Bob, who turned 60 years-old this past October, had a significant influence as both a journalist and public relations professional in the automotive and motorsports worlds, particularly within Porsche and at the Atlanta headquarters. He was also a friend, mentor, and valued colleague to everyone he touched, both in and out of his work environment.
For the past 24 years, Bob worked for Porsche Cars North America. He started working for the company when it was headquartered in Reno, Nev., as the racing public relations coordinator, and was stationed in Warrington, Pa., with Al Holbert, who was the first president of Porsche Motorsport North America. He was quickly promoted to Racing PR Manager, and helped lead Porsche through a golden era in motorsports, including the major success of the Porsche 962 – which many still consider Porsche’s most successful race car. Bob personally guided road racing stars such as Al Holbert, Derek Bell, Bob Wollek, Rob Dyson, Hurley Haywood, Chip Robinson and others through this period, maximizing exposure for Porsche while cementing lifetime relationships with both drivers and journalists, as well as everyone else in the racing community.
Bob also showed his patience and professionalism during the same period as the public relations representative for Porsche’s brief CART champ car effort. He remained in Pennsylvania working with Holbert until Al died in a private plane crash in 1988. Bob then moved to Porsche Cars North America corporate headquarters in Reno, becoming Manager, Media Relations and Racing in 1991, and subsequently Manager, Public Relations (1992). Another promotion in 1993 earned him the title of General Manager, Public Relations.
Bob did some of his best product and corporate public relations work during the early and mid-‘90s as Porsche had discontinued the high-volume Porsche 944, and was yet to introduce the Boxster (1997). Porsche sales numbers were down, yet journalists treated Porsche fairly because of the respect Bob had earned for being honest and responsive.
With the introduction of the Boxster, Porsche’s return to Le Mans, and the resurgence of sports car racing in the United States with the American Le Mans Series, Bob had expanded areas of responsibility, and his hard work paid off. Porsche doubled its sales with the Boxster introduction and soon after with an all-new 911 Carrera line, and Bob was ready for the challenge. His innovative product introduction programs and personal relationships helped spread the word about the new Porsche models. Subsequent introductions of the Cayenne and Cayman have elevated Porsche to its current success level, and Bob was an integral part of helping North America retain its position as the company’s largest market.
While overseeing Porsche product PR, Bob dreamed up some very entertaining and unique ways to showcase Porsche sports car and SUV performance. In 2000 he unveiled an all-new 911 Turbo by challenging media to set personal-best top-speed records on a vast dry lake bed in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. He replicated Porsche’s famous winter testing regimen when he invited journalists to drive the Cayenne in and around the city of Whitehorse, deep in the Yukon Territories. Bob also did the unimaginable: letting journalists pilot the mighty Cayenne Turbo up the famous 12.4–mile mostly unpaved Pikes Peak International Hill Climb road course, letting drivers “hang it out” on 156 dirt turns with no guardrails and often thousand- foot dropoffs at they clawed their way to the 14,115-foot peak.
But Bob’s first love had always been motorsports, and the announcement that the Porsche factory was teaming with Penske Racing to build an LMP2 prototype vaulted him back into the spotlight of Porsche Motorsport. Bob’s extensive relationships within the industry made the transition from Porsche 911-only racing to prototype racing seamless.
Even after he was diagnosed with gall bladder cancer in 2007 and was forced to miss the activity at the race track, he guided the internal and agency PR staff through the complicated political path of international media and racing.
Bob’s keen interest in motorsports history, which was only second to his personal interests in both Civil War history and the history of railroading in North America, led to an idea of gathering historic Porsche race cars and drivers from around the world at a Rennsport (racing) Reunion in the United States. Naysayers dismissed the idea as “of little interest” or “a waste of money,” but Porsche Cars North America president Fred Schwab gave the okay, and Bob and retired racer and vintage racing organizer Brian Redman set forth to contact collectors, drivers, and the Porsche museum in Germany to solicit participants and race cars to join him at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut in July 2001.
No one – except for Bob – could have anticipated the interest as more than 15,000 enthusiasts came to the event, along with Roger Penske, Paul Newman, and countless other Porsche Motorsport icons – plus more than 300 highly historic vintage Porsche race cars. Ask a Porsche Club of America member what was the most important event they ever missed they will surely respond, “Porsche Rennsport Reunion I at Lime Rock.”
