FreakOut 2022
Fiat FreakOut | Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2022 | The Woodlands Resort
39th Annual Fiat FreakOut
Fiat FreakOut 2022 runs from September 28 to October 2
Daily parking at the hotel lot is free for registered FFO attendees who are guests at the host hotel, trailer parking is also free and onsite.
Fiat FreakOut wasn’t born in Texas, but it got here just as quickly as it could…
Welcome to the 40th Fiat FreakOut (FFO22). It’s been 39 years since the first FreakOut, and we’ve been celebrating our passion for all things FIAT, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and assorted other Italian marques ever since.
We’ll be in The Woodlands, Texas, a master planned Township located 28 miles north of Houston along Interstate 45 with a population of around 120,000 people with broad tree lined
boulevards leading to sweeping bends in the rural areas of Southeastern Texas.
The Fiat FreakOut is a five-day event that includes a concours car show, coordinated scenic drives, track day, and lots of socializing.
FFO22 is not just about the show cars, it is a great opportunity to talk to knowledgeable people and vendor sponsors about your vehicle.
Our host hotel is:
The Woodlands Resort
2301 North Millbend Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380
www.woodlandsresort.com
Important to know …
Steps to book hotel room:
- Go to www.woodlandsresort.com
- Select the Book Now Button
- Put in your needed dates of stay
- Select the Special Rates button
- Type in the Group Code: FIA22
- Select Update.
This will show the room types and availability. If you have any questions about the hotel or booking your room, please call hotel reservations at 1-800-433-2624.
Check In: 4:00pm, Check Out: 11:00am
Smoking: No Smoking
Service Animals: Allowed
Our specially arranged nightly rate is $159 per room plus tax and includes breakfast for two, self-parking, and internet access; there is an additional $10 per room resort fee. Attendees are encouraged to explore and use the resort’s facilities, which are included in your bookings: pools, fitness center, lazy river, activities and golf practice facilities. The FFO hotel rate is valid for the nights of Tuesday 27th September through to Saturday 1st October 2022 (so checking in Tuesday and checking out Sunday).
Hotel policy is that they extend our $159 per night three days prior to event dates and three days after, subject to availability. If you want to make a reservation that includes pre or post event nights you must call the reservations number (above) to make your reservation.
Only rooms for nights between 9/27 and 10/1 can be booked online.
*Please note the Club has negotiated a preferential rate with the hotel of $179 a night for a period of three days before and three days after FFO22 should they not have enough availability to honor the core event rate of $159 per night.
If you want to use the golf course, then you can book with the golf course directly (there are two 18 hole courses!).
Daily parking at the hotel lot is free for registered FFO attendees who are guests at the host hotel, trailer parking is also free and onsite.
Hotel Reservations must be made by August 27th, 2022.
The hotel is located less than 30 minutes away from George Bush International Airport (IAH) in north Houston and, in addition to the events being offered at FFO22, provides quick and easy access to several other visit-worthy locations. The Woodlands is less than 90minutes away from Space Station Houston; a pleasant three-hour drive from the Alamo and Riverwalk in San Antonio; 45 minutes from downtown Houston and less than 90 minutes to the Gulf of Mexico and historic Galveston where you can enjoy a walk along the sea wall.
The club hosted a COVID-safe event in 2020 and 2021 and we will be following all current Federal and Texas guidance at FFO22.
There are no refunds at any time for any reason. This is necessary as the Club makes financial commitments to the hotel and others based on actual registrations – you pay us, we pay them. The only exception to this is if the event is cancelled due to the government
telling us we cannot hold it due to COVID, we will refund 100% of all registrations. Also, should the US/Canadian border be closed by either government at event dates, the Club will also refund Canadian member registrations 100%. There is a force majeure
clause in our hotel contract which covers pandemics.|
We expect our hotel will sell out well ahead of our event date so please book sooner rather than later (see the above incentive!). The Fall is a popular time for conferences and other group gatherings in Texas.
Our goal is to ensure those who register for FreakOut have access to hotel rooms reserved for us. To help manage this we are asking
members to register for the event at the same time as you book your hotel room. The longer you wait to book your reservations, the higher the chances the hotel rooms will be fully booked.
For FFO we will be using an Event Card which will list all of the main FreakOut activities you have signed up for, including the event dinners. You will be given your Event Card (which doubles as a badge) when you check-in at “FFO22 Club Services”. Replacing the cards is difficult during the event – please try not to lose them!
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 and debit card. You are NOT required to sign up or use a PayPal account – we are simply using PayPal to process payments in one place.
Before you register…
- Your Fiat Club America membership must be current through 10/3/2022. If you are an OTP (pay every year) member pleaes visit
- fiatclubamerica.com to check your membership status before registering. (One benefit of being a RP (your account automatically
- renews every year) you do not need to check status as RP members are automatically current)
- Register for FreakOut one time only please.
- Refunds will not be issued unless the event is cancelled due to Government instructions.
