2022 News Archive

Chip Perry, who hosted Appalachian Region twice at his amazing Car Barn during Appalachian Adventure ’21 and ’22 that made the events so special, was recognized with an Honorary Charter Membership of Appalachian Region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA).

And unless there is a last-minute  pop-up event (not unlikely for the Region), it was also the last Region activity for the year.

 A summary of our recent and upcoming events.

2022 was the first full year for these monthly events, which began in November 2021.

The Appalachian Region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) held its Members’ Annual Meeting for 2022 on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at the Weaver Community Center.

The Appalachian Region 2022 Holiday Party raised over $5,000 for charity partner Helpmate that helps to prevent domestic violence with shelter for women and their children when they are leaving abusive home situations.

A summary of our recent and upcoming events.

Porsche aficionados have been waiting for a mid-engine Cayman to be available with the power of a 911 engine, and it is now available in the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS. The RS features the same engine as the Porsche GT3, but with eight less horsepower.

PCA eclipsed the 100,000 primary members mark on November 15 and Zone 3 matched our 2021 6.5% record net growth additions in October too. With two months left it will be another record growth year for the Zone!

The Turkey Trot was a “spur of the moment” drive planned just a week ago, but drivers enthusiastically cheered at lunch for making this an annual event. President Jim planned it last minute because his kids weren’t in town, so the thought was, “what could be done with one of my Porsches to enjoy the holiday.”

Thirteen drivers from the Appalachian Region drove the season-ending High Performance Driver’s Education (HPDE) at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) hosted by the Carolina’s Region.

A summary of our recent and upcoming events.

The November Breakfast Ramble took members back to a favorite spot – Pig & Grits in Burnsville.

We held our November Mixer at Burial Beer's Forestry Camp, which boasts a full kitchen and a taproom that also has wine and mixed drinks.

As the weather cools, we move inside from the Monte Vista patio, but we continue to meet for coffee and pastry at 9:00 am. on the second Wednesday of each month.

As the weather turns in the mountains, we move the first Saturday events to Tech Sessions where we can be indoors while not having to guess the weather and whether we can navigate the mountain roads. A rainy morning on Saturday, November 5, 2022 reminded the 34 Appalachian Region members who came to HPTautosports in Arden why we talk tech this time of the year.

A summary of our recent and upcoming activities

Still lots to do in the Zone even though the Checkered Flag is in sight for 2022.

A cold snap in the Blue Ridge moved the first Ein Deutsches Soziales (A German Social) from the garden to the banquet room but attendees didn’t seem to mind.  The conversation was buzzing as Linda and I walked into the Biergarden, one of the last to arrive.

Using the Rennline Pedal Extensions to Help with Heel/Toe Downshifts

A summary of our recent and upcoming events.

Prost to Oktoberfest!

It was the second Wednesday of the month, which meant it was time for our Black Mountain Perks morning coffee meeting at the Monte Vista Hotel.

Our October Breakfast Ramble was to the Mills River Diner. It was a week early to avoid a conflict with our Oktoberfest Fundraiser.

A summary of our recent and upcoming activities.

The Porsche to Peaks Hike Series created by David Angelus and Dianne Bienick concluded the season with hike three to two 6,000’ peaks.  The day started with a drive to a Pisgah Mountain meet-up before car-pooling to the Art Loeb Trailhead to start the double 6,000’ peak hike.

It's Petit Le Mans Week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta September 28-October 1 Braselton, GA. Porsche Cars North America and PCA will have the Porscheplatz tent open on Friday and Saturday. For access to the tent all you need is your Porsche key or your PCA member credentials.

It seems odd to take 31 Porsches to a British Car Club (BCC) Show but for the second year running, the British Car Club of WNC welcomed the Appalachian Region of PCA to their Autumn in the Mountains show.  The venue at Mills River Brewery was expanded this year so the show could accommodate 300 cars.

The 21st was the third Wednesday in September, which meant it was a social mixer night, this time at the BearWaters Brewery in Canton.

The Smoky Mountain Diner in Hot Springs always provides wonderful food and excellent service, and their back porch is a great spot to enjoy breakfast and share stories with club members.

