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September 4–6, 2026 · Virginia International Raceway

The world's largest gathering
of Porsche 944s.

Three days at VIR. Four hundred cars, and a weekend full of Transaxle Goodness. Twenty five years in. This is the one.

Register Your Spot See What's Happening
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The Dates

September 4–6, 2026

Thursday is arrival day · See the full schedule

The Place

Virginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia · How to get there

Event Week · Know Before You Go

Read this before you roll in.

Getting In

  • The gate is staffed 24/7. 944Fest is a private event, and your online registration put you on the gate list. Give them your name and you're in.
  • Staying in VIR lodging on site? The gate has your room keys, even after hours.
  • Thursday load-in: VIR opens the gates for us at 5:30 PM. Get there earlier and you'll stage in the lot just outside the front gate. Bring a chair; that lot is where the weekend starts.

Check In at The Gallery

First stop once you're through the gate: The Gallery, home base for the weekend. Check in with 944Fest, grab your goodie bag, T-shirt, and wristband, and get anything else you need.

Camping

  • Primitive camping areas are marked on the map. No power, no water.
  • North Paddock camping is fair game too. Power lives at every light pole; VIR requires a power tag on your cord, sold at the track for an additional cost.
  • Garage fronts are spoken for. The parking spots directly in front of each garage belong to whoever rented that garage. Don't camp there unless it's yours.

Tap the map to open it big, then pinch or scroll to zoom. Pink is camping. Orange is staging: parade laps up by the North Paddock, the Friday photo shoot down by Patriot. The red building in the middle of it all is The Gallery. Open it in a new tab if you'd rather.

The Weekend · At a Glance

Where to be, when.

The quick list. The storytelling version lives on the schedule page. HPDE drivers, your day runs on its own clock; run groups, tech, and classroom times are just below.

Thursday

Sept 3 · Arrival

  • 3:00 PM Staging lot opens
    Hangout outside the front gate
  • 5:30 PM Gates open
    Main gate · you're on the list
  • 6:30 PM HPDE early tech
    Tech Shed · beat the morning line
  • Evening Transaxle Lounge
    Oak Tree Tavern · food available

Friday

Sept 4

  • All day HPDE, Grand Course East
    Schedule in the HPDE section
  • Fri + Sat PCA Juniors kids' activities
    The Gallery · ongoing all weekend
  • Midday Track Heroes burgers
    In the paddock
  • 12:30 PM Parade laps
    Staging area marked on the map
  • 5:30 PM On-track photo shoot
    Stage at Patriot, on the map · four wide from Oak Tree · out by 6:15 · see the lineup plan
  • 7:00 PM Go-Kart Enduro SOLD OUT
    VIR kart track · burgers all evening
  • Evening Transaxle Lounge
    Oak Tree Tavern · food available

Saturday

Sept 5

  • 7–9 AM Road Rally waves depart SOLD OUT
    From The Gallery
  • All day HPDE, Full Course
    Schedule in the HPDE section
  • All day PCA Tech Quiz
    The Gallery · turn in by 5:00 PM
  • 12:30 PM Parade laps
    Staging area marked on the map
  • 2–5 PM Car show lineup
    The Gallery
  • 3:00 PM PCA Juniors judging meets
    The Gallery · 3:00 to 3:30
  • 3:30 PM PCA Tech Talk
    The Gallery
  • 5:30 PM Awards Dinner
    The Gallery · awards at 6:30

Sunday

Sept 6

  • Morning Pancake Breakfast & Syrup Swap
    Track Heroes tent · until the batter runs out
  • Morning HPDE final sessions
    Full Course · tech opens 7:30 AM
  • 12:30 PM Final parade laps
    Last time on the front straight this year
  • After Event wraps
    Hugs, handshakes, see-you-next-years

HPDE · Driver Reference

HPDE quick notes.

The reference version. Friday runs the Grand Course East (4.20 mi); Saturday and Sunday run the Full Course (3.27). Same daily schedule all three days, subject to change, so listen for announcements. The full rules live in the PDF below.

