2226 email: robertncohen@spamarrest.com 

Secretary 

Jill Masserian 

197 8th St, Apt 631, Charlestown, MA 02129 

Home: 617-563-2551, email: Jill.Maserian@FMR.com 

Membership 

Dick Anderson 

10 Cutler Rd, Andover, MA 01810 

Home: 978-474-0898 email: DickAnderson114@gmail.com 

NOR’EASTER Editor 

Dave Weber 

PO Box 409, W. Boxford, MA 01885 

Home: 978-352-6601, email: david.weber1@verizon.net 

Past President 

Bruce Hauben 

5 Apple Ridge Ln, Littleton, MA 01460 

Home: 978-952-8517 email: BMH993@PorscheNet.com 

Committee Chairs 

Chair - Autocross 

Ron Mann 

105 Ridge St, Concord, MA 01742 

Work: 781-442-0306email: rjmann@yahoo.com 

Chair - Concours d’Elegance 

Steve Ross 

49 Village Brook Lane, Natick, MA 01760 

Home:508-653-1695 email: slr944@aol.com 

Registration - Autocross 

Jon Cowen 

12 Copeland Rd, Framingham, MA 01701 

Home: , email: JCowenNER@gmail.com 

Chair -Driver Education 

Bruce Hauben 

5 Apple Ridge Ln, Littleton, MA 01460 

Home: 978-952-8517 email: BMH993@PorscheNet.com 

Registration - Driver Education 

Mark Keefe 

Home: 508-529-6127 email: TCReg@PorscheNet.com 

DE Tech 

Chris Outzen 

Home: 978-448-0732 email: Chris@theoutzens.com 

Chief Driving Instructor - Driver Education 

Peter Tracy 

Home: 978-486-8245 email: chfinsttracy@PorscheNet.com 

Novice Development - Driver Education 

Frank Bruns 

Home: 207-627-7182 email: NovDev@PorscheNet.com 

Instructor Development - Driver Education 

Steve Artick 

Home: 781-272-7227 email: InstDev@PorscheNet.com 

Zone 1 Representative 

Botho von Bose 

Home: 416-509-6661; bvonbose@lomltd.com 

Mike Crimmins 

Scituate MA 

2007 Boxster 

Eric Dahlberg 

Wendy McFarland 

Gardner MA 

2005 911 

Ian Gow 

Paul Ishkanian 

Southborough MA 

2001 Carrera 

David Harrison 

Lynnfield MA 

2005 Carrera S 

Dave Hunter 

Kathy Hunter 

Cumberland RI 

2002 Boxster S 

Dave Morrill 

Scarborough MA 

2001 996 Turbo 

Victor Obelmejias 

Bensalem PA 

2002 Boxster 

Okolo Schwinn-Clanton 

Karen Schwinn-Clanton 

Methuen MA 

1980 911 SC 

Reid Van Gorder 

Somerville MA 

1990 Carrera 4 

Transfers In 

Oliver B. Coolidge 

Nantucket, MA 

From: San Diego 

1987 911 

Barbara A. Hillier 

New Hope, PA 

From: NNJR 

2007 911 

Upshifting - continued from page 11 

’TAoRitR‘ is the entertaining story of Zo and his faithful companion Denny. 

Denny is an up-and-coming road-racing driver whose story is told through 

the eyes and mind of Enzo (Zo), his loyal and really insightful dog. The 

Porsche racing, while only one part of Denny’s story, is told very accurately; as 

a former Indy 500 driver Lyn St. James says, “I think it is the best description 

of driving a racecar, and being a racecar driver I’ve ever read. And Enzo is the 

most perceptive dog/human in existence.” Indeed, I found only one error in 

the racing Porsche passages. Time and time again I thought, “This is what we 

teach our students” and, “Yes, that’s what happens on the track.” 

More than racing, it’s the story of life’s highs and lows off and on the track. 

And, I’ll never again look at a dog in the same way as before reading ’TAoRitR.’ 

It’s a fun read. 

Enzo’s Thoughts of Life (with proper attribution where known): 

• The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of 

his tongue. 

• There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. – Ben 

Williams 

• A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. 

(Human parents excepted, bmh)– Josh Billings 

• The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.– Andy 

Rooney 

• If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise 

• My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. 

That’s almost $21.00 in dog money.– Joe Weinstein 

• If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite 

you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.– Mark 

Twain 

• Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.– Roger Caras 

• If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your 

pocket and then give him only two of them.– Phil Pastoret 

page 38 

N O R E A S T E R

The NOR’EASTER 

c/o Dave Weber 

P.O. Box 409 

W. Boxford, MA 01885 

Periodicals Postage Paid At 

West Boxford, MA 01885 

And Additional Offices 

To: 

Time Sensitive! Do Not Delay 

Photo By Dave Weber

September 2009 - Porsche Club of America â Northeast Region

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September 2009 - Porsche Club of America â Northeast Region