March 9, 2022
Subject: Can You Believe That it is Already Mid-March?
Spring is Definitely in the Near Future
photo: Alessandro Venturi
Get Your P-Car Ready to Go
Wow! Can you believe that it is already mid-March? The weather may not be cooperating but Spring is definitely in the near future. Take these next couple of weeks to get the P-car ready to go. We have a great line up of calendar items for March and April and you will want to Save the Dates and come join us for fun and fellowship and lots of Porsche information!
Monthly Membership Meeting
The March General Membership Meeting will be held in-person only at Red Lobster, 10 East End Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA beginning at 7:00 PM. Please arrive at 6:00 PM if you are planning to have dinner. You must register for the meeting and/or dinner at Motorsportsreg.com. Do that today, so you don’t forget!
Porsche Parade 2022
If you registered for the Porsche Parade in June at Kalahari, Phase II Registration will open on Wednesday, April 6th at noon. This is when you will register additional guests, PCA Juniors and you will pick your events, banquets. tours, competitive and non-competitive events, as well as signing up for all the volunteer shifts. (If you work at least two 4-hour shifts, you can go to the FREE Volunteer Party where they give away tons of things and at least 1 set of tires). You will be receiving an email from me with a Zoom link for all the information you will need to know to register. It is a lot more complex than Phase I registration and it will be very important for you to make every effort to attend the Zoom presentation with a PCA National Staff member. The full schedule of events can be found at the PorscheParade.com website and the page is being updated daily so check back often. The best thing to do is decide what days you will be attending the Parade and then make a schedule so you have everything planned as you cannot just walk in and partake of events on the fly. You must be registered for every event you plan on attending during Phase II registration. The Pirelli Welcome Party on Sunday evening (June 12), the Parade of Porsche on Saturday morning (June 18) (Hint–hint It has something to do with the Tricky Triangle!), the Volunteer Party on Saturday Afternoon (June 18) if you have worked at least 2 shifts, and the Reliable Carriers Victory Banquet on Saturday evening (June 18) are the premier events that should be on everyone’s schedule. And if you want to see the best of the best, plan on walking around the Concours d’elegance site on the beautiful Pocono Manor Golf Course on Monday (June 13). Most of the events, especially the tours, have a maximum cap on them, so do not wait to complete Phase II Registration.
PCA Launching Drone Pilot Program
FOR ALL YOU DRONE PEOPLE OUT THERE! BIG NEWS FROM PCA NATIONAL! It was announced that PCA will be launching a pilot program to allow drones at certain PCA events. In order to have a drone, Regions must comply with PCA Drone Minimum Standards, which includes insurance minimums, licensed pilots, and approval by PCA three weeks before using the drone. The Region will need to read and comply with the complete rules before operating a drone. The program will be launched April 4, 2022. That will be the first day the Region may apply for drone use. It is NOT the first day a Region may use a drone. Please keep an eye out for more information. There will be a Region Focus presentation in March that will cover the new drone pilot program. Please let me know if you are interested in the Region Focus presentation and I will make sure you get the information and link. Until the program launches, the current no-drone policy remains in effect. After the program launches, you may not use a drone at an event without completing the necessary requirements, which are explained in forthcoming PCA Drone Minimum Standards.
Drivers Education Participants
FOR ALL YOU DRIVERS EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS OUT THERE! The effects of the pandemic continue to disrupt the supple chain of manufactured products across the nation. Harness and restraint manufacturers and distributors are experiencing delays in inventory replenishment, this resulting in many back-ordered items. The PCA National DE Committee and National Safety Chair, in conjunction with the General Counsel/Insurance Chair, have approved to extend the usage of restraint systems with the current expiration date of 12/31/21 through the period of 6/30/2022. This should provide ample time for PCA HPDE drivers to order and receive their preferred restraint systems for replacement. Please check your harness/restraint expiration dates and place orders early as they may be slow to fulfill. Below is the current Minimum Standard for harnesses for your review. A full copy of the complete DE Minimum Standards can be found at this link https://www.pca.org/drivers-education/Drivers-Education-Minimum-Standard
If the participant chooses to install a five, six, or seven point driving harness, several changes to the automobile must be made to create a safe occupant restraint system. Harnesses must:
- Include an antisubmarine strap.
- Five, six or seven point SFI or FIA approved competition harnesses are required and must be properly mounted in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. Belts must be replaced no later than five years after the date of manufacture. It is left to the owners discretion as to whether the belts should be replaced more frequently than required.
- Have all harness attachment points secured/mounted in an approved manner consistent with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Be used in conjunction with a seat that has the supplied routing holes for the shoulder and antisubmarine belts.
