DR

Glad you are coming this year.

No "pay in advance", all of that is handled by the "Food/Drink Purveyors" on site this year. For the first time Jeannie will not have to deal with taking money for the dinner and then taking tickets at the dinner etc, etc. She can actually relax and have fun this year at dinner (and lunch) and spend more time with everyone there instead of having to be a cashier/waitress/ticket taker!! YIPPEE!!!

The Saturday Lunch & Drinks will be at the Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria and they are working out a discounted menu for everyone. I hope to have this posted in the next few days. There are other places to eat or drink in the town, BUT since there are giving us their WHOLE facility for the entire day (Private for us 928ers only) to hang out in etc, I implore (OK, beg) eveyone to eat and drink there to show them our support. Plus it is the best food in town (their White Pizza is the $hitzel) and they have over 200 imported beers and will be selling those to us at the same price as his domestic beers, IIRC $3 or $3.50?? :-)

However, for the Saturday Night "All you can Eat" Banquet it is VITAL that we have an pretty accurate count ahead of time so that they can be sure to have enough food prepared for us. Without a good count they could make too little food which will be bad for us, OR too much food and it will be bad for them AND reflect on the pricing next year.. You could imagine if they had a bunch of Salmon and Prime Rib left over going to waste ("Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger").. not good! Jeannie and I have pushed them hard to have an incredible menu etc for everyone at at very fair price, please help so we can "keep face" and try to do even better next year!

There is a checkbox on the registration form for the Sat Dinner, and Jeannie will follow up with e-mails to those that register to confirm by approx May 15th before the event. This helps us with name tags, T-shirt sizes etc and is very important.

IF you have registered by then (please do) and haven't received a confirmation e-mail from her by May 15th, PLEASE call (828)766-9280 or e-mail her at jeannie@928gt.com. If you don't confirm your original registration you will NOT get a pre-made name badge (trust me, you won't like my handwriting :-) and possibly even an Event T-shirt (and certainly not one in the size you want :-)

BTW, thanks for asking this question, I already had it on my list of things to type up and add to the details!!

Marine Blue

Just out of curiosity, how far is t he hotel from the Pizza Joint?

Since I am going to want to sample as many as those beers as possible I'm wondering if I need to plan ahead for a DD

Rick Carter

Only two months away, so much to do so little time.

DR

That's another good question that is on my list of "details", thanks!

From Beech Mountain to the Hotel is less than 8 miles, not including going down and back up the old Hill Climb course on the back side.

BUT, it will not be a "Hill Climb", it WILL be a "Parade" all the way back to the Hotel with the Police at every turn (and maybe in places in the middle). It will not be Police lead, BUT most likely lead by a Jeep Rubicon, with the top off and 2 people standing in the back taking videos fore/aft, with Jeannie driving...so it will be slow :-) Plus, if you have never driven the road to Beech Mountain, there is no "safety net" and it is VERY steep and VERY curvy.

Other than the first few events in Georgia (Sharks in the Harbor) our main Day Event has always be offically "dry". This is the first year where we are allowed to openly drink beer/wine. This has been a VERY tough decision for Jeannie and I because the mixture of excitement, alcohol and fast cars, PLUS dangerous mountains roads is a SCARY combination.

In the beginning all of the places that served alcohol in town agreed they would close their bars if we requested it for the event, but we have decided to trust everyone to be responsible. After many discussions with the City and the Police deptartment we decided that allowing Beer and wine (only) during the hours of 11 to 3 pm would allow everyone to enjoy themselves, have a good time, yet still leave a couple of hours of "dry" time before driving in the Parade.

Believe me, Jeannie and I truly want everyone to have the best time possible, that is what Sharks in the Mountains is all about. However, there will be zero tolerance for irresponsible behavior, no get out of jail free cards or favors from me or anyone else.

There will also be Mobile Breath Tests available for anyone that wants to get checked (or is deemed in need of it) so they can ask for a designated driver. There are usually plenty of "co-drivers" available so all you have to do is ask.. BUT PLEASE keep in mind, this is not a drinkfest, it is a FAMILY Event and while I do want everyone to have the time of their lives, SAFETY FOR ALL trumps everything else, period. PLUS, I would really like to have it there next year too!! :-)

This e-mail below from the Captain of the Beech Mountain Police should make everything clear. He is a great guy, is very excited about us coming, and is VERY cool and understands our enthusiasm... BUT you don't want to pi$$ him (or the town) off, plus I consider myself a big guy, but geez he makes me feel like a little kid when I stand next to him..and he ain' fat, think of an almost 7 foot tall Vin Diesel (from the movie Pitch Black). I am sure he won't mind if I post his e-mail to me, at least I hope not... he scares me!! J/K


"Here are a few of the laws, concerning alcohol in the Town of Beech Mountain.

