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Here's another opportunity to hit the track with your AMG Mercedes-Benz. A group of AMG enthusiasts are heading to Roebling Road Raceway (Bloomingdale, GA) on Monday September 15, 2008. Audi enthusiasts are also invited.

The event includes a full day of open track but registration is limited to only 25 attendees. The 2.02-mile Roebling Road asphalt road course consisting of nine turns is located just 20 miles from downtown Savannah, Georgia.

Honing your high performance driving skills in the relative safety of a closed track is always enjoyable plus the experience makes you a better street driver. High performance driving in your AMG Mercedes is all about learning car control - concentration, vision, familiarity with your car, its responses to your inputs, and your reactions to its responses. Note this is NOT a racing event! It is a safety, control and opportunity to enjoy driving your car.

Additional registration information on this website.
Fee for the event is $225 (limited to 25 entries).

Hotel Info:
Book your hotel room soon; rooms are extremely limited.
The event rate is $79/night:

Best Western Bradybury Suites
155 Bourne Ave
Pooler, GA
(912) 330-0330
Group code: AMG

Questions? Contact the event registrar, Chris Woodward.

The Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) South Jersey Section is hosting a national driving event in Millville, New Jersey on October 24-28, 2008. Drive your Mercedes-Benz like it was built to be driven - Coaching by Trained Instructors! Track events are excellent venues for any AMG Mercedes-Benz. Registration is now open for this event.

Download the Registration Packet

Special events include: Concours d' Elegance, Defensive Driving, Autocross, Time Trials, Acceleration Runs, Rally and Awards Banquet.

Track activities will be held at the brand new New Jersey Motorsport Park in Millville, NJ, using the 1.9 mile Lightning Circuit.  This ten-turn circuit is challenging, featuring some of the most interesting corners and dramatic elevation changes in the park. Track website: NJ Motor Sports Park

Area attractions:

• 60 minute drive of Philadelphia, Wilmington, Atlantic City, and the Jersey Shore;
• Wheaton Arts - World Class Glass art created in the Glass Studio;
• The Millville Army Air Field Museum - the history of "America's First Defense Airport" dedicated in 1941 to train P-47 (Thunderbolt) pilots;
• Millville Arts District - Glasstown Center Arts District, an area with studios and galleries, restaurants, antique shops and an arts and pottery school.

For more info contact: Rob Fini by phone: (215) 680-7556.

AMG Mercedes has a private forum for AMG owners where they release event info and news - the AMG Private Lounge. For example, on March 26 a team of AMG specialists will answer questions during a live forum event. You can register for the site using your VIN. Once registered, you can participate in the discussions and/or read the posts if you missed the event.

Here is the info for those interested: 

AMG ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
With a team of MBUSA AMG Specialist on hand, bring on your questions! On Wednesday, March 26th from 9:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST AMG Product Management will join us for this unique opportunity to have your questions answered in our third chat session of 2008. The session will be located in the "Chat Section of the Private Lounge.

AMG AT THE NY AUTO SHOW
With an opportunity to host more than 100 Private Lounge members and guests at the AMG NY Auto Show Preview Night, the event was a full success. We are also happy to report that a Private Lounge member’s guest was also the winner of the IWC watch given away at the event. Details and images of the event can be found on the Private Lounge.

In other news, a date has been added to the AMG Challenge Graduate Program: 

FOR THE AMG PRIVATE LOUNGE
DATE ADDED - 2008 AMG CHALLENGE PRIVATE LOUNGE GRADUATE PROGRAM, APRIL 25, 2008 AND OCTOBER 5, 2008
We still have a small number of spots open for the Las Vegas date in April and we are now registering for the Miami date in October. The AMG Private Lounge is pleased to offer a 2008 AMG Graduate Challenge program to our members on Friday, April 25th in Las Vegas and Sunday, October 5th in Miami. These Private Lounge Graduate Challenge events will follow the same format as our standard Graduate Program with the addition of a few AMG surprises. Registration is first-come first-serve and is limited to 45 participants. Registration will fill up quickly so sign up now if you are interested. Visit the Private Lounge and look for the discussion boards.

Mercedes-Benz World is a one-year old facility at the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey, UK. The facility is celebrating it's birthday on November 3-4, it opened in October 2006.

Mercedes-Benz World offers driving experiences on five purpose-built courses, from learning advanced skills with qualified instructors to feeling the thrill of an AMG. Visitors will be able to stay at the 5-star hotel and spa when it is completed in 2008, tour the historic museum, relax in the 60-acre landscaped park, shop at the boutique and dine in the cafe or restaurant. A kids zone is included.

