Back in 2012 we attended the Porsche Parade event in Salt Lake City and chatted with a few of the officers from the Potomac Founder’s Region of the PCA about coming on board with MotorsportReg. After a thorough vetting period and some customization, PCA Potomac opened their first event in early 2013 and quickly became one of our largest customers.
Michael Handelman, current Secretary and Co-Webmaster, is one of our more tech-savvy organizers. He frequently provides feedback on how we can improve the site to make it easier on organizers and attendees alike. You can thank him for more than a few of the updates we’ve pushed in the last year!
He bought his first Porsche about 5 years ago. He wanted one ever since he was a teenager but could never justify it. After he paid his last tuition payment for his youngest son, he decided it was time to get one and has loved every moment since! He’s enjoyed taking it cross country and attending several concours, drive and dines, rallies, and driver's education (high speed driving). We chatted with Michael about the keys to putting on big, successful events.
MSR: Tell us a little bit about PCA- Potomac, The Founders’ Region.
Michael: We are the founding region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) which is currently the largest single car club in the world. In addition, we are currently the largest region of PCA and have been holding the longest continuous Club Race for PCA. We hold over 100 events a year. We offer Concours, Drive & Dine, Rallies, Autocross, social activities, Club Races and of course High Speed Drivers Education (which is open to all car makes).
MSR: What are some of the things your organization is really good at?
Michael: We are known for our Drivers Education. We run eight events a year and are very proud of our safety record and the amount of fun everyone has. We hold events at some of the best tracks within driving distance of our region. A prime example is our Mid-Ohio DE coming up on the second weekend in May. This is a very well-known, technical course and we have three full days at the track that will give everyone a lot of seat time no matter if you run solo or instructed.
MSR: What are some of the highlights of your season?
Michael: In Mid-August when we host our PorscheFest which combines a 3 day DE, Autocross, Rally, and Drive & Dine all at our home track, Summit Point in West Virginia. The other big events are our yearly Drive & Dine to the Nemacolin resort and tour of FallingWater and our DEs at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.
MSR: What lessons have you learned about running events?
Michael: To be transparent and let everyone know as soon as you can the positives and negatives. Open communication keeps everyone happy and reduces the amount of hearsay that often blows minor issues out of context.
MSR: Why do you keep doing what you’re doing? What motivates you?
Michael: The joy of meeting people with similar passions.
MSR: How do you promote your events? How well does it work?
Michael: We advertise in our club magazine (both our region and national) along with posting on our web site and Facebook page. Since we use MSR, the events are seen there. Also it is listed on our club calendar, Zone calendar, and PCA national calendar. Every week we send an e-blast to our membership of the events that are occurring in the next 30 days. In general it works well, most of our events are well attended.
MSR: What’s next for your club? Anything new and exciting for the future?
Michael: Our goal for the near future is to continue to explore new venues and events that will satisfy our current membership and recruit new members. We have a new Drive & Dine to the Greenbrier Resort this season along with several new breakfasts for new members. In addition, we have added a new Concours coupled with a Rally to an Augustoberfest taking place in late August.
MSR: How has using MotorsportReg impacted your events?
Michael: We have seen a small increase in attendance on some of our local DEs and Autocross events. Given its global presence we are hoping for more visibility to our away DEs.
MSR: Any favorite MSR features?
Michael: The billing features have been well received. We look to defer many of our charges and allow people to plan and sign up early for events.
MSR: Thanks for your time Michael!
Michael: You’re welcome.
The Potomac Founders’ Region, PCA club is situated around Washington, D.C. and includes parts of Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland, and all of Washington, D.C. If you’re interested in becoming a member of the largest PCA region in the US, you can join them for a breakfast/ brunch gathering and meet current members or join right now online.
Their Drivers’ Education is one of their strongest programs and is open to all car makes. There’s still room to register for one of their upcoming HPDE events at these well-known tracks:
And be sure to check out their MotorsportReg calendar for a full listing of all of their upcoming events now open for registration.
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