Slipstream - February 2015

PCA Palooza 2015: Autumn in Eureka Springs
By Tom Martin
Photos by the Author
Autumn has always been a
perennial favorite season of
the year. It’s a completely
understandable sentiment. After the
birth of spring and the unbridled
youth of summer, autumn represents
the maturity of life before the
dearth of winter and the rebirth
of the phoenix in the spring.
Porsche drivers especially like autumn. Before the
arrival of the biting cold of winter; before the garage
queens are put up on their hibernation thrones for
the winter; before the daily drivers switch to winter
tires; the cool brisk air of autumn lends itself to peak
performance of their engines, which pierce the silence
of the countryside with their on-song shriek.
War Eagle Driving Group 1 ready for takeoff.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, nestled in the foothills
of the Ozark Mountains, has long been a mecca
for sports car aficionados. Clubs catering to specific
marques, such as Alfa Romeo, BMW, Corvette,
Ferrari, and Porsche, all flock to the area, like
birds instinctively flying south, just to drive. And
that’s what Porsches are all about, right? Driving.
Quickly. On undulating, twisty ribbons of tarmac.
The Ozarks are one of the premier havens in the
U.S. where sports car enthusiasts can exercise their
rides and challenge their driving skills in one of
the best environments in the Mid-South. And every
year since its inception, the Palooza has served as
an excellent springboard for spirited driving.
The first Palooza was held in 2005, the brainchild of
Leonard and Melody Zechiedrich. At that first event,
56 Porsches were present . . . some without drivers, so
I am told. Just kidding. I don’t think that Leonard and
Melody could have possible imagined that nine years
later, at the 10th Annual Palooza, over 500 people,
in 252 Porsches, from 12 states and 22 PCA Regions,
would attend what has evolved into the second largest
Porsche event outside of the nationally sponsored Parade
and Escape. While the Palooza is the cumulative
effort of three PCA regions: White River, Ozark, and
Cimarron, Leonard and Melody of White River Region
are definitely the driving force behind the event.
Over 60 Mavericks made the pilgrimage to Eureka
Springs for the latest Palooza, held the first weekend
of November. We caravanned up to Arkansas with Ben
and Sue Connell, electing to take secondary roads
most of the way in lieu of the stifling, monotonous
highways. The final leg leading into Eureka Springs
was a myriad of winding corners that had me grinning
from ear to ear. At one point, we encountered
a road sign with a 180° arrow. Yes, it was a hairpin,
an honest to goodness, don’t brake ‘til you see God,
second gear, punch it at the apex, hairpin. Great stuff.
The Palooza kicked off bright and early Friday
morning with a Wine Country Tour. We were still en
route when the tour took place, but I was told it was a
pleasant 100-mile jog through country roads amid the
colorful, but muted, foliage of Northwest Arkansas.
Registration opened in the afternoon, and the first
175 Porsche drivers that checked in at the station
received a gift from PCNA: a 10” x 80” “There is
no substitute” poster depicting the evolution of the
marque, from the first mid-engine 356/001 to the
hybrid 918 Spyder of today. Each driver also received
a T-shirt, compliments of Dallas Motorsports.
State Park rest stop
PCA Palooza is a non-profit event benefiting Morningstar
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Gravette, AR,
the Good Shepard Humane Society of Eureka Springs,
and the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.
The “Palooza Fest” Welcome Party, where attendees
could enjoy some complimentary burgers and brats,
required a food and supply donation to the charities.
There was also a photo booth, with a carnivallike
plywood cutout of an early Porsche, where
entrants could pose for their own personal picture.
16 February