HORIZONS
ISSUE 03 | 2025
COLUMNS
FEATURES
HORIZONS
JOE CUNNINGHAM —
DON DOMINICK —
JESSICA WYATT —
RICK RAMOS —
BEANS BROWN —
GLORIA HUGHES —
DONALD STEVENS —
EVANGELINA ALVAREZ —
ALFRED FREUDENBERGER —
JANICE DAMAN —
Authors and photographers credited within each article.
TEAM
EDITOR
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
CREATIVE CONSULTANT
CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTOR
DIGITAL PRODUCTION COORD
DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR
Cover photo by Billy Hawkins of the race winning #6 Porsche 963 during the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas
HCR President, Crystal Zarpas, meets Hans-Peter Porsche during the Porsche Parade 2025.
A lifelong love affair...
THE DRIVER’S SEAT
By Crystal Zarpas, Hill Country Region President
My journey with Porsche began in the mid-1970’s when my first boyfriend arrived in a Signal Orange Porsche 914. My heart raced—not for him, but for the car! I immediately fell in love with the Porsche’s design, horsepower, and racing spirit. I was too young to own a Porsche at that time, but not too young to dream of owning the iconic 911 someday. That love affair continues to this day. For over fifty years, Porsche has symbolized my freedom to fly, and at times, it has satisfied the need to make a daring decision or two!
After decades of loving Porsche, 2025 brought a moment I could never have anticipated. It was an honored opportunity to meet Hans-Peter Porsche in person at PCA’s 2025 Porsche Parade. Some moments in life are truly significant, and meeting Hans-Peter in person was one of those special moments for me. As the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and the son of Ferry Porsche, Hans-Peter is a living link to not only Porsche's storied past but also mine.
I was momentarily speechless in front of Hans-Peter, despite my usually talkative nature. As many of you know, I can talk until I exhaust myself! But that wasn't the case when I stood face-to-face with him, wondering what it feels like to have the Porsche name, his name, displayed on millions of cars. It quickly became clear that such a thought wasn't an ego boost for Hans-Peter. His eyes were kind, and his demeanor was welcoming and sincere. There was no hint of arrogance as he greeted me with almost disarming humility. All these qualities are evident in our photo, which also shows that Porsche enthusiasts are united by a shared passion that crosses age, gender, background, and language.
Meeting Hans-Peter Porsche in 2025 was a heartfelt reminder of how, from a young age, the Porsche brand shaped my life and fueled my dreams. Looking back, my love affair with Porsche is about more than just owning my dream car. It’s the thrill of chasing a lifelong dream and sometimes catching it! Owning my first 911 Carrera S took 35 years, and while I am still living the dream, I was fortunate enough to meet one of the living legends who made it all possible. For that, I am forever grateful!
See you on the road. ■
FROM THE PADDOCK
By Joe Cunningham, Horizons Editor
Putting together an issue for Horizons is never as clean cut as it might seem. While Horizons is a Hill Country Region PCA specific newsletter, there is always so much that goes on outside our own region that we want to bring back to our members. Some of these stories include the Porsche Parade in Oklahoma City, or attending the Sports Car Club of America Nationals by a local HCR member, or our very own club president meeting Hans Peter Porsche! Closer to home was the Porsche Penske Motorsports win with car #6 at the Lone Star Le Mans that graces the cover of this issue.
As the summer heat is breaking and I am more able to enjoy my cars that don’t have air conditioning, I encourage you to take a look at the events calendar and see what the club has to offer in the near future. ■
Porsche Club of America 70th Anniversary grille badge. Credit: Porsche Newsroom
Porsche Club of America 70th Anniversary grille badge. Credit: Porsche Newsroom
Hill Country Region Celebrates
Porsche Club of America’s 70th
Written by Horizons Editor
On September 13, 2025, the Porsche Club of America celebrated it’s 70th Anniversary! HCR answered the call with a three-in-one celebration. Staging at The Oasis on Lake Travis, three run groups began our Parade of Porsches, aiming for a “short 37-mile” tour via Lime Creek and the curvy sweepers of RM 1431 to Flat Creek Estate Winery. Adventure intervened: an accident blocked the route, forcing all groups to turn back. Refusing to accept defeat, members quickly regrouped, mapped the only workable, albeit much longer alternative, and hit the road again. The payoff? The roar of 50 Porsches arriving at once at Flat Creek. There, a Porsche Corral drew smiles from members and visitors, and under the Pavilion the group savored artisan pizzas, charcuterie, and a glass of Flat Creek wine. Raffling off a few prizes capped a day that showcased HCR’s spirit: community, adaptability, and driving joy. ■
Hill Country Region
Membership Report
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NEW MEMBERS |
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Will Bates |
Nate Endsley |
Joseph Liu |
Ethan Schaefer |
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ANNIVERSARIES |
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1 YEAR |
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Robert Adam |
Luke Finkbeiner Michael Fleetwood |
Samantha Jeffers Jared Josephsen |
Chris Pokorny |
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HCR members volunteering their time at the St. Vincent Food Pantry Charity Event HCR members volunteering their time at the St. Vincent Food Pantry Charity Event |
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5 YEAR |
10 YEAR |
15 YEAR PLUS |
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Brian Beale |
Mohammed Abusalih |
Kathy Altenbaugh, 23 |
Sophie Lammers, 16 |
A gathering from an Informal Get Together.
