P2O ATTRACTS 390 CARS
09/03/08 Filed in:Porsche
PORSCHES2OXFORD ATTRACTS 390 CARS
By Chris Rieman
It’s 6:00 a.m. on Saturday July 26,, 2008…and the sun is just beginning to reflect off the quaint brick streets of uptown Oxford, Ohio. Soon the early morning silence would be broken by the unique sound of hundreds of German engines -- as Porsches of all models, years, and colors invade this unique college town (the home of Miami University) located in the southwest corner of Ohio.
By 6:15 a.m., there are already more than seventy cars parked in place. Porsches2Oxford (P2O) has officially begun. Among the early arrivals are a yellow Carrera GT, a 1964 904 GT, a (real) 1973 911 RS, a 914/6, a soft-windowed 912 targa, and a Porsche tractor. Before it was all over, 390 Porsches from 17 states and Canada were spread out over an eight block area – representing a 54% increase over 2007!
P2O Chairperson Brice Kadel said, “Those of us now working with P2O weren’t smart enough to create this event…but we did understand that the formula was a real winner. Our goal from the beginning has been to host a one day Porsche party – one at which folks have such a good time that they tell their friends and come back year after year.”
The unique uptown Oxford venue is perfect for a car event. With restaurants and watering holes for every taste and budget, great shopping, spacious green spaces coupled with fountains, numerous hotels and motels within walking distance, and a permanent band shell that serves as event headquarters, it’s the perfect combination to welcome Porsche-lovers of all ages. Kadel added, “We realize that this unique uptown location is a very important part of the success of P2O. We’re lucky to have found such a great location. Without the assistance of Diana Durr, the Executive Director of the Oxford Visitor’s Bureau, we’d probably be trying to host this event out in the middle of a cornfield.”
So, what do people do from 6:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon? Well, they catch up with old friends, make new friends, eat, drink, look at cars, talk cars, buy products from the Griot’s Garage and Beechmont Porsche booths, attend informative seminars, vote for their ten favorite cars, and win more than $3500 worth of great door prizes. Along the way, they can see a lot of great Porsches. Three hundred ninety of them to be exact.
Chris Rieman who handles marketing for P2O said, “We really don’t do a lot more than provide a great location. With restaurants for every taste and pocketbook, plenty of local lodging, and a very helpful staff at the Oxford Visitors Bureau; all we have to do is get the word out. From there, those who come seem to create their own good time.”
What helps makes this event different is that it is a ‘non-profit’ event. All proceeds from attendees and sponsors are re-invested back into the event in the form of great door prizes (one in every five cars drives home with a prize). For only a $20 per car entry fee, attendees get an event T-shirt and poster, and a goodie bag full of great stuff.
For those attending, the beauty of Porsche2Oxford is that it can be a one day event or a full weekend excursion – with some attendees spending Friday and/or Saturday nights -- while others make the drive to Oxford and back home again all in the same day.
Many of those who arrive Friday tour the scenic 15,000 student campus and then scout out the downtown area for a prime parking space for early the next morning. A Friday night gathering of those who come early always takes place in one of the local eateries and this year was attended by more than 150 early arrivals.
When the awards ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m., there are more than 1000 Porsche-lovers surrounding the band-stand area. Trophies made from bricks (a symbol of the brick streets of Oxford) are given to the thirty-five cars that have gotten the most votes in the People’s Choice balloting. Unlike a stiff concours where cars are painstakingly gone over with a fine tooth comb, P2O lets attendees vote for their favorite cars based on any criteria they choose.
Diana Durr of the Oxford Visitors Bureau commented, “When we were first approached four years ago about hosting P2O, we thought they were dreaming when they said they hoped to have 500 cars here in 2009. Now, it looks like that is a real possibility. It says a lot for all the hard work that the P2O committee does to make it all happen. Their attention to detail as well as their goal to continually exceed the expectations of both their attendees and sponsors is paying big dividends. Folks return year after year and bring their friends. A Porsche-person can’t help but have a great time. It truly is a ‘casual Porsche party’”.
Always wishing to give something back to the community, this year P2O attendees raised $750 for the American Cancer Society through the sale of 50/50 tickets. Rieman said, “We felt it important to honor the contributions of MaryLynn Roe and Dale Knack – who both have been a big part of the success of this event.”
In 2009, Porsches2Oxford will take place on Saturday July 25th. For more information or to pre-register, please visit the P2O website at: www.porsches2oxford.com.
