Chesapeake Challenge 38 Celebrates Cool Breezes, Cooler Cars, and the Coolest People
By Bob Gutjahr and Ellen Beck
Challenge Co-Chairs
Our Region’s Chesapeake Challenge returned to a fall schedule and to an old home, the famous Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland on 14-16 September 2007. The results were simply spectacular, with all participants enjoying an incredibly beautiful (and humid-free) September weekend of azure skies and Porsches spanning the rainbow in colors and brightness. This year’s Challenge honored the ‘Gone but Not Forgotten’- with special recognition to owners of and Registries for 914, 924, 944, 968, and 928 models. As participants ended their car prep and gathered for the event’s Welcome Party on Friday evening, all were impressed with the lovely grounds and facilities of Turf Valley - a popular destination resort for weekend get-aways and wedding receptions in September.
Unlike previous years, the Challenge 38 Welcome Party was a fully catered affair that featured yummy finger foods, appetizers and desserts that most hungry Challengers made into an ample meal. As always, it was a great warm-up for the weekend- virtually all participants and some new members like Chuck Marshall who registered on the spot fell into the great Region tradition of telling tall tales and bench racing throughout the evening. Everyone who came on Friday night and the rest of weekend were thrilled with the traditional Chesapeake Challenge license plate and t shirts that this year featured “Connie the Continental Coupe” on a field of 38 with a 356 twin grille in the background. Registrar Manny Alban and Co-Chairs Ellen Beck and Bob Gutjahr ran registration with efficiencies learned from running a slightly larger Porsche gathering two years before.
Saturday morning brought out the concours and car show crowd, and those early risers who drove to the event or who were prepping in the parking lot experienced rain in the wee small hours before the sun rose. Mark Jedlinski, who drove all the way down from Bucks County, Pennsylvania in his 1985 928S took the worst of it, speeding through torrential downpours on I-95 from Philly on into Baltimore. But for once, the weather forecasters were correct, and a powerful Canadian high moved into the area, sweeping out the rain and bringing cool, dry air that, while breezy, was absolutely refreshing for the remainder of the weekend. Up before the sun and the rain, Concours Chairman Ron Gordon and his team of judges went to work, positioning and judging almost 40 cars on Turf Valley’s freshly manicured portico lawn under the warm sun- the perfect photo op. The cars ranged in age from Don Meluzio’s stunning 1957 Speedster to the later 996s and 997s, not to mention Ron’s own Speed Yellow Cayman S. All were happy to see Allan Gunzelman and his wife Jan Borchardt who showed up their two cars despite injuries Allan suffered in a bad fall at his hotel room the night before. As with any Challenge Concours, the sight of so many clean and sparkling show cars on the field was a huge attraction to many members who could not register for the weekend. Busy participants who were cleaning and having their cars judged were able to take time and kibitz with the many visiting members and spectators who stopped in during the course of the morning.
After a brief break for a well-stocked box lunch sponsored in part by American Pest Management, Steve Kinsley, John Patterson and Ken Bullough strolled into the Challenge spotlight for Steve’s classic photo gimmick rally. The Driver’s Meeting in Turf Valley’s lower lot started right on time at 12:30, and the first of 19 cars who participated in the rally was off the line smartly at 1:00 PM. Cars were released in three-minute intervals for this low-key tour, which had participants calculating the overall total mileage and answering twenty questions of sites seen along the route- some prompted by photo clues, others aided and abetted by a lot of guessing! None of the clues and photos was in mileage order, which made matters interesting for each of the rally teams. Even those who could not come up with all the answers basked in the sheer beauty of a gorgeous Saturday afternoon on canopied roads and rustic by-ways in Carroll and Howard Counties that were absolutely charming. It was definitely top down weather for those lucky enough to own targas or cabs. All managed to stay on course, and most managed to complete the rally in about two hours- plenty of time to recover and get cleaned up for the festive Challenge Awards banquet that evening.
Saturday’s awards soiree was an intimate affair held in the Tiffany Ball Room at Turf Valley, the same ballroom where the Region’s After Holiday party has been held the last two years. But instead of a madcap gift exchange in January, Challenge participants enjoyed a generous sponsor give-away in the form of scores of door prizes gleaned from local, regional and national Porsche businesses. Thanks to the uncanny schmoozing efforts of Challenge Sponsor Chairman Drew Hollingsworth and the assiduous, persuasive work of Bob and Ellen, everyone who attended the banquet left with one door prize or more. And all walked away with their tummies full following a sumptuous repast of filet mignon and crab cakes with cheesecake and chocolate torte for dessert.
Beyond door prizes and a great meal, the Saturday Challenge banquet is about the giving of the Gold, and virtually everyone who showed on Ron Gordon’s concours field received a trophy- which this year consisted off a lovely inscribed glass plate mounted on a rich walnut stand. The big winner who took First in Class, Best in Show, and People’s Choice was none other than Don Meluzio from Central Penn Region, whose 1957 blue Speedster with its radiant chrome Rudge knock-off wheels blew everyone away. This car would have stood out on any Concours field, to include the Porsche Parade, and Don was richly deserving of every award he took home. We thank him for his participation and for bringing his entire family down for the event. The other big winner for the weekend was Mark Jedlinski from Riesentoter Region, who won his division with his immaculate 928 in the Concours and took home the Grand Door Prize, an Escort 4500i Radar Detector furnished by Valentine Research. Rallyists enjoyed a plethora of trophies too, and the big winners this year were none other than Drew and Karen Hollingsworth, whose 1998 964 Turbo was straining at the leash to go faster on those country roads. Fortunately, Drew listened to Karen and throttled back on speed for accuracy. They managed to get every question right on the rally and were off by only .1 in their estimate of total rally mileage, which was 513.21 miles.
Sunday brought the Challenge gang to Ripken Stadium for the sixth Chesapeake Region autocross of the season. Beyond just the Challenge, this was also a Chesapeake-Potomac run-off event that saw the field swell to almost 80 cars- a phenomenal turn out. When it was all said and done, Challenge registrants showed well against so many of the regular autocross crowd, and the results are posted elsewhere in this edition of the Patter and on the website. After running the First Heat and working the Second, Challengers adjourned to the Deutsches Gasthaus for a delightful lunch off the menu. The Gasthaus was waiting for us with their own Karaoke (in German) revelers and waitresses, and we were treated to wonderful German hospitality and traditional Bavarian food. The autocross trophies were awarded, and Dan Dazzo took home the Lufthansa award as best overall Challenge Participant. Dan took first place in his Boxster concours class, finished ninth on the rally, and had one of the top times for Boxsters at the autocross. He richly deserved this perennial award.
As we said our Auf Wwiedersehens at the Gasthaus, Zone Rep Jim Becker congratulated the Region on yet another outstanding Challenge. Great Porsches, great food, great sponsorship, and great trophies throughout a wonderful weekend of picture perfect weather! Who could ask for more?!? Well, wait until next year, when major changes will transform the Challenge into a weekend quite different than the traditional format in year’s past. See you then!
See the Concours/Wash & Shine results here.