A gathering from an Informal Get Together.
GENERAL
AUTOMOTIVE
NEWS
Highlights from the
Porsche Newsroom
The Porsche plant in Leipzig has last week produced its one millionth Macan. The compact SUV has been manufactured in the city since 2013 and has achieved great popularity worldwide ever since. During the 2024 financial year, 82,795 vehicles were delivered to customers. ▶
Wireless charging has already radically simplified the use of the mobile phone: simply place the smartphone in a charging cradle and the energy flows. Porsche will soon be offering this user- friendly technology for electric cars as well: The company will be the first car manufacturer to bring an 11 kW charging system with a one-box base plate for battery-electric vehicles to market maturity. One-Box means that apart from the floor plate mounted at the parking lot, there is no longer any need to install a wallbox or control unit. ▶
Porsche is presenting the top-of-the-range model of the 911 series at the IAA Mobility motor show in Munich: an innovative twin-turbo powertrain with T-Hybrid technology makes the new 911 Turbo S the most powerful production 911 to date. The sports car, which is available as a coupé and cabriolet, debuts with significantly increased performance, a more powerful design, more intelligent aerodynamics, an optimized chassis and even more exclusive equipment. ▶
National Porsche Classic Competition
OVERLANDING CAYENNE
Written By Horizons Editor
Photos by Porsche Austin
The Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge is Porsche Cars North America’s annual, U.S.- based competition that showcases the craft of bringing older Porsches back to life. Launched in 2020, it’s now in its fifth year, Porsche Austin decided to enter the competition. Most would assume that a 911 would be chosen for a Porsche Classic challenge, or maybe the transaxle cars because of their recent growth in popularity, or possibly even a retro looking 914, but Porsche Austin decided to take a slightly different approach. Through an abnormal confluence of events, Porsche Austin found itself in possession of a face-lift first generation base Cayenne. While in overall good condition, and without a specific plan, leadership within the group chose this as their champion for the 2025 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge.
Porsche Centers can choose one of three routes within the competition, each emphasizing a different philosophy of “doing right” by a classic Porsche:
PRESERVATION Keep as much of the car’s original material as possible while improving function and longevity. Think paint correction versus full repaint, refreshing seat covers rather than replacing them.
RESTORATION A full, faithful return to “as-new” condition that closely follows original production specifications. As best restored to factory-correct standards.
INDIVIDUALIZATION Inspired by Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, this path fulfills a special wish with creative modifications, while staying street- legal and using Genuine Porsche Parts.
After some time, and inspired by a Porsche 911 Dakar in for regular service, the team focused on a plan to convert the Cayenne into a full-fledged overland vehicle with off-road capabilities and a revamped aesthetic. With a build centered toward the Individualization category, a team of eight technicians worked to fix exterior bodywork, revitalize interior, and make some overall improvements. The team began the process of outlining the work needing to be completed and then, with a little more freedom provided by the individualization category, started to dream a little bigger.
Steve Schermerhorn with Porsche Austin was the acting project manager during the process. He mentioned that as the project commenced, the excitement started to build once the suspension was replaced, the lower rocker panels were painted black and the more off road tires were mounted. The team could see the beginnings of something special taking place. That’s when the ideas started to come in.
Suggestions and brainstorming took on a completely new level. Following the Dakar as inspiration, local partners helped with the graphics and custom roof rack. The tent on the roof rack is straight from the Porsche parts catalog, albeit painted with graphics. The interior updates include adding Apple CarPlay through Porsche Classic’s Communication Management — something that can easily increase the usability to aging electronics.
After months of planning, disassembly, reassembly, painting, wrapping, and testing, the Cayenne was shipped off to the regional competition held near Indianapolis, Indiana. As one of several automotive events coupled together, the Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge proved to be a positive experience for all that were able to attend.
Built for the competition, the team has grown to love the renewed Cayenne. Many of the entrants to the Porsche Classic competition as customer cars or vehicles that will be sold later, Porsche Austin plans to keep the Cayenne for different dealer operations. Already amassed over 1,000 miles of different marketing events, car shows, and even as a support vehicle for Hill Country Region events, the Cayenne has proved to be a conversation starter and welcomed member of the fleet! ■
Imperfect is sometimes exactly what you are looking for.
Imperfect is sometimes exactly what you are looking for.
One of the technicians discusses the project during an HCR Tech Session.
One of the technicians discusses the project during an HCR Tech Session.
