It’s 7 a.m. on a Sunday outside Parking Lot 7. The sound of engines roaring and smell of gasoline builds excitement for car owners and enthusiasts as they drive into Pierce College.
Supercar Sunday is the creation of Pierce alum Dustin Troyan, whose passion for cars and community led him to start his first car event 20 years ago. Since then, he has established partnerships with Porsche of Woodland Hills and Pierce, which has helped the events thrive.
The car event had been on a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, but was back this weekend in full throttle mode, bigger than before. Hundreds of spectators came to see the cars on display including exotics, classics and one-of-a-kinds.
“I believe in people, in helping and adding value to their lives,” Troyan said. “If you look around the event, we have all kinds of socio-economic classes, races, religions, celebrities and cops. Everyone is united. That’s why I do it. It’s about community. I wasn’t sure what to expect today after being away so long, but there’s a lot of happy people walking around.”
The event is loaded with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, classics and novelty cars. There’s something for everyone at Supercar Sunday whether you’re an onlooker, photographer, or just wanting to get outside the event is free to the public.
“It’s my first time at this event. I came with my grandson who’s into fast cars. He heard about it and invited me to join him. I’ve never seen so many Porsches in one place,” Joseph Wong said.
Aside from the car event, Troyan believes in giving back to the community his connections have helped foster an internship program with Pierce’s Automotive Service Technology department (AST), where students who graduate from AST can find a pathway into a paying job in the automotive industry.
“Pierce College is wonderful,” Troyan said. “Alex, John and the team from the Pierce Automotive are out here every Sunday. We’ve partnered with them on many projects. There’s a lot of good synergy when you’re dealing with passionate people.”
As onlookers glaze in awe over their dream cars, the event is more than just supercars, there’s a unique community behind it and for the last two years those missed social interactions with other car owners and enthusiasts could be felt but many are thankful to be back engaging with one another once again.
“I was telling my friends that I haven’t been to a gathering like this in over two years because of COVID, and seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces is such a great feeling,” attendee Jeff Gilliam said. “I don’t think I’ve been to a car show this size. This is over the top.”
Supercar Sunday will continue its weekly run, from 7 to 10 a.m., free to the public. For more information about future events, please visit www.supercarsunday.com
