Greenville-Pickens Great American Weekend preview

Countdown begins for:
The Great American Motor Fair at Greenville Pickens July 3-6.

Greenville South Carolina - In just 30 days the Great American Motor Fair, which promises to be the South's hottest motor sports event of this summer, arrives at the Greenville Pickens Speedway and the Upper South Carolina State Fairgrounds. From all indications, it promises to be just like it's website www.greatamericanmotorfair.com says on the front page, "The enthusiast's dream."

The huge four day holiday weekend event celebrating America's freedom to drive, race or ride the motorized vehicle of your choice kicks off on Wednesday night, July 3rd with a driver autograph session, music and the "Freedom 100" Pro Truck race and closes out on Saturday night July 6th with a program that features oval track racing, a thrill show, the Monster racing finals and fireworks. In between there is action in almost every form of motor sports imaginable including, show and shine competitions for custom cars, motorcycles and trucks in every shape and every form.

After the kickoff party and the oval track racing format on Wednesday night, a staggering number of events will be held on both the fairgrounds and the speedway facilities simultaneously over the next three days. "A person and/or their family will be able to come and spend a day or several days at the Great American Motor Fair and see many different motor sports events at one venue for just one ticket price," says Great American Motor Fair founder, Pete Walton.

Competitions include such uncommon events as a car "hop off", hydraulics system competition (seen the latest Chevrolet TV commercial)? and an SPL (how loud can you go)? sound system competition. Dyno testing competitions (how much horsepower do you have)? The dyno competition is open to anyone for cars, motorcycles or trucks and will be held over the three days. There will be vendors displaying motor sports supplies and apparel on the fairgrounds as well as a swap meet and car corral.

There will be show classes for every kind of vehicle imaginable with plenty of chrome and craftsmanship to be seen. There are categories for Antique, Custom and Classic cars including Hot Rods, Street Rods and Muscle Cars. There is a show segment for trucks vans and SUV,s including almost every type from four wheel drives to low rider mini trucks and even an "Ugliest Truck" competition. There will be a huge show segment just for the fast and furious custom high performance compact and import lovers too. " If you have a vehicle your proud of, or just want to be a part of this event, bring it out and enter it," says Great American Motor Fair marketing director, Sandy Campbell.

For off road events, there will be a three day rock crawl competition for four wheel drive vehicles and several events for ATV's and dirt bikes including ATV dirt drags and a motocross cornering competition plus an ATV and dirt bike show and shine competition. But, the highlight of the off road events may be the lawnmower racing event, the STABIL Great American Turf Classic. The event to be held on Saturday, July 6th, is one of just ten USLMRA (U. S. Lawnmower Racing Assoc.) national championship points events and the event will be televised.

More traditional motor sports entertainment and competition on the speedway will include oval track racing each night in several divisions including stock car racing and a Legends Car Pro division Summer Showdown event and the new USCS Thunder Roadster "King of the Ovals" Challenge event.

Big name monster truck racing headlines the Great American Motor Fair schedule for Thursday night, July 4th as part of the Great American "Freedom Celebration". In addition to the Monster truck racing the patriotic centered event will include a wacky racing segment featuring a celebrity golf cart race, kids racing events and the hilarious antics of Sparkplug "The Motor Sports Maniac," a speedway clown who brings several mini monster trucks for races of his own and entertains kids of all ages with his bag of tricks thru out the evening. Some special guests will be invited to compete on the Fourth in extra mini Monster trucks Sparkplug will furnish.

The evening program of events on the Fourth will also include Charger Challenge event # 2 for the popular Greenville Pickens Speedway Charger class and the evening will conclude with an Independence Day celebration in the sky with "the most spectacular fireworks display in the Upstate' Walton promises.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in addition to racing, the program will feature a variety of death defying thrill shows with acts such as World Champion motorcycle jumper Doug Danger performing motorcycle stunts and jumps. In addition to Danger himself, the Doug Danger Ultimate All American Thrill Show drivers featuring several former Joey Chitwood Chevy Thunder performers will be doing some horrendous and horrific car crashes, pyrotechnics and other acts of the self endangering nature. Danger is scheduled to attempt a world record motorcycle jump during the Saturday night July 6th program.

Discounted tickets to the Great American Motor Fair are available when purchased in advance. Four day and one day Adult and Youth tickets go on sale Friday June 5th. Advance sale tickets are available exclusively at the six Rogers Stereo locations in the Upstate. The Rogers Stereo advance ticket info line is 864-288-9999. The Great American Motor Fair information number is 864-313-2627.