Fiat Freakout | July 10-14, 2019

Our prominence was recognized by Laura Soave, Head of FIAT Brand, North America, as she chose our National Convention in Asheville in July 2010 to announce the Prima Edizione, the first new FIAT to be sold in North America in 27 years. We have always met the needs of new owners (back when ‘82 FIAT were new!) and of course vintage car enthusiasts. We are thus uniquely qualified to be the umbrella organization for all FIAT fans.

Our club produces a full-color magazine packed with member-written articles, technical tips and news relating to Italian car ownership.

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Important to know…

• Our host hotel is the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina. Grandover, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro, NC 27407 (336-294-1800).  The 4 star rated Grandover Resort features 12 floors and 250 rooms. It boasts of two 18 hole golf courses, a variety of fine dining and beverage venues, a luxurious pool and spa, fitness center and exclusive club parking lot. The lush hotel lawn property will also be the site of our FFO Concours field, less than 100 yards from the hotel entrance drive.
• Our specially-arranged nightly rate is $149 and includes two (2) breakfast meal vouchers each day and free wi-fi.   (Each room purchased at the $149 rate comes with two breakfast vouchers per day good only at the hotel restaurant.  One voucher feeds one person one entrée, or the breakfast buffet, this represents a $17.99 value.  The two vouchers are attached to the $149 room rate not based on occupancy, meaning two people in the room gets the two vouchers, one person in the room still gets the two vouchers. Vouchers are not in any way transferable.)
• CLICK HERE to reserve hotel rooms. 
• After you select the dates and other info, click on “make a room selection”, then your room type choice.  Please note that a “traditional queen” room is twin queen beds.
• For FreakOut 2018 we implemented a daily wristband process which covers all main FreakOut activities for that day (optional events are pay at event and not included in the daily wristband purchase).  This worked well so we are doing it again this year.  Please note that buying additional wrist bands and simlar on site is not possible
• FreakOut registration is only available online, we no longer offer registration by mail.  So you know, last year we only had one manual registration…
• The instructions at the very end of this form tell you to click the PayPal button, this will take you to a screen for all payment types, including credit & debit card.  Just because the button says “PayPal” does NOT mean you will be required to use PayPal.  
• Before you register…

• Your Fiat Club America membership must be current through 7/31/19. Visit fiatclubamerica.com to check your membership status before registering.
• Register for FreakOut one time only please.
• There are no refunds at any time for any reason.
• Adults are considered ages 13 and older. Children are considered ages 5-12, ages 4 and under eat free at the hotel buffets.

Important Dates…

• 6/10/19 – Hotel reservation window closes.
• 6/10/19 – FreakOut Registration closes. No exceptions.  All registrations must be completed by midnight on this date.

·         FFO19 Base Ticket (one) 

You may add additional day event tickets and concorso vehicle field entries below.

·         A panoramic or drone photo will be taken Saturday at the Concourso show field. All classes of cars must pre-register to be in the photo and on the Concours field. Details provided below in Saturday’s section.

·         Only pre-registered Italian cars will be allowed on the show field.

TUESDAY, JULY 9TH – VIR TRACK DAYT

This year’s Fiat FreakOut offers an early event opportunity for members to run their street or race car on the world famous Virginia International Raceway with legendary driver and instructor Phil Wicks at www.minidriving.com. Many recall Phil and the VIR track from FFO2012 in Charlottesville, VA. The event runs all day and the cost to run is approximately $350. The event is optional “on own” and not part of the base ticket price. Participants will stay at Sleep Inn @ $89/night in nearby Danville, VA on Monday July 8^th with the event starting at 8 AM Tuesday morning, July 9th. The Mini Cooper enthusiasts will also participate, taking to the track as well. So who’s ready to challenge our friends in the Mini Club? Fiat Club America members would depart the track at about 5 PM on Tuesday and travel to Grandover Resort in Greensboro for the Freak Out. Please express your interest for Phil by checking the “I’m interested” box, Phil will be in touch as the event comes together.

