Blog – 3/1/2021
February 29
February 29 Alright, then March 1. I don’t know about you but I am ready!
The Blue Ridge Blogger
The Blue Ridge Region Welcomes . . . .
New Members . . .
Mark and Jennifer Thompson have transferred to Blue Ridge from the Carolinas Region. they have a 1984 911 Carrera.
David Kinsler has joined our region. David has a stunning 2020 Carmine Red 911 Carrera 4S.
A loss in our Family
I am sorry to report that our old friend, Manual Sowers passed away last week. Keith Martin wrote a remembrance to Manual.
I really can’t remember when I first met Manual but most likely it was at a PCA function or it could have possibly been as a service customer. Our friendship was unique because I never really knew a lot about his early life. He was a very private person and that was OK, but I liked what I did know. We had many common interests…aviation, Formula 1, local politics, and of course, Porsche. He was a great teacher with much knowledge on many subjects, including, but not limited to wine and good food. I may not have been a good student but I attended every lesson he offered.
Manual was also a longtime customer and you learn interesting things about people when you do business with them. Although tough at times, he was always appreciative and fair. A deal was not a good deal unless both parties benefited.
In the late 90’s, I hosted four trips to Montreal for the F1 race. If memory serves me correctly, Manual came along on at least two of the trips and Ann was with him on one trip.. Later in 2001, I hatched a plan to attend the Monaco F1 race. Prior to the race, Manual and I spent a week driving across Germany, Switzerland, and Italy together. We started in Munich, picking up a new BMW, and ending in Milan. During that week together, we discovered some really good beer at the Hofbrau Haus, the first sunshine of the year in Stuttgart, and the old Porsche museum, which was not much more than a storeroom. We also took a few laps at the Nurburgring and had a very interesting drive through the Swiss and Italian alps. In Milan, we met Ann and Wanda and we traveled by train throughout Italy and then drove to Monaco for the F1.
A funny memory from our time in Munich, which was pre-GPS, but no problem. Manual and I are both pilots and a pretty handy skill for a pilot is map reading and navigation. We both thought we were pretty good but not on this particular day. Almost every intersection had four streets with different names. We drove in circles for hours, and every great place we went was by accident. This was one of many wonderful memories of time well spent with Manuel!
Manual was smart, considerate, funny, and very humble. He was a good man and will be missed!
Keith
Former Members
Many of you remember Maury Humil. Well, there was an interesting story published down in the Citrus Region on his 914 that I thought you might enjoy. Click below to see it.
Upcoming Activities
Cars and Coffee
Unfortunately, no Cars and Coffee this month. We are all hunkered down waiting on our Covid shots. But people are getting their shots and it won’t be long before we are able to get together again. Keep an eye out for the next Cars and Coffee.
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Board MeetingYou are invited to our quarterly Board of Directors Meeting coming up on April 14, 2021 from 5:30PM to 6:30PM. Because of the Covid-19 virus, this meeting will be held as a Zoom Meeting. If you want to participate, email Reid Kuder at president@brr-pca.org.
ALL MEMBERS NEW AND OLD ARE WELCOME!
Social MeetingDue to the Covid virus, we are temporarily curtailing our monthly Social Meetings. We will advise you when and where they will resume.
Porsche Only Swap Meet
Registration ends in 2 months at April 15, 2021 11:59 AM EDT
The Central PA Region of the Porsche Club of America is happy announce the return of the World Famous Porsche Only Swap Meet to a NEW LOCATION this year. We are proud to announce the NEW EVENT LOCATION will be at the CARLISLE FAIRGROUNDS the home of Carlisle Events. This is without exaggeration the largest event of its kind on the planet. It typically brings nearly 650 vendors, around 1,000 Porsches, and over 6,000 visitors from all over the world together every year.
If you’re seeking an obscure Porsche or an obscure part for your Porsche, this is your best chance to find it. Every dealer and Porsche pack rat in a 250-mile radius will be bringing their odds and ends for sale or swap. You’ll see exotic Porsches found nowhere this side of Stuttgart, and Porsche personalities ranging from PCA muckty-mucks to (sometimes) celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld. As always, they’ll feature a People’s Choice Concours, and Sunday autocross, too!
Special Groups: We can reserve parking for your cars in the Porsche Only Parking area. Let us know if you are bringing a small – large group, such that we can plan enough space for you to park together. We need notice one-week in advance to accommodate your group. Email Steve: sbturbo@aol.com.
