GlenL

NO!

So you want the results of every race and every class from 26 races per year? Top three finishers in every class and times would be nice, I'd expect.

How about the results of every concours? Every rally? I've won my class in the local region's time-trial series two years in a row. Do you care about that?

Put it all in the club race newsletter. I do read Pano for the ads, mainly. Some pictures and, occasionally, an article. I expect that racers would want to show the mag to their friends, family and other people who need to be impressed.

The detailed race info is available on-line. While people on this forum care, most Porsche owners don't.

Mike in Chi

Jupe

You should have been from here.

Chicago Region has 1500 members and 140 licensed race drovers. 9.33%

I'm told by a very reliable source that Nordstern has the most racers per capita.

Bull

Nope, which is why I have asked for "more" not "all" coverage, as have most others here I believe. In fact, the title of this thread is "Like to have Club Racing coverage in Pano?", as in some!

Mike S.

Sure, I know Pano articles are intended to appeal to a wide audience of member interests, but endless drivel on wine choices and shamelss plugs on where to stay on a California wine tour have set an all time low. That said, there are occasionally some very good articles.

I don't race, but it is exciting and should get much more coverage. I'd like to see some amateur racer profile articles. I'd like to read about the rookie of the year (if there is such a thing)...the hot shoe in "F class"...tales of a DE instructor...DE track junkie of the year....Racer on a shoestring budget....The geriatric club racer who cleans everybodies clock...Interview with the engineers who designed the new LMP2 proptype. Nix the the article on which holds more luggage...the new Cayman or 968?

I've been in the PCA since 2000. Panorama is long overdue for a complete overhaul and fresh new look/format. Articles on club racing and DE's should be part of the new mix. Out with the old, in with the new. Forget the members who "collect" Pano and who'll be irritated that something like the size changes. Pano is the way the PCA they can "touch" members once a month and it should create a spark...not a dull thud when it hits the bottom of the recycle bin.

Mike

Carrera51

I wouldn't mind seeing some coverage of the Club Racing program. I like Manny's idea of colorful articles, instead of just listing results.

comatb

3,000 out of 54,000 seems inconsequential. However as in most Regions, PCA probably has at most 25% of it's membership that are active.....to 3,000 out of 13,500 is actually a pretty good participation rate.

Bill935K3

That there is no coverage AT ALL is pretty glaring considering club racing’s steady growth. There must have been a dozen or more new racers licensed at Sebring and that number seems to be the norm!. Two monthly features PORSCHESPORT & EUROPEAN WINDOWS feature racing but ignore grass roots PCA racers and fans.. It speaks well of PCA CR that so many Pro use our Sebring and Glen races as tune ups for upcoming pro events. Take a look at Pros running with us at Sebring.
Pos No. Last Name First Name Class
1 935 CHADWICK WILLIAM T GT1R
2 44 MIKE FITZGERALD JAY Policastro GTC4
3 197 DE ANGELIS PHIL GTC4
4 110 PRICE SHAWN GTC3
5 26 TIM BERGMEISTER RAMEZ WAHAB GTC3
6 985 LEH KEEN CONSTANTINE LOLES GTC3
7 33 RUTHER JOHN G GTA
8 381 SMITH RUSSELL M GTC4
9 11 KEVIN BUCKLER BOB J HENIFF GTC4
10 107 BROWN GREGORY GTC3

Manny Alban

There are several articles a year on PCA club racing. It's just not a regular column each month. Personally, I get my pro racing fix by reading AutoWeek. Short articles and usually a week after the race itself. I agree, not only do pro drivers frequent PCA races, but PCA produces great drivers that go into the pro ranks and many that if the funds were available, would be pro too. I would love to see an article about the 24 Hours of Daytona that doesn't focus necessarily on how the factory backed team finished, but how PCAers who raced did. Many were probably drivers who paid for their seat, realizing a life long dream, testing their meddle against international drivers. What struggles did they experience, how did it feel to drive at night for the first time, what's it like when you're the cheese in a DP sandwich? Sorry, but I find that stuff interesting. I watched the race, I know who won and who didn't, seeing it in print doesnt' make it any more exciting. It's the stuff that television didn't cover that interested me.

Here's another great idea for a story. Mike Levitas winning the 24 Hours of Daytona GT Class. Here's a guy that started in the green group of Potomac Region Drivers Ed and progressed through the DE ranks to club racing to pro racing to winning Daytona against factory teams. Mike empitomized the club racer. He was out there on the pit in Daytona with a floor jack working on his own car. You can't get any closer to what we do than that. Two weeks later, Mike was racing with us at Sebring.

esscape26

Thanks everyone.

