As many of you realize, planning any Convention is a conglomerate of moving parts that all have to fit and play together
As our 50th convention, we are trying to make SAAC-50 a very memorable event for all.
There are quite a few pieces in the works and we are trying our best to make them all fit.
Sonoma is a World Class track and we are attempting to make the best of it... Open track, vintage racing, drag racing, autocross... all the possibilities.
We have always had to work within the confines of sound restrictions at this track, where unmuffled days were at a premium; in the past, we were granted one unmuffled day for vintage racing.
Next year, we were fortunate to negotiate a FULL unmuffled 3-day weekend for SAAC-50, but it required us to change the date.
Take note that the NEW dates for SAAC-50 are August 21-24, 2025
Track dates are Friday, August 22 thru Sunday, August 24, 2025
We are expecting very heavy and exciting track action for all three days, with open track, drag racing, vintage and Trans-Am racing, plus a Boss Reunion and Ford GT participation
We expect to publish a FOUR day event schedule, with off-track activities on August 21, 2025.
More convention details to follow soon, with some very interesting new features.
Those are better dates so people traveling from east can go to montery car week racing auctions and pebble beach the quail etc all happening a few days before SAAC 50 in the same area so lots of car events to make the trip worthwhile.
Monterey Historics are now the weekend prior to SAAC 50, nice move.
https://vintagemotorsport.com/2024/08/20/75th-anniversary-of-formula-one-to-be-celebrated-at-2025-rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion/
Looking forward to this event. Sonoma is a easy drive from the house.
I haven't been to one in 10 years, looks like this one would be good for my newly acquired '65 GT350. And not too much of a tow, hopefully easy trailer parking.
Quote from: Mikelj5S230 on October 23, 2024, 04:50:11 PMI haven't been to one in 10 years, looks like this one would be good for my newly acquired '65 GT350. And not too much of a tow, hopefully easy trailer parking.
Yep and IMO a great year to attend given its the 65's 60th :D Would hope and expect to see a lot of 65's this year. Maybe they can get one of those large big pictures of all that attend taken. Those are so often very popular
Quote from: Mikelj5S230 on October 23, 2024, 04:50:11 PMAnd not too much of a tow, hopefully easy trailer parking.
SAAC 1 only had 3 trailers I can remember - Mike Shoen's Coupe came up on an original SA trailer. 6S001 was a freshly painted shell and it was on an open trailer. A 1930s Ford Coupe with a SOHC engine on a 3000 series chassis was on a trailer with a price tag of $10,000. All the rest were driven as intended.
Ha! My wife would not allow 1200 miles (one way) driving and riding in this noisy, no radio, no A/C car in the middle of the summer, ain't gonna happen.....
"We expect to publish a FOUR day event schedule, with off-track activities on August 21, 2025."
Timing seems a little tight?
Quote from: bfiell on October 24, 2024, 10:07:30 PM"We expect to publish a FOUR day event schedule, with off-track activities on August 21, 2025."
Timing seems a little tight?
Not really - the Cobra Experience will probably be on the docket. Beyond that the only thing to do is hit the wineries. You really don't want to visit the San Francisco area.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g32766-Activities-Napa_Napa_Valley_California.html
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on October 24, 2024, 10:22:10 PMQuote from: bfiell on October 24, 2024, 10:07:30 PM"We expect to publish a FOUR day event schedule, with off-track activities on August 21, 2025."
Timing seems a little tight?
Not really - the Cobra Experience will probably be on the docket. Beyond that the only thing to do is hit the wineries. You really don't want to visit the San Francisco area.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g32766-Activities-Napa_Napa_Valley_California.html
And those will be packed with all the vacationers and groups of somewhat local ladies doing the bus/van tours. When out driving keeps your eyes open for both of those as well as those hard right turns they will make towards the next tasting room.
The castle is always popular and packed. Think you have to have reservations for that to get that tour.
Quote from: J_Speegle on October 24, 2024, 10:29:38 PMAnd those will be packed with all the vacationers and groups of somewhat local ladies doing the bus/van tours.
Too true. In my old age I've given up on vacations. Too many crowds which is also why we gave up on Monterey - we went to Carmel in April about 5 years ago and the crowd was still 60-70% of what it was the last time we hit the Historics. Cannery Row was impassable at anything above a crawl. We'll hit the wineries we like grab a couple cases off the shelf and evade the crowds using the back roads.
Looking forward to my first SAAC this year. Putting faces to all the names over a beer will be great
Cheers
I been talking to eastern ford guys who never been to that part of CALI and gonna make a vacation trip out of it and i think the vacation crowds will be winding down by later august as skool with be back in session so hopfully no kids running around everywhere. I have been to west coast many times over the years inspecting and buying cars and (years ago anyway before the big metal crush) buy rustfree suspension and lots of good parts. I bought 5 cars out west over the years and filled them full of parts and shipped or hauled them home. I had the bright idea of using a roll of duct tape to tape 4 original windshields to the windshield of a parts car thinking if they all layed together they would be very strong and make the trip back east. When the open transporter got here my car was under another car and a chain was hanging down from above car and beating all my windshields so they all got broken on the trip back from west coast so much for that bright idea!! I always tried to make somewhat of a vacation out of my western car trips since there is so much to see and do and a tax write off HAHA yeah right!
Quote from: Special Ed on October 25, 2024, 10:39:46 AMI have been to west coast many times .... buying cars and .....rustfree suspension and lots of good parts.
A friend moved to VA and did the same thing - one way ticket here to see his mom. Buy a Chevy dually a cheap new open trailer and some oddball performance type car. Drive it all home and make some extra bucks for taking a vacation.
There is a problem with the business model today. In the past all the tourists have snapped up the rust free California cars. People here see eastern cars advertised for 5-10 grand cheaper than one is available locally so they buy it and bring it here. Once here they have a vertical learning curve about rust and put it up for sale.
Yep very true i bought a 8 year old used local ford truck back years a go that was in good shape but ended up replacing the cab corners (very costly as the bed has to come off the repair correctly) and drove it for 7 years and sold it because the rockers and bed braces were rusting out. I then looked for a west coast truck of which i found from a guy who moved here from CALI. and its totally rust free so in a long run (unless u own a body shop) its best to pay a little more if u have to to buy a western vehichle.
Quote from: Mikelj5S230 on October 23, 2024, 08:59:38 PMHa! My wife would not allow 1200 miles (one way) driving and riding in this noisy, no radio, no A/C car in the middle of the summer, ain't gonna happen.....
Grounds for Divorce!
I just realized that the date has changed, I had so much work in the past months that the e mail went through.
I book a flight for the end of July and had something where I can stay then.
Now I need to book another flight. Does someone has a nice idea where to stay during the new date? I need to save some money as the flights are 3 times more expensive due to holidays in Europe/Usa