Passion
When Destiny Calls
There’s something about Ferrari cars that always leaves a mark, something that makes them unforgettable. In South Korea I don’t know any Ferrari owner at our Ferrari Owners Club - of
which I am president - who can’t recall the first Prancing Horse car they ever saw.
In my case, I was a young boy when a Rosso Corsa Ferrari 360 Modena glided past me along the streets of Seoul, the city where I have lived my entire life. It wasn’t just the beauty of the lines that struck me; it was also the awesome sound. I fell in love with Ferrari right away and from that time I dreamt that one day I would be able to own one.
Jay Park's fascination with Ferrari began when a Rosso Corsa 360 Modena drove past him on the streets of Seoul, the city he has lived in his entire life
Well, that day came about 10 years ago when I bought my first Ferrari, a second-hand 458 Italia. Funny thing about this car: I had driven the very same model the first time I went to visit Maranello, not long before. So, when I got behind the wheel for a test drive in Seoul it felt a bit like destiny had brought us together.
Making things even more special, my first ‘date’ with the 458 took place at night. I loved the car so much I bought it right away. That test drive is one of the best, most exciting and unforgettable experiences of my life.
Although I have since moved on from that model, it holds a special place in my heart, also because it was the first one my wife and I took for a drive together. We went to the town of Gyeongju, just over 300 km southeast from Seoul. She drove pretty fast and I will never forget the smile on her face as she enjoyed the feeling of being behind the wheel.
As well as an SF90 Spider, Jay has ordered an 812 GTS to enjoy at club events and track days
She now has her own Ferrari, a GTC4Lusso T, which she drives as much as possible, practically every day. I don’t get to drive mine, a 488 Pista Piloti - the first one of its kind in South Korea - as much as I’d like to.
This is something I hope to change soon, as I have two more Ferrari on order: an SF90 Spider and an 812 GTS. For now, I mostly get behind the wheel of my Prancing Horse at owners club events and Track Days. But I enjoy the weekend drives my wife and I take. We call them our Taegeukgi, ‘national flag day’ drives, because our cars - hers is in Blue Abu Dhabi, mine is in Rosso Corsa - are in the two colours of our national flag, blue and red. And each of our Ferrari cars has a name: hers is Lulu, mine is Lolo.
Jay's passion takes him around the world, from track days on the frozen ice of New Zealand to occasions such as this, the Universo Ferrari at Maranello in 2019
My wife and I have participated together in many fun events like the Corso Pilota on Ice in New Zealand - where we went to do ice driving with Ferrari GTC4Lusso cars loaned by Ferrari New Zealand - and Universo Ferrari at Maranello in 2019. What memories ...
I have also been participating in the Ferrari Challenge since 2019. In my first race, in Melbourne 2019, I scored a pole-to-win, which advanced me right away from Coppa Shell AM class to Coppa Shell class. The ultimate prize - for me - would be to win the Finali Mondiali in Italy. But that’s a dream. Then again, so is my whole Ferrari story: a story of dreams that come true.