Street Car Event attendance

[Jimi-FM3]

Hey team, there's several events going on this year designed specifically for street cars, namely Run to the Coast, Faceoff at Road America, Midwest Musclecar Challenge, and a few others. Although there has been many a few requests for more events throughout the country, none of us are seeing an overwhelming response on entries.

In order to make sure we're delivering what everyone in asking for, I'd like to get your opinions on what, if anything, you'd like to see that would make you run out and sign up. Let's be reasonable on the thoughts - please don't offer up things like make them free, or pay out thousands of dollars in prize money - we all know there's an expense to make these things happen (we do already have a cash paying contingency program).

We're interested in hearing your thoughts. Please no PM's, we want to keep this an open forum for all to discuss so we can continue to produce these events and provide a fun, safe environment for you to come out and play. Thanks for your time!

[ironworks]

What about pony rides and big swinging pirate ship. I would sign up right away if you had those.

[Payton King]

Location and time of the year influence which events I attend. As much fun as RTTC sounded, I am not prepared to travel that far. I had to think long and hard on the Motor State event as it will be 12 hours up and 12 hours back...but I am way excited about going.

I thnk most of the responses you will get will say the same thing. Everyone wants more events as long as they are in the town they live. Charlotte would be a great place to have an event. LOL

I also believe how close the events are to each other time wise has an impact.

I would love to go to each event listed this year but I have to pick and choose...Motor State and RTTH6 will be my events.

[JKnight]

RTTC is the only one I have a reasonable shot of traveling to, but I do plan to attend if there is a fall event or next spring. This year's RTTC was a first year event that was a bit short on notice so I think you guys did alright considering. RTTH didn't have nearly that many cars even in its second year (I believe....)

Hardcore guys like Albert, Finch, and Howell are to be genuinely commended and respected for their efforts, but most of us don't have the time or money to cross the country for any event, regardless of how well it's run or how awesome it would be.

That's not bad Payton, if I could attend Motorstate AND RTTH in one year, I'm sure I would consider that year to have been a blast and a car hobby success.

[tazzz2_ca]

RTTC is the only one I have a reasonable shot of traveling to, but I do plan to attend if there is a fall event or next spring. This year's RTTC was a first year event that was a bit short on notice so I think you guys did alright considering. RTTH didn't have nearly that many cars even in its second year (I believe....)

Hardcore guys like Albert, Finch, and Howell are to be genuinely commended and respected for their efforts, but most of us don't have the time or money to cross the country for any event, regardless of how well it's run or how awesome it would be.

That's not bad Payton, if I could attend Motorstate AND RTTH in one year, I'm sure I would consider that year to have been a blast and a car hobby success.

Thanks Jeff, and yes we've been very blessed to afford that option to which I think I can say for all the gang "thank God for our combined good fortune"

If all the members could attend one (maybe even two) events a year this Pro-touring movement would grow expediently and the events would be absolutely awesome..... they are great now,,,, and the drive (especially a longer one) is one of the best parts of the events...... I mean hey guys,,,, remember the spring break road trips as teenagers,,, well guess what we just piled on 30LBS (I only wish ROFLMAO) and grew a little (OK a lot of) gray hair but beat never changes LOL.....

The organizers continue to work hard to keep cost down to a point where we can go to one of the events, enjoy ourselves and come home without gutting the bank. Among other efforts hotels are also selected with an effort to keep things reasonable too and the weekend (or extended weekend) is something that truly can be stated as a "Life To do" list type deal..... Jump on board where possible, you'll be "So" glad you did

[GregWeld]

Jimi --

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION....

IMHO these events have to be in locations where you have an abundance of like minded car owners. Doubtful you could put one on up here in the Pacific NorthWET and get enough cars to make it an "event".

Tracy wants one in Nebraska -- but doubtful that would get many takers either.

[rogue]

You'll find a small percentage of people in the community that are actually willing to track their car on a regular basis but that number is growing. Bottom line is, a lot of people feel their cars aren't ready, are too nice, or are too scared to ball em up. I've invited every lat-g and pro-touring member to every event I've gone to for 2 years. Not a single person has ever shown.

I'm glad run to the coast and all these events are happening is, but bottom line is, they are tied to car show events, hence attendance.

[XcYZ]

You'll find a small percentage of people in the community that are actually willing to track their car on a regular basis but that number is growing. Bottom line is, a lot of people feel their cars aren't ready, are too nice, or are too scared to ball em up. I've invited every lat-g and pro-touring member to every event I've gone to for 2 years. Not a single person has ever shown.