More details about the raceway at http://virnow.com/.  More details about Phil Wicks at http://www.minidriving.com/

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10TH – EARLY ARRIVALS

Race Shop Tour Drive (Group 1)

Group departs hotel at 8:30 AM

8:30 -10:30 AM Richard Petty Museum – $10 per person admission at museum

The Petty Museum presents the unparalleled success story of one of the founding families of stock car racing, their drive for engineering excellence, and the technical inventiveness, innovation and ingenuity that made it all possible.

http://rpmuseum.com/

12:30-2 PM Fiat Alfa Specialty – $10 per person admission at event

FIAT & Alfa Romeo Specialty is a family owned business dedicated to the maintenance and restoration of vintage Italian cars as well as performance upgrades and maintenance of later model cars.  John and Gary Baucom are SCCA racing champions and a tour of their facility offers a look into what goes into building race cars as well as restoring your vintage car.

Lunch:  Deli sandwiches, chips and drinks will be included in the admission price.

https://www.facebook.com/baucomspecialties/

3:45-5 PM RCR museum  – $10 admission per person at event

The RCR Museum takes visitors through a journey that includes team owner Richard Childress’ earliest days as a NASCAR driver, the championship-winning years with Dale Earnhardt and the No. 3 team, the evolution and success of the team after Earnhardt’s untimely passing, and Childress’ passion for the outdoors.  Based in the 47,000-square foot shop that was home to Earnhardt’s No. 3 team for many years, visitors have the opportunity to step back in time to see race cars and other artifacts that have contributed to some of the most iconic moments in NASCAR history.  The museum hosts the largest collection of No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolets, including the 1998 Daytona 500-winning car, the 1995 Brickyard 400 winner and each of the special paint schemes driven by Earnhardt in the All-Star races from 1995-2000. Guests can learn how the RCR crew developed, built and prepared Chevrolets each week by walking through the different departments of the old race shop.

RCR Museum

4:00 PM drive back to hotel

Dinner is on your own

OR

Covered Bridge/Pottery/Fruitcake Factory Tour Drive (Group 2)

Group departs hotel at 9 AM

9:00- 10 am  scenic drive that will include the Pisgah Covered Bridge

10AM    Arrive Seagrove pottery district

Quite simply, Seagrove and the uniquely named hamlets which surround it in rural Randolph County are the perfect place for anyone interested in pottery.  Far from being a mere collection of shops, Seagrove actually refers to a region of artisans that has made the area one of the nation’s largest communities of potters. Part of Seagrove’s allure lies in its singular history and high concentration of potters. The other part, especially for the uninitiated, lies in the experience itself.  The area’s famous future may have been preordained in the late 1700s, when Colonial potters began to fashion earthenware goods – including jugs, crocks, pots and storage jars – from the local red clay. But technology played its trump card with the rise of the American glass industry during the century that followed. By about 1900, pottery in the area and elsewhere had almost vanished.  Then, in 1920, a Raleigh eccentric named Juliana Busbee helped to revive the art form by hiring locals to supply her establishment with handcrafted wares. Extinction was averted and a surge in demand in recent decades has brought the total number of resident craftspeople to more than 90.

https://www.visitnc.com/story/34wj/discover-a-pottery-paradise-in-seagrove

12 – 1 pm Westmoore Family Restaurant – lunch on own

https://m.facebook.com/WestmooreFamily2172/

Group departs restaurant at 1 PM for next stop

1:30 – 3:30 pm  Southern Supreme Fruitcake Factory

From its humble roots in a garage, this company has grown into a 30,000 square foot facility thanks to YOU, our customers.  Over 30 years ago as we began selling our Nutty Fruitcake at a Christmas show in Raleigh, we never thought it would grow into a large company. With the stigma of the word fruitcake, it was a challenge to get people to try our product, but by the end of the show, people were returning to purchase our cakes. From that day, with our family, we continued to build a successful store and mail order business in Bear Creek, North Carolina.  Our family has grown along with Southern Supreme and we hope to continue to serve you for many generations to come.

http://www.southernsupreme.com/

3:30 PM drive back to hotel

Dinner is on your own

THURSDAY, JULY 11TH

Autocross at DIXIE CLASSIC FAIRGROUNDS (Optional)

Thursday is Autocross Day at Fiat Freakout! Back by popular demand, there is something special about great handling Fiat and Lancia cars. An autocross will test your driving skills with very little risk to your car. Each driver negotiates a special course through a long set of traffic cones set up in a safe, wide parking lot at Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem. Whoever has the best time wins! It’s as simple as that. Participating cars will leave the hotel at 9 AM. Tech inspection is at 10AM, time trials start at 11 AM. The cost is only $40 per driver and a pizza lunch is included! What a deal! If you have never tried an autocross now is the time! Test your driving skills and earn club bragging rights for an entire year! Not bringing a car to FFO? You can double up with another club member who has a car to loan or just watch. Spectators enter for free, pizza lunch is $5 for non-drivers.