- Have the shoulder straps mounted in an approved manner consistent with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- The participant should BE AWARE that the addition of such a seat and harness system results in the occupant being fastened upright in the vehicle. Therefore, in order to have a COMPLETE SYSTEM, a properly padded roll bar or roll cage is recommended, and an approved head and neck restraint device is required. A head and neck restraint device certified as meeting the standards of either SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858 or its successor is required. The use of such a harness system without roll protection and a head and neck restraint device may result in an unsafe environment and is not a COMPLETE SYSTEM. Roll bars or cages and their installation must meet PCA Club Racing Standards.
When using a head and neck restraint device, it is recommended that one follow the SFI Recertification process for the head and neck restraint device. The instructions for this can be found on the device. Additionally, it is recommended that the straps be replaced every five years.
The SFI standard requires seat belt to be replaced every two years based on date of manufacture. The FIA standard requires the seat belt to be replaced every five years based on date of manufacture. It is left to the driver’s discretion as to whether the belts should be replaced more frequently than required.
Four-point systems are not allowed, EXCEPT as noted below, in Porsches because of the integrated headrest supplied by the factory. In addition to the standard SFI and/or FIA-approved five- and/or six-point system, a four-point system is allowed in non-Porsches that meet the following requirements:
- Meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209.
- Attaches to the factory seat belt mounting points.
- Each belt is designed to work in a specific vehicle and that vehicle tag must be attached to the belt system.
Four Point Belt Exception: Schroth has developed a four point harness for specific vehicles. These vehicles must be fitted with the original factory seats with which the cars and belts were tested. The belts must also be installed per the Schroth instructions. The belts are Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 209, and as such they are deemed street legal and approved by federal seat belt safety regulations. These belts also have labeling confirming the intended use for these specified vehicle models. They are ONLY allowed in the vehicle with which they were tested. These belts are allowed for five years from date of manufacture.
HELMETS ARE IMPORTANT TOO!
Effective January 1, 2022, all DE/Autocross drivers must have helmets with the Snell certification of either SA2015 or SA2020. There appears to be a suitable amount of helmet inventory with the newer certifications within the current supply chain so please check your expiration date to insure you are in compliance.
If you have any questions or would like more information about DE or Autocross, please reach out to our DE Chair–Randy Duckworth at randy.duckworth58@gmail.com or our Autocross Chair–Chris Grenzberg at grenz911@ptd.net.
March 2022 Meeting Agenda
February 2022 Membership Meeting Minutes
Calendar of Events March/April 2022
Please see the Agenda for the March Membership Meeting as well as the Minutes from the February Membership Meeting which will need approval. Also attached is the current Calendar of Events for March and April which are also listed on MotorsportsReg.com and all need to be signed up for there if you are planning on attending any of them.
The Oil Can
The Oil Can is at $356 and door prizes will be given away. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!
Come on out of winter hibernation and join the activities. See you on Tuesday at Red Lobster.
Margie Becker
President
Pocono Region, Porsche Club of America
On a side note, many of you know that Jim and I will be permanently relocating to South Carolina in early 2023 and send out an invitation to anyone that is in the Myrtle Beach area to look us up. We would love to see you and talk. We will miss everyone tremendously here as a lot of you have been part of our “Porsche Family” forever. We will eventually become members of the Palmetto Region and who knows? We may even run into you at an event somewhere.
Welcome to February….finally! Always a good sign that we are on our way out of winter and into Spring and P-car season. Don’t believe that silly Groundhog! What does he know about the weather?
A few things–don’t forget about Parade Registration! It opens on Wednesday February 2nd at 12 noon. Make sure if you are registering that your information is up-to-date with the National Office as they will use that information to contact you. If you have any questions, prior to registration, please reach out to me.
Happy New Year — Welcome, everyone, to a brand new year! Hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season with friends and family and hoping that all of you are safe and healthy and ready for some exciting new Porsche events in 2022. This cold weather is rough to deal with but it makes Spring all the more enjoyable. Be safe out on the roads—whether you are in your Porsche or in something else.
Can you believe that the holiday season is already upon us? Hope everyone is healthy and stress free and looking forward to enjoying this special season with friends and family.
Can you believed that it is already November? We are already up to our last Membership Meeting of the year. It will be held on Tuesday November 16th at Benny Brewing Company, 1429 San Souci Parkway, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706. https://www.bennybrewing.com. Please text Beth at (267)-421-4565 by Friday November 12th, if you will be attending the meeting. We need to have a count of attendees because that will determine whether we will be ordering off the menu or having a buffet.
The beautiful Fall season is upon us here in the Poconos. Weather is remaining mild and the colors are everywhere. Get out in your P-car and enjoy the scenery!
Welcome to the beginning of Fall. The calendar may say September but it still feels like summer out there so keep those P-cars out on the road!
