Events Overview - Mustang Week 2010
Mustang Week Staff | 01.29.2010 | 15:21:12

The first thing you may notice about the Mustang Week schedule is that the majority of the events don't start until the afternoon. We, the Staff, want participants to have a chance to enjoy their vacation at the beach just as much as they enjoy having fun with their cars. We are excited that people chose to spend a week in Myrtle Beach with us away from their day-to-day lives. Don't forget to stop by the Mustang Week trailer and tents to say hello, pick up Mustang Week collectibles and get an arms-length of raffle tickets! Enjoy your week at the beach and drive carefully!

We start the week with a bang on Tuesday (July 20, 2010) with the Meet-n-Greet at Planet Hollywood, located at the intersection of US 17 Bypass and 29th Avenue, across from the Broadway at the Beach shopping and dining area. The event is scheduled to run from 1:00pm until 5:00pm and is a fun, informal gathering to start the week off. The Planet Hollywood and Club Kryptonite staff reserves their parking lots just for Mustang Week that afternoon. In 2009, over 400 Mustangs and SVT's filled the lot and gave returning attendees the chance to see friends from previous years and newcomers to meet new friends. It's very laid back and some folks come straight off the highway from their trip to Mustang Week. You can come and go as you please and with this year’s earlier schedule you can get a jump on all the other exciting things Myrtle Beach has to offer. Most participants choose to get there a little early and stay the entire time and some choose to stop by for only an hour or two. The choice is yours!

There is no registration required and no cost for attending the Meet-n-Greet. This will be the first opportunity to purchase the yearly Mustang Week t-shirt and raffle tickets. The Mustang Week Staff will be on site and available to answer any questions about the rest of the week's events.

On Wednesday, July 21, 2010, we head over to the Myrtle Beach Speedway for some fun-runs and an autocross. Myrtle Beach Speedway is located just 2 miles west of the waterway bridge on US 501 towards Conway, S.C. 2007 was the first year we included this event and it was a huge success! In 2009, 188 cars participated and 1,375 watched the excitement. You can both come out and watch all the activity as a spectator ($5 per person) or pay just a little more ($20) and participate in all the fun. Gates are scheduled to open from 3:00pm until 9:00pm (although this may change to allow more track time!). This is a very unique opportunity. The MB Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned, ½ mile oval track. Prior to the event, Speedway and MW Staff will lay cones on the racetrack to provide a safe, but challenging line around the racetrack. Fun-run participants get the chance to go out onto the track one car at a time and take a few laps at their own pace.

The autocross course is set up and run by experienced personnel, ensuring safety and fun. Auto crossing gives the driver the opportunity to test their driving skills on a flat, coned course! The autocross will provide a low-speed chance to push your car's handling capability while testing the driver's skill behind the wheel! In 2009, we held the first Autocross Shootout which added a competition to the night. 5.0 editor, Steve Turner, competed and finished in the top three!

The night ends with the annual Mustang Week Burnout Contest One fee allows you to take part in the autocross, fun-runs, and the burnout contest! Be sure to watch the Mustang Week website (www.mustangweek.com) for details on this event.

Thursday, July 22, 2010, we make the trek back to Darlington Dragway for the annual Mustang Week Dragnight! The Dragway is an IHRA sanctioned ¼ mile track and is located just west of Darlington, S.C. at 2056 E. Bobo Newsome Hwy, Hartsville, S.C., 29550. Gates will be open from 3:00pm until 11:00pm. There is as $10 fee at the gate for spectators and a $15 fee for those who wish to take part in the event. The Dragnight event is run in the test-n-tune format, meaning participants can feel free to take as many runs as time will allow. This gives the driver the opportunity to try out their car and their skill on the ¼ mile for fun. In 2009, 189 cars participated and 1,400 spectators watched all the Dragnight excitement! ALL cars and drivers are expected to use the safety gear required by Darlington International Dragway (www.darlingtondragway.com). Several Mustang Week sponsors and vendors, including Pro-Dyno (704-651-3807 to schedule dyno time), will be set up at the Dragnight as well!

