The Mitty at Road Atlanta - 2011

[t_g_farrell]

The tickets are now on sale. I'm getting the super ticket and plan on being
there Friday, Saturday and Sunday camping by turns 3,4,5. There will be lot
of rx7 folks dropping in and out all weekend. We might even see a caravan of
DGRR folks come through on Sunday as they wind their way home back to
Florida, Georgia, Alabama and such.

The marque this year is Mazda and the Grand Marshal is Jim Downing. Plus there
will be a lot of special Mazdas on display and a large mazda corral in the infield.

Just click on the poster in my signature for the Mitty site. Its all explained there.

[Blacknwhite7]

I'll see you down there again this year. I met you there last year, but was driving my BMW. This year I will be in my '83 GSL. I will be camping along the back straight near "Turn 9 Estates". Take care

[t_g_farrell]

The more the merrier.

If they don't have an rx7 corral in the mazda corral area we may make our
campsite the rx7 corral.

[firzen]

It's unfortunate that DGRR is happening on the same weekend.

I hear they're bringing over the 787B for this. No other selling point needed for me.

[Ian]

I plan on swinging by on sunday with hopefully a few other canadians. Didn't see a schedule for sunday events though?

[infernosg]

May be heading down with a bunch of other Ohio Mazdas. If so, I'll probably end up helping out with the events.

[t_g_farrell]

Theres racing all day on Sunday, so don't worry theres good stuff going on.

Heres the schedule so far:

#Apr 29

* 8 a.m.–6 p.m. — Practice and Qualifying sessions

# Apr 30

* 8 a.m.–11 a.m. — Practice and Qualifying sessions
* 9 a.m. — Kumho Autocross experience opens
* 12:30 p.m.–7 p.m. — Feature Races
* 8 p.m.–11:30 p.m. — Hella Night-into-day party

# May 1

* 8 a.m.–4:45 p.m. — Feature Races

[SilverEIGHT]

Will see you guys at the track. The garx8club will probably be hanging out in 10A, driver right. Really looking forward to this one.

[Kentetsu]

Do you need tickets to "stop by"? I'll be at DGRR with the family, but might swing down for a day...





.

[t_g_farrell]

I think you do. Its $20 entry for Sat or Sun and $10 to park in the infield. This
will allow you to drive over to where we are and visit. You can try posting a
question to the Mitty site and see what they say.

Maybe if you have a GRM or CMS bumper sticker it will get you in, but
somehow I doubt it :)

[Ian]

Purchased infield parking, sunday pass and parade lap :) Going to be there with a few canadians after the DGRR meet....

[t_g_farrell]

Interesting article about Jim Downing the Grand Marshal for the Mitty this year.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/racing/rolex-24/2011/01/28/hans-maker-in-24th-24.html

[t_g_farrell]

I see Billy Waites (ReSpeed) is mentioned on the Mitty site as attending. Looks
like the rotor heads are turning out for this one.

http://classicmotorsports.net/events/1115/attending/

[t_g_farrell]

Just grabbed the power ticket (3 day) and the infield camping. All set for a long
rotary weekend for only 60 bucks.

[ROTORX7Holly]

Here is a link to an article on the history of the HANS device, which Mr "Grand Marshall of the Walter Mitty" himself co-invented.
http://www.nascar.com/news/110216/inside-nascar-hans-jim-downing/

[firzen]

Should I take the 40,000 mile 323GTX or my autocross-prepped 2nd gen?

[88turboii]

hey tim i will be there sunday, i may drive down from deals gap sat night to catch the party.. not sure if the caravan is leaving sat night or sun morn


jim downing co invented hans device that is cool! too bad they are so expensive!

[BigIslandSevens]

^ Less than a rebuild kit for the engine. My life/neck is worth the $$.

They should however raffle a few of those babies off!

Holly, put in a good word to the boss .;)

[t_g_farrell]

April 28-May 1 – Road Atlanta – Braselton, GA

The 2011 Mitty is returning to Road Atlanta from April 28 to May 1 for our
annual celebration of all things automotive, and this year’s event promises to
be the best yet.

Grand Marshal: Jim Downing will be our guest of honor at the event, and we’ll
be recognizing his accomplishments as a Mazda racer. Jim will be on hand
throughout the weekend to check out the races and meet fans. Plan on
stopping by the Classic Motorsports tent to attend an autograph session.

