HORIZONS
ISSUE 02 | 2026
HORIZONS TEAM
JOE CUNNINGHAM — EDITOR
DON DOMINICK — ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
JESSICA WYATT — PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
RICK RAMOS — CREATIVE CONSULTANT
BEANS BROWN — CONTRIBUTOR
GLORIA HUGHES — CONTRIBUTOR
DONALD STEVENS — CONTRIBUTOR
EVANGELINA ALVAREZ — CONTRIBUTOR
ALFRED FREUDENBERGER — DIGITAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
JANICE DAMAN — DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR
Authors and photographers credited within each article.
Cover photo by Juan Nava, @jnavaa1
Gumball 3000 arrives on Congress Avenue in Austin
As President of HCR, what makes this PCA recognition so meaningful is that it was not earned by the efforts of a single person. It is the result of countless hours of work by many HCR volunteers.
As President of HCR, what makes this PCA recognition so meaningful is that it was not earned by the efforts of a single person. It is the result of countless hours of work by many HCR volunteers.
The Driver’s Seat
By Crystal Zarpas, Hill Country Region President
MORE THAN A TROPHY:
What it means to be PCA’s First Runner-up for the Ferry Porsche Trophy Region of the Year 2025 — we were in the fast lane, and proud of it!
When I heard that Hill Country Region (HCR) had been named Porsche Club of America’s (PCA) First Runner-up for the Ferry Porsche Trophy Region of the Year 2025, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride — not because of the recognition itself, but because of what it represents.
As PCA’s First Runner-up for Region of the Year 2025, HCR received one of the highest honors a PCA region can receive, ranking second among PCA’s 149 regions. In other words, in 2025, HCR outperformed 147 other PCA regions! More importantly, with this honorable designation, HCR is recognized as a region that best exemplifies PCA’s spirit through exceptional leadership, member engagement, community service, communication, growth, and an unwavering commitment to the “Porsche Idea”; that is an astonishing achievement, especially given the passion, creativity, and dedication shown by all 149 PCA regions!
As President of HCR, what makes this PCA recognition so meaningful is that it was not earned by the efforts of a single person. It is the result of countless hours of work by many HCR volunteers who selflessly provide leadership and create memorable experiences for fellow members.
Collectively, it belongs to our elected Officers and Executive Council, who work tirelessly behind the scenes. It also belongs to the HCR Board of Directors; our Standing Committee Chairs (Safety, Membership, Driving, Social, Information Technology, Communications, Historian/Archivist, Dealer Liaison, Advertising/Sponsorship); our HORIZONS Editor and team; HCR’s Webmaster; our Social Media Coordinators; HCR’s Community Service Coordinator; our Public Relations Coordinator; HCR’s Podcast Coordinator; our HPDE Team; HCR’s Autocross Coordinator and Team; our Concours Coordinator; our Event Logistics Coordinator; our Teen Street Survival Coordinator; and the too numerous additional Event Coordinators who carefully plan and execute our approximately 180 events/activities each year.
Wow, I bet you didn’t realize how many volunteers it takes to keep HCR in the fast lane! These volunteers always make me, as HCR’s President, look great, and I am grateful for each one of them.
Above all, this prestigious PCA honor, a key milestone for any PCA region, belongs to every HCR member who shows up. Whether you joined us for your first event, volunteered at any level of commitment, helped welcome a new member, or simply shared your enthusiasm for Porsche with others, you helped build the HCR community that rose to the top of PCA’s 2025 list of outstanding regions.
This highly sought-after PCA regional recognition also reflects the incredible support of HCR’s advertisers and sponsors. Their partnership enables us to produce our award-winning publication HORIZONS, host exceptional member events, and continually elevate the Porsche experience we offer our members. We are deeply grateful for their confidence in HCR and their investment in our Porsche community.
Receiving this PCA national recognition is not the finish line - it is motivation. It challenges us to continue raising the HCR bar, remain innovative, seek new ways to serve our members, and ensure that every event reflects the passion, excellence, and camaraderie that defines PCA and HCR.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together. Here’s to continuing the ride as one of PCA’s top regions – cheers to us! ■
FROM THE PADDOCK
By Joe Cunningham, Horizons Editor
This issue moves across decades and thousands of miles, but its stories share a common thread: the people who turn a collection of Porsches into a club. We return to the Hill Country Region history with the 1980s, when a small group of volunteers worked with little money, considerable ambition, and an increasingly full calendar. From Ralph Renkert’s leadership and the creation of Little Le Mans to the region’s growing presence within PCA, the story shows that much of what defines HCR today was established early: ingenuity, persistence, and a willingness to build something worth joining.
