What is CRAB? – Zone 7 PCA

If you are new to the club and one of over 200 members who have joined SVR since CRAB 36 was held at Eagles Nest in Ione in 2015, and are wondering what the commotion is all about. So what is this multi-day, multi-region event we call CRAB? Let’s start off with and explanation of the acronym in the word “CRAB”. The letter “C” stand for crab feed, the letter “R” stands for rallye, the letter “A” stands for autocross and the letter “B” stands for the German word “begegnen” which stands for a gathering or meeting. If you don’t get it, let’s just say it’s a weekend to celebrate all things Porsche. It’s a chance to socialize with like minder fans of the Porsche brand. It is also a wonderful way for new members to get immersed in the fun and social aspects of the club…….. all in one weekend. In addition to the events described above, CRAB also includes a day long tour, concours, and a beer and brat on the final day of the event. The event has attracted well over 300 PCA members at each CRAB which has been held since 1972, when a small group of SVR members, Rich Farlinger, Jim Carver, Ray Johansen, and Phillip Marks conceived the concept which was held at El Macero Country Club in Davis. To date, the club has hosted 37 CRABS and has gained a regional and Zone 7 reputation for being one of the most anticipated multi-region, multi-day events in Northern California.

View the “What is CRAB? The 3-Minute Intro” video.

CRAB starts the weekend with a casual welcome party to be held this year at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento. On Saturday, the event includes an autocross, a tour of the Delta, a funkhana, and the grand crab feed featuring all you can eat fresh Dungeness crab. On Sunday, there will be a rally, concours, and the beer and brat barbecue along with awards ceremony.

One of the highlights for all new members would be the opportunity to hang with more than 300 SVR members in a gathering of well over 100 Porsches including classic 356’s, early 911’s, mid-seventies air cooled models and finally to all of the water pumpers produced from 1999 to today. Imagine a tour of over 60 cars heading down route 160 to the Delta town of Locke or Clarksburg! Over the last 45 years since CRAB’s have been held, the event has not always been held in consecutive years. There have been CRABs every year from 1972 to 1999, with no CRAB in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and between 2012 through 2015, a period of 7 years. After hearing the pleas from membership and club’s in other Zone 7 regions to plan another CRAB, it was not until 2016 that CRAB 36 was held at Eagles Nest Airport in Ione, and what a huge success this event was~!

CRAB 37 is being chaired by Bob Lozito and Collin Fat with the assistance of a committee of over 12 dedicated volunteers. It is never too late to get involved in the planning so if you have an interest, send Bob and email. His email address is published on our website. It is a monumental effort to put on a CRAB so the more help Bob can get with the planning and staffing of the event over the 3 day weekend, the more successful the event will be. Volunteering is a great way for new members to get a chance to contribute and get to know other members.

Below are some photos of past CRABs captured by Drifter reporter Kirk Bradford and are scenes from CRAB 16 in 1987.