Of course, the success of this event inspired Porsche to order Bob to start planning another Rennsport for 2004, and Bob realized that Lime Rock was not big enough to hold the event he had launched. His personal relationship with NASCAR owner Jim France led to a partnership with the Daytona International Speedway for Rennsport II in April 2004. More than 600 Porsche race cars, and celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld and hundreds of race drivers and collectors, participated with the sweet sound of Porsche race engines revving on the high banking in one race after another.
Rennsport III – also at Daytona – was held in November 2007, with Bob taking a break from radiation treatment to run the show, and it was another overwhelming success, with Porsche 917s, 962s, 956s, 904s, 908s, and hundreds of 356 and 911 race cars performing on the track where Porsche won its first 24-hour endurance race in 1968.
In early 2008, Bob was awarded the Jim Chapman award for lifetime achievement in motorsports public relations from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.
Bob was born in San Jose, Calif., and graduated from Del Mar High School in San Jose in 1966. He then went to San Jose State University, where he received a B.S. in Business Administration in 1971, and went back to San Jose State for an M.S. in Mass Communications (1985).
Prior to his career in public relations, Bob was a newspaper man, writing a motorsports column and covering racing for the San Jose Mercury News, and before that for the Palo Alto Peninsula Times Tribune. Even Bob’s closest friends and associates might not know that he also worked for a short time (in 1984) in the PR department for Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, working with astronauts on the promotion of the Solar Array Flight Experiment for the space program.
Bob is survived by his wife, Debbie and his mother Fran, and by the thousands of friends, colleagues, and racers he touched with great tenderness and compassion. He will be greatly missed by all.
PCNA will provide more information on how to extend your condolences once arrangement details become available and I will post them here for your review.
Written on December 18th, 2008 at 4:49pm by Pepper Girl
When most people think about winterizing their Porsche, it’s usually with the intent to store the car for some period of time and avoid driving it through cold and winter like weather. What about those of you who drive your cars through the winter? No, I’m not talking about all you lucky Porsche owners that live in temperate climates where the idea of winterizing your car is turning off the air-conditioning and making sure the windows still roll down. This is for those of you who either choose to drive your Porsche through the cold, rain, sleet, snow and salt for your perverted enjoyment and/or out of necessity as your daily driver.
Can I Drive My Porsche in the Winter
Contrary to popular belief many Porsches, especially the 911 models, makes great winter drivers if prepared and outfitted properly. Due to the rear-engine design of the 911, a considerable amount of weight sits on or behind the rear wheels. Combine this significant grip creating weight with proper winter driving tires and your Porsche will handle as well, if not better, than most family sedans. If you’re fortunate enough to have an all-wheel drive model (no, I’m not talking about the Cayenne), then the grip is nothing short of legendary.
One of the most common misconceptions about driving your Porsche in the winter, especially over salty roads, is that it will harm your finish and reduce the life-span of your car. The fact is, Porsches are fully galvanized and have been since 1976. As a result, they are resistant to salt and rust and with a little preventative maintenance it’s easy to drive your Porsche in inclement weather and still experience years and years of rust free enjoyment. For those cars built prior to rust-proofing, you’re out of luck and for sake of preservation it’s best to put them away for winter storage using the proper techniques.
Tips for Preparing and Maintaining your Porsche for Winter Driving
Buy Snow Tires for Your Porsche: This is probably the most important aspect of preparing your Porsche for winter. All season tires are great if you live in a temperate climate. However, if you’re going to face any snow at all I strongly recommend you get a dedicated snow tire. In fact, the best solution is to get a second set of wheels and tires specifically for winter driving. The benefit here is you don’t damage your nice Porsche wheels from big winter potholes, hidden curbs and the stress of changing tires before and after each season. In addition, it makes storage and mounting much faster, easier and cheaper in the long run. I recommend shopping for winter tires at Tire Rack. They have a long list of Porsche approved winter tires, are competitively priced and provide the easy ability to buy a combination tire and wheel set.
