The 2010 PCA Parade has passed and I am already excited for the one in 2011. Before now, I had never attended a parade; this is something I regret because I had such a great time this past weekend! I’m sure there are Porsche Purist readers who haven’t attended a single parade – this post is for them. I’d like to write a little about my first Porsche Parade with the hope of convincing readers to make 2011 the year of their first Porsche Parade.
I’d first like to thank Mobil 1 for working with PorschePurist to send me to Chicago for the event! It was exciting to photograph and write alongside Christian and Valerie about a weekend filled with activities: from the Concours d’Elegance to the Time Speed Distance rally and everywhere in between, there was plenty to experience over the weekend!
Friday was uneventful for me – partially because I wasn’t at the parade yet. You see, the parade technically started on Thursday, July 1st for some people – those that drove their Porsches to the event! My flight to Chicago was early Saturday morning, so I had already missed out on two parade activities: driving there and interacting with fellow Porsche enthusiasts while washing my car. As I saw some of the car wash stations set up for the event, I made a mental note to myself to drive my car to the parade next year. For this year’s parade, my wife and I had a Hyundai rental car – which was okay for this year because everything was located (more or less) at the Pheasant Run resort. This is not always the case, as Valerie and Christian said last year’s parade in Colorado was spread out over several miles. Bottom line – bring your Porsche!
I noticed two things while checking into the hotel on Saturday morning. First, there were a lot of people who drove their Porsches in the day before! Second, Porsche Club of America went to great lengths to ensure attendees knew this was no ordinary vacation. Their attention to detail left rooms decorated in some way with something Porsche-related. Even the hotel room card keys were changed to reflect the spirit of the event!
This hotel card makes no compromises!
Sunday was extremely hot, and though rain was predicted to head our way, it was light, lasting no more than five or ten minutes. This year’s Concours d’Elegance brought out some truly outstanding cars. If you’re a regular reader to Porsche Purist, I know you’ve already seen the photographs on Porsche Purist Flickr and Facebook pages. Please check those galleries if you haven’t already!
Monday the PorschePurist team of Valerie and Christian drove in the TSD rally in Valerie’s track ready Cayman S (otherwise known as “Fritz”). Be sure to read about their adventure participating in the TSD as well as their coverage of the TSD educational meeting held prior to the event. I elected to keep the rental Hyundai parked, photographing rally participants’ triumphant return to the hotel instead! Looking back, I think I should have participated more, even if I wasn’t in my Porsche – next year, I won’t make that mistake again. Those who participated in the rally in cars without air conditioning – and there were many of you in early 911s, 914s, 356s – bravo! You deserve a little more recognition than the drivers with newer Porsches; the heat was almost as strong as it was on Sunday.
Porsche Parade Concourse Banquet
The Concours banquet was held on Monday evening. For me, it evoked feelings of both joy and sadness, because everyone speaking at the podium explained to the audience that the fun was only beginning for this week-long parade – yet I had to get up at 3:15AM for the flight home out of O’Hare Airport. The two things that really made this night special for me were the camaraderie and the sense of community I felt from everyone at the banquet. Everyone I spoke to was an instant friend, with a passion for the marquee and a story to tell.
Passion – there’s a word that couldn’t be used enough to describe the evening. Porsche Club of America celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. That means there have been 55 parade gatherings; there were a few people attending their 50th parade this year. That is true passion. One of PCA’s founding members was present, too. I would have wanted nothing more than to speak with some of the folks attending their 40th or 50th Porsche Parade. What were the early parades like? What’s changed the most in these parades – what hasn’t changed at all? Questions like these were racing in my mind. I wanted to talk to more people! I wanted to learn about the road trips and happenings of parades past, but a glance at my watch reminded me of other responsibilities.
Porsche enthusiasts shared stories and made friends over a sumptuous meal.
