DER Porsche Club of America

Contents

Who We Are

OK, who's running this show?

Who we are...

Founded by Alan & Sue Mooney, our Charter was presented to the National PCA Office on July 28, 1973. The club traditionally sponsors several events including an Annual Banquet, a spring kick-off at the local Porsche dealership, an end-of-summer BBQ, and a fall autocross/time trial/concours at Oxford Plains Speedway. Other events have included autocrosses, fun concours, rallies, social gatherings, the DER Volksfest, and even the 1986 National Porsche Parade!

The Board of Directors holds monthly meetings and the newsletter of the club is called Maine Porsche News. Currently, the Region's membership is approximately 180 strong and growing. The Down East Region is honored to have a PCA national office holder, Tom McKenny, who is the PCA Parade Chairman. The Down East Region proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and looks forward to many more years of hosting Porsche Club of America activities in the State of Maine.

The PCA isn’t just about great cars...it’s about great people too!

OK, who’s running this show anyway?

The first name you should recognize is Jerry Giordano. He’s President of the Down East Region. Don’t feel bashful about giving him a call if you have questions, concerns, or ideas. Joe Thrift is Vice-President and assists Ned in his duties. Steve Atwell is our Treasurer. The Membership chairman is Rod Carr. Our Safety Chairman is Don Michaud. You can talk to him if you have technical concerns about your car. If you wish to participate in PCA Driver Education (more about that later), you’ll want to contact Brian Poulin. Sally Sprafka is club Secretary. Our Webmaster is Linc Avery and our Newsletter Editor is Will Lund. You’ll find phone numbers and e-mail addresses for these folks listed in the Board of Directors section, and also in the front of every newsletter.

President of the DER,
Ned Vadakin

Down East Region events and activities.

The Down East Region hosts many events throughout the year. No matter what your interests are, there’s something going on that will put a smile on your face. The season starts with our Annual Banquet. The Spring Fling is a chance to get your car on the road and say hello to fellow Down Easters. Concours events are for those people who like to show off their clean car. There are track events where you actually get to drive you car at speed on any of several racetracks in New England. We have more sedate activities like the annual German Restaurant Tour, our now-famous summer Ice Cream Run, or the Midcoast Mountain Ramble which highlights the beauty of Mid-Coast Maine. One highlight of each summer is the annual DER-BBQ, held at the house of Past DER President Jeff Smith. So whatever your cup of tea, the Down East Region has something for you! C’mon along!

Imagine showing off YOUR car at
the annual DER-BBQ!

OK, so what’s this Driver Education stuff all about?

PCA Driver Education, or “DE” for short, is one of the most unique opportunities available to Porsche Club members. Driver Ed track events provide you with the chance to drive your Porsche as it was meant to be driven...FAST! However, Driver Ed events are NOT races. You start off with an instructor at your side and you learn the basics of fast motoring (Driver EDUCATION...remember?). Also, Driver Ed events are NOT unsafe! Everything is controlled and your only competitor is yourself...your yardstick is your own sense of accomplishment. Driver Ed enthusiasts are known as “trackies”, and they’re a fun bunch of people. So, if you think you’re interested, or maybe just curious, then please contact Brian Poulin at (207) 773-3297.

Yes, this could be you...driving your Porsche the way it was meant to be driven!

Our Newsletter...Maine Porsche News (formerly "PORSCHEFORME")

The Porsche Club of America places great importance on regional newsletters. The DER’s newsletter is called the Maine Porsche News. It is mailed on a quarterly basis, and it contains information about recent and upcoming events, personal stories, ads for local Porsche-related suppliers, contact information, and much more. Back issues are archived on our website as well, so it’s easy to look at events gone by. The editor is Will Lund who is always happy to hear from anyone who would like to contribute! If you have stories or photos to offer, or if want to know more, contact the Maine Porsche News by e-mail.

Check out our Newsletter on-line!

The DER-Website...your up-to-date resource center!

The Down East Region maintains a website for the benefit of its members and also to provide information to others who may be curious about who we are and what we do. Linc Avery is our webmaster, and he’s put together a great website that has scored high in national PCA competition. On the website are an Events Calendar that’s updated based on changing information, a member forum, a list of e-mail addresses for those members who are on-line, back articles from the newsletter, recent event pictures, classified ads, and much more. We suggest that all club members visit the website and explore its many resources. Also, please keep in mind that a quick stop by the website before going to a scheduled event might reveal a last-minute change in plans! So, please come visit us to get the scoop on what’s happening in Maine!

What can I do to help?

Like most other such organizations, The Down East Region is a member-run club. We create, plan, and execute our own events. Frankly, that can take a lot of work, and if it weren’t for the dedication and effort of our members, there would not be anywhere near as much fun and adventure as what we now offer! So, basically, we need your help! Please contact one of the club Directors for information on how you might be able to lend a hand. Don’t feel bashful! We want your input and assistance. Maybe you have a story for the newsletter, or maybe you could help set up an event...maybe you’d even like to host your OWN event! There’s no such thing as too much help or too little. So if you can spare some time, we would certainly appreciate it. Plus, there’s no quicker way to meet new people and learn more about the club than to pitch in!

The Down East Region offers plenty of fun, but we need YOUR help to make it happen!

OK...I want to get on board! How do I find out more?

Here are some names and phone numbers to help get you started. Also, be sure to tour our website and other websites listed below to find out about the many opportunities that are available to you as a PCA member!

Porsche Club of America links:

PCA National

PCA Zone 1 (Northeast)

Ned Vadakin, DER President: whistler63 AT msn.com

Joe Thrift, DER Vice-President: 799-8992 jthrift AT maine.rr.com

Newsletter Editor: Will Lund
William.N.Lund AT maine.gov

Rod Carr, DER Membership: 655-3642 rcarr001 AT maine.rr.com

Brian Poulin, Driver Education: BPoulin AT wishcampergroup.com

We’re not just the Down East Region...we’re the PCA!

We all love Maine, but we also know how to get out of town for the weekend! There are plenty of things to do in neighboring regions...all within a few hours of the Maine border! The Down East Region is located in PCA Zone-1, which is basically the northeastern US and Canada. Some PCA events are not run by any one region, but are in fact created, organized, and run by the management of Zone-1. These Zone events are usually quite large, and draw people from across the country! Suffice it to say that there is something for everyone...no matter what your interest! So you can see that it pays to investigate the upcoming activities of Zone-1 as well as nearby regions...just some of which are North Country Region, Green Mountain Region, Northeast Region, and Acadia Region! If you visit the Zone-1 website, you will find links to all the regions in Zone-1, so that‘s an easy way to keep your eye on the big picture! Also be sure to stop by the National PCA website for information on National activities...these are the Big-League events, like the annual Porsche Parade, held in a different city every year! Remember...a good idea when attending ANY event is to call ahead to confirm date, time, and place. Activities can and do change based on last-minute information, and a quick phone call ahead of time can help save you a lot of disappointment! So, check out what’s going on and come hit the road with us!

Welcome to the Down East Region! was compiled by Glenn Hill.
It appears in a brochure that is currently being mailed to all new DER Members.