I'm glad run to the coast and all these events are happening is, but bottom line is, they are tied to car show events, hence attendance.

There you go putting words in other people's mouths again. Slow learner?

It takes a big committment to attend an event that's a day's drive each way. Personally, I have a job with major responsibilties with a required on-call schedule covering 24/7/365 that I share with 2 other guys. Getting significant time off (measured in days) takes planning months, if not a year, in advance. I have 2 kids. They have plenty of activities and sports that they are involved with outside of school. (I won't even get into all my web development work that I do at night)

When you have responsibilty, you can't just up and leave for 2 or 3 days without major planning. I also have to balance my available time off with family activities.

I KNOW there are countless members on this site that are in the same boat - trying to balance all the activities in their lives. Since I have to explain this to you, obviously you don't understand responsibilty. You just sit behind your keyboard and belittle members from your narrow view of the world.

Do I want to attend all these events? Hell yeah, of course I do. I promote them as much as I can. That's why I built, maintain, and host the Optima Invitational site. I want it, and all the other events, to succeed. I think it's fantastic that HPDE events are popping up all over the country.

So please think before you start running your mouth.

[mike343sharpstk]

New to this site, hay all.:)

This street car competition stuff has really gotten my attention. My buddy and I will be going to the Road America event to check it out. We're also hatching a plan on what needs to happen to get out there. These first couple years will be tough as far as building popularity.

Might it be that guys see the high dollar cars out there and don't realize that it doesn't need to be a SEMA show winner to have fun with this stuff? Hell, any early comaro with a few suspension and brake tweaks would be great fun, Not unlike taking your car to a drag strip for a few runs.

I think for the fisrt few years running a street car event in conjuction with another event, race SCCA/NASA/etc. or car show would get the attention of the car comunity that may not be aware of these events.

In the past I have spent many miles and dollars road racing motorcycles. One thing that's great about these events is that it's one or two events, not a season long grind of racing. That makes it do-able for a family guy who can do a weekend of fun but not an entire race season.

I will be giving it a go as soon as I get a few more things done on the car.:thumbsup:

[Bow Tie 67]

If I can get one of the rat pack to hire me as a side kick I would have no excuse.

[WILWAXU]

I think these events are great and will get more attendance as they get more exposure. Hopefully the great camaraderie of RTTC can continue throughout any future events. It was truly a great time!

You'll find a small percentage of people in the community that are actually willing to track their car on a regular basis but that number is growing. Bottom line is, a lot of people feel their cars aren't ready, are too nice, or are too scared to ball em up. I've invited every lat-g and pro-touring member to every event I've gone to for 2 years. Not a single person has ever shown.

I'm glad run to the coast and all these events are happening is, but bottom line is, they are tied to car show events, hence attendance.

Hmm.. I don't remember seeing a gold '69 at RTTC?

If you were at the event, you would have seen a lot of show quality cars getting beat on, met a lot of good people and possibly had a little fun. You may have also noticed that there wasn't a static car show during the event ;) :yes:

Strong words from a guy that didn't show up for an event that happened in his own back yard.

[Vegas69]

Hey John, Dane has health issues that kept him from coming.

[camcojb]

well, there's obviously a ton of these cars attending the events, evidenced by all the pics of them on this site and others like Pro Touring. I think this should be encouraged, but I also feel that the decision to beat on the car is up to the owners. They're the ones who've made the investment in these cars. I don't think they should be bashed if they choose not to participate.

There are also things like making a living and life in general that keep people away from these events. It takes a lot of planning to attend some of these larger events.

Jody

[mpozziCPL]

Hey John, Dane has health issues that kept him from coming.

Second that and he had entered but last minute surgery cancelled those plans.

Mary Pozzi

[GregWeld]

Jody --

One of my favorite sayings is "Life is what happens to you - while you're busy making other plans"...

Can't tell you how many "shows" or car things I've had plans to do - and then something else takes precedence...

[fleetus macmullitz]

Jimi, I think more and more owners are entertaining participating in these events. I think vids and pics from those events posted here creates that desire. IMO more and more folks are joining the g-machine ranks. I also believe many who once just thought of it as a cool build style realize now it could be a lot of fun tracking their ride at some level.

[GregWeld]

While I didn't attend the Friday event at RTTC -- I heard REPEATEDLY that the driving "school" was an absolute blast...

It seemed very affordable... and I think that is a great addition to any of these events.

Like Todd (Vegas) said after the event -- he put 125 miles on his beautiful car that weekend -- where else can you drive as fast as you are capable - for 125 miles - smoking tires (in his case - doing wheelies - LOL) and NOT GET A TICKET? Anyone that has a decent car - should WANT TO attend this kind of event. :woot:

[James OLC]

My two bits...

In an ideal world, these would be two day events. RTTC was a blast but (and it's not really a relevant but) it was like running a marathon. Any track day event is - and there is nothing wrong with that, it's the nature of the beast - but RTTH and some of the other similar events are as much social gatherings as they are competitions. I know it adds expenses and requires increased sponsor support but it's a viscious circle - more "free time" would give participants more time to interact with sponsors (and visa versa) which would make it more appealing to sponsors, albiet costlier. If events could be spread over a couple of days I think that you would see more people attend - albeit not necessarily compete. Which leads me to...

In an ideal world, there would be two categories for these events (in addition to a sponsor/vendor category) - competition and fun runs. I think that there would be a greater appeal to many "casual" guys and girls if there was a way that they could participate - try their hand on the track or autocross - without having the "competition" element staring them in the face. I think that this is one of reasons that the autocross events at car shows have become increasingly popular - while there is an element who attend the shows to race, there is another element that is at the show, sees that they can try the autocross and give it a shot - without every worrying about points, times, or prizes. I know that this doesn't work on a one day event (as mentioned above, it's a struggle to squeeze everything in one day) but I think that if casual drivers could participate casually and watch the actual competition that more people would be inclined to try it - even on a spur of the moment. Which leads to my final point...

There are a finite number of people who will attend these events with the hope of being competitive and as more of these events come in to being, that finitie community will be forced to prioritize which events they attend. When there was only one event people would travel to go. When that grew to two events it was still an "easy" decision for many. If there are five or seven or ten "stand alone" events most of us will have to decide where and when we can travel. And that means that there will probably be less "hard core" participants at each event. Which means that we (ok - you) need to increase the appeal to the casual participant. Which is why sponsors step up for these events anyways. How can you make these more... interesting... intriging... entertaining... for the guys who aren't ready (mentally, mechanically, or financially) to compete?

That being said, hat's off to anyone who does participate in these events. It takes stones to race your car in any environment - autocross, road course, drag strip, or speed stop challenge. The fact that there were 50+ such people at RTTC was really impressive. But I think that you have to respect the people who might want to try it but not go 9/10 or 10/10. They might try it and decide they want more (that's how these things grow) or they might decided that they would prefer to cruise and try the open track on their own terms.

[James OLC]

While I didn't attend the Friday event at RTTC -- I heard REPEATEDLY that the driving "school" was an absolute blast...

It seemed very affordable... and I think that is a great addition to any of these events.

Like Todd (Vegas) said after the event -- he put 125 miles on his beautiful car that weekend -- where else can you drive as fast as you are capable - for 125 miles - smoking tires (in his case - doing wheelies - LOL) and NOT GET A TICKET? Anyone that has a decent car - should WANT TO attend this kind of event. :woot:

I think that the driving school on Friday was a great idea but (and this is a valid but IMHO) it gave the select few an unfair advantage. 100% - without question - every person who was invited to attend (or the lucky three that could enter after the fact) came in on Saturday with a huge leg up over the other entrants. I think that if driving schools such as this are an option that either (a) they should be available to everybody who is going to attend or (b) they should be run on a different track configuration - even if it's backwards.

[rogue]

There you go putting words in other people's mouths again. Slow learner?

It takes a big committment to attend an event that's a day's drive each way. Personally, I have a job with major responsibilties with a required on-call schedule covering 24/7/365 that I share with 2 other guys. Getting significant time off (measured in days) takes planning months, if not a year, in advance. I have 2 kids. They have plenty of activities and sports that they are involved with outside of school. (I won't even get into all my web development work that I do at night)

When you have responsibilty, you can't just up and leave for 2 or 3 days without major planning. I also have to balance my available time off with family activities.

I KNOW there are countless members on this site that are in the same boat - trying to balance all the activities in their lives. Since I have to explain this to you, obviously you don't understand responsibilty. You just sit behind your keyboard and belittle members from your narrow view of the world.

Do I want to attend all these events? Hell yeah, of course I do. I promote them as much as I can. That's why I built, maintain, and host the Optima Invitational site. I want it, and all the other events, to succeed. I think it's fantastic that HPDE events are popping up all over the country.