That same spirit remains easy to find. Pick-Yer-Tour gave members a choice of Hill Country roads and destinations, proving there is no single correct way to spend a Saturday behind the wheel. Farther afield, one member’s Gumball 3000 journey from Miami to Bandera brought together exotic cars, unexpected challenges, memorable stops, and friendships formed along the way. Whether organizing events close to home, revisiting the people who shaped our history, or carrying the club’s spirit across the country, HCR has been doing what it does best: driving interesting roads and collecting even better stories. ■
Hill Country Executive Council and Committee Chairs
President
Crystal Zarpas
Vice President
Kent Ketterman
Secretary
Gordie Robbins
Treasurer
Andrew Garcia
Immediate Past President
Carl Rossi
Member-At-Large
Keri Bryan
Stan Farrell
Driving Committee Chair
Ken Kalin
Social Committee Chair
Bill Foster
Membership Committee Chair
Pauline Brown
Information Technology Committee Chair
Max Silvestri
Safety Committee Chair
Steven Tellman
Dealer Liaison Committee Chair
Don Dominick
Historian/Archivist
Ravi Govind
Communications
Open
Sponsorship
Open
Hill Country Region
Membership Report
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NEW MEMBERS |
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Priscila Abel |
Sal Farzin |
Bart Kleiman |
Russell Remington |
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ANNIVERSARIES |
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1 YEAR |
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Francisco Arias |
EJ Ekhato |
Aman Katyal |
Kristen Rosenberger |
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5 YEAR |
10 YEAR |
15 YEAR PLUS |
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Shyam Ankinapalli |
William Cunningham |
Larry Allison, 22 |
Christine Manuelian, 31 |
Every member has a story,
and we want to know it
One of the things I enjoy most about putting together Horizons is seeing our members share the experiences that make this club so special. As you’ll discover in the following pages, your fellow Hill Country Region members have taken the time to tell their stories; about unforgettable drives, a new automotive family member, and a trip to the Porsche Museum. Those stories are the heart of this magazine, and I’d love to include yours in a future issue.
You don’t need to be a professional writer. In fact, some of our favorite articles come from members simply sharing why they chose their Porsche, where it has taken them, what they’ve learned along the way, or why a particular drive or event stands out in their memory. Whether it’s a few paragraphs or a longer feature, your perspective is what makes Horizons unique.
Every Porsche has a story. Every member does, too. ■
GENERAL
AUTOMOTIVE
NEWS
Highlights from the
Porsche Newsroom
Porsche is intensifying the driving experience of all 2027 Taycan variants courtesy of a new E-Shift system with virtual gear changes, and a more emotive Electric Sport Sound. A new generation of infotainment, featuring a modern operating concept, enhanced smartphone integration, and voice control with artificial intelligence, rounds off the update. ■
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) announced that U.S. retail deliveries totaled 33,012 vehicles in the first half of 2026. As expected, overall volume was affected by portfolio changes, including the conclusion of 718 production and planned lower BEV deliveries. At the same time, Porsche continued to benefit from robust demand for the 911 and consistent performance of the Cayenne. ■
At the eighth race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Road America, Porsche and Team Penske paid tribute to their shared history. Two special designs bridge the gap between legendary successes of the past and current competition at the highest level. The No. 6 car bears the colors of the Porsche 917/30 from the 1970s. The sister car from the Porsche factory team took the starting grid this coming weekend in the yellow livery of the Porsche RS Spyder. ■
Continue reading this issue of Horizons by pressing Section 2 below.
What It Takes to Put On Pick-Yer-Tour Weekend
Written by Ken Kalin
Photographs by Don Dominick
From the outside, Pick Yer Tour Weekend can look pretty easy: a parking lot full of cars, a stack of route sheets, good food, and a lot of happy people catching up with friends. But most of us know better than that. A weekend like this only feels easy because a lot of work has already happened before the first car rolls in. It takes planning, teamwork, flexibility, and plenty of behind-the-scenes effort to pull off the kind of event people look forward to year after year. When you look at everything packed into the weekend; check-in, meetings, run groups, meals, social time, and the tours themselves, it is easy to see that none of it happens by accident.
It all starts well before anyone shows up in Kerrville. Somebody has to nail down the dates, line up the hotel, and make sure the location can really handle a group like ours. Pick Yer Tour Weekend has chosen the Y.O. Ranch Hotel as the hub, and that makes sense. You need more than a place to sleep. You need parking, meeting space, room for people to gather, and easy access to the roads everyone came to enjoy. On top of that, there are room blocks, registration details, costs, timing, and all the little questions that pop up along the way. If it feels smooth to members, that usually means somebody worked very hard to make it look that way.
