When did car shows become more about driving lawn chairs than driving and enjoying the cars?
When did car shows become more about driving lawn chairs than driving
and enjoying the cars? At what point did it start making sense to buy
$50 grand worth of depreciating tow rig and trailer to haul a $45K car
that's "too nice to drive?" Too nice to drive? Then what's the point?!
While most shows cater to the power parking mentality, between May
18-20, 2007, The Year One Experience will destroy that concept in a
cloud of tires smoke. Held at both the Road Atlanta motorsports facility
in Braselton, Georgia and the Atlanta Drag Way 15 minutes up the road in
Commerce, The Experience has more than enough to excite every automotive
enthusiast. Activities at Road Atlanta include an autocross course, wet
skid pad, 0-60-0 challenge, chassis dyno, fast "parade laps" around the
famous 2.5 mile road course, and Panoz Driving School track day sessions
in your own car, as well as ride-along hot laps in Panoz GT race cars
piloted at competition speeds by professional drivers.
At the 2006 Year One Experience, participants put down over 2,000
autocross laps, the Panoz ride-alongs and slots for the Driving School
were sold out all three days, and the 40-car staging lanes for parade
laps were full Friday thru Sunday, with extra hours scheduled to
accommodate the overflow.
At the Atlanta Drag Strip, a full program is available for participants
including Year One Street Classes and open Test & Tune sessions. For
real entertainment, there's an Outlaw Street Car Racing Association race
featuring stock-bodied cars running 150s and 160s in the 1/8-mile.
The heart of the Year One Experience is a huge car show, with individual
classes for nearly every kind of vehicle. The big prize is the Year One
Cup, accompanied by a $5,000 gift certificate and an impressive
amenities package. The Cup winner is chosen by industry VIPs in
attendance, while all other classes are chosen by participant popular
vote. Media coverage of past shows has been extensive, so if you've ever
had dreams of seeing your car in print or on TV, this could be one of
your best opportunities as editors from many magazines and crews from
several different TV shows will be on hand.
The Year One Experience is a great show, but it's also a family event.
To that end, there is a huge kids' play area with activities for all
ages, and excellent shopping with the largest mall in the South East
just 15 minutes south and outlet stores at the Drag Strip's exit 15
miles north, for members of the family who might not enjoy spending
three days engulfed in brake and clutch dust, tire smoke and exhaust.
If it isn't the best time you and your family have ever had at a car
show, you need to sell your car and take up woodworking. For more
information on the Year One Experience, go to Year One's website at