So please think before you start running your mouth.

Words in people's mouths? I invite people all the time. They don't show. On Weekends. I understand people have families and responsibilities. All of my friends that run in the competition groups have kids, jobs, etc, and they manage to deal with all that PLUS all the car prep and maintenance between race events.

Fact still remains, attendance remains low amongst this community. I too agree that its great that RTTC and events are popping up, and I even said so in my post.

I have no beef with anyone on any of these sites and have tried time and time again to meet people at track events. if you take my posts as belittling or offense I'm sorry. I invite, no one shows. 3-5 threads the past years. I put my effort trying to get people together as well.

No idea why I'm being attacked for stating the facts.

[rogue]

Hmm.. I don't remember seeing a gold '69 at RTTC?

If you were at the event, you would have seen a lot of show quality cars getting beat on, met a lot of good people and possibly had a little fun. You may have also noticed that there wasn't a static car show during the event ;) :yes:

Strong words from a guy that didn't show up for an event that happened in his own back yard.

I registered but had surgery May 24th. Spinal pain pump implant. Nevertheless I wasn't back on my feet the day of, and was suffering spinal headaches. I would never wish them upon anyone.

So my heart was there, my body was not :faint:

[rogue]

Second that and he had entered but last minute surgery cancelled those plans.

Mary Pozzi

I've been looking forward to shaking you and David's hands and meeting Steve for too long. David's site has been a go-to for me since buying my camaro.

Though Steve has a lot to dish out at me I'm sure. :lol: :willy:

[rogue]

Jimi, I think more and more owners are entertaining participating in these events. I think vids and pics from those events posted here creates that desire. IMO more and more folks are joining the g-machine ranks. I also believe many who once just thought of it as a cool build style realize now it could be a lot of fun tracking their ride at some level.

Agreed. I think more HD theater coverage of events or Speed (although they're the NASCAR only network) would help quite a bit. Nothing beats the sound of muscle being flogged. Everyone loves to watch it.

[WILWAXU]

well, there's obviously a ton of these cars attending the events, evidenced by all the pics of them on this site and others like Pro Touring. I think this should be encouraged, but I also feel that the decision to beat on the car is up to the owners. They're the ones who've made the investment in these cars. I don't think they should be bashed if they choose not to participate.

There are also things like making a living and life in general that keep people away from these events. It takes a lot of planning to attend some of these larger events.

Jody
Exactly.

I registered but had surgery May 24th. Spinal pain pump implant. Nevertheless I wasn't back on my feet the day of, and was suffering spinal headaches. I would never wish them upon anyone.

So my heart was there, my body was not :faint:
Then why take pot shots at the event and the cars that did attend?

[GregWeld]

My two bits...

In an ideal world, these would be two day events. RTTC was a blast but (and it's not really a relevant but) it was like running a marathon. Any track day event is - and there is nothing wrong with that, it's the nature of the beast - but RTTH and some of the other similar events are as much social gatherings as they are competitions. I know it adds expenses and requires increased sponsor support but it's a viscious circle - more "free time" would give participants more time to interact with sponsors (and visa versa) which would make it more appealing to sponsors, albiet costlier. If events could be spread over a couple of days I think that you would see more people attend - albeit not necessarily compete. Which leads me to...

In an ideal world, there would be two categories for these events (in addition to a sponsor/vendor category) - competition and fun runs. I think that there would be a greater appeal to many "casual" guys and girls if there was a way that they could participate - try their hand on the track or autocross - without having the "competition" element staring them in the face. I think that this is one of reasons that the autocross events at car shows have become increasingly popular - while there is an element who attend the shows to race, there is another element that is at the show, sees that they can try the autocross and give it a shot - without every worrying about points, times, or prizes. I know that this doesn't work on a one day event (as mentioned above, it's a struggle to squeeze everything in one day) but I think that if casual drivers could participate casually and watch the actual competition that more people would be inclined to try it - even on a spur of the moment. Which leads to my final point...

There are a finite number of people who will attend these events with the hope of being competitive and as more of these events come in to being, that finitie community will be forced to prioritize which events they attend. When there was only one event people would travel to go. When that grew to two events it was still an "easy" decision for many. If there are five or seven or ten "stand alone" events most of us will have to decide where and when we can travel. And that means that there will probably be less "hard core" participants at each event. Which means that we (ok - you) need to increase the appeal to the casual participant. Which is why sponsors step up for these events anyways. How can you make these more... interesting... intriging... entertaining... for the guys who aren't ready (mentally, mechanically, or financially) to compete?

That being said, hat's off to anyone who does participate in these events. It takes stones to race your car in any environment - autocross, road course, drag strip, or speed stop challenge. The fact that there were 50+ such people at RTTC was really impressive. But I think that you have to respect the people who might want to try it but not go 9/10 or 10/10. They might try it and decide they want more (that's how these things grow) or they might decided that they would prefer to cruise and try the open track on their own terms.


Very well said and thought out... and I agree... many many people are just not knowledgeable in the ways of suspension etc - to really be "competitive" - and just going out and having some fun would be "enough" for them - and some (I'm betting) would get hooked and want more of it (TODD? :D ). But they've got to start somewhere.

[Reckley]

Hey team, there's several events going on this year designed specifically for street cars, namely Run to the Coast, Faceoff at Road America, Midwest Musclecar Challenge, and a few others. Although there has been many a few requests for more events throughout the country, none of us are seeing an overwhelming response on entries.

In order to make sure we're delivering what everyone in asking for, I'd like to get your opinions on what, if anything, you'd like to see that would make you run out and sign up. Let's be reasonable on the thoughts - please don't offer up things like make them free, or pay out thousands of dollars in prize money - we all know there's an expense to make these things happen (we do already have a cash paying contingency program).

We're interested in hearing your thoughts. Please no PM's, we want to keep this an open forum for all to discuss so we can continue to produce these events and provide a fun, safe environment for you to come out and play. Thanks for your time!

I think it's just going to take time for more people to prepare to track their cars. The build of my car has changed direction because of my growing interest in road racing. As you can imagine, the change in direction has delayed the build greatly.

It also takes time for people to learn to drive. I feel that having driving instructors attend the events would get more people to attend. Driving schools are usually very expensive. it's also difficult to find the time to attend a driving school as well as a street car event.

I attended a SVTOA mustang event at Gingerman Raceway few years back. They invited several SCCA driving instructors to attend the event. I was told the driving instructors were given free open track sessions during the event in exchange for instructing the event participants. The format worked out nice because the instructors would give rides in their cars during the their sessions. This gave us an opportunity to understand how we were supposed to drive the track. Also, during our sessions the instructors would stand along pit lane and get in our cars as we entered the track. It was great having someone who knows what they're doing giving you pointers rather than just guessing how to drive the track.. Getting instruction gives the event much more value for those of us with limited experience.

Mike

[jeff s]

I'm gonna attend all these events in the midwest and a few more.
I was at Road America this weekend. There were over 40 instructors at this event and I made arrangements to have a separate musclecar track group.
Posted it on this and PT sites. 3 members showed up. Not enough for a separate group, but we had fun anyway. Once people get over being skeered and try it, the events will grow. Ask Jim Nilsen and Crafty, both 1st timers this weekend, and now hooked on it.

[Vegas69]

I'm hooked on the road racing for sure. I enjoy autocross but it doesn't quench my thirst. I was born a speed demon and road racing satisfies it and then some. That being said, it's not near as safe. The consequences are compounded. I'd recommend instruction to anyone that is planning to run. The RTTC instruction was basic but important. It gave us novices a chance to learn the line and get comfortable. It was only my second time on a road course with the first being a basic failure with a puked power steering pump. I have to say I liked that dirty old El Toro track more than Spring Mountain. It was more interesting and the track wasn't perfect. You had to adapt your driving style to match the imperfections instead of playing by the book. Maybe I'll change my mind when I get a chance to run full bore on Spring Mountain.

[Bow Tie 67]

Oh you will trust me I'm hooked on the road racing for sure. I enjoy autocross but it doesn't quench my thirst. I was born a speed demon and road racing satisfies it and then some. That being said, it's not near as safe. The consequences are compounded. I'd recommend instruction to anyone that is planning to run. The RTTC instruction was basic but important. It gave us novices a chance to learn the line and get comfortable. It was only my second time on a road course with the first being a basic failure with a puked power steering pump. I have to say I liked that dirty old El Toro track more than Spring Mountain. It was more interesting and the track wasn't perfect. You had to adapt your driving style to match the imperfections instead of playing by the book. Maybe I'll change my mind when I get a chance to run full bore on Spring Mountain.

