The first RPM was held in 1997 in Shenandoah Region member Alex Smith’s backyard to celebrate camaraderie and Porsche. The annual event has grown tremendously since that humble beginning.
Last year’s event was held at Dover Hall had 300 participants and over 175 cars to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Porsche Club of America which was one of the largest celebrations on the East Coast.
This year’s RPM on September 11th and 12th at Richmond Raceway will be one of the largest PCA events in the area. A two-day, action packed gathering of passionate Porsche members doing what they love best—enjoying their cars and interacting with the terrific people we have in PCA. For the second year in a row, both the First Settlers Region and the Shenandoah Region will be co-sponsors and, naturally, members from all PCA Regions are invited.
The event starts on Friday night at the newly constructed Richmond Porsche dealership who will host the RPM Cocktail Party.
On Saturday the day begins with the optional autocross at the Richmond Raceway. An autocross course laid out the .75-mile track which will include the 14-degree banked turns and the 860-foot back straightaway. Observing the drivers as they exited the track last year, one thing was consistent, they all had an ear-to-ear smile on their faces saying, “this is awesome!”. The autocross is open to beginners. Food will be available for purchase for the autocrossers. This is the first time we have combined the autocross action and car show on the same day and at the same location.
The RPM main event is the attendee-judged Porsche Corral on display along pit row. Trophies for eight different classes will be awarded after lunch in the Torque Room Tower. Incidentally, attendees will have a tremendous view of the autocross action from the Torque Room Tower which is like a giant skybox with two bars, a lounge and dining area.
The RPM luncheon, served in the Torque Room Tower, includes Mr. Colin Dougherty from DAS Sport as keynote speaker. In addition, there will be a silent auction with cool stuff (think a Tag Heuer watch and Pappy Van Winkle bourbon) as well as a display of high-end die cast racing and Porsche model cars that will be available for sale. In addition to this you will be able to move through an underground tunnel to Pitt Lane where DAS Sport will have their cars on display in the garages as well as view all the cars competing in the corral.
We will complete the event in mid-afternoon with a driving tour departing from Richmond Raceway beginning with two laps around the track. The drive’s destination is a craft brewery with arcade games.
We hope this has provided a detailed overview of what the RPM weekend entails. This fun packed weekend is one of the largest events in our regions. Come celebrate 70 years of Porsche Motorsport and the 29th year of the Richmond Porsche Meet!
We can’t hold events like this without excellent corporate sponsors and this year they include Fink Jewelers, DAS Sport, Cole Scrogham’s Madison Auto Apprentice Program, and STM Die Cast.
Please visit www.richmondporschemeet.com for registration information, to volunteer, view maps, and see sponsor information.
This link will take you directly to all our RPM videos.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions that you might have about the RPM Fun Experience Weekend.
Jonathan Perelman, President of SRPCA
Richard Cao, President of FSR