Entry to the full complex, excluding the hotel and spa (when completed) is free. Uniquely, Mercedes-Benz World offers driving lessons to anyone over 1.5m tall. This means children as young as 8 or 9 can drive on part of the original Brooklands Circuit.

The building is spread over three floors with over 100 cars on display, including a 300SL Gullwing as well as the McLaren Mercedes SLR supercar.

Everyone attending the event has the chance of winning an exhilarating ride in the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. And, MB will be unveiling the brand new Silver Arrows AMG Display Team, who will be giving their first public performance of breathtaking handling skills.

The AMG and Off-Road passenger experiences will be available for the special price of just £15. If you're in the area, stop by for some birthday cake and raffle prizes. Admission is free. 

Join a group of AMG enthusiasts at the Andretti Speed Lab – Roswell, GA. All AMG Mercedes-Benz vehicles are welcome to attend.

Saturday, November 10th
Third Annual AMG Enthusiast Meet and Car Show at Andretti Speed Lab in Roswell, GA. This event is produced by AMG Enthusiasts and supported by the MBUSA AMG Private Lounge. It is time to polish up those AMG’s and bring them out to meet up with your fellow enthusiasts as we add the first ever AMG Car show to the agenda this year.

• 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Registration
• 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM Car Show 
• 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner, Q&A Session and Awards

Attending are representatives from Mercedes-Benz USA’s AMG Team as well as the AMG Private Lounge - both product management and technical support plus several AMG vehicles on display from Mercedes-Benz USA.

Be sure to bring your driving shoes as Andretti’s indoor karting track will be open all day - award for the best lap time cut by an AMG driver.

Awards presented for the following categories:

• Best In Show
• Longest Distance Traveled
• Most Miles on your AMG
• Oldest “Running” AMG
• Baldest Tires
• Best Karting Time
• Most Modified AMG

Registration is free and will open in the next week. A small fee will be charged for those wanting to attend the dinner.

Post a reply if you are interested and/or send an email to Atlanta AMG Meet. 

- Info Provided by the Atlanta AMG Enthusiasts

An "unofficial" AMG Enthusiast group is hosting an event for AMG owners at the No Problem Raceway, which is located outside of Baton Rouge, LA. The group has secured the entire track for Thursday, September 27, and Friday, September 28. Thursday is AMG Road Course Day and Friday is AMG Drag Racing Day.

The AMG enthusiast group has been meeting "unofficially" for several years now and their events are known to be exclusive, fun and filled with AMG tales. But slots fill up fast so check it out now if you're interested. 

The registration cost for BOTH days is just $250….the best deal in Motorsports!

The location of the track is Southwest of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and very suitable accommodations for Wednesday and Thursday evenings have been arranged at the historic Nottoway Plantation. Spouses are encouraged to attend as there will be much more to share and experience than just track days. Send in your free registration request to Chappy at CajunAMGmeet@hotmail.com.

Info packets are available now and track participation is limited to only 20 cars for each day for maximum safety and enjoyment. Again, spots will fill up quickly!

Arrival - September 26
Track Day 1 - September 27
Track Day 2 - September 28
AMG Excursions - September 29
Departure - September 30

More Info
Discussion of the September AMG Event on MBWorld Forum 
Previous AMG Owners Meet in Atlanta at MBCA Forum
More AMG Owners Meet plus pics of previous event in Atlanta

A group of AMG Mercedes-Benz owners are hosting an event at the Astor Classic Event Center in Anaheim, CA, on June 2. AMG Private Lounge is providing a few special cars to add to the display of Art Astor’s private car collection, which includes 270 American classics including Corvettes, Mustangs, Fords, Pontiacs, Packards as well as classic imports from Mercedes, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, very rare Morgan’s and a Morris Minor. I viewed Art's car collection last year during an MBCA event, it is a very impressive collection.

The cost of the event is $88 per adult and $36 per child. Additional info concerning the event is available here.

AMG Market | Mercedes-Benz, PR News: National Mercedes-Benz Club event to take place at the Hyatt Regency Reston (Virginia), May 19-21.

The Greater Washington Section of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) is hosting StarTech 2007 - a national event all Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts will enjoy.

StarTech is MBCA’s biennial technical seminar weekend. Focusing on maintenance, repair and restoration of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The event originated years ago to provide technical updates to both members and non-members of MBCA. Through the years it has grown to be the largest technical gathering of Mercedes-Benz experts in the world. 

Technical Presenters (subject to change):

• William Vetter, MBUSA: STAR TekInfo
• Tom Hanson, MBUSA: Benefits of the U.S. Classic Center
• David T. Shelton, Manager, UHP Marketing & Education Bridgestone Tire
• Hartmut Feyhl, RENNtech
• Bruce Adams, 190SL Services
• Rod Kraft, Meguiars: Detail it like a professional. This is the class Meguiars uses to train dealer personnel
• George Pavlisko, Leatherique: Leather Care
• Larry Emmons, Emmons Coach Works: How to make your Mercedes-Benz vehicle shine, street or show
• Neil Nelson, Frontguard Paint Protection: Say NO to Chipped Paint.
• Christal Renée Waddy, Roadblock Protective Systems:  Paint, glass, and wheel protection.
• Charlie Boyd: Restoration on a budget without sparing quality
• John Olson: How to buy the right vintage Mercedes-Benz
• Greg Smith, Waterloo Motors:  W201 cars - the affordable, fun Mercedes-Benz for street and competition
• Pete Lesler: Care and feeding of mechanical fuel injection pumps & performance tuning your W113 car
• George Murphy: Mercedes-Benz maintenance & repair - a systems approach
• Steve Walters: The La Carrera Panamerica experience - buying, rebuilding, & running in North America's premier road event

StarTech 2007 also includes a special MBUSA Vehicle Preparation Center (VPC) tour.

More info is available on the StarTech 2007 website. Hotel is the Hyatt Regency Reston, (Ph: 703-709-1234). Mention StarTech 2007 for the discounted room rates.

Besides the autobahn, where can you drive a variety of AMGs to the limit without getting arrested? How about at the California Speedway or Lime Rock Park? Mercedes-Benz offers an event for AMG enthusiasts branded "The AMG Challenge." For a couple of grand you can experience the power of AMG on the track and learn professional skills to tame the track.

If you own an AMG you should have rec'd an invite from Mercedes-Benz, but if you didn't you can contact them by phone (see the end of this post). Also, you may forward an invitation to a friend by having them register at www.mbusa.com/amgchallenge using the code AMG999. If the events are sold out, they will be placed on a waiting list.

Here's the description of the event provided by Mercedes-Benz and the dates/locations: 

Your day at the AMG Challenge will give you an adrenaline rush…unlike any other. You'll learn high-performance driving skills from racing greats including Le Mans and World Challenge champions. You'll experience the twists and turns of a first-class race track driving a range of Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles including the E55, C55, CLK55, CL55, SLK55 and the S55. And you'll power through esses with the SL55 AMG and thunder down the high-speed stretches with the all new CLS55 AMG.

It will be a full day packed with excitement including:

• On-track driving clinics
• Timed competition on an autocross track
• Performance driving exercises highlighting car positioning, steering method, throttle control, racing line theory and much more
• Open lapping on the main track
• Hot laps with top-name professional drivers
• At the conclusion of the event, there will be a celebratory champagne toast including a certificate, trophy and awards presentation

It all adds up to an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss. The event admission fee is $1,195. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up now. These limited spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

AMG Challenge Dates 

UPDATE (April 2007): The dates and locations for the AMG Challenge have changed!

Click image to view large pic.

May 11 or 12
[May 10 added to dates]
California Speedway - Fontana, CA
AMG Challenge Graduate date, May 13

July 31 or Aug. 1
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Lime Rock Park - Lakeville, CT
AMG Challenge Graduate, Aug. 2

Aug. 18 or 19
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Autobahn Country Club - Joliet, IL

Sept. 18 & 19 [TRACK AND DATES ADDED]
Pocono Raceway - Long Pond, PA

Oct. 5 or 6
[DATES CHANGED TO OCT. 11 & 12]
Homestead Miami Speedway - Homestead, FL
AMG Challenge Graduate, Oct. 7

Additional Resources
AMG Market | Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts

Visit one of the following links or call the phone number provided below if you want more info:

• AMG Challenge Overview Page (enter the guest code AMG999 to access the info)
• Phone for more info: 201-802-7891 or 201-802-7892 (9:00AM-6:00PM EST)

Other Resources

• Video of 2003 AMG Challenge on the AMG Market Video Page
• Brief video of 2006 AMG Challenge on photobucket
• Collection of photos from 2003 AMG Challenge at Lime Rock, CT

Editors Note: Sorry, you can't drive you own car - vehicles are provided.