[mike343sharpstk]

I'm gonna attend all these events in the midwest and a few more.
I was at Road America this weekend. There were over 40 instructors at this event and I made arrangements to have a separate musclecar track group.
Posted it on this and PT sites. 3 members showed up. Not enough for a separate group, but we had fun anyway. Once people get over being skeered and try it, the events will grow. Ask Jim Nilsen and Crafty, both 1st timers this weekend, and now hooked on it.

Jeff, I drove through the Elkhart lake area yesterday and saw a few cars that were clearly dong a track day..... how do I get started? I am planning to be track ready later this summer but who do I contact, what do I do? Is there a club that I need to join? :willy:
I will be spectating at the Ultimate street car shootout at RA, A budy and I would like to chat and learn what needs to happen.:cheers:

[96z28ss]

I think the RTTC was a hit. Its safe to bet everyone had a great time (except if you were told to leave.)
The fact that they had that many cars when it was created in such short notice. It was on Easter Weekend. Same weekend as Barrett Jackson. I think turnout was pretty good.
Myself and Greg drove from Washington and Oregon, to go to this event even though we didn't compete. We wanted to show support for this type of event on the west Coast. (We also need a Power Tour type event also) We volunteered and worked the Autocross we had a blast.

The only thing I would add is that spectators be allowed in, charge a fee and let them watch. El Toro isn't set up for that, so I could understand the reason for that but, as a spectator on the sidelines watching it gets his blood flowing and goes home and gets a car put together and participates in the future.
I don't think Drag Racing and Nascar would be as big as they are if they didn't alow spectator attendance.

These events are in there infancy stage, they are going to grow and they are going to be much more competitive now that money is involved. As projects get finished more people will participate. Im glad I can say I was there when it all started.

[mike343sharpstk]

The only thing I would add is that spectators be allowed in, charge a fee and let them watch. El Toro isn't set up for that, so I could understand the reason for that but, as a spectator on the sidelines watching it gets his blood flowing and goes home and gets a car put together and participates in the future.
I don't think Drag Racing and Nascar would be as big as they are if they didn't alow spectator attendance.

These events are in there infancy stage, they are going to grow and they are going to be much more competitive now that money is involved. As projects get finished more people will participate. Im glad I can say I was there when it all started.

I literally JUST called Road America before I read this. For the Street Car Faceoff event spectators can enter the track for FREE, just need to sign a waiver on the way in.:cheers:

[Blake Foster]

Jimi --

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION....

IMHO these events have to be in locations where you have an abundance of like minded car owners. Doubtful you could put one on up here in the Pacific NorthWET and get enough cars to make it an "event".

Tracy wants one in Nebraska -- but doubtful that would get many takers either.

Yea it's too bad that there don't seem to be enough cars arround.
i would love to do a bunch of events but when it is 24-36 hours of driving ONE WAY it doesn't make it all that feasable.

it looks like i am the one who needs to move.

[GregWeld]

Blake -- We suck...


:rofl:

[mdprovee]

I can say as a newbie, that the RTTC was most everything I wanted.

I enjoyed the autocross and the road course. I knew I had no chance of "winning" but got to hang out, meet people, drive my car, that was the winning in my book. I didnt push my car hard for a few reasons, lack of experience, didnt want to hurt it too bad, amoung things. No one laughed at me. I missed the cruise, but had it not been Easter, I would have done that too.

It is intimidating to come to these events, with some of the better cars and drivers, but EVERYONE was great to talk with, it really lowers the intimidation factor. It was funny...before the event started, Jeff Smith, the magazine editor, came over to talk with me about my car... and we talked not only cars, but some of his family history from the El Toro air base. All the people are just regular people.

The only thing I would have liked would have been more road course time, and some instruction for the new people like me. I am trying to go to local events to get that too.

I would highly recomend if you are on the fence about going to something like this, do it, and you will have a good time, no matter what the outcome is.

[Blake Foster]

Blake -- We suck...


:rofl:

GREG..............




Speak for yourself

:cheers:

there is a open track day July 22 at Seattle??? on the thursday prior to GG thats what i'm shooting for

[rogue]

I can say as a newbie, that the RTTC was most everything I wanted.

I enjoyed the autocross and the road course. I knew I had no chance of "winning" but got to hang out, meet people, drive my car, that was the winning in my book. I didnt push my car hard for a few reasons, lack of experience, didnt want to hurt it too bad, amoung things. No one laughed at me. I missed the cruise, but had it not been Easter, I would have done that too.

