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By John and Nita Burrows

We joined at about the 2-year mark and below is a recap from us of the LVRPCA.

The Las Vegas Region was founded in April 1974 by about 25 Porsche owners who did all the usual new region things by getting organized, having elections, figuring out funding, setting meeting times and places, etc.

Organization was no easy task. Founding member, Carl Young advertised in the paper looking for prospective members. He would also chase down Porsches to ask if the driver/owner was interested in joining a national club. Once there were enough interested people, a meeting was held to select the officers. Funding, meetings and meeting places were discussed at the early meeting.

Completing all the necessary forms, application was made to the PCA national office for a charter as the Las Vegas Region of the Porsche Club of America. 

Two years later, new to Porsche and fairly new to LV, Nita and I joined Las Vegas Region, finding new friends and mutual interests (or so I thought).  That’s when I learned the main focus was really about going faster. 

By reading what other regions did to get funds, our president suggested some competitive events namely: Auto-Cross and Time Trials (DE term not in use yet) and Rallies (Charging the participants a (then) small fee.

We started with Autocrosses.  Auto-Cross was easy – get permission for a large unused large parking lot, set up a course through the orange cones (gathered from various sources by various members).  Oh yeah, register the entrants, class the cars (to provide equality – no 356s against 911s, different displacement, degree of modification, etc.). Do the technical inspection (every little thing secured, tire pressures, loose things in the car and storage space removed, check the seat belts). Set up pre-grid and start line. Gather corner workers to replace cones as they moved (at first, mostly the drivers and/or spectators). Hold a Drivers Meeting to explain how the event should run along with how to get where and when. Then drop the green flag to start the cars and the hand-held timers, which was usually done on whatever parking lot we could get for as little cost as possible. During the Auto-Cross sessions, we did a variety of charity benefit events, fourteen or more in all.

We moved up to Time Trials. Our driving skills took a large step up when the (old) Las Vegas Speedway became available. We could drive on a track at greater speeds, with drivers from other regions. This also involved gaining upgraded driver skills and occasional passing. 

Time Trials were slightly different. Registration, classing, tech inspection and general things were pretty much the same. The big difference was the venue – at first the Stock Car track close to the North LV airport, then the drag strip and “road course”, the drag strip from the ¼ mark (long straight, decreasing radius right turn. Short slalom area, 90 degree left turn, curve back to the straight) became available. 

Moving to the ‘old’ Speedway proved to be a mind test as the owner had a different schedule than the club (he had the only key for the gate). The lock was cut, and everything got started.  The event budget included a replacement lock. As things progressed, the hand-held timers were replaced by computer-based systems (some built by members, some modified/repaired as needed).

While this was going on, those that chose lower speeds and other things to do, read up on what some of the other regions were doing.

Soon, the non-racers made noises about being left out of activities, so dinners, rallies and tours were added as chairpersons could be found.

We started by having dinners (usually the same time and place as a member meeting). Restaurants and bar/grills were the usual choice as they would take the group.

  Rallies – there are many variations to rallies – Time-Speed-Distance, Gimmick, Scavenger Hunt, Stick Leg, Photos, Road Signs and other types as selected by the Chairperson. 

Tours are pretty much self-explanatory. Look for an interesting place to go. Find a place to eat with reasonable parking area for the anticipated group. Find a leader and select the route. Create the route instructions. Publish the start place and time. Tours went to the Thunderbird at Nellis AFB. To Creech for a look at the Predator plus two car shows. And a tour of 15+ State Parks. 

Holiday parties usually came near the holiday. Early Christmas parties were usually at a member’s home with a gift exchange (price limits were low). Gifts sometimes were more than just Porsche themed items.

  Almost forgot, we did charity things (other than the autocrosses), all funded by members. We spent three years sponsoring the “Never Alone” program where we dedicated our efforts toward making the service family during deployment easier for those left behind.

We took the child(ren) and parent to a 51’s baseball game, a Wrangler hockey game. A trip to Circus-Circus Adventure Dome, the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, and The Lied children’s Reading Center. We put on costumes for three “Trunk or Treat” events on Halloween.

 We did “Breakfast with Santa” where the child got to select a gift for the parent, have it wrapped without the parent seeing it. Did you ever take a child shopping for a gift for you? one of the kids was so excited that he gave his mom the gift right then. And there was a trip to the Mini Grand Prix go-cart track.

Some of our other events included the Mt. Charleston Annual Pig Roast where the pig was roasted over an open fire. The chef (Carl Young) usually started about 5 a.m. This was a family event with games and prizes for all. 

We did a ‘Cheap Charley’ Time Trial at the Mini-Grand Prix go-cart track. Everything was like a normal TT event except we used the ‘racing’ and ‘stock’ go-carts. Timing was done and recognition for performance was done. My memory may have skipped some of the more historic or hysterical occasions and my apologies for that. 

Original Las Vegas Region PCA Logo

Shortly after the charter was granted, the current small region had a design contest for the logo. The winner became what is now the “old logo”.

The selected design consisted for the following elements:

1. The outer ring was a transmission ring representing a 356
2. Just inside that were the words shown in the picture
3. On the blue background was a depiction of a 1974 911 horn ring marking the charter year
4. Over that were two dice showing pips with the numbers 3,5,6
5. Centered on this was the image of a 356 Spyder

When put on a patch, the outer ring could be either a Red or a Blue color.