Ferdi Porsche needs to be as avant-garde as his great-grandfather, Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche, and his father, Porsche chairman Dr. Wolfgang Porsche. An architect by training, Ferdi designed F. A. T. La first foreign ice race in Aspen, which will take place from February 8 to 10.
“I felt something was missing for the next generation of motorsport,” said the 30-year-old Porsche. “Aspen is well-known and great. You don’t want to convince other people to come here; they’re already there. It’s a lovely place. The main goal is for everyone to leave with a smile on their face. “
This weekend’s race, held at Tree Farm RFV in Carbondale and backed by leading partner Mobil 1, will create a first-of-its-kind scene in America. A variety of racecars and drivers from all different backgrounds will hit the icy roads, with lavish parties creating an exciting environment for attendees.
The concept of ice racing is not new. However, the novelty is to bring this type of racing to America. Zell am See, Austria, where ice racing began in 1952, home of the first F. A. T. Ice race on February 24th. This race was held in honor of Porsche’s founder, Professor Ferdinand Porsche, who died in 1951.
“It all started in Zell am See, where my family had a moment at home,” Porsche said. “They used to run on the frozen lake. 2019 was the first time we did it again. We discovered old photographs that showed how other people nearby were on the track and when the winner crossed the finish line, everyone was cheering them on. These images were so wonderful that we thought it would be smart to report them and it would be anything the Instagram era enjoyed. .
After two years of experimenting with ice racing in Europe, Covid-19 forced F. A. T. International to take a break. But in the break, Porsche and the other F. A. T. International started thinking about how to expand ice racing.
“We have the idea that we can take advantage of that,” Porsche said.
Patrick Long, Ryan Tuerck, Jade Avedisian, Loni Unser, Chris Forsberg, Henry Catchpole, Stéphane Ortelli and Porsche itself will be among those competing on ice in Aspen.
Cars for the Aspen event include: Le Mans-winning Porsche GT1-98, Hoonipigasus, 914 Safari, Lucy, Formula Supra, Toyota GR Cup car, Toyota Stout, Nissan Safari Rally Z Tribute, Half11 (half Porsche, half F1), Mobil 1 x Eurowise UA Overlander Porsche Cayenne and a Corvette E-Ray. And Mobil 1 executives were so excited about the event as part of the company’s 50th annivesary that they are also bringing some cars, including the debut of a vehicle.
“The more variety, the more laughter it becomes,” Porsche said of the other cars. “This opens it up to more people. Mobil 1 is known for its commitment to motorsport. They knew about the Austrian occasion and conceived it as a wonderful concept to start their 50th anniversary with us.
The name F. A. T. International comes from a French logistics company, known for its sponsorship in motorsport. F. A. T. International is no longer just an ice racing series, but a lifestyle logo in its own right.
However, making plans for such an occasion is not an undeniable task, even with the name Porsche. Fat. The foreign team had to convince the local government that this would be a valid occasion that would benefit the local community.
Tickets for the ice race are $1,911 each, and the four-night hotel packages featured at the race are sold out. People are willing to spend a lot of cash to see something unique.
The long term looks promising for F. A. T. International. Porsche believes this umbrella organization will grow, with track days and more events throughout the weekend, adding the option of more events in the United States. They are centrally located in Grossglockner, Austria, and this is where his grandfather tested cars.
“GREASE needs to celebrate automotive heritage,” Porsche said. “We’ll take it to the next generation to motivate them and just laugh with it. “