Der Vorgänger 2• Der Vorgänger • December 2014 Der Vorgänger • December 2014 • 3 Table of Contents Der Vorgänger
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The magazine of the Founders’ Region • Potomac, Porsche Club of America • December 2014 der Vorgänger 2• der Vorgänger • December 2014 www.pcapotomac.org der Vorgänger • December 2014 • 3 Table of contents der Vorgänger The monthly magazine 6 The editors’ column of the Founders’ Region, Potomac, Porsche Club of America. 7 The president’s column December 2014 Volume 60, No. 11 Club officers and program der Vorgänger is the official magazine of the 8 Founders’ Region, Potomac, Porsche Club chairs of America, Inc. Contributions for der Vorgänger should be sent to the editor at least six weeks preceding the month of pub - lication, preferably via e-mail to 9 Potomac’s 2014 calendar [email protected]. Please send im - ages in their original sizes. 10 James Henry’s 924 Engine Publisher: Tony Kelly 6726 Lucy Lane Rebuild McLean, VA 22101 [email protected] 14 A Visit to the Ferraris of Co-Editor: Carrie Albee Co-Editor: Glenn Cowan Maranello and Modena by Dr 10 Co-Editor: Michael Sherman Evans [email protected] Contributing photographers: Ken Hills, Michael Madrid, Ken Marks, Tony Pagonis, 18 A Tail Tale by Bob Williams John Vrankovich, Mia Walsh. Contributing writers: Gary Brindle, Syd - Letters to the Editor ney Butler, John Eberhardt, Jonathan Kin - 24 berg, Tony Kelly, John Magistro, Tony Pagonis, Starla Phelps, Dan Rowzie, Steve Vetter, John Vrankovich, Mia Walsh. 26 Membership May Have Its Proofreaders: George Soodoo, Privileges, But Volunteerism Linda Gifford Has Its Rewards by Mi Jee Song For questions about advertising rates and placement in der Vorgänger , please contact 30 Readers and their cars Tony Kelly at [email protected] der Vorgänger (ISSN 0199-0667) is pub - lished monthly except in January by the Founders’ Region, Potomac, Porsche Club Cover photo: Mi Jee navigates of America at 6726 Lucy Lane, McLean, VA 22101. Subscription is limited to members the cones in a new Boxster at of the Founders’ Region, Potomac, Porsche the final autocross of the sea - Club of America. Annual PCA dues are $42 (includes $18 for der Vorgänger subscrip - son. Photo by Bob Wilkoff. tion). Application to Mail at Periodicals 14 Postage Prices is Pending at McLean VA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to der Vorgänger , 6726 Lucy Lane, McLean, VA 22101. State - ments appearing in der Vorgänger are those of the contributing authors and do not con - stitute the opinions or policy of the Founders’ Region, Potomac, Porsche Club of America, its board of directors or the ed - itors of the magazine. The Founders’ Re - gion, Potomac, Porsche Club of America neither endorses any advertisement nor warrants any product or services they may provide. Potomac Region reserves the right to cancel advertisements at any time, for any reason, in its sole discretion. For informa - tion regarding commercial advertising and rates, contact the publisher listed above. Letters to the editor are welcome. They should be brief and may be edited for length. Please include a contact phone number for verification. To subscribe, join the Porsche Club of America. Details at www.pca.org. 26 4• der Vorgänger • December 2014 www.pcapotomac.org der Vorgänger • December 2014 • 5 The editors’ column Wave and Smile I started driving Porsches in 1981 as the very proud gear heads and track junkies there is apparently less a owner of a gently used 1980 924 Turbo. In the previous sense of a shared experience. It’s very likely true that fifteen years I had driven so many beat up sports cars many four door Porsche drivers don’t appreciate the that only USAA could keep track. Within minutes of “club” they have joined but most 911s don’t acknowl - my first drive in my first Porsche I passed another edge me either. For a while I thought my Boxster was Porsche (type long forgotten) and the driver blinked being snubbed but from the front I’m a visual 911 so their headlamps at me. In all the years of driving various that excuse doesn’t hold. Triumphs, Fiats, Mazdas and BMWs no driver had ever Carrie Albee blinked at me. When driving my Honda 450 or BMW The sad truth is that the sense of common experience M60 it was common practice to wave at other bikers is disappearing. Those of us active in PCA may not feel but it was unheard of for car drivers to recognize one this loss because our club successfully engages us with another, except, as it turned out, Porsche drivers. other Porsche drivers. We can’t force new owners to join PCA and I don’t think we can “teach” new owners I took up this practice and continue even today to to artificially internalize the special feeling of driving flash my headlamps or wave at other Porsches. I can’t