August 2021 President’s Message

I hope that you are all having a great summer, recognizing that the COVID surges and the delta variant may be changing some of our habits by the time you read this. We are continuing to sponsor great events and have the tools to be able to make them as safe as possible for everyone, so please come out and ‘decompress’ with us!

July was a fantastic month for the club as we were able to have two terrific tours to destination wineries, with great lunches as well as fun routes and lots of first-time drivers. Both Martorana and Pech Merle staff took excellent care of us and I’m confident everyone will be back in the future. In addition, we had the first Time-Speed-Distance Rally, with a very creative 145 mile route, and Porsche drivers from all across Northern California came to participate and learn about how to rally. I am thrilled to report that Lisa and I managed to come in tied for 4th out of 24 and that no serious arguments occurred about the three U-turns we needed to pull on the course. Turns out it is always the navigator’s fault, but I did my best mental math most of the time.

August and September promise to continue the summer momentum. There will be two autocrosses at Sonoma Raceway (in the paddock area, which is super safe for those of you who have never been there). Sundays August 15th and August 22nd will bring us out, and we are now able to provide in-car instruction for all of you who would like to learn about AX; which I hope is most of you! There simply is no safer, non-stressful way to learn about the limits of your car as you race against the clock, and absolutely everyone is there because they are having FUN. Registration will be open before you are able to read this month’s dR.

We also have another winery destination on August 14th: Maple Creek in Yorkville, up on the wonderful road that is Highway 128. Getting there is a blast and the unique lunch site out under the oak trees is matched only by the unique wine flights you will experience. This year there is a fully-catered lunch to make it even more appetizing. Registration is now open.

Last but not least, the Devil’s Gulch rally on August 28th is now also open for registration. This 125 mile route will focus on Marin County back roads and will be a great way to kindle family harmony between driver and navigator. And prizes.

For September, watch our calendar for more information about the opportunity to place your car onto the “Porscheplatz” as part of the Cloverdale Car Show on September 11th. On Saturday the 25th the New Member Mixer tour to Vacaville’s annual Oktoberfest will be set, and we are actively working on a location for our Concours to bring together stunning Porsches from all over NorCal.

As usual, I invite you to participate in planning events for our future. Our 100% volunteer-run club has openings on the Board that could benefit from your energy and enthusiasm. If you’d like to know more, please reach out to me directly or attend a Board meeting. 

Meetings are open to all members on the last Tuesday of every month at 7 PM at Mary’s Pizza Shack in Novato. We will still have a Zoom option available for August, but if you come in person, dinner is always on the club – you just pay for your drink. Please see our calendar link at redwoodpca.org  for details.