more monthly meetings and up-coming events

SCHATTENBAUM’S CALENDAR of EVENTS
This is our tentative calendar of events.
Please check the website for up-dated information:
www.schattenbaum.org
See the Driver’s Ed Schedule in this issue for DE dates.
Date
Event (*monthly meetings)
Location
January
21 (Wed)
*Intro to Club Events
Bung’s Tavern
February
18 (Wed)
*Tool-time & Model Car Show
Bung’s Tavern
March
15 (Sun)
18 (Wed)
21 (Sat)
Tech inspection
*Tim Kuser’s 904 Project
Spring Social
Provost Motorsports
Bung’s Tavern
Tarentella's
April
18 (Sat)
Driving Tour
Porsche Swap Meet, Hershey, PA
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
Dan Merton
A new year begins. We’re in the middle of winter but if you’re like me
your thoughts are of warmer weather and days spent behind the
wheel of your Porsche – open twisty roads, little traffic, sunshine, the
purr of the opposed six behind you. At the risk of jinxing us, I will say
that we have had a relatiovely mild winter as far as snow
accumulations which suits me just fine. What keeps me (and many
other drivers) from enjoying their Porsche during the colder months
isn’t the cold temps its the salt on the roads and the overall road
conditions (ie, presence of sometimesf massive potholes). Since we
haven’t gotten much snow there really isnt much residual brine on the
road surfaces I travel but take heed - the pothole season has begun.
We begin the year with a new Executive Board composed of Jeff
Muller as President (previous VP), Jack Fowler as our new VP and
the return of Rob Lerman as Treasurer and Bob Helm as Secretary.
As you will read in this issue, the new Board is committed to
enhancing all of the Club’s programs in the hopes of fulfilling more members’ areas of interest. Schattenbaum has always been
known for its track events. This year there will be added emphasis on non-track events including more tours and concours.
Howver, its one thing to have events planned, but they won’t actually happen unless there is adequate participation. Thus, when
you see that registration is required (even if there is no fee as is often the case), please remeber to register or contact the event
organizer to let them know you’ll be participating. Events may be cancelled if there is low interest. To take it one step further – if
you’d like to be involved with planning or organizing the event your participation would be gladly accepted. Contact any Board
member for assistance.
As always, I would like to invite all Club members to contribute to Schatten Rappen’ by way of a short (or long) article about a
trip you’ve taken, a car project you’ve tackled or even just a nice photo of your Porsche. I’m happy to help with layout, etc but it
begins with your contribution. TIA.
I look forward to a new and exciting year of events hosted by Schattenbaum – come on out and enjoy the fun, or read about
what you missed in future issues of Schatten Rappen’!
LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY
President
Jeff Muller pres@schattenbaum.org
Vice President
John Fowler vp@schattenbaum.org
Treasurer
Rob Lerman
treasurer@schattenbaum.org
Secretary
Bob Helm secretary@schattenbaum.org
SECTION CHAIRS
Autocross
Robbie Provost autocross@schattenbaum.org
Concours
Mike Solokoff concours@schattenbaum.org
Drivers Education Chief Instructor
Pete Tremper ci@schattenbaum.org
Drivers Education Registrar
Jon Schepps registrar@schattenbaum.org
Dealer Relations
Dan Petchel track@schattenbaum.org
Goodie Store
John Beidler goodiestore@schattenbaum.org
Membership
John Madden membership@schattenbaum.org
In This Issue
Club Calendar…………………………………………………….
From the Editor’s Desk …………………………………………
Leadership Directory………………………………………....
Monthly Meetings …………………………...………………..
More Up-Coming Events ……………………………………
President’s Message ………………………………………………
New VP / Program Chair……………………………………..
Slide Night 2014 … ……………...…………………………
1
1
2
3
4
5
5
6
Pack at the Track ……………………………………………..
DE Schedule ……………………………………………………….
Touring and Concours Updates .…………………………..
2015: Year of the Cayman? …...…………………………
Swap n’ Sell ……………………………………………………..
Social events 2015 ………………………………………………
Petch Sez …………………………….……...……………………..
7
8
9
10
12
14
15
The list of new members will
appear in the next issue.
All members should confirm their email address is current at
PCA national: www.pca.org
that‛s how we know where to email Schattenbaum event up-dates
and other communications.