The dinner party went on into the night, but I had to quietly slip out to pack my things. The great thing about having a job is that it affords one the opportunity to go to fun events like this one. The terrible thing about having a job is that one can’t always take a week off for a Porsche Parade. Before I left, I did manage to photograph the cars that won Sunday’s Concours. Below are the winners (if you’re viewing via email, you may need to click on the title of this post to visit the site and see the picture slide show):
On a personal note, this was also the first PCA Parade for my wife, Andrea. Not so much an automotive enthusiast as she is stuck with one (for better or for worse!), we initially saw this trip as separate opportunities: For me, it would be a trip filled with cars, people, writing and photography. For her, it would be one of relaxation, a break from work with as few car encounters as possible. For better or for worse, right? All kidding aside, she quickly came around. I’m not saying she’s as obsessed as I am about Porsches, but she was pointing out the cars she wouldn’t mind us having in the future (I believe my third Porsche is now going to be a 964, as per my wife’s recommendation!). Andrea also assisted me with some of the photography during the Concours show. With all the cars that were on display, I was especially grateful to have her assistance.
Monday afternoon, she started to ask: “So when we come here next year…” She wants to spend a week with me at the 2011 Porsche Parade in Savannah, Georgia? I didn’t assume this would be something she’d want to do again, and here she is, looking forward to attending a parade for a full week! She claims it’s only because she wants to see Georgia, but I think we all know the real reason she wants to attend, don’t we?
It’s settled: Next year, I will attend the parade properly; driving my own Porsche to the event alongside my wife, with a week’s worth of luggage and everything I need to bring the event to PorschePurist.com!
Bring ‘em! Porsche Club America understands that unlike your favorite cars, having children is full of compromises. All week long, PCA has Parade Kids and Parade Teens events scheduled to give children something to do. Drooling over cars is involuntary for newborns and enthusiasts, but it can bore most small children after five or ten minutes (we’ll try to forgive them, right?) . To keep everyone happy, children get their own exciting activities; today among movies and games, they have R/C cars!
When I was a child, the most frustrating thing about cars was that I wasn’t allowed to drive them! Today, the practice track opened for the R/C Porsches – with practices throughout the morning and an R/C challenge in the evening! Here’s a few future Porsche drivers turning their first corners.
Of course, there’s also activities for children here that aren’t automobile-focused, but what’s the fun in writing about that?!
The morning started off early and warm, and before long several hundred Porsches were off competing in the Mobil 1 TSD (time-speed-distance) Rally. Held every year in conjunction with the Porsche Parade, the rally is an extremely challenging way to enjoy your Porsche while safely competing against a few of your closest Porsche rivals.
Christian Maloof and Valerie Roedenbeck Prepare for the Start of the Mobil 1 TSD
Armed with a “cheat sheet” provided by Linda and George Guttman, this year’s rally masters who had invested over 5000 miles to bring this event to fruition, we set off from the Mobil 1 start at the Pheasant Run resort. Soon the roads took us away from the bustle of St Charles for a scenic ride past corn fields, famhouses and barns surrounding the Fox River Valley.
The route, which took us through Blackberry, Sugar Groove, the Fabyan Forest Preserve, the Lone Grove Forest Preserve and many other scenic areas of Northern Illinois, proved challenging for many seasoned rally participants. “The directions were hard this year,” said Ellen Beck, navigator for Robert Gutjahr in their 1979 924 Sebring Edition Porsche.
Adding to the challenge? The heat. At the final checkpoint, we found Ellen and Robert lying down on the grass under a tree. “This is a Concours car, so the seats are covered in neoprene so they were clean but hot!” said Ellen, who had to contend with the 90+ degree temperatures for the four hour duration of the rally.
Lee Lichtenstein's limited edition orange Boxster takes the 3-minute break at checkpoint 6 to take notes
But the challenge of high temperatures remained second to the difficulty raised by the rally directions themselves. “Ask me if I’m having fun yet!” joked Lee Lichtenstein as he took a short break at the fifth checkpoint, “we’ve gotten lost a few times!” His co-pilot, seated in their orange limited edition Boxster, smiled in quiet agreement.