Featured Marque: Of course, no celebration of racing accomplishments would
be complete without the participation of our featured marque, Mazda. The
2011 Mitty will feature many of the incredible cars the company has built
over the years. Expect to see several of the original Mazda race cars that
have landed in the winner’s circle; these historic racing cars will be on display
all weekend—when they’re not on track, of course. Be sure to look for many
other Mazda surprises at The Mitty as well.

A Japanese Invasion: This year’s event will also be a celebration of all
Japanese sports cars. We expect a record number of cars from makes such
as Datsun/Nissan, Toyota, Honda and, of course, Mazda. The MX-5 Miata will
have a special corral.


Classic Motorsports Small Bore Cup Race: The Classic Motorsports Mitty will
host the second round of the 2011 Classic Motorsports Small Bore Cup. The
series is open to small-bore cars produced before 1965 and their continuation
counterparts. This leg of the competition promises to be a hotly contested
battle among our readers’ favorite cars.

Kumho Autocross: Thanks to our friends at Kumho Tires USA, the 2011 Mitty
will again offer spectators the chance to drive a Kumho-equipped Mazda
MX-5 around our infield autocross course. This driving experience is
completely free of charge, so make sure you sign up for some top-down
driving fun!

Hella “Night into Day” Party- Come to the Classic Motorsports big-top tent
for our special Saturday night party sponsored by Hella USA. Enjoy free
drinks at the Moss Motors Pub and bench race with race fans and
enthusiasts from around the country. Don’t miss the special light up the night
display next to our tent also!

Moss Pub: The Moss pub will be open for business during the evening hours
on Friday and Saturday night. Come by for a cold drink and the best bench
racing you’ll find this side of Siebkins. You can also challenge a friend to a
game of darts or a race around our slot car track. And don’t miss the live
music performed by Wes Cobb on Saturday night.

Flyin’ Miata Summer Camp East: The crew at Flyin’ Miata will be on hand for
the Mitty and hosting a special get together for Miata owners to hang out
and talk tech. Their staff will be hosting group discussions to help make your
Miata faster, better handling, and more safe. Flyin’ Miata has been an
industry leader since 1989, so don’t miss this chance to learn from the best!

DIY Autotune MegaSqurt MegaMeet DIY Autotune will host the first ever
MegaSquirt MegaMeet at the 2011 Mitty. Guests with vehicles using
MegaSquirt engine management are encouraged to bring out their home
brewed creations and share them with other MegaSquirt users and Mitty
guests. The staff of DIY Autotune will also be on hand to answer questions
about installing, wiring, and tuning your own MegaSquirt system.

Want to Be a World Record Holder? Break a record at The Mitty! Officials
from the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to verify our
attempt to create the world’s largest parade lap. We’ll need at least 683
Mazdas to make the claim, so we want you to be a part of it.

Mazda Driver’s Party Do you drive a Mazda? Your key is now good for more
than starting the car—it will also give you access to the Mazda Driver’s Party
on Friday night. The party will be held in the Classic Motorsports big-top tent
on the hill. Along with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, we’ll be honoring our Grand
Marshall and IMSA veteran Jim Downing. Entry to this special party is free for
Mazda owners so make sure to bring your key to be a part of it.

[t_g_farrell]

The tickets are coming! The tickets are coming!

Dear Mitty Ticket Purchaser,



Again let me thank you for purchasing tickets to the 2011 Mitty. This looks to be one of the best ever. Don’t forget to tell your friends.



Just wanted to give you an update on the mailing of the tickets. Plans seem to be on target to mail them out the first week of April. Please feel free to contact me if you think yours are late arriving.



We’re looking forward to having all of you with us this year. Again, if I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me.



Diane Simpson

HSR

[t_g_farrell]

Games on! The DGRR crowd is organizing to come down Sunday to join us in
celebrating the Mitty. Phil has also gotten some great discounts for DGRR folks
that make the extra trip down. See the link in the DGRR section:

http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=13707

[N.RotaryTech]

Question:
I saw on the site, as far as the tickets go...
For example (I'm coming Sunday from deals gap),
"For Sunday only" its $25 at the gate, or $20 In advance.
Then there are listings for "Infield parking" ($10), "Infield camping" ($25).

Are those all separate charges?

[t_g_farrell]

Yep thats why its such a great deal that Phil is cooking up in that thread I posted.