A group of Appalachian Region drivers couldn’t make the traditional Carolina’s Region Fall Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) track event due to a conflict with Appalachian Adventure, so the group decided to try the September 17 and 18, 2022 “Hooked on Driving” (HOD) CMP driving event.

New Events Announced for October - Sign Up Now

Many members were extremely active with taking pictures at Appalachian Adventure ’22 that was held in Blowing Rock, North Carolina the weekend of September 8-11, 2022. What we have set up are galleries for each photographer.  Scroll through them to re-live the weekend.

The Appalachian Adventure ’22 Concours was a wet, soggy event but it still delivered winners in nine classes plus the “Best of Show” winner of Allen Peerson with his 1959 Porsche 356A Cabriolet.

Eagerly anticipating our first Appalachian Adventure, on a sunny Thursday we loaded the Cayman, stuffing every available space, and set out for Blowing Rock. We took the back roads, enjoying a leisurely drive along Hwy 70 and 221, cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway and enjoying the scenery.

Porsche North America held its Second Annual Sports Car Together Fest over Labor Day Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Appalachian Region members were there for the weekend driving, volunteering and spectating and enjoying the events and races.

One more week and Appalachian Region is in Blowing Rock celebrating Appalachian Adventure ’22; four days of driving, socializing, showing Porsches and eating some great meals. Over 120 PCA members will be participating this year, our biggest Appalachian Adventure ever.

The early morning cloud cover quickly burned off and participants were able to enjoy sunny weather and great coffee and donuts as they checked out the more than 50 Porsches at the Region’s August App Café.

On August 20 we enjoyed drives through the North Carolina mountains to Cedar Mountain, for breakfast near the South Carolina border.

We met at the Eluvian Brewing Company in Weaverville. The event moves each month to make it convenient for a different group of members.

Without much effort I can place myself back to that day in the summer of 1977. My windows were down on my Peugeot 604; the A/C anemic at best. Yeah, it was a rare offbeat car but the V6/4 speed manual was entertaining for the time. The flexible ride and full leather cabin was not bad at all.

As usual we met on the second Wednesday, and because it was another pleasant day we were again on the patio. It was just cool enough that the fire pit was lit, although not really needed.

Eight Appalachian Region members traveled to Johnson City, Tennessee on Sunday, August 8, 2022 to compete in the Wilderness Trail Autocross series.  Appalachian Region represented a third of the participants for the day with drivers in classic and modern Porsches.

The Appalachian Region membership continues to grow unabated as we have now surpassed 600 members in the Region. We are the ninth largest Region of the 16 Regions in the Southeast.

When the Region’s VP and Tour Chair John Goetzman first suggested a tour to a vineyard at the Tour Planning meeting, it was unknown whether there were enough Oenophiles (connoisseurs of wine) to make an event out of it. 

Track time is all about testing the limits of your Porsche and taking your skill to the next level. To assist you with this endeavor, PCA Regions host High Performance Driver’s Education (HPDE) events across the country.

Over 60 Porsche enthusiasts turned out for the Region’s July App Café which featured air-cooled Porsches. The fine summer weather brought out quite a few vintage Porsches including David Stori’s “brand new” 964 cab that was purchased out of Florida.

The new for 2022 PCA “Porsches and Peaks” hiking series began in May with members coming together to hike 5 miles from the Asheville Folks Arts Center to the local ‘lunch rock’ above the Haw Creek Lookout on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Although there were rainstorms around Buncombe county, we enjoyed a dry, warm evening on the patio of Mills River Brewing.

Your vehicle is most certainly one of the biggest investments you make in life. That coupled with the fact that vehicle prices are skyrocketing, protecting your investment is more important than ever. IR Auto Solutions is committed to doing just that in Asheville, NC, Hendersonville, NC & surrounding areas in Western North Carolina.

In the drive to increase Appalachian Region involvement in performance driving activities, a group of seven in the Region were organized to travel to the Wilderness Trail Autocross event in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Sunday, July 17, 2022 event was held in a parking lot of Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU).

 

The Appalachian Region took the July Breakfast Ramble to Cashiers for breakfast at the new Zookeeper Bistro.  Event Organizer Joe Watson found a good one for the Region as we had the outside patio that was perfect for the 26 members who attended.