these cars but we can begin, one driver at a time, to re - help but notice that very few are waving back. Maybe vitalize the practice of recognizing each other. Next time it’s the advent of daytime running lights, or distracted Glenn Cowan you encounter a Porsche (no matter how many doors), driving or perhaps Porsches in the Washington area are flash your lights, wave and smile. I think you’ll feel bet - so common that to acknowledge each other would be ter and they may wave back. bothersome. My experience driving where Porsches are rare on the ground suggests a more unfortunate expla - [See you back here in February as there is no January nation as these infrequently encountered Porsche driv - issue of dV. Enjoy the holidays!] ers aren’t waving back either. I am hopeful that this is simply a problem of bad so - cialization. As Porsche has expanded its appeal beyond Michael Sherman 6• der Vorgänger • December 2014 www.pcapotomac.org The president’s column Thanks for All the Fish This is my last column as President of PCA Potomac. bership and ensures leadership for generations to come. On December 31 (at least in the context of PCA Po - There are still improvements to be made to the trans - tomac) I will be returning to the life of a private citizen. parency and accountability of our club governance. So I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect on While I am happy to share credit, as President I accept the past two years: on the good, the bad, and the oily. sole responsibility for these failings. I will continue to What do I think we have accomplished? We have push for these initiatives for as long as Club Leadership continued to strengthen Potomac’s financial reporting would like me to do so and I hope that we can continue and performance, made information in the club more to make progress toward them. transparent, continued to innovate in our club program - The strength of our Club going forward rests in the ming, grown our membership and grown our volunteer John Eberhardt quality of our leaders, and I would like to call out the base. We have begun to transform how we develop and grow our 2015 Executive Committee who I hope will be elected by the time leadership base and planning process, but we still have a lot to do. this column goes to print: President Howard Hill, Vice President Overall, I believe our club to be as strong and as vibrant as it has David Dean, Treasurer Michael Handelman, and Secretary Mia ever been. The credit is not mine – it belongs to all of the wonderful Walsh. Not only are these competent, thoughtful, and decent peo - club officers, program chairs, committee members, and volunteers ple, but I am proud to call them my friends. I have been honored who keep our club running day-in and day-out. I can provide some to work with them over the years, and they have enriched my life thoughts, but it is the leadership of the club who make things hap - in ways they can’t even fathom. Please join me in supporting them. pen. Finally, the credit belongs to you, the members. So what did I get out of my two years as Potomac President? Where do I think we fell short? I still think we have progress to First of all, great fun and great friends. While the job is exhausting make in continuing to engage our membership – through new fo - and at times very trying, I would gladly do it over again because of rums, through innovative programming, and by finding ways to in - all the great people I got to interact with. In addition, it provided crease the depth and diversity of our membership so that our club me with a personal opportunity to grow and learn new skills in a continues to reflect the ownership base of the Porsche marque and supportive environment, and we don’t often get to do that in life. the beautiful diversity that is the hallmark of our great country. And Finally, I would love to hear from you what you got out of it. So while we have made great strides in broadening and deepening our please write me, and let me know. leadership base, we need to continue to refresh club leadership to In the words of Douglas Adams: “So long and thanks for all the ensure that Potomac has a face that reflects the diversity of the mem - fish!” der Vorgänger • December 2014 • 7 Founders’ Region officers President : John Eberhardt [email protected] Vice president : Howard Hill [email protected] Secretary : Michael Handelman [email protected] David Dean Tuffy von Briesen Treasurer : David Dean John Eberhardt Howard Hill Michael Handleman [email protected] Past president : Tuffy von Briesen Programs Social, meetings : Annabelle Alvi Model Experts [email protected] [email protected] Autocross : Gary Baker, Scott Jackels Cayenne : Ken Harwood Sponsor : Starla Phelps [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Drive & Dine : Andrew Fort,