Check Your Fluids: Do you drive an air-cooled (oil-cooled) Porsche? If so, you might consider changing your oil to a thinner viscosity for the duration of your cold weather driving. Low viscosity motor oils that pour easily at low temperatures typically have a “5W” or “10W” rating. There are also 15W and 20W grade motor oils. This page offers some good basic information on oil-viscosity. If you drive one of the newer water-pumpers (996, 986, 977, etc.) be sure to check your coolant level and condition. Consideration should be given to the quality and amount of coolant currently in the system. If possible, you might want to take the opportunity to have the coolant system flushed, cleaned and refilled with fresh anti-freeze. Lastly, don’t forget that all important windshield washer fluid. There’s nothing worse then getting caught behind an SUV or big truck kicking up that “salt-mist” and trying to scrape it off the windshield with dry wipers as you listen to your washer motor pump away against an empty reservoir.
Don’t neglect the body: Just because your Porsche is rust proofed, doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to help provide even better protection. A good thorough cleaning for your Porsche, prior to the winter weather, is a must. Be sure to put a good quality wax on the car before the bad weather starts. This added layer of protection will make it easier to rinse the accumulated dirt, dust and salt away during and after the winter weather. If you want to take things a step further, you can even put a coat of wax on your wheels for even more protection.
Avoid pressure washing: I know it’s tempting to use those high-pressure washers to clean the salt and sand off your car over the winter (especially the touch free drive through) but if possible, it’s best to avoid them. Why? Simple. Instead of rinsing the salt gently from your cars finish, those high-pressure systems can actually drive the salt deep into places you don’t want it and possibly accelerate or start the corrosion problem (not to mention it will more quickly strip off your nice pre-winter wax job). A better solution (if you have the time and facilities) is to simply rinse with a garden hose or use the low pressure setting on the do it yourself type of car wash.
Check tire pressures monthly:Tire pressure can change by one (1) psi for every 10 degree farenheit change in temperature (use manufacturer-recommended pressure). I live in the North East which experiences huge temperature swings and I’m constantly check my tire pressure. A good Porsche tire gauge with case is a must!
Besides preparing your Porsche for winter, what about actually driving it in the winter? Porsche offers a number of different winter driving schools and they look like a lot of fun. The tips below are mostly common sense, but we all know not every driver is blessed with this quality.
Winter Driving Tips Straight from the Porsche Camp4 Colorado Driving School
Cars respond more slowly on slippery surfaces. Always wait a moment after steering, braking, or accelerating to see how the car behaves before giving it more input.
Visibility is greatly reduced in bad weather. Make sure you can see clearly, and turn on your headlights.
Brake carefully and accelerate more gently.
Get the car pointed where you want to go before getting on the gas.
Be aware of reduced grip.
Take corners at lower speeds.
Brake sooner and longer than on dry surfaces.
Apex later.
Look for fresh snow – it provides more grip.
Avoid icy ruts.
Look farther ahead. So many of us keep our eyes glued to the back of the car in front of us. The car goes where you look, so get those eyes up and anticipate your next move!
Lastly, if you do happen to drive an all-wheel drive Porsche, be it a 911 or a Cayenne, please, please remember that all-wheel drive does not make you invincible. Yes, you may have slightly better grip and you might be able to accelerate faster, but you sure as hell can’t stop any faster. Keep this in mind when you’re on the highway driving a good 15 to 20mph faster than everyone else around you.
Do you drive your Porsche in winter conditions? If so, I would love to hear from you. Do you prepare your Porsche differently? Are there things I missed and can add to the the list?
By now, the observant among you have surely recognized the new look and new name of your favorite Porsche website; this one! The name and logo have changed from 993C4S.com to PorschePurist.com. Why? Simple actually. Some of you felt the old name was too confusing, a bit too model specific if you will. We agreed. While we love our 993, it’s not my our only Porsche and it’s not the only thing this site is about. PorschePurist.com is about the Cars, Products and Lifestyle that are such an important part of our favorite marque, Porsche.
How does the change affect you? It doesn’t! You will still receive your updates via email or reader, same as always. Any saved bookmarks or links to posts will continue to work and you can still navigate directly to the site the same way as always. The new site design will make it easier for you to move around and find articles and posts relevant to the subject(s) you’re interested in.
