For those of you coming to AMVIV and hoping to catch up with one of the runs on your way into Sin City, here are some notes for you.
For those AMVIV travelers coming from the Arizona side on Thursday. The Route 66 Run is expected to leave Palace around 8:00am and arrive for a short rest stop at AVI/Laughlin at 8:45am. Onward to Oatman, arriving roughly by 10:30am to explore the town for about an hour. If the schedule holds, they would be in Kingman by noon/12:30pm and take about an hour for lunch, before getting back on the road to Las Vegas.
For those AMVIV travelers coming from California on Friday. The Death Valley Run is expected to leave Palace around 8:30am, spend roughly one hour at the track and one hour for lunch in Pahrump. If the schedule holds, they would expect to be in Badwater by 1pm for a photo stop for roughly 45 minutes before heading back to Las Vegas through Pahrump where they would stop for gas at roughly 3:0pm.
As I type this, AMVIV is a short 3 weeks away. My, oh my how the time flies! So much yet to do and so little time!! But don’t worry, we’ll be ready for you.
Here are some important reminders:
The group rate at Palace Station expires on May 1 (yes, in two days) – If you’re hoping to stay at Palace during AMVIV, you have to BOOK NOW! To book your hotel at the AMVIV8 Special Rate – Check out this link.
We’ve placed the t-shirt/hat order, so if you want to guarantee that you will get your size shirt, or that you will get a hat (the extras usually sell out pretty fast in Vegas) here’s something else you need to take care of right away. If you haven’t registered yet and want to do so, here’s the registration link, or to get straight to the order page use this link.
Just a reminder, the Las Vegas SCCA chapter is putting on an autocross event on AMVIV Sunday at the Las Vegas Speedway Dirt Track Paddock. The event will start with registration opening at 7 am, closing at 8:30. First car out at 9. Each run group will get two sessions, one before lunch and one after. The event will last until 3-4 pm. Helmets will be available for rent for $5. Cost $40 for SCCA Members, $55 for non-members. If you’re a first-time autocrosser, find your $25 coupon here.
This year, there will be two detailers on site to make your MINIs pretty and shiny. If you’d like to call ahead and make appointments, here is their contact information:
JV Car Wash – Call Victor (702) 580-6733 for appointments
Custom Mobile Detail – Call Anthony (702) 624-7952 for appointments
This year we’ll be hosting our 3rd Annual Show and Shine Charity Car Show to benefit S.A.F.E. House. The Show and Shine will be held at Cars and Coffee, 9500 S Eastern Ave, Henderson, from 8:00am to 11:00am. This year we’re mixing things up with judging again, and in addition to two locally selected judges, the top 3 car clubs supporting the car show will also have representation on the judging panel. Seven categories this time: Best Classic Mini, Best Cooper, Best Cooper S, Best Convertible, Best Clubman, Best Countryman and Best Of Show. Entry fee will be $20, paid either online, or directly to the S.A.F.E. House volunteers who will be onsite.
Registrations have climbed to 218 as of last night. That’s about where we were last year at this point, we always get a rush of last minute registrants. Now is the time, the last minute is fast approaching! Pre-registrations will close on the evening of Thursday, May 12th, so if you want to guarantee you get your size shirt, or if you want the shirt and hat combo (which saves you $5), or you want to do the Chartered Dam tour on Thursday, go ahead and register now.
See you in 2 1/2 weeks.
Safe travels!!
First off, we’ve made a slight addition to the Death Valley run scheduled for Friday. Our route will take us through Pahrump. Well, the kind folks at Spring Mountain Motorsports have invited us to take a few parade laps around their nice track. After the parade laps are finished, attendees will split into two groups. One group will proceed on to Death Valley. The other group will go to the Pahrump Valley Winery for a wine tasting followed by an excellent lunch. We’ll take the same route back, but will head west once we get through the mountain pass and enter Red Rock Canyon. As you know, there is the beautiful Red Rock Canyon Loop which AMVIV attendees have visited many times in the past. There is also Bonnie Springs Ranch and Old Nevada Town. For a $5 entry fee, you can check out the Petting Zoo and see Old Nevada Town, a replica of an 1880s mini town – with shops, live performance and gunfights. If you’re up to it, Bonnie Springs ranch also offers horseback riding.
We also wanted to let you know we’ve added two visits to the Shelby Museum over the weekend: 9:30am-11:30am Thursday and Friday. These tours are FREE! at their facility located near the famed Las Vegas Speedway, the museum is always changing and includes some of the most famous cars ever produced from the first Cobra CSX2000 to prototypes of the Series 1, Shelby GT-H, Terlingua, GT500KR, and others.
Next up, we wanted to expand a bit on what we told you about this year’s Poker Run.
