Events Coverage
Event Coverage: CVO Treffen 2005
By By: Bryan Joslin, photos by Jamie Vondruska
Aug 31, 2005, 05:17

By now, every Audi enthusiast probably knows that Treffen is the German word for gathering or meeting. When the first Midwest Treffen took place in 1997, it was exactly that - a meeting, a central gathering of the many small, geographically dispersed Audi and VW owners groups spread throughout the Midwest. Cars and people converged on the testing lot at Tire Rack in South Bend, Indiana, from Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, and naturally, Indiana. True to Midwestern style, the atmosphere at that first show was casual and friendly.

Fast forward to today, and many of those small groups of Audi and VW enthusiasts have formed real, honest-to-goodness clubs, including the Chicago Volkswagen Organization (CVO) which itself was still taking shape back in 1997. And the pre-eminent Midwest gathering remains CVO’s Treffen. The 9th Annual CVO Treffen took place over the weekend of August 20th and 21st, 2005. The event continues to draw participants from throughout the mid-section of the country, and has never lost its pleasant atmosphere.



This year’s Treffen was the second consecutive year as a two-day event, allowing for both an autocross and the car show. Both activities took place on the grounds of Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, just north and west of Chicago. The autocross was held on Saturday, with more than 30 drivers competing in four specially-devised classes specifically for VWs and Audis. Each driver had six chances to make his or her best run through the cones on the tight course.

Sunday was the main event, with more than 170 show cars competing for the least glamorous trophies in the car show world. But big trophies aren’t what Treffen is all about.

Bridging the autocross and car show were several smaller events. Some out-of-towners took advantage of the proximity to the Windy City to take in a little sight-seeing. Meanwhile, others took a short ride across the Cheddar Curtain to Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wisconsin for a little bracket racing - the cool evening air was ideal for turbocharged cars.



On top of all the scheduled events taking place at Treffen, Volkswagen showed up with a handful of Golf V GTIs and a Jetta V GLI for ride-and-drives. The GTIs were UK-spec, right-hand-drive models, but those who possessed the courage and the co-ordination were allowed to take them for a spin. Those who weren’t comfortable driving the new cars were given thrill rides, courtesy of professional race car drivers Kevin Schrantz and Brett Erickson.



Results for Treffen 2005 are available on the CVO website.

For more photographs of this story, click on the link to our galleries at the left.

© Copyright 2004 by YourSITE.com