Over the next few weeks we will roll out a number of new features to the website including an updated Motorsport section, improved search functions (making it even easier to find relevant content), updates to the resource pages and much more.
Please look around the new site and let us know what you think of the new logo and site design. While you’re here, be sure to click on some ads and help keep the lights on.
Own a Porsche, or any other car for that matter? If so, chances are, you’ve been caught on camera. The question is, did you know it? Red light cameras and speed cameras are proliferating across the country (and the globe for that matter) at an alarming rate. According to the data I read there are more than 5100 known cameras as of June 2008 and growing. Does your state, town or county have them? If so, do you know where they are and what they do? Today’s post should provide a better explanation of what these cameras mean to you, how you might avoid them and a listing of other resources available on the web.
Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a number of discussions, on various Porsche and other automotive forums, about speed and red-light cameras. While the content and flavor of each discussion varies greatly from one to another, the underlying theme is the same.
How do Red Light Cameras Work?
How do Speed Cameras Work?
How is a Ticket Processed?
Will I get Points on my Driving Record?
How can I avoid an/or detect Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras?
What Resources are Available to me?
How do Red Light Cameras Work?
A red light camera system is connected to the traffic signal and to sensors buried in the pavement at the crosswalk or stop line. Traffic engineers determine the criteria that will trigger the camera to photograph a vehicle. Red light cameras usually only photograph the license tag of the vehicle, but they also can photograph the driver. Typically, two photographs are taken, one when the vehicle crosses the stop line and a second when the vehicle is in the intersection. The photographs also include the date, time and place, vehicle speed, and elapsed time from the light turning red to the time the photograph was taken.
False Alarm? Making A Right Turn? Caught In The Intersection? To avoid photographing the vehicles of drivers who inadvertently get caught in the intersection, traffic engineers program the system to photograph only those vehicles that are moving in excess of a predetermined speed and that enter the intersection a predetermined time after the signal has turned red. The minimum speed criteria eliminates the possibility of issuing citations for vehicles making legal turns on red or those that are stopped in traffic before clearing the intersection. Drivers who enter on yellow and find themselves in an intersection when the light changes to red are not photographed. The technology is intended to catch vehicles driven by motorists who intentionally enter an intersection after the signal has turned red.
How Do Speed Cameras Work?
Speed enforcement systems, also known as photo-radar, are triggered when a vehicle exceeding the speed limit by a predetermined amount is observed. Like red light cameras, speed cameras generate photographic evidence that gives the date, time and place, and vehicle speed.
Verification The pictures taken by speed cameras must usually be viewed by a person before any infringement notice or ticket is issued to the driver, and judged to be satisfactory or not. This step is known as verification, and is a standard legal requirement in nearly all jurisdictions. Verifiers typically must check some or all of the following:
no sign of interference with the vehicle detector by objects other than the vehicle
license plate readable according to a legal standard
make and model of vehicle matches the recorded license plate number
appearance of the driver in the images is adequate or that it matches the picture on the drivers license of the vehicle’s registered owner
How Is A Ticket Processed?
Most electronic flash cameras produce clear images of vehicles under all light and weather conditions. Photographs are carefully reviewed by trained police officers or other officials to verify vehicle information and ensure the vehicle was in violation. Tickets are mailed to vehicle owners only in cases where it is clear the vehicle ran the red light. Typically this process takes one to three weeks and fines range from $50 in some states up to $400.
Will I Get Points On My Driving Record?
A few states treat automated enforcement citations just like parking tickets in that the registered owner is liable. Similarly, just as parking tickets do not result in points and are not recorded on a driver’s record, many states do not assess points or make a record of automated enforcement citations.
Avoiding and Detecting Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras
The two most common options for avoiding road enforcement cameras are on opposite ends of the technology spectrum.
Low Tech (passive option) The majority of red light & speed cameras utilize a strong flash to photograph the license plate on your Porsche. Companies like PhantomPlates design and manufacture passive anti-photo-radar defenses. These defenses consist of products like PhotoBlocker that can be sprayed onto your license plate making it virtually invisible to the cameras but still completely legible to anyone else. The spray creates a reflective coating that bounces the flash back at the camera effectively over exposing the image, denying the ability to verify your plate (a key/required part of the ticketing process) thereby rendering the picture unreadable and unusable.
