40th Annual Fiat FreakOut
2023 FreakOut Concorso (PDF)
2023 FreakOut National Convention – June 7-11,2023 in Bartlett, New Hampshire
Registration For FreakOut 2023 Is Open Until 11:59PM Eastern May 14th
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.
Welcome to the 40th Fiat FreakOut (FFO23). It’s been 40 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 at the Grand Summit Hotel at Attitash located in scenic Bartlett, NH.
Fiat FreakOut is the national convention of Fiat Club America and is a five-day event that includes a concours car show, coordinated scenic drives, track day, and lots of socializing. FFO23 is not just about the show car, it is a great opportunity to talk to knowledgeable people and vendor sponsors about your vehicle.
Our host hotel is:
Grand Summit Hotel at Attitash
104 Grand Summit Road, Bartlett, NH 03812
www.grandsummitattitash.com
Important to know …
Group reservations like ours can only be made over the phone by calling the hotel directly at 603-374-6700 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM eastern weekdays. Also please make sure you tell the hotel you are part of the Fiat Club America group when making your reservation. This will insure you get the right rate and perks. If you book your reservation through any of the online tools (Expedia, etc.) you will not be considered part of our group, so please do NOT book anything online.
The Club negotiated a group rate for all the types of rooms available at the Grand Summit. Please note breakfast is NOT included in any
room rate nor is the 8.5% state tax on all rooms. See details below about breakfast options.
The room types and rates are:
- Handicap Accessible – $129 per night (Max Occ-2; Adults-2) Standard queen size bed, kitchen, 1 handicap accessible bath
- Studio – $129 per night (Max Occ-2; Adults-2) Queen size wall bed, kitchen, 1 bath
- Studio Deluxe – $129 per night (Max Occ-4; Adults-2) One queen size wall bed and one queen size pull-out sofa, kitchen, 1 bath
- Standard Hotel Room – $139 per night (Max Occ-4; Adults-2) Two queen beds, no kitchen, 1 bath
- One Bedroom Suite – $149 per night (Max Occ-4; Adults-2) One bedroom with a queen size bed, living area with queen size pullout sofa, kitchen, 1 bath
- One Bedroom Loft – $149 per night (Max Occ-4; Adults-2) Living area with queen size pullout sofa, loft with king or queen size bed, kitchen, bath
- One Bedroom Deluxe – $169 per night (Max Occ-6; Adults-2) One bedroom with queen size bed, living area with queen size wall bed and queen size pull-out sofa, kitchen, bath
Hotel deposit & cancellation policy: For bookings made 14 days or more prior to arrival on a multiple night stay, a deposit of 50% of the reservation value is due at time of booking. The remaining balance will be charged 14 days prior to arrival on credit card given at time of booking. For one night stays full payment is due at time of booking. Individual reservations must be canceled 8 days prior to arrival for deposit to be refunded minus a $50 cancellation fee. Reservations will automatically lose 100% of deposit if cancelled inside the 7 days
prior to arrival. Early departures will be billed for full reserved stay.
Room rates are based on double occupancy, adding more occupants may incur additional cost for the extra people.
Check In: 4:00pm, Check Out: 11:00am
Smoking: No Smoking
Service Animals: Allowed
Breakfast: We intentionally did not negotiate breakfast to be included in the room rates as we have done in years past. The reasons we did not do this are:
- We wanted to keep the room rates as low as possible and including breakfast would have increased them.
- All rooms, except the “standard hotel rooms”, have kitchens enabling you to prepare your own breakfast in room if you choose to do so.
- There is one small restaurant in the hotel which only seats 25 people at a time.
- There are restaurants away from the hotel but they also tend to be small and, given the remote location of the Grand Summit, are 20 minutes away.
- We have worked out an event breakfast buffet for our group which is $22 per person, including all taxes and service charges, that will be available Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 7 AM and ending at 8:30 AM. Please note that you need to select breakfast on each of the days available in advance during this registration process. The $22 per person is in line with any other restaurant service available locally.
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 and in room wi-fi is also included.
Hotel Reservations must be made by May 7th, 2023.
COVID: The club hosted a COVID-safe event in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and we will be following all current Federal and local guidance at FFO23, should there be any.
