QDM 2022

quattro de Mayo (QDM) isn’t new to this blog nor to Audi Club Georgia, with over 17 years of gatherings having been held. Despite this, every year is new. New attendees, new volunteers, new memories made, new roads discovered, and new friendships forged. For those that haven’t attended Audi Club Georgia’s premier QDM event, the following stories offer insight for those first-time attendees, as well as those who make the magic happen behind the scenes with the volunteer time. We hope to see you at QDM with us one day.

Rob Gordon:

I have owned nine Audi cars, beginning with a 100 LS purchased in 1976. It wasn’t until 2018 that I purchased my first S-car, a Navarra Blue S5 Sportback. It was then that my Audi Atlanta sales specialist encouraged me to join Audi Club Georgia (ACGA) in order to experience what Audi Sport is all about. I read on the club’s website about their premier event, quattro de Mayo (QDM). I was intrigued and signed up. The experience has forever changed how I view my Audi and performance driving. In addition, I have made many wonderful new friends.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I arrived at the Welcome Meeting at QDM 2018. I wondered whether this would be a gathering of rich, privileged folks who could easily afford a premium German performance car. I was surprised to find that this was indeed an elite group, but not for the reasons I had expected. What made them elite had nothing to do with wealth or privilege but simply a shared affinity for Audi cars, spirited driving, and camaraderie. It was also a group with an excellent leadership team capable of putting on first-rate experiences every year for anyone who belonged to the club, regardless of whether you owned an Audi or not.

As many QDM first timers do, I began with a very scenic but moderately paced drive in the north Georgia mountains. We stopped at a cute craft shop, had lunch at Southern Charm in Blue Ridge Georgia, and then visited the Serenberry Winery. For my second drive, I got bolder with a spirited drive that included lots of curves and pushed my car harder. I managed, barely, to keep up with this group of more experienced, assertive drivers. It was obvious to me that I was at the beginning of a learning curve and would need more experience before I could join the top-level Spirited+ drives.

I couldn’t attend QDM in 2019 and COVID forced cancellations of the 2020 and 2021 events, but in the intervening years between 2018 and 2022, I have participated in many other drives sponsored by Audi Club Georgia, including highly spirited runs on Wayah Road, the Cherohala Skyway and, of course, the infamous Tail of the Dragon. I have especially enjoyed driving immediately behind our highly skilled group leaders, which has enabled me to continue to improve my technique. I still have my S5 Sportback but my experience with the club encouraged me to step up to a 2021 Nardo Gray RS 5 coupe, which I drove on our annual spring drive to Tail of the Dragon last March and brought to QDM in 2022.

It was wonderful to be back at quattro de Mayo. QDM was a splendid event yet again, superbly organized, with spirited driving on gorgeous roads, great social programs, and a chance to meet enthusiasts from all over the Southeast and beyond. I have enjoyed getting more involved with the work of managing the event. This year I volunteered to help with setting up the venue, staging drives, and serving as a “tail” on two spirited drives. I have been learning how to plan and test routes and I am looking forward to the training program for new Audi Club Georgia group drive leaders being launched this year. I am still on a learning curve but driving behind Audi Club experienced group leaders on spirited drives has immensely improved my ability to handle my Audi on challenging roads. Come join us and experience both the fellowship and the thrills of ACGA sponsored drives, including quattro de Mayo 2023!

Steve Sweet:

QDM – quattro de Mayo. The premier regional driving event that Audi Club members from near and far look forward to attending year-after-year. My wife Kim called her mother on the way to the mountains of north Georgia. Telling her where we were headed, she asked “Y’all are going where, to do what?” Kim responded, “Mom, we are driving to Young Harris, GA to stay at a resort… and yes, we will be driving more when we get there.” Her mother laughed and said “Well, OK!” I chuckled because what am I supposed to say? Driving is in my blood.