People’s Choice Concourse: Great location for the 2021. Event grows each year; Registration is the day of the event, plenty of goodies and trophies for the winners. For more information , visit www.cpa-pca.org.
Directions: Google Carlisle Fairgrounds: 1000 Bryn Mawr Road, Carlisle PA
Swap Meet 2021: Reminder for vendors to pre-register at the Registration tent no later than 1pm for the 2022 Swap Meet.Primary spaces (2) (Includes Vendor Parking Pass) $100.00
Additional spaces $50.00 each
Spring Fling Poker Run
What’s Happening with Porsche
Of course your next Porsche need not be a new one.
1968 911 Targa Soft Window
Porsche Says Its Synthetic Fuel Could Make Gas-Powered Engines as Clean as EVs
Bryan Hood
Mon, February 22, 2021, 1:10 PM·2 min read
The Porsche Taycan may be one of the most exciting EVs on the market right now, but that doesn’t mean the German automaker is ready to give up on the combustion engine just yet.
The marque’s vice president Motorsport and GT cars, Dr. Frank Walliser, told British car magazine Evo that the company is hard at work on a synthetic fuel technology that could save traditional, gas-powered mills. The fuel won’t just reduce emissions, either; it has the potential to make combustion engines just as clean as their battery-powered counterparts, the executive said.
Walliser claims the company’s synthetic fuel, which will be called eFuel, can be used in any combustion engine and is scheduled to start undergoing testing next year. The fuel is less complex than traditional gas—eight to 10 components compared to 30 to 40—allowing it to burn cleaner, with fewer particulates and NOx. Because of this, the total carbon footprint of the vehicle will be equal to that of an EV.
“Synthetic fuel is cleaner and there is no bi-product, and when we start full production we expect a CO2 reduction of 85 percent,” Walliser told the publication. “From a ‘well to wheel’ perspective—and you have to consider the well to wheel impact of all vehicles—this will be the same level of CO2 produced in the manufacture and use of an electric vehicle.”
Porsche isn’t the only premium automaker exploring the potential of synthetic fuel. Last spring, McLaren Automotive COO Jens Ludmann said the British marque viewed the nascent technology as a valid alternative to electric drivetrains. The executive also said the marque intended to eventually build a prototype that would run on synthetic fuel.
Although it will take a lot of time and money to make synthetic fuel a reality, it’s easy to see why automakers like Porsche and McLaren are intrigued by its potential. Despite a shift towards EV production, and pledges from automakers to stop producing vehicles with combustion engines entirely, only 3.2 million of the 64 million vehicles sold last year were EVs. If development of the technology continues, it has the potential to offer yet another way of lowering dangerous emissions worldwide.
Remember Moby Dick?
Here is an excellent article on the infamous Moby Dick!
For the LadiesSo, did you know that there is a group known as Women in Porsche’s?
Their Mission:
Dedicated to sharing the stories of and connecting the women who love, work with, and drive Porsche.
Newsletter
We have a new edition of Blau Rain produced by our hard working webmaster, Dave Hogan.Click Here to see it!
Facebook
So, there are many groups out there on Facebook. I thought I might link to a few from time to time in case I hit on one or two of interest to you.
Porsche Classified Online Swap
And of course, don’t forget our BRR Facebook page.
BRR-PCA Facebook
WebsitesHave you ever gone to the Dorki Board? This website is a northern Virginia, DC, MD thing. I just stumbled onto it again after some years. But when I was in NVA, I lived on there. It was full of interesting stuff for older 911s and 356s and those who wanted to fix stuff themselves. Take a look.
Dorkiphus.net – Powered by vBulletin
Formula One RacingF1 leaders looking to shake up qualifying with Saturday Sprint race at three Grands Prix in 2021. The FIA Formula 1 Commission announced several changes for F1 on Thursday, including an engine development freeze for 2022 and a race for Portugal in 2021. And a beautiful new car! But no Porsche still!
Alfa Tauri
Racing starts March 26-28 in Bahrain.
Ever wonder how a Formula 1 Clutch works? Formula 1 ClutchStory
Preparing to Drive Le Mans
Well, a few weeks ago, I started the story of my adventure at Le Mans. As you may recall, a friend invited me to co-drive in the Le Mans Classic. This event is a series of races on the original Le Mans track sponsored by the FIA and Automobile Club de l’Ouest. It is open to cars that either actually ran in the Le Mans race or those who are identical models. My friend has a 1930 Bugatti Type 40. This is a 1.5 litre, twin carburetor roadster with right hand drive and a four speed left hand shift. Bugatti is Italian but built most of his cars in France. He started building cars in the 1910’s and his cars were one of the most sought after race cars of the pre war era.
