Organizers of a proposed vintage car rally on Oct. 18 presented plans to the Middleburg Town Council on July 24 and sought feedback before filing a formal permit application.

Ryan, one of the organizers, told the council the rally would run from Summit Point Raceway to a finish line on South Madison Street behind Nomad, with a small festival and vendors at the terminus. "We want to shut down South Madison just like the Amelia … and have a little festivity party like we did the million," Ryan said, describing vendor partners including Nomad, 7 Loaves (a nonprofit beneficiary), The Willow (salon services), Morgan's Custom Plastics and a new Andretti-affiliated team assisting at Summit Point.

Organizers proposed a limit of about 45 cars to Summit Point, with an anticipated smaller number returning to Middleburg, and a Summit Point registration fee structure in which Summit Point retains most fees but $100 per car would be donated to 7 Loaves. They requested permission to plan for a closure of South Madison and part of Federal Street, three off-duty police officers for crowd and traffic control, porta-potties and roped-off areas; they said they are not asking the town to pay overtime costs.

Council members and staff focused questions on public safety and event timing. Council member Pam Curran and others said Oct. 18 coincides with the town's film festival and that large buses used by the festival could have trouble negotiating the planned routes. "My only concern is there another date if it doesn't work?" Curran asked. Organizers said Summit Point's available date constrained them; their plan B would move the finish area outside the core town, which organizers said they hoped to avoid.

Chief Jones and town staff advised the organizers to coordinate with the film festival and Salamander resort operators. Staff said the town would expect a formal permit application and a checklist of logistic items (traffic routing, emergency access, parking restrictions and crowd-control measures) before approving any street closure. Council members also suggested the organizers provide a specific event timeline, contingency plans for weather and incidents, and detailed parking/route sketches so staff can evaluate whether buses can be routed safely.

Council did not vote on the proposal; members encouraged organizers to contact the film-festival organizers and Salamander, finalize business support letters and produce a written logistics checklist for staff review. Organizers said if the Oct. 18 date proves unworkable they could end the route at Lost Barrel Brewery instead of in the downtown core, and that Summit Point would run the on-track portion from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organizers said on-site activities in Middleburg would wind down by about 8:30 p.m.