Event Coverage: Freakmont X

In a recent article, “The Misconception of the Car Club“, I discussed the public view of the automotive community.
I mentioned that club gatherings start as a car meet, but eventually grow into family get-togethers. Well, this past weekend I had the fortune of attending Freakmont X, an annual Nissan/Datsun/Infiniti meet in California held by Team Driven. Held at LeMans Karting in Fremont, this meet is the largest Nissan gathering in California. Intended as a grassroots event, it involved a photoshoot, a barbeque, some go-karting, and enjoying each other’s company.

One important thing to note about Freakmont, is that it has a zero-tolerance policy for stupidity and disruptive behavior. Created as a family event, safety is paramount. Many people, in fact bring their children, spouses, and even pets to the event to share the passion with their loved ones. Participants are given a disclaimer before attending the event stating that any act of showboating, loud disruptive behavior, or anything that could endanger the safety of those attending or even the outside public would result in being asked to leave, or possibly even being escorted out by the local police department. Essentially, the point of this event is for friends to gather, and to prove to the public that car enthusiasts and car clubs are not a menace to society. Aside from one accident at Freakmont VIII, the event has had absolutely no issues or confrontations with the law in its 10 year history. In fact, the event has received praise from the city of Fremont for the organization and effort put into it.

Shockingly,the usually large 300zx community did not have a strong showing. Members from  ZONC (Z Owners of Northern California) brought twenty-some Nissan 350z, 370z, Infiniti G35 and G37 models. Norcal240, which came early to help set up the event space, represented the drifting community with about 20 240sx’s. Also, a nice collection of Nissan Sentra and Infiniti G20s represented the sportscompact segment. 5 or so oldschool Datsun 510 racecars were present with swapped motors and gutted interiors. Finally, a rare gem of a Nissan Skyline GTR R33 V-Spec owned by the CEO of PhotoShootMyCar.com as well as a brand new Nissan R35 GTR were on site. Forums aside, many regional tuners like San Bruno’s The Shop, San Jose’s Z Car Garage, and Sacramento’s Driven Authority came to support the local club scene with raffle prizes and other services.

Once the majority of people arrived, the attendees huddled around the barbeque waiting for burgers and hot dogs. To further enhance the family atmosphere, Team Driven asked forum members to “register”, in order to get an idea of how many would attend. Every person who registered brought something to share with the others, like a true potluck. Afterwords, many members walked over to the go-karting track for some friendly competition, food in hand. Walking around to the various groups of friends at the event, some tinkered on their vehicles with each other’s help, others watched go-karters battle it out or just chatted about all things automotive and non. A few of members then decided to set off on a cruise to a spot nearby at Lake Elizabeth for photos and fresh air, while some others planned to continue the day by going to someones home for gaming and movies.

Around 5pm, people began cleaning up, ready to leave satisfied from a day out with friends and family. Shop banners and Nissan logos were wrapped up once again, awaiting their next appearance at Freakmont XI. Business cards, forum advertisements, and phone numbers were exchanged. For many, the event was their first time putting a face to a name. For others, the day was just another in a long list of family barbeques. In either case, Freakmont both built and strengthened personal bonds, as well as kept the enthusiast community alive.

-KF

June 2, 2009 | Ilya Faynshteyn | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

The Misconception of the Car Club

Car clubs give car owners a venue to socialize and bond with one another.

Car clubs give car owners a venue to socialize and bond with one another.

Often times, when I speak to someone who is not a car enthusiast, the following conversation ensues:

“So you guys get together and street race and play loud music all day?”

“Not at all. We are simply a group of friends who were brought together by cars. We are a family. We have a lot more in common than a love for horsepower and suspensions.”

Automotive clubs have been around since the release of the very first automobile in the late 19th century. Groups of enthusiasts would get together to discuss their cars’ performance, reliability, and just the joy they get from driving. Over the past 10 or so years, new technologies like the internet have made it easier for people to communicate through message boards (See Enthusiast Forums 101), online groups on such search-engines as Google, and the everyday brand-appreciation websites.

These automotive communities all have a different purpose. Some groups, like the Davis Motorsports Club are dedicated solely to legal track-based racing, where the sole purpose for the group is to set up track days in order to improve one’s skills. Some clubs, like the Nissan/Datsun/Infiniti based Team Driven in northern California, try to incorporate many aspects of auto-enthusiasm, and end up turning into something completely different.

The club organizes large monthly Nissan meets, where Nissan fans from all over the state gather for one day of barbeque, photography, and fun. Also, the club holds small bi-weekly events for members of Team Driven, which are in fact not so much car gatherings but rather dinner with friends to chat about any and all topics. Recently, the club made the trek from Sacramento to San Jose (about 100 miles), to enjoy a day out at Dave and Busters and then Santana Row. The get-together obviously had the mandatory quick photo shoot, but mainly consisted of a group of close friends playing arcade games, eating lunch, and strolling down Santana Row as if they were kids again. More so, a number of the people at this event often see one another outside of meets and are friends/family rather than fellow members of a club.

Now, granted some clubs exist that are rowdy, obnoxious, and a general nuisance to those around them. They play loud music; drive in a disorderly and dangerous fashion, and generally draw unneeded attention to themselves. These clubs however should not be the stigma by which car enthusiasts are held, as they are a minority.

Another common question that comes up is that of elitism in the groups. Many people are afraid to join these clubs because they feel they will be cast out for having a slightly different taste or style. That is simply not the case, as most of these clubs simply ask for one thing: respect of others and a general love for automobiles, whether they are brand-specific or general. For example, Team Driven has a member-base of people between the ages of 19 and 55. Some members are very high-energy and track oriented, while others are more reserved, prefer to have a comfortable vehicle modified for a clean look rather than outright speed. This blend of high-energy and reserved wisdom is what makes car clubs so diverse.

The common misconception about the auto enthusiast and the car club, then should not be that of menaces to society, but rather a separate, respectful and exciting culture that thrives on a family atmosphere and diversity. The clubs normally begin with just a number of car fans getting together to talk about their cars. This quickly changes, however, into long-term or even life-long friendships between people who have so much more to enjoy about one another’s company than just a brand emblem and the smell of gasoline.

-KF

April 13, 2009 | Ilya Faynshteyn | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »