EightSecV6
MDBL
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2001
- Messages
- 2,514
I personally feel the organization and professionalism of the GS Nats has been on the rise at a rapid rate for the last 3 years. I have had my problems with the "club" in the past but I have no complaints about the way things were run this year at all. The fact that I had a serious race car there (not necessarily performing as such!!!!) as well as several others was taken into consideration while prepping the track and allowing us to use lanes 8 and 9 in order for us to come right to the lanes and race instead of suiting up and sitting with the street type cars for 20 minutes while baking in race gear.
I think the days of the cars lined up past the fence in the staging lanes are over. The cars are no longer a "high end" vehicle.The Grand National is no longer the "family" oriented car it was 10 years ago. These are not negative comments but as all things change,the Buick movement has as well.The younger generation can afford them now and do not have the funds or means to spend $35k plus on engine combinations.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to buy one of these cars at a young age and see the "Big Names" run them when they were HOT. I remember a time at the GS Nats when you expected to see Lawrence Conley, Jim D'Allessandro, Gary Oswald, Buddy Cox, Kenny D, Ron Fruchy, Lou Czarnota, Pete Barton, Bob Borelli, Humberto Rodriguez, The S&S race team (BIG tractor trailer rig), Barry Walker, and Alan Witter all at one time!!!! There would even be alot of the "higher end" sportsmen there names like Gary Harris, Pete Bernard, Ski,Bob Peterson, Jack Pendzimus, Brady Perry, Travis Beckendorf, Jim Haas (yes even he used to have one of the baddest street TR's around), Vic Guilmino, Nelson Hernandez, Terry Houston,Eric Rankin,John Gallina,Dale Cherry, Joe Copson and the list goes on. Alot of these guys are still into it but not as strong as they used to be for one reason or another. Some of you will recognize all of these names and others will hardly recognize any at all, hence the generation gap.
I can see the decline in the Buick Thing as our business has evolved into something totally different than it started off as. We are however, going to attend the GS Nationals as long as they exist whether we have our differences or not. I have been obsessed with these cars for over 17 years and while my factory 86 GN Moonroof car now has only the original quater panels and sheet metal between the tail lights on it, it is still MY car and I will continue to campaign it until I run out of parts!!!!
Thanks ,
Bill Anderson
P.S. sorry if I forgot any other names, chime in if you like!
I think the days of the cars lined up past the fence in the staging lanes are over. The cars are no longer a "high end" vehicle.The Grand National is no longer the "family" oriented car it was 10 years ago. These are not negative comments but as all things change,the Buick movement has as well.The younger generation can afford them now and do not have the funds or means to spend $35k plus on engine combinations.
I feel very fortunate to have been able to buy one of these cars at a young age and see the "Big Names" run them when they were HOT. I remember a time at the GS Nats when you expected to see Lawrence Conley, Jim D'Allessandro, Gary Oswald, Buddy Cox, Kenny D, Ron Fruchy, Lou Czarnota, Pete Barton, Bob Borelli, Humberto Rodriguez, The S&S race team (BIG tractor trailer rig), Barry Walker, and Alan Witter all at one time!!!! There would even be alot of the "higher end" sportsmen there names like Gary Harris, Pete Bernard, Ski,Bob Peterson, Jack Pendzimus, Brady Perry, Travis Beckendorf, Jim Haas (yes even he used to have one of the baddest street TR's around), Vic Guilmino, Nelson Hernandez, Terry Houston,Eric Rankin,John Gallina,Dale Cherry, Joe Copson and the list goes on. Alot of these guys are still into it but not as strong as they used to be for one reason or another. Some of you will recognize all of these names and others will hardly recognize any at all, hence the generation gap.
I can see the decline in the Buick Thing as our business has evolved into something totally different than it started off as. We are however, going to attend the GS Nationals as long as they exist whether we have our differences or not. I have been obsessed with these cars for over 17 years and while my factory 86 GN Moonroof car now has only the original quater panels and sheet metal between the tail lights on it, it is still MY car and I will continue to campaign it until I run out of parts!!!!
Thanks ,
Bill Anderson
P.S. sorry if I forgot any other names, chime in if you like!