It is intimidating to come to these events, with some of the better cars and drivers, but EVERYONE was great to talk with, it really lowers the intimidation factor. It was funny...before the event started, Jeff Smith, the magazine editor, came over to talk with me about my car... and we talked not only cars, but some of his family history from the El Toro air base. All the people are just regular people.

The only thing I would have liked would have been more road course time, and some instruction for the new people like me. I am trying to go to local events to get that too.

I would highly recomend if you are on the fence about going to something like this, do it, and you will have a good time, no matter what the outcome is.

Don't be intimidated... :thumbsup:

All kinds of people track all types of cars every weekend. High Performance Driving Events exist all over the country at tracks across the country. You can go to your local track and look at the calendar to find groups you can run with any weekend that suits you. People often rent cars for the events just to beat on. Mini coopers, even cadillacs/lincoln towncars.

Many run groups give instructors free lap time in exchange for their free instruction.

http://www.opentrackracing.com/

is just one of many examples of the clubs running in Socal. I'd personally like to see more pro-touring folks coming out to local events to get track time.

No need for things to be big productions with pro-touring only cars and sponsors. I do understand their purpose, function in the community and the comfort level of people running with cars of equal style/build. The best part of track days for me is lapping modern sports cars in a 41 year old car. I'm glad there was a carrera GT at the RTTC event for that purpose.

As a community, we should all post any time we plan to attend a local track day, and get together casually as well. Not just at events that are planned months in advance.

[chr2002ca]

Hi Jimi,

The RTTC event was too much fun to not attend again so I think you'll find a growing base of participants year after year. If you could do anything, just get the word out more often and sooner, post vids and photos, etc. Stress to people that you can come out and have a great time and there is absolutely no pressure to punish your car or 'compete'(it's very easy to get all wrapped up in 'competition' and forget about that). There are a limited number of people out their doing this stuff competitively(money, time), so if you can pull in more of the 'just for fun' population, you'll get increased participation year after year, because it's damn fun.

Bottom line is, a lot of people feel their cars aren't ready, are too nice, or are too scared to ball em up.

You know, I do love your enthusiam for driving your car hard and trying to get people to participate with you, but honestly, you do go a little overboard with your criticism of people not driving their cars as hard as you have chosen to. I've even seen a post of yours where you ragged on somebody when they did bring their car out to the track but weren't driving it 'fast enough'. Your enthusiam for driving hard and your contributions to this site are very much appreciated(I'm a fan of your car and your videos), but you might want to be a little more careful about how you criticize others and what they decide to do with their cars and how they drive. If you think that getting people to participate by ragging on them for not participating is a good practice, well, maybe it isn't:

Not a single person has ever shown.

[mike343sharpstk]

I am so much looking forward to checking out the action next week at Road America.:willy:
Idea, as this competition grows, how about two classes?
One class would be an unlimited class.
The other class would be limited to minimal modifications for cars still retaining the stock-style sustension. This 'slower' class may draw in more guys with modified stock suspension (tubular control arms, big sway bars, while still retaining leaf springs, etc.). This is what most pro-touring guys do.

This way the stock-style cars could still compete with each other for the fastest-in-class without trying to go up against the stuff with full custom race suspension under it.

This would give the companies that sell tubular replacement parts and sway bars a venue to show off their 'bolt-on' parts and compete at that level.

[bret]

After reviewing the various comments posted on the Pro Touring and Lateral G forums it seems the main concerns are as follows:

concerned about driving skill
concerned about being slow or looking like a novice
concerned about hurting their car
Too little track time for the time and expense required
No reason to go /nothing to see if you are not racing
Driving Distance
Hopefully the information below will address some of these concerns:


Mothers Car show – We know there are lots of guys who have a keen interest in this kind of event but don’t want to subject themselves or their car to an all out track assault...slow, fast, or otherwise. The car show portion of the MMC is designed to give hotrodders a way to participate without putting their car on the track. Pre-registering for the MMC car show gets you a goody bag [with all the swag inside!] 2 Flowmaster RibFeast meal tickets, and a prime parking spot while you are watching the track activities. Although there won’t be any “trophies”, we will select 5 cars from this group to be featured on the Mothers Car Show that is being filmed at this event!

Bowler 99 Mile cruise – The only performance criteria for this segment is that you drive your car from Putnam Park to the Flowmaster Ribfeast to demonstrate that you actually have a street car and not a race car. There is no time criteria and the points award is minimal. If you break something at Putnam Park, trailering your car to RibFeast will only impose a minimal penalty.

