In case you missed it in March, PCA Night at the Drags is back! One more chance to run your Porsche down the quarter mile at Hawaii Raceway Park and show fellow Porsche enthusiasts who has the hotest ride.

For those who would like to caravan to the track, as before, we will meet at our normal Ke’ehi Lagoon Park location at 5:15 p.m. and leave for the track at 5:45 p.m. sharp. The track opens at 6:00 p.m. We will reserve a place for us all, drivers and spectators, to park together in the pit area. If you prefer to drive directly, you can meet us at the track. There is an $8 admission charge per person. This includes the cost to participate in the drag races. Of course, one can simply join the club for the cruise and enjoy the races from the grandstand, or pit area.

Detailed instructions will be provided once we have arrived at the track. There will be a drivers’ meeting where all questions can be answered. But, basically, this is a low stress event. You can straight line race against other types of cars or against other Porsche Club members. You can race as many passes as you want from 6:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Helmets will be required for cars that run an elapsed time of 13.99 or faster. If you have a helmet, please bring it. Some helmets will be available for use. All drivers are required to wear: shirt, long pants, and shoes.

See you at the track!

Event: PCA Night at the Drags -- REMATCH!
Date: Saturday, May 14th
Assemble: 5:15 p.m., Ke’ehi Lagoon Park
Depart: 5:45 p.m. Hawaii Raceway Park
Arrive Track: 6:15-6:30 p.m.
Cost: $8:00
Contact:
Scott J. Schulte, 836.1675,
schultes001@hawaii.rr.com

The scheduled Rally with the June 19 picnic has been moved to the July 10 Ko 'Olina Run.

The picnic rally race will begin at Ke'ehi Lagoon Park. This rally is a timed event. The ten closest times to the calculated time will win a prize. $500 worth of prizes will be awarded. Don’t miss out!

Please arrive at the park by 9:00 am. Departures will start at 9:30 am. Each driver will be logged in and given a colored address to go to. At the next location, drivers will look for a box labeled "Porsche Club" near the cash register and take one colored address location. Finally, all cars will end up at the picnic on Ford Island to be logged in again, if drivers have all the colored addresses with them.

Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the picnic. First prize will go to the driver with the closest time. Second prize to next best time, etc. Ten prizes in all will be awarded. All prizes will be auto related. Questions? Please feel free to contact me: John Gschwend, 625-5119, gschwendj001@hawaii.rr.com.

Event: Rally Race to the Picnic
Date: Sunday, June 19, 2005
Time: 9:00 am
Assemble: Ke'ehi Lagoon Park
Launch: 9:30 am
Destination: Ford Island, PCA Picnic
Prizes: 10 prizes ($500 total value)
Contact: John Gschwend: 625-5119,
gschwendj001@hawaii.rr.com

The picnic is the culmination of our first tandem event, the first being a Rally, which starts earlier in the morning. This double-event day is special as many of us will be celebrating Father's Day as well. And consistent with past practice, the club will be providing the food and drinks. All you have to do is show up and enjoy the day with family and friends. The adjacent swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts are also available for your use and enjoyment.

The picnic area is just a block from the "Mighty Mo." Picnic guests can walk over from the picnic area to the Missouri to purchase tickets as long as they do not go wandering all over the island. The general admission is $16 for adults and $8 for children between the ages of 4-12. Hawaii residents or military with their ID can get in for $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Chief’s guided tour is an additional $6 per person when an actual guide takes you around the ship telling you about the history and the weaponry and you get to go into the CEC (Command Electronics Center) which you can only do on a guided tour. This tour runs just about every 15 minutes throughout the day and takes an hour. The ticket window at the ship is open from 0900-1600.

*It is very important that you send in your RSVP (to Ambro ILagan 488-9958 or at email address, ilagana001@hawaii.rr.com) along with the number and names of the members in your group. This will be put on the authorized access list which will be checked by the security guard at the Ford Island causeway gate.

Directions: From Kamehameha Hwy in Aiea, when approaching from either Ewa or Waikiki direction, turn makai onto the Ford Island Causeway at the intersection across from the Aloha Stadium and stop at the guard gate. Once the guard verifies that all the people in your party are on the list, you will be allowed passage. It is recommended that you ensure having current vehicle registration, safety check, and insurance card as they do random checks. When you're waived through, proceed to drive on to Ford Island. Turn right to get on the rotary and go 2/3 around in a counter-clockwise direction and get off on the third and last exit. The Arizona Pool Park and Pavilion will be to your immediate left. A club banner will be conspicuously posted at the entrance to the parking area. We hope you can all make it, it'll be a great day!