My first memory was driving. I was not yet 9 months old at the beach on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. My tutu (grandmother) built me a car out of sand and told me I could drive it wherever I wanted to and I believed her. I was behind the wheel of that awesome sand car and I was driving on the beach. That really stuck with me, and ever since I have been chasing the thrill piloting a vehicle at the limits of adhesion, man, and machine. Spirited driving isn’t something most who drive out of necessity see as safe or productive, let alone a destination activity that someone “drives to.”

In 2020, there were a lot of people talking about QDM before it was cancelled. For 2021, it was postponed again due to the pandemic. I put my name in the waiting list lottery for 2022 but wasn’t sure if I would be offered a spot. To my surprise, I opened an email from Audi Club Georgia welcoming me to quattro de Mayo. I felt like I had won the lottery! Even though many others won a spot with me, my excitement was still akin to the golden ticket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

We arrived Thursday night to a parking lot full of cars that would draw my eye anywhere in the wild. Checking in to the lodge, we said hello to our friends Michael, Melisa, and Brad from the Audi Club Florida Emerald Coast Region. They were in the company of more friendly faces, 145 more to be exact, who share a passion for Audi and the experience it provides. We picked up our shirts, name tags, and some cool swag on the way to our room. Tomorrow was Kim’s spa day, and my all-day drive. Somewhat relieved that the fireplace was on a switch, I opened our window to let the cool mountain air in as we settled in to get some well-earned rest.

People were up early detailing and preparing vehicles, recording devices, and communications. The parking lot was even better in the light of day. People standing around talking about cars and products were everywhere reinforcing the “shiny side up” mantra. “Radio Check” was heard in multi-bleep surround sound and the drivers briefing was about to begin. Safety, following distance, comms, lead/tail role definitions, and drive expectations were covered. We were lined up with two minutes left, as I am mentally going over the previous day’s checklist. Fresh oil, fuel, tire pressure, 360 camera, car camera mount, chargers, batteries, radio, radar detector, tools, tire pump, detailing sprays, rags, fluids, snacks. I was ready!

We motored off on time in a single file line. The parking lot was now full of people watching us drive off while preparing for their own adventures. We reached our first curvy mountain road; all our tires and engines now warm, spirits ready to soar. The group climbed and weaved our way through the canopy covered hills while the song of German engineering permeated the forest. The quattro inspired confidence keeping our pace steady as our machines translated instructions to the roadway. We carved our way through the backroads and made quick work of the morning. Travelling with my windows down I could hear the cars around me when I wasn’t on the throttle, 3.0T, 4.0T, 2.5T. The TT RS behind me was changing direction with great ease that also included an amazing soundtrack. Seemingly being held back by the group ahead or the driver’s restraint, the coupe behind me was redefining what I want out of my next daily driver.

That evening we sat at a table full of new faces and got to enjoy dinner, drinks, and great conversation. A young woman with unwavering integrity sold me a fistful of raffle tickets. I must be QDM lucky because I put tickets into two items and won both! Drinks were flowing, food was on the table, and we were introduced to a comedy troop from Atlanta.

The club presented a check to support the local Meals on Wheels charity group. There were items being raffled, plus silent and live auctions for numerous items. Live auction bidding was moving quickly until the last of three custom carbon fiber QDM signs came up on the block. One of the more entertaining auctions I have attended, there were a couple determined bidders battling it out over the right to take home this prize. It was almost worthy of a 3-part miniseries, but our auctioneer Liam had the crowd in stitches as he emceed the battle of the bidders until one emerged victorious having raised the market value of limited-edition carbon fiber QDM signage.

The live auction now complete, it was time to announce the results of the raffle items. I was brimming with excitement at the prospect of another raffle win and was listening closely for the four items I put tickets on to be announced. “The winner of the APR engine tune is… Sean Sweet”. My wife says I am a lucky person although I am not used to winning so many things, let alone winning expensive things that bring me joy.

Between the Belgian pilsner, driving with friends, and the lucky wins throughout my experience, I knew one thing for certain – quattro de Mayo is now an event that I will be talking about, marking on my calendar, and looking forward to year-after-year. It is also an experience I will never forget. As always, quattro de Mayo was presented by Audi Atlanta and Audi Marietta. Their support allows the event to be both upscale and low-cost to attendees.