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.
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 room reservations, the higher the chances the hotel rooms will be fully booked.
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 6/11/23. If you are an OTP (pay every year) member please 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:
- 5/7/23 – Hotel reservation window closes
- 5/7/23 – FreakOut Registration closed. No exceptions. All registrations must be completed by 11:59 PM eastern time of this date.
Event meals (Welcome dinner, Awards Banquet, Breakfast) must be purchased in advance during this registration process. We are not able to sell any of these onsite as we have already had to submit final meal counts to the hotel in advance.
Welcome to New Hampshire!
FFO23 Base Ticket Package (one)
Let’s get this party started right! One FFO23 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 you and your family & guest(s) under your registration.
– One raffle ticket per registration for both the COG railway ride and the Glider flight. These will be awarded at the Thursday night welcome dinner, you do not need to be present to win.
A panoramic or drone photo will be taken Saturday at the Concorso show field. All classes of cars must pre-register to be in the photo and on the Concorso field. Details provided below in Saturday’s section.
Only pre-registered Italian cars, owned by Club members, will be allowed on the show field.
Art Show
Calling All Artists!
Exhibit Your Art at the FreakOut 2023 Art Show! Provided we have enough interest this will be located in the registration and store area.
Artists are encouraged to creatively express their inner FIAT passion and consider exhibiting their FIAT inspired artwork in the show.
All Fiat Club of America members joining the Northern New England Chapter for Fiat FreakOut 2023 are invited to participate. We are accepting Photography, paintings, drawings, sculpture, fiber art and jewelry that expressly depict FIAT culture, design, engineering and/or heritage.
Members may sell their artwork.
All Aboard! Conway Scenic Railroad
For all of you who plan to arrive early, join us TUESDAY 12:00 PM, aboard the Mountaineer!
We’re taking a coach ride on a 1950’s-era streamlined passenger train.
The Conway Scenic Railroad’s Mountaineer recaptures the tradition & romance of a post-World War II Transcontinental streamlined train. Offering a supremely scenic 4 to 5 ½ hour rail journey through the Mount Washington Valley and over the rugged Crawford Notch, crossing the famous Frankenstein Trestle along the way.
We will board the train at the Attitash Whistle Stop at 12:00 PM just down the road from the Grand Summit Hotel.
We had planned to book the Mountaineer train ahead of time but pricing for the 2023 season will not be available until after the first of the year. If you are interested in joining us select the option below and we will keep you posted. Additional information can be found on The Conway Scenic Railroad website: https://www.conwayscenic.com/
Self-Guided Drives
The area abounds with scenic drives, curious little towns, and the charm of New Hampshire. 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 drive routes during the week.
Leave hotel at your leisure
Wolfeboro – Self Guided
Miles: 109, Drive Time: 2 hr. 52 min., round trip driving time
At the eastern end of Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro is the oldest summer resort in America. The town draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to visit its galleries, stores and restaurants. Visitors to Wolfeboro can board the M/S Mount Washington for a 2 ½ hour trip around lake Winnipesaukee. Wolfeboro is also home to the New Hampshire Boat Museum, and the Wright Museum of World War II history. Lunch options are available in Wolfeboro and on board the M/S Mount Washington.
**Optional activities in Wolfeboro (pay at the event):
- **Wright Museum of World War II history, www.wrightmuseum.org
- **New Hampshire Boat Museum, www.nhbm.org
- **M/S Mount Washington, www.CruiseNH.com, reservations recommended
Cathedral Ledge – Self Guided
Miles: 39.8, Drive Time: 1 hr. 21 min., round trip driving time
Cathedral Ledge State Park is a popular rock-climbing destination.
BUT we are interested in the mile-long auto road leading to the top. At the top you’ll find a viewing area offering expansive views of, Echo Lake in North Conway, the Saco River Valley and the White Mountains. There’s also a short hiking trail to explore.
Diana’s Baths is a leisurely 1.3-mile out-and-back trail. Generally considered an easy route on a relatively flat, wide gravel path. The hike takes an average of 30 minutes to complete.