- Adults are considered aged 13 and older on the first day of FreakOut. Children are considered aged 12 and under on the first day
- of FreakOut.
Important Dates…..
- 8/27/22 – Hotel reservation window closes
- 8/27/22 – FreakOut Registation closed. No exceptions. All registrations must be completed by midnight eastern time of this date.
FreakOut 2022 Agenda Overview
Welcome to Texas y’all!
Check online at FIATClubAmerica.com under the membership login for status of membership.
Questions? (Prefer E-mail please)
Registration and all FreakOut questions: Doug Von Koenig at [email protected] (mobile 269-519-4916)
Club Membership status: membership@prezoftheclub
NOTE: The Member name you used in this section must be used as your reservation name when booking your hotel room in order to receive our special rate.
FFO22 Base Ticket Package (two)
Let’s get this party started right! One FFO22 Base Ticket Package is required per party/family and includes the following:
- One adult Thursday dinner and one adult Saturday dinner. You can order additional dinners as needed below…
- One Concorso vehicle field entry. If you are bringing more than one car for the Concorso you can register it below for an additional $30 for the 2nd car and $25 for the 3rd car. If you are bringing more than 3 cars the 4th, 5th and 6th cars are no charge provided you paid for the first 3.
- Name badges for everyone registered under your registration.
*You may add additional dinners 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.
Wednesday September 28th
Clay Shooting, Blackwood Sporting Company
It wouldn’t be Texas without getting close to some guns. Test your skills on the stands at Blackwood Sporting Company and shoot some sporting clays. Stands are set up in a range of situations, and suitable for all skill levels. You can bring your own gun or rent one from Blackwood themselves.
- Clay Shoot $25 per person, $25 gun rental. Ammunition is charged at market rates based upon usage. All payments made to Blackwood shooting on the day
Starts at 1 PM
www.blackwoodsporting.com
Spectators welcome! The timing between this sporting clays event and the brewery event is setup so you can easily join the brewery event after clays.
Starts at 1 PM
www.blackwoodsporting.com
Spectators welcome! The timing between this sporting clays event and the brewery event is setup so you can easily join the brewery
FFO22 Base Ticket Package ($179.00)
Brewery Tour
The Houston area is renowned for its range of craft breweries. We’ll visit one of the best local ones, and relax before heading on back to The Woodlands. Individual pay for what you order at brewery.
Leave hotel at 3 PM or join us after sporting clays if you are doing that event…
Early Bird Party
Poolside at our host hotel – find out who else has turned up for day one: renew acquaintances and make new friends. The pools are open, take a dip, gently float around the lazy river, and relax – you’re in Texas now!
Starts at 7 PM
DINNER IS ON YOUR OWN TONIGHT
Thursday September 29th
Track Day
The Houston Motorsports Ranch is throwing its doors open to 75 (maximum, no exceptions!) lucky drivers. The track is a sanctioned location for Champ Car World Series, Atlantic Championship, Formula BMW Series, and often used for team testing. Test your metal on the 2.38-mile circuit, there will be prizes available, and we’ll set things up based upon attendees so that everyone is competitive.
Fee is $150 per car.
There will be a mandatory drivers’ meeting before the track sessions. Rolls bars are not required, and helmets will be available at the track. Instructors will be present to work with novices. A boxed lunch is available to pre-order on registration.
www.msrhouston.com
Leave hotel at 10:30 AM
Museum Trip
The Gullo Motor Museum is the eponymous creation of one of south Texas’ largest car dealers. With an incredibly diverse selection of motor vehicles young and old (including Italians!), this private collection is not open to the general public. A $10 donation to the museum is the only fee. The group will drive to the museum for an exclusive tour and afterwards head across to the charming historic Old Town Montgomery where there are several dining options for lunch at your own pace. Montgomery is one of the oldest towns in Texas, beginning as a trading post in 1826 and first charted in 1837. It is also recognized as the birthplace of the Texas Lone Star Flag.
You are sure to enjoy their clean air and relaxed country lifestyle!
Leave hotel at 10 AM
Self-Guided Drives
The Woodlands area abounds with scenic drives, curious little towns, and the charm of Old Texas. We have prepared a few self-guided drives for your enjoyment and details will be published in your FreakOut Event Guide, and we’ve made sure that these do not replicate any of our main events during the week.
Museum Tour
Leave hotel at your leisure
FreakOut 2022 Welcome Event Dinner
The Peach Orchard is our destination for the official welcome dinner and is 2.5 miles away from the Woodlands resort, a 7-minute drive. The land was once home to a revered and successful peach orchard, owned by the Goedecke family and it is the beautiful location for our welcome dinner. This event venue is often used for local weddings and provides us with a purpose-built entertainment space.
