Welcome to Vegas 2012, this year marks a milestone for the event; it is the 10th Anniversary of MATS. 10 years has gone by surprisingly fast. In the 10 years that my family has been involved in bringing this event to Las Vegas for Motorsports Enthusiasts to enjoy, a lot has happened. A lot of change has taken place. But the single most rewarding thing that has taken place is the opportunity for our family to get to know many of you as friends.

There is a saying that goes something like this. "Our lives are a combination of the people we meet, the places we go and the experience's we have". As a family we are truly grateful for each of you and the experience's that we have shared along the way.

Our lives' have truly been enriched by our association with this event, and the wonderful people who make the event such a great experience for all. We have referred to following statement often when describing the event. People, Passion and Performance.

People: In last year's welcome we talked about the fact that many of the people who come in contact with this event have commented on the fact that the event seems like a BIG Family Reunion, or a BIG Motorsports Party, some have also called the event a BIG MoParty. All of those examples are correct. When I think of People, There have been so many who have touched our lives. In 2006 we featured three of our participants on the event T-Shirt who were each battling cancer. Each bravely fought the disease with amazing courage. Norm Barringer, Craig Hughes and Jeff Hurst all became great examples to all event participants. Their courage has been inspiring. Unfortunately we have lost all three of these men, along with our friend and MCG writer Paul Wilson.

Many of you will recall seeing the gorgeous candy apple red dragster from Ohio running in the Indy Quick 16 class. Jeff and his father Fred were fixtures in the winner's circle at most races. Jeff's son Brian was also a part of the Hurst Racing Family, I once over heard Brett Kempner congratulating Fred and Jeff in the winner's circle presentation for winning the race, as well as "The Best Appearing Race Car Award". I heard Mr. Kempner say under his breath jokingly to the Hurst's, "Again for the Millionth time." Speaking of the excellence achieved by the Hurst Racing Family, along with their Sponsors Indy Cylinder Head and Extreme Sportswear consistently achieved excellence on and off the race track. Racing provided a reprieve for the Hurst family from the battle from cancer. I would like to share with you comments that I received from Jeff's wife Leslie concerning the event and her late husband.

Jeff Hurst Tribute
"Jeff loved his family and he loved the sport of drag racing. The extended "family" that he had at the race track, helped him to get through some very rough days where his health was concerned. Everyone's love and support was something that he was in awe of. He was so thankful for everyone and all that they did for him and his family. I am sure that he would have loved it at the cemetery when fellow racers "fired them up" one last time for him. It gave me goose bumps and quite a few tears!!! We all loved Jeff and we miss him very much. He is not suffering any longer so we are thankful for that but we sure do miss the fella!" Like Leslie we will miss Jeff Hurst, but our lives will always be better having known a Champion like Jeff Hurst.

Many of you may have already added the event page on Facebook as a fan. It's simple to do. Just go to www.facebook.com and in the search menu, type in Mopars at the Strip, then click on LIKE. The reason we mention face book and Passion in the same sentence is because this fall we ran a contest on face book asking a simple question; "What does this event mean to you". We were impressed with many of the entries; we would like to share several of them with you concerning their passion for the event. Winners were given a copy of the DVD "Plumb Crazy" which contains event coverage. The winner was awarded 1 free admission for the 2012 event. The Winning Entry was submitted by Susan Norman.

WINNING STORY!
Susan Norman: MATS to me means family, both my own family and the family that I have become a part of while at MATS. It is a time that my family gets away and enjoys one of our favorite things. MOPARS! It is a time that as parents we can watch our sons and see the love and respect they have for the cars. It is an event, that can and is captured on film but more importantly, it is an event that creates memories for my heart that no one can ever take away.

Jackie Petersen Owens: So here I sit, with pen in hand, trying to decide on my 10 favorite MATS memories, and what sets in - complete writers block. It took awhile to figure out that my problem was not a lack of memories, but a complete overload of them. The trip always starts out for my husband and myself with a couple day stop-over in Phoenix. Mopar enthusiasts start flowing into the area and somehow we all seem to meet up in parking lots, restaurants, or even hotel swimming pools. You swimming pool people know who you are! Suddenly it hits you - everyone around you is motivated by the same love of vehicles that you are. (Thank goodness, because some of your family and normal friends just think that you have lost your mind most of the time!) If you are really lucky a good friend will give you a ride in the fastest, most incredible vehicle that you have ever been in. All of you then jump into your rides and head out for a cruise thru some of the most beautiful areas in the country and make your way to the show in Vegas. Of course this cruise is not without hazards.I'm sure that someday one of us is going to fall out of a car window while we are trying to get that perfect shot of a car or truck next to us. Then it's into Vegas where you spend the next few days totally immersed in Mopar Heaven. You are surrounded. You look in one direction and see some of the most exciting racing you will ever see, and in another direction there are the most incredible show vehicles. Everyone speaks the same language. Everyone understands your obsession. Everyone is a friend.

