Long Pond, PA – I would argue, the best types of automotive events are ones that inspire their own community. A good and regular cars and coffee gathering might garner an intimate list of regulars. Within the Audi community, others such as TT East, TT West, Long Roof Rally, Camp allroad and Avantoberfest have netted such followings. More recent to the list is the Northeast RS 6 Treffen (a.k.a. NERS6T) put on by enthusiast and RS 6 owner from the very outset, Ray Reyes.
By the time the RS 6 Avant turned up on North American shores, Ray Reyes had already established himself as a willing hand raiser and leader in multiple Audi Clubs. The RS 6 may have been new to Ray when he planned the inaugural NERS6T gathering in Virginia back in 2021, but he was hardly new to Audi. Subsequent events saw the event shift to Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA where complementing a roll-racing weekend at the fabled NASCAR circuit offered both a picturesque backdrop and a form of automotive competition virtually made for the configuration of Audi’s big RS Avant.
Another good reason for the change can be attributed to RS 6 owner and enthusiast Constantine Boyadjiev (a.k.a. “Tino”) who lives in the area and has been offering his Garage Mahal in a nearby commercial garage as a welcome event and gathering space for several years. Boyadjiev owns both the Nogaro Blue RS2 Avant and the matching RS 6 RS Tribute edition seen in these photos.
The next day is the main show, a casual car show in the paddock at Pocono Raceway. The mix, quite obviously, is comprised mainly RS 6 Avants though other cars do straggle in. Often they’re driven by previous RS 6 owners who don’t currently own one, though picked up the habit of attending at a time when they did. I belong in that latter mix, parking my current car in a collection on the side made of mainly Porsche and Audi models.
Some come to compete, entering and partaking in the roll racing – effectively hitting the start at a cruising speed then hard straight-line acceleration through the finish. The formula is easier on the drivetrain of the big quattro-driven RS 6 Avant, while also well-paired with the car’s Autobahn-stormer levels of torque.
One of those competing was a familiar face. Like many others in attendance, I first met Himanshu Vyas on arrival night when he generously invited me to share a coffee he specializes in brewing out of the back of his Nardo Grey RS 6. The portable espresso maker is an Audi collection piece, proudly picked up during a visit to Audi’s hometown of Ingolstadt.
Himanshu chided me a bit that night when I’d first arrived at the welcome gathering. You see, in the span of time since I’d last seen him at a previous NERS6T, I’d sold my own RS 6 Tribute sold off to an enthusiast in Texas, turning up this year in an RS 5 competition that was quite obviously not a blue RS 6. He couldn’t believe I sold it. I tried to explain away my decision by mentioning concern over longterm depreciation, but Vyas whose mileage climbed out of extended warranty limits long ago is unfazed. For Vyas, his grey RS 6 fitted with Rotiform AVS wheels is a member of the family. He acquired it as a reward to himself for being able to afford purchasing it new and plans on handing it off to his son when the younger Vyas is old enough to drive it.
Can you imagine that as a first car?
At the time, I took another sip of coffee and tried not to feel guilty while glancing over at Tino’s own Nogaro Blue RS 6 “Tribute” across the lot. That car is identical to the one I sold, another of just 25 Audi built for the U.S.A. Mine was a total find. Seeing several at the first NERS6T in Virginia, I’d fallen in love. Several weeks later, I’d found #24 of 25 sitting in an Orange County Range Rover dealership’s used car inventory. I bought it, drove it to Monterey Car Week. It had gone to Amelia Island in Florida, Long Roof Rally in Vermont and hauled my family to vacation in Maine. Approaching 40,000 miles, I sold it off to an assuredly good home… but I will always have regrets. How can you not… especially over coffee at NERS6T?
Admitting as much out loud, Himanshu offers a sympathetic grin. He understands, though he’s made a different choice of which I suspect he’s immeasurably proud.
Two hours later the welcome event is over and I’m back at the rented AirBnB hanging out with the NERS6T production crew. Ray Reyes, the mastermind behind all of it, is sitting across from me at the kitchen table and sorting video and photos. His compatriots surround us in the ski rental’s kitchen. There’s more catching up, more chiding over former RS 6s, talk of jobs, politics and kids. There’s concern over whether the next RS 6 will be as good a the current car, or whether we’ll get an Avant here in the U.S.A. at all.
Ray’s recently sold his own RS 6 – his second, though he plans a third at some point. This weekend, he’s driving Tino’s Nogaro Blue example. Tino, as it turns out, is out of town and attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Goodwood’s a bucket list event so one can forgive this transgression. And, like the best community events, Tino probably has it on pretty good authority that attending next year’s NERS6T is probably money in the bank. Reliability is a key virtue of such gatherings.
If you’ve ever attended any of these sorts of gatherings, and I really mean any of the community-inspiring events listed here, you’ll recognize a parallel. Repetition of a winning model makes it a known quantity, while a schedule geared towards person-to-person socializing that proves much more important to generating strong friendships rather than simply parking in a spot for the day so you can win a trophy. It’s a shared experience sort of thing, and it keeps veterans coming back over-and-over. Like a good cars and coffee, you may miss an event here or there, but you can count on it and its regularity when the stars align and you can attend.
Show day came and passed too quickly. Here again, the formula honed. Beyond the show and the roll-racing, there are also the memorable parade laps that make for a most excellent photo shoot. There’s the trademark “raffle” whereby registered attendees get a set number of tickets to place in jars by prizes. Those prizes range from RS 6 parts and upgrades, to model cars, apparel and other items often donated by event sponsors.
And just like that, another year is in the books. If you missed it, well, you probably didn’t entirely miss it. At this point, NERS6T is like clockwork. That it will return with its winning formula is highly probable. You too can attend, preferably in an RS 6, though nobody’s going to stop you if you just come to admire the assembled long roofs as a spectator, or parking in the “non-RS 6” section as I did this year.
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