Porsche Club of America, Inland Empire Region

The area the region covers

The home page dates the region to March 1968 and gives its territory as Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties, reaching into the high desert toward Las Vegas and south through the southern deserts. It calls the region one of the largest by area in PCA’s Zone 8 and counts more than 830 members. The History page, written more recently, counts more than 760 and names only Riverside and San Bernardino counties, from the high desert down to Palm Springs. The site uses both of the region’s names, Riverside Region and Inland Empire.

The About page notes that the original territory later gave rise to the Las Vegas, Vineyard and Palm Springs regions. PCA’s region finder returns Inland Empire for Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario and Corona ZIP codes.

How Riverside began

Before 1968, an owner in Riverside, Redlands or the desert who wanted PCA events drove about 100 miles each way to the Los Angeles Region, per the History page. Sierra Porsche-Audi opened in Riverside in 1967 and became the local owners’ hangout, and their requests to PCA produced the Riverside Region in March 1968 with 28 founding members. They went to track events at Riverside, Laguna Seca and Las Vegas, won enough autocross trophies to earn the nickname Rowdy Riverside, and reached 100 members in the early 1980s.

In the 1990s a member acquired a 1964 Porsche 901 known as #20, one of the earliest 911s imported into the United States. Members donated parts from their own early 911s, and the car was restored almost entirely in Riverside before going to Reno for paint. It now sits in the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the region still runs tours to see it.

Breakfast and the calendar

Breakfast on the first Saturday of the month is the region’s fixed event. The region’s Track Rabbit listing places it at All Star Drafts Sports Bar and Grill at Dos Lagos in Corona and calls it a standing first Saturday date: members gather at 8:45am at the Cars and Coffee Corona show, then meet at the restaurant at 9am, when it opens early for the club. The listing asks people not to go in before 9am and notes that alcohol is not included.

Drives, tours, tech sessions and after-breakfast events fill the rest of the calendar, and the History page names the Porsche Timeline Exhibition as the region’s signature event. Drives often cross region lines: PCA-LA’s past events list includes joint drives with the Riverside Region to Lake Arrowhead and to Big Bear on CA-38 for Porsche Sportscar Together Day.

Pearls of Porsche is the region’s women’s group, which its page describes as focused on connection, community and driving with purpose. Its Pearl Philanthropy arm raises money for local women’s organizations. The page still lists its kick-off event as to be announced.

New members

The region has moved event registration and member communications to Track Rabbit. A free account plus a spot on its newsletter list keeps a member on the mailing, and members who sign up receive a key chain provided by Corner Exit. Name badges for members and their associate or family members are ordered there too, engraved with the name on the Track Rabbit account. The About page invites people who are not PCA members yet to come to an event and “kick some tires.” Driven Life’s PCA overview covers national dues and the join form.