As usual on the second Wednesday, we met for coffee and pastry at the Monte Vista Hotel, and it was a perfect morning to relax on their patio.

Jean and Robert Larsen planned a terrific drive down new roads for many of us in the western part of the Appalachian Region. The day started with heavy rain as we arrived in Cullowhee so we all quickly huddled under the lone picnic pavilion to stay dry.

A significant chance of rain turned into mostly cloudy skies as the Region gathered at Asheville Outlets for the June App Café. Over 40 members attended (including three who indicated that this was their first Appalachian Region event).

The Appalachian Region is pleased to announce two new sponsors to the Region bringing added benefits to you, a member of PCA: IR Auto Solutions and The Track at Asheville. IR Auto Solutions is the new App Café – Porsches & Coffee sponsor. As a result of their sponsorship, at every App Café, you’ll have coffee from Hav-a-Cup and donuts to enjoy while seeing your Porsche friends. Appalachian Region’s other new sponsor is The Track at Asheville, a facility of immersive professional racing simulators.

This was the first year that the Luft Wasser Porsche Celebration in Brevard had a registration fee to fundraise for The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County. Over $13,000 was raised through registration fees, member donations and a matching donation from an anonymous Brevard PCA member.

John and Toni Goetzman introduced a new concept to the calendar; a "Date Night Drive and Dine" for folks to enjoy a night on the town.

Exciting changes. As of mid-June, we have added more important detail to the event plan.

The Appalachian Region rolled out the perfect weather of sun and 78 degrees to welcome over 24 new members from the past year to the region.  A total of 128 members registered to attend this annual gathering at Longmeadow Park at The Ramble in South Asheville.

 If you have any doubts about June being a busy month, a look at our calendar should change your mind.

The predicted rain didn't appear until later, and we enjoyed another Black Mountain Perks on the sunlit patio of the Monte Vista Hotel.

The second stop in the HPDE (High Performance Drivers Education) Series brought eight Appalachian Region Drivers to Road Atlanta, a world-class professional race track with fast straightaways, blind corners and challenging elevation changes.  The drivers loved it!

As usual, we have a lot going on in June.

 Too many Events, Not Enough Weekends

Appalachian Region members apparently stayed home in Asheville this Memorial Day Weekend as 39 Porsches attended the May 28 App Café – Porsches & Coffee.

The new for 2022 “Porsches and Peaks” hiking series began with 18 APR members coming together to hike 5 miles from the Asheville Folks Arts Center to the local ‘lunch rock’ above the Haw Creek Lookout on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Eggs Up in Hendersonville

The May Breakfast Ramble saw 17 Appalachian Region members come together at the Eggs Up Grill in Hendersonville.  It was a first time stop by the Club at this “new” breakfast spot.

The May Social Mixer saw us meeting on the eastern side of the Region.  Going east brought out 13 members to the Hillman Brewery in Old Fort, North Carolina.

Despite a week of weather forecasters saying Luft Wasser was going to be a day of rain, we were greeted in Brevard with sun, and a clear, beautiful day to enjoy Porsches, Brevard and friends

 

If you are an Appalachian Region PCA member and you want to autocross, you know that you need to go some distance to be able to do that. The Region is forming a committee to investigate options for starting an autocross program and we need two more members to complete the committee. If you are interested, please contact our Vice President, John Goetzman.

It was another perfect spring morning on the patio of the Monte Vista Hotel.

The Appalachian Region is happy to announce that Hagerty Insurance has come on board as a Titanium Sponsor of the Region for 2022. Hagerty provides "insurance for people who love cars." Their goal is to keep collectible cars on the road.

It was supposed to be rainy and dreary but instead the Appalachian Region had sun, a great temperature and the most members ever at an App Café for Porsches & Coffee.

We held our April Mixer at the Sierra Nevada taproom, the site of the very first one in 2016.

The Toothless Jaws of the white crossover invade my rear vision; advancing like a giant angry vacuum cleaner! Does she see that we’re in front of her? Does she know that sports cars are vehicles too?

April’s Ramble returned to Hot Springs and one of our most popular breakfast venues.

We held our monthly Black Mountain Perks event on the Monte Vista Hotel patio, next to their fire pit.

