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SHO National Convention
#7 The SHO started production in 1988 and in 1999 the SHO Registry gathered for the second time in Atlanta, the home of the SHO production factory. A group of about 20 SHO owners met Monday evening at Christo's Pizza in Marietta, Georgia, just inside the NW corner of the Atlanta metro area. After a long day on the road, some good drink, great pizza and SHO talk was just what we needed. Most people took off for the host hotel about 9pm, hoping to miss the bad traffic. The Holiday Inn in Gainesville, GA was our home base. Gainesville is located in the NE section of the metro and not too far from the Road Atlanta complex and the drag strip. Tuesday: Tuesday was registration as well over 140 SHO's pulled in and unloaded. As usual, many people started immediately to clean the cars for the SHOw. Many people took the tours arranged with the Panoz factory where the AIV Roadster is built and the new Panoz LMP racer. The reception Tuesday night allowed everyone to get re-acquainted with old friends, and make new ones. Wednesday: For the first time, the SHOw was placed before the racing events at the request of those people that do both types of events. This was a success that was carried forward to the future SHO Conventions. This was the last year that the SHO split all classes into individual years. Even our friend Jeff Salter brought a car from the Richard Petty Driving Experience for people to see and sit in. After the SHOw, more people could visit the Panoz factory for the tours, and many took a tour of the beautiful hills north of Atlanta, the Blue Ridge Mountains. Another tour people could take was the ZF transmission plant. This plant makes most of the manual and automatic transmissions for the heavy duty and Super Duty Ford Trucks. Many people took the evening and went racing at the Speedzone go-kart track. Another group went to Major McGills "Best little fish house in Georgia" in Flowery Branch. Just say the name of that town a few times, and you know why we had to go there. Great food and good company made for a great evening no matter which option you took. Thursday: ROAD ATLANTA. That just about says it all, but I will expand on that just a bit. 100 SHO's took to the track in groups of 25 to do some safe but VERY intense high speed touring. Stock cars could hit close to 120 on the back straight, and the blower cars were over 130! Those that didn't do the track event could watch for free, or take the North Georgia Blue Ridge drive. The evening was free allowing people to choose their own activity. Friday: Drag racing was the menu item of choice for about 80 SHO's during the day, but AFTER everyone started out at the host hotel with a technical session by Doug Lewis of FPS. The drags were at Atlanta Dragway, a nice modern facility only about a half hour from the host hotel. The banquet was in the evening and over 250 people packed the Georgia Conference Center main room just down the road from the host hotel. Lots of door prizes included Goodyear tires, Tokico struts, Borla Exhaust systems and lots more. The annual Red Cross auction for charity raised just under three thousand dollars for the needy in America. Awards of all sorts were handed out and plans for 2000 were left a bit up in the air, but soon after, it was announced in the SHO Registry magazine that SHO Club would take over where the SHO Registry was leaving off, and not only put on the 2000 convention, but take over the club. Go to: S.H.O. National Convention #8, Indiana
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