Classic Motorsports Mitty
The Classic Motorsports Mitty is a classic motorsports race and show event held annually at the Road Atlanta race track in Braselton, Georgia. Since the inaugural event in 1978 it has grown to become one of the largest classic car events in the United States.
Each year at the Mitty, a featured marque or type of vehicle is highlighted. Formula cars have captured enthusiasts’ imaginations for decades, and these cutting-edge machines will be celebrated at Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty Presented by Hagerty April 24-27, 2014. Get up close and personal: Spectators can walk the paddocks at The Mitty, see all these cars in glorious detail, watch teams working on them, and talk to their drivers. The Road Atlanta event’s grand marshal is a name long associated with single-seaters: three-time Formula 5000 champion Brian Redman.
""Featuring Formula Cars"": For more than 35 years, Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty Presented by Hagerty, and sanctioned by HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing), has brought some of the world’s most exciting race cars to historic Road Atlanta. The 2014 Mitty will showcase formula cars, from the early front-engined Formula Juniors to the turbocharged monsters that defined the ’80s Formula 1 scene. In between, fans will be treated to just about every kind of single-seater imaginable: Lola, Chevron, Williams, McLaren, Ferrari, Cooper, Lotus, OSCA, Ralt, March and more.
""Amazing Access"": At most big-time races, when the cars come off the track, they're hidden away. That's not how things operate at the Mitty. Want a close-up look of an Audi R8, a Porsche 911 RSR, a T-series Lola, or a McLaren Can-Am? Prepare to have your senses overwhelmed.
""Meet Brian Redman"": While Brian Redman achieved much success racing sports cars and endurance prototypes, his career began in single-seaters–Formula 2 cars, specifically, starting with a Cooper before being tapped by the Ferrari factory. He soon moved onto Formula 1 with the factory Cooper team. In only his second grand prix, he came from dead last to finish third behind Graham Hill and Denny Hulme. He eventually drove Formula 1 cars for Williams, McLaren, Shadow, BRM and Lotus.
""Experience Speedfest"": Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty Presented by Hagerty is more than just a full slate of HSR historic racing. It’s an automotive festival. Club corrals fill the Road Atlanta infield. Free test drives are available. Vendors offer amazing finds. Hospitality is available for all. The Classic Motorsports staff is on hand to provide a behind-the-scenes look. And the grand marshal isn’t whisked from motorhome to motorhome, as he’ll be palling around with other race fans all weekend.
""Take in the Spectacle"": Not content with ruining just one major automotive event a year, the 2014 Concours d’LeMons schedule is showing us its Oddball, Mundane and truly awful of the automotive world. On April 27, 2014, a patch of paddock (probably near the Dumpsters) at Road Atlanta during The Classic Motorsports Mitty vintage races will host crap cars from all over the southeast. Grassroots Motorsports Magazine and Hagerty Insurance have inexplicably sponsored this expansion of the Concours d’LeMons empire. Click here to register your car for Concours d'LeMons.
For the full schedule of races, click this link.
Friday, April 25
9:00 AM - Parade lap sign-up at Classic Motorsports tent. 11:00 AM - Pub opens at Classic Motorsports tent. 11:30 PM - Classic Motorsports tent closes.
Saturday, April 26
9:00 AM - Parade lap sign-up at Classic Motorsports tent. 9:00 AM - TMI Autotech Ariel Atom rides at turn 7 test track. 11:00 AM - Pub opens at Classic Motorsports tent. 2:00 PM - Autograph session with Brian Redman at Classic Motorsports tent. 7:00 PM - Classic Motorsports Event Party presented by eBay Motors & SafeRacer. Classic Motorsports tent with Brian Redman interview by Bill Warner followed by Steppin Stones concert. 11:30 PM - Classic Motorsports tent closes.
Sunday, April 27
9:00 AM - Parade lap sign-up at Classic Motorsports tent. 9:00 AM - TMI Autotech Ariel Atom rides at turn 7 test track. 10:00 AM - Concours d'LeMons at the end of vendor's row near turn #2.
Host Hotel
The host hotel will again be the Hampton Inn Flowery Branch, conveniently located 15 minutes from the track.