The race itself attracted over 350 cars representing the period up to 1974. These were grouped into the pre war group, then five other groups. Let me give you some names of models and how they were grouped.
- Pre war: Bugatti, Talbot, Delage, Bentley, BMW 328, Alpha Romeo Monza, Lagonda V12, Morgan, Aston Martin Speed Model, Stutz Blackhawk, MG Magnette K3
- 1946-1955: Jag’s XK120, C-Type, D-Type, Porsche 356, Ferari, Maserati, Allard J2, Cooper, AC Ace, Frazer Nash Le Mans, Cunningham C4R, Austin Healy 100-4, Cadillac Sedan (yes, remember GM ran this car in 1950)
- 1956-1961: Lister Jag, OSCA, E-Type, Tipo 61 Birdcage, Ace Bristol, DB4, Ferarri 250, Porsche RS61, 356 Carrera 2, Cooper
- 1962-1965: Ford GT40, Shelby 350 GT, Porsche 904/6, TVR, Sunbeam Tiger, Bizzarrini, Abarth, AC Cobra, ISO, Rene Bonnett Djet
- 1966-1971: Alfa Romeo T33, Lola T70, Porsche 906, 908, 910, Chevron, Marcos, Costin Nathan, Alpine, Ferrari Dino
- 1972-1974: Gulf Mirage, Porsche 911 RSR, 935, BMW 3.0 CSR, Ferrari 308 Le Mans, Sauber, Duckham
There were 6 cars in each group. We were in group 19. Our car along with car 19 in each of the other groups represented our team. Each team competed in three races. The aggregate number of laps completed by the team represented our overall score. We also had a factor for performance. So, our Bugatti had a .56 factor compared to a GT 40 which had a 1.12 or a Porsche RSR with a 1.31.
Our team included the owner, Scott Ebert, a retired Navy General, his son Charles, an amateur racer and airline pilot, and myself. None of us had seen the track and had any idea of the challenges. To learn the track, I found an in car video on the internet taken by General Motors with their Corvette and Cadillac LMS cars. It gave me a visualization of the track but of course they were going much faster than we would be going.
I calculated that we would be able to do 8 minute laps over the 8 mile long course in the Bugatti, given our top speed of 90 MPH. Most turns were 50-70 MPH in the Corvette. However, at this point, arriving at Le Mans, I had not even seen the Bugatti, much less than drive it.
Next Week: Arriving at Le Mans
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AND OF COURSE
A Porsche Gone Bad
Firstly
Secondly—
Need a Push?
And last,
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Our Sponsor of the Week
Porsche of Charlottesville
- 1313 Richmond Road
- Charlottesville, VA 22911
- Sales: 434-951-6161
- Service: 434-951-6161
- Parts: 434-951-6161
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2021
For Planning Purposes Only. Check online calendars for latest info.
| EVENTS | ||
| MONTH | BLUE RIDGE REGION | NATIONAL AND ZONE2 |
| January | 1/13 – Board of Directors 5:30pm | |
| February | 2/10 – Exec Board 5:30pm | |
| March | 3/10 – Exec Board 5:30pm | 3/19-21 – Zone 2 HPDE (VIR) |
| April | 4/14 – Board of Directors 5:30pm | |
| May | 5/12 – Exec Board 5:30pm | 5/5-9 – Treffen Spring (Scottsdale, AZ)5/21 – Werks Reunion (Amelia Island) |
| June | 6/9 – Exec Board 5:30pm | 6/18-20 – Rumble at Oak Tree Club Race |
| July | 7/14 – Board of Directors 5:30pm | 7/11-17 – Porsche Parade (Indiana) |
| August | 8/11 – Exec Board5:30pm | |
| September | 9/8 – Exec Board 5:30pmStreet Survival – Sept. or Oct – TBD | |
| October | 10/13 – Board of Directors 5:30pmStreet Survival – Sept. or Oct – TBD | 10/13-17 Treffen Fall (Wisconson) |
| November | 11/10 – Exec Board 5:30pm | |
| December | 12/8 – Exec Board 5:30pmHoliday Party/New Member Event – TBD |