Tech checklist

  • Snell-rated helmet, SA2020 or newer. DOT helmets are not allowed.
  • Tech form printed, filled out, and in hand when you pull up.
  • Loose items out, floor mats included.
  • Numbers are provided at tech. Already have your own? That works; they'll be recorded there.

Tech & check-in times

  • Thursday 6:30 PM at the Tech Shed. Tech early Thursday if you can; it beats the morning line.
  • Friday 6:30 AM · Saturday 6:30 AM · Sunday 7:30 AM
  • Go to tech first when you arrive. Running late? Head to tech whenever you roll in and we'll get you out for what's left of the day.

Students & instructors

  • Pairs are already matched and should be in contact. Stay in touch before your day. Can't reach yours? Let us know.
  • Novice classroom is mandatory between every session. Have to miss one? Talk to the classroom instructor first.
  • Meet your instructor outside the classroom after your first session. Pick a different spot together after that if you like.
  • Solo and advanced groups each have one mandatory classroom after their first session on track.

Daily run schedule

Same all three days · subject to change

  • 6:30 AM Tech & check-in opens (Sunday 7:30)
  • 8:00 AM All-hands meeting · mandatory
  • 8:30 AM Advanced · Black
  • 9:00 AM Novice · Green
  • 9:30 AM Intermediate · Blue
  • 10:00 AM Instructors · Red
  • 10:30 AM Advanced · Black
  • 11:00 AM Novice · Green
  • 11:30 AM Intermediate · Blue
  • 12:00 PM Instructors · Red
  • 12:30 PM Lunch
  • 1:30 PM Advanced · Black
  • 2:00 PM Novice · Green
  • 2:30 PM Intermediate · Blue
  • 3:00 PM Instructors · Red
  • 3:30 PM Novice · Green
  • 4:00–5:30 Open track · Blue, Black, and Red together (Green does not run)

Classroom schedule

One classroom, North Paddock · sessions run back to back

  • Novice · Green (between every session, mandatory)
    8:15–8:45 AM · 10:00–10:30 AM · 3:15–3:45 PM
  • Intermediate · Blue (after your first run, mandatory)
    10:30–11:15 AM
  • Advanced · Black (after your first run, mandatory)
    11:15 AM–12:00 PM

Every group shares the one classroom, so clear out when yours wraps. It's in the North Paddock, next to the garages, marked on the map.

Full HPDE Rules (PDF) Tech Inspection Form (PDF) HPDE Home

What 944Fest Actually Is

A lot more than just another
Track Weekend.

There are bigger Porsche events. There is not a bigger 944 event. 944Fest is the once a year reunion of the Porsche transaxle community [ 924, 944, 951, 968, and 928 ].

Yes, there is track time. HPDE sessions are a huge part of the weekend. But 944Fest is not just about track driving. It is the Road Rally, the Go Kart Enduro, the Car Show, camping next to your car, kids activities, southern BBQ, and a paddock full of people who understand.

You do not need the perfect car. You do not need fresh paint, big power, or a trailer full of spares. You do not need to know anyone before you arrive.

Drive in. Trailer in. Fly in and grab a rental.

By Saturday night, you will have people to sit with, cars to talk about, and plans forming for next year.

And no, bringing a Porsche transaxle car is not required. If you own one, used to own one, want one, miss one, or just like hanging around the crowd that keeps them alive, you belong at 944Fest.

500+
ATTENDEES
400+
CARS
25
YEARS
Hundreds of transaxles at VIR
FEST

Who's coming

The Attendance Map.

Loading the map…

Every registered car gets a dot. The map updates every hour.

Add your dot See the full map

Here for the track?

Sign up for HPDE.

Three days of run groups on the VIR Grand Course and Full Course. Novice, Intermediate, Advanced. Up to 2.5 hours of track time per day. Track space is limited and will sell out.

Register for HPDE See HPDE Details
Not here for just the HPDE? Keep scrolling. There's a lot more weekend.

944Fest Activities

Build your weekend.

Attendee registration covers most of your weekend: meals, parade laps, car show, dinner, the works. A few activities are paid add-ons for the people who want them. Here are the highlights.