Annual PCA-Hawaii Picnic
Place: Arizona Pool Patio and Pavilion on Ford Island
Date: Father's Day, June 19, 2005
Time: 11:30 am to 4:30 pm
RSVP*: Ambro Ilagan, 488-9958,
ilagana001@hawaii.rr.com

No, not a Marx Brothers movie. I am writing about the Porsche Club March 12th Drag Race at the Hawaii Raceway Park. It was my first time at the park and at legal drag racing. Some of us caravanned over from Ke'ehi Lagoon Park. We arrived just after 6:00 pm. There is an off-track circular central staging area where we all parked and met with the other Porsche Club members who had driven straight to the Raceway. We had a good turnout of about a dozen cars spanning a thirty year period.

As it turns out, the racing does not really start until 7:00pm. Getting there early was so we could all park together in a good area. So we all kinda nervously milled around a bit, as the anxiety built up. I spent the time quizzing the experienced drivers as to what to expect. I was told to watch an area of the track at the beginning of the staging area, where a man will setup with a chair. Five minutes later there he was.

I walked over to talk to him, introduced myself, and the non-accredited Porsche Club event. He said to bring our cars around and line them up in lane two so he could inspect them for leaks, loose objects, and put a number on the window. So I hurriedly back and informed everyone we were to get in line with our cars. I told Scott I did not want to be first, not ever having participated before. I wanted to see how it was done. He said he would go first. He pulled up in line and I pulled in behind him. Scott's truck was marked #1 and my car was marked #2. We were informed that it was recommended for novices to take a ride in the demo van to see how it was done. Ambro, Scott and I got in the van. Scott went just for a refresher course. As the driver went down the track he explained the various lanes (six of them, 0-1 pros', 2-3 grudge match & 4-5 anybody), staging areas, track officials, lights, route back to the beginning and the little booth where you pickup your time ticket.

Now to race. Scott drove up to the front of lane #5 and I pulled in behind him. Our competitors lined up in lane #4. I watched Scott and his opponent go through the motions as described to us in the demo van. Then zoom, off they go! You know I don't think Scott's truck has a little 4-banger in it like he said.

Me next. I went around the water box for burn outs. First Stage light, second stage light, heart pounding, left foot on break, right foot on gas. Watch the lights. GO! What a rush! A little scary at first so I backed off about half way down. I quickly regain my composure, and the peddle was back to the metal again. Then I thought the race was finished so I let off and then saw the cones go by. Darn! Let off to soon. Little dark at the end of the track, so anxiety sets back in because you think you missed the turn around left turn. Like the energizer bunny, you keep going and going and going. Then finally jubilation! There it is! You didn't miss the turn. You drive back to the beginning, picking up your time slip.

Each time I ran, I got better. My last race was against Scott and his mysterious truck. It was my closest race of the night. I won by .04 seconds. His top speed and ET was better but my reaction time was lower by .086 seconds. Just enough to win this time.

Apparently while we were battling on the blacktop. The spectators were enjoying the great food prepared at the snack bar. Next time I am going to get me some of that.

RESULTS:
The lowest ET: 13.34 seconds, Michael Turolla.
The highest speed: 105.17 mph, John Gschwend.
The lowest reaction time: .007 seconds, Scott Schulte.

Once again, PCA-Hawaii participated in one of our favorite charity events of the year, the annual Hawaii Food Bank Drive. More than a dozen members met at Ke‘ehi Lagoon Park on a sunny Saturday morning, April 16, for the annual trek to Mililani Town Center to drop off our donations of food and cash.

After PCA-HI Secretary John Gschwend conducted a brief driver's meeting, he led the caravan in his seal gray 2005 Carrera S. John charted a course west on H-1 past Aloha Stadium and Pearl City, then exited in Waipahu on Kam Hwy for some street cruising through Waikele and the Kipapa Gulch, then turning into old Mililani town to the back part of the town center and on to the drop point in the parking lot across from Long's and Star Super Market. Rounding out the caravan were new members Curtis and KC Nakatsu in their gorgeous arctic silver 2003 Turbo, and returning members Dick & Kirsten Melcher in their new midnight blue 2005 Boxster S, Howard Watanbe in his C2 coupe, and Gus Rivera in his seal gray Boxster.

From the drop point, the caravan headed to nearly Ruby Tuesday's for lunch, a little before the restaurant's 11:30 opening time. After a few growling stomaches,
Ruby Tuesday's opened to everyone's delight, where a good time was had by all.

Who was there:

John Gschwend-2005 Carrera S
Dick & Kirsten Melcher-2005 Boxster S
Ambro & Liz Iagan—1979 Turbo
Ed Yuen & Gwen Won—1991 Turbo
Lance Uehara—1981 911 SC
Gus Rivera 2002 Boxster
Curtis & KC Nakatsu ?2003 Turbo
Howard Watanabe—1991 911 coupe
Craig Wood—1996 911 coupe
Jeff Yang—1972 911 Targa
Chip Hughes