We feel that getting to the Dragnight is half the fun! A few participants and spectators choose to drive straight to the venue and some will come straight to the Dragway on their way to Mustang Week. Most will gather just before noon at the Hooters located at Myrtle Beach Mall near the intersection of US 17 and SC 22. Soon after lunch we will kick off an informal, hour and a half cruise to Darlington Dragway. To most, the cruise to Darlington has become a yearly tradition! The Mustang Week Staff will be on hand to hand out directions to the Dragway and answer any questions you may have.

Time to clean up your ride on Friday, July 23, 2010, as the 7th Annual Mustang Week Car Show takes over Myrtle Beach Mall (intersection of US 17 and SC 22). The 2009 show brought a sell-out crowd of 600 cars in the show and just over 4,000 spectators! The 2010 Car Show will fill up quickly. The 2008 show sold out prior to the start of Mustang Week, so pre-register as soon as it is open! The car show is open to all years of Ford Mustangs and SVT vehicles and has quickly become one of the best all-around Mustang car shows on the East Coast.

Cars/trucks will be judged bases on the overall cleanliness and quality of presentation. We will look at the interior of the car, the engine compartment, the body, the wheels and tires. We will not judge convertible tops or side glass since they are optioned to be down during the judging period. We will not judge trunks as well. The people who do win at the Mustang Week Car Show take cleaning serious and it shows. The Staff understands that you are not at home with all your "normal" cleaning products and procedures. BUT... each year folks drive a long way to Mustang Week and always manage to get their cars REALLY clean! In 2009, 140 trophies were awarded, so good luck! For those that wish to be part of the judging, the fee is $30. Registration for the judged portion of the car show will be by pre-register only on the Mustang Week website (www.mustangweek.com) and will open in mid April. The car show will sell out online prior to the actual event, so register early to ensure you get a spot. After registration closes, there will be no late entries. Participants may choose to "display only" for $10, which will be available for online registration as well. Check-in for the show will be between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Judging will run from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm. In 2010, car show awards will be presented at 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 24th in front of the Mustang Week tents and trailer. The show field is located in the southwestern corner of the mall's parking lot, adjacent to Bass Pro Shops. Participants will enter access the show field on the service road at the rear of the mall. Mustang Week Staff and volunteers will be present to help with parking. The Mustang Week sponsors and vendors will be out in full force at the show as well.

Saturday, July 24, 2010, ends the week-long fun with the East Coast’s Largest Mustang and SVT Cruise-In! The Cruise-In takes place at the Myrtle Beach Mall (same venue as Friday's Car Show) and runs from 12:00 pm until 6:00 pm. The sheer volume of Mustangs and SVT's at the Cruise-In never ceases to amaze participants and spectators. In 2009, attendance at the Mustang Week Cruise-In on Saturday nearly 2,000 Mustangs and SVTs packed the show field and surrounding parking lots! It would take the entire afternoon to walk around and see everything! Steve Saleen was on hand with SMS to sign autographs and meet the masses! Over 5,000 spectators got a chance to see all the cars, sponsors, and vendors! It goes without saying that the 2010 Cruise-In will be one of the largest gatherings of Mustangs you will see in one place at one time! It is a "can't miss" event! There is no fee for attending and no registration, just show up and have fun! Once again, Mustang Week Staff and volunteers will be on hand to help with parking and answer any questions that you may have.

At 3:00 pm we will give out the awards from Friday’s Car Show. Gather around and cheer on those that take home the much deserved trophies! Don’t forget to bring all the raffle tickets you’ve collected throughout the week! You must be present to win!

That brings us to the end of the week. At this point, we would like to offer a few suggestions to help make your week more fun and comfortable. We suggest that you always bring plenty of water with you to the events. It gets hot during the day and having plenty of fluids will insure you will make it through the day. Always make sure to have a good supply of sunscreen as well. Sunburn can make a day in the sun very uncomfortable. Most importantly, Mustang Week was created to be a celebration! We want it to be a very relaxing and laid-back time, without all of the hassles of the typical car show. And lastly, please obey all traffic laws when coming into and leaving a Mustang Week event. We want everyone to return to their homes safely having had the time of their lives!

Again, thanks for all of your support!

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The Mustang Week Staff