Newsletter Editor
Dan Merton newsletter@schattenbaum.org
On The Cover
Programs
John Fowler programs@schattenbaum.org
Winning photographs from Slide Night
2014. Its no surprise that the Grand
Prize winner was Bob Helm’s dramatic
night racing image.
Social Events
Claudia Debusmann social@schattenbaum.org
Tech Support
Robbie Provost techsupport@schattenbaum.org
Tourmaster
Andres Kriete tour@schattenbaum.org
Track Chair
Dan Petchel track@schattenbaum.org
Track Safety
John Beidler tracksafety@schattenbaum.org
Webmaster
Bill Coulter webmaster@schattenbaum.org
Page
See more photos in this issue.
Articles and photos are welcome –
send to:
newsletter@schattenbaum.org
Current and past issues of Schatten Rappen’
are available on the website:
www.schattenbaum.org
Schatten Rappen’ is the official newsletter of Schattenbaum Region, Porsche Club of America (“the Club”). Articles published
herein are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily shared by the Club or its officers. The Editor reserves the right to
edit all materials prior to publication. The Club, its officers, contributors and the Editor do not accept legal responsibility for
any errors or omissions that may be made in this publication. Porsche®, the Porsche Crest ®, CARRERA® and TARGA® are
trademarks of Porsche AG. Contact the Editor for advertising rates and information or visit the website:
www.schattenbaum.org . Advertisements in this newsletter do not constitute an endorsement by the Club or its officers.
©2015Copyright Schattenbaum Region, PCA
MONTHLY MEETINGS AND UP-COMING EVENTS
Topics may change – check the website for up-to-date information! www.schattenbaum.org
January Monthly Meeting Topic:
Intro to Schattenbaum Club Racing, Drivers Education,
Concours and Tours
WHEN: Wed, January 21ST , 7:00pm
WHERE: Bung’s Tavern
The January monthly meeting will explore the do’s and don’ts of Drivers Education,
PCA Club Racing, Concours and Tours. Dan Petchel and Jon Schepps will discuss the DE and Club Racing. Andres Kriete will
talk about the upcoming season of tours and Jack Fowler (on behalf of Mike Sokoloff) will highlight the upcoming season of
Concours.
Beer and pizza provided by the Club!
Highlights of the DE portion of the evening include:
� DE policies and procedures
� How to prepare your car for DE
� If special equipment is needed for DE
� Safety concerns
� Tech safety inspection issues
� What to expect at the track
� The roles of instructors and students
� Sk ills that can be honed at DE which transfer to better
driving on the street
� DE terminology
� The Club’s DE Schedule & how to register
Our Club Race panel of experts will discuss:
� The difference between DE and PCA Club Racing
� Club Race classes
� Equipment requirements for the car
� Personal safety equipment
� A review of Club Racing rules and racer requirements
Additionally, you can have all of your questions answered regarding these driving activities. We gather at 6:30 pm and the
meeting will start at 7pm - our usual location: Bung’s Tavern on Rt. 130 South, in Florence NJ (just South of where the Turnpike
Bridge crosses Rt. 130).
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb 19, 2015 @
7:00pm
WHERE: Bung’s Tavern
WHEN: Wed., Feb 19TH 7:00pm
WHERE: Bung’s Tavern
February Monthly Meeting Topic:
Porsche tools and model car show
The February meeting will have two parts: the first will be a tool quiz. We’re asking members to bring a unique Porsche tool
and try to stump the crowd - see who can guess what the tool is for and what model it is used on.
We will also hold a Model Car Show. Lots of members collect model Porsches and some of the “limited edition” ones can be
quite valuable. Bring your favorite car models to share with the crowd. We will have judges to choose best-in-classes. Possible
categories include: Pre-1960’s cars, Best hand-built, Most unusual Porsche and Best non-Porsche.
Prizes for the top 3 winners!
If you have questions about meetings or suggestions for meeting topics please e-mail Jack Fowler vp@schattenbaum.org
Join us for a fun night with friends at Bungs!
For driving directions go to Bung’s website: http://bungstavern.net/
MORE MONTHLY MEETINGS AND UP-COMING EVENTS
March Monthly Meeting Topic:
Special presentation!