Hampton Inn Flowery Branch 4660 Holland Dam Rd. Flowery Branch, GA (770) 965-0357
Book under the Classic Motorsports block, rate is $99 for standard rooms and $109 for suites.
Clubs
These clubs will be joining us:
Classic Minis United Flyin' Miata Atlanta Miata Club Corvette Central Peachstate Region Porsche Club of America North Georgia Jaguar Club Morgan Owners Group South (MOG South) Georgia Z Club Chattanooga Cobra Club Atlanta Mini Cooper (more clubs to be announced soon)
Vendors
Advance Auto Ariel Atom (ride along sponsor) Auto Brass Bruster's Ice Cream Coker Tire (presenting car corral sponsor) Corvette Central (corral sponsor) DIY Autotune Double Vision eBay Motors (Saturday night party sponsor) Evapo-Rust Fast Color Fast Frankie Lemonade Flyin' Miata (corral sponsor) G-Force Race Gear Gold Eagle Hagerty Insurance (presenting sponsor) Improved Racing Iron House Catering JC Manufacturing (Pontoon Boats) Lanier Tech Little British Car Co. Miller's Oils Motorcar Studio Papa John's Pizza PeopleKars Performance Racer SafeRacer Sonny's BBQ Targa Newfoundland Motorsports Club The Winner's Circle Velocity Motorsports Vredestein Tire (parade lap sponsor)
Vendor Rates
Click here to download the vendor registration form.
In addition to Display Space, vendors who pay by April 3rd receive a listing in the event program and a Web site link. Display sizes are available at the following rates: 10' x 10' - 2 Worker Passes $400 10' x 20' - 4 Worker Passes $500 10' x 30' - 6 Worker Passes $600 50' x 100' - 10 Worker Passes $1200 Additional Worker Weekend Passes are $45 each.
Limited space is available in the paddock for race part vendors. A $200 premium is charged per 10' space.
The Midway setup is Thursday, April 24, beginning at noon; setup must be completed by 5 p.m. Ticket booths and gates will be open to the public at 8 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 25-27.
Please discuss any special setup needs with the Classic Motorsports staff. Tents are not included in price of vendor space.
For tent rentals, please contact Reece Tent Rental at (888) 231-8368 or reecetents.com for prices and information.
Activities
Concours d'Lemons (Sunday only) — Click to register. Ariel Atom Ride Alongs (at the autocross course near Turn 7) Open paddock throughout the weekend
Media
If you'd like to request media credentials, please contact Joe Severns.
Latest Updates
April 9: We visited with Georgia Tech's Wreck Racing team to encourage young blood to come out for this vintage race event. Clearly we didn't have to do much persuading.
April 5: If you're having trouble finding tires in proper fitments for your classic car, you're not alone. Coker Tire can help. They'll be selling tires at The Mitty!
April 3: Today we're at Lanier Technical School, teaching kids about awesome sports cars and the good times to be had at The Mitty.
April 1: David Hinton spoke to auto mechanic students at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College about the race cars that will be at the Classic Motorsports Mitty. He also discussed how to break into the motorsports tech field.
March 17: Have you seen all the great food and cool stuff that will be for sale in the infield? Check out our vendor list above. There's guaranteed to be great gadgets, gear and go-fast parts to peruse.
March 7: The Concours d'LeMons is coming to The Mitty! This spectacle of the oddball, mundane and truly awful of the automotive world will stake out a spot in Road Atlanta's ample paddock. Look for it on Sunday.
March 1: Clubs! Get in on our car corral action and you, too can get special treatment. Click here to see the club flyer for all the details, or send an email to Rick Goolsby.
February 22: The Classic Motorsports Mitty has a new sponsor. Please welcome Bob Woodman Tires to the fold.
February 12: Have you signed up for our VIP ticket contest? The winner gets a hotel stay, two tickets for the whole weekend, parade laps, special parking, and more inside specials. Click here to sign up.
February 4: Coker Tire will be sponsoring the car corrals this year at the Mitty. They will have their rig set up in the vendor area and would love to talk tires with you for your favorite collector car, truck or motorcycle.