Ricky Pereira: For my wife and I, it is an excuse to get out of town. We forget about the kids and forget about the everyday hussle and bussle. It is only the two of us. We have fun At The Strip and have fun On The Strip. 10. airforce fly over's 9.driving there with other Mopars 8-swapmeet 7. Car corral 6. vendors 5. lengendary guests and their Mopars 4-dragracing in street division 3. car show 2. watching drag racing 1-HEMI shootout!!!!!

Heather Droog Smith: MATS to me is so much more then Mopars and burning rubber. It is about family and the great people who attend. I love that for an entire weekend no matter what is happening in the world we can all get together and be friends and have a great time!!!

Mary Gooch: Our top 10 reasons to attend. 10. Gambling in Vegas after the greatest Moparty is done and over. 9. Furthest MOPAR event we ever traveled to. 8. Making new "MO"-friends out west. 7. We hear it's the best of the best Moparty around. 6. Bringing home lots of "MO"-stories to our "MO"-friends and "MO"-family back east, and hoping to make this our annual "MO"-vacation. 5. The "MO"-smell of burning rubber and race fuel. 4. Spending time with fellow MOPAR fanatics like us. 3. The first time for us to be the "U" at the MATS "2012". 2. MATS is #1 on our bucket list. Now it will be one less "MO"-venture out of our bucket. 1. Vegas + MATS Car Show + MATS Drags + MATS Concerts + Gambling = The "BEST" way a MOPAR-loving couple could celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Moparty here we come!!!!

Brian Wilson: M.A.T.S. is the event that means more to me than any other of the year! I lost my father to cancer at a young age and it always brings a tear to my eye when I first hit the stands and see the cars run that he told me were kicking a## in the 60s. Sometimes I think he's watching with me. It's a great time spent with my family and friends I go with and I have met many incredible new friends while there.

Ryan Getsinger: My dad and I both work two full time jobs each and my brother lives in another state. So it is the only chance we get to spend good time together. Meeting new people there and getting cool ideas for our own cars in the process. Talking with people like Lou Santiago, listening about his crazy ride to the show. The list can go on for days, we all show up for the biggest thing MOPARS.

As you can clearly see, this event is Driven By your Passion.

The last P stands for Performance. Held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Performance is spoken here. From the Rock and Roll Cruise's held on Thursday. Performance is on display everywhere you look during this event. From the awesome performance of wheel stands and burnouts on the quarter mile, to the handling performance displayed at the Hotchkis Autocross. Performance and Beauty are on display in the car show area. From HEMI's of all sizes, to the Bold performance statements of all of Muscle Cars is clearly on display for all to enjoy.

From bright aggressive paint colors, to unbelievable performance oriented custom muscle cars, Performance is everywhere you look. The Manufacturer's Midway and Swap Meet offer every type of performance upgrade. Even the car show and concerts at the Cannery feature the Performance theme. Right down to the menu, having such items as "The HEMI Burger" if you are seeking Performance you are at the right event. All at the Entertainment Capital of the World, Fabulous Las Vegas it's more than a PARTY, it's a celebration of your passion.

So start making plans right now go to www.matslv.com and buy your tickets today and save with a discounted pre-entry price. Start packing for the 2012 MATS Event. It is your support and passion that have been the driving force behind this event's success.

Thank you for your support. As enthusiasts you have supported our efforts and we want you to know how much we appreciate all that you contribute to make your event a success. We would also like to thank all of the sponsors who have supported your event. Companies like TTI Exhaust, Indy Cylinder Head, The Cannery, Extreme Sportswear, Painter Automotive, Mancini, MCG, Mickey Thompson, Mopar Muscle to name but a few. Your support is greatly appreciated.

MATS is now on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter! Moparty You Tube Site
	Mopars at the Strip 2010 featured in the recently released Plumb Crazy Video available at select Walmart and Pep Boys Stores. Or order at 1-888-916-7880 or as a DVD and Video Download at www.ThrottleTv.com