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Written by HCR Member and Social Chair, Bill Foster |
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For 69 years, PCA National has held its annual flagship membership event in various cities across the country. This year, Parade was held in Oklahoma City at the Omni Hotel alongside the famed Route 66. The event celebrates PCA members’ passion for the brand through driving tours, social events, tech sessions, autocross, and a showcase parade of various iconic models from across the Porsche spectrum. The first Porsche Parade was held in August, 1956 at the Washingtonian Motel in Gaithersburg, Maryland and was hosted by what the founders called Potomac Region. In fact, the first 55 Parades were hosted by either a PCA Region or Zone until 2011 when the annual event was adopted by the National Parade Committee. The first Parade had 65 cars pre-registered, and about 120 people in attendance. Fast forward to 2025 and Porsche Parade ran a full seven days with more than 2,000 members in attendance and around 800 Porsche cars from across North America. There were many highlights packed into a week of events including a Concours d’Elegance with 150 cars entered, a Porsche corral, banquets and even a variety of PCA Junior Activities for the kiddos. |
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On the first night of Parade, members were treated to the introduction of the all-new 2025 911 Club Coupe commemorating PCA’s 70th Anniversary. Basically, the Club Coupe is a 911 T with unique packaging featuring PCA badging, the 70th Anniversary logo, custom plaid seat inserts wrapped up in a beautiful new Sholar Metallic Blue exterior honoring PCA founder Bill Sholar. Only 70 of these amazing machines will be made and can be purchased by 69 lucky PCA Members who will be selected from a raffle for the opportunity to buy one. Hopefully, somebody from Hill Country Region will be selected so we can live vicariously through them as they showcase this beauty during our many events held throughout the year. |
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At the Concours d’Elegance, PCA members entered a variety of Porsche cars dating back to a fully restored 1952 356 Bent Window Coupe all the way up to a brand new 2025 911 S/T and everything in between. Entrants spent hours upon hours cleaning and polishing their cars from top to bottom and everywhere in between. I heard a story of one entrant who drove his classic 911 from the hotel to the Concours only using his parking brake so as not to get brake dust on his calipers and wheels. How’s that for being meticulous? Included in this collection of exceptional cars was HCR’s very own Jim Sikes and his 2012 911 Turbo S. Though this was Jim’s very first Parade AND his very first Concours, Jim ended up winning 1st place in his category bringing home a Blue Ribbon. Way to go Jim! |
The Sikes and their award winning 2012 911 Turbo S. The Sikes and their award winning 2012 911 Turbo S. |
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HCR had twelve members attend this year’s Parade making the 7-hour trek up to Oklahoma City including our President, Crystal Zarpas and Vice President, Kent Ketterman. In addition to our inspiring team, there were also some very impressive VIPs in attendance including the grandson and great grandson of the Porsche family who even joined us on a driving tour along Route 66 to historic Fort Reno Cavalry Museum followed by a stop at the famous Stafford Air & Space Museum with a lunch stop in between at Lucille’s Roadhouse. If you spent any time around the Concours venue, you were also likely to run into Chris Jacobs, host of TV’s Overhaulin’ chatting it up with Manny Alban and Vu Nguyen. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, you can check out our Hill Country PCA Facebook page for many fun photos from this event. Like most PCA Events, Parade is all about the Porsche community where members with a shared passion – be it track or the open road, manual or PDK – can gather to celebrate the cars they love with like-minded enthusiasts who simply enjoy the experience of owning and driving a Porsche car. If this sounds like you, then mark your calendars for next July to attend Parade in Lake Placid, NY and then Boise, Idaho for 2027. ■ |
Lone Star Le Mans
Welcome
Written by Horizon Editor
Photos by Billy Hawkins
Porsche Austin welcomed a select group of members and customers for an unforgettable evening celebrating the brand’s enduring motorsport legacy alongside the World Endurance Championship. The showroom transformed into a casual paddock lounge as guests mixed with Porsche Penske Motorsport personnel—including representatives and drivers from both the No. 5 and No. 6 Porsche 963 entries—who shared behind-the-scenes perspectives on preparation, teamwork, and race-day execution.
A highlight of the night was a rare, locally owned Porsche 962 joining the Porsche 963 display car—an inspired pairing that brought together two icons from different eras of prototype racing. Enthusiasts sipped cocktails, snapped photos, and explored the design and technology that connect past to present, from the 962’s Group C heritage to the cutting-edge hybrid capabilities of the modern 963.
An interactive discussion with the Porsche Penske team anchored the program, offering insights into driver communication, strategy calls, and what it’s like to attack a fast, technical circuit like Circuit of The Americas. Attendees left with a deeper appreciation for the human effort and engineering precision behind Porsche’s success on the world stage—and with renewed excitement for the competition ahead. It was a night that perfectly captured Porsche Austin’s community spirit: authentic access, remarkable cars, and stories only racers can tell. ■
Continue reading this issue of Horizons by pressing Section 2 below.
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