A quick glance at the calendar shows us that springtime is rapidly approaching the Down East Region, and you know what that means...our Porsche season is about to get underway!   As the days get longer, so does our list of events, and we're going to have a ton of them!   Changes are happening all the time, so make sure to check your newsletter and especially the club website for updates and new developments.

First up this year is our Annual Banquet, to be held on March 27th at the South Portland Marriott. You should receive an invitation soon, if you haven’t already. If you've never been to one of our Banquets before, please think about participating this time around.   We're going be discussing the 2005 Zone-1 Rally and Concours, which as you may know will be held right here in the Down East Region.   This is going to be a big event, and the planning has been underway for some time, but there's still a long way to go. Anyway, the Banquet is a fun event, and if you're new to the PCA or the DER, there's no better way to meet fellow club members and make your presence known.

Another traditional event that will be upon us soon is the Annual Spring Fling, held at Morong Falmouth.  This is a more informal occasion, and generally speaking provides folks with a reason to dust off the P-car and blow the cobwebs out of the tailpipe.  The Spring Fling is a good opportunity to touch base with the rest of the club about upcoming plans for the year and to find out where the action will be in 2004.

Of course we all love our traditional events that provide a sense of annual continuity, but we've got to freshen the mix once in a while.   So in the spirit of shaking things up, we're going to try getting some DER members together for a little racing action at Maine Indoor Karting.   If
you haven't heard about Maine Indoor Karting (MIK), you must be a little out of the loop, because it's caused quite a stir in Southern Maine. Normally we don't get too excited about vehicles with only nine horsepower, but let me tell you from experience, these competition go-karts are FAST!
MIK's indoor race track is well laid-out and engineered for maximum safety and maximum fun!   It's easy for beginners to get acclimated, so if you're new to motorsports, have no fear...you CAN do this, and YES, you will have fun!  Check out the article on p.13 for more details about MIK, and watch our newsletter and website for updates regarding DER nights at Maine Indoor Karting!   If we have enough regular participants, we can even start our own league and
maybe even compete with other leagues!   C'mon...how freakin' cool is that?

Another fresh event that we're organizing will come later this year, and will involve a trip up the coast to Bar Harbor, where you can explore for a few hours or stay overnight.   We're trying to arrange special DER accommodations for the trip, so stay tuned for more details.   This is going to be a good one for sure!

As you can see, it's looking like it will be a banner year for the Down East Region.  There's loads of stuff going on, so if you and your Porsche are bored this summer it's not our fault!   Remember, you can watch TV during the winter, so get out and enjoy all the DER has to offer.  Of course, we also have a lot of work to do, so if you feel like you want to play a greater role in your club's activities and destiny (and who doesn't?!), please give one of us a shout or maybe drop by a Board of Director's meeting, held on the second Tuesday of each month.   All club members are welcome to attend.  You'll meet some fun people, learn some interesting stuff, and help shape the course we've plotted for the club.

So start getting that Porsche ready for the street, fasten your safety belt, and get ready for some fun.   With your help, this is going to be a great year to be a Porsche enthusiast in Maine...Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!