SELF GUIDED TOUR • CABARRUS COUNTY HISTORIC SITES
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 / 10 AM - 4 PM • CONCORD, NC
“Where Racing Lives” is the long-held motto of Cabarrus County, NC for good reason! Here, motorsports fans can see why racing DNA is scattered throughout the county. Officially home to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Cabarrus boasts the towns of Concord, Harrisburg, Kannapolis, Midland and Mt. Pleasant; all worth checking out for their NASCAR and historical significance, and so much more! You can visit NASCAR teams for a behind-the scenes looks at how teams prepare for race day. Or visit a whiskey distillery located in a former prison, find the original home-cooked BBQ, and pan for gold at Reed Gold Mine, the site of the first documented gold find in the US. You might want to go to the movies at the historic Gem Theater. Just some of the experiences to discover in Cabarrus County, where harmony meets horsepower!
BUS TOUR • SOUTHERN DISTILLING • TASTING & DINNER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 / 5 PM - 9 PM • STATESVILLE, NC
Southern Distilling Company is on a mission to make some of the finest Bourbons in the country. Started in Statesville, NC in 2016 by Pete Barger and his wife Vienna, Southern Distilling Company brims with hometown pride. It takes its roots from the area once known as the" liquor capitol of the world" with history dating back to the 1750s.
Pete and Vienna are proud of this legacy and have sought to preserve the history of Bourbon production. The distillery operates almost 24 hours a day and is on pace to produce more than 1,000,000 gallons of proof spirits a year, making Southern Distilling one of the largest craft distilleries in the country.
Their Southern Star Bourbon Whiskey has been awarded Best in Class Overall Bourbon at the New York Competition.
Our tour starts with a behind the scenes look at the distillery to learn about the history and production of Bourbon Whiskey. We’ll get an up close view of the fermenting process taking place in one of the 12 large fermentation tanks.
You’ll experience the aroma of warm malt cereal as yeast converts grain to mash. From there it goes into one
of the 2 story tall stainless and copper stills, each with its own name: the original still is named Sweet Mother,
the second is Little Sister, and then there is Hey Baby, the pot still used for making prototype
and small production product. Then we will see the barrel room and the bottling operation.
Finally, we go to the tasting room to sample their bourbons in the relaxing atmosphere of the lounge.
After sampling we’ll be treated to a fine southern pork barbeque dinner with all of the fixin’s.
GIMMICK RALLY • PICCIONE VINEYARDS • TASTING & LUNCH
FRIDAY, JUNE 23 / 9 AM - 3 PM • RONDA, NC
The Gimmick Rally and Lunch at Piccione Vineyards is FULL
as of January 14, 2023
After you have registered for the convention and wish to be on a wait list, please email [email protected]
The tour to the Piccione Vineyards will begin at the hotel and travel two lane country roads from the Piedmont region to the foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The tour is also a gimmick rally with questions along the way just to keep things interesting. Prizes will be awarded
for the team that answers the most questions correctly.
Piccione Vineyards was started by Bill Piccione, whose great-grandfather emigrated from Italy and was a wine maker. Bill has picked up the tradition and is carrying on producing award-winning Italian style wines in this boutique operation.
Founded in 2010, they grow grapes that produce Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and Montepulciano wines, to name a few. At the winery we will be treated to a discussion of winemaking by the Piccione Vineyard manager, who will describe the process of growing the grapes and how their wines are produced. After the discussion of wine making, we will taste samplings of the wines before we are served a farm-to-table buffet lunch with accompanying wines. Sitting on the patio while gazing across the grape vines to the blue hills beyond
will make for a delightful experience in the wine country of North Carolina.
NASCAR HALL OF FAME & UPTOWN CHARLOTTE TOUR
BUS PROVIDED
FRIDAY, JUNE 23 / 10 AM - 3 PM • CHARLOTTE, NC
Here you will see the history of stock car racing in the south. Join other Alfa amici on a jovial “giro” to Uptown Charlotte. The only speed bumps will be choosing between all the cool things to see and do! Visit the amazing NASCAR Hall of Fame for a self-guided tour of this shrine to the history and heritage of NASCAR. Go to the theater and see a brief film on the history of stock car racing. Experience the slope angle of each track, and attempt to walk up the 30 degree banking on an oval track.
Challenge your AROC friends to a head-to-head pit crew competition, or an exhilarating race on the NASCAR replica simulators, complete with spectator screen and leaderboard showing the top race times of the day.
Take in the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art which presents more than 1,400 mid-20th century works. From MirÓ to Picasso and Giacometti to Warhol, this jewel of a museum is a must-see when you’re in the heart of the Queen City! The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Craft + Design collection, including prominent collections of American, contemporary and European art. This five-story, 145,000 sq. ft. museum boasts one of the largest collections of art in the Southeast.
If shopping is more your style, the city abounds with malls and specialty shops.
A stop at Welcome CLT Visitor’s Info Center Uptown on Tryon St. is a go-to if you’re looking for Charlotte-related souvenirs. Dining opportunities are not a problem no matter what your cuisine preference is. Latta Arcade, Brevard Court and the 7th Street Public Market, just to name a few, are food hubs for the hungry ...and thirsty!
PENSKE RACING & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS TOUR
SATURDAY, JUNE 24 / 1 PM - 4 PM • MOORESVILLE, NC & CONCORD, NC
The Penske Racing Tour is FULL as of December 14, 2022
After you have registered for the convention and wish to be on a wait list, please email [email protected]
Convention goers will have a unique opportunity Saturday afternoon to tour the Penske Racing Facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. This special tour will go behind the scenes and inside Penske Racing to see where the race cars are prepared for The Indianapolis 500 and the Indy Car series. We will also see the cars for the IMSA series and for NASCAR. These areas are not normally open to the public, but we have been able to obtain special permission to tour Penske Racing’s Corporate facility.
You will note that there are very few pictures of Penske‘s corporate headquarters on this website. That is because photographs are not permitted inside the facility.
“Penske Perfect’s” unique development is ongoing at this facility, and therefore photographs
will not be permitted. We hope that you will join us for this unique opportunity.
This tour is open only to a limited number of people, so please sign up early as space is limited.
Time and directions will be given out to those who sign up for the tour.
There are several private collections of classic and historic cars in the area, including prewar Alfas and notable race cars. Negotiations are underway to secure permission to tour one of these collections. We’ll provide updates as information becomes available.