Connection with Porsche Japan

Why did you reach out to Sugawara-san instead of other players?

Rico: On the day of the finals at Fuji Speedway in June, Sugawara-kun approached me, and of course, his winning the race was also a connection.

As we communicated, I felt Sugawara-kun was a good person, easy to be around, honest, and serious about his work.

I felt a spark inside me.

Sugawara: No, I’m just bad at flattery.

Rico: What do you mean? (laughs)

Sugawara: I tend to say exactly what I think, without sugarcoating it like a typical Japanese person… Regarding the radio, I thought it sounded interesting, so I said “Sure.”

Rico: So at first, it was just the two of us starting it on our own.

How did it develop into an authorized channel by Porsche Japan?

Rico: We planned the show, wrote scripts, and thought, “One hour is fine… and the name can be something like ‘Cinderella at 11 PM’…” We announced it on Twitter, and two days before the broadcast, I was at a real PCCJ race as assistant MC.

Suddenly, Matsuoka-san from Porsche Esports Racing Japan called me over and said,

“By the way, you’re doing a GT Sport radio show, right? You can do it as an authorized Porsche channel.”

I was momentarily confused (laughs).

When I asked for details, Matsuoka-san said,

“What you’re trying to do really resonates with me and Porsche Esports Racing Japan. So Porsche Japan wants to support you.”

So suddenly, “GTsport Broadcast Station” was launched as an official channel. I was so excited I called Sugawara-kun immediately, but he didn’t answer.

After many calls, when he finally picked up, his first words were “Good morning.” But it was already afternoon (laughs).

I excitedly told him, “Hey, hey!!! Something amazing just happened!”

Sugawara: It really shows the power of human connections. Winning the Porsche GTSport race in June opened up many Porsche-related opportunities.

I’ve loved Porsche for a long time and have always used Porsche in the “GT Manufacturer Series” (a championship where drivers sign contracts with manufacturers and compete for wins).

I really love Porsche.

So I was very motivated for the June finals of “GT Sport Porsche Esports Racing Japan.” There were moments when I thought, “I might lose,” but luck was on my side, and I’m glad I won.

Winning there is why I’m here now.

Sugawara-san, were you always a car enthusiast?

Sugawara: Yes. I’ve liked cars since I was little. From about age five, I often went to watch races at circuits.

I used to watch the predecessor to Super GT, JGTC, and always watched PCCJ as a support race.

I didn’t go specifically for PCCJ, more like I watched it while attending other races. I loved the flat-six engine sound and thought, “Wow, Porsche is so cool,” as they roared down the home straight.

That’s when I became interested in Porsche.

Also, in one-make races, Porsche’s design is overwhelmingly cool. The cup cars don’t look like showroom cars with simple color changes; they look like full-on racing cars.

They’re fast and have a certain romance (laughs).

Plus, the street-legal Porsches have similarly great engine sounds. When I see them on the street, I naturally follow them with my eyes and eventually became a big Porsche fan.

What made you start playing GT on PlayStation?

Sugawara: On my sixth Christmas, Santa gave me a PS2, Gran Turismo 3, and a steering wheel controller.

I got hooked on racing games and didn’t play other types of games. I loved cars more than games, so I enjoyed racing games as a substitute for driving before I had a license.

Later, when I went to driving school to get my license, they told me, “Your driving is too smooth for a beginner. Be more cautious” (laughs).

Because I had knowledge of car behavior, I think I was better at driving than most beginners.