February 1: Be sure to stop by and check out the latest in safety gear from our partners at G-Force Racing Gear.
January 30: Millers Oils is the latest vendor to sign up for a spot at The Mitty. Visit their booth to see the race-bred oils they have to offer.
January 28: The Steppin Stones will be performing at the dinner parties at the Mitty. Visit their Facebook page for a taste. facebook.com/thesteppinstones
January 25: Meet our new Mitty partner Evapo-Rust. Bring by your old rusty parts and they will evaporate the rust right off them.
January 16: OMG, Our friends from TMI AuoTech will be providing demonstrations of their famed Ariel Atoms on the autocross course in the infield at Road Atlanta. You will not want to miss this: It alone is worth the price of admission!
January 10: Tickets are now available! Pick them up at this link: http://mittyeventtickets.com/Web/Mitty-Tickets.html
January 2: We have our first list of vendors that are going to be displaying goods and services at the Classic Motorsports Mitty. DIY AutoTune Little British Car Co. Motorcar Studio Targa Newfoundland
Stay tuned: More vendors are coming soon!
December 23: What does the new holiday movie premiering on December 25th, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty starring Ben Stiller and the Classic Motorsports Mitty Presented by Hagerty have in common? Check out what Wikipedia has to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Motorsports_Mitty We are all seeing the movie over the holidays, how about you?
December 18: Looking for a great event to bring your car club to? The Mitty is the place to do it. Great parking and opportunities to do parade laps on the famous Road Atlanta road course. Contact Rick Goolsby for more details.
December 6: If you are the owner of a Miata, we have a car corral just for you. Bill Cardell, founder of Flyin' Miata will be hosting a car corral for owners of these super fast little cars.
December 9: You can make lots of money at one of the largest vintage race weekends in the southeast! Vendor locations and forms are now available for the Mitty. Reserve your spot today by contacting Rick Goolsby at Classic Motorsports.
December 3: Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, will be returning to lead lively discussions at the dinner parties during the Classic Motorsports Mitty weekend.
November 27: Mitty tickets go on sale soon—just in time for the holidays.
November 21: The Mitty poster art is here!
November 19: DIYAutoTune.com will again have a presence at the Mitty. Want to learn more about DIY fuel injection? They can help.
November 15: Corvette Central will present our Corvette corral. Like Vettes? Bring it!
October 23: This past weekend we were up at Road Atlanta scoping out the land. This year's Mitty is going to be bigger than ever.
October 22: Get ready to eat well. Sonny's BBQ will be catering our Saturday night dinner as well as the only BBQ vendor on property.
October 17: It's official: Brian Redman! Formula Cars! Hagerty!
October 7: Mitty updates to come soon. We're about to announce a grand marshal and featured marque.
October 1: We have a host hotel: the Hampton Inn Flowery Branch. Call them now at (770) 965-0357 before all the rooms are booked up. Ask for the Classic Motorsports block. Event Details:
Start: April 25, 2014, End: April 27, 2014 Braselton GA Region: Southeast Contact Info:
386-239-0523 Affiliated Club:
Historic Sportscar Racing Website:
A brief history of The Mitty
The Mitty began in 1978 with a handful of Atlanta-area road racing enthusiasts who were looking for a safe place to exercise their cars at speed. Road Atlanta offered just the venue.
The formula was an immediate success. After observing the enthusiasm for that first event, Martha Turner, then editor of the Jaguar Marque, dubbed the proceedings the great Walter Mitty Challenge after the James Thurber short story.
Originally published in 1939, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” centers on a quiet man with vivid daydreams in which he is far more dashing than in his day-to-day life. In the 1947 film adaptation, Mitty—played by Danny Kaye—fantasizes about being a race car driver.
At the 2002 Mitty, Bob Akin was severely injured and later died as a result of a crash that occurred while he was driving a 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo [1].
Through the years, The Mitty has become a spring tradition in Atlanta. In 2004 Classic Motorsports magazine became the title sponsor and event co-promoter and Kumho Tires and Moss Motors became platinum partners. Mazda became a presenting sponsor in 2005.