Diana’s Baths are a must-see if you are in the North Conway area and want to experience nature at its finest. Diana’s baths lie along Lucy Brook in Bartlett which is fed from Big Attitash Mountain. The baths are a great place to enjoy the tranquility of nature and explore the many rocks, edges, cascading falls, and pools in the brook. The cascading falls measure approximately 75 feet in total height.
Hurricane Mountain Road – Self Guided
Miles: 26.3, Drive Time: 45 min., Hotel to Settlers Green Outlet Village.
Hurricane Mountain Road is an exhilarating twisting, turning drive up and over Hurricane Mountain heading into Maine. You will want to stay in your lane. From Hurricane Mountain our drive will bring you to North Conway. North Conway offers an abundance of food options and Tax-Free Shopping. Other local options will be available in your welcome bag!
DINNER IS ON YOUR OWN TONIGHT
Track Day
Club Motorsports, Parade Laps, Track Time
Miles: 78.2, Drive Time: 1 hr. 58 min., round trip driving time from hotel
Throughout the FreakOut our rides will guide you through some of the most spectacular views nature has to offer in the Northeast. This ride is no exception but we’re stepping it up with a visit to one of the most spectacular man-made views in the Northeast.
Our drive will bring us to the Club Motorsports campus, home to what is considered one of the best tracks in the country. The track is a 2.5-mile, European style road course with 15 turns and a 250’ elevation change with views of Mount Chocorua and the Presidential Range. Spectators are welcome at Club Motorsports at no cost. Food Trucks will be available for lunch for those who plan to stay the day.
Parade Laps
For those of us who love cars and racing but are not ready to put the pedal to the metal. Club Motorsports has offered free parade laps, photos and a chance to see some of the pros! We’re told we won’t be disappointed. There is no minimum number of participants needed for this part of the event, it will happen.
Hot Laps – Track Time
For those of you who love cars and racing and are ready to put your helmets on and heat up the track. Club Motorsports is offering hot laps. Instructors will be on hand to provide instruction and assess skill levels to assign appropriate run groups.
If you are interested in doing hot laps, please select that option below. Although there is no cap on this event, Club Motorsports is looking for a count of drivers interested in participating. The number of participants will control the logistics of staff and safety equipment required for the day.
Please note:
- We need a minimum of 50 cars for the hot laps program to take place. The track is opening up just for us on Thursday and this is the number they need to be able to financially justifiy doing this for us.
- Hot laps will cost $125 per car payable directly to the track. This is a really good deal for us as putting a car on this course for a day normally costs $700 per car.
- After registration closes on May 7, 2023 you will be sent a request for payment to secure your spot for this event.
Please select the appropriate button below.
Cog Railway Ride
Roundtrip Drive Miles: 53.5, Drive Time: 1 hr. 12 min., round trip driving time
Join us on a ride through Bretton Woods to the Mount Washington Cog Railway!
Completed in 1869 the Cog Railway continues to thrill passengers from all over the world. We plan to thrill you with a trip on one of the powerful biodiesel locomotives for your dramatic ascent to the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.
The Cog is the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. With an average grade of 25% (some sections approach nearly 38%), it’s also the second steepest. The Cog is the only railway in the world whose mainline tracks are built entirely above ground level.
The Cog is located in the heart of the White Mountains on the western face of Mount Washington. Along the way we will traverse through majestic Bretton Woods, passing by the Omni Mount Washington Resort, one of only three Grand hotels remaining in northern NH from the 19th century. Among the many twists and turns along Base Station Road to Marshfield Base Station, it’s not uncommon to see wildlife like moose and bear.
More details at www.thecog.com
Pricing and schedule for the 2023 season have not yet been published but pricing for 2022 was in the $72-$86 range for adults.
Dixville Notch – Self Guided
Miles: 174 Drive Time: 4 hr. 1 min. round trip driving time
We call this the Great North Woods drive! No city streets here, just beautiful views, points of interest and interesting history. You’ll begin your drive traveling through gorgeous Pinkham Notch, home to the famous Presidential Range of the White Mountains.