WHEN: Wed, March 18th , 7:00pm
WHERE: Bung’s Tavern
For March we have our own Tim Kuser with
some pictures and interesting stories regarding
his on-going (but nearing completion) 904
project.
Tim shares a little about the 904 journey:
“I bought my 1964 Porsche Carrera GTS 904 in
November, 1975, hauled it home on a borrowed
trailer, and soon learned it was in worse shape
than I had thought. It had been raced a lot in
North America, and showed it. That was the start
of a long, drawn-out restoration process, which is
almost done.
Quite a few people work ed on it, and at least 2 of
them gave up work ing on cars because of this
one. As is typical with well-used old cars, every
part had to be restored or re-made. I have many
photos of what we had to do, and I will show
some of them at the March Schattenbaum
meeting”.
Join us at Bung’s – we gather at 6:30 and
Tim’s presentation will start at 7pm.
OTHER EVENTS – HOLD THE DATES!
March 15 - Tech Inspection at
Provost Motor Sports
Provost Motor sports will be hosting the
March DE tech inspection. A tech
inspection is a prerequisite for anyone
participating in the March 28/29 DE.
All club members are invited. Come
and mingle to see what the tech
inspect is all about. Light fare will be
served.
March 21 - Spring Social at
Tarentella's
More info in the next issue of Schatten
Rappen’
If you have questions about events please e-mail Jack Fowler vp@schattenbaum.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Jeff Muller
Schattenbaum PCA members welcome to 2015! As
we start this new year I’d like to thank the
membership for showing their support and electing
me the regions president for 2015-16. I look forward
the coming year and will do my best to fill the sizable
“shoes” left by our outgoing president, Pete
Debusmann. Thank you to Pete and the outgoing
board for their leadership over the last several years.
I’m happy to report that all of our committee chairs have agreed to stay on and we welcome John Maden as our new
membership chair. This will help us to continue our clubs wonderful legacy of being one of PCA’s premier regions. While
it’s cold outside with the car reading 11 degrees this morning our regional leadership team is hard at work planning for
the upcoming year.
As a result of your Board’s work, this year’s calendar is already starting to fill. Throughout this newsletter you’ll see
information about our upcoming member meetings, touring events, concourse events, socials and DE/Track/Club racing.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of these activities and if you’ve got an idea for an event for our membership,
reach out to one of your board members.
With the large number of events that we host, communication is key. Our capable newsletter editor, Dan Merton and
webmaster, Bill Coulter always strive to provide the most current event information via our newsletter and website. Be
sure to visit our website, www.schattenbaum.org. In the event that we have to make late changes, we’ll continue to rely
on the PCA e-mail system. As a result, it’s important that all members make sure that they have a current e-mail on file
with PCA national and you can do that by visiting www.pca.org.
Some closing thoughts:
Fittingly, and with my ever (seemingly never) ending “random thoughts”, we closed our November slide night with
member Iaian Bryant’s photos. Much to my surprise, the last picture of the evening was me in the #124 car at the
Watkins Glen club race earlier in the year. In good fun, our new VP Jack Fowler deadpans to the group, “Oh, Porsches at
rest”. Thank you Iaian for giving me a great picture and to Jack for keeping it fun.
Remember, Porsche there is no substitute and “it’s about the people” See you at our next event!
NEW VICE PRESIDENT / PROGRAM CHAIR
Thank you for electing me Vice President. I’m Jack Fowler I grew up in Bucks County, PA
in the early 60’s and moved to Robbinsville, NJ in 1992. My wife Laura and I have 2
children Katie 9 and Johnny 6.
I enjoy watching any kind of car racing. I consider myself a car enthusiast from an early
age. My first car I got from my grandparents was a red 1962 Chevy impala. My mom
thought I was crazy for waxing it once a week until she had to borrow it and someone
at the gas station offered to buy it for more than both my parents’ cars were worth. I
still enjoy waxing my red Porsche 911’s and anything else that sits in my driveway.
I have been in PCA for a few years. I have attended a few DE’s as a spectator as well as
participated as a volunteer in the last several Club Races. My view is that Shattenbaum PCA is every members’ club.
I am eager to hear and work with everyone for their enjoyment of the Club.
Please feel free to contact me by email vp@schattenbaum.org
Our November monthly meeting featured the
always popular Digital Slide Night.
