pay out @ BG

[HRpartsNstuff]

Talking to some at Norwalk, there still seems to be some skepticism on the sponsor money in = prize money paid out (#1 in above post of mine). I said there was a lot less paid in than I thought because at first I looked at the sponsor list on the board & went from that for figuring (fuzzy logic) sponsor input. Well, after looking at the PROGRAM that was distributed at the Nat's, I see that there WAS a lot less that actually paid in to be a sponsor. Also, take into account that Red and Special Additions had half of theirs going to specific classes (on top of their std payouts) and Cals went directly to the racers, that left even less to be split up among all the classes. The jackets ate up just over half it seems, and the rest WAS paid out. I see NO ripping-off, pocket stuffing, etc from sponsor money paid in, and satisfied I got MY moneys worth for my sponsorship dollars, which was MY main concern from the start. I believe they took other money to cover the trophies & plaques & anything else associated with prizes, on top of sponsor money paid in.

This is what they said they were doing, and the way they do it & the way it's been done, right or wrong, and most everyone knew it before going. I personally couldn't believe something like this wasn't noticed in advance & corrected BEFORE it got to this point, regardless of actual sponsor support this year, but stuff happens. Nobody's perfect, and I get so busy I miss stuff too. It's what happens afterwards that shows the integrity & objectives IMO.

However, I DO agree with many others that for an event that big and that established, there should be a much better payout REGARDLESS of sponsor input. Other MUCH SMALLER events pay out quite a bit with hardly any sponsor money, and are still profitable. I believe doing this would GREATLY increase attendance, and also think a LOT more would respect the upper management of the club for supporting the racers more. BUT, that's just my opinion (and what I hear from a LOT of others), and is not up to me to decide.

Buick enthusiasts CRAVE a club/event they can be PROUD to be associated with & PROUD to support, not just events they plan to attend or not attend. It's also a feeling of being appreciated, rather than taken advantage of. Whether or not it is really happening doesn't matter, it's how the racers & members FEEL about it, based on what happens & what they see/hear. Some will always go to & support the Nat's, some will just go because it's fun, and some will protest/boycott & do whatever it takes to NOT support it. I just hope things are done to get more to support it, and not things that drive more people away.

PS- Now that you mention it, it DOES seem silly to pay an entry fee that is more than the possible winnings! But you have to keep in mind (after thinking about it a little more), most other "paying" races & events only rent the track for that day or maybe that weekend to offer the higher payouts. If you look at the Tues-Thurs fees as Test &Tune time, and Fri-Sat fees for the Racing, then it looks more in-line (on regular years of the event like '00-'04). Still not what any of us would like to see, but not as drastic as some would like to make it look. Got a million ways to look at all this & I sure don't have all the info or answers I personally try to go to as many as I can, and know up front what I get (or hope to get) for my money. Whether it be friends, fun & sun, OR enemies, pain & rain

 

[Race Jace]

Having won the TSM class a few years i will say this, I recieved one of these jackets one of the years i won and I absolutely love the jacket. it last much longer than the money would and it is like a trophie you can wear. Cal also has one of these jackets when he won the "bad to the bone" class. He loves his jacket too.

The payouts have always been this low. (around $500)

I do not go there for the payouts. I go there because of the same reasons paul mentioned, mostly for the people. I am just glad that i have the opertunity to sell enough parts that i can break even each year and also like paul am happy with every satisified customer. There is no greater feeling than when a guy loves your product.

I am just happy that there is such an event where i get to see all my friends (and their wives...lol)

 

[BobbyBuick]

I am just happy that there is such an event where i get to see all my friends (and their wives...lol)

WHOSWIVES???????

 

[Race Jace]

WHOSWIVES???????

were you there this year Bobby?..... , I don't remember seeing you...lol

 

[Quint]

I don't get a lot of time to post on the boards like I used to, so I try to cover a LOT at one time. I am also posting this in multiple places to address several points from several people, which should help us ALL.

First, let me say I LOVE the GS CA Nat's in BG, mostly for the area, the people, and the history. Couldn't imagine life without it. But, after hearing what the payouts were (dinner Sat after the event), I was so furious Dave said I was shaking! Appauled is another description, just couldn't believe it!! Those figures are more than a slap in the face, NOT "prize" winnings. Even at double that, it would have been a dissapointment, but possibly understood with lower support/turnout... but....

