| He was known simply as "Porsche Pete", a | | | | Kim, who has an appreciation for Porsche |
| character created on a website intended for | | | | herself and toured a factory while visiting |
| Porsche automobiles specifically the Boxster. | | | | Germany a few years ago, continued they |
| The man behind it was Charles "Chuck" | | | | didn't realize how big an impact the site |
| Hammersmith of Burlington. | | | | made for the past 10 years. The daughter |
| | | | added her dad never really wanted to take |
| In July 1, Hammersmith died at the age of 53. | | | | credit for anything he did. |
| He pioneered the Web site, or Porsche Pete's | | | | |
| Boxster Board, one of the first Internet | | | | Hammersmith wasn't able to make it to the 9th |
| message boards on the subject, and the most | | | | annual gathering last month, where Boxster |
| active devoted to the Boxster, Porsche's | | | | friends spent four days driving along the |
| best-selling car. The website might also have | | | | 400-mile Blue Ridge Parkway's winding |
| an insight on Porsche 944 parts. | | | | mountain roads. |
| | | | |
| While Hammersmith had been charmed by | | | | Gordon Mckeehan, parts manager at Porsche |
| Boxsters since before he could drive, friends | | | | dealer Suncoast Motorsports, said the honor |
| from his message board say that the car | | | | was his and the other employees, to sell |
| particularly interested him because it was | | | | Hamersmith his last Boxster in 2003. |
| the first Porsche made available to a wider | | | | |
| audience. Before his first Boxster, the | | | | Cecil Thorpe, one of the site's |
| fanatic owned three 911s. | | | | administrators said that since the opening of |
| | | | the website, Porsche owners and other |
| Porsche fans organized the Blue Ridge Boxster | | | | self-designated "car geeks" have posted |
| Summit in Blowing Rock, where users have met | | | | millions of messages on the message board. |
| for the last nine years. That's because of | | | | |
| Hammersmith's site. | | | | Thorpe said the discussions on the board are |
| | | | monitored by Porsche's corporate headquarters |
| Karl Folkens, a South Carolina resident and | | | | to learn what owners like and don't like |
| administrator, said that the biggest thrill | | | | about the vehicle. |
| for many who attended the first and | | | | |
| subsequent summits, was meeting "Porsche | | | | The loss was especially difficult for Robert |
| Pete" in person. He continued that one got | | | | Granger, Hammersmith's co-host from Texas. |
| the sense he's a pistol-pulling kind of guy | | | | |
| form the website, but in person one would | | | | In an email, Granger implied that Chuck's |
| find he's very mild mannered. | | | | philosophy has always been really so special. |
| | | | |
| Kim, Hammersmith's daughter, said that her | | | | Aside from meeting Hammersmith at Boxster |
| dad was never the spotlight dominant, and | | | | gatherings, Granger had met Hammersmith's |
| would have been surprised by all the | | | | daughters, and was especially amazed by the |
| appreciation he received since his death | | | | father's love for them. He said that other |
| began to spread. Thousands of posts are on | | | | than a true Boxster fanatic, Chuck's real |
| the Web site, highlighting Hammersmith | | | | pride and joy were his two girls, Kim and |
| through memories and photos. | | | | Sarah. He added Chuck never missed a chance |
| | | | to brag on them. |