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Watkins Glen 2014 Details

16K views 38 replies 13 participants last post by  SkippyThorson 
#1 ·
Smart Rally At The Glen 3
July 11th - July 13th, 2014
:) :) :)

Please follow the Smart Rally At The Glen group on Facebook!

BUYING TICKETS:

Once Mike gets back to me with a good line of contact for our ticket requests, he wants folks to purchase tickets from him directly. I'll post that up when I get it - which will be soon. If you don't want to buy early from him, you can buy at the gate. I have no involvement in ticket purchasing.

We're going meet at Walmart in Watkins Glen on Saturday morning (July 12th) at 7:30am. We'll hang out for a little bit, and if anyone wants to go into town (or Walmart) for food and meet us a little later in the parking lot (8:00am), that'll be fine too. By 8:30am, we'll be leaving Walmart to go to the track.

Once again, Mike is waving the track fee, and we're just paying a set price for the Track + Wine Festival; once he passes along the info which I'll pass along to you.


SATURDAY MORNING MEETING:
Here's the map from Walmart to Watkins Glen Raceway, via Google Maps. We can meet in Watkins Glen (the town) right on the lake, less than 15 minutes from the Watkins Glen International track. The Walmart will have a big enough parking lot so that we don't crowd some business unexpectedly.

So, meet at Walmart in Watkins Glen, and then drive over to the track for our laps!


AT THE TRACK:
The laps will be at 9:00am on Saturday. (Just like last year.)

We will need to get there at 8:45, and (we should) go through Gate 2.
When we get in the gate, take a right, and go behind the grand stand.
There is a crossover gate where you cross the race track.
We will sign waivers that say if we wreck it's on us.
We do our laps around the track.
Then, escorted by Pace Car, we will be led to our parking place.

Saturday will be a free-for-all to enjoy the Wine Festival, go back in to town, do whatever you want, and chill.


SATURDAY EVENING COOKOUT:
Saturday, around 6:00 or 7:00 PM, we will plan a cookout for those who are staying in Watkins Glen State Park - but anyone is welcome to join! (Visitors just may have to park in a visitor lot and walk a little, due to the cars-per-campsite rule.) I am in Cabin 112C, so we could meet at my place or someone else's. I will be making a thread in the not-to-distant-future to RSVP for the cookout and will plan who's going to bring what.


SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST:
9:00AM on Sunday, for anyone that wants to stay, we will be going to Savard's Restaurant at 601 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, NY. We may have to get creative with parking, but I'm sure we can do it. It's not like we take up that much space. The restaurant has been packed in years past, so we'll plan as best we can.

Sunday afternoon, after breakfast, I guess we'll be breaking up for the drive home. We can say our goodbyes, laugh, cry, do donuts in the parking lot, etc. I would suggest anyone with a good drive keeps Walmart in mind, which is minutes away. Large stores aren't necessarily plentiful once you get into the Adirondacks.

Let me know if anyone has any further concerns or questions. I sure hope I addressed everything by now!

:smartje.bl.zl: Year 3 is a go! :smartje.bl.zl:
:bouncies:
 
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#11 ·
Lodging is same as past years. Many of us will camp out at Watkins Glen State Park. I booked a cabin way in advance so that I don't run in to the same problem I had last year of being left out with a tent at my own event until someone unfortunately had to cancel - and was nice enough to recommend what cabin he had so that I could snag it.

The Budget Inn on Main Street was also a recommended go-to. Many other Smarties stayed there.

Any way you go, you can't go wrong. So glad to see interest drummed up earlier each year!
 
#14 ·
Correct, no safety inspection performed other than you signing a waiver that says you will abide by their rules, and that if you wreck your car, you can't sue Watkins Glen.

You are responsible for making sure your car is up to snuff, and any risk is assumed by the driver upon entry.

-----

In other news, I will ask if there is a way we could run power over to our parking place if an ED decides to join.

Anyone planning to bring an Electric needs to let me know! The only one that came was last year thanks to Smart Buffalo, and it was trailered there.
 
#16 ·
For those interested. Here are two links to the video I shot last year during our Watkins Glenn meet. Keep in mind, where it shows we were going 85 MPH around the track is just an edit I put in. They will not allow that speed around the track, but that is a speed I've hit many times in my Smart on the highway. :)

First Video:

Second Video:

Will be anxious to see everyone this year and meet some new faces as well. I'll be showing off my third Smart, a 2014 Brabus!
 
#21 ·
Hey, just thought about this. Myself and my other half will probably not be going into the wine festival itself this year. Don't feel like fighting through an ocean of frat boys to taste wine when I could visit the couple wineries I liked in town anyways. Rather hike and explore in town this time around. I couldn't remember if there were special tickets, if any we needed to buy to do the laps, but not go into the wine fest. Any insight on that?
 
#23 ·
We'll finish packing and get on the road in a couple hours. Excited for another year!

I had the backing of Smart USA Marketing the finest year, and then Smart Center Buffalo last year, but both Latham and Buffalo are booked this year - looks like I'm your only source of entertainment. :D

I'm happy to be heading year 3, and excited to see this year's group tomorrow morning. Safe travels everyone!
 
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