Along the way keep a sharp eye out for local wildlife (moose, bear, deer…) and unique sites. Have you ever seen a boom pier, or an Olympic ski jump on the wayside? You may have heard of L.L.B… But have you heard of L.L. Cote?
Wave to the residents of Dixville Notch, at last count there’s 4. Although short on residents, the beautiful views afforded are endless. We’ve added a stop at Dixville Notch State Wayside, The Baby Flume. A pretty flume just steps from your car. There’s a peak in the road, you’ll know when you get to it. On the way down don’t miss Lake Gloriette on the right with the Balsams in the background. The Balsams has been a landmark in Dixville Notch since the end of the Civil War and home to the famous Ballot Room where the first votes in the country are cast.
You’ll make a stop at the scenic 80’ Beaver Brook Falls Wayside, in Colebrook, where you break for lunch. Lunch is on own, check your FFO23 guide for options.
Following lunch, you’ll dip into Vermont just long enough to pass over the Columbia Covered Bridge built in 1912. The bridge spans the Connecticut river between Lemington, Vermont and Columbia, New Hampshire.
Just when you think you’ve left the wilderness behind the view heading into Jefferson opens up to a gorgeous view of Mt. Washington and soon, you’ll find yourself in beautiful Crawford Notch. A comfort stop at the Willey house may be in order. They have ice cream and gifts too!
FreakOut 2023 Welcome Dinner
Help us get FreakOut 2023 off to a proper start by joining us for an event Italiano themed welcome dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Summit Hotel.
Social hour, cash bar from 6.00-7.00pm, food service starts at 7.00pm, cash bar remains open during dinner.
Cost is $60 for adults and $16 for children (ages 12 and under), reminder that one adult dinner is included in the FFO23 base ticket you have already ordered
Our meal will be a buffet which includes:
Garden Salad consisting of Spring Greens, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Carrots, Cucumbers, Radish, Asiago Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette. Hardy Vegetable Minestrone Soup. Entrees include Bourbon Marinated Grilled Steak Tips, Baked Tortellini & Pesto and Grilled Chicken, Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes. Our Vegetable Grilled Zucchini. Starch is Mashed Potatoes. A Vegan Option of Ratatouille w/ Polenta.
Cannoli for Dessert.
Children’s menu is Macaroni & Cheese with Hand Cut Fries and Seasonal Vegetables
Gimmick Rally
Miles: 107, Drive Time: 2 hr. 48 min., round trip driving timeWe’ve created a fun, low-key Q&A Gimmick rally. You will travel a route through the White Mountains with questions to answer and Checkpoints to find.
Geologic wonders and historic sites will provide the stunning backdrop for the 2023 FIAT Gimmick Rally driving route. This family friendly rally will revisit the classic New Hampshire resort experience in a uniquely fun and interactive way that will challenge the skills of young and old alike! Expect lots of laughs along with some fierce competition, or just enjoy this lighthearted journey with friends and family!
First car will leave hotel at 9 AM, then one car will be released every minute…
Franconia Notch Recreation Area – Self Guided
Miles: 82.5, Drive Time: 1 hr. 55 min., round trip driving time
Franconia Notch is a public recreation area and nature preserve straddling eight miles (13 km) of Interstate 93 as it passes through Franconia Notch, a mountain pass between the Kinsman Range and Franconia Range in the White Mountains. The northern part of the park, including Cannon Mountain and Echo and Profile lakes, is in the town of Franconia, and the southern part, including Lonesome Lake and the Flume, is in Lincoln. It’s a beautiful drive but we suggest taking in a few of the attractions along the way as well. Attractions in the state park include the Cannon Aerial Tramway, New England Ski Museum, Old Man of the Mountain historical site, Flume Gorge and visitor center, fishing in Echo Lake and Profile Lake, and miles of hiking, biking and ski trails.
And if all that isn’t enough, the trip back to the hotel takes you along the Kancamagus (known as the “Kanc”) highway and Bear Notch Road. The Kanc has a number of parking areas with overlooks where you can enjoy the beautiful views. Bear Notch is full of tight twists and turns and ups and downs. You will want to stay in your lane.
