SAAC-28
May 23-25, 2003
Nashville, TN

The suspense is over. SAAC-28 will be in Music City, USA on Memorial Day weekend. May 23-24-25, 2003. Why Memorial Day weekend? The answer is pretty simple: that was only date that both the track and the hotel were available. Both are exceptional facilities and they will make this convention one of the very best, ever. How do we keep doing that? You can expect cooler weather due to the earlier date (a relief from the sauna-like conditions at some previous conventions) and you can also expect SAAC-28 to be a real vacation. In fact, you may want to tack a day or two on to the front or the back of your convention trip because there is plenty to do in Nashville. If you like country music, you may not want to leave. Our convention hotel is a first class facility and that's not doing it justice, Wait and see.. And the track is brand new. It's a 1.33 mile banked oval that hosts both NASCAR and Indy Cars. Some extra infield asphalt for the road course brings the circuit up to 1.5 miles and creates a road course. Do some homework before you make your plans. But make your plans  sooner rather than later! We'll see you in Nashville.
  

Nashville Superspeedway - www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com
Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau - www.nashvillecvb.com    
Gaylord Opryland Hotel - www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordopryland/
Grand Ole Opry - www.opry.com
General Jackson Showboat - www.generaljackson.com

SAAC-28   SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Please note......Times listed here are subject to change. Any changes will be posted at SAAC Registration.

           FRIDAY    MAY 23, 2003
10:00 am  SAAC Registration (Nashville Superspeedway)
10:00 am  Tech Inspection (Tech Garage)
10:00 am  Parts Swap
11:00 am  Vintage Race Driver's Meeting (Drivers Meeting Room)
12:00 pm  Vintage Race Practice
 2:15 pm  Ladies Performance Driving School (Driver's Room)
 3:00 pm  Concours Judges Meeting (Media Center)
 6:30 pm  Track Closes
 6:30 pm  Free Night (Grand Ole Opry)

           SATURDAY   MAY 24, 2003
 7:00 am  SAAC Registration (Nashville Superspeedway)
 7:00 am  Tech Inspection (Tech Garage)
 7:00 am  Parts Swap
 8:00 am  Concours Entrants Meeting (Media Center)
 9:30 am  Concours Judging Begins
 8:30 am  Open Track Driver's Meeting (Drivers Meeting Room)
 9:00 am  Open Track First-Timer's Class (Drivers Meeting Room)
 9:30 am  On Track Sessions Begin
12:45 pm  Lunch Break Kids Rides
 1:45 pm  On Track Sessions Continue
 3:00 pm  Concours Winners Posted (time approx.)
 6:30 pm  Track Closes
 7:00 pm  Saturday Evening Dinner (Opryland Hotel)
 8:30 pm  Saturday Evening Program (Opryland Hotel)

           SUNDAY   MAY 25, 2003
 7:00 am  SAAC Registration (Nashville Superspeedway)
 7:00 am  Tech Inspection (Tech Garage)
 7:00 am  Parts Swap
 8:30 am  Open Track Driver's Meeting (Drivers Meeting Room)
 9:00 am  Open Track First-Timer's Class (Drivers Meeting Room)
 9:30 am  On Track Sessions Begin
10:00 am  Popular Vote Balloting Begins
12:00 pm  Popular Vote Balloting Ends
12:45 pm  Lunch Break / Kid's Rides
 1:45 pm  On Track Sessions Continue
 3:00 pm  Popular Vote Winners Posted (time approx.)
 3:05 pm  Cobra/GT40 Vintage Race
 3:30 pm  GT350/Trans-Am Vintage Race
 3:50 pm  On Track Sessions Continue
 6:30 pm  Track Closes



SAAC-28 - NEED TO KNOW STUFF
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
May 23-24-25, 2003

HQ HOTEL ROOM RESERVATION INFORMATION.
SAAC-28's headquarters hotel is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. You have to see this place to believe it. It has 2883 rooms - that's right, it's no typo. Acknowledged as one of the finest hotels in the country, the Opryland is known for its luxury accommodations. Nine acres of indoor gardens, winding rivers, waterfalls and pathways provide a perfect atmosphere - all under nine acres of climate controlled glass atriums. You can ride in delta flatboats right inside the hotel; there are dozens of restaurants, lounges and bars and enough shopping to wear out an Ironman competitor. A large outlet mall is within walking distance and for something a little different you can have dinner on the General Jackson while it cruises the river.   We've left Friday night free so you can attend the Grand Ole Opry. The show starts at 8 pm and the performers aren't announced until about a week prior, so you can never tell who will show up. You can order your tickets when you make your hotel room reservations.
 

