A Pair of Porsche Enthusiasts And Their Speed Yellow 997 Turbo
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As members of the Porsche Club of America (PCA), Kathy and Walt are what some may call “Porsche enthusiasts.” They are very active as Rocky Mountain Region PCA Driving Instructors and both hold PCA Club Racing licenses. Walt is the PCA National Club Racing Rules Chair, and Kathy has chaired the Rocky Mountain Region’s Club Race for 14 years.
Kathy and Walt credit their strong relationship with Prestige Imports to the fact that Prestige “has always been a big part of the Rocky Mountain Region (RMR). Starting back when Don Adis was [the] General Manager. Don was a huge supporter of all of our Club Events. Justin Adis and Dean Blackwelder have followed in his footsteps and have continued to support RMR. Prestige is our Club Race Title Sponsor and we all appreciate this greatly. We have also had the privilege of using [the] facility for many of our club meetings.”
They purchased their first Porsche in 1991 at Prestige Imports, a Chiffon White 1984 Carrera, sold to them by Don Adis. Already owners of two Porsche race cars, they purchased their most recent 997 Turbo in May 2012. Kathy described the eleven month search, “several years ago, Walt caught me online looking at newer Porsches. Many of us have dreams of owning a beautiful Porsche, and this dream came true for us…our wish list included: water cooled Porsche 911 with the ‘Metzger’ engine, very comfortable seats, and lower mileage, fast is always good but guaranteed, and had to be either Red or Speed Yellow.” As luck would have it, they found the perfect vehicle in Thousand Oaks, California and Walt just happened to already be in Irvine, California for a Club Racing Scrutineers meeting. Kathy made the call to Walt to check out the vehicle and the following morning he picked the car up for the long, but exhilarating, trip back home. According to Kathy, “It was quite a bonding experience for him. He knew the engine’s power… [after driving an] identical black 480 HP turbo at Pikes Peak International Raceway, which meant using the cruise control on the Interstates. At Cedar City, Utah, after an overnight stop, he cut across the mountains to the east to sample the curves and amazing scenery before getting back on I-70 for home.” As Kathy put it, the “cream in the coffee” was having Hans-Peter and Wolfgang Porsche sign the hood at the Porsche Parade this past summer in Utah. Kathy was truly happy saying “nothing could get better than that.”
The couple, who are both retired, purchased the Speed Yellow Turbo for their cross country adventures, regional tours, and the like. Kathy explained that both she and Walt have large families and they love to travel and visit them as much as possible. They recently returned from attending the PCA Escape, a low-key alternative to the national Porsche Parade, hosted by a different region each year. This year’s event was held in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Having never even heard of Eureka Springs, the couple thought it would be “a hoot” to drive out and attend the event this year. They caravanned out to Arkansas with two other couples and stated, “we had a wonderful Porsche time.”
Kathy summed it all up by stating, “we are looking forward to many miles of quick and comfortable travel.”