• 9:00 – 9:30 Drive to Dixie Classic Fairgrounds W-S
• $40 per driver admission fee (note there is no admission fee for spectators but they do need to pay $5 in advance for lunch)
• 10:00 Tech session
• 11:00 Race begins
• 12 pm    Pizza tailgate lunch (included in driver admission fee, $5 for spectators)
• 12:30 Resume racing
• 4:00 – 4:30 drive back to hotel
• http://www.dcfair.com/

Old Salem Tour to WINSTON-SALEM (Optional)

Autocross not your style? Fear not, the “Old Salem” tour kicks off at 9 AM for downtown Winston Salem. Just 30 minutes from Greensboro, this historic town, founded in 1766, features restored and reconstructed buildings, staffed by living-history and skilled interpreters, such as tinsmiths, blacksmiths, cobblers, gunsmiths, bakers and carpenters, practicing their trades while interacting with visitors, presenting a view of Moravian life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Approximately 70% of the buildings in the historic district are original, making this a truly unique living history museum. The tour will dine at the historical Old Salem Tavern for lunch. Get a taste of the old South in a unique, pre-civil war eatery that has been a mainstay of Winston Salem since 1784. www.thetaverninoldsalem.ws/   The tour returns after 3:30 PM to Grandover in plenty of time to relax before the opening FFO19 Welcome party Thursday evening.    

• 9:00 – 9:30 Drive to Old Salem
• 9:30 – 4:00 Self-guided tour of Old Salem with lunch at The Tavern
• http://www.oldsalem.org/
• The Tavern – 18th-century tavern with farm-to-fork American fare, costumed servers at lunch & candlelit dinners.
• http://thetaverninoldsalem.ws/

FreakOut 2019 Welcome Event Outdoor Dinner Party – Grandover Hotel

• Social hour, cash bar, from 6-7 PM, buffet open at 7 PM
• The Terrace at Grandover Resort
• NC Local Fare Dinner Buffet consisting of:
• Southern Cobb Salad: Bacon. Black-eyed Peas. Roasted Corn. Hard Boiled Egg. Bleu Cheese. Tomatoes. Avocado. House-made Buttermilk Herb Dressing, Traditional Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad with a Dill Dressing & Mixed Greens, Smoked Pulled Pork served with Hawaiian Rolls, Southern Fried Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Maple Baked Beans, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Southern Pecan Pie, Strawberry Short Cake, Coffee and Tea Service
• Cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children (ages 5-13), one adult dinner is included in the FFO19 base ticket you have already ordered

FRIDAY, JULY 12TH

Time Distance RALLY (group A):

Enjoy a nice, leisurely ride over the North Carolina countryside to a special historic  place loved by young and old alike. Follow the directions precisely and you will find yourself traveling back in time. Driver’s meeting starts at 8 AM and event participants will leave Grandover at 30 second intervals. The car that finishes closest to the calculated time will win the event. Lunch is on own at the conclusion of the event, with extra time to enjoy the town. Afterward, the group will return to Grandover.

GO-PRO GO-KART CHALLENGE (group B):

There is nothing like going fast in your Fiat on a twisty road course, but how about trying it at 2” off the ground, GO-PRO Motorplex, a state of the art track with incredibly fast carts that run up to 55 MPH!

Note must be 16 years or older to drive a go kart and must have valid ID to prove age.

