Starfest 2002
 

Is anyone planning on going to Starfest 2002 at the Brickyard?

I would love to see some of the modifications to fellow members' 500E/E500.

Also, I would love to see a 300 6.3! (Maybe my next car).

Has anyone been to Starfest in the past?

OK to bring a 4 year old?

Thanks,

Dave

MBCA - any members left?
 

Hi all,

I just did a search of 'starfest' and found a thread that does not put the MBCA in a very good light.

Is anyone still a member?

I am a new (to me) MB owner and I joined the MBCA recently.

I love "The Star" magazine and can't wait for it to show up. When it does I read it cover to cover.

It seems a lot of 'stuff' has gone on in the past with shop members and the MBCA.

Anyway, if anyone ends up going to Starfest in August we could do a "MercedesShop.com" area........

Last time they had a startfest 600+ cars showed up.

Maybe MBCA is BAD, but how can hanging out with 600+ MB owners (and their CARS!) be all that bad?

Any input?

Dave

Last time I went....
 

was several years ago. The crowd was decidedly older ( probably the age I am now!) and quite clique-ish. No one was rude, they just weren't very friendly. Keep in mind that MBCA is not an organization that is terribly dedicated to performance like BMWCCA or PCA. They are mostly concerned with maximizing value, reliability and longevity, not going fast. I think you would find people giving you an admiring glance in the 500E, but mostly they'd prefer to talk to other old SL and diesel owners. Hey, might have changed these days, but I doubt it. I've only been to one MBCA event recently. I entered my E55 in the concours and won the division. Nobody even spoke to me. They were more interested in talking about how many miles they could get out of their old 240D, of which there were about 10 in a 40 car crowd.

I will be there. I went to two track/autocross events with MBCA last year, and it is a great way to get cheap track days, and push your great car to its limit.

The events can be a bit cliquey, its true, but having a 500E with no centre resonator and Remus muffler howling round the track is a great way to scatter the 240D's and 250sl's, sort of like a barracuda in a schoal of mackerel!

I will see you there!

I am not certain as to what problems were incurred by others but I am an MBCA member and have had no prolemos at all. It is true that you will find cliques in just about any group you go to ( something about our natural herding instinct). If even one member of this site attends I am certain a good time will be had by all.
Alan

Planning on going
 

Myself and two of my 16V 190E friends are planning to go but who knows..its several months away and anything can change between then...David is totally right about the cheap track time. I've heard nothing but good things about their race set-ups. We look forward to finally romping around with our own breed. Our local chapter of the MBCA club is also populated by 'older' folks who aren't really rude but don't bother to be open or friendly to us younger guys but its all about the love of our MBs so cold shoulder or not...any MB owner should be proud to go and participate regardless. Don't be put off by others attitudes...life's too short to give a poop what others may think. Hope to see you there.:)

starfest 2002
 

yes its a long way off- and I am an "older" mbca member -but still like to have fun and put the 500 through its paces every now and then. Having never been to the brickyard (except as a spectator) I look forward to going- assuming I still have the car. I have been thinking of selling it- my dirt road and New England winters are not really good for the car- and I cant take the dog with me when I use it. Or maybe its just an annual round of new car lust. Time will tell.

Jim-it's only 800 miles from Hartford! So, 7-8 hours based upon traffic....;)

Yessiree...Micheal
 

Probably more on the order of 6 hours if you are in the lead !!!:D

Besides, when else could regular folk like us drive on the Brickyard? This could be that 500E/E500 reunion we all want, as well as a forum get-together also.:)

Jim,

I'm not sure you'll be able to fully exercise your 500E on the track at the Brickyard. I think it may just be a parade lap.

Look here....

www.mbca.org/starfest02.htm

Bummer...I haven't gotten the info packet yet but it appears you are certainly right, El Duque, however, if I am lucky enough to be first in line...who is going to stop me from mashin' the pedal!!... Just kiddin'. The 'older' folks may indeed 'brick' in their diesel pants if I did do that, which alone may be worth the price of admission. Call me crazy.

Anywho, as I said, its not often regular folk like us can drive (albeit,a parade lap) around the Brickyard. Hope to see you there. My car will have the license plate that says "EAT ME" Come and say hello...:D :D :D :eek: ;)

Yeah, no way Tony George would want one of us to ball up a road car on his precious little oval:D :D

Still, even a parade lap is sorta neat. I've been to the place (not during a race, regrettably) and it is a sight to behold...I want to see the new Pagoda timing tower, as when I was there it was all under construction.

So, how many of us are seriously considering this? I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger and attend, if for no other reason than to watch ACKTACK, Hendy, Nielsen, Alain, Neil & Guido duke it out!! I'll be watching from the strategic position of backmarker...you guys are all gonna go, right?

Maybe if I put a 300D badge on they'll group me better;)

I will try to get some pals from Peachtree Section up there for a long weekend, at least.

Can't go for the week.....It's only Jan 30th and my 4 weeks vacation time is mostly spoken for!

Hope to see you and the others there.

Vanity plates in Georgia only have 6 spaces. Mine is MN2MBZ
(I'm into Mercedes-Benz)

E.P.

I'll be there!
 

Hey guys,

I did read that there WILL BE track time at an off site location. Can't remember where.

I'll be there for the week.

From MBCA.ORG :
"Track Events at Indianapolis Raceway Park

This two-mile road course, minutes from the headquarters hotel, will offer
driving instruction and time trials in a variety of performance classes. An
autocross and acceleration runs are also planned at IRP."

Can't wait.

++db

http://www.mbca.org/starfest02.htm

Dave (B12)-Looking forward to seeing the phone-you owe me a Cerveza! (Or perhaps I owe you, 'cuz I know a lot of people thought I was full of s%^t about a digital upgrade!)

Man, Hendy and Tackman are gonna go...I'm screwed. So much for being competitive! (Hehe). Those two are trouble on a racetrack-I've seen what they are capable of. Both are entertaining when they're not in your run group! Gonna make a lot of us look bad, I'm wagering. Especially if Hendy has brakes and stays on the track! Boy's a bit excitable:rolleyes:

And don't believe Tackman when he tells you he drives a 500E...hardly. NO 500E runs THAT strong!:eek:

And Alan, if indeed you do sell it, can I swap the motor out before it goes?:)

Starfest: I'll be there...likely not for the entire week(family vaca for the entire following week-looking forward to driving around 5k miles in 2 wks:o), but for no less than 3 days, likely 4...that's a big drive on both ends. I'm gonna go for the track days...I'll get blown out on a concours-track events and high speed driving are hell on paint, but hey, forgive me:D

What are everyone else's thoughts, coming out of New England/NY? Make for a helluva caravan, I'm thinkin':D