           Gaylord Opryland Hotel     888-777-6779
 

SAAC's group rate is $129.00 a night for a single or a double. SAAC has a large block of rooms that will be held until April 23rd. After that reservations will be taken on a space available basis at the regular hotel rate. When you make reservations tell them you are with the Shelby Club. A one night deposit is required. It is fully refundable up to 30 days prior to the date of the reservation.

General Jackson Riverboat

HOTEL PARKING WILL HAVE 24-HOUR GUARDS
The Opryland Hotel has more parking than Disneyland. We'll have two lots of our own. One will be for cars and a second parking area, next to it, will be for trucks and trailers. There will be security guards on duty from 7 am Friday until 7 am Monday. We will also be able to keep our cars and trailers at the track each night and security guards will be on duty there from 7 pm when they close the gates until 7 am when they open them again

SAAC-28 COBRA AND SHELBY VINTAGE RACES
Yes, sports fans, the dust has barely settled from SAAC-27 and both east and west coast factions are already trash-talking. They say they want another crack at each other, but talk is cheap. Nashville Superspeedway is a 1.5 mile bull-ring so if someone jumps out into the lead, they're going to have to work their butt off to hold it. We're scheduling plenty of practice time for these gladiators. Look for two separate classes again this year: Cobras/Ford GTs and Shelbys/Trans-Am Mustangs.

There will be five 20-minute sessions for each class on Friday afternoon, two 20- inute qualifying sessions on Saturday, a 20-minute warm-up on Sunday morning and a 15-lap race early Sunday afternoon. If you want to enter, contact us for an entry form and an outline of the requirements. We'll have to limit the grids to 35 cars and entries will be accepted on a first-come/first served basis. Whining won't help. Drivers must have a valid competition license from a recognized sanctioning organization. Cars must appear period correct - no GT-1 cars with huge flares, spoilers, wings or oversized engines. GT350s must have 289/302 blocks - no 351s. We have a feeling this will be the year that vintage racers from the south and the midwest will make themselves known and give the east and west coasters a run for their money...
 

NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY GARAGES
The track has about 60 of them. Each one will hold 2 cars and they will be gobbled up quickly. Cost is $300 per garage for all 3 days of the convention. Please use the registration form in this issue to reserve yours.

PERFORMANCE DRIVING CLASS FOR LADIES
The Ladies' Session at past convention open tracks has always been well received, but there should probably be a little more to it than just unleashing them at the end of the day to get a small taste of high speed. This year we'll initiate them correctly. We'll have an actual class on high speed driving. Make no mistake - this won't be an intensive Bondurant school. But we will review some basics like car control and vehicle dynamics. We'll also provide a detailed safety briefing and then cap it off with three 15-minute on-track sessions. Cars will have to pass SAAC's usual safety and tech inspection. Taking your [pick one -husband's/ boyfriend's/ father's/ brother's] car out on the track alone will produce enough tension as it is, so class attendance will be limited to females only. It's pay-back time, guys.


POPULAR VOTE CAR SHOW
SAAC's Popular Vote Car Show is exactly as the name implies. During a 2-hour period on Sunday (10 am - 12 noon) spectators and car owners may vote for the cars they like best in any of 43 classes. Virtually all cars are eligible and you do not have to be a club member to enter. The winner in each class is the car receiving the largest number of votes.   
To vote, all you have to do is pick up a ballot sheet at Car Show Central In the car show parking area and separate it into individual ballots for each class. Look the cars over and place a ballot in the envelope attached to the windshield of the car of your choice in each class (or as many classes as you want to vote for). Voting takes place between 10 am and 12 noon. At noon owners turn in their envelopes. The ballots are counted and the totals recorded. Winners (usually a surprise to everyone) are usually posted by 3 pm. Trophies will be engraved and mailed to the winners. Classes are:

