Last month I shared a quick overview of the Fast, Flowing, and Open OKC Parade AutoX. Not coincidentally, this same approach was used for the Porsches@TheRock CVR AutoX course, and it produced the same great results. Take a look at this month’s “Fast Rock Park” article to see how that record-setting day turned out.

Now, I want to share a few more of the special OKC Parade highlights, as a glimpse into getting ready for next year’s Parade in nearby Lake Placid, NY, starting on June 14^th.

Porsche Cars North American Cup: CVR’s famous Hoffman Cup AutoX Run Off has gone National, thanks to the support of PCNA. To get an invite, you had to win your combined Open and Women’s Parade AutoX car class, or be within ½ second of that time. This simplified approach was appreciated by all and led to a smooth-running, fantastically fun event right after the Day 2 Parade AutoX was finished. Being held on the same course, Round 1 of the PCNA Cup tested all 18 participants in one of two identical 600HP 2025 Macan e-Turbos, with the top half advancing to Round 2. Those drivers hopped into a 2025 Taycan GTS, with the top half advancing to Round 3, where they drove a 2025 911 GTS T-Hybrid. The winner of the PCNA Cup was the driver with the lowest combined time from all 3 rounds. As you can imagine, this put a premium on setting a blistering run in each car, one you had never driven before, and not hitting any cones. The wide gates helped, as did the open course, but as always, driver skill is what set apart the winner. For the others, it was a chance to see what these new cars were like when pushed to their limits, while expanding their skills and experience.  

Having finished only 4^th in my Parade AutoX class, I didn’t get an invite, however, as PCA AutoX Chair, I took the opportunity to be the warm-up driver for each car. Hoffman Cup events have taught us that this is necessary to establish the base tire pressures and temperatures that we maintain after each run.

My impressions:

1. The Macan e-Turbo felt remarkably similar to the 2024 Taycan Turbo S I drove in the AutoX, even though it was about 4 seconds slower. If adjusted for treadwear ratings, it would have been only about 1-2 seconds slower. That was a pleasant surprise considering the differences in price and utility. I can see an eMacan in my future at some point, but we are loving our ICE Macan for now.  
2. The Taycan GTS was my favorite car; it did everything you asked of it, and quickly! It had a wonderful balance, no doubt aided by the stock Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS 180 treadwear-rated tires. I was 2.2 seconds faster in it than compared to the Taycan Turbo S with 300 treadwear tires. “Wow” I exclaimed as I got out with a big smile. I look at my 4^th place trophy with pride, knowing what could have been.
3. The 911 GTS T-Hybrid was the shocker. I also said “wow” when I got out but not with the same meaning. While I immediately felt the strong torque from the integrated electric motor, after that, the car fought me at every turn. It didn’t live up to the “seamless” reviews I had read, as it abruptly transitioned mid-turn when the ICE 6 downshifted back to 1^st gear to stay in its power band. Worse, the stability control refused to let my right foot decide how much power to roll on exiting tight corners, nor to push trail-braking deep into corners as a way to set up proper rotation. Maybe if we could have turned off stability control, things would have felt better, but I was not alone in this assessment. However, in fairness, the times were just a little slower than the Taycan GTS despite harder tires. Maybe my expectations were too high based on the remarkable Carrera T we got to drive at last year’s Parade AutoX Run-Off event. I’m sure that on the road, the hybrid system would be great, as you won’t be exploring the ultimate limits there.   

Overall, The PCNA Cup left huge smiles and provided great drama as each driver applied their skills. It’s an event worth trying to earn an invite to at the Lake Placid Parade AutoX, or for watching as the drama unfolds. You are guaranteed to witness some great driving in some impressive cars.     

2025 911 Club Coupe: While you can read in-depth articles elsewhere, let me just say that having been at the reveal of the first Club Coupe at the Hershey Parade, and seeing the next version as a big step forward from that, this latest version is truly lust-worthy. Being amongst the hundreds of PCA’ers at the Parade reveal made it even more so. With a masterful blend of unique touches that are so well and tastefully integrated, it’s hard to imagine a better 911 for enjoying PCA activities. Apparently, I didn’t win one of the 70 allocation spots, so I’ll have to hope one of these shows up at a CVR or Parade concours event, just to marvel at it again.    

F1 Movie: One of the few activities not related to AutoX that I had time to do at Parade was to see a screening of the new F1 movie. Thanks again to PCNA, a theater full of PCA members got an invite, complete with popcorn and a drink. Entering the theater full of Porsche enthusiast friends figuratively set the stage for a fun time. As a 47-year old F1 die-hard fan who’s witnessed races in three different countries, I was duly impressed with the realism and vibe of the movie, not to mention the spectacular cinematography and acting. It never felt hokey or FX’ed. I seldom recommend seeing a movie, but this is one not to miss.   

PCA 70^th Display: As a resource for Linda Goodman, PCA’s Historian, I had more insight into the 70^th display than most, and provided some of the content. As Challenge Co-Editors with Linda and her late husband Eric, Pam and I remain lifelong friends. I knew Linda’s leadership skills and hard work would not disappoint, but the display was truly a masterpiece that pulled on all of her knowledge, connections, and insights across PCA. You can see some of the short films on the PCA website that were shown at the OKC Parade, highlighting the different decades of PCA, but the crowning jewel of Linda’s efforts might be the emotional impact of the 69 Parade logo banners being marched into the Welcome Banquet that had to be witnessed. Bravo Linda!   OK, enough of OK: Time now to focus on NY and a return to Lake Placid for the next Parade. Block off the week of June 14-21, 2026, and sign up the moment registration opens (sometime in Jan-Feb). Unlike the last few Parades, this is sure to sell out almost immediately. I will be headed up to Lake Placid at the end of this month with a small Parade team to try and secure an AutoX site. In 1994, I was also Parade AutoX Chair and used the vast Plattsburgh AFB concrete to put on a memorable event. Now decommissioned and parsed up into Plattsburgh International Airport, it will be a struggle to convince the FAA and other authorities to let us use that area again. However, if anyone has the background to try, it’s me, so I’ll do my best. Taking over the whole town of Lake Placid with well over 1,500 Porsches and around 3,000 Parade attendees is something you really should experience!