For a while we followed Porsches of several vintages along the course. One of the best moments occurred when we found ourselves sandwiched between a 1967 912 and a 2011 3.8 GT3 RS, both driving at similar speed along the route. The sounds they made were worlds apart — the 912′s 2 liter engine vs the GT3′s 3.8 — but both distinctively Porsche. Had you asked us which one we liked best, we would have had a hard time deciding.
At a checkpoint, we jokingly ask Kathy Baker, the 912′s navigator, if she’s willing to trade her 912 for a Cayman. “No way!” she replies. The car has been theirs for 40 years and they have memories of shuttling their young boys to Porsche events in the back seats. Soon they’re off to complete the rally, so we jump in our car and follow suit.
Stephanie Economu and Kathy Clark turn in their paperwork at the finish line for the Mobil 1 TSD Rally
While some participants’ tempers were frayed by the heat and level of challenge, others, like Stephanie Economu and co-pilot Kathy Clark, first timers at the Parade and at the Mobil 1 Rally, were all smiles all the way to the end. “We made it!” Stephanie exclaimed upon arriving back at Pheasant Run’s Mega Center, where the Mobil 1 TSD Rally team was ready to receive their rally paperwork. Stephanie is a devoted Porsche owner who regularly tracks her car at her home track, Lime Rock. Her Cayman S, she says, “is a great car, so great!” We ask her what oil she uses for her Cayman, and she responds, “Mobil 1, of course!”
The mixture of challenge and fun is what keeps PCA members coming back to the Mobil 1 Rally year after year. For first-timers Mike and Kathy O’Rear, the challenge proved too much. “We gave up around 2:15(start time of 9:20 am), after lunch time it was all down hill both of us must have been suffering from low blood sugar!” said Mike, adding, “but we had a great time and look forward to doing it again next year!” It remains to be seen whether they drive their 997 or the 356 Mike plans on picking up in Boston this week.
Another Mobil 1 TSD Rally is over, and most participants are already looking forward to Savannah in 2011. The 56th Porsche Parade is sure to re-unite Porsche owners new and old to share their experiences about the cars they love best. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Ever tempted to test your keen driving skills but not so keen to buy a helmet, extra brake pads and tires required for racing or a DE event? How about a Rally? This year, Mobil 1 is once again sponsoring the Parade’s “TSD” or Time Distance Speed Rally here in St. Charles. 135 cars, each with a driver and navigator, will embark on a challenging 4 hour drive through scenic Illinois roads.
Armed with their course instructions (given only 20 minutes before their start time) and a copy of the PCR (Parade Competition Rules) entrants do their best to complete each stage within mere hundredth of seconds of the ideal prescribed times.
None of this make sense? Well, you are not alone. Thankfully Jessica & J. Toney, a multiple Rally winning father-daughter team, taught a Rally school class today at the Pheasant Run Theater here at the Parade resort. One of the first things they point out is to think of this as a “Think, Stop, Decide” rally. Here is a list of practice Rally instructions and you will know why;
Mileage
RI#
Instructions
0.0
1
Left onto Main St.
1.23
2
Right at Stop (still on Main St.)
2.57
3
“Cubs”
4.73
4
“White Sox”
6.18
5
Left on 86
6.99
6
“Fox River”
10.91
7
Right on Winding Way
12.10
8
Odometer Check at “Home of Stanley Cup” Do not block this sign, the .1 miles are a free zone (park safely in this area) CAST 30
9
Right onto IL 25, CAST 36. A Right onto Prarie. Pause .50 minutes
10
CAST 30 at “SPEED LIMIT 35″
11
CAST 40 at “SPEED LIMIT 40″
Translation On line 1 mileage on your freshly zeroed odometer your first Rally Instruction is to turn left onto Main St., then 1.23 miles right at stop (still on main street) then at 2.57 you should see something that says “Cubs” then at 4.73 miles you should see “white sox” and so fourth for the first 8 Rally Instructions. This serves as your warm up and as a way to calibrate your speedometer and odometer as it should take you about 30 minutes and you will have covered the distance they have previously calculated.