Categories included Porsches in Motion,
Porsches at Rest, Pieces of Porsches, Excellence
in Photography and Digitally Enhanced photos.
The winners included Bob Helm (top: Pieces
of Porsches), Marina Pushkareva (right:
Excellence in Photography, on cover bottom
left: Digitally Enhanced) and Claudia
Debusmann (below: Porsches in Motion). Bob
Helm’s overall Grand Prize winning photo is
featured on the cover.
By Fred Pack
You Really Should Try a Track Day With Your Porsche
Since you’re reading this in the Schatten Rappen’ it’s a pretty good bet that you have a Porsche. Many of Schattenbaum’s members
participate in our DE (Driver Education) events but very many more don’t. This article – Part 1 of a 2 part series – is aimed at those nonparticipants.
I have been writing “Pack at the Track” columns for years and mostly I concentrate on track driving technique so that track-interested
readers can learn how to go faster safely on the track. This series focuses on the neglected, much larger group – those who haven’t taken
themselves and their Porsche to a DE day. I want to start by proselytizing: You are missing one of life’s great joys – the fun, excitement and
thrill of driving on a race track in your wonderful Porsche and sharing the experience with like-minded P-car people. I can’t properly convey in
words all the sensations you’ll experience so I can only hope that my enthusiasm will cause readers who haven’t had a track day to sign-up for
one of Schattenbaum’s many DE events in 2015. The rest of this article discusses Things You Should Know.
Schattenbaum has an excellent Beginner’s Guide To Driver’s
Education available of the Club’s website and is well worth reading. It
is now the off-season – track driving is finished for 2014. It’s the
perfect time to be thinking about 2015. If you haven’t driven your
Porsche on a race track, now’s the time to be getting ready.
Drivers Ed are non-competitive events. You go at
your own pace; no one will pass you unless you give
them a signal that you are comfortable being passed
at that moment. You will have a qualified instructor
in the car with you to guide you throughout the day.
Things You Should Know
When are the DE events and how do I sign-up? The Schattenbaum track schedule is printed at the bottom of this article and will be
available on our website in enough time for you to register for events. All registration is done online at www.motorsportreg.com and if you
have any questions about the process, simply shoot an email to the track registrar at registrar@schattenbaum.org. Each event has a
registration closing day: you must register by that date. Sometimes events are sold-out so don’t wait too long.
Your Car. Your Porsche is ready to hit the track if it has been properly
maintained, with one possible exception (see below). People often
express concern that track driving will hurt their beautiful car. You will
not harm your Porsche in any way by driving it on the track! PCA
requires that all DE entrants get their cars safety-inspected (‘teched’)
before each event. This is a service provided by Schattenbaum’s
approved local Porsche dealers (info available on the website); or you
can have it done by independent mechanics. Some shops charge a
nominal fee, some don’t. Also, Schattenbaum generally offers a Tech
Day a few weeks prior to each event where you can have your car
inspected for free. Bring a blank copy of the Schattenbaum Safety
Inspection Form (available on the website) to the inspection and be sure
to have the shop fill it out and put their stamp on it. Do this a while in
advance of the event because there isn’t much time between the Techday and the DE event to repair any issues which are noted then. Your Porsche does not need any special parts or alignment or anything to
give you a wonderful track experience. If it’s in good shape it is ready to go (the exception to your Porsche being track-ready relates to
convertibles - check the inspection form for convertible-specific rules).
What to bring. You will need a helmet. Helmets must be “Snell approved” and their sticker must say 2005 or 2010. I recommend the
full-face type, but it is not required. Other than the helmet you don’t need anything special. You’ll have to wear long pants and a longsleeve shirt – no polyester; it is a fire hazard. (Sometimes if it is very hot, short sleeves are permitted.) Sneakers are better than shoes. I
strongly suggest sunglasses. A folding chair is very useful. Bring water. Depending upon the season it may get very hot or very cold, or even
both. Be sure to bring coats, sweatshirts, etc if it seems like it might be cold. Track events start early each day – usually 7am – so it may be
quite cold. Be prepared for rain with suitable hats, coats, etc, and a tarp to cover your stuff can be very useful. I always have a few towels
with me, just in case. Some of the tracks, such as Summit Point and NJMP, have food stands. Others, such as Watkins Glen, may not, but
there are lunch places in town nearby.
