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 SAAC-34
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AUGUST 6 - 7 - 8, 2009
Beaverun Motorsports Complex
Wampum, PA
SAAC-34 will be held at Beaverun Motorsports Complex in Wampum, PA, northwest of Pittsburgh and about 12 miles east of the Ohio state line. It’s a fairly new track, 1.6 miles in length with 12 turns and some moderate elevation changes. The convention headquarters hotel will be in Cranberry Township,
PA—about 1/2 hr. from the track. Surrounding hotels are all about 5 minutes away from the HQ Hotel.
This year’s convention will be a little different from past get-togethers. We read the convention surveys we got back over the past couple of weeks and there were some constructive suggestions which we’re going to try. Thursday is essentially an arrival day. For those with trailers, they will want to drop them off at the track. A word to the wise: none of the hotels were designed with trailers in mind; however, there should be enough room for concours trailers at the HQ Hotel. There will be a Car Control Clinic in the afternoon and you’ll be on your own for dinner. But not to worry: everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to sit-down restaurants are located near the hotels. Then there will be a welcoming party back at the Four Points by Sheraton in the evening. On Friday the car shows will be held at the headquarters hotel—the Four Points by Sheraton. Out at Beaverun, the open track and vintage race practice will be going on. The swap meet and manufacturer’s displays will also be set up out at the track. The popular vote car show will end about noon at the hotel and there will be a cruise to the track at 12:30. Everyone will need to be back at the Four Points by Sheraton in the evening for dinner and the evening program. On Saturday everyone will be out at the track and there will be a lot going on. Open track, the wheel-to-wheel vintage race and the always popular Ladies Driving School. Want to autocross? The track will be running one on their giant vehicle dynamics pad. You don’t have to sign up in advance and they will have helmets to loan. Did somebody say rental cars? You can rent a go-kart and drive on their world class course and then run a 1/2 hour enduro at the end of the day.
HOTEL ROOM RESERVATION
The Headquarters Hotel is the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North. It is full.
910 Sheraton Drive, Mars, PA 16946. 724-776-6900
Second Tier Hotels: all are less than 10 minutes from the HQ Hotel. None are especially trailer-friendly (a word to the wise: drop-off at the track on Thursday between 10 am and 5 pm).
Comfort Inn: 724-772-2700
Residence Inn: www.residenceinnpittsburgh.com; group code: SAASAAA
Phone: (724) 779-1000 Fax: (724) 779-1001
Hampton Inn: www.hamptoninnpittsburghcranberry.com; group code: SAA
Phone: (724) 776-1000 Fax: (724) 776-6699
Holiday Inn Express: www.hiepittsburgh.com; group code: SAA
Phone: (724) 772-1000 Fax: (724) 772-9766
CAR CONTROL CLINIC ON THURSDAY
Instructors from the track will be conducting a Car Control Clinic on Thursday afternoon. This is for SAAC members only, by pre-registration only. The clinic can handle 2 separate groups with a maximum of 18 cars in each group. You use your car (does not have to be Ford-powered) and you’ll need a Snell-rated helmet. The first session will begin at 12 noon. The second session will begin at 1 pm. When one group is in the classroom the other one will be on the track. Cost is $75 per car and that’s a bargain. We’re betting these spots will be reserved quickly so don’t sit on your hands on this.
THURSDAY NIGHT WELCOMING PARTY
Starts at 7 pm at the Four Points by Sheraton. With so much emphasis placed on the track at recent conventions, the social aspect of the convention has taken a back seat. Maybe we can do something to remedy this—because this IS a social club. It’s about the cars, sure; but it’s also about the PEOPLE who own them. Or who would like to own then. So we are planning a “mixer” on Thursday night with a little something for everyone. Trust us: you won’t want to miss this. Here are some of the things we are working on.
In one corner there will be some videos playing.
•MEET THE REGISTRARS: get questions answered and also talk with others who have cars like yours.
•INTERNET FRIENDS TABLES: many people have communicated for years with people they have never met face-to-face. We’ll have representatives from the following forums: saacforum, team shelby, club cobra, ffcobra. Stop by and introduce yourself.
•TABLE-TOP SWAP MEET: there will be a limited number of tables along one wall for people
selling smaller items (no greasy suspension parts, engine blocks, heads or transmissions, please).
•LITERATURE & MEMORABILIA DISPLAY: we’ve invited a few of the larger Shelby/Ford literature dealer/collectors to bring some of their treasures for display (but we suspect most of this stuff will be for sale, too).
•MODEL CAR SHOW: there will be 3 classes, by age. Entries will be limited to 3 per person and we’ll have some sort of voting procedure with trophies three deep. No pre-registration—just bring your models and we’ll have a place to display them.
•PARTS VENDOR TABLES: representatives from the more prominent Shelby/Cobra parts businesses will be on hand to answer questions about parts supplies/availability. They won’t be there to sell stuff (although they can probably write up orders if they don’t have something on hand out at the track). We’re envisioning more of a “what do you need/what do they have” type of thing.
•TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: some of the more knowledgeable people from the restoration, race preparation and specialty services areas will be there to answer your questions.