Then there are the drives, which are really the heart of the whole weekend. Pick Yer Tour Weekend is all about having options, and that means the route planning is a bigger job than it may seem. Organizers are not just picking one nice road and calling it done. They are thinking about different kinds of drivers, different kinds of cars, and different ideas of fun. Some folks want a scenic cruise, some want a more technical route, and some may want to do their own thing. That takes scouting, testing, timing, and a lot of thought about fuel stops, lunch spots, rest breaks, traffic, and road conditions. When the run groups are put together well, the whole day feels more relaxed, more fun, and a lot less confusing.
Good communication may not be the flashiest part of the weekend, but it is one of the most important. People need to know where to go, when to be there, what group they are in, and what to do if something changes. That is why the schedules, welcome meetings, drivers meetings, and check-in details matter so much. Clear communication keeps small questions from turning into big problems. It helps everyone feel more comfortable, and it gives the organizers a chance to spend more time enjoying the weekend too instead of constantly putting out fires.
Of course, none of this works without volunteers. Every event like this runs on an army of people who are willing to jump in and help. Somebody is handling registration. Somebody is helping people park. Somebody is answering questions, sorting out prizes, or making sure the right cars end up in the right groups. Most of those jobs do not get much attention, but they make a huge difference in how the weekend feels. A friendly face at check-in or a quick answer to a last-minute question can set the tone for the whole event. That kind of help is what makes the weekend feel organized without feeling stiff.
There is also the part nobody wants to think about, but everybody needs: safety and backup plans. Even with great planning, things happen. The weather changes, somebody has car trouble, a route gets delayed, or the day just does not go exactly as expected. That is why the drivers’ meetings matter so much. They are not just a formality. They help set expectations for spacing, regrouping, communication, and common sense on the road. The best-run events are not the ones where everything goes perfectly. They are the ones where the organizers are ready, stay calm, and keep the weekend moving when something unexpected comes up.
And just as important as the driving is the atmosphere. Pick Yer Tour Weekend is about the roads, sure, but it is also about the people. It is a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new members, swap stories, share meals, and enjoy being around folks who get why this hobby is so much fun. The social time, the banquet dinner, the welcome gathering, and even the door prizes all help make the weekend feel like more than just a driving event. That sense of community is a big part of why people keep coming back.
So when Pick Yer Tour Weekend comes together and everything seems to click, it is worth remembering how much effort went into making that happen. It takes organizers who can see the big picture, volunteers who handle the details, and a lot of people willing to do the small things well. What members see is a fun weekend in the Hill Country. What they may not always see is all the route work, scheduling, coordination, problem-solving, and hospitality behind it. That is what turns a good idea into a great club weekend, and it is why that army of folks who put it together deserve a real thank-you from the rest of us. ■
Inside the Gumball 3000: The People, Places, and Memories
Written by Kirby J. Kish
As I walked out to my GT3 on a beautiful tropical Miami morning, I kept wondering, “What did I get myself into?” I was about to embark on one of the most challenging and rewarding adventures of my life, the 2026 edition of the Gumball 3000. This is a 3,000-mile supercar road rally that takes place in a different region of the world each year. For 2026, the six-day journey began in Miami, ended in Mexico City, and included a stop in my hometown of Austin.
Maximillion Cooper and Kirby Kish Photo by C. Kish
Maximillion Cooper and Kirby Kish Photo by C. Kish
Founded in 1999 by British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper, the rally brings together cars, music, art, and philanthropy into a unique experience. Through the Gumball 3000 Foundation, the event has raised millions of dollars to support educational, recreational, and infrastructure projects for underserved youth around the world. In 2026 alone, the rally and its associated events raised approximately $1.6 million.
The field included everything from multi-million-dollar Bugattis and Rolls-Royces to Porsches, Ferraris, McLarens, Mustang GTDs, ZR1 Corvettes, and open-top Shelby Cobras.
My biggest realization came before the rally even began. During the registration process, it became clear that Gumball was not really about the cars but about the people. From the very beginning, the organizers and participants made first-timers like me feel part of something special. There was an immediate sense of camaraderie. Everyone wanted to help each other succeed and enjoy the experience. That spirit extended to every member of the support team. One example was EVOLV, the company responsible for wrapping more than 100 rally and support vehicles. Their work did not end once the cars left Miami. They traveled with us throughout the rally, repairing damaged graphics overnight whenever needed. After a torrential Texas thunderstorm peeled some stripes from my GT3, I woke up to a text at 5:00 a.m. letting me know everything had already been repaired before we headed out for the day’s drive.
Our group included YouTube creators, champion drift drivers, actors, internationally known musicians, DJs, and enthusiasts like me who simply love driving high-performance cars. By the end of the rally, many of us had become close friends. Experienced Gumball veterans welcomed newcomers, shared advice, and helped each other through flat tires, mechanical issues, and even the occasional fuel scare.
