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in the zone ...
Sean Cridland, RMR-PCA Zone 9 Representative
Things are getting busy all over in Zone 9 and my activity has
picked up as well. The week after the Zone 9 Meeting in Albuquerque,
Sandra and I ventured to New Orleans for the
PCA National Meetings and Zone Rep College. The first day
of meetings was taken up by the Zone Rep College. The college
was led by PCA VP Manny Alban with the guest list being
a literal who’s who of PCA national officers and chairs. It was
said many times during the day that “though you think you
might have been very active in your own region, when you get
to the national level it’s mind-boggling to see how much activity
it takes to make PCA run efficiently and smoothly.” I can
attest to the truth of that statement. I can also attest to the
capabilities of the people working at the National level. It’s
humbling to be in their presence, let alone to be considered a peer. Much of Zone Rep College
covered procedures, financial information, insurance and liability issues, changes to policy, what
to expect as a Zone Rep, and myths and urban legends about PCA.
The first half of the second day was taken up with the actual Zone Rep meeting. No more tutoring,
this was the time to take up the real issues on the Zone Rep list of to-dos. On the discussion
list were items such as Parade, Escape, DE rules, and PCA Car Corrals (nee Porscheplatzes).
After a brief lunch – during which I sat between PCA Insurance Chair Ken Laborde and PCNA representative
Steve Krysil – we went on to the Board of Directors’ meeting.
For Saturday night they arranged for us to be on the bleachers of a couple of the Mardi Gras parades.
It was really amazing to see all the floats and bands. Every band had its own version of a
step! And we caught so MANY beads! To give you an idea of how many beads there were, I
practically got knocked out by an entire package of beads that came from somewhere in the sky!
Even giving them away, we still ended up bringing a lot home. I have to say that the time in New
Orleans was incredibly productive, but also loads of fun. It was hard to believe that we packed
in so much of each in only a two and a half day period.
After New Orleans I flew to upstate NY for my annual “good-son duty.” My parents are 89 and
93 and I go back each year to help relieve my brother and sisters from their regular care schedules.
It was a pretty good couple of weeks with my parents doing as well as can be expected
for those venerable ages. But I was also able to get in a little car-stuff when I was there. My sister
lives in Saratoga Springs, NY which now has a very nice automotive museum.
http://www.saratogaautomuseum.com Though their current main exhibit is centered on much
older cars, their sports and racing collection features a 1935 Maserati V8RI, a 1956 Ferrari Indycar,
and a 1950 Allard J2. Sure, no Porsches, but these were real pieces of art. Besides, I would
get a good dose of Porsche the next day when I drove down to Danbury, Connecticut to the Zone
1 Tech Tactics.
Zone 1 has the tech session of all tech sessions, with the list of speakers coming right out of the
back page of your Panorama. Talks were given by Tech Committee Chair Peter Smith, PCNA rep
Paul Gagliardi, and a host of others with the featured speaker of the day being none other than
the legendary Norbert Singer. The session was held at the Farnbacher-Loles shop http://www.farnbacherloles.com
which just happens to be in the same building and right next door to the Highcroft
Racing shop http://www.patronhighcroftracing.com. What a great day it was. With Zone
1 being the entire Northeast of the USA and Eastern Canada there were many PCA luminaries
on hand, including past-president Prescott Kelly, DE Chair Pete Tremper, Executive Director Vu
Nguyen, VP Manny Alban, (PCA General Council) David and (Safety Guidelines Chair)Arlene Novack
and so on. So it was a good day to learn about Porsches, but also to get to know many of
our national staff people a little bit better.
The next day it was a long and tight flight back to New Mexico and reality. Being a Zone Rep
can be a lot of fun at times, but it’s really about staying on top of the paperwork and keeping
track of the Regions and serving you, the members. Parade registration got my attention early
and many of the regions are starting to thaw out from the winter and get their regular activities
going again. Though the economy is hurting all over, Porsche fans are a dedicated and enthusiastic
bunch with a never-say-never attitude. Hence, I look forward to a busy and productive year
as I start scheduling my visits to the Regions. I look forward to meeting each of you.
See you at an event, Sean
The Porsche Wow
by Dick Badler
I had a scary dream last night. In my dream, I couldn’t sleep. So I padded to the den,
turned on the TV and on came an infomercial. It went something like this:
Hi, Vince here, for the Porsche Wow.
You say you’re bored with driving rice burners and retro muscle cars and semi-obsolete
designs from companies that may not be around to service your warranty? You’re tired
of getting blown away by pimply faced kids in aero-kitted pavement scrapers with giant
trash can exhausts that make them sound like Ferraris? Well, bunkie, your time has
come.
The Porsche Wow. It slices, it dices… through traffic!
Ess-turns making your tires squeal like pigs in a sty? No problem. Our cars corner so hard
you’ll soon have neck muscles that look like you play middle linebacker in the NFL. You
say you’re verging on road rage from the way those German sport-boxes zip by? On
some models we have “launch control.” Switch it on, and you blast off like a Saturn 5
rocket at liftoff.
First the car, itself. Every Porsche Wow comes with 60 years of breeding. And I don’t
mean like with a purebred dog. I mean purebred performance, honed over 60 years on
the racetracks of the world. Does it bite? Only if you enter a corner too fast. Can you
feel it‘s pulse? You can feel your own pulse, racing.
I’m talking about a new type of genetic engineering. Genetic car engineering. You can’t
see it, but you know it’s there. Stomp on the gas. Run through the gears. Excellence is
expected. Nothing even comes close.
And if you go to our website, right now, you’ll find even more great word-smithing, slogans
like “Inner strength,” “A legend in top form,” “Open for enthusiasm” and “Only three
figures describe this feeling.”
How do we do it? We’re the most profitable car company on earth. Maybe the only profitable
car company on earth. We’re actually buying Volkswagen, even though they’re 10
or more times bigger than us.
The secret? Charge extra for everything. You want interior-matching floor mats on your
$87K MSRP basic Carrera S? That’ll be another $140, please.
And we get it. Of course we do. Because we know that you know that speed is a function
of money. How fast do you want to go?
Remember, you’re not just buying a car. You’re buying a lifestyle. We have a whole other
division that sells nothing but clothing, shoes, ties, cufflinks, watches and even suitcases
that are specially sized to fit into our funny little trunks. At prices that compliment our
cars, because it’s not easy to fit that PorscheWow crest on a logo golf ball.
Buy one and you’re a member of the club. A real club. In every city in the US, as well
as all the major markets around the world. Join the club and you can explore that performance
envelope you’ve been dreaming about. From the comfort and safety of a real
race track, where you’re on your own, with no speed limits. No insurance either, but,
hey, that’s the price you pay.
But wait, there’s more. A Porsche Wow SUV called a Cayenne. This pepper is big. And
it’s fast, and it handles well, and it gulps gas, and it costs a lot. It’s a PorscheWow! And,
coming this year, a four-seater, the Panamera. No, not Panera. This stud-muffin comes
out of the oven for family fun, to and from the bakery. Unlike our two-seater and 2+2
sports cars, you can take another couple with you, and I mean full, life-size people, with
real feet. They’ll fit! And they get their own doors!
We can only make this offer because we’re sure you’ll be impressed… and impressing…
at the stoplight, loading groceries in the Whole Foods parking lot, pulling up to valet parking.
Yes, with a PorscheWow the world looks at you. And if you tint your windows they
don’t even have to know you’re looking back. Because that’s what you’ll be doing… in
the rear view mirror….
I woke up in a cold sweat. It’s a dream, I said to myself. It’s only a dream.
Go back to bed. And so I did.
18 April 2009 rmrporschenews