Porsche Sportscar Together Day

Last weekend, on June 15th (Sat) and 16th (Sun), I attended the once-a-year Porsche festival, the Porsche Sportscar Together Day 2019. This event is truly a Porsche immersion, featuring the new 911 on display, a Porsche circuit parade run, and Porsche race viewing—a celebration completely dedicated to Porsche.

Since I was attending with my kids this time, I thought it would be tough to travel overnight and then go straight to the event, so we decided to arrive the day before.

The cars we drove from home to Fuji were a 911 (964C2) and a Panamera. My husband was participating in the Saturday 911/Classic Contest with the 964, so the air-cooled was a must. I was also joining the Porsche Track Experience “Warm Up Light＋” in the Panamera, so that was a must too.

…So, naturally, we had to go with two cars again this time (laughs).

In today’s article, I’d like to share some of the most memorable events and moments from Porsche Sportscar Together Day 2019.

① New 911 (992) Display

On the afternoon of the 15th, I went to see the semi-finals of Porsche Esports Racing Japan (PERJ) at the venue, but when my daughters started making noise in the back, I was flustered when suddenly someone said, “Hello!”

Looking up, it was Alex from Porsche Japan’s product team! He often appears on this blog.

*When I visited Porsche Japan headquarters (2018.9)

*At the Macan sneak preview (2019.2)

Later, chatting with Alex and my husband, the topic turned to the “new 911 display.” When I said, “I saw the 911 displayed in the parking lot, but the heavy rain made it hard to get a good look,” Alex said:

Oh, it’s actually displayed on the 3rd floor of this building! Would you like me to explain it now?

He kindly gave us a detailed explanation.

The new 911 was one of the main highlights, as it was being publicly unveiled for the first time at Porsche Sportscar Together Day 2019.

Its exterior looked even cooler than in the photos and videos I had seen beforehand, with a fresh design that evokes the air-cooled era while feeling thoroughly modern. However, I was busy chasing my kids running around, so my husband listened to the explanations the whole time. I’ll share more about the new 911 in a separate article.

② Classic and Modern Porsche Legends Gathered

At the “911/Classic Contest” where my husband participated with the 964, there were many classic Porsche legends lined up, which was impressive. But just as impressive were the cars parked normally in the parking lot by participants and other event displays.

Some were cars I’d only ever seen in museums! Just looking around the parking lot could easily fill half a day. I don’t think there’s any other event in Japan where so many Porsches, old and new, gather in one place.

③ Race Viewing

This time, various Porsche races were held, including PCCJ(Porsche Carrera Cup Japan), PSCJ(Porsche Sprint Challenge Japan), and PCCA(Porsche Carrera Cup Asia).

Normally, PCCJ is mostly held as a support race for larger events, so opportunities to see such a Porsche-packed race are rare.

Watching the races live up close was incredibly thrilling. The engine sounds, speed, and heart-pounding race developments made it a full sensory experience that was very enjoyable.

Fuji Speedway offers various viewing spots beyond the main stand, such as the Advan Corner (hairpin) and Prius Corner, so changing locations lets you enjoy different perspectives of the race.

Although qualifying was canceled on the 15th due to heavy rain, the 16th was sunny, and the 30-minute race flew by.

Thanks to Porsche Japan’s kindness, I was able to interview Ukyo Sasahara, who is racing this season as a Porsche Japan junior driver in the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan (PCCJ). I’ll share that interview in a future article.

Also new this year was the Porsche Esports Racing Japan (PERJ) semi-final and final races. PERJ is a collaboration with the PlayStation 4 (PS4) game Gran Turismo SPORT, and at Porsche Sportscar Together Day 2019, fierce battles unfolded using simulators, just like real races.

My husband, who often plays racing games at home, was glued to the screen, muttering throughout:

Unbelievable, too good, no way, unbelievable…

(laughs)

While racing in events like Carrera Cup requires significant funding and isn’t easy to enter, esports only require buying a game console, making it a great way to expand the fan base. But with a lower barrier to entry, the competition must be fierce.

Personally, I’d love to see how fast esports champions and top finishers would be if they actually drove Carrera Cup cars or RSRs. (Though realistically, that’s unlikely, haha)

④ Meeting Fellow Porsche Enthusiasts

One of the best parts of Porsche Sportscar Together Day was meeting Twitter followers, blog readers, and many new people in person.