Manuicured grounds, airy dining accommodation, kitchens, bar – we have exclusive access to the property for the day. This evening will include a three-course welcome dinner from a local caterer and also a guest speaker as we will officially open “FreakOut 2022!” Social hour, cash bar from 6.00-7.00pm, food service from 7.00pm, cash bar remains open during dinner. Cost is $76 for adults
Friday September 30th
Time, Speed, Distance
Get your stopwatches ready – it’s the return of the Regularity or Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) Rally to FreakOut. Passing through rural Texas, the FFO22 TSD Rally will challenge competitors to keeping a regular cadence while following a route laid out by The Rallymaster.
Leave hotel at 9:30 AM
Yankees
We will be crossing county lines and driving the back country roads to visit Yankees Tavern and Grill, about 90 minutes away. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! Yankees is a great little Tavern at the end of some fabulous driving routes just a short drive from our host hotel; they offer food and drinks to purchase (“Cold Beer-Free Advice”) and we will spend a little time here before making our return back towards the hotel.
Leave hotel at 10 AM
Yankees Return
There are three options for the return from Yankees:
1) Take the most direct route back to the hotel for those who wish to spend more time at the resort amenities.
2) Take a drive through the Sam Houston National Forest, past Lake Conroe and stop off in Conroe, the quaint but fastest growing city in Texas. Conroe has a bustling downtown with breweries, a meadery and plenty of shopping. 3) For those who didn’t have the opportunity to visit Old Town Montgomery the previous day, this is the third route back towards the hotel. Again, taking in the delights of the Sam Houston National Forest and some beautiful driving roads, stopping off at Montgomery for some shopping and visiting.
Movie Night
The Woodlands Resort will be showing a movie on the big screen. More details will be included in the FreakOut program guide.
DINNER IS ON YOUR OWN TONIGHT
Saturday October 1st
Reminder that one(1) adult dinner is included in your FFO21 base ticket package. This section is for
buying additional Saturday dinners.
Fiat FreakOut’s signature event has always been the Saturday Concorso show, where our cars are definitely dressed for the occasion! This year’s Concorso d’Elegance will be taking place a short 5 minute drive away from the resort at the beautiful Town Green Park. The field will begin loading at 8:00 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 1 PM, electronic voting needs to be completed by 1 PM. As we’ve done the last couple of years, we will be using a 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 and we will then return to the hotel.
Town Green Park is centrally located in The Woodlands and a five-minute walk from the shops at Market Street. There is also a free local trolley route that picks up and drops off at Town Green Park which also stops at Market Street, The Woodlands Waterway and Hughes Landing, which each has its own selection of restaurants. More details will be provided in the FreakOut program guide.
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.
All cars must be owned and registered by the same member who is purchasing the base ticket for
FreakOut. The Club reserves the right to request proof of ownership.
New for this year we’re expanding registration for up to 6 six cars total. There is no charge for cars 4-6
provided the member has paid for the first three cars.
SATURDAY AWARDS BANQUET – Dosey Doe Big Barn:
Saturday Awards Banquet will be held at the Dosey Doe Big Barn, just 3.6 miles from the Woodlands Resort. Bus transportation will be provided from the Resort to the Dosey Doe and return afterwards; we will start transporting at 5.30pm. There will be a social hour on arrival before dinner service commences. The Barn is a historical structure, over 165 years old, and was transported to Texas from Kentucky. No need to run from restaurant to music hall as this place has it all! Their entrees are “cooked from scratch” and our menu includes local specialties such as the Texas chicken-fried steak. Whilst waiting on dinner and the Awards, enjoy the room. Filled with Americana artifacts from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, there is plenty to see. Awards banquet highlights include the famous FreakOut trivia contest to find the “smartest table in the room”. The Club will present all class show awards, special recognitions, the coveted Best of Show and People’s Choice Awards and this will be the second year of Heritage Class Awards. After the presentations, kick back, let loose and take a two-step around the dance floor as we will have live music and dancing.
POST BANQUET PARTY – Host Hotel Parking Lot:
Hold on, Saturday night festivities are not done yet.
Please join us right after the banquet ends in the parking lot for the usual FreakOut parking lot activities.
Sunday, October 2nd
Cars & Coffee
Around the world, car enthusiasts have set up local meets where they sip coffee, look at their cars, their friends’ cars, other people’s cars, and put the world to rights. The first Sunday in every month is when such people around The Woodlands get together and “Cars and Coffee with a Cause” takes place from 7am at Market Street – right behind where the Concorso is held. Owners make a small donation
(there is no fixed amount) with all proceeds going to local Charities. We will leave the hotel parking lot at 6:45am for those that wish to join. We’ll be back easily in time for breakfast and the raffle.
Post-Breakfast Raffle
Starts at 10am. After the big day on Saturday, join us for our famous Sunday Raffle Prize event. Grab breakfast at the hotel then pop along to this signature event. We’ll call out the raffle ticket numbers and make special announcements. Vendors may be open just to give you some end of show bargains and special deals.
See you at Fiat Club America FreakOut 2022!
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