Great news! I’m halfway vaccinated! One down, one to go! Oh, yes, almost forgot – and San Diego is back in the “orange” tier, and if things continue as they are, may very well be in the “yellow” tier in a few weeks’ time. Moreover, the governor has announced that if these trends continue statewide (vaccinations going up, incidence of infection going down) then he expects to fully re-open the state on June 15 (with the exception that masks will still be required). We are back on the road to normalcy.

With this in mind, the board has agreed to return our monthly “Cars & SDR” cars-n-coffee event to the calendar, starting this month, on April 25. Location: Jessie’s Bake Shop, 12075 Carmel Mountain Rd. It’s been a year, and I’m sure Jessie will be excited to see us again. This event works because it is outdoors and easy for people to separate themselves into small groups and maintain social distancing protocols. Please do wear your masks – as they are still required.

Additionally, our Social Chair, Victoria, is planning a “Welcome Back” party for Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate the re-opening of the state. More info to come on this as we get closer. Looking forward, you can expect to see our normal social calendar return as we get further into the summer and fall; complete with Last Tuesday Socials, new member socials, progressive dinners and our world-famous Mystery Weekend – just to name a few.

Great plans, but obviously all is subject to things continuing in the right direction. Event cancellation is always a possibility, but for now, optimism rules the day.

Taking a moment to look behind us, I’m happy to report that the April 3-4 Time Trial at Chuckwalla was a big success. Not only was the event itself very successful, but we had our first ever “introduction” to track events, where interested members started out on Saturday with one of Keith Verlaque’s renowned driving tours, spent the night in the Palm Springs area and then continued the tour out to the raceway on Sunday morning. Upon arrival they were greeted with an introduction to what the track experience entails, including basic car prep and trackside maintenance. From there they could watch the action on the track and wander through the pits to check out the cars and talk to the participants. (Masks on, of course!) The event culminated in lunch-time track tours, giving a first-hand view of the track as only the driver can see it. The reviews are in and everybody loved it. If you missed out, I think it is safe to say we will be doing this again, so keep your eye out for notices. Mark Curran and team – you did a fantastic job.

Another fantastic success was the Virtual Porsches ‘n Pours that we held via Zoom a week ago. This featured LXV Winery from Paso Robles. Participants had their wine shipped to them in advance along with spice kits and recipes with which one could make a meal that complimented the flavors of the wines. The owner and winemaker, Neeta Mittal, joined us to talk about winemaking in Paso Robles, wine styles, pairing wine with food, and, of course, her wine. Mike & Amy Warlick went all out and actually prepared one of the suggested dishes to eat during the event. Alas, all we could do was watch them eat over Zoom, but word is that it was delicious. Fortunately, we all have the recipes. Thanks so much, Victoria, for putting together another terrific event.

Perhaps most importantly, it brings me great pleasure to announce that we hit our first quarter goal of $10,000 in our virtual food drive. Thank you so much San Diego Region for all you do for those that are less fortunate. Bev Gould is now working on what our second quarter charity efforts will be – stay tuned for more info. For you golfers our there – Gisele Gonsalez is leading us in support of Wounded Warrior’s Home, a charity that assists veterans with PTSD in returning to civilian life. They will be holding a fundraising golfing event in September. Mark your calendars for Monday, September 20; more info will be available in the coming months.

A little sooner on the calendar, May brings us two more Zoom events to hold us over until we truly transition back to normalcy. The first is another Virtual Porsches ‘n Pours – this time featuring Flanagan Wines and to be hosted by winery owner Eric Flanagan. Join us on Thursday, May 6 as we explore his wines and the wine regions of Sonoma County. (This winery was a hit on our last Wine Tour.) Bonus – our price on the wine is approximately 50% off, and with FREE shipping! Complete information can be found here: https://pcasdr.org/event/virtual-porsches-and-pours-wine-2/ (Must sign up by May 2.) When you look at how successful the last one was, if you like fine wine this is an event not to be missed.

Next on the list is a Virtual Tech Session on Saturday morning, May 8. Our Tech Session Chair, Julie Ngo, has arranged an event with Charlies Foreign Auto. The last one with Vollig Autowerks was amazing, and we expect this one to be as well. (If you missed it, you can find it on our YouTube channel.) Nico will be giving us a real life show & tell about the problems he’s finding with cars in his shop. Keep an eye on your email and the club calendar for more information.

The countdown to June 15 is on!

See you soon,
Tom Brown
PCA-SDR 2021 President