In addition to the PhotoBlocker spray, there are other passive devices available including Photoshield Covers and Reflective covers for both car and motorcycle use. This is one of the only companies that I’m aware of that has been vetted by a number of different news agencies and law enforcement agencies as to the efficacy of their product.
I thought this was pretty neat. If you already have a portable GPS system for your car, you may be able to simply buy a subscription to a database of camera locations that can be downloaded onto your existing device. According to this site, Police Hate Them. Drivers Love Them. New Invention Uses GPS to Locate Police Speed Traps. 100% legal. Yes the marketing is a bit obnoxious, but if the product works, what the heck!
What to do if you were already ticketed by a red light or speed camera and other resources
TrafficFighters.com: Reported to be one of the more well know attorney networks for fighting red light camera and speeding camera tickets. This service provides a free evaluation of your ticket and if it can be fought successfully. The James Sokalove of red light tickets
PhotoEnforced.com: One of the oldest and largest databases of camera locations on the web. A lot of today’s GPS powered devices use this database to power their systems.
US Red Light Camera Maps Powered by Google: Simply choose a region/state from the drop down menu on the right and this map will show you the location of all known cameras. Click on a camera for the exact address and the current cost of the fine/violation.
HowStuffWorks.com: I generally like this site for its simple and easy to follow explanations. This example is no exception. Excellent graphics and an easy to follow explanation provide the perfect follow up if you want to learn and see even more than what I explained above.
Red Light Cameras on you Phone: This is a very cool application you can download to your GPS enabled mobile phone. It allows users to update, in real time, locations of speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, etc. It can also work with your portable GPS.
Jeremy Clarkson and his Rocket Launching Porsche
Lastly, if you need a little comic relief, Jeremy Clarkson came out with a great option for your Porsche that is sure to relieve stress and take care of any of those pesky traffic cameras. Just be sure to take careful aim.
If the question was ever in doubt, the answer is evident in the ongoing sale of David Beckham’s first Porsche, a 1997 993 Carrera S currently listed on eBay. At the moment there are 3 bids with the highest offering £50,200.00 (that’s $75,500 US dollars at today’s exchange rate). That’s a huge premium over any similarly equipped Porsche without the celebrity provenance. To put things in perspective, a similarly equipped car in the US (that never had Posh grace the leather) will sell retail between $45k and $48k says Michael Willhoit of Willhoit Enterprises (a sponsor of this site and where I purchased my latest 993) and between $40k to $45k in a private sale. According to Philip Raby (noted Porsche expert and editor of Total911 Magazine) he would expect a non-celebrity owned Porsche like this to sell in in the £30 to £35k range. Phil did note that its location in Belfast (as it’s not on the UK mainland) and undesirable interior color would normally further hinder pricing. Right now, there’s no telling how high this auction could go as at the time of publishing there are still four full days remaining.
Earlier this year, Jerry Seinfeld’s 1997 993 Turbo S sold for close to $225,000. That price represented close to a $75,000 premium over non-celebrity owned cars. However, Seinfeld’s Turbo S had some other unique factors that helped explain away some, but not all, of the premium. Today, Seinfeld’s car is said to be for sale again (and has shown up on eBay a number of times) at a greatly reduced price. A sign of the economic times? Or, is Jerry’s star just not as bright as David’s?
Did I mention that Beckham’s car is a tiptronic? For $75,000 or more? Well, at least it has sport seats. With the prices people have been asking for those lately, maybe that can justify the price. Come to think of it, I wonder if I could get Dave (or better yet Posh) to pose with my car and sell it for 100% more than it’s worth??? hmmm….
