What's Up With Rides To Remember This Year?

June 4th.

Rides to Remember | Ferrari Maserati of Atlanta

 

Maybe it's become such a regular part of the annual schedule that there isn't much need to publicize it. I certainly hope that most of the Ferrari owners in the greater Atlanta area are going to participate. I certainly am!

 

Look for the electronic wavier signature email after you sign-up. I swear now I've done it twice. (its a little quirky to work with).

 

Hi everyone. Sorry I was out of pocket over the weekend but am back in the office this morning. Rides is on and we are excited to spend another great day with the kids. Log onto:
Rides to Remember | Ferrari Maserati of Atlanta
We will once again cap the registrations at 100 cars to help keep things moving so please do go ahead and register.
Webb and I cannot thank you enough for supporting the kids.

Best, Will

 

Speaking of signed forms.....I did the electronic back on 5/18 with a return email saying it was processed. I just get (literally now) another saying that the "Assumption of Risk and Release from Liability" was not signed.

Anyone else having this issue? (Think we did better the years we just printed and brought in the signed forms)

 

Ditto. Same issue...

 

I regret seeing that there is a glitch. Sorry guys. Please bring a signed copy with you to registration and thanks for being such awesome supporters of the kids!

 

Hope this helps...

After I did the electronic signature, I got an email with the below AND a PDF file. If the PDF is opened it is the form talked about with the signature. Probably just print and bring that one? (I did open and check and the scribble is there)

Hello Bob Rittweger,

This document has been signed by Bob Rittweger and is now complete.

Filename: Rides_to_Remember_Driver_Safety_Waiver.docx
Reference #: WJ6JCNIJ8JXDI3IVT9CDPL
Subject: Rides to Remember Driver Safety Waiver
Message: Please sign this document.

 

Driving down from Nashville Friday, look forward to meeting you all.

 

Have a great time tomorrow, sorry I will miss this years event.

 

The event is on as the weather Gods appear to have blessed us. See everyone soon!

 

From everyone at Ferrari of Atlanta a heartfelt thank you for your support of our event. We had a great day and I hope each of you did, as well. See you at Rides number 12!

 

Will.... Number 10 for me, and like anything that gets better with practice... I really think that this one was the blueprint for the future. (Hands down). Starting with the convoy taking the back roads route (PlanB) was excellent and a keeper. AMP venue was just great, even to the point of the car staging was perfect how the cars were arranged.

You all put a ton of effort into this and THANKS!

 

I've been to every one and this one was the most enjoyable, even though I only got to go on the track once. (Of course, most kids prefer the newest and hottest cars.) The "back route" going there was certainly more fun, and I agree that it should become the standard route to the track.

With the new clubhouse and parking area, the facility finally looks finished. The large size of the lot allowed the cars to be angle-parked, which made getting in and out easier. The staff was extremely good at moving the cars, and four groups could be managed at once: the one on the track, another on the pit exit road, a third in the pit lane itself, and a fourth in the lot before the exit leading into the pit lane.

The clubhouse is excellent and I think we appreciated being able to eat lunch in air-conditioned comfort. The balcony outside was a great place to watch the action from. I appreciated the fact that the two meeting rooms, which in this case were open to provide more lunchtime seating, were named "Eau Rouge" and "Parabolica"! (Thanks for the lunch, Tom.)

And thanks to the staff at FoA and all the other volunteers and sponsors. I haven't heard of other Ferrari dealers around the country sponsoring similar events, but they all should!

 

Here are some photos from the dealership before we headed out.
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I always like finding interesting license plates.
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The new route that we took from the dealership was, right out of the lot onto GA-9, then:
Left on Wiles Rd, left on Rucker Rd, right on Broadwell Rd, which becomes Birmingham Hwy (and GA-372). Eventually you have to turn left to stay on 372, which then crosses GA-20. (The traffic signal there split the caravan up into several well-separated segments.)

Continuing up GA-372, then right on GA-369, left on Yellow Creek Rd, then right onto GA-53 to the track. We could have saved a little time by turning right off Yellow Creek onto Shiloh Church Rd, which becomes Cowart Rd and is a bit of a shortcut; maybe next year?

If this all seems a bit confusing in words, go to Google Maps and request a routing from Ferrari of Atlanta to Atlanta Motorsports Park; this will be one of the three options shown.

 

At the track, the new clubhouse and large paved lot were both welcome sights to those of us who had not been there since last year's event. The staff was extremely efficient at getting us parked, and then it was upstairs to a drivers' meeting, while the kids were preparing for rides at the downstairs tent to the left; music was coming from the larger tent on the right.

Among the more interesting cars were a sports-racing car (not street-legal, I suppose) and a first-generation Lotus Elise, not often seen in America. Balloon White is a lovely color on the Lamborghinis, but it simply does not photograph well.
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I took the first photo from my driver's seat while I was waiting on the pit exit road to go out on the track; it's handy having a compact camera! Note in the second photo the event cars negotiating the "Karussel" on the main track while the karts are on their own track just below.

The third shot shows cars coming in from their track run, while the next photo shows another group queued up on pit lane. The cars went out in groups of 10-12, with both a pace car and a trail car. Compared to past years, the pace on track was measured and no one looked to be getting too racey.

That is, until the last group that I watched (last two photos), which was being led around at a fairly brisk clip by the black FF. I suspect that there were no kids aboard on that run!
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One thing I noticed since last year was increased landscaping, particularly along the Armco, and some paved runoff areas I don't recall seeing before. Obviously the owners are trying to live up to the "Park" in the venue's title, though they have a bit of work to catch up to what George Barber has done in Alabama! (As I suggested to one of the AMP guys, maybe some large metallic insects, or a museum?)

Lunch, as provided by Tom Spiro's people, consisted of a choice of roast beef, turkey or ham sandwich, a choice of chips and a choice of drink, and everyone enjoyed eating these in the air-conditioned second floor of the new building. Afterwards, it was good to be able to go outside and watch the track action from an elevated perch. I need to find a reason to go there a little more often!

I could have stayed to watch the IMSA race from Detroit, but with the still-threatening weather, decided to go home and watch the last half of the race there. I took my favorite route back to Marietta: west on 53 to Jasper, then down the length of I-575. 53 doesn't have much elevation change, but there are some nice fast curves.

 

Thank you to the wonderful team of Will and Jeremy, both of whom I left alone this year as I had shamlessly cornered them into talking with my first time sponsored family last year.

Will and Jeremy, you all are awesome. Thank you to all the support staff and volunteers for all of the hard work and dedication. Even though I was not a driver this year [long story], I had a wonderful time watching my sponsored family enjoy and participate in all of the action. Jeremy, the AMP is just spectacular - you did what many said was an impossibility at the onset of the project and you just keep making it better and better.

Yep, I remember well that day you were sick, but still gave the AMP presentation in the trailer to our Maserati group with bulldozers and newly cut pathways through out the property, and yes all those sceptical looks too. Just Sayin!!

Bob and Jim it was great seeing you guys. Bob, thank you, you made magic happen!

Ciao,
George

 

I had an incredible time driving down From TN Friday, both the event Saturday morning and the incredible back roads all the way to Calhoun that Waze was able to navigate for me. Hats off to everyone for the fantastic job, I managed to drive in 6 or 7 heats by waiting to eat until later.
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Okay, one question: what's with the "helped a police car out of the ditch" comment? Love to hear about that moment or see a picture of it. Anyone know?
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