**Optional activities requiring a reservation
- **Cannon Mtn. Aerial Tramway, www.cannonmt.com
- **The Flume Gorge, www.nhstateparks.org
- **Franconia Soaring Association, franconiasoaring.org
- **You may want to check out Clark’s Bears, clarksbears.com as well.
Leave hotel mid/late morning.
Mount Washington at Sunset
They are closing the Mountain for Fiat FreakOut 2023!
We’ll have the Mount Washington Auto Road all to ourselves!
Early Friday evening, after dinner, we’ll queue up at the base for an after-hours, ALL FIATS drive to the summit for a view of the sunset atop the highest peak in the Northeast. You won’t want to miss it! The photo opportunities will be spectacular!
A commemorative photo will be taken of each car and will be available at the Saturday night Awards Banquet.
This event requires a per person ticket.
Fiat FreakOut’s signature event has always been the Saturday Concorso show, where our cars are definitely dressed for the occasion!
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 (please see voting details below).
All cars are asked to remain on the field until after 2 PM and we will then return to the hotel.
How we vote:
- All voting is done via a tool called Survey Monkey and is accessible from any smartphone on the show field.
- Registered members will receive separate emails the day before the show for your class ballot and owners’ choice ballots (surveys). The personalized emails are sent to the email you used to register for FreakOut. The email will contain the links you must use to vote. These links are specific to you and your car so please ask for help if you don’t see them by noon on Friday. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see them in your inbox.
- There is no manual voting at all.
- Each registered car will have an individual dashcard in your registration bag, please insure you bring this with you to the showfield so fellow member car owners can vote for your car. Without this they will not be able to vote for you…
- We understand there may be car changes after registration closes. While we don’t encourage this we will make every effort to accomodate changes up until a week before the concorso. Changes made after this time are not guaranteed to be eligible for the vote.
- Car owners must vote (and thanks) for the top 3 cars in class, the overall best car in the show, and the car you would like to drive home.
Our Concorso this year is at the base of Mount Washington with some amazing scenery. The field is 19.6 miles from the hotel and a very fun drive. There will be easy trailer parking at the field.
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.
Post Concorso Notches Drive
Miles: 61.2, Drive Time: 1 hr. 35 min., Concorso to Hotel
Following the Concorso you can choose to return to the hotel directly or extend the fun by joining us heading north through Pinkham Notch, continuing into Evans Notch. Well make a stop at Basin Park then proceed to the hotel via Hurricane Mountain Road heading west. You may have done it traveling East on Wednesday but it’s a road worth traveling both directions. You will want to stay in your lane
SATURDAY AWARDS BANQUET
Join us Saturday evening for an Awards Banquet with New England fare and FreakOuts Past and Present Theme
Hosted in the Grand Ballroom at the Grand Summit Hotel
The evening begins with a social hour and cash bar at 6:00. Dinner begins at 7:00. Cash bar will remain open during dinner.
Awards banquet highlights include the famous FreakOut trivia contest to find the “smartest table in the room”. Presentation of all class show awards, special recognition’s, Heritage Class Awards and the coveted Best of Show award. We will also feature a guest speaker. And, let’s not forget the FFO24 Reveal!
Our meal will be a buffet which includes:
Garden Salad consisting of Blueberry, Cheddar Cheese & Candied Pecan, Spring Greens, Red Onion, Cucumbers, Balsamic Vinaigrette. Soup New England Seafood Chowder: Haddock, Fingerling Potatoes, Bacon, Shrimp, Clams, Scallops, Lobster, Oyster Crackers. Vegetable will be Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ Maple Bacon Vinaigrette. Entrees include Stuffed Sole: Crabmeat, Scallop & Lobster Stuffing, Lemon, Beurre Blanc; Grilled Filet Mignon: Black Pepper Jus and Duck Confit, Fingerling Potatoes, and Thyme. Starch of Baked Russet Potatoes w/ Sour Cream & Chives.
Desserts include Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Triple chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream
Vegan Option of Curried Vegetables & Rice
Children’s menu will be Chicken Fingers with Hand Cut Fries and Seasonal Vegetables
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.
Post-Breakfast Raffle
Starts at 10am. After the big day on Saturday, join us for our famous Sunday Raffle Prize/Silent Auction 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 2023!
