This August I had the wonderful chance to return to the area where I grew up and be reminded of a strange, yet wonderful, childhood memory. eEuroparts.com was sponsoring the track events of the biennial Mercedes-Benz Club of America event known as StarFest, and I was elated. Not only were the multiple events being held in the last green valley, meaning I had a chance to visit the area I was raised, but I also got deep into an event focused on Mercedes-Benz and meet a wonderful new community. It was especially personal this year since I recently purchased a Mercedes of my own W204 C300 this year.
The brand behind the 3-point star represents something different to each person and as a new owner my definition was still being created. Class, style, and elegance are three words that I chose for my definition, each represented by one spoke of the star. After spending four days with the club and Starfest attendees, that definition was greatly redefined. I met fans of the German manufacturer who have never owned a Mercedes, some new owners, some who own multiple and are deeply rooted in the brand, some who came from across the country and others who lived two streets away.
They all had one thing in common: their own story with the brand and it truly was a pleasure getting to sit and hear everyone’s version. My definition now involves a greater understanding of an awesome community behind Mercedes-Benz. Each person who shared their story provided further proof that the community was also represented in the logo as the circle that encompasses the star.
What about the childhood memory? Well that was my first introduction to the brand and now, as an owner myself, something I was reminded of while seeing these new and classic engineering marvels cruise around the track. It was the night before my 11th birthday and I was excited for my first sleepover at a new friend’s house. When my mother dropped me off, I was met by my friend and guided through an old barn into the house where I spotted a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD plugged into an outlet. I was a confused young boy, this being the first diesel I had laid eyes on, and was intrigued to learn why a car was plugged in. I’ll never forget my friend acting like all cars got plugged in, before diving into why Mercedes-Benz was “so cool.”
Setup at the bottom of the 110 foot bridge that allows vehicles to enter the paddock area, the eEuroparts.com tent provided some shade from the high 70 degree weather. We were right next to our good friends at LiquiMoly and had some wonderful products on display including our very own Intake Manifold Repair Arm Kit.
Day 1 started off with a driver’s meeting and defensive driving course in the morning followed by some autocross fun in the afternoon. Day 2 began with acceleration runs and then time trials around the full track. Day 3 is where drivers were truly able to open up and test their skills, now somewhat familiar with the 1.7 mile road track at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The roaring accelerations of the two C63s still ring my ears today.
To all the members of MBCA and attendees of Starfest 2016 – Thank you! Since we were sponsoring the track events, I went with the intention of introducing eEuroparts.com to everyone as an alternative, one that will hopefully become your primary, to buying parts for your vehicles. What I didn’t realize was that I would be forming all sorts of new friendships based around a car manufacturer. From the genuine excitement that a wonderful couple from Florida shared with me at lunch on the first track day, to the smiling face of one driver after his car had an unfortunate meeting with track barriers, and the joy on the President of the host Minuteman Section as he raced around a track he grew up driving on, one thing is certain – the drivers, spectators, MBCA members, and event attendees are what made Starfest 2016 so wonderful.
On a professional level, eEuroparts.com looks forward to earning your business and becoming more involved with the Mercedes-Benz owner communities. On a personal level, after attending Starfest 2016, MBCA quickly gained its newest member; one who simply cannot wait for Starfest in 2018!