Ironically, my biggest challenge had nothing to do with driving. It was transporting my brand-new 2026 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring with a manual transmission from Austin to Miami. Although Gumball has decades of experience moving vehicles around the world, I had never transported one of my own. I found myself worrying about every possible “what if.”
When the truck from Reliable Transport/CARS by Rock-It arrived, those concerns quickly faded. Watching the crew expertly load my GT3 alongside a Pagani immediately gave me confidence. Over the next three days I tracked the truck’s progress far more often than I care to admit. Seeing my car waiting for me in Miami, dressed in its Gumball livery and ready for the adventure ahead, was an unforgettable moment.
The GT3 proved to be the perfect companion for the rally. It felt like an extension of me, responding effortlessly to every steering input while making long days behind the wheel surprisingly comfortable. The engine’s smooth pull toward its 9,000 rpm redline never got old, and unlike some of its Italian and British counterparts, it could cover long distances without constant fuel stops.
It also turned out to be remarkably practical. Every participant carried everything needed for the week in their own vehicle. Somehow the GT3 swallowed luggage for two people, daytime driving gear, evening clothes, camera equipment, souvenirs, and enough car care supplies to prepare for almost anything. It handled the challenge with ease, serving as both grand tourer and sports car throughout the week.
Two stops stand out above the many special moments from the rally: New Orleans and Bandera. In New Orleans, the Gumball 3000 once again demonstrated its incredible draw. The city closed Bourbon Street just for us, an honor normally reserved for Mardi Gras. As the sun set, we rolled from our staging area onto the legendary street at a crawl of barely 2 mph.
More than 50,000 enthusiastic fans lined both sides of Bourbon Street with their cheers blending into a wall of sound that rivaled the roar of our engines. We revved our cars, handed Gumball stickers through open windows to younger fans, and for a few unforgettable minutes felt like rock stars in a rolling parade.
Above us, the Gumball DJs kept the energy high from a second-floor corner balcony. Their music mixed with the sound of supercars and the excitement of the crowd to create an atmosphere unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was one of those rare moments when I stopped to appreciate just how fortunate I was to be part of the rally.
Bandera, the self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World, welcomed us in a completely different but equally memorable way. Long before we reached town, people lined the roads in folding chairs and pickup trucks, holding handmade signs and phones ready to capture the procession. Every wave and blast of the horn was met with smiles and genuine excitement. The community was thrilled that the Gumball had chosen to visit. We were treated to a classic Texas lunch of brisket, pulled pork, and peach cobbler before enjoying a roping demonstration and shopping for cowboy hats at a local store.
One encounter in Bandera perfectly captured the enthusiasm surrounding the rally. A young couple from Louisiana had spotted my GT3 earlier along the route, found me on Instagram, researched the Gumball 3000, and drove to Bandera specifically to meet me. They waited patiently in the Texas heat beside my car, and we spent several minutes talking, taking photos, and sharing stories. Their excitement reminded me how much joy these cars can bring to people.
As we left Bandera for the drive toward the U.S.-Mexico border, I pulled over at what I thought was a quiet spot to photograph the other Gumballers passing by. Instead, I found myself beside a school where children attending a Boys & Girls Club summer program had gathered outside to watch the cars. The moment they saw the GT3, they rushed over with huge smiles, eager to ask questions, sit in the driver’s seat, and hear the engine come to life. We posed for a group photo before I headed back onto the route. It was an unexpected stop that became one of my favorite memories of the week.
Those moments in New Orleans and Bandera captured what I came to appreciate most about the Gumball 3000. Yes, the cars are extraordinary, but the lasting memories came from the people, the communities, and the unexpected connections made along the way. The Gumball 3000 is an experience unlike anything else I have ever done. As Maximillion Cooper told me while we stood on the main street in Bandera, “It’s a once in a lifetime experience you can do over and over again.” By the end of the rally, I understood exactly what he meant.
I arrived in Miami expecting six days of incredible driving. Instead, I found something much more meaningful. What made the rally unforgettable were the people, the friendships, and the shared adventure. I am grateful to Maximillion Cooper for creating a vision that has brought together people from around the world for more than a quarter century. My thanks also go to the countless members of the Gumball support team whose work behind the scenes kept the rally running smoothly, often while the rest of us were asleep. Most of all, I want to thank my fellow Gumballers. Whether we were helping each other through mechanical issues, celebrating another successful day on the road, or simply sharing stories over dinner, they made the experience one I will never forget. I also appreciate Porsche Austin for helping make my dream car a reality, and Austin Film Solutions for preparing it for the rally.
Will I be doing another Gumball 3000? Let’s just say I’m brushing up on my Japanese. ■
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