•TEAM SHELBY INFORMATION: “NewGen” Shelbys have become a big part of the Shelby world. And why not? About 39,000 of them have been built. Team Shelby caters to these cars and they do an excellent job. Here’s a chance to meet the club’s leaders and see what T/S is all about.
•SAAC INFORMATION: have a question about your membership? Club procedures or policies? The new registry? The website? Want to join the club? We’ll have someone here to handle all of this. We’ll also have some “SAAC Stuff” for sale—you know, the things you want but have never gotten around to order.
•SHELBY TRIVIA CONTEST: Test your knowledge with this written quiz; different skill levels and appropriate prizes.
•CASH BAR: pit stop to wet your whistle. No food, so grab something to eat before you get there.
SAAC-34 T-SHIRTS & HATS
We asked noted automotive artist Larry Gardinier to come up with a beaver driving a Cobra that pays tribute to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth for our convention logo. He did, and we love it. It will be on the convention t-shirts and hats and we’re guessing that almost everyone who attends will want one. We’ll have them on hand but you can’t order them in advance. You’ll have to get one either at the hotel or at the track.
OPEN TRACK RUN GROUPS BY CAR TYPE
One of the things that came up with some frequency on the surveys was the desire for run groups to be made up of similar types of cars rather than to group them by performance potential or drivers’s skill level. We thought about this and it seems to us that the distinction between experienced, intermediate and novice is getting smaller each year as more and more members gain experience at conventions. And it is perplexing to be in a run group that is made up of a wide variety of cars. So this year we’re going to try to sort the groups by car type:
•CSX2000, CSX3000, CSX4000 Cobras, 1965-1970 Shelbys and original GT40s
•NewGen Shelbys, Mustangs and Ford GTs
•All other Mustangs in a third group
•The Catch-All Group (none of the above)
We are also limiting each group to 30 cars. We realize this will probably have the effect of making spectators of some people who would otherwise be participants, but it will cut down on the frustration level for drivers stuck in long chains behind a slower car. That was the most common complaint about the open track.
PARADE LAPS BY PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY
Following SAAC-33, the complaint we heard most often was that the Parade Laps were just too crowded. They became a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam that was more frustrating than enjoyable. Ok, the people have spoken. This year we will be limiting the number of cars to 40 per group. We’ll have two groups going out each day during the 1 p.m. lunch break for 5 laps each. Cost will be a paltry $10. Any spots not reserved in advance will be available at the track. Check with them at Tech Inspection.
EVERYTHING WILL BE ON-LINE
We’re trying very hard to make all convention information available on SAAC’s website. Instead of running up a bill at the printer’s and then spending more money to mail things to everyone (regardless of whether they actually need it or not) we will have it on the club’s website (just look for “SAAC-34” on the home page). A pull-down menu will list each separate page of information which you can print out or download as a PDF file: open track, vintage race, concours, popular vote car show, convention schedule, map of the track, etc. We will also have a list, updated daily, of everyone who pre-registers for the convention. That way you’ll have an idea of who else is going to be there. And here’s another idea that should be helpful. As someone signs up for the open track, we will add their name to the run group so everyone can see if spots are available before they send in their registration. Same with the Parade Laps. When they fill up everyone will know it in advance.
GO-KARTS!
If you’ve looked at the map of the track you’ve seen the “Wilson Circuit.” It’s one of the top three karting tracks in the country. The circuit was designed by Alan Wilson, who also designed the tracks at Miller MotorsportPark. Between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday they will make the track available to SAAC members and they have racing karts available. These are serious, Honda-powered karts capable of 45 mph. Gear is provided (helmets, jackets, neck braces and gloves). You must wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. A 10-minute session (10-15 laps, depending on how fast you are) is $20. Subsequent sessions are $15. They have karts for kids beginning at 5 years old. At the end of the day they will put on a half-hour enduro for anyone who has not burnt off enough testosterone.
VINTAGE RACE
It is by invitation only (you pre-register and indicate vintage race entry and provide a photo of your car and we will get back to you by email with an acceptance or (sniff) rejection. Race entry is for experienced drivers only who have a current competition license issued through a recognized sanctioning body (SVRA, HSR, VARA, SCCA, etc). If you have raced at a previous SAAC convention, you’re in. This is not an event for novices who are looking to gain experience.
Cars eligible are: CSX2000, CSX3000 CSX4000, CSX7000 Cobras; original GT40s (no new Ford GTs); GT350s and Mustang fastbacks prepared to GT350 specifications; 1965-1971 Mustang Trans-Am cars (including Boss 302s), Tigers. Other cars will be considered on an individual basis. A car must be prepared to the correct appearance for the year it was manufactured. Eligibility of Mustangs is a little looser. In general. if you have raced it somewhere else, you can race it with us. Grid will be limited to 35 cars. The race will be 12 laps.
DID SOMEBODY SAY AUTOCROSS?
As a matter of fact, we did. Beaverun puts on autocross competition on some Saturdays and they’ve scheduled one when we are there. So if you think you have a little too much tread on your tires, here’s a chance to reduce their circumference. There is no pre-registration; just sign up on Saturday and the Beaverun crew will handle everything. They even have loaner helmets. We have a feeling this wouldn’t be a good time to buy rental car stock.
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