Check them out online at www.gopromotorplex.com and see for yourself. The group departs Grandover at 9:30 AM for Mooresville, NC. Racing starts at 11 AM. Helmets provided, bragging rights earned! Here is a sample video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1rlWa0-g_s 

The price to join in the fun is $85 per driver and includes a practice run, heat race and feature race. The racing will continue until 1:30 PM, then the group will head to lunch (cost on your own) at Lancaster’s BBQ, 515 Rinehardt Road, Mooresville, NC.  The drive returns to Grandover starting at 2:30 PM.

RED OAK BREWERY TOUR DRIVE (group C):

Want to participate in the Group A or B event first, or sleep late, chill out and relax all morning at the hotel? No problem, there is a late afternoon event for you! The Red Oak Brewery Tour leaves Grandover Resort at 3:15 PM. We’ll take the scenic backroads to Red Oak Brewery (www.redoakbrewery.com) and enjoy a wonderful guided tour of their facility. Admission is $15 for adults. After the tour, Group C will return to Grandover. Dinner is on own on Friday night but be sure to get back by 9:30 PM for the drive in movie!

FFO19 DRIVE IN MOVIE AT GRANDOVER:

Fiat Freak Out attendees have enjoyed a 10 year tradition of a classic drive in movie on Friday night! This year that tradition continues starting at 9:30 PM after dinner on own. Fiat Club America’s traditional 1969 movie “The Italian Job”, (starring Phil Wicks) will be shown outdoors in the parking / concours lot starting at dusk! Classic and contemporary Fiat commercials will run at intervals just like a TV movie at home. Enjoy your parking lot time and catch this classic car movie at the same time!

 Friday Night “Drive-in” Kids movie: Young club members will enjoy their own movie to be shown at the hotel. The classic movie “Cars” by Pixar (starring a cute little Fiat 500 named Luigi) will be shown starting at 8:00 PM. Kids will be served snacks, fruit, water & juice boxes as a treat. A babysitter will be provided; tipping the sitter is strongly encouraged. Parents will be asked to sign in their child and provide a cell phone & room number.

SATURDAY, JULY 13TH

Fiat Freakout’s signature event has always been the Saturday Concourso show, where our cars are definitely dressed for the occasion! This year the concourso is just across the street from our exclusive hotel parking lot, making it super easy to display dedicated race cars and trailer queen vehicles. Access to the hotel during the day is just a two minute walk from the show field! The field will begin loading at 8:30 AM with all cars on the field by 9:30 AM, latest please. Each car will have a predesignated spot/marker to make placing cars a snap. The show and judging will take place between 10 AM and 2 PM, ballots due in by 1 PM. This year we will be using a new system to cast ballots for cars by text, so be sure to bring your smart phone to the show field. All cars are asked to remain on the field until after 2 PM.

The $35 cost to put your 1^st car on the show field is included in your base ticket.  Putting a 2^nd car on the show field is $30 and a 3^rd car is $25.

Please Note:  Concorso awards will be given out at the awards banquet Saturday night only, car owners must be present to win or have made arrangements for someone to pick up your award for you, the Club will not send awards to winners. 

“Unboxed” Lunch

• Most high class car shows only offer boxed lunches to show spectators. We’re better than that, so there are no boxed lunches at Fiat Freakout! Grandover Resort has prepared a very nice indoor lunch buffet and dining area for us.  Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children.
• Served from Noon till 2 PM just inside the hotel
• All meals will include Southern Style Potato Salad, Kettle Chips, Greek Pasta Salad. Olives. Roasted Red Pepper. Feta. Banana Peppers,and your choice of one wrap:
• Italian Wrap: Ham, Genoa Salami, Pepperoni, Mortadella and Provolone with Lettuce, Tomatoes and Red Onion in a Roasted Red Pepper Tortilla,
• Veggie Wrap: Hummus, Fire Roasted Vegetables, Vine ripened tomatoes Alfalfa Sprouts
• Buffalo Chicken Wrap: Grilled chicken, lettuce, Heirloom Tomatoes, Bleu Cheese in a Whole Grain Tortilla,
• Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coffee and Tea Service are also included with all meals

 SATURDAY TECH SESSIONS:

Learn about your car or Fiat Lancia automotive repair at the FFO tech session held inside Grandover down the hall from the registration room. Special guest Bill Longyard will discuss sheet metal working techniques. A time schedule and topics will be posted at registration. Tech sessions will run in succession from 1 PM to 3 PM.