How the day unfolds. It’s a good idea to be at the track when the gates open since there’s quite a lot to do before the event begins and
you’ll want to be ready on time. At the gate you’ll have to sign the track’s liability waiver. (Accidents do happen and the track assumes no
responsibility.) After you have made your way to the paddock area, you must go to Registration, where you’ll sign Schattenbaum’s liability
waiver (yes, you have to sign both waivers) and be assigned to a “run group” – all drivers are assigned to run groups based on their amount
of track experience.
Continued next page>
Pack at the Track (continued)
Then, go back to your car and empty out everything from the cabin (including the floor mats!) and trunk(s).
Next, take your car, helmet and completed tech form to the Tech Line, where your car and helmet will get a quick safety going-over by
Schattenbaum people. If you’ve been told the name of your instructor, try to find him/her and introduce yourself. If not, your instructor will
find you before your first track session.
The most important thing is to relax and let yourself have fun. There is a lot going on at a track day and the track experience is very
intense, so it’s easy to get stressed. Concentrate on being relaxed so that you can soak it all in and enjoy your day. Your instructor and the
class sessions you’ll attend will tell you what you need to know out on the track in order to have a safe and fun time.
You’re about to go onto the track - here are some key things to keep in mind
Be smooth. This is the most important thing of all. Do not be abrupt on any of the controls. There’s an old saying about pretending
there’s an egg between your shoe and the gas pedal. You don’t want to break the egg. Same goes for the brake. As for steering, be gentle
with the wheel. The reason for this emphasis on smoothness is that the car becomes unsettled for a moment whenever you change its
current motion. Then it takes a ‘set’ and operates as you want. If you are on-again-off-again with the controls the car is never ‘comfortable’
so you can’t be confident at the helm.
Learn the line. The first thing to learn on the track is the line. This is the path through the turns which maximizes the speed and safety
potential. At most events, cones are placed at the locations of turn initiation (“turn-in”), apex and turn completion (“track-out”). You will
attend classroom sessions during your day which explain the concepts of the line in detail and your instructor will also devote much of the
time with you to describe it. Equally important is being consistent.
Do not try to break the lap record. The quickest way to make a mess of your experience is to rush into trying to go fast right away. All
kinds of things can go wrong with that approach. You have a full day or two at the track with lots of track time, so take your time and be
patient. Track driving is not easy to do well. Nobody expects to hit a 72 on their first golf experience but novice drivers often feel that they
can go just as fast as those with much more experience. You can’t. Take it easy and learn the basics; then come back for more track events
as you get hooked by our wonderful hobby.
I’m now about to waste some ink: I absolutely expect many of my readers to ignore this next point, but I’ll say it anyway. Your Porsche,
whatever model it is, is an excellent track car. There is no need to be “improving” it right away. The stock suspension is fine for you as you
are learning. The motor has plenty of power. The tires have lots of grip. Your emphasis should be on improving your track driving skills, not
the car.
Even more ink is about to be wasted: Do not start thinking about getting a GT3 or Turbo. These cars can actually impede your learning
progress because they have so much power that the car often masks your errors – you think you’re driving well when its really only the
motor that is giving you the speed, not your abilities.
You can always contact me at fhp911@yahoo.com with any questions.
Schattenbaum 2015 Track Schedule
DATES
March 28/29 (Sat / Sun)
April 25/26 (Sat / Sun)
June 18/19 (Thu/Fri)
July 23/24 (Thu/Fri)
August 21-23 (Fri - Sun)
October 15-16 (Thu/Fri)
November 7/8 (Sat / Sun)
TRACK & LOCATION
Lightning / Thunderbolt – New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ (NJMP)
Summit Point (Main track), Summit Point, WV
Thunderbolt / Lightning - NJMP
Thunderbolt / Thunderbolt - NJMP
Thunderbolt – NJMP (combined DE/Schattenbaum Showdown PCA Club Race)
Thunderbolt / Lightning - NJMP
Thunderbolt / Thunderbolt - NJMP
Registration for all Schattenbaum DE events is done online at www.motorsportreg.com
Schattenbaum Tours in 2015
Andres Kriete
We have planned several tours for 2015. Additional impromptu
events will be announced through e-news. Please mark your
calendar with the following events in 2015:
April 18: Porsche Swap Meet, Hershey, PA - It’s the largest
Porsche centric swap meet in the country and should not be
missed – rain or shine.