944 on track at VIR
Add-on

HPDE

Three days, three run groups, two VIR configurations. Drive your car the way it was built to be driven.

Learn more →
Row of 944s at The Gallery
Included

Car Show

You don't enter. If you're at 944Fest, you're already in it. Judges have eyes everywhere, all weekend.

Learn more →
Line of cars on a country road
Sold out
Add-on · Sold Out

Road Rally

Saturday morning scenic drive to lunch in the foothills. Seventy cars, all spoken for.

Learn more →
Pack of cars on VIR's front straight
Included

Parade Laps

Three lunches, three parade laps. Any car, any driver, no helmet, passengers allowed. Everyone gets on the track.

Learn more →
Karts stacked up in a corner
Sold out
Add-on · Sold Out

Go-Kart Enduro

Friday night. Ten random teams of four. Two hours of wheel-to-wheel chaos. By the time it's over, everyone knows everyone.

Learn more →
Oak Tree Tavern at night, people talking
Included

Transaxle Lounge

Thursday night meet-and-greet at Oak Tree Tavern. The weekend starts here.

Learn more →
The Gallery packed wall to wall for the awards dinner
Included

Awards Dinner

Saturday. Brisket and pulled pork at The Gallery, then 25+ trophies made from real 944 pistons.

Learn more →
Pancakes on a paper plate, syrup bottles lined up
Included

Pancake Breakfast

Sunday morning. Pancakes are the vehicle. The Syrup Swap is the point.

Learn more →
See all the activities → Jump straight to registration →
50th anniversary of the Porsche transaxle shirts are here, 1976-2026

The Weekend · Thursday to Sunday

Four days
transaxle wanderland

Thursday

Anticipation Day
  • Afternoon Hang-out area outside the gates for early arrivals
  • 5:30 PM Gates open
  • 6:30 PM Early-bird HPDE tech & check-in opens
  • Evening Transaxle Lounge meet-and-greet at Oak Tree Tavern

Friday

Track Is Running
  • 6:30 AM HPDE tech & check-in
  • 8:30 AM HPDE sessions on the VIR Grand Course (until 5:30 PM)
  • Lunch Track Heroes burgers in the paddock + parade laps
  • 5:30 PM Group photo, every car on the main straight
  • 7:00 PM Go-Kart Enduro at the VIR karting track · Sold Out

Saturday

Pick A Lane
  • 6:30 AM HPDE tech & check-in
  • Morning HPDE on the VIR Full Course
  • 7:00 AM or Road Rally waves leave The Gallery until 9:00, lunch in the foothills
  • 12:30 PM Parade laps
  • 2–5 PM Car Show lineup at The Gallery
  • 5:30 PM Awards Dinner · awards & door prizes 6:30 PM

Sunday

The Slow Exhale
  • Morning Pancake Breakfast & Syrup Swap at the Track Heroes tent
  • 7:30 AM HPDE tech & check-in
  • Morning HPDE on the VIR Full Course
  • 12:30 PM Final parade laps
  • After Event wraps after the final HPDE session
See the full schedule → or just register →

The Stuff That Makes It 944Fest

The weird
good stuff.

Every event has its quirks. Here are some of ours.

Hardware

Piston Trophies.

Real pistons, rods still attached, standing piston-face-down with the rod pointing up through a clear acrylic disc printed with the category. Painted in fun colors.

Sunday Morning pancakes

The Syrup Swap.

Sunday morning at the Pancake Breakfast. People bring syrups from everywhere: maple from Vermont, prickly pear from Arizona, something genuinely strange from British Columbia. The pancakes are the vehicle. The syrups are the point.

The Jury Has Spoken

Kid's Choice.

Kids 15 and under walk the car show together with a guide and pick their favorite. The most honest vote of the weekend. Their parents take it very personally.

Free Lunch, No Catch

Track Heroes Burgers.

Free at Friday lunch and the Friday enduro. Donations appreciated. This isn't catering: it's a small team of volunteers grilling for 500 people because they want to. Say thank you.