[Herblenny]

Yep thats why its such a great deal that Phil is cooking up in that thread I posted.

I think its a great deal but let me clarify few things as things changed over past couple of days..

Price is $15 per person if we get 20-49 people
Price then goes down to $10 per person if we could get 50+

$10 infield pass is separate and charged by Road ATL.. My initial info from Mitty organizer was that infield pass was free.. but that was a misinformation.

Those of you interested in just Sunday pass, please put your name on the DGRR group.. If 20 (prefer 34) people don't sign up, I'm not going to bother organizing DGRR Mitty caravan.. it would be just up to the individual to make your trip... Hope we get at least 20 people...

[t_g_farrell]

Tickets showed up in the mail today. Woot!

[Kentetsu]

Bought the VIP ticket today. :) I wonder if that covers camping? Starting to get excited about this, but I really need to get to work on the car. She's been hiding in the garage all winter...

[t_g_farrell]

I think you'll still need the camping pass. The VIP gives you infield parking only I think. Send an email to the HSR folks or the GRM folks for details.

[Kentetsu]

Well, as long as I can get in the gate, I'll just figure out the rest of it once I arrive. Thanks man...

[t_g_farrell]

Flyin’ Miata Summer Camp, MegaSquirt MegaMeet,
IMSA RS/SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion, and Factory Five Design Contest
Will Make Up a Major Part of This Vintage Racing Weekend,
April 29 – May 1, 2011

The 2011 Classic Motorsports Mitty, the South’s premier vintage race, has added a number of special
infield events as part of the GRM Speedfest at The Mitty.

For starters, this year’s Mitty will host Flyin’ Miata’s Summer Camp East, a gathering for Flyin’ Miata’s
customers and fans of the Mazda Miata. Here are some highlights from the Summer Camp agenda:

- Take a ride with Flyin’ Miata staff on a small track. Various cars will be on hand, including their
specially built V8 Targa Miata and Elvis, their Supertuner Challenge Miata.

- Attend technical seminars in the Flyin’ Miata car tent to learn about the basics of turbocharging and
the company’s new product development. Attendees can also follow a guided tour of a V8 Miata
conversion and ask the Flyin’ Miata folks about technical details.

- Stop by the Flyin’ Miata tent to check out their cool parts. The staff will be there to answer any
parts questions.

- Take advantage of special parts deals and giveaways.

The Flyin’ Miata Summer Camp East, in conjunction with Mazda as the featured marque, should make the
2011 Mitty the biggest Mazda-focused event in history.

If that wasn’t enough, DIYAutoTune.com will hold their MegaSquirt MegaMeet at this year’s Mitty. Visitors
will have the opportunity to hang out with all of the major car geeks behind the MegaSquirt fuel-injection
system. Just about everyone who's played a major role in the project will be on hand for questions and
technical assistance.

MegaMeet attendees will also be able to meet and greet the core members of the DIYAutoTune.com team.
Plus, they’ll get a glimpse of upcoming hardware and hear all of the technical info about it. If it’s new and
related to MegaSquirt, you will likely see it here first. Be sure to check out their tent in the infield.

Next, Factory Five Racing’s new mid-engined sports car contest kickoff party will also take place at The
Mitty. The F5 team will have the new chassis on display for the first time, and they’re inviting attendees to
design the new body. Did we mention that the winner of the contest gets a $5000 prize? Factory Five staff
will be on hand to answer questions about the new car or their existing products.

Just so we don’t forget that The Mitty is also about racing, the IMSA RS/SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion
group will races and have their cars on display at this years Mitty. Famous BMW, Datsun, Alfa Romeo
and Mazda IMSA RS 2.5 Trans-Am cars will be on display, while some famous drivers will be present
including Mitty Grand Marshal Jim Downing, himself a former IMSA RS champion. Best of all, the cars will
reunite on track, racing fender to fender while keeping the old racing rivalries alive.

All of these gatherings and events—along with the standard world-class vintage racing—will make the
2011 Classic Motorsports Mitty the best ever. Make your plans now to be at Road Atlanta April 28-May 1.

To purchase tickets and get more information, visit themitty.com.

[t_g_farrell]

Only one week to go.

The bottles being beered today. A nice creamy oatmeal stout.

