Hello, my name is Eric King and I am the President of the Audi Club of Georgia. I’d like to take a moment to give you an update on the club. Last year, we hosted more events than any previous year, and this year we plan to host just as many events, while providing you with more advanced notice. Attendance at our events has been increasing, so now I’d like to see participation increase.

“What’s the difference?”

By “participation”, I mean discussion before the event, interaction during the event (meeting new people), and more discussion (and pictures) after the event. The Club is on Facebook and Twitter, and many of our members frequent regional discussion forums like Quattroworld and Audizine. All of these sites are a great way to connect with other members to talk about upcoming events, ask questions or make suggestions for future events. If none of those outlets appeal to you, feel free to send me an email if you have a question or suggestion.

Speaking of events, here are some of the great events we have coming up.

In only 2 weeks (March 5th and 6th), we’ll be teaming up with the Peachtree chapter of BMWCCA for a Driving School at Road Atlanta. Drivers of all skill levels are welcome to come. But don’t worry, drivers will be placed in groups based on experience and every student will have an instructor in the car. These driving schools are about learning the art and science of car control and vehicle dynamics.

Check out our Driving School FAQ page on our website: http://www.audiclubga.com/drivingschoolFAQ

Later in March is Waterfalls and Wineries, the first social driving event of the year. Join us on March 26th and 27th as we visit some of the best scenery and vineyards in North Georgia. We ask that anyone considering doing a tasting at the wineries be a passenger. The forums and Facebook are a great place to discuss carpooling. You can register for this event on our website: http://www.audiclubga.com/waterfalls

On April 14th, we’ll be holding our Spring Members Meeting at 7:00pm. We’ll announce the venue location as soon as we get final confirmation (hint: it’s a local Audi dealer). Jim Ellis Audi of Marietta was gracious enough to host us in January.  So, if you’re on the fence, come check us out! These meetings are a great way to find out about the club before committing to an entire weekend with us…we don’t bite, I promise!

The Mitty Historic Races are April 28th through May 1st. The Audi Club of Georgia will have our own parking corral for the event. Stay tuned for more details!

And now, on to my favorite event of the year, Quattro de Mayo! This year, “QDM” will be May 5th through May 8th in Hiawassee, Georgia. Each day, we’ll offer a handful of pre-planned drives through some of the twistiest and breathtaking roads in the country, while spending the nights at the beautiful Brasstown Valley Resort. So, mark your calendars, find a dog-sitter (or reserve a pet-friendly room) and bring the family because we’re planning plenty of family friendly non driving activities, as well. If you’ve never been to QDM, come for the cars and the curves this year, and I promise you’ll be returning to QDM 2012 to re-connect with all your new friends.

Stay tuned as we release additional information about our sponsors and raffle prizes! The latest info can be found on our website: http://www.audiclubga.com/qdm

Finally, we’re working on hosting a Teen Driving Clinic this summer. This type of event presents a new set of logistical challenges, which is why previous attempts never got off the ground. If you have a son, daughter, brother, sister or grandchild between the ages of 15 and 20, please send me an email and let me know if you’re interested in seeing them attend. Our clinic will be unlike the usual ‘Drivers Ed’. We won’t be discussing whether or not you should stop for a school bus on a divided highway or how to negotiate a round-about. Instead, we’ll teach how to control the vehicle in adverse conditions, proper seating position, the importance of checking your blind spot (and identifying when you are in someone’s blind spot), and much more.
In closing, I encourage you to participate in the discussion, as cliché as that sounds. The “club” exists only because of the members, so we’re here to plan events that are interesting to you. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at an upcoming event.

Eric King
President, Audi Club of Georgia