26th Annual Meet

Meet itinerary follows article below.

Are you ready to jump off that line when the light turns green on this year’s National Meet? We sure hope so, and this is what we have planned for you!

This year’s event honors a very special lady whose radiant personality has touched billions of people. It was only appropriate to have this event in the town where Linda Vaughn was born and raised. We have also talked Joe Mondello into leaving his Tennessee vineyard to come and be our guest speaker at the banquet. Joe is known for his Oldsmobile motors and I wonder if we will see the SVO Twister at the drag strip on Saturday….

If you have not made your reservations yet please do so soon. The host hotel is the Comfort Inn & Suites at 905 West Bridge Road in Dalton, Georgia. A block of rooms is available from $78-$89 per night plus taxes (13%). These rates are good for anyone that may be coming into town early or staying after the meet dates. The hotel is providing a paid security guard for August 5th-7th from 10 pm to 6 am. Book your reservation by calling 706-529-0600, and tell them you’re with the Hurst/Olds Club. For those of you bringing a trailer, please let me know so I can keep a count. I need to know if we’ll need more space.

The Thursday night Welcome Party with Registration and Sales will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Dalton Freight Depot in downtown Dalton, three miles from the host hotel. Located at 305 South Depot Street, the historic depot has been completely restored and is one of the community’s most recently renewed historic treasures (please go to www.daltoncvb.com for more info on this venue). Finger foods will be served, so come join us and catch up with club members you may not have seen in awhile! Also stop by the club sales table to buy those items you know you need. Finally, don’t forget to pick up your registration packet while you are there.

Friday morning at 10 am we will depart the hotel and head to Chickamauga Battlefield. To make the most of our time we will divide into groups, with one taking the battlefield tour first while the other starts in the visitors center with the short film and gun collection; then we’ll switch. This schedule should leave you some time to venture out on your own if you wish.

Starting at 4 pm Friday we return to the Dalton Freight Depot. This will be your last chance to pick up your registration packet as well as buy those club items you need. Don’t dally, though, as we have the Business Meeting and Elections at 5 pm, and they’ll need to take place in a timely manner so we can all make it to the staging area for the 6:00 parade!

The parade will be the kick off to the concert that will be held in downtown Dalton. After the parade we will park in an area reserved exclusively for our cars so that we can enjoy the outdoor concert. There will be food vendors if you want to catch a bite to eat while not missing a beat, or you can try any of the restaurants in the quaint downtown area.

Saturday morning will have us caravanning South 17 miles to Paradise Drag Strip for our Show and Go. We depart from the host hotel at 10 am to have some fun with our cars! Everyone please read the rules and regulations for the drag strip. If you plan on rocketing down the 1/8 mile strip, please read them twice. Shoes, long pants and helmets will be required for all drivers. For those of you not racing, you will be able to display your cars for everyone to see. Be prepared to put on your best for this Show and Go as the gates will be open to the general public to watch us run!

After the drag strip and car show you will be able to head back to your hotel room to relax and refresh before making your way to the banquet. The Dalton Freight Depot will be the location of the banquet on Saturday night, which will be catered by the Oakwood Café. The menu will be barbeque pork, smoked chicken, barbeque beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and buns and rolls with tea and lemonade. The banquet starts at 6 pm. We will see you there!