Porsche Experience Day 2018

Yesterday, Mr. H, our contact at the Porsche dealership we use, kindly made a special trip to our home to deliver our tickets for Porsche Experience Day 2018. Inside were guest passes like this one,

and a parking pass.

You’ll need to show this pass to park in the guest parking area.
(I took a photo, but it came out too dark, so I borrowed this image.)

Apparently, our dealership alone has already sold 500 tickets, so I bet the event will draw a huge crowd of Porsche fans.

Event Details

Here’s the schedule for Porsche Experience Day:

・Dates: Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17, 2018
*We’re going on Sunday, June 17.
・Hours: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. both days
・Venue: Fuji Speedway, 694 Nakahinata, Oyama, Sunto District, Shizuoka 410-1307

This time, the entrance is the East Gate.

When we went to watch the WEC last year, we entered through the West Gate, so we’ll have to make sure we don’t go to the wrong one.

What’s the Main Attraction?

What I’m most excited about is, without a doubt, the Porsche Parade Lap. You can take your own Porsche for a parade lap around the main circuit. Places are limited to the first 70 entrants each day. Registration is apparently at the event plaza, where guest parking is located. It opens at 8:00 a.m., so I wonder if we’ll have to start lining up around 7:00.

The parade laps are scheduled after the Carrera Cup and other races have finished, so they start fairly late: 5:20 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. Race schedules often run significantly behind, though, so it could be even later.

As for what to wear:

Drivers: Long sleeves, long pants, and comfortable driving shoes(such as sneakers)
Passengers: The same attire as the driver is recommended

We were planning to go in our Boxster, but if we get the chance to drive on a race circuit, then—even if we can’t exactly put our foot down(it’s still a rare opportunity!)—maybe we should take the Panamera Turbo instead. I still haven’t decided; it may come down to the weather.

Other Activities

Here are a few other things I definitely want to check out:

① 70th Anniversary Photo Spot

A professional photographer will take a commemorative photo of you and your car. You can download the image straight to your smartphone at the event. Registration closes once the daily quota is reached.

② Special Display of Porsche Museum Cars

On the third floor of Pit Building A, they’ll be displaying the legendary Porsche 959 rally car and the new Cayenne alongside a look back at Porsche’s 70-year history. To be honest, I’m more interested in learning about that history than seeing the Cayenne or the 959! (laughs)

③ Pit Tour and Grid Walk

I’ve done pit walks and grid walks at Okayama International Circuit and Fuji Speedway, and getting to see the race cars up close was an unforgettable experience. I’m guessing it’ll be incredibly crowded this time, though, so if it gets too packed, I might give it a miss(I’m not great with crowds).

There’s also a Porsche lineup test-drive event, with the Macan and new models available to drive. But the route is apparently on public roads outside the venue… In that case, I can test-drive those cars at my usual dealership, so I think I’ll pass this time.

Planning Our Route for the Day

First things first: we have to register for the parade lap. We’ll aim to arrive before 8:00 a.m., then:

① Register for the parade lap → ② Sign up for the commemorative photo → ③ Check out the guest lounge → ④ Find out when the pit walk and grid walk are happening → ⑤ Browse the special displays and merchandise booths, and watch the races

That’s the plan, I think.

…Planning out the day like this makes me feel like we’re getting ready for a trip to Disneyland (-_-)

And then yesterday, we realized we hadn’t booked a place to stay(we’d both thought the other one had done it)! We scrambled to find a room a little farther away, but at least we’ve got one now. Phew. This is getting exciting!