Then, beginning at the end of Rally Instruction 8, CAST 30 or “Change Average Speed To” the Rally takes off as you are now integrating your Time, Distance, and Speed into the Rally. Tricks like pause .50 minutes or 30 seconds for those of you who already figured out are thrown in there to make sure you are paying attention. Rally Instructions 10 and 11 are instructing you to change your speed at road signs that you will see on your rally, previous winners suggest averaging about 4-5 mph higher to account for traffic, deer crossing and stop lights. Also times are calculated with instantaneous acceleration – which none of us, not even new GT3s, have.
Sound like fun? More to follow as the Porsche Purist Team will participate in and cover the Mobil 1 TSD Rally later in the Parade.
The sun has been shining all weekend at Pheasant Run, which is good news for Porsche lovers of all ages. Today is Concours Day — the day when Porsches old, new, driven and towed are gently driven onto the Pheasant Run golf course grounds and positioned for the Concours D’Elegance, where they are rigorously judged by teams of detail-oriented judges.
On our way there, we spot the antithesis of a show car. Mike, who drove his 1985 911 all the way from Alaska to attend the Parade, is parked in front of the hotel lobby. His guards red Porsche is covered with protective tape, bugs, and dirt, and Mike plans to keep it that way for the duration of the Parade weekend. He loves to tell people about his drive, and doesn’t really worry about cleaning the car in one of the many “car wash stations” set up throughout the resort. “I just want folks to come out to PCA events and enjoy their cars,” he enthused to onlookers.
By 9 am, the Porsche Purist team is ambling around the few hundred Porsches, admiring examples of cars of all vintages and varied uses. While some Concours entrants own their cars exclusively to show them, there are many “daily drivers” and “track warriors” being shown, too. The result looks like an open-air art exhibit.
We amble among some great cars, among them an incredible display of 3.6L 964 Turbo S coupes. This car is very rare, and commonly thought of as one of the most desirable turbos. The last of the rear wheel drive cars, these larger displacement, higher horsepower turbos were the first to combine the coil-over suspension while still being air-cooled and hand built. The very last one built shown here
A long line of “duck tail” Porsches — the first “spoiler” ever on a Porsche — lead us to the a wonderful collection of the Heritage Historic cars, including a stunning 356 C and GT, a ’67 Targa and a 1980 Porsche Indy car.
Aside from historic examples, Porsche had the 2010 GT3R Hybrid race car on display. This was a crowd favorite; onlookers were amazed by its enormous wing, wide fender flares and innovative hybrid power system adding around 70 extra horsepower. The other new star was the Boxster Spyder, and three different 2011 3.8L GT3 RS street cars.
We witness the rigorousness of PCA Concours judging when five judges approach a gentleman’s 2010 GT3 RS. The owner rushes to open the doors, engine compartment and trunk for them. A judge says, “ready?” and starts the four other judges off on their inspection of the GT3. We watch in amazement as the inspectors check the car down to the most minute details, awarding points as they go. The owner waits, crossed fingers, for his score…but we won’t find how he fared until tomorrow.
Although many of the cars are in the pristine condition that winning a Concours demands, the majority of Porsches are clean and waxed, but show signs of loving use by their owners.