CONCOURS CAR SHOW
The CONCOURS is a judged competition open only to SAAC National members who must register in advance. These cars are judged against a standard based on authenticity and workmanship with a total of 450 possible points. Cars must pass an operational check which includes the demonstration of an entry's driveability. A penalty is assessed for the vehicle's failure to start. There are 3 separate tiers in concours competition.  
DIVISION I is for the stock/original car, equipped as it came from the factory, with original or NOS parts and only factory-available options. In addition to Gold, Silver and Bronze level awards, a Premiere level award is available in this division. Cars achieving this level are retired into an honorary display category for four years. These cars receive a prominent display location during that time and raised/show displays are encouraged. These cars are also considered for the Concours Chairman's discretionary award.  
DIVISION II is for non-NOS cars, permitting full points for non-NOS replacement and reproduction parts that match the fit, finish and appearance of original parts. Options available on a that model are acceptable whether or not they were on this particular car when it left the factory.  
DIVISION III is for unrestored cars. This Survivors Division is intended to save the remaining original/unrestored cars. Survivors are reviewed only for authenticity, and are judged differently than the other divisions in order to preserve the remaining "originality" of each car.    All concours cars are judged against a standard, and not against each other. This means if all cars in a class attain a prescribed minimum number of points, they would each receive an award. Concours classes are: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969-70 Shelby, Cobra, Boss, Tiger, Competition and Survivor. All other cars are eligible for the Popular Vote car show.

If you've never been to a SAAC convention before you're in for a real treat. To make the event even more enjoyable we've put together this list of most commonly asked questions by first-timers. We've held 27 national conventions prior to this one, and everyone was a first-timer at some point. Don't be bashful - we're all here for the same purpose: to have fun and enjoy these cars. You will find SAAC members especially friendly and receptive.

Do you have to be a SAAC member to enter a car in the popular vote car show?

No. Entry fee is included with your registration. On Sunday morning you will be directed to the car show location, inside the track. You will be given a windshield card and an envelope for the ballots and told where your class is parked. Once you're parked, fill out the card and place it under your windshield wiper. Tape the envelope to your car's windshield and between 10 am and 12 noon, people will vote by placing ballots into the envelope of the cars of their choice. At exactly 12 noon all owners must turn in their envelopes to Car Show Central. Winners are determined by the largest number of votes in each class. Winners' names are posted at Car Show Central as soon as the results are determined. Trophies will be custom engraved and mailed out following the convention.

Do you have to be a SAAC member to drive on the open track?

Yes. However it is possible to join the national club at the convention (annual dues are $47.00). Don't get your hopes up, though. Most of the open track spots are filled by those who have pre-registered. Occasionally there are last minute cancellations and these openings are filled at the Driver's Meeting, first come / first served. If you want to drive, you'll have to attend the driver's meeting at 8:30 am (in the Drivers Meeting Room) and find out if any spaces are available. All cars must be Ford powered and must pass a strict technical inspection. In some cases the technical requirements are very specific (roll bars for all convertibles, dual throttle return springs, radiator coolant overflow catch can, Snell SA 95 or newer rated helmet) so for this reason we strongly suggest pre-registration. Driving on a race track at high speeds is something that should be planned for in advance - not to satisfy some spur-of-the-moment urge. Most would-be drivers who decide to participate at the last minute can't get their cars through tech inspection. You need to plan ahead to avoid disappointment.

Can I get a ride around the track?

In the past we allowed drivers to take passengers in the last session of the day, but due to the demand that we offer open track participation in half-day increments the schedule no longer allows it. A second consideration against rides is that in the event of an accident resulting in the injury or death of a passenger, it is almost certain that the club and its officers would be sued, and we'd rather not, thanks. Our risk just isn't worth your reward.

Can anyone attend the dinner and evening programs?

Yes. Dinner tickets are sold in advance but if any are available by convention time you can get them at SAAC registration at the track on Friday or possibly Saturday morning. We must give the hotel an exact number of the dinners we will require in advance, and tickets are usually sold out by the morning of the dinner so we can't make any promises. Occasionally we get last minute cancellations. If you have not pre-registered and would like to join us for dinner, check at registration to see if tickets are available.  

