By Tyson Hugie. Photos by Dani Stir.
The Lone Star State welcomed a few dozen enthusiastic Acura Legend owners from all across the country for the 11th Annual National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) in late September. Hosted by Event Director TJ Vetrone, the 5-day event gave Legend owners a chance to interact with others who share their similar passion for the Acura flagship model which was discontinued after the 1995 model year. “Legends Never Die,” seems to be the name of the game for these people who continue to keep their old cars on the road, year after year. Houston, Texas was the host city for this year’s event.
NALM kicked off with a full-day event at MSR Raceway where Legend owners were given the opportunity to participate in performance driving. The following day, the Legend convoy headed for the rolling, green landscape of the Sam Houston Forest and pit-stopped along the way for scenic photoshoots in small towns like Richards and Anderson. No NALM would be complete without fine dining, and attendees were treated to some of the tastiest grub in region: Yankee Tavern in Anderson served up the best patty melt some of the NALM-goers had ever savored.
Another traditional part of NALM festivities is a dealership visit, and it just so happened that the host hotel on the Interstate 10 “Katy Freeway” was located right next to Texas’ largest-volume Acura dealership: John Eagle Acura. The Sales & Service teams there were most welcoming and even participated in the Legend car show judging later that same afternoon. The event capstone was an awards ceremony and raffle before these die-hard Legend fans returned to their respective homes. Long-haul Legend fan Sergey Goncharov made the longest trek to this year’s NALM, coming all the way from Seattle. Other Legend fans made the trip from places like Florida, Maryland, and California.
Bidding will open in November for the 2016 event. The National Acura Legend meet was founded “by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts” and lives on as a testament to the loyalty and dedication of Acura fans who keep their Legends alive. For a day-by-day recap of the NALM activities, see Drive to Five. Special thanks to event photographer Dani Stir for the use of his photographs.
[Source: Tyson Hugie, Photos by Dani Stir]