Kyle's LS7

Alabama bound in the Morning!

krzytrain

Can't sleep too excited, have to be up at 4am to make the trip from St Louis. Coming down with about 20 cars from our 2 local clubs. Wish I would have saw this thread sooner.

1st year for me. Staying in Oxford at the Hilton garden inn.

Would be great to meet and talk with some of you. Here is a picture of me (I'm the good lookin one in the middle) I'm kinda mean looking but come up and say hi. I'll also be the one with the corvette shirt on.

krzytrain

And here's a picture of my car.



Hope to meet some of you guys there.

Steve

95RCode

About to head out, see you guys there.

James

msu-dawg

Afternoon was much better than the morning. Glad we hung around. Got within 2mph of my top speed last year... which is my top speed from all 4 years now.

Kyle's LS7

I had a great time! This was my first year and was able to run as much speed as I wanted by the end of the day! I would post my top speed but I'm not sure if they want that posted at this time! Great experience for a great cause and would definitely do it again! Thanks Jeff and all the crew for putting this on!

RLSebring

Jeff, You did a great job!!!! Hope not too many take the day out on you though. We were much slower this year than in previous years. Being on the track is great but had to hit the interstate this time to get some real speed.

Hopefully next year things will be back to normal...

florit

Same here had some great runs today I to won't say my top speed but it was awesome. Enjoyed running with a great group from the forum . Jeff and all the volunteers y'all did an awesome job thanks again

Tide Will Roll!

Next year hopefully I can run with the forum members. This is one great event for a awesome cause.

We had fun, met some great people

Thanks to all the veterans and active service membersAnd also thanks to Jeff and Mike and Jeffs sister and all the volunteers.

Hope everybody had fun and comes back to visit us here in Alabama again. Maybe next year it wont be so hot...

Bert

Roll Tide!

morris

Both Morris's had a great time as we do each year, even with the lackluster start in the AM.

Vette Gator 01

I had a great time this weekend! I just looked up that motorcycle accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway that was the apparent cause for the slower pace in the begining. As I understand it, the accident happened half an hour after the April 2012 event, and the drivers (two Vietnam Veterans) were going in opposite directions on the track. There was also beer served at that event but it wasn't reported if alchohol was a factor.
Hmmm... Beer, opposite directions, motorcycles...

Mako72

Thanks Jeff and all the Vettes4Vets crew for all the hard work you do. Another great event .
Had a great time, got better as the day went by.

LisaJohn

I drove in the very first group. Talk about being disappointed. And then the guy in the back of our group starts yelling and cussing at all of us in the front because we wouldn't "push the pace truck". I wish I knew his name!

Tally Ho

Another great event. Thanks to Jeff and crew. Despite the new rules imposed by the track, we still had a great time. We met a lot of new people this year and saw a lot of people we met from previous years. I want to thank everyone for the positive comments on my car. I had the choice parking spot in the #1/#32 slot all day. Already planning for next year and may have a new ride by then.

XtremeVette

I too first and foremost want to thank Jeff Williams and his crew for everything they did!!!

I know the heat was pretty unbearable for most. I found myself hanging out in the air conditioned room quite a bit during the day.

I ran my car at 10am so it was right around session #5 out on the track. As others have pointed out...the "new rules" really shook things up in the morning for both drivers and I think for all the volunteers as well. I know Jeff likes to keep the event "organized" and I could tell by the expression on his face he was not a happy camper when things were not going according to plan. He was trying his dam-nest all morning long and into the early afternoon to keep cars moving ahead and in and out of the garage but I think everybody was being overwhelmed once those "new rules" were thrown out there.

I saw the garage at times half empty and people wondering where they should be.
I also talked to Jeff and he was trying to push cars up into the sessions because many had either left because of the heat or because of the morning confusion with the new rules. That through off the session times as well as placement. Again this was by no means any fault of Jeff Williams and my handshake with him stands as a firm one. My hats off to you and your entire crew. I think it was downright lousy that the "peoples to be" sprung these new rules upon you and all of us at the last minute. That alone caused serious confusion and a hurdle. I don't think any of the new rules would of been that bad or really even considered a major concern if it was not for the fact that it was blown way out of proportion and probably scared quite a few people. I mean when you have 3 separate meetings and repeat the same thing over and over again before people are permitted on the track... the officials definitely sent a message.

