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.