Have we been having some great events or what? Your board of directors and dealerships are consistently delivering high quality events and we are responding with our participation and attendance at record levels. What a team we have!
Charlie is back! Our long-time treasurer, Charlie Neilson, had an accident on an ATV in Costa Rica in November 2013 and experienced a long road to recovery. True to his nature, he accelerated his healing in January/February at what I consider record speed. He surprised us with this attendance at February’s board meeting and social. He could not have accomplished the healing at the rate in which he progressed without the ever-present loving care his wife, Laurie Neilson, all the while dealing with her own injuries. A huge thank you to Page and Lee Obenshain for so meticulously overseeing our finances during Charlie’s recovery!
You may have read one of the articles about my experiences participating in Driver’s Education and how much fun it was to participate in the weekends in 2013. We have many high-quality instructors that dedicate their talents to DE wannabes like me and each bring their years of experience and personality to the navigator’s seat. Each of my instructors in 2013 shared their gifts in different ways. Jeff Bauer with his witty camaraderie Donald Duck style and his encouragement and bold statements that made me believe I was capable of doing more; Rich Tillotson who gave me the tools to become ‘unlost’ in Bishop’s Bend, and surprised and delighted me with his quiet patience (yes, you read that right!); and the “woman whisperer,” Dave Gallon, who I was fortunate enough to have started and finished my year of learning and exhilarating fun with him. It was a rewarding moment when Dave told me that I drove faster and better in my touring lap in November than I did the entire time during my first DE in February. When I started 2014 I noticed that my line was a combination of each of these instructors as I ‘heard’ each of them guide me with their words of wisdom.
February DE started off with Jim Surprenant who was patient beyond belief as I negotiated the track in fog and rain and he believed in my promotion to blue. The next day I had Bill Stover who brought his decades of experience and shared those years with insistent feedback wrapped in kindness and the obvious love of driving. The event ran smoothly under Grant Painter and his team and there was an overall sense of fun and excitement. Grant has done a tremendous job as Chief Track Instructor as he has tried new things and shown exceptional leadership skills as he has listened to feedback and made modifications based on feedback and on-track results. The DE program is seeing tremendous growth in numbers and quality as a result of Grant and his team with the February event having a record number of students. We have the best DE program in PCA as it has been taken to an all new level. If you’re on the fence about getting out on the track, take a ride down one weekend and check it out. People are friendly and there’s a lot of fun and action. Who knows – you may become addicted, too.
Jump on clubregistration.net now to register for Sunrise to Sunset Rally 8 being held April 25-26, 2014. This first-class weekend starts on Friday, April 26 at Porsche of Melbourne at 509 E NASA Boulevard. Final registration and car inspection is from 6-7 PM followed by the Blue Skies and Green Lights Party at 7:30 PM. Saturday morning starts off watching the beautiful sunrise as we munch on breakfast overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indian Harbour Beach followed by a 7:30 driver’s meeting with rally instructions. The first car out is at 8:30 AM and we rally across the beautiful state of Florida ending up noshing and sipping while watching the fabulous sunset and green flash over the Gulf of Mexico at the exquisite Ritz-Carlton’s Beach Club on Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida. This first-class event is a multi-region event co-chaired by and with a committee from the Space Coast PCA Region, Suncoast Florida PCA Region and Citrus PCA Region. For more information contact me at steelmag@gmail.com.
As you move into full spring mode in our beautiful state of Florida, pause and take a moment to thank your lucky stars that you are living smack dab in the middle of paradise.