18B-301- It is unlawful to possess/consume spirituous liquor, fortified wine or mixed beverages on any street, highway, sidewalk or public area.

18B-300(b) - It is unlawful to consume beverages off premises if a business has just an on premises permit. The opposite also applies, you cannot consume on premises if a business has only an off premises permit, for example an ABC Store etc.

18B-401- It is unlawful to possess/consume alcohol while riding as a passenger or driving a motor vehicle. (Open Container)

14-444 – It is unlawful to appear intoxicated and disruptive in a public place. (Loud and foul language near streets and public areas are an indication of this.)


These are a few of the North Carolina laws that must be adhered to. Of course, more serious offenses like DWI still apply. Our officers on scene will have mobile breath detectors, and if you feel someone is getting close to the line we will gladly run a breath test on them to give an accurate idea of their intoxication level. If they are getting close it is strongly recommended that they no longer be allowed to drive. We do not have an ordinance regulating beer and wine near streets and public vehicular areas, so beer and wine are permissible as long as they are not being consumed in the vehicles while traveling. Once you get near the town the signs will indicate that the speed limit drops to 25 MPH. This is the town-wide limit (EDIT by DR- it wili be 5mph or so thru the 928 event area on Main street, or completely closed to "other cars" if needed). From the Town of Beech Mountain, down until you reach the City Limits of Banner Elk, it is resume safe speed, or 55 MPH (EDIT by DR: not possible, forget he said that).



Thank You,

Captain Jerry Turbyfill"



...and "that's all I got to say about that" :-)

Back to more FUN!

White Lightnin'

Sounds like a fully 'town-approved' blast!

DR

Not only does the Town approve of us coming , they WANT US there. I swear I think they are all even more excited about us coming there than we are! We have already gotten calls from the town so I can proof press releases they are putting in local media and all sorts of fun stuff.

It is really nice to be WANTED :-) As long as they feel that way AFTER we leave, I will be tickled poopless!!

They have already scheduled a meeting with us and all of the town officials a few days after the Event. They want to sit down with us, while everything is still fresh in our minds, to go over what worked best for us and what didn't, so we all can do even better next year!

As I have said before, I am sure some things will be a little rough around the edges with all the new stuff, but it will only get better and better each year!

Can't wait!!

hacker-pschorr

What are the dates again?

Andrew, do you have a passenger scheduled for the GT?

I would love to bring the 79.....race seats, no heat, stereo, A/C, bone jarring ride. Sounds like a good time to me

blown 87

I hope the 928 folks are are able to self police themselves, the last thing anybody needs is for some one to get drunk and get behind the wheel.

Drinking in the parking lot of the Best Western is one thing, nobody is going anywhere, drinking eight miles from the hotel is something different.

There are a bunch of very smart folks who will be there and who know their limit, I am not one of them, so I just wont drink until the 928 is parked for the day.

My $.02

M. Requin

Greg, you have just set the bar for responsible attitude. Thanks.

Marine Blue

Well if my wife decides to go then I'm all set, otherwise I'll have to behave too. No worries though.

Steve Martin

Dave, Just curious, (this is my first time there)

how many cars and 928 folks will be there?

No Blue ridge Parkway drive this year?maybe on Sunday?

DR

Typically there are 100+ 928s and 150+ people. We can do a short BRP drive on Sunday between the ADDCO tour and the cookout at our place .

White Lightnin'

Sounds similar to those old western movies where the Sheriff escorts the riff-raff out of town... but, in our case -into the waiting arms of County & State checkpoints?

Let's hope our little group isn't going to be 'selected' to line the coifers of the local constabulary... ehem, I mean, "contribute to the economic recovery of the local municipalities."

Landseer

Like, drive smart, not an issue.

DR

You have it backwards, they are doing us a favor blocking off the streets at every turn so we can all stay together, and doing all of this at my request! It is literally going to be like a parade, just a really LONG one!

Trust me, there will be no speed traps, they REALLY want us there and are bending over backwards to make sure we have the best time possible! AND, they want to make sure we come back!

You would be surprised at all the calls we are getting from people in that area, both towns are all a buzz about us coming! IN A GOOD WAY! One guy I know called me tonight and told me when he was talking to some one up at Beech Mountain they were screaming at him excitedly " THE PORSCHES ARE COMING, THE PORSCHES ARE COMING", Too Funny!!

BTW, when you see the road up and down from Beech Mountain you will understand why I am stressing the safety aspect. It is so intense (almost 2000' elevation climb in the last 3 miles or so) that Google Maps won't even route you that way, instead it sends you on an approx 20 mile route around the mountain and up the backside instead of the 4-5 mile short way! BTW, be careful of that if you use your GPS etc to get to Beech Mountain. We will have proper maps etc of how to get there. It is simple and easy, only 2 turns from the hotel.

See ya soon!