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