Norwalk Buick Racedays is in need of support!!!

[coach]

Ryan, I am sorry about not getting to meet you. Everyone keep coming up to me and asking about my car or the bodybuilding show I was in the weekend before.
Anyone who knows me...knows I'm a chatterbox. Brian, ScotW, Vinny...
I ask a ton of questions and wanted to learn more from Cal, but he cannot tune and really teach. He does so much right off the top of his head, that to explain why he just did it, would take 10x longer then just doing it and move on.
Friday was kinda disappointing to all. We were waiting all day and the others never showed up.

As for how many I invited...
I invited Rick Hunt ( GNX X-RAY...the white T) and Al Gulahey, who owns GNX 250, and Turbojoe1. They all came to the dyno. The only guy I invited to attend that did not make it was Paul Ferry (HR Parts). He was sidetracked.

As for the "New Blood"...I am considering myself. I just got my GN in 2007. I started going to events in 2008, and I feel I am comfortable with enough of the "regulars" that I can really help out now. Nobody will ever say I don't stand up and do my share, and I am not saying you did. I have known Bill Wills for a good bit and my father grew up with him since they were kids. I will join any club necessary to help out.

As for the Friday night dinner. I set that up 3 weeks ago and had most everyone planned to attend. Next year, I think I will open it up in a thread and we can take over the entire restaurant.

I really am sorry I did not get to meet you. I bought parts from you years ago.

In Sept...punch me or something to get my attention!!!

 

[3.8L V-8 eater]

I was able to make it to the dyno cessions on sat and was the first time I 've seen a car on the dyno....I like the idea of the cruise in and having it in the evening...It fills out the day and helps those who are shacked up in the hotels...Having the car show at the track would be a good idea also....I'll continue to support this event and if my car was healthy I would have run it if the weather was good...Although these events are in the hands of mother nature and are uncontrollable play the better odds and have it later...I know it rained when the event was in June but it will be less likely to happen than in April...I can also see where guys cars will not be back together and ready that early which would make having the event later a plus their also.....

 

[gbsean]

ok my 2 cents...it is all about promotion...I know Bill and Roberta that put on this event but they are the only ones...it would be nice if they posted on this thread about what can be done to save the event. You have to generate a buzz...post on all the Buick Face Book pages...post on all the Buick websites...promote what vendors will be there...post payouts...provide the extras besides racing and an offsite car show...it takes a lot of effort to put on an event. With all the Buick's in the Midwest within a 2 hour drive and a great track it should be packed...again it is about promotion...as Chairman of the BPG you have to reach out to the owners of the Buick websites to ask for their help. V8 buick.com sent out a mass e-mail..turbobuick.com made our event a sticky...promote...i did not get an e-mail or phone call to ask if the BPG could promote the event...I do it for all of those that ask....be available to answer questions about the event...good or bad...

 

[sackracing]

I went up, it was my first trip.

I agree on doing the show later in the day, we were trying to do both and ran out of time to dyno the car.

Sucks that we drove 6 hours each way to get rained out, but that's racing.

I had to choose between this and the NC event, but we have this Derby thing going on in Ky this weekend, so Ohio won out.

These events need a little spacing between them.

 

[scot w.]

I hate to say it and I have said it in the past..... There are just too many Buick events spread all across the states and people are choosing which ones to go to close to them whether the turn out is good or not. Look back in the 90's and tell me how many Buick events there were when the attendance was great.... What maybe 3? Now go to the Buick event section here and look and see how many you see...

ALL Buick events are loosing attendance every year and it is ultimately a combination of a bunch of things but I feel for the most part it's because there are so many events to choose from... If there were Only 3 Buick events instead of 10? I think all 3 would be like the 90's again....These are just what I fond here on this site

* Turbo Buicks at Old Town, FL Feb 24, 2013
* Norwalk April 26-28th
* TB.com Nationals, Burlington, NC, May 1-4th
* Carlisle GM nationals-Buick end of the event, June 21-23rd
* BPG event, Aug 2-3rd
* All american shootout, Aug 9-11th
* Shari Bonecutter Midwest Buick Challenge, Aug 23-25th
* Buick event @ Gateway, Sept 7-8th
* Buick GS Nationals, Sept 18-21st
* East coast Buick Regionals, Sept 20-21st
* Buick vs Ford at Noble, Oct 12th
* Reynolds event, Nov ??



Tons of things have already been tried over and over to draw more people to events and it just has not worked....
More money to racers (Done)
More/better advertising (Done)
Change up the event and allow other G-Bodies (Done)
Free for vendors (Done)
Etc. Etc. Etc...

I truly believe it boils down to loss of cars after all these years, Economy, and the main reason - too many events!

 

[HighPSI]

If you are a heads up racer, then only about 4 of those events listed count. In TSO, you have Piedmont, Norwalk, Columbus, and Bowling Green.

 

[sackracing]

St Louis is advertising tso, tsm and ths

 

[coach]

I agree with Scot. If I knew that every other month there was an event starting in May, it would make planning much easier and taking vacation time easier.
This year alone we had Norwalk and .com Nats on back to back weekends. That's at minimum $1500+ for me to attend both and race, plus 6-7 days of vacation with travel.
Maybe if we, as part of the Buick community, voted on 5 events to keep for the year and space them out, we could double or triple the attendance, right off the bat.
Of course, this will get battered and beaten as to why it won't work, well before its thought out.
Major problem is the amount of separate Buick clubs or groups who look at their show vs. the community as a whole.
I now only attend Norwalk, but hopefully BG and .com Nats are in my future. I used to go to Columbus BPG every year, but was told to stay home if I can't pass the proper tech, so that ones out.

 

[sackracing]

Gas prices aren't helping either.