I urge active member to consider the lack of coverage when they vote in the next club presidential election. What we are down to is that we can't even get Sebring coverage in Pano regularly and this is a real shame.

I don't think interested readers are asking for endless placing details 30 times a year, but a bit now and then. Racing is a unifying club factor, as your story ideas show, owing to Porsche's heritage.

If it means I have to read, now and again, about other activities, let's do it. If most people are looking at ads, then what's the harm in giving over a few pages to various activities on a regular, not a crap shoot, basis?

Plus I can't find one person who has been surveyed about coverage. It must be members who are not renewing who are surveyed. We have to counter this.

PM
All opinions are personal and not in my role as PR coordinator.

JPhillips-998

Anyone know what activity, other than membership, bring in the most $$ to PCA?

My guess would be club racing but I'm not really sure. Wouldn't/shouldn't that fact have some bearing on whether they cover it in Pano?

M758

While there may be only 3000 licenses club racers there are many more that would love to but don't for many reasons.

I have seen a few club racing articles in the past that were very results oriented. Nice, but I like Manny's Idea of putting faces and lives to the club racers. We can get detailed race results on the website. However I would love to learn more about the "top names" in PCA club racing. What they race, why they race and simply who they are. I would love to hear about the some guys stock class, or GT class car. Some of higher level build issues and driving impressions. I would love to hear about a Newbies first weekend or the Rookie of the year.

Hey PCA is about the people and club racers are people too. Heck I can see many things that non-racers may find interesting about some one who is a club racer, DE instructor or even DE day newcomer.

Heck in the local PCA newsletter in Arizona Region and article was written about track cars. It was targeted at folks considering a track car and what kind to get. Fun article to read. Heck I would love to see an article about TD in DC and his getting to track days starting with hiss 996 and moving to the 944. I bet there hundereds of interesting stories like that.

George from MD

I really like Manny's idea and would love to see Panorama revamped to include not only articles on Club Racing, Concours and the people who make up our club but also travel in our various regions (and the world), in depth looks at historically significant or owner modified cars, real road tests honestly comparing Porsches with the competition and....but I don't know how I could help make this happen or who to go to change it.

Like (apparently) many others I spend ten minutes on it and heave it. In my opinion it is by far the worst club magazine I receive (or have ever seen) and is not worthy of PCA. Every issue is virtually the same- an article downloading the newest propoganda from Porsche the company (with never a disparaging word), a "historical" article, the regular columns, news from the regions and an increasingly small technical section. Thank goodness Excellence is out there.

Bill935K3

I must have missed the CR articles in PANO, they must be pretty few and far between. Both M758 and Manny have the right idea RE good subject matter. The problem is such articles are very hard and time consuming to research and write. Very Very hard for a racer to do at a race weekend! I write a monthly for NE Region of 1500 to 2500 words and it takes a big chuck of time! The easy way out is to review results and regurgitate with a few known facts which I have done a few times and I think are my worst work. Here is a sample of my better work http://www.porschenet.com/chadwick11.html
FYI I set up a mail list of NE US racing friends and acquaintances, 15-20 people asking them to drop me a note with what was going on with their teams etc. I had SCCA – HRC and PCA folks. I got almost no responses. Patti Musconni approached me at Sebring RE CRN and I sent some of my work the her and editor of CRN: told them writing separate stuff for CRN was out of the question but reworking general topic articles like “racing etiquette” and “sponsorship” for CRN would be reasonable. I guess Patti has changed jobs her CR web site contact info is NG, anyone have up to date info?? FYI Patti has written up some of our PCA races on the very widely read TheRaceSite.com
Maybe I’ll try sending out info requests via Rennlist in the future? Getting notes from racers / fans in other race groups is the only way an active racer can cover a weekend.

PMS993

I seem to recall there was a nice article last year on the Club Race at The Glenn. Great picture of a GTC3 Cup car leading a pack. (Shameless plug) I too notice all the Club Racers who are now in Professional races as Mr. Chadwick pointed out. But, there are several Club Racers in Pro events who aren't Pro. That brings out memories of the old days where you had a very healthy representation of amateurs who raced with the pros. Pano does a relatively decent job ressurecting stories of the "glory" days of sportscar racing. What's cool is when we combine appearances of these old drivers at our Club Racing events.

Hey esscape26, what color is that car of yours?

esscape26

Coverage on theracesite.com is up.
(Around North American section.)

PM