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Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

By Dave Weber, GT3Cup@PorscheNet.com
NOR'EASTER Online - December 2001

Each year I end the driving season with a mournful discourse about the many cold months that must be endured before we can once again enjoy our favorite recreational activity. This year I have a somewhat improved outlook on the snow-shoveling season ahead. Factors influencing my improved attitude include a shorter downtime period that will be only 5 months instead of the usual six and one half months. We ended the season at Road Atlanta the first weekend in November and will for sure start the 2002 driving season no later than the first weekend of April at Virginia International.

Second our new garage is fully complete, the heat is on, the artwork is hung, and I can work on the cars in total comfort. I have plenty of space, great light, and access to all the necessary supplies. I can while away winter weekends waxing Porsches, tinkering with things I can't mess up, while harassing Susana to complete new graphics for the race cars.

Third the end of the 2001 season has yet to arrive in that I'm still engaged in assorted car related activity. Today Pirelli delivered 4 complete sets of slicks that I'd ordered to cover our needs for the 2002 season. In prior years I've had to wait patiently for needed tires, while Pirelli US begged Pirelli Italy for supplies. This year Pirelli's inventory is already in the US, and I'm assured there will be no problems with supply in 2002. Seems things are different now that Michelin has the contract to supply the Supercup Series in 2002. Today (Wednesday before Thanksgiving) I spent time getting new tires mounted on one set of rims, then washed those rims and tires - outside! Friday I'll be prepping the cars for winter storage, switching the tires to those that I use for winter storage, vacuuming the interiors, cleaning the glass, all the while thinking about VIR in April.

Susana and I used our powers of observation to conclude that our economy has indeed slowed down. During our trip to Atlanta a few weeks ago, and the subsequent return trip home we noticed that the number of trucks we encountered on the highway was down significantly from prior years. Usually we're hanging on as truck after truck roars past us at speeds well above posted limits (and our above posted limits pace!). Traffic was much lighter in general, which of course we appreciated. Even more delightful was the lower fuel costs we encountered as we drove south. The lowest we found was in Alpharetta, Georgia, where regular gas was priced at $.81 per gallon at a branded station. Obviously state taxes are much lower in Georgia than we deal with in Massachusetts, how else to explain such a difference from what we're paying.

Our Atlanta trip was interrupted by my work, as I had to fly out of Atlanta to Tokyo, Japan. It was my first trip to Japan so I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't have a lot of time to tour the city during my visit, but a few differences were readily apparent. Taxicabs were very clean, with white cloth seat covers, and with their drivers in coat and tie. The streets in the business district at least were very clean, no graffiti or trash to be found anywhere. We took a train ride for a little over an hour to a nearby city. Surprisingly the train wasn't packed, everyone was very polite, the school children all wore uniforms, and no panhandlers were around to great us. The subway system is very clean, technologically advanced, and convenient. Public transportation is the best way to get around the city. Fortunately Fox News was on the hotel television so I could stay in touch with world events. USA Today was available, but a day late. The food was great if you are a fan of Sushi and Sashimi, I'm not so I'd give the food in general low marks.

Security was markedly greater on both ends of my flight. In Japan my luggage was x-rayed before I even got to the ticket counter. Then as I boarded the plane, they physically checked for weapons on my person. In Atlanta the lines to pass through security had to be 2000 people long. No one complained on either end about the security delays, certainly an indication of how much our lives have been changed and how resigned we are to accepting those changes.

While our lives are changed, we still have much for which to be thankful: country, family, friends, and life. Have a great holiday season.

Porsche Club of America The Northeast Region

Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region