Hey all you speed freaks!

There was a lot of interest last year for us to do this event again this year, so I am happy to announce that we have reserved the track again for Saturday July 3, 2010!

The event will be basically the same as last year as far as all the sessions will be limited to 15 cars each and run every 15 minutes from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The sessions will still be 5-lap sessions, paced by the safety crews, just as last year.

We will be doing the event a little bit differently this year, to make getting on and off the track much easier and MUCH more organized. Each one of you who registers will receive a dash plaque with the 2010 Vettes 4 Vets logo on it (similar to the one above), a window sticker with your car number and your session numbers. You will also receive two event tee shirts and wrist bands. All of this for $100.00

Online registration coming soon at the link below:

www.alabamagoldstarfamilies.org

Click here for printable registration form

The registration is limited to the first 200 registrants.

Registration will be open from around the first of March, 2010 until the first of June, 2010 or when the sessions have been filled. You can register for as many packages as you want. I will mail out your credentials on about June 5th, which will include your credentials, wrist bands, directions, window stickers, tee shirt coupons, and dash plaque. The tee shirts will be available Friday night at the get-together and also at the track.

The Hampton Inn and the Comfort Inn has offered us reduced rates for this event, both hotels at $89.99 per night.

They are holding these until 6/1 at these prices. 50 rooms are reserved at the Hampton Inn, and 40 are reserved at the Comfort Suites, so get your reservations in early.

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Hampton Inn

220 Vaughn Lane

Pell City, AL.

205 814-3000

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Comfort Inn Suites

225 Vaughn Lane

Pell City, AL

205 338-5570

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In both, the rate is good for Friday 7/2 and Saturday 7/3. Mention you are with the Alabama Gold Star Families group.

NEW THIS YEAR!!!

We have a deal with the International Motorsports Hall of Fame NASCAR museum to let us use their facility for a Friday night party. So far, we have the NASCAR Museum from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM. The normal admission for the museum is $10 per person, but we plan to have food and entertainment included for just $12. I have added a band to the fun! One of the members of the local Corvette club who happens to be a Vietnam Vet told me about his son, Brandon who has a band. They are a cover band that has a great roster of music from the 60’s to today.

You can see their bio and hear some of their music on My Space. The link is www.myspace.com/tfbbham I have booked them for the gig, and they will play us from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM

Registrations will be $12. This is only covering the cost, and only if we get 200 people to come on Friday night, so please come. It will be a great time for all. The museum is full of great racing history and is well worth the time.

Also New This year,

we will line up the cars in the garage area according to your session number. The first 3 garages will be for session #1, the second three for session #2, and so on. That way there will be no bottle neck in the garage area as before. The path around the end of the garage will be blocked off this year, and only used for safety and emergency vehicles. All track goers will line up through the garages. We will have people working the garage area all day to help make it easier on you.

After the first 400 sessions have been run, additional sessions can be purchased by pre-registered guests at a discounted price of $25 each as time allows. This time will also be used for the volunteers and supporters to gain access to the track. These sessions will be open to all car types and will also be paced laps. If you are willing to offer rides for volunteers, the additional sessions will be free.

Attached is a flyer and registration form you can share with your club and other Vette enthusiasts at your local cruise-ins.

The web site should be un in the next week or so to accommodate the on-line registration and provide additional information. www.Vettes4Vets.com You will be directed to the Alabama Gold Star Families website for the on-line registration at www.alabamagoldstarfamilies.org currently, the information on the web site is from the 2009 event.

I got a few calls and emails from you about the details and I see that some are not clear. Please share them with your clubs and friends.

Here are some more details:

1. I can theoretically run 480 cars at 15 cars per session, 4 sessions per hour, for 8 hours on Saturday. That means I could register 240 cars for the event, but I don’t want to cut it that close, so I am limiting the registration to 200 cars. This could leave us some free time in the afternoon for foot races, or give us a small break at noon for the safety crew.

2. I would love for everyone to drive their Corvette on the track, but I know that there are a lot of you that want to run what you have, rather that buy a Vette just for this event. I am going to give the Vettes preference, because I can (don’t hate me), but the event is open to everyone that pre-registered last year. I will keep the Vettes with the Vets this year, because I know how to do that now. I also know that I will only have 15 cars in each session, rather than 20 and I will have many more volunteers (some of them are you) to keep the cars in the right garage and in the right groups from the get-go. So that being said, bring out your muscle cars, hot rods, and sports cars, but get in line behind the Vettes.

3. The package deal does include Two 5-lap sessions. Based on the number of registrants, and the time it takes to run each session, your second session will be approximately 3.5 hours after your first session. This will allow everyone to get on the track for their first session before people start doing their second session runs. If you register for more than one session, you will obviously get to run your second session sooner than this in order to get all of your sessions you have coming to you.

4. As with any racing facility and most all personal insurance policies, your personal car insurance may not cover any loss that occurs on the track, regardless whether this is a paces session or a times or competitive event. Some won’t even cover the car if it is damaged in the infield. I encourage all of you to read your policies and be aware of what you are getting yourself into. That is why the safety crews and all of us want to stress that this is not an opportunity to see how fast you can go on the track. This is a chance to experience the track in your “toy”. Some of you are perfectly fine with following the pace car and enjoying the track. Others (and you know who you are) look at the rules and figure out how best to break them. I know, I am one of those guys. All I can say, is please be safe, be courteous, and above all, be understanding. My best friend was kicked off the track last year because he was in the group that passed the pace car. He was just going along with the crowd, so he got to go home early with the crowd. Lets not have that happen this year. There is no reason to be concerned about safety if everyone follows the rules.

5. Friday night, July 2, 2010 the International Motorsports Hall of Fame will be open from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM for a closed private party – yours! We will have a table set up where you can pick up you event tee shirts as well.

6. Each of you that register will receive your complete registration package back to you mid June. This package will include the schedule for Saturday’s sessions, your access passes and wrist bands, your tee shirt coupons, a dash plaque, the rules, your donation receipt, and possibly some coupons to local businesses. Please be sure to bring your package with you when you come to the track. Just like last year, you will have to sign a waiver at the gate to get in the track, and you will have to show your access pass and wrist bands as well. The main gate opens at 8:00 AM. Since you will all be pre-registered, there should be no long wait to get in the track or get lined up in your sessions.

7. You will also know which garage bay you are to line up in for your first session and your second session.

Thanks for your support, your time, and your patience. Be safe out there!