2018 at the St. Louis Region has been and continues to be a year filled with great events and some significant new programs.
The recent Parade at the Lake of the Ozarks was one such event. For the first time in years, the Porsche Parade was held in our backyard, and our members turned out in force. At the National Board of Directors meeting, it was mentioned that there were approximately 1200 PCA members in attendance. Of that number, St. Louis Region was represented by 105 of our members; the most of any region. I ran into region members at every event!
Gail and I had a great time (even suffering with minimal air conditioning in our Targa while temperatures soared to 100 degrees). I hope you enjoyed Parade. Boca Raton is sounding really good for next summer.
One significant new region program undertaken this year is the “Intro to High Performance Drivers Education”. Earlier this year, Porsche St. Louis hosted two off-track introductory sessions for members interested in, but a little “nervous” about driving their Porsche on the track. Attendance at these gatherings allowed participants to register for the half-day track session at Gateway Motorsports Park on July 28th. The track day completely sold out! I hope to see a return of this program in the future.
This Fall, the St. Louis Region will host, for the first time, Tire Rack’s Street Survival teen driving school. This is a great program that trains young drivers how to actually drive their car. Students learn how their car will react under hard braking (with and without ABS activation), emergency maneuvers and general car control at or near the limits. This program makes better, more competent young drivers and, in so doing, saves lives. Dan Hinkebein has volunteered to chair the Region’s program and will be asking for volunteers and instructors in the near future. It’s a small commitment of your time for a great cause. I have been a Street Survival instructor for several years and have found the experience to be very fulfilling. I urge you to answer Dan’s request to help – you won’t be sorry!
Lastly, another great upcoming event, our semi-annual All Porsche Car Show, will take over the streets of Clayton (okay, one street) on Sunday, September 16th. You can register by clicking here or by using the registration form enclosed in this month’s Die Porsche Plauderei. Get your entry in early! It’s always a great show!
