Aug 2020 Monthly PCA-San Diego Region President’s Message – (PLUS Aug ADDENDUM below)

What’s happening in PCA San Diego Region?

Another month in which PCA-SDR activities are minimized due to world circumstances – specifically the ban on non-essential gatherings. We still need to try and ensure that we avoid a return wave of increased virus occurrences.

So, it would appear, without wanting to get everyone’s hopes up, and definitely not to encourage anyone to ignore the current rules of lock down social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks, there just might be a slight turn of events as far as PCA holding events.

Specifically, it may be the “tip of the iceberg” as far as reviving PCA national events are concerned. The PCA-SDR Time Trials event team under Dr. Greg Phillips, has been working hard to put on an event that is in full compliance with City, State and National regulations regarding protection against the coronavirus. Many things have been changed in the way SDR runs a Time Trial track event, not least – only one person in each car (ergo no student drivers as instructors cannot be with them), social distancing when outside the car, face coverings, new format drivers meetings, new methods to avoid communal waiver signing, plus much more. For those of you who are unaware, Time Trialing is an advanced Track driving event requiring drivers to qualify through a logbook and series of events in which participants have to be signed off and qualified as solo drivers with a solo drivers permit. This means that TT is not for newbies who are learning driving on a track, or who are in the process of earning their solo license. If however, you have almost earned your solo license and only require to be signed-off to participate, the SDR DE/TT team is working with a non-PCA driving instructor team based trackside at Willow Springs who utilize other methods than PCA to instruct drivers – e.g. one person in each car with lead-and-follow and video driver/instructor assessment. Please see the event ad on our Calendar for the Sep 19 – 20 TT at Willow Springs International Raceway (WSIR).

Realizing that we are all experiencing a new norm in these unprecedented times and that things are changing all of our lives to varying degrees, many of us are facing unexpected change and the impact is affecting multiple walks of life. For example, for some the effect of the forced changes may just be that they can no longer drive their Porsche with a group of friends. For others, it might mean loss of their job and potentially their income. So, although staying at home under lockdown may be a pain for you personally, hopefully you’re not worrying about how to pay the mortgage and how to protect your family with medical insurance. This is serious stuff and can impact any of us – at any time. So what can we do about this? Well, solving it may be unrealistic at this stage, but ….  we just might be able to make the situation a little better. SDR past president and current webmaster Bev Gould came up with an idea of how we might be able to help those less fortunate than ourselves. If your idea of a disappointing month is not being able to enjoy your Porsche with friends, please take a moment to think of those significantly worse off than you and consider participating in SDR’s campaign in conjunction with the San Diego Food Bank (SDFB) and join our Virtual Food Drive to donate to those who can really use it.

Go to our website www.pcasdr.org and click on the “What’s going on” link on the title page and see an article on August to November Virtual Food Drive link HERE  click on “OPEN”, then select whatever food you would like to donate and move it from the shelf to the checkout – SIMPLE! and don’t forget to print your receipt when you’re done as this donation is tax deductible. Please don’t just give this some thought and move on, please actually go ahead and do it!!  One day, (heaven forbid), you just might be really appreciative of an unknown benefactor’s generosity. I firmly believe in “paying it forward” as I have learned that “what goes around comes around.” Every little helps! Thank you Bev.

It’s that time of year when SDR has to think of things for the coming year. To that end, SDR past president Tom Brown, led this year’s nominating committee and has put together an excellent slate of six candidates for the four open positions that will arise at year end for the 2021 Board of Directors. All six have been involved in several positions within SDR management, some highly visible – some not so much, but each is well aware of how we run this club and each has committed to try hard to help make things better for our membership. Please see the August Windblown Witness, our region’s quarterly Newsletter, which contains biographies for each candidate (members can also go to https://tinyurl.com/SDR-2020-Ballot which will enable them to vote electronically) and, although all the candidates are top notch, please vote for only four. The candidates (in no particular order) are

Ann Archibald

Anastasia Berta

Scott Leslie

Eric Marc-Aurele

Ian McIntyre

Julie Ngo

PLEASE VOTE!