I had made a “Porsche Came to Our Home” T-shirt beforehand and, despite feeling a bit embarrassed to wear it, I bravely wore it, which led some people to recognize me and say hello. I think I met about 10 people this way.

When I shared these T-shirts and some other designs on Twitter, they unexpectedly became popular, and many people said “I want one!”, so I’m preparing to sell them on UT now (laughs).

Everyone I met at the event was friendly, warm, and wonderful, reaffirming my belief that Porsche fans are truly great people! (laughs)

I also reunited with Yamaken, the head of HOC (Heisei Owners Club) and a member of the Yusaku Maezawa Supercar Project, @yamaken_hoc, and met his friend Kacchan.

My husband and I had a great time chatting about air-cooled cars and sports cars with them; both were very nice young men.

(*Sneaky shot of Yamaken, Kacchan, and my husband)

⑤ Kids’ Corner and Facilities

As a parent attending with kids, I appreciated that there was a kids’ corner in the lounge. However, it was tucked away in the back, so I didn’t notice it until the second day.

Once we found it, the kids played there nonstop, made friends, and had a great time, which was a relief for me as a parent.

There was also another kids’ area with mini cars and go-karts, but my kids were too shy to ride them… too bad (–_-)

⑥ Parade Run

Driving on the Fuji Speedway in the parade run was a lot of fun. It’s rare to drive your own car on a circuit, and for people like me who don’t want to go to a dedicated track day, this was a perfect opportunity.

The circuit is wide and grand, and just being there lifts your spirits. The actual course has many more ups and downs than it looks on screen, letting you really feel the challenge and fun of the track.

While running down the home straight, I imagined, “How amazing it would be to have this packed with spectators and be in first place here,” which was fun to daydream about (laughs).

We did the parade run on the 15th in heavy rain, so we couldn’t see Mt. Fuji, but last year it was sunny, and being able to glimpse Mt. Fuji while driving the circuit was an incredible feeling.

⑦ Behind the Scenes of Motorsports

This time I didn’t join the grid walk or pit walk where you can get up close to Carrera Cup cars, but from previous visits, seeing engineers working behind the scenes and rows of thick tires ready to go was eye-opening.

When watching races, you usually only see the “machine” and the “driver”, but many people work behind the scenes to make a race happen.

I personally enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes side (having planned and managed events in my previous job). For such a large-scale event, I can only imagine how many people are involved and how challenging the preparation and operation must be.

I stayed until the event ended and saw the vehicle removal and staff gathering with smiles, exchanging thanks. Seeing these behind-the-scenes moments made me deeply moved, thinking, “This event exists because of these people.”

Points to Look Forward to

This is more a circuit issue, but I felt that Fuji Speedway has some challenges with barrier-free access. We brought a stroller this time, but there was no elevator (or if there was, we couldn’t find it), so we had to fold and carry the stroller up and down stairs multiple times. Eventually, I ended up carrying the stroller with my younger daughter in it so many times that I got a mild muscle ache (laughs).

I guess not many people bring very small kids to circuits, but it would be nice if the venue were more accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.

Also, the catering on the first day in the lounge was tasty but the portions were small. After participating in the Porsche Track Experience, I had a late lunch before 2 pm (I’d heard lunch was served until 3 pm), but most of the food was gone with no refills, which was a bit disappointing.

On the other hand, there were plenty of drinks like tea and juice, and I lost count of how many I had. Thank you! (laughs)

My husband said:

In IT industry events, user sessions are common and fun. This event had over 2,000 participants, so since Porsche fans and owners gather here, it would be great to have owner presentations or live Q&A sessions with Porsche Japan about new models. That would help users bond. I’d even speak at a user session myself (laughs). Presenting is my profession after all.

In Closing

Overall, it was a very fun and fulfilling event, and when we left Fuji Speedway on Sunday night, I felt like I was in a “Sazae-san” mood (the feeling after a busy weekend) (laughs).

On the way home, watching my husband drive the air-cooled car ahead, I suddenly remembered:

I once wrote on the blog about my dream to go touring together as a couple with two cars.

When I wrote that, with the kids being small, I thought it would be at least 10 years before we could do that. But now, here we were, actually touring with two cars.

Of course, with two noisy kids along, the trip had its challenges, but I was so happy that something I hoped for had come true.

I also have another dream to go overseas to watch F1 and races, and write blog articles from Apple Stores or cafes abroad (laughs), but I hope to take steps toward that without giving up.

I definitely want to attend this event again next year with my family! Thank you all so much!