May 23: Simeone Museum, Philadelphia, PA. The Simeone
Foundation Automotive Museum is one of the world’s greatest
collections of racing sports cars. Saturday 23 will be a demo day, so come with us and see the cars run including the
“Hippie Porsche”- one of the five Porsche 917 LH ever built.
October 17/18: With support of our member Marc Kemp we will participate in the New Jersey Light House
Challenge. As you enjoy touring the state the goal for participants is to visit (and climb) all 11 (or a portion) of New
Jersey’s maintained lighthouses.
Additional information about these events will be on the website and in future issues of Schatten Rappen’.
Visit the website for Touring and Concours event up-dates!
www.schattenbaum.org
2015 Greetings from Schattenbaum
Concours
Mike Sokoloff
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is
starting to think about the end of winter and cold
weather and getting outside to clean up their
prized possessions and drive and show them.
We recently had a Board meeting and I am excited
to say that the new leadership is committed to
Before you know it, we’ll be washing and
having our Concours program play a more
polishing and waxing on a beautiful sunny day.
prominent role in the Club. We are planning more events
with great prizes that we hope will entice more members to
participate (which will make it harder to win - Gerd are you paying attention?). After all, the more participants the
better and everyone likes to see more gleaming Porsches at our events!
We are planning to host an event on Detailing Techniques early this the year. This was popular topic last year and
for 2015 we may have a different and educational format PLEASE NOTE: This event may happen in March before the
next newsletter is distributed so check the website.
We have established the date for the Wine Tasting Concours; May 17th, so
please mark your calendars now. We’ll return to the Almathea Winery in
Atco where we’ve had many successful events.
We are still finalizing the dates for the Wash ‘n Shine (with the everpopular Blue Moon Girls) and for the first time many in years we’ll have a
Fall Concours event.
I’m looking forward to another great year with the honor of serving as
your Concours Chair. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me at
concours@schattenbaum.org .
Think warm thoughts and I’ll see you at the next meeting.
Bob Helm
Every time Porsche introduces a new model customers want to race it. That was the case with the 911, 914 (both 4 and 6),
the 924, 944, Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne and even the Panamara. There were even rumors that the Panamara would be raced
in NASCAR. Customer plans and factory intentions were often not the same and the factory has been pretty clear that the only
company efforts would be the 911. Yes under Jo Hoppen and Al Holbert there was Porsche NA support for the 914/4,924 and
944 but they were local efforts with minimal factory support and the factory did have a limited race and rally program for the 9146GT. The customer cry for Cayman race models though was more intense than for other models and for the last several years at
the ALMS Porsche Corrals the folks from Porsche Motorsports, often the worldwide head of Motorsports were constantly
bombarded with inquires of when we would see a RS or RSR Cayman. Initially those questions were answered with “not
something we are interested in “ and gradually changed to “we are looking into it” and “we have nothing to announce at this
time”.
At the same time there were two Cayman race series being started, the Interseries and the Intercontinental Trophy Cup that
were both building a strong fan base and a healthy car count. Add in the PCA Club Race series and the number of Caymans
racing was growing. At the same time as the developments on the club racing level there were also changes occurring in the
worldwide automotive market and the Pro racing series. The VW Group was acquiring more brands, including Porsche, the
Asian market was seeing rapid growth and the worldwide market was recovering from the slump it experienced in the first part of
the century. Porsche is the largest manufacture of race cars in the world, manufacturing over 200 911 based Cup Cars, RS,
RSR and prototype cars. Customer race
cars are a large profit center for Porsche
Will a full blown factory turnkey race 987
and that fact was not unnoticed by VW.
Over the last couple of years Audi,
complement the 991 Cup Car?
Lamborghini and Bentley have joined
Porsche on track with customer car
programs and dedicated series. Jaguar
and Aston Martin joined the club also.