If dinner tickets are not available, can I still attend the Saturday evening program?

Of course you can. Dinner tickets are collected as each person enters the dining area. Once the meal is over and the tables are cleared the program will begin. At that time anyone can get a seat. We expect the Saturday evening program of guest speakers to begin about 8:30 pm and run until 10:30 pm.

What can I expect when I attend the convention, beyond seeing all the cars?

The SAAC national convention is a perfect place to do some first-person research. There are usually a good selection of parts for sale at the swap meet, and this provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate or confirm prices (whether you are buying or just wondering what something you have or need might be worth). Many of the Shelby parts suppliers who advertise in national publications are there. You can talk to them and also compare parts side by side. If the part you are looking for isn't there, chances are you can turn up a lead on where to find it. 

Beginning a restoration project?

You can look at a wide variety of cars, comparing them for details and examining production deviations. Talking to their owners will provide information that is simply not obtainable through books or video tapes. You can also take pictures or videos of your own, capturing specific details which then become invaluable aids in restoring your car when you get back home. You will be able to talk to owners and get references for people and businesses who did the bodywork, paint, mechanical work or detailing. In many cases they will also be there, and if so, you can talk to them in person. You can see examples of their work and then make your own judgements. You'll also be able to pick people's brains for restoration tips, car care methods and automotive products. Concours judges will be there and nobody knows the cars better than they do. They are always happy to share their knowledge.

Buying a car? 

A national convention will probably have at least one of the year and model you are looking for for sale right there  -  and usually a lot more. Instead of answering individual classified ads and traveling long distances to look at one car at a time, you'll be able to see several cars and compare them, side by side. You can also talk to owners of cars which are not for sale; they will be happy to provide you with their opinions as to condition, price and value of the cars which are. And you can compare the cars for sale with dozens of others just like them to help you determine if they are fairly priced.

Selling a car? 

The convention is the perfect place to expose it to a large number of potential buyers. A fair number of convention attendees show up looking to buy a car. It's also not uncommon to find dealers selling cars. There is a minimal charge to park a car in a special area of the swap meet where it will get maximum exposure. Otherwise, you can put a sign on it, park it in the special corral area we will have, cross your fingers and hope the right person sees it.

Interested in factory showroom literature, memorabilia, books, magazines, posters, models and collectibles?

There are usually a half dozen vendors who specialize in this area of the hobby and they have a wide selection of things. Stuff you never dreamed existed. Instead of responding to a classified ad, you will have the chance to hold an item in your hands and examine it before you buy it. And if you want to sell, this is the perfect place. Bring your stuff along with a comfortable lawn chair and a folding table. If you just want information about literature and collectibles, the convention attracts the most knowledgeable Shelby memorabilia collectors in the country who will be happy to talk about this stuff until long after the sun goes down.

Do I have to sign up in advance for a space at the swap meet?

No. All spaces are parceled out on a first-come, first-served basis. You don't have to be a SAAC member, either. Spaces cost $10 per frontage foot for all 3 days  -  Friday, Saturday and Sunday, payable on Friday after you set up. This year all spaces will be on asphalt. Swap space cost is in addition to the registration fee each individual pays to enter the track.

How can I get Carroll Shelby's autograph?

Mr. Shelby has said that he plans to attend this year's convention and he always makes himself available to sign autographs. The trouble is, we never know when or where - and usually neither does he until he gets there. Shelby American will have a large tractor trailer in the paddock area. Just ask someone with him. They should know.   

What about camping?

Nashville Superspeedway does not allow overnight camping inside the track. There are acres and acres of parking outside the track but there are no electrical, water or sanitation hook-ups for campers. RVs will have to move back into the track's interior each day.

What will it cost to attend?

Registration is $25 per person per day if you register in advance; $30 at the gate. Kids 15 and under are free. There is no need to register in advance. All you have to do is show up. On Sunday there is no additional charge to enter your car in the Popular Vote Car Show. It's included in the registration fee.
 

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