Heard Round the Zone – October 2017

Right off the top, I’d like to thank Bob Kuchenbecker of the Peachstate Region, for once again stepping up, and managing our volunteer efforts at the 2017 Petit LeMans.  PCA works closely with Porsche AG, PCNA, and IMSA, in providing a Porsche Platz at Road Atlanta, each year.

I believe that this years’ volunteer effort was the best in years!
Thank you Porsche Platz volunteers!!!

This weekend’s 10-hour race at Road Atlanta marked the final event in the 11-round IMSA season, and Porsche was more than pleased to finish out their season with a pair of endurance championships, plus a pair of 911 GT3 Rs on the GTD class podium, and Porsche factory ace LMP1 driver, Brendon Hartley, sharing the overall victory in a privateer entry prototype. Even without any of their cars finishing on the top step of the podium, there was plenty for Porsche to celebrate this weekend in Hall County, Georgia. Competing against the best cars and drivers from BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, and Ferrari, Porsche managed to score a pair of championships, including the North American Endurance Cup GTLM Class drivers’ title, and team’s title. They fell just short of the manufacturer’s title, losing to Ford by just a few points. Comprising the long rounds of the IMSA season; namely Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Road Atlanta, Porsche finished high enough in each of those rounds to collect some nice hardware. Furthermore, Porsche can be proud of the car they produced for the 2017 season, from scratch, that saw its first victory, and a total of five podiums from 11 rounds. That’s nothing to shout down for a brand new racer.  This article was taken from the website … thedrive.com

With 2018 bearing down on us with great speed, two national events come to mind you might want to consider going to.  The Porsche Parade will be at the Tan-Tara Resort in the Lake of the Ozarks area of Missouri – 07.08-14.18.  Rennsport Reunion VI takes place at Laguna Seca, 09.27-30.18.  Both of these events are generously described in the latest issue of ‘e-brake news’, on line.

I joined some twenty-five members of my home Region, Smoky Mountain, in helping our local Porsche dealership, Harper Porsche, welcome Leh Keen, his car, and three more of his made-to-order ‘Safari 911’ cars.  Leh has many, many race credits (and podium finishes) to his name, including LeMans, Daytona, Atlanta, Nurburgring, and Sebring.  His latest venture, the Keen Project, transforms early 80’s 911SC’s into Safari 911 cars.  Look up his name or the Keen Project to take a look at his novel creations.  Thank you’s go out to Tom Harper of Harper Porsche, Bill Johnson, and in general, the staff of the dealership, and the three owners of the other Safari 911’s that were shown, in their warm welcome of Porsche/PCA enthusiasts, that Saturday morning!

So…you think you’ve gone to about all the different types of Porsche events there are?  Wait just a minute.  At the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, they had an event this month called … Porsche Sound Nacht 2017.  That’s right…The Sounds of Porsche Night.  On stage, multiple Porsches from the Museum, cranked up as ear candy for the adoring crowd.  Look for it on YouTube.  Amazing stuff…