August 2022 President’s Message

July was a super successful month for our Porsche club. I hope you were able to partake in at least one of our events, and if not, that you are inspired to consider the upcoming get-togethers in August and September, the uncertainty of COVID trends notwithstanding.

Although I missed the Far Niente tour on July 9th, it got rave reviews as one of the best tours ever. See Kurt Fischer’s article for more details so you can plan for next time. July’s Rally School was extremely well-attended and featured four different rally types in real time; see Jim Robison’s Rallymaster section of this der Riesenbaum for a description. Our third midweek tour of the year (which made it our third midweek tour ever) was also a smashing success on July 20th. Perfect picnic weather, a great tour route created by Vern Rogers, and three well-paced groups meant there were lots of happy faces in the spot decked out by Sharon Castle Rogers. The month ended on the 30th with a fun new route from Autobahn Automotive to Pech Merle Winery, where the Paella was even tastier than last year after an unimpeded drive over St. Helena Road between Sonoma and Napa counties. See below for the editor’s piece about our day. 

The August 13/14 weekend brings up the inaugural two-day Twin Pine rally event through Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties. Registration and discounted hotel rooms at the Twin Pine casino in Middletown are available through August 11th, only one day after you receive this newsletter, so check it out today! On Saturday the 27th, we head back on a tour we have done for many years, out west on Highway 128 to Maple Creek Winery in Yorkville, where you will have tri-tip or chicken thighs grilled on the spot, a deep list of unique wines to taste, and outdoor dining under the oaks. Registration is open.

September will bring the first nighttime rally to our Region under the Harvest Moon (September 10th); read Jim Robison’s Rallymaster report for all the details or check out registration, which is already open. Later in September there is at least one event for everyone: a weekend at the Ironstone Concours in Murphys or a great driving tour to Oktoberfest in Vacaville, where we have been treated like royalty for many years by the Holgers, longtime members and owners of Pure Grain Bakery. Check our calendar for registration.

Thank you for being involved in our club. 106 of you voted on the revisions to our Bylaws, and I am very pleased to say that all votes were in favor of adopting our changes. One result of this is that we can now welcome Rona Stefani into the role of Treasurer for our club, while we thank Vern Rogers for his dedication to Redwood Region, as evidenced by the fact that he has now held “the full cycle” of offices on the Executive Council, supporting us most recently as our interim Treasurer. Please thank both of them! 

New candidates for our elected Board positions will be presented over the coming month or so, in advance of our Annual Members Meeting on October 8th at Chenoweth Woods. The nominating committee welcomes your suggestions; please email the dR editor if you are interested in serving. 

Lastly, we are changing the physical location of our monthly Board of Directors meeting, so please look for updates on our calendar. Every member is still invited to attend (either in person or via Zoom) and if in person, we pay for your meal; you pay for your beverage.