Slowly, 987 models started appearing
in the pro racing series too, again
customer driven with little factory support
in the Pirelli World Challenge and the
Grand Am series Continental Challenge
Series. Porsche street cars are great
street cars but require a lot of
development to become race cars and it
helps if it was designed with racing in
mind. That was not the case with the
987s and like Bob Aiken used to say” you
can’t make a race horse out of a pig. The
best you can hope for is a fast pig”.
Continued next page
HELM Continued from previous page
Competing against cars with factory support the 987 was a fast pig competing out of their class. That did change over the
years somewhat but they were at a disadvantage.Fortunately the 981 Caymans came along and a great street car got markedly
better, and more importantly better suited for racing. 2014 was the year of the merger of IMSA and Grand Am series and one
that came with a lot of changes and challenges. One of the most significant changes was a considerable increase in cost,
partially due to increased number of racing hours in the new series but also due to increased fees and testing that resulted in
many teams seeing their costs double. For many the solution for this year is instead of running the entire Tudor Series they
opted for the four race North American Endurance Series of the Daytona 24, Sebring 12 hour, Glen 6Hour and Petit LeMans in
the IMSA series and the shorter sprint races of the PWC. This is resulting in an increase in the number of Cayman’s that will be
competing this year. With the anticipated introduction of the Cayman GT4 later this year can a full blown factory turnkey racer be
far behind to complement the 991 Cup Car?
IMSA last year had a record car count of 67 cars because of the merger of the two series and the historic nature of being the
first of the new series so it is no surprise that this year’s car count is a more modest 53. It is the lowest car count since 2011
when only 48 cars were entered. Most classes only see a net loss of one car with most shrinkage being in the GTD class down
to 19 cars from 29 the previous year. This is a class that was hard hit by increased expenses and perhaps the most budget
sensitive. The numbers are somewhat deceptive as some of the cars are only entered in the endurance events, Daytona,
Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petite LeMans. There still may be some changes as the funding issues along with driver
classification changes have made some teams to get their programs together later than they would have wanted. For the
different classes they rate the drivers from Platinum to Bronze with the number of drivers in the car limited by rating. In the past
IMSA had their ratings but this year they elected to go with the FIA classifications. Some teams did not like it, some went ahead
and signed drivers under the new ratings. Then IMSA changed their mind and went back to the old system and there was a
scramble to get ratings changed to meet contractual obligations. Lots of folks not real happy. Some of the teams are defecting to
the PWC that with fewer and shorter sprint races are much more budget friendly. PWC is seeing a major increase in car counts
and is looking to split their classes into two separate races. They are also looking to add endurance events in future years.
In 2016 there will be major rule changes going into effect which will see the FIA GT3 rules being used in both the PWC and
IMSA series so the exact same car will be eligible for both series. Presently some changes, often expensive changes are
required. The Porsche 991 America, presently being used in IMSA GTD will no longer be legal after this year. While most of the
attrition this year seems to be budget based some teams have elected to switch to the FIA World Endurance Championship,
consisting of eight races in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and Circuit of the Americas. All races, except for LeMans, are six
hours in duration. LeMans is a major draw to the series. Some of the WEC teams will also compete in select Tudor Series
events.
Classified ads are free to PCA members. To place an ad please email the
Editor Dan Merton; newsletter@schattenbaum.org
FOR SALE: A pair of 944/ 911 high back seats in good condition. They have some wear and some of the seams are
separating, but are still decent. They are medium/ light tan color. $100 for the pair OBO. Sean Gallagher Ph: 856779-1561
Car cover for sale for 2014 Cayman paid $166 Selling for $125. In perfect condition. Covercraft Block-It 380 Car
Cover Taupe/With 2 Mirror Pockets 2014 Porsche All Cayman models AutoAnything Part #C17611TT Ray Chiste 609672-2257
Set of 4 winter tires and wheels, TPMS $800 (MSRP: $2,475). Wheels: SPORT EDITION Cup 4 (silver painted), Rear:
11 JX 19 (MSRP: $238) Front: 8.5 JX 19 (MSRP: $222), 5-spoke styling, One-piece, cast construction. Tires: PIRELLI
Sottozero W240 Serie II, Rear: 295/30 R 19 100V N1 (MSRP: $326), Front: 235/35 R 19 87V N1 (MSRP: $272). Only
driven for ~ 2,500 miles. For demanding drivers, the WINTER SOTTOZERO SERIE II guarantees excellent performance
on dry roads, in the wet and snow. Contact info: clsegalini@outlook.com or (609) 558-6611
Cars for sale call Dan: 609-351-2068
85 911 Coupe Performance Street/track, lightweight, perf. motor, exhaust/trans
86 911 Targa Black/Bk 91k miles, new engine, clutch, brakes, new paint
86 911 Coupe Blue/blue 111k, many upgrades and car is perfect.