Driving south in the Region saved the drive as many of us woke to snow on the ground in the mountains around Asheville and Waynesville.  The Hendersonville start location just a little further south saved the drive as the temperature was 37° with clear, dry roads.

Welcome to our new Appalachian Region Titanium Sponsor, K&M Collision, a Porsche Certified Collision Repair Facility. One of the goals set by the Board in the 2022 Roadmap was to expand Sponsorship for the Region. K&M Collision will be the Appalachian Region Titanium Sponsor for the Tech Series.

Appalachian Region introduced 12 new members with their seven guests to the popular Drive & Dine series. A total of 26 Porsches with 37 members and their guests drove the mountain roads from Leicester to Hot Springs on a beautiful sunny day.

The 16 Presidents of PCA Regions in Zone 3 met in Atlanta on Saturday, March 26, 2022 for a collaborative event to discuss the 2022 goals for PCA and Zone 3.  The main focus continues to be membership growth as this is bedrock for the Club. Without a solid and growing membership, the Club does not have the base to deliver the events that members expect of the club.

Thirty-nine Appalachian Region members made the journey to the Michelin Proving Grounds in Laurens, South Carolina to work, teach and learn about the performance characteristics of their Porsches. This event was set up to deliver on the Region’s goal of increasing the understanding of a members’ Porsche to improve the driving safety record.

Nine am. is a good time to arrive at the Pig N' Grits on a Saturday morning. We walked in and had our choice of tables; by the time we left, the waiting line was out the door.

Our March mixer took place at the Wedge at Foundry. The beer was great, but the food was missing. Not only did 12 Bones close at 4:30, but the food truck also took the evening off.

Our mountain driving clinic classroom was a sellout, but we were able to accommodate those on the wait list.

Despite the low dark clouds, several of us manged the trek to Black Mountain for our monthly coffee social.

Everywhere you turned on the PCA Werks Reunion Show Field you saw an Appalachian Region member.  21 members in total were spotted showing their car, walking the field, admiring an engine, eating a Gyro or just talking cars.

Werks Reunion Amelia Island 2022 might have had the largest attendance yet by the Appalachian Region with 22 members sighted on the show field on Friday, March 4, 2022 at the Amelia River Golf Club.

The year has started strong with well-attended Social Events as our Porsches huddle from the cold in their garages. Think about joining us during the month at one of our socials: Black Mountain Perks for coffee, the Social Mixer for a beer or the Ramble for Breakfast.

About a dozen Appalachian members met at Burning Blush Brewery in Mills River,

The thaw begins and regions are taking advantage of it all across the zone. PCA has over 95,000 primary members now and Zone 3 has over 9,500 primary members as of January and we are still the 3rd largest Zone in PCA.

As usual on the month's second Wednesday, a group of Appalachian members met at the historic Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain for morning coffee and pastry.

The February Tech Session for the Appalachian Region was a four-region event at the new Blue Ridge Car Club that featured Rod and Lucas Kraft from Griot’s Garage car care products.

I hope that even though it has been cold and snowy in the Appalachian Region, that you are having fun with your Porsche and Appalachian Region members in this New Year.

How to Plan Your Stay at Porsche Parade

Registration for Porsche Parade opens on Wednesday, February 3 at 12:00 p.m. EST so it might be helpful to know what happens at a Porsche Parade.

The Appalachian Region is adding a Sim Racing League to its event calendar to bring you driving fun over the winter months.

Three announcements that I wanted to make you aware of prior to my first of the month Newsletter. You'll also see a list of February events so you can start planning what events you want to attend next month.

It was a cold morning in Asheville, but we still had 34 Appalachian Region members come out for the New Year’s social featuring coffee, donuts, socializing and sim racing.

Come join Appalachian Region Porsche Club members for a New Year's Social at the new Sim Racing Track in Asheville,

We did it! Primary membership exceeded 7% in 2021! The top 3 in Actual Growth were Carolinas, Peachstate, and Hurricane. Top 3 in Factored Growth were Wilderness Trail, Three Rivers, and Appalachian.

Welcome to 2022 with the Appalachian Region. It is a new year and a new Board for the Appalachian Region. As your President I wanted to thank you for your support and wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year.