Gathering of Griffiths and TVRs, and all Shelby, Cobras, Tigers and High Performance Fords, All Are Welcome. September 13-17, 2007 Get the Griffith and the TVR polished up, {All High Performance Fords Welcome} or for that fact, just get it registered or park in on the trailer and head for the Gathering of Griffiths and TVRs in September. The registration forms have already started to come in and the ducks are all in a row as we prepare for the festivities at Possum Valley Ranch in Claremont, North Carolina. Working in conjunction with the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Food Lion Auto Fair, Car Show and Flea Market, the Gathering organizer, Mike Mooney is hard at work to provide three full days of guest speakers, cook-outs, garage racing and trophies for the car show. Mike is the former Griffith Test Driver and author of the history of the car, “The Griffith Years.” If you have never attended the semi-annual Food Lion Auto Fair at Lowe’s Motor Speedway just north of Charlotte, N.C., just picture the Carlisle Fair Grounds times three. The four-day Auto Fair will include two days of the car show on Saturday and Sunday with several car clubs and individuals showing off their cars. Entries in each class will be eligible for spectacular trophies being presented on Sunday with Best in Show, Best Griffith, Best TVR and Most Original Griffith/TVR trophies being awarded. There is a limit of 20 cars in our group at Lowe’s so get your registration in early. There will also be a more localized car show back at the Ranch with trophies being awarded for Longest Distance Traveled, Worst Looking T-Shirt, Most Creative “Hard Luck” Story and Best Period Costume. Not to be outdone, Mike is presenting two nights of cook-outs at the Ranch with music, guest speakers and plenty of garage racing. Not only will you experience the huge flea market at Lowe’s Motor Speedway but you will also be able to bring your own items to sell at the Flea Market and Auto-Jumble held at the Ranch. Located on the rolling grounds of the North Carolina Piedmont, the Possum Valley Ranch is on 20 acres in the farm land just 10 miles SSE of Hickory, North Carolina. You can see photos at the website as well as all of the information about the Gathering. At press time we have received promises of at least two guest speakers. On Friday, September 14th, we are pleased to have Len Bailey give a presentation about life in the Griffith factory. Len was the 1964 C-Production and D-Production SCCA Champion driving his Jaguar XK-120 alongside many of the up-and-coming drivers in the sport including Denise McCluggage. At Griffith, Len was not only one of the factory test drivers but he was also the talented fabricator who built much of the body work on the Topless Griffith noted in the book, The Griffith Years. On Saturday evening we will be giving Willie Seitz the spotlight with some of his war stories of early racing and his involvement with Jack Griffith. Willie is still involved in auto racing as he helps to set up the historic race cars of Jack Griffith’s earliest Cobra driver, Bobby Brown. We’re sure that there will be a lively Q&A session following his comments. At press time we are working hard to attract other guest speakers for the evening. Just remember that this will be an historic gathering of owners, drivers and anyone who has ever owned or wanted to own a Griffith or a TVR. Marshall Moore, President of the TVRCCNA, will have lots to tell us of the upcoming TVR re-entry into the American auto market. Marshall will also be on hand with many of the goodies that he sells for both marques from his parts house, Classic Motor Works which is located on the web at www.cmw-tvr.com. For the Saturday evening cook-out we will also be inviting some of the local sport car owners and fanciers so that we can help to educate them in the fun that a Griffith and TVR owner experiences each time the engine starts. Registration forms are available in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format on the Griffith Years website. Cost for weekend registration is $30.00 per person and for the 20 cars that will be participating in the Lowe’s Auto Fair car show, the cost will be $15.00 for the first car and $10.00 for each additional car. You can mail the registration forms and checks to Mike Mooney-GMCI, P.O. Box 1117, Claremont, NC 28610-1117. The deadline for registration is August 24th, 2007. Links for listings of all of the local area hotels are listed on the website. Your car doesn’t have to be a 100-point class winner to attend. Bring whatever you have so that you can join in the fun. Check out the following website for information: www.Griffithyears.com Thursday, 9/13 Early arrivals and set-up with hospitality Friday, 9/14: Check in, independent visits to Lowe's Auto Fair, local sightseeing, shopping and hospitality. There will be a cookout at Possum Valley Ranch on Friday or you may eat out at any of the local eateries. Saturday, 9/15: 8 am - 6 pm at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for Griffith/TVR car show - participants can leave the show early to get back for the evening festivities. Sunday, 9/16: 8 am - Arrive at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for Griffith/TVR car show, awards and fond farewells.