Our Goodie Store, under the management of Rhonda and Doug H, is getting to its feet and striding out with new and exciting items all the time, plus member suggestions are coming in that are making us consider things we might otherwise have not. For example, more than one member looked at our Region Logo on the merchandise and said that they feel our Logo is somewhat dated. Our By-Laws specify the Logo as our unique identification in every field, but … that doesn’t mean that we can’t change it if we genuinely desire to do so. To this end, all are invited to participate in a poll on our website to establish if you would be interested in a “Design a new SDR Logo competition.” Please go HERE to let us know what your feelings are, either positive or negative.

SDR really can show you ways of getting more enjoyment out of your Porsche than you may realize and allow you to experience the camaraderie of our region. Please watch out for e-mails from the club and check our calendar closely as, when permitted, we are still planning on having a New Member Welcome event at which all are welcome to come along to meet and socialize with members who have joined recently.

For those interested in short videos, the following link is to an 3 minute video (with subtitles) of the top 5 Rare Porsche factory models from the Porsche Museum collection  HERE

ADDENDUM:

The following article was intended to be included in the Aug 2020 Monthly President’s message but was erroneously omitted. It has since been posted on the PCA-SDR website. 

“Brute Almighty” it is a 12 year old Los Angeles Times review of a Porsche 911 GT2, by journalist Dan Neil and all rights and credits remain with the Los Angeles Times. Dan Neil’s writing style is significantly different to most car reviewers and the article is sufficiently well written to warrant forwarding it with full credit going to the Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Times article “Brute Almighty”   Link: HERE

What Recently happened in SDR?

SDCCU/SDSU Stadium staff have asked for, and received, our request for dates that we would like for the last half of 2020 for an Autocross venue but, so far, no response. Autocrossers keep your fingers crossed!

The Sep-19 TT event has been approved by PCA National (see above).

The SDR monthly cars and SDR Sunday morning Porsches and coffee event, plus the monthly Last Tuesday Socials and the Autocross series all remain temporarily CANCELLED – sadly!

PLUS further cancellation news, due to the current situation, the Board of Directors at the August Board Meeting determined that it would be prudent to cancel the Fall 2020 Performance Driving School. We are pursuing another venue on which to run our twice-yearly PDS for 2021.

What’s about to happen in SDR?

The NEXT Monthly Board Meeting will be Tue Sep 1st and will be a conference call in order to comply with social distancing regulations. Board members and committee chairs will receive conference call details with dial-in numbers etc. The Board will again reassess all upcoming events, depending on current affairs.

Please look on any page of our website and “SEEK THE GREEN”

The green text found on every page enables you to ensure that the contact info that the club has on file for you is current. This link takes you to a page where members can check and update your e-mail address and mobile phone number if necessary. I am constantly surprised how many of our members’ e-mails are returned as we have old obsolete contact data in our database.

For all SDR events, please see our region website calendar HERE

CURRENT AUGUST events:

Now thru Sep 30 – Vote for four new SDR board members for 2021. Read each candidate’s respective bio and Vote – Vote – Vote (for four candidates actually) before Sep 30th – DON’T MISS IT!

Now thru End Nov – PCA-SDR Virtual Food Drive in conjunction with San Diego Food Bank (SDFB), go to SDR Webpage  HERE  – If you can help, please do!

(Sep) 19 – 20 TT at WSIR – limited to drivers with a solo license – please see the event registration at

Sep TT on PCASDR Calendar sign up now.

As the situation changes regarding Government restrictions on holding “non-essential” events and it becomes possible to have PCA-SDR events once again, e-mails will be sent to SDR members.

I  hope to see you soon at an SDR event (as they open up again) and, when you do attend, please be sure to introduce yourself.

Keith Verlaque

PCA-SDR 2020 President

Who are we?………………….WE ARE SDR !!