When is a car show not just another car show?
When the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) holds the event at the Micheline Raceway Road Atlanta and invites “The Bandit Run” to be a part of the fun.
Under a perfect blue sky canopy, the SVRA Cars & Caffeine Car Show was certainly worth the wait from its original Spring date.
Temperatures hovered in the mid-70s as car show attendees rolled onto the grassy expanse overlooking the downhill portion of the famed Road Atlanta road course.
Greeting attendees was the big rig replica of the 1974 Kenworth W900 and 1976 Hobbs trailer from the “Smokey and the Bandit” movie. The rig looked like it just rolled in from the May 27th, 1977 film premier. The iconic mural on the side of the trailer depicting a stagecoach holdup was the perfect backdrop for the event.
Alongside the big rig were rows of arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history, the black and gold trimmed Trans Am. For those not familiar with “The Bandit Run”, it’s a yearly event started by Dave Hall of Restore a Muscle Car and David Hersey in 2007.
The first year was a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the movie Smokey and the Bandit. The 2007 run re-enacted the drive from Texarkana to Atlanta.
The mission of the Bandit Run is to get classic cars out of the garage and onto the road. We were fortunate to have them combine their event with the SVRA weekend.
Felt Like A Movie Set
SVRA pulled out all the stops to turn this grassy knoll into the back lot of a movie studio. They brought in Buford T. Justice’s cop car, the General Lee, Roscoe’s Cop car, and Jesse’s truck from Dukes of Hazard.
As a bonus, they had a beautifully executed “Back to the Future” DeLorean and BA’s Van from the A-Team TV series.
Even more impressive than the movie vehicles were the look-alike actors roaming the car show talking with guests. Their similarities in appearance and mannerisms were eerily authentic and true to form the whole day.
One of the best was Tim Phillips, who has been a Burt Reynolds look-alike for ten years. Tim worked with Burt Reynolds himself for three years until his recent passing.
All of the actors were strong in their roles that day. Of particular note was Sean Bailey as Buford T. Justice. Sean was the spitting image of Jackie Gleason in this movie role and just a great guy to be around.
Venue With A View
How often do you get a car show venue that provides a great view of a world-famous road course? Numerous shade trees dotted the rolling landscape providing the perfect spot to pull up a chair and enjoy the racing.
The thunderous roar of the race engines added a note of authenticity to the day’s proceedings. Not sure you could have asked for more if you’re a true car lover.
The inherent draw of SVRA brought out an eclectic blend of both old and new vehicles for all to see. Of course, America’s Favorite Sports Car was well represented with Corvette Cruisers of Atlanta taking the top club attendance spot.
Track Time Too
As an added bonus, SVRA provided car show attendees a chance to experience the highly-technical Road Atlanta course behind the wheel of their own car. The 12-turn, 2.54-mile (4.088 km) road course comes by it’s reputation as one of the world’s finest honestly.
This is a road course that has considerable elevation changes, blind corners, and a distinct personality. This is not a track to be taken lightly by those pushing their race cars to the limit.
From start to finish, the SVRA Cars & Caffeine Car Show was a genuinely fun day. For those with a trace of motor oil coursing through their veins, you couldn’t help but be impressed with the event Toni Strollo, V.P. of Marketing, and her team put together.
When you combine a fun car show, the Bandit Run event, competitive SVRA racing, and track time on Road Atlanta, you’ve got a winning combination!
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