What do you think of when you think of attending an AutoShow? I always expect them to be full of glitz and glamor, conspicuous consumption (well, maybe not in today’s economy), peculiar or preposterous prototypes, lots of booth babes and all sorts of marketing madness. In other words, a barely contained automotive circus; a highly charged atmosphere filled with energy and excitement. If these match with your expectations too, then hopefully you were smarter than me and chose not to attend this weekend’s New England Auto Show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
My reason(s) for attending the show were simple. Worst case, I at least expected to be entertained (remember I was expecting some booth babes). At best I wanted an opportunity to see the new Porsche Boxster and Cayman, recently unveiled at the LA Auto Show, maybe even sit in one and ask a few questions. As it turns out, I set my expectations way too high. There simply wasn’t any energy or excitement. The closest thing to entertainment I saw was watching a vendor demonstrate his magic “shammy” as he sucked up a liter of some mystery liquid spilled conveniently in front of him. Turns out he was a good sales guy as I parted with $20 bucks for a set of 4. As for the Boxster and Cayman, they were no where to be seen.
Maybe it was the lack of attendance that reduced the energy? Granted, I was there on a weekday, but even still it appeared that I was one of maybe only 200 other attendees wandering the vast convention floor at any one given time. I inquired with the event organizers about attendance. Specifically, I asked, “How was attendance this year with regard to actual vs. anticipated?” The response I received, while not answering my question directly, did so anyway, “For attendance we held our numbers from ’07.”
Come to think of it, could the venue be the problem? This is the second year since the event has changed locations from the BaySide Expo Center (a much smaller, more intimate setting) to the new, vastly overbuilt, billed as bigger than 9 football fields, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. This is a pretty big space to fill and even with good attendance it can still “feel” empty.
Or, maybe it was the complete an utter apathy of the people working this event? If I were a salesperson or automotive manufacturer representative I would have to assume that people who take the time to attend a show of this type (in this economy) fit into one of three categories:
Automotive Journalist;
Automotive Enthusiast;
Prospective Buyer.
In fact, I would automatically assume all attendees fit into category three (3) and approach each one as a potential sale. Instead, almost without exception, in each booth I walked through, I barely received a slight nod, let alone a polite hello or any indication of interest in my presence.
Whatever the reason, my experience at the New England Auto Show was a complete bust. Without exception, the only highlight of my visit was a brief but informative conversation with a Porsche Sales and Leasing Consultant from Chambers Motorcars (Carey Frasca). Carey at least took the time to greet me, answer a few questions and explain how the Porsche booth was set-up (turns out it was staffed with employees from multiple Porsche dealers who took turns making sure that any and all questions could and would be answered).
Meanwhile, the green velvet roped Bentley display next door was guarded by a financial analyst and his solid gold calculator. If your net worth was determined to be high enough, admission to the inner sanctum, for a closer look (but don’t touch) was granted. Needless to say, I was left to drool from the wrong side of the ropes.
I just can’t get over the lack of energy and attention from the people staffing the booths. I know times are tough, but cars aren’t selling themselves today (any type of car). Isn’t this the time to reach down deeper and sell like you’ve never sold before?
Has anyone else been to a show recently? What was your experience like?
Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche GB, presenting check to Steve Godfrey, Project Director at Skidz
Already flush with cash from their VW stock wrangling (not to mention the few bucks they made from selling cars) Porsche made good on their promise to donate any winnings from the legal challenge to charity. All £375,000 has found its way to the coffers of Skidz, a UK charity that helps train young adults in the great art of choosing and handling the proper spanner. Looks like Porsche gets the last laugh as London pays to train a whole new generation of possible Porsche mechanics…
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Bob, who turned 60 years-old this past October, had a significant influence as both a journalist and public relations professional in the automotive and motorsports worlds, particularly within Porsche and at the Atlanta headquarters. He was also a friend, mentor, and valued colleague to everyone he touched, both in and out of his work environment.
When most people think about winterizing their Porsche, it’s usually with the intent to 
is a must!
By now, the observant among you have surely recognized the new look and new name of your favorite Porsche website; this one! The name and logo have changed from 993C4S.com to PorschePurist.com. Why? Simple actually. Some of you felt the old name was too confusing, a bit too model specific if you will. We agreed. While we love our 993, it’s not my our only Porsche and it’s not the only thing this site is about. PorschePurist.com is about the Cars, Products and Lifestyle that are such an important part of our favorite marque, Porsche.
and the 
. I’ve provided links to both at Amazon (where they appear to be the cheapest right now).
