Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club

The Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club (SOEC) is a United States-based organization serving both the owner and enthusiast of Saleen produced automobiles worldwide. Organized into five U.S. regions and serving an extensive member base; the SOEC arrange gatherings in the form of shows, track events, social events and meetings for the enjoyment of the owner/enthusiast. The Club also seeks to provide interaction with Steve Saleen, members of his family, and executives of the Saleen, Inc and SMS Limited Organizations.

Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club
Established	1991
Abbreviation	SOEC
Motto	A Gathering Place For Saleen Owners And Enthusiasts
Type	Social and Special Interest
Location	flagicon|United States United States
Service Area	International
Principal Focus	Steve Saleen and his Vehicles
Founders	John McCauley, Bob Muesegaes, Bob Pitcairn, Gregory Wackett and Laura Clark
Website	http://www.soec.org

History and Club Formation

Founded in late 1990 by Tim Cronin as the "Saleen Mustang Car Club of North America and Saleen Registry" (SMCCNA). Initial groundwork covered by Tim and early SMCCNA members created the second attempt to build a national entity for Saleen buffs to gather and communicate. The first attempt being the "Saleen Vehicle Owners of North America" (SVONA) by Dave Frezza.

Not long after the formation of SMCCNA, due to time constraints Tim turned over the day-to-day operations of the club to then Vice President John McCauley in mid-1991. Once John assumed responsibility of President, his main focus became to reorganize the group, to petition Steve Saleen for his support and endorsement. In an effort to promote the club to more than just owners of Saleen vehicles, it was decided to change the name to Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club.

The founding board members of SOEC were John McCauley, Bob Muesegaes, Bob Pitcairn, Gregory Wackett and Laura Clark.

With a great deal of effort and organization the newly formed SOEC went to the August 1991 Trans-Am race held at Watkins Glen to show Steve the SOEC were a serious organization and he needed to support the Club.

The 1991 Watkins Glen function was the first official race and show event of SOEC, 12 owners attended with their cars; one of the farthest being Gene Floyd from Atlanta who drove his SSC up to participate. This landmark event was filled with activities, which included a parade lap around the track, meet-and-greet time with Steve in the pits, and a special SOEC Car Corral.

In November of 1991 the SOEC board flew out to participate in the "Cruise on the Queen" show and for the release of the 1992 Saleen line-up. During this event several owners had the opportunity in building the Saleen press car (91-0001) and touring the production facility. During that weekend Steve offered his support to the club and the SOEC was officially born with the additional bonus of gained distinction as the first (and only) Saleen vehicle group backed by Steve Saleen.

Following this event, Steve returned to the East Coast for the 1992 MCA nationals in Lynchburg, Virginia, where the Club had over 22 Saleen present.

Club Organization and Regions

Club Organization

* National President::"National Directors"::"Regional Directors":*National Board Of Directors - Secretary, Treasurer, Directors at Large:*National Vice President

Regions

* Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Military PO, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
* Northeast: Eastern Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
* Central: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Wisconsin
* Southwest: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada
* Northwest: Western Canada, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

"Saleen Alley"

"Saleen Alley" is the club’s international, quarterly publication. Born in 1997 as the SOEC newsletter, "Saleen Alley" continued to develop into a prominent periodical featuring magazine-esque layouts of owner’s stories, new model introductions, Saleen history, vehicle market trends, in addition to show, meet, and race coverage.

Club Activities

Each year the club participates in numerous National Show Events. Shows include, or have included: MCA Nationals, SAAC Nationals, SAAC Regionals, Fabulous Fords Forever at Knotts Berry Farm, Huntington Beach Concours d'Elegance, Motorsports Nationals, Carlisle All-Ford Nationals, Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, Mustang 30th, 35th and 40th Anniversary Celebrations, Mustangs Northwest, Woodward Dream Cruise, and the Annual Saleen Show.

Club Members Participate in Several Track Events each year. Tracks include: Atlanta Speedway, Charlotte, Hallet, Lime Rock, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Summit, Watkins Glen and the Annual SOEC Autocross in Irvine.

Social Activities Abound: Group Dinners, Countryside Drives, Go Karting, Slick Track Driving, Cruise-Ins, Race Spectating, Ocean Cruises and much, much more.

Saleen Archives by SOEC

With inception of the Club in 1990, Saleen vehicle documentation became an important part of its function. Dealer sales material, magazine articles, parts guides, internal memos, monroney stickers, instruction manuals, owner’s packets, and Saleen offered accessories were collected and/or noted for future reference.

Starting in 2006, the Club started to offer digital downloads of the above material via the Club website.

SOEC Notables

* Longest-running Saleen vehicle organization.
* The only factory-approved Saleen vehicle organization.
* The only Steve Saleen-backed organization that celebrates his creations.
* Marketing and sale of the SA-10, SA-15, SA-20 anniversary vehicles to SOEC members.
* Creation and implementation of the Mustang Club of America (MCA) Saleen vehicle judging rules.

External links

* [http://www.soec.org.org/ Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club]
* [http://www.mustang.org/ Mustang Club of America]
* [http://www.saleen.com/ Saleen, Inc]
* [http://www.smslimitedusa.com/ SMS Limited USA]