87 911 Targa Red/Bk 5k engine, nice interior, new clutch/performance exhaust.
92 964 Coupe Blue performance street, new engine, short gears, big brakes
FOR SALE: Approximately 20 years of Porsche Panorama $100 obo. Jerry Seid EMAIL gpseid@gmail.com
2015 Social Events
First of all, I would like to wish every Schattenbaumer and their families
a happy, healthy 2015 with lots of fun-filled Porsche miles!
We have some nice social events planned for this year, starting off with
our Spring Dinner Social in March. This is the first social event of the
year, and it’s a great opportunity for new members to meet their fellow
Schattenbaumers!
Next will be our Lobster Run, it’s a driving tour to the shore followed
with a delicious lunch. This event is usually held in June.
Our annual Summer BBQ takes place in August at Mercer County Park.
This is a fully catered lunch, the club supplies beer, no need to bring
anything!
In October we will gather for Schattenbaum’s Oktoberfest, held at an
authentic German restaurant in Wrightstown. This is a real fun gettogether with great food and beer, plan on coming hungry!
The last and biggest event of the year is our Holiday Banquet, always
held on the first Saturday in December. We go all out for this one, open
bar the entire evening, DJ, door prizes etc., you don’t want to miss this
party!
Schattenbaum subsidizes a good portion of the cost for each event
(particularly the Holiday Banquet). Some nice perks for being a member!
Stay tuned for announcements in the newsletter as well as club e-mails
with dates and reservation forms for our social events. Also check the
website for up-to-date information.
I’m looking forward to seeing many Schattenbaum members at each and
every event this coming year.
Cheers!
Claudia Debusmann
social@schattenbaum.org
PETCH SEZ
Dan Petchel
Vice grips
I sent an Exchange Targa top to a
customer in South Carolina couple
weeks back. They called to say that he
found the latch broken when trying to
install the top. I test every top before
sending them out so I know the latch was good. He broke the latch
when he was trying to install it, is what I suspect really happened.
Little good to point a finger at this juncture - far better to work on
solutions.
I gave him two options: Return the top and I would fix it or I could
send him a latch for him to replace. He was unsure he could do it
but I assured him he could with a few tricks of the trade.
Next evening he called me again and asked some additional
questions stating he had no tools to do the job. I assured him I
would send him all the tools to do the job which seemed to put his
mind at rest. I then began preparing the box to send him.
The phone rang again - It was the same guy. “My girlfriend wants to
talk to you.” he said She questioned whether they had the skill set
to replace the latch. I assured her that I would send all the tools and
parts to replace the latch. She asked what tools would I be sending
and I replied all things necessary. She again prodded me to know
specifically what tools. I replied “OK here are the things I am
sending, the latch and two allen bolts, an allen wrench, a block of
wood to position the latch and vice grips pliers.” There was silence,
then she asked “What are vice grips?”
I don’t make this stuff up.
PS Several days later he called to say all went well expect the top
still didn’t fit. I asked him to take a few measurements and sure
enough the car was bent. Life of a small businessman.
On a side note
This summer at our annual Cape May
vacation, when all the family gets together
for a week, a discussion began. There were
various members of the family talking about
“Their Plan” verses others’ plans.
You’ve seen them - TV is full of ads for
Family plans - special cell phone data plans
for a family of four (or even better
discounts for more lines). Everyone was
playing with their devices when at dinner
time it all came to a head.
Five year old Samantha, youngest of my son
Matt’s three children, started to cry. When
calmed down and quizzed about the reason
for her crying, she stated “I am going to be
left out!” A few more tears, then she
explained. “Its ok for all of you who already
have devices but it won’t be for me when I
get my phone, for there won’t be enough
data for me!”
The dinner table grew quiet and then she
added, “Daddy what’s data?”
SCHATTEN RAPPEN'
1019 Sycamore Avenue
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021