This year, The Poker Run will be a self-paced, self-directed activity. We will be preparing five separate routes for you. These routes will take you to different parts of the valley – North, South, East, West and Central. You’ll follow the directions to seven different locations and answer a question at each stop. You’ll receive your route in your attendee packet at registration. Each route will have 7 questions. For each question you answer correctly, you’ll receive a playing card. Finished questionnaires must be turned in to the SCMC Club Registration Booth no later than 2pm on Saturday. When you turn in your questionnaire, you’ll get your cards, and we’ll record your hand for the prizes. If you finish your route early, and want to explore other areas of town, additional routes will be $5 a piece. We’ll have a couple large white boards available – and if people would like to attack these routes in groups, come up with a day and time and sign up on the board by the SCMC Booth.
Slight change for the Slots Tournament: the new times will be 7:30pm – 9:30pm Wednesday
It’s starting a half hour later than originally scheduled, but will still last two hours. To enter, show your AMVIV badge, pay your entry fee of $20 at the Slot Tournament area and pick your machine. Plenty of slots available!! The most points wins! (Info to come on the slot area location within Palace Casino)
Handy links you’ll need:
To register for AMVIV, use this link.
To book your hotel at the AMVIV8 Special Rate – Check out this link. Special Rate offer ends May 1!
Tell your favorite MINI vendors to get registered, here is their link: http://www.amviv.com/vendor-sign-up/
To buy swag from previous AMVIV events, use this link.
Want to help us promote AMVIV in your neck of the woods? Find the AMVIV8 Event Flyer here.
We’ve got more information for you about some tournaments happening at Palace Station during AMVIV. Here are the details:
Slots, Slots and More Slots!!! – Wednesday May 18th 7-9pm
Every year, a large number of you come in early – this year we’ve got something fun (and lucrative) for you to do. We know you are itching to run your fingers over those cash out buttons and pull on a slot machine handle or two. So why not do it at the official AMVIV8 Slot Tournament as soon as you arrive for the event. CA$H prizes awarded, so the more people who enter, the more moola you can win. To enter, show your AMVIV badge, pay your entry fee of $20 at the Slot Tournament area and pick your machine. Then ready..set.. GO! Push those buttons to your heart’s content. The most points wins! (Info to come on the slot area location within Palace Casino)
Poker at the Palace – Friday May 20th 3-6
Poker Faces wanted!! Come join us as we bluff our way through a few hands of poker at the Palace at the AMVIV8 Poker Tournament. The fun starts at 3pm and don’t worry if you are not a poker player, get there at 2 and take a free lesson. The buy in is $50 at the poker room with your AMVIV badge. That’s all you need to enter. CA$H prizes awarded, so the more people who enter, the more money you can win!!!
Palace Station Bingo Tournament – Sunday May22nd
Evidently, Palace Station wanted to get into the act as well. In case you missed it the first time, Palace Station is hosting a Bingo Tournament on Sunday, May 22 – Here’s a link with more details. It is limited to the first 1000 players, so if this sounds interesting, you’d better sign up quick! http://www.stationcasinosbingo.com/palace/
Handy links you’ll need:
To register for AMVIV, use this link.
To book your hotel at the AMVIV8 Special Rate – Check out this link. Special Rate offer ends May 1!
Tell your favorite MINI vendors to get registered, here is their link: http://www.amviv.com/vendor-sign-up/
To buy swag from previous AMVIV events, use this link.
Want to help us promote AMVIV in your neck of the woods? Find the AMVIV8 Event Flyer here.
Some AMVIV reminders for you today:
First off, today is the last day that you can take advantage of the AMVIV early bird registration fees for $25. Tomorrow the rate goes up to $30. The difference will cost you the price of a gallon or so of gas, or maybe a beer (depending on how you look at it). If you’d rather spend that $5 somewhere else, get on over to http://www.amviv.com/sign-up and get registered.
Here’s an update for you – we’ve got 75 people registered so far to go on the Chartered Tour of Hoover Dam! The Tour will include a stop at the new Bypass Bridge, so you can get a look at this modern marvel. The Tour also includes the ‘Hoover Dam Discovery Tour’. This is a self paced tour which features talks presented by the guide staff at a number of locations both within the center and at the top of the dam. Just remember, in order to get in on the Tour, you MUST pre-register and pay. You cannot purchase tickets at AMVIV. If you haven’t registered yet, here’s a direct link to the Paypal page: http://www.amviv.com/paypal-gateway/
Here’s an important reminder for attendees that want to stay at Palace Station during AMVIV. The group rate at Palace ends on May 1, 2011. The latest word from Palace is that they probably WON’T be extending it past our contracted end date. If you want to stay at Palace where all the action will be, go to http://www.amviv.com/hotel/ to get all the details and book your room.
We just received word of a Bingo tournament that will be going on at Palace Station on Sunday May 22 – Here’s a link with more details. It is limited to the first 1000 players, so if this sounds interesting, you’d better sign up quick! http://www.stationcasinosbingo.com/palace/
To buy swag from previous AMVIV events, use this link.
To register for AMVIV, use http://www.amviv.com/sign-up/.
And, don’t forget to tell your favorite MINI vendors you want to see them this year!
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more updates about the Slots and Poker tournaments. See you in May!