One such car is the “Bathtub,” a 1957 356 Speedster in beautiful shape, driven to all events by its first and only owner, Mike of Indiana. We met Mike at the ice machine last night (it has been in the high 80s all weekend), and he was happy to tell us about his beloved Porsche. “It has been driven over 500,000 miles,” he said, “from the West to the East Coast, down south and back home. I drive her to wherever I show her.” Although Mike has been the one and only owner of this 356, they nearly parted ways one year after he bought the car. “I ordered another one and agreed to sell the Speedster to a buyer. He had the check all written out and I changed my mind!” Lucky for us, as Mike has enjoyed his life’s journey with this car. “I’ll tell you, the whole Porsche experience has been fantastic!” he enthused before we said goodbye.
Another fun example, Karl and Nancy Shultz’s 1974 914 was driven to the Parade with both pride and passion. Their car is all original and they joke that it is the “1st Boxster.”
The Porsche Parade is Underway in St.Charles, IL and the PorschePurist.com team is attending again this year courtesy of Mobil 1. Valerie (aka Porsche Girl), Christian and Andrew are their to cover the event for PorschePurist.com’s readers and they want to know if there is anything specific you would like to see. Do you want photos from the Concours? Do you want to see the Mobil 1 Time Speed Distance Rally? Would you like to see what the facilities are like? Anything you want, they’ll do their best to get for you. Just let them know by commenting below or reaching out via Facebook or Twitter.
PorschePurist.com’s reporting starts below with a brief update from our LifeStyle Editor, Valerie Roedenbeck.
A brief hour drive from the bustling downtown Chicago, on the Fox River Valley, sits the idyllic town of St. Charles, IL. We arrive at the Pheasant Run resort shortly after midday and are greeted by the now familiar bustle and activity that accompanies every Porsche Parade. The cars, as every year, are the highlight of this automotive celebration: there are 356s, early 911s, 997s, 944s, Caymans, Boxsters, a Panamera…if this were a candy store, there would be far too many choices to choose from. We feel like kids, pointing and saying, “oh look at that one!”
Then there are the owners, who make the Porsche family what it is. Everyone in attendance (there are young, old, new owners, and veterans of many parades) is smiling, greeting others, and celebrating others’ cars. Strangers greet each other willingly, sharing stories. “I saw the most amazing little trailer someone built to take their wheels to the track using their 911,” says a man at the very long registration line to another, “sure beats driving back on Sport Cups!” I smile at their stories, and volunteer some of my own.
For owners old and new, the love of all things Porsche brings us together at the 2010 Porsche Parade.
Saturday has started off on a relaxed foot. Most attendees are arriving today, registering, and receiving their welcome goodies bags. While some are choosing to attend the “Parade 101″ class, most are relaxing by one of the three pools at Pheasant Run, and walking the parking lot of the resort checking out the myriad of cars.
For the Porsche Purist staff, the real festivities start tomorrow, when the Concours staging starts at 5 am. For those of you who have competed in a Concours D’Elegance, you know how seriously this event is taken. We are looking forward to examining the nearly perfect Porsches tomorrow, and seeing whether we agree with the judges when they make their choice!
Here’s the coverage we’ll be bringing you this weekend:
Sunday, July 4:
Concours D’Elegance Report: photos and report about the most beautiful Porsches at Pheasant Run.
Photo Essay: Concours D’Elegance
What’s a TSD Rally? We’ll attend the Mobil 1 Rally School for you, and our PorschePurist report will clear up any questions you ever had about the event.
Monday, July 5:
Mobil 1 TSD Rally: Join fearless LifeStyle editor Valerie as she rides shotgun with Motorsport Editor/racecar driver Christian Maloof for full coverage of this fun event where precision counts far more than speed.
Michelin Drive & Compare (tire study): How do tires affect how your Porsche performs? Christian gets behind the wheel of two new Boxster Spyders, one fitted with Michelin Pilot Sports and the other with Michelin Pilot Sport Cups.
Don’t forget to stop by PorschePurist.com often! We’ll offer you regular updates on Parade activities throughout the day. If you’re on the run, we’ll keep you posted via Twitter and Facebook, too.