Here is a list of sponsors that should have been on-board for the Nat's, posted on the GS CA website:

http://p066.ezboard.com/fbuickgsclubofamericafrm10.showMessage?topicID=125.topic

Count them, there are 34 at that time, might have been more! Now here is where the "guessing" comes in on my part, and hopefully don't create any enimies Let's do the math best I can from my perspective:

Lets say only 1 title sponsor, maybe turbobuicks/special additions @ $1000 ea = $1000
Note: Red Armstrong (Quad Air) put in $1000 for his class, Cal Hartline put in $500 for his class, will leave both out here for easy math for OTHER class payouts.
Say 10 major sponsors (including me) @ $500 ea = $5000
Say the rest were ONLY $250 sponsors (min to be sponsor) = 21 left = $5250
Well, that's $11,250 JUST FROM SPONSORSHIP, and doesn't count ANY money from entry fees, membership dues, etc.

Now lets look at the classes in '06:

http://www.gsnationals.com/gs_nationals_2006_results.htm

I get 16 classes not counting Red's class he took care of himself. I believe Cal ADDED to his, so I counted it in here thinking it had the std payout like other classes. Well, the average class payout was something like $230-$260 (can't seem to find accurate info). Take the high number, $260, times 16 classes, and I get $4,160.

Call me crazy (or PLEASE correct me if I am wrong here), but that's about 1/3 of the sponsor money put in, which was for this SOLE purpose to provide payouts. The people doing the work are volunteers, and the other money from racer entries/etc cover the rest of expenses (and then some). Me personally, as a paying sponsor, want to know why it ALL wasn't passed onto the racers???? Triple the payouts given (like should be in this scenario), and that is what I would expect from a lower turnout year like '06. What WAS given out this year was a HUGE INSULT to us all, and I want to know where my (sponsors) money went !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't see the 95%+ that was quoted in post above going out to the racers!

I also stand firm with Cal's view. I won't be putting up anything or maybe the bare minimum for sponsorship in '07, UNLESS I KNOW IT ALL WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE RACERS! At other events like BPG & Indy & probably many other smaller ones, the prize money is set BEFORE any sponsors get on board. Comparing the Nats to the BPG (since been around a couple years now), the BPG is maybe 1/4 the size of the nats, and paid out like $14,000 in prize monies with very little sponsorship, and the event STILL MADE MONEY! So, if less sponsors & people participate in '07, the payouts will get even lower?? Even though it's still a bigger event (by far) than the other events out there?? Doesn't sound remotely fair to me. Cal's input was, like others here, trying to HELP. His "copy" of last years list just shows that in looking for MORE sponsorship, the ones from previous year weren't all contacted or involved this year, let alone more or new ones.

This is where the "NOT for profit" clubs shine for racers/members, and the "FOR profit" clubs don't do as much for the racers/members. That's the way it is, unless some of the richer racers/members want to get together & purchase the club from it's present owners, or start their own club like BPG or Indy. Then it IS harder to get sponsors like us to give up money for ALL the events. We DO support all we can with ALL the events we can, but it is tighter & harder to do with so many. Still, glad people take the effort to start up new clubs/events & will support them because they give back to the racers/members more.

Also, couple things that contributed to this years lower payouts etc that were overlooked.
Rick Jegl took over for John Chamberlain with Sponsor issues. He did OK, but being his first year, he did miss a LOT of people & companies that could have helped. Look at bigger events like the PRO fastest street car series. They get BIG names like Edelbrock, NOS, etc, and seen others like Pepsi, insurance companies, etc. We SURE DON'T have to rely on us "little" companies to support the events! The big guys can toss out a couple grand like cookie crumbs for good exposure. They pay for spots in the programs, be on announcements, be on banners, etc. There is a TON being left on the table when you look at the big picture IMO. Can only get better from here!

Also, in the past, I was kinda working with John Chamberlain (great guy!) on his idea of combining the 5 bracket classes to say 3. There aren't too many cars filling up the lanes like the old days, so it shouldn't be a problem & might even help logistically. This would provide higher payouts for the 3, vs spreading it over the 5 now. Of course if they are just deleted to make the money divided into 14 classes instead of 16 classes, then it will be for nothing. The payouts shouldn't be even anyway! Why would brkt 5 pay same as quick 16? What motivation would people have to run an expensive fast car, vs their 15 sec daily driver??? Not right for any event. If x dollars goes to 5 brkt classes, then split x dollars between 3 brt classes, then it's a good thing IMO. That & many other ideas not being used to help the event out is probably why John is doing Indy now instead of the Nat's. He is ALL FOR the racers/members.

