Chrysler 300 Club International
Fall Meet in Blacksburg, Virginia

    August, 2013



The 43rd Annual Fall Concours Meet was held at The Mountain Lake Lodge in Blacksburg, Virginia August 21-24, 2013. Our meet host Thomas DeBusk planned for an extensive tour of the Virginia and West Virginia hills. The scenery was spectacular. The hotel was located up a winding six and a half mile road. Once at the top, and at the hotel, the area was picturesque and serene. The activities included a trip to see the New River Gorge Bridge, the longest single-arch bridge in the world and the second highest bridge in North America. The trip to Benny Buckner's junkyard was not to be missed. It was a Mopar Haven as you will see in some of the pictures. A picnic as held on one of the nights as well as the usual banquet. It seems was though a good time was had by all.


This is the view from the main hotel.





Meet host Thomas DeBusk with Club President Jim Krausmann

The following are emails received from some people who attended the meet. They obviously enjoyed it.

Thank you to Thomas and his helpers for putting on the meet in VA (and WV too.) We enjoyed the sights, the cars, and especially the people. A ride in a Chrysler powered boat and on the 62 mph Jet Ski was a real treat. Thanks to all of you that hardy souls that braved the drive and terrain and brought out your cars for all of us to enjoy. For those who's 300s had other ideas (whether it be water pumps or transmissions), thanks for trying. Hope to see you in CT!
Mark, Pauline and Matthew Obermann

Great meet, great time and great to start putting names to faces. First meet since mid 70's and will certainly try to make others. Tom did a great job and what a workout for those 300's that came.
Thanks again.
Steve and Sandy Beard

We had a blast at the Blackburg meet! Thank you Thomas for taking the time to organize all this! We certainly learn how to go up and down hills and around curves in VA! So great to see the good people in this Club!
Jean-Yves Chouinard

I must echo Jean-Yves' remarks. This meet was terrific. Even the 207 mile driveway up to the lodge. . . The accommodations were great and the food was good. Benny Buckner's Mopar junkyard / restoration facility was awesome. Thanks again to Tom DeBusk and staff for working so hard to put this event together. It was a great success.
Caroll and Bonnie Ripley

Another thanks to Tom for the great Meet. It was a great excuse to cruise in the F away from the flatlands of Chicago down to the beautiful hills of West Virginia and Virginia. Took an extra day enroute to Blacksburg running the backroads of WV, taking in the great scenery. Met a toothless guy named Harvey at one of my WV gas stops who thought the 300 would make a great Moonshine runner. I couldn't agree more. Fun visiting again with our 300 friends. Surprised when John Begian and I were washing our brutes at the break of dawn Saturday morning, and a black bear cub was trying to get into the dumpsters, about 25 yards from John's G. He (the bear!) ran off when he heard us. Relieved that John, Brian Frank, Mick Kreszock and I survived our New River white water rafting adventure unscathed. Mick and I are now experienced members of the 300 Club Int'l Swim Team, having flipped off the raft at our first big rapids. And cruising home in tandem with John up to Chillicothe was a beautiful sight early Sunday morning. All in all the odometer tripped 1,950 great performing miles in 6 days, averaging 13 mpg, as I pulled into my garage.
Noel Hastalis F Coupe Burr Ridge (Chicago), IL

We agree with all. Great meet. Great people. Great scenery. And great time. Thanks Thomas.
Joe and Meg Williams

I returned home Sunday and today I am back at work and digging out. It is at this time I wonder why I just didn't stay here and not get buried. Oh well, had a great time in Virginia and West Virginia with my almost 95 year old mom that I brought along. We are from that part of the country and got to visit our old homes and even went to the local graveyard in Princeton (Benny Buckner's) town to visit my grand parents and other kin. We say "kin" back there and out here they would just be relatives !!
Thanks to all of you who took the time to visit with my mom Louise. She really enjoyed all of you and has finally figured out I don't run with the bad crowd. A special thanks to my buddy Rob Kern who took on the task of assisting with mom. I don't think I've ever come home from a 300 meet so exhausted but it was very rewarding for us.
John Lazenby

The Blacksburg Meet Captured in Pictures
Cars People Scenes Events Video
Pictures from Jim Birr
Meet Host Report

Photo and video credits: Jim Birr, Linda Burke, Jean-Yves Chouinard, Noel Hastalis, Mick Kreszock,
Jeff Miklas, Mark Obermann, Don Verity.




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