SATURDAY AWARDS BANQUET:    

The FFO19 Saturday Awards Banquet will be held in the main ballroom of Grandover Resort.

Social reception/cocktail happy hour starts at 3:30 to 4:30 PM with a cash bar.

Dinner gets underway at 4:30 PM. Note we are starting a little earlier this year to accomodate both the awards banquet and those who want to attend the optional Bowman Gray race event, details below.

Awards banquet highlights include the famous FFO19 trivia contest to find the “smartest table in the room”. We will present all class show awards, special recognitions and the coveted Best of Show award. We will also feature a guest speaker once again this year.

The Dinner buffet includes: Spring Minestrone Soup Panzanella Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes. Shaved Red Onion. Cucumbers. Kalamata Olives. Sweet Peppers. Homestyle Garlic Croutons. Feta Cheese & served with Balsamic Dressing On top of Chopped Romaine Lettuce Orecchiette Pasta Salad. Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes & Black Olives. Banana Peppers. Salami. Roasted Red Peppers. Artichoke Hearts. Buffalo Mozzarella and a Light Pesto Dressing Chicken Marsala with a Traditional Mushroom Cream Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage & Ricotta Served with a Rustic Marinara Sauce Three Cheese Tortellini with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables Mushrooms. Asparagus. Tomatoes. Zucchini. Squash. Onions. Olive Oil Brushed Grilled Vegetables Garlic Bread Sticks Honey-Saffron Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries Stracciatella Cannoli Coffee and Tea Service.

Dinner will conclude at 7 PM with a dessert bar. Members may wish to enjoy some extra parking lot social time or choose to optioanlly attend the races at the nearby Bowman Gray track explained below.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE RACES (Optional Event $25 Per Person)

FFO Saturday Night is never quite like this! Yep, after the awards dinner, members may choose to be goin’ racin’ at what locals call “The Madhouse”, the historic 1/4 mile Bowman Gray oval track in downtown Winston Salem.

Bowman Gray is NASCAR’S first and longest running weekly track since 1949. It’s where Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Donnie and Davie Allison and all generations of the Earnhardt’s’ got their start. https://bowmangrayracing.com/

Members will board a bus after dinner in front of Grandover Resort at 7:30 PM for the ride over to the track. We’ll get an exclusive reserved viewing area on the spectator balcony deck. There are 4 division groups of racing cars; Modified, Sportsman, Street Stock and Stadium Stock.  Racing starts at 8 PM and features run until 11 PM. After the last race, the pit area is open for spectators and autograph seekers. The bus will load up at 11:30 for the 20 minute ride back to Grandover. Even that late, there will still be more action in the club parking lot!

Cost to go to the track is $25 (free track admission for kids 12 & under) and the price includes the round trip bus ride, gate admission and a T-Shirt (adults only)! So, are you goin’ racin with us?

SUNDAY, JULY 14TH

SUNDAY SILENT AUCTION/RAFFLE MORNING GATHERING

10 AM till Noon

After the big day on Saturday, join us for our famous Sunday Raffle Prize event. Since most everyone will have breakfast vouchers to use at the hotel restaurant we ask that you eat breakfast before you come to our Sunday morning event, which starts at 10 AM.  

While not a full breakfast the Club is providing a complimentary bread assortment (Muffins, Bagels, Doughnuts, Croissants), hot coffee and tea.

We’ll call out the raffle ticket numbers, make special announcements and conduct the silent auction. Vendors may be open just to give you some end of show bargains and special deals.

SUNDAY “CIAO” DINNER GATHERING 7PM

Close out FFO weekend at a special gathering TBA for whoever decides to stay over on Sunday night. We can savor the flavor of North Carolina one last time before the journey home. Remember club hotel rates are good Sunday and even Monday night following the event weekend. Relax and enjoy the city and the company of the remaining members and guests.

 FFO Extras

Raffle Tickets 15 for $10
$10 minimum order
Drawing at Sunday auctions, must be present to win

FFO19 Official Full Color Event T-Shirt – $25 each, adult sizes S to 3XL

FFO19 11″ x 17″ Official Full Color Event Poster – suitable for framing, $5 each

See you at Fiat FreakOut 2019!