Indy (and other) events ask for racers help for sponsor ideas/dollars, cause it helps YOU, the racer! It's like networking, you may know a local business or BIG business than can chip-in to help & get advertising benefit from it. Only makes sense to ask & hope people do a little effort to help (themselves) out. Yes, it's not your "job" to do that, but people doing it for the events are volunteers, and it's not really their job either! Doesn't take a lot of effort per person, and if a few do a little, it would payoff huge! The Nat's should NEVER have to go to min car fields for payouts, unless some of the entry fees go to the payouts (which should be EASY to do). There could easily be $1000's per class & still make tons of money counting entry fees etc IMO, do the math. If BPG can do 14k at their size, guessing the Nat's could give out $40k & still make money! $4-5k is an insult, and a LOT of us are feelin it

I am probably madder about all this than anyone, and haven't seen any numbers to show me differently. I'm sure it will all come to pass & get sorted out. Maybe it's just a clerical error, and checks for the balance can be sent out to the winners & RU's ??? Either way, it should be better in '07 with either the help from racers, new sponsor coordinater having more time to get it together, sponsors taking matters into their own hands to fix, and/or closer view of the numbers. I'm sure people will start to choose between the BPG, Indy, and Nat's (& other events) since we all can't go to them all. There should be enough to go around, and people will pick & choose for many reasons. Hope to keep seeing everyone at as many as possible.

PS- On a lighter (kinda) note, I met Tom Smith & his boys (blue dump truck & TR) at the Nat's too. He was having trouble with the car going straight & sounded unsafe to me. He got a swaybar from us to correct it, and I helped make sure they installed it (in a hurry) at the track to get running again. He came back & said it was still all over the place & wouldn't go straight. Went over & looked at what he had going, and found the previous owner put the south side lowers on it, and the brackets were bolted in place WAY off from each other. That put the rear sideways in the car, and it would never go straight or safe likt that. Also, his uppers were stock with dry-rotted stock bushings. Not good enough for the low 11's high 10's. He then got the rest of our kit, adj uppers & new lowers. I helped a little when they put that stuff on & checked pinion angle & stuff. Next pass, straight as an arrow, safe, and faster! That & all the other great comments we received there is what makes it all worth while for us. It is a HUGE expense for sponsors/vendors to make the trip and not be at the shop making parts or shipping stuff. Just ask the ones that didn't come!
When I heard his dad passed away & they would be leaving soon, I felt terrible. He was just so glad we got the car sorted out so fast & they could finally enjoy it. Made their short trip to the nat's a good (and well worth) one. God Bless Tom & family during this hardship.

PS- Seen a LOT of cars in the finals (in MANY classes) with our Swaybar/susp parts! Congrats to ALL! If you got any pics & info, GET THEM TO US !!!!!! We will be printing an updated catalog soon, and adding stuff to our new site all the time! Would like to include you too!

you know, Conleys performance is actually putting some of your poduct into the rear of my car for better traction and stability. Thanks for the info.

 

[HRpartsNstuff]

you know, Conleys performance is actually putting some of your poduct into the rear of my car for better traction and stability. Thanks for the info.

THANKS! You should LOVE IT! Make sure you get the directions that came with it too, they have tuning tips & info that might come in handy. Eventually it will all be available online, but you can also e-mail me for any paperwork you might need too.
===============


I think I saw Bob there too... when I went over to talk to Annette
Gorgeous, great personality, AND into Buicks! Bob, you DEFINITELY got a keeper there!!!!
Great to see both of you as always! Sorry I forgot to stick the sign on your back this year She has to wear those Turbo earrings more often though

Bob, we might take Sun off after Indy show (July 2nd) and do something on way back home. Thinking maybe Wright Paterson Airforce Base tour, or??? Figured that was your neck of the woods, got any suggestions? If you guys want to get together (maybe more from OH area?) for lunch/dinner/etc, let us know!

 

[bishir]

Ya'll need to get everything ironed out for my sake. I LOVE these cars and I've never been able to attend BG and next year will be my first!

I have no problem with BG being a capitalistic adventure, but whoever is running the adventure better realize the first rule of a buisness: The customer comes first regardless if the customer is right or wrong.