A lot of you, I’m sure, already know the benefits of attending the annual PCA Parade. According to the Parade’s website, “In addition to the traditional car related activities you can enjoy a golf tournament, a 5K Run/Walk, RC Car racing, and the Tech Quiz. We will offer numerous tours to local attractions to introduce you to the great Chicago area, as well as give a little free-time to relax and enjoy it. We also promise plenty of opportunities to socialize with friends new and old. The Parade is the best of PCA all in one action packed week.”
As if that wasn’t enough PorschePurist.com has a few more reasons you might want to attend:
Win one of five free cases of Mobil 1 Oil for your Porsche
See an incredible collection of early and historic Porsches from PorschePurist sponsor Road Scholars
Compete against the PorschePurist.com crew in the Mobil 1 Time Speed Distance Rally
1. Win one of Five Cases of Mobil 1 Oil
Here’s how you can win:
Spread the word. We want people to know about Mobil 1′s involvement with Porsche and the PCA so help us spread the word by posting a link to this article on another Porsche related web-site, Porsche based forum or other automotive enthusiast site. Once you post the link, let us know by commenting below (be sure to include your email and let us know where you posted the link by giving us the URL. This can be a forum like Rennlist, your Facebook profile, Twitter account, etc.). We’ll randomly pick two winners from this group of entries on the day of the TSD.
Follow-us on Twitter. Do you Tweet? If so, you can win a case of Mobil 1 oil. How? Simple. Follow PorschePurist on Twitter. We’ll keep a list of all those who start following us as of the publication of this post. We’ll randomly pick one of the next 100 people who sign up to follow our updates and announce the winner on the day of the TSD. It’s that simple.
Find us at Parade. PorschePurist will be participating in the TSD on July 5th and enjoying the other events with everyone else. Valerie, Christian and Andrew will be wearing PorschePurist.com polo shirts (and also have some goodies to hand out). The first person to find them at Parade, mention this post and ask for a case of Mobil 1 will win. Make sure when you see Valerie, Christian or Andrew you give them your preferred choice of oil and your address!!!
PorschePurist.com’s Christian Maloof and Valerie Roedenbeck with Wolf Henzler at Sebring 2009
Random Reader. If you want a case of oil and feel like telling us why we should send one to you, comment below. The best reason, as determined by our judges (that’s me) wins!!!
Historic Porsches on Display from the Road Scholars
Kevin and Cam from the Road Scholars (that’s them up above) are known for an inventory of hard to find, quality Porsche 356s and other early air-cooled beauties along with a restoration shop that completes award winning projects. However, did you know they were also the stewards of the Ingram Collection (a private collection unrivaled in its depth and breadth of early air-cooled production Porsches and limited edition newer models). On display this year at the PCA Concours will be the following:
Compete against the PorschePurist.com team in the Mobil1 TSD
Just like last year, PorschePurist.com will be taking part in the Mobil 1 Time Speed Distance Rally on July 5th. The big difference this year is that “Fritz” will be along for the ride with Valerie and Christian. Fritz is Valerie’s Porsche Cayman S that’s tricked out with GT3 seats and Schroth harnesses on the inside and lots of other performance goodies to boot.
However, as anyone that’s ever competed in a TSD event before can tell you, performance doesn’t really matter. The biggest challenge the PorschePurist team faces is going to be staying within the time limits!! If you’re planning on participating in the Mobil 1 TSD, be on the lookout for our team and be sure to introduce yourself.
If you can’t make it to the PCA Parade this year, be sure to check out PorschePurist.com as we will be posting lots and lots of pics, live blogging when we can, tweeting when we can’t and giving a daily round-up while we’re there.
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A long line of “duck tail” Porsches — the first “spoiler” ever on a Porsche — lead us to the a wonderful collection of the Heritage Historic cars, including a stunning 356 C and GT, a ’67 Targa and a 1980 Porsche Indy car.
If you’re planning on participating in the Mobil 1 TSD, be on the lookout for our team and be sure to introduce yourself.