[Kentetsu]

Ah, the breakfast of champions! :)

[t_g_farrell]

I did test the brew last night while bottling. We have at this time 54, err make that
53 bottles of beer. The next hurtle is to see how much is left by Thursday and then
how much can fit iin the rx7 for the trip down in the coolers.

I'll also try to bring down a limited quantity of very hard cider. We're talking 18% abv
and it fizzes like champange.

[t_g_farrell]

Heres the latest weather forecast for the Mitty weekend:

http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=10259&stc=1&d=1303478666

[ROTORX7Holly]

Sneak Preview of the Gatorade #63 that will be at the Walter Mitty.

[Kentetsu]

Sweet! Thanks for the pic Holly. :)

[Ian]

Sneak Preview of the Gatorade #63 that will be at the Walter Mitty.

Oh my god. That is awesome!

[t_g_farrell]

Got some bad news to report.



We had a small party at my house and some asswipe :cuss: (me :D ) got into
the stout and drank a case or so. I still have ~40 bottles left so all is not lost.



I don't plan on drinking any until the weekend, I swear, really.

[Herblenny]

I have some extra Sunday ticket for the Mitty if anyone is interested.. $15 each. I have like 5 that I ordered and some that have backed out.

[t_g_farrell]

Since there so many rotor heads coming to the Mitty. I'm in the market for an SA
shifter surround for a GS or limited edition interior. This is the plastic part that pops
on around the shifter and has the boot attached.

I don't need a boot but what I'm looking for is the correct surround. The correct one
has the plastic trim around the boot opening as chromed plastic. The base version
is just black. At some point I replaced my original which was in poor shape with a
junkyard find from a base model and its black :(. I tried painting it with the "chrome"
duplicolor stuff but it really doesn't look the same.

So if anyone has one bring it to the Mitty and lets make a deal.

[ZGN]

I will have the live video feed on Sunday at MITTY, subscribe to the thread below for updates on the video feed.
http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_forum/showthread.php?p=147626

[Kentetsu]

Quick question for you guys. I have a choice between taking I65, or I75.

Anybody have an opinion on which is the more "pleasant" highway to drive?

Thanks. :)

[t_g_farrell]

Can't beat this forecast for the Mitty:

http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=10292&stc=1&d=1303925583

[t_g_farrell]

Heres my personal schedule (could change without notice)

Thursday - arrive, setup camp, enjoy the sunset and have a cold brew

Friday - Cracker Barrel breakfast, wander around the Mitty tents, bbq some brats
for lunch, if theres a parade lap do that, watch racing, go to the free Mazda
key party for food and some cold brew.

Saturday - Cracker Barrel breakfast, wander around the Mitty tents, bbq some brats
for lunch, if theres a parade lap do that, watch racing, go to the free Hella day into
night party for food and some cold brew (see the patterns here :D )

Sunday - Cracker Barrel breakfast, await DGRR folks, attempt record breaking parade
lap, bbq some lunch, watch some racin, head for home around 3 p.m.

Throughout any of this time I may break out my stout and cider for impromptu
tastings and debauchery. You've been warned.

[t_g_farrell]

I'm busy packing as we speak. I'm bring 24 beers and 9 ciders. That should hold us for bit.

I'll heading out within the hour. Anyone who wants to exchange cell phone numbers
PM me before 2:45 and I'll make a note of them.

Looks like Friday may be a light turnout, but saturday will be the full crew and then
some more on Sunday. Can't wait.

[t_g_farrell]

Woohoo! Heading out now. Anyone that wants to get a hold of me, just PM ray green, or BigIslandSevens for my cell phone. I may not answer for the next
3 hours due the excellent rotary symphony and open windows of my car but leave
a message and I can call you back around 6:30 or so.

If anyone wants to get a quick bite to eat around Braselton tonight I'm all ears.
I should be available after 7 sometime.

[infernosg]

Great weekend over all! I don't think we could have asked for better weather. In case anyone is curious I am told we DID NOT make the world record for most Mazdas on a track at one time. Apparently that's currently held by some New Zealand Miata club but we did manage a N. American record.

It was good to meet some of you even though I couldn't have my car there. I especially enjoyed talking to the older guys with race experience as it really gave me some insight for my upcoming "build". For those who don't know me (everyone) I was the tool running around and directing a lot of the parking at the Mazda corral (Reds hat on Saturday, blue "way out" shirt on Sunday).