The Car Show Has No Entry Form

Judges Everywhere, All Weekend.

You don't enter the car show. If you're at 944Fest, you're in it. The judges are looking at your car in the paddock, at the gas pump, in the campground. You don't need to be parked up front.

Celebrating The Ordinary

Most Quotidian 944.

A trophy for the most beautifully ordinary 944. Guards Red, faded. Phone dial wheels. Sixty-series tires. Dash cracks. A couple cracks in the seats. No mods. The perfect unremarkable 944. We love it.

For First-Timers

I don't know
anyone here... yet.

Coming in solo, or with one other person? Don't fret! 944Fest is a welcoming group of people just like you. By Saturday night, you'll already be planning next year with people you met on Thursday.

The whole weekend is built around introductions. Random kart enduro teams. A shared dinner. Parade laps where everybody gets the same straight. There is no inside crowd. We're all the inside crowd.

If this is your first 944Fest, you're in exactly the right place.

“Roll in as a stranger. Roll out with a hundred new friends.”

944Fest mascot waving you over to lend a hand

Lend A Hand

944Fest runs on people like you.

Volunteers Instructors Propaganda Press

How We Got Here

A backyard cookout.
Then a real track.
Then the world.

944Fest started as a backyard gathering outside Cleveland. Grill, burgers, a handful of friends who'd found each other through the earliest forums and figured their cars deserved more credit than they were getting.

Those backyards became a Ski Lodge (that was wild), then a real race track, Nelson Ledges. Then Mid-Ohio, then back to Nelson. A couple of early years at VIR, then back to Nelson again. Summit Point was on the books for 2020, until the world ran out of toilet paper and that one got scrapped, so, back to Nelson. Nelson always took us back. And now we're back at VIR, but there are more of us. A lot more. We've outgrown most tracks' ability to host us, and we're not the most modest people about that.

In 2026, we're at Virginia International Raceway, and it's our 25th year. Attendees fly in from Canada, Germany, the UK. There are bigger Porsche events. There are not bigger 944 events. And there is no place in the world you will see more Porsche transaxles in one spot.

This is the one.

Where It Started

Some Backyards near Cleveland

Ohio

First Real Venue

Snow Trails Ski Lodge

Garrettsville, Ohio

First Real Track

Nelson Ledges Road Course

Garrettsville, Ohio

Moving up

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Lexington, Ohio

Back to Nelson

Nelson Ledges Road Course

Garrettsville, Ohio

2015-2016

Virginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia

Back to Nelson

Nelson Ledges Road Course

Garrettsville, Ohio

2020 Toilet Paper Apocalypse

Summit Point (Almost)

CANCELED

Back to Nelson

Nelson Ledges Road Course

Garrettsville, Ohio

2025 - 2026 - HOME

Virginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia

That was the short version

Here's the long version.

Twenty-five years, every track, every back-to-Nelson and the one that got away. The whole 944Fest story.

The Practical Stuff

Plan your weekend.

Each of these has a full page with everything you'd want to know.

How to Arrive

Getting There.

VIR is in Alton, Virginia, four hours from D.C. and three from Charlotte. Fly into Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, or Richmond. We've got the routes mapped.

Getting There →

Sleep Here

Where to Stay.

Pit Lane rooms above the garages. The Lodge. Villas. RV hookups. Nearby hotels if you'd rather sleep off-site. Or pitch a tent. Primitive camping is included with your registration.

Lodging →

Your Registration Covers

What's Included.

Five hundred-plus attendees. Four meals. An event shirt. Camping all weekend. Five raffle tickets in your goodie bag. Parade laps, the car show, the off-road course, and the Lounge. All in.

Registration →

Area Attractions

Bringing the Family.

Kids get in free, and there's plenty to do, but there's also a whole world just outside the track. With wineries, hikes, shopping, and kids' activities within 30 minutes, no one will be bored.

Area Attractions →

September 4–6, 2026

Twenty-five years in.
Be there.

The world's largest gathering of Porsche 944s. Three days at VIR. Add your year.

Register for 944Fest 2026 See the Full Schedule
944
Fest