BFG Hot Laps Road course Segment

Tire rules – We understand that this is primarily a street car event and that the drivers have limited on-track experience, especially with sticky tires. That is why we have decided to have everyone run a 200 treadwear tire [or harder]. We feel this provides the best chance for “mainstream” street cars [driven by non-professional drivers] to exhibit their cababilities safely.

The runoff area is large, flat, and grassy to make even to most inexperienced hotrodder comfortable with pushing their car and themselves to go a little faster.

Novice run groups – There will be 3 run groups at the MMC – Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can indicate which run group you prefer when you pre register . That way you will be combined with people and cars of similar experience and speeds so no one gets run over…or unnecessarily slowed down.

Track time - As the day goes on [and people inevitably drop out to rest their cars or themselves] we may combine some of these run groups and/or allow people to change run groups to increase your track time potential. If every run group is filled [and stays that way all day] you will get at least 6 sessions of 15 minutes each. Lap time at Putnam Park is approx. 1:30-1:40, so each session will get you around 10 laps. Shorter sessions are easier on the car and the driver, and allow ample time to rest and make vehicle checks and adjustments.

Timing runs – For the Road course portion of the event, we are providing transponders for each participant to offer accurate, reliable lap times. We will record all of your laps with the fasted lap determining your ranking at the end of the day. This way you can spend most of the day practicing/tuning/learning to drive without the pressure to make every lap count.

Spectre Top Speed Challenge – During the BFG Hot Lap sessions we will be recording top speeds for the Spectre Top Speed Challenge.

RideTech Street Challenge Autocross Segment

The autocross track will be approx. 50-60 seconds long for most cars. You will likely use 2nd and possibly 3rd gear on this course, and reach speed of up to 60 mph in some spots. The runoff area is huge so you’ll be able to let it hang out without fear of running into anything solid.

We will be able to run 2 cars on the autocross at the same time so you will get LOTS of track time here. Again, every run will be recorded with your fastest time determining your final ranking, so there is no pressure to make every lap count. Theoretically, if the full roster of cars makes every lap you should get 12 runs in that day. In reality, it will likely be closer to 20 runs because not everyone will want to run every time it’s their turn. You will get a time slip for every lap so you can tune your car and yourself.

Baer Brakes Speed-Stop Challenge

The format will be as follows:
Accelerate from the starting line for approximately 800 feet to the brake zone marker cones
Stop within the confines of the 40 foot long x 20 foot wide stop box.
The object is to get to the stop box [and stop within it] as quickly as possible. This will be a test of both your acceleration abilities and your braking abilities. Think of it as a drag race where you have to stop completely within a designated box! Each participant will get as many runs as time allows to optimize their times.

Awards – The RideTech Street Challenge Autocross and the Baer Speed Stop Challenge will end at 4:00 CST. We will have an awards ceremony at 5:00 CST so everyone can get an early start for home and enjoy the rest of the Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to the segment winners we will crown an overall Midwest Musclecar Challenge “King of the Hill”. In addition to the product prizes this person will receive a beautiful lettermans jacket with the MMC logo on the back and their mane and date on the front so you can show off your accomplishment to all your friends!

General information
· Trailer and RV parking – both Putnam Park and the Lawrenceville Mid America Airport have plenty of trailer and RV parking. There will be no overnight parking at the Putnam Park facility but camping WILL be allowed at Lawrenceville. The airport also offer secured trailer parking for Saturday night. There are NO RV hookups or dumps at either facility.

· Consessions and bathrooms – There will be GOOD food available at both Putnam Park and at Lawrenceville. You are certainly welcome to bring your own, but if you don’t, we won’t let you starve! Putnam Park has nice restroom facilities and trash containers. We will have a good supply of CLEAN port-a-johns at Lawrenceville.

· Optima Invitational – The Midwest Musclecar Challenge is a QUALIFIER event for the year end Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. ONE vehicle will be chosen to represent the MMC event at this year end invitational. It will LIKELY be the overall winner, but only if the overall winner has not already qualified, AND is willing to make the commitment to travel to Las Vegas in November to participate in this televised event.

You DO NOT have to make yourself eligible for the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Invitational to participate in the Midwest Musclecar Challenge. It will have NO effect on the scoring or the outcome of the MMC event at all. It merely provides an OPPORTUNITY for you to be included in Las Vegas event.


Remember the goal here is to have fun with your family and your car. Going fast is optional, and but a happy coincidence!

Now that you know just a little more about the event...here is how to get in on the fun: http://www.midwestmusclecarchallenge.com/?page_id=13