I have seen from the posts and pictures, that the afternoon sessions were setup in a similar fashion as to how they were last year or at least things appeared "relaxed a bit" in regards to the new rules. That is very good to hear and hopefully will carry over to next year as by example that the way the rules were setup over the last 2 years....were perfectly fine.

As others have pointed out...the accident at Charlotte back in April should have no way have had any impact on this event like it did during the morning sessions. But it did. After research I too found out that alcohol may have played a part in that accident. Alcohol is NOT served at the Talladega event. In addition the fact that the 2 motorcycles that were involved were going in opposite directions proves that, that event can't even be compared to this one. At Talladega your not allowed to go opposite directions or even stop on the track! In my opinion from being out on the track during the morning session...the new rules that were introduced backfired. I felt myself more stressed and on edge going into turns at 35-50 and stacking up to other cars in the straight-aways at around 85. Not a comforting feeling at all. We need more distance then that. Plain and simple.

I hope that Jeff Williams checks in and explains his point of view on the event . I also hope he highlights where he feels the event is heading for next year.

XtremeVette

Sorry to hear about your disappointment. I know the frustration as many had reported this. Hopefully Jeff will chime in and let us know what he can do to remedy the problems that were created this year at the event.

I know Jeff was very frustrated too.

Again Big BIG HUGE props to him to keep things moving throughout the day when all this was going on around him.

RLSebring

For me I heard it from the horses (***) mouth down in Pit Row waiting to go out during the second session.

Who ever was the sanctioned track official ( with the safari type hat on) apparently under orders from the track president, presumibly, or on his own little power trip maybe, was on the radio telling the pace truck to slow down and bunch them back together and to stop them on the track if necessary.

I was first in line during my second session. The younger guy driving the white track truck told me to try and stay with him and he'd go a little faster... Worked out great until I noticed how far out people were getting spread out then I'd see his brake lights come on.

I ranged in speed from 115 down to 57 in the turns. It was a real bitch to have happen but still enjoyed the day as a whole.

Curby

It was a good day at the track.

I hope nobody went home upset or dissapointed. I talked to Jimmy, the head of the safety crew. He was not in a position to go against the boss' rules. The boss' rule was a direct result of the deaths and injuries sustained at Charlotte Motor Speedway durring a similar event.

The reduction of the pace speed from 90 to 75 was much better than what they did on Friday. The Harley Davidson crowd did not get over 35 and had to stay on the apron in the corners.

My contract with the track states "highway speeds". Regardless of what happened in the past, They have a right to limit the pace speed to 70 if they want to.

The lead vehicle slowed down more to bunch up the groups when people were slowing way down and punching it to try to get to a high speed. This was not safe, so the crew slowed down. Once the cars got back in line, the pace increased to the higher speed. After we proved that we could follow directions, the pace speed increased and the trucks spread out some. By the end of the day, people were really having fun.



I was very happy about the turnout at the mall. We had almost 70 cars displayed throughout the courtyard area.

The party was fun. I did not get to try the BBQ, so I don't know how it was. The band was great, Miss Alabama was cool, and the museum was really fun as usual.

I really enjoyed the fun back at the hotel after the party was over. We stayed in the parking lot swapping stories until well after midnight.

Once I get the financial report, I will share it with the participants.

I hope you can come back next year.

-Jeff

1FUNC5

sorry I couldnt make dega... But I did have a great time at the mall! What a great turnout ...
Steven

Uncle Meat

It was a fantastic event and one I'll do again if given the chance! My only bitch about the whole event was that drivers/cars were not rotating through the garages like they were directed to. Many of the original first 5-7 groups out came right back into the garages and blocked access for the rest of us for the remainder of the day. They decided it was their right to camp out in the garage and screw everyone else in the latter groups trying to get relief from the heat...

U.M.

Video of our 2nd session including our stop-n-go pit penalty for not following the rules...