Blue Suede Cruise Update.

[Toms63SSQB]

This is the latest news on the 2008 BSC at Norwalk raceway Park in Ohio as it pertains to us at 348-409.com. I received a pm from tommy Nolen [Real 61 SS] and he asked me if I wanted to contact a Goodguys organizer about us attending the BSC. I got the phone number from Tommy and called Bill Goodwill from the Goodguys. I explained to Phil how we had all gotten together for YEARS at the BSC and would it be possible for us to do it as a group this year also. Bill told me that it would NOT work unless we were a car club that helped run the event. I asked him what that would involve. He said that they[Goodguys] relied on local clubs to help them stage different parts of the event. Soooo, I volunteered us to help Goodguys with some car judging on Sat morning from 6am to just after lunch. We would not be doing the judging but helping to direct people where to park their car.This would not require everybody at the same time so we could work in shifts for a couple of hours each and we would be done. In return for helping them we would have a reserved or designated space for the weekend, as much space as we needed. We probably will not get a break on the admission to the event, I will get details on that part for a later posting. Now for the other shoe. Last year [2007] The NRP did not have insurance for the Fun runs and Summitt was sweating the thing all weekend long. Thank goodness nothing serious happened, except I never could get my 63 to hookup. This year what they are probably going to do is run 1/8 mile for cars that are not IHRA, NHRA or NSS approved. They are doing that to keep the speeds down. If you can pass the tech line you will be able to go the full 1/4 mile. I believe they are going to have a NSS event at the track that weekend. Goodguys are having a meeting with their insurance carrier later this month and I will have I hope all the details for the weekend by the end of this month. How does everybody that thinks their coming feel about this thing so far? If they do not have the fun runs I told Bill we probably would not be interested in attendig the event. Comments Please.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Dates?

Tom, thanks for the update and the effort associated with getting us to be "members in good standing" .

Given our past meetings, I would have to say fun runs are a must. I myself don't care if it's eighth mile only, but others might.

So this will be in September? Can you give us the proposed dates again, not that my calendar is full or anything.

Assuming that I can take off from school, I'll try to be there. Sounds like another fun time to be had in Norwalk!

Cheers,
TomK

 

[Toms63SSQB]

The dates for the BSC are September 5, 6, and 7

 

[Toms63SSQB]

http://www.good-guys.com/pdf/08-611/WeekHapsBlueSuede08.pdf

That is the Goodguys Itinerary for the BSC at Norwalk this fall. There will NOT be unlimited Fun Runs. We will have an obligation to help on Saturday if we want them to give us an area so we can all be together. We will still have to pay the going rate. It says no open containers but that is not enforced and I still do not know if we will be able to spend the night at the track like last year. This whole thing is starting to look not so good. this definitely will not be near as much fun as last year. Iam trying to get ahold of my contact person for the final say on if we can stay with our cars and campers together at nite. I do know they will not allow camping in the same area as the show cars, security reasons. Hopefully they will put show cars on the west side and the drag racers on the east side. The final word is coming very soon, this week I hope. In the meantime I am going to need to know who thinks they are coming. Any feedback on the Itinerary? My contact says there will be an organized major Nostalgia drag race that weekend, at least 200 cars. One last word for this post, if they say we can't stay overnight on the grounds at the track do we still want to do this? Look at the past posts for this event.

 

[rstreet]

Tom... Count Ann and I in again this year. Hopefully everone can be together
robert

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Changes...

That's a lot of change from last year. The best part of the event is sitting around with 20 guys watching old movies and personal videos on the side of Jim and Jim's big travel trailer . Plus when I have toooo much to guzzle, I just curl up in the bed of his trailer, a few feet away from my car. You can't beat that!

I'm marking my calendar and hoping things go back to the way they were. One problem (and I don't plan ahead real well...) is that the University is in session, and I always drive the car out and back, so there's two days plus the time we spend together. If I had internet access I can generally hold people off -- maybe I will need to get a room nearby and bring my laptop?

Keep us posted as things continue to develop. I enjoy the comraderie, and hope we can all get together again. Maybe I'll bring a different car, who knows?

TomK

 

[Fathead Racing]

I'm a racer not a car show guy. If we do not have access to the track and are not allowed to stay overnite that sounds like a car show to me. The fun for me is being able to run the track and compare time slips with the other racers. In the evening do a little grillin a little drinkin and a little bench racein. If we are not allowed to do that, count me out. :

 

[real61ss]

I've only been to the Goodguys at Charlotte but it's pretty much just a car show/cruise-in type thing. I think they closed the show and made everyone leave about 6 pm. Perhaps this one will be different.

 

[Quickshift409]

Blue Suede Cruise

I already sent in my Racer Registration so count me in. Hope they keep things about the same as last year. I would like to see a turnout like before, that was a great time.

 

[jim_ss409]

It looks like they will have some 1/8th mile fun runs but it doesn't look like they've committed much time to it.
It also sounds like there will be races. Maybe the guys that want to run down the track can sign up for the race.
If they're going to bring in racers I can't see them kicking them out at the end of each day. A lot of those guys have trailers or motor homes and usually stay at the track. Maybe they'll allow overnight parking on the pit side.
I also noticed... NO PETS I don't think Winston's gonna like that.
If we do decide to go with Norwalk I think it might be worthwhile to help out on Saturday so that we can park together.

 

[rstreet]

That's a lot of change from last year. The best part of the event is sitting around with 20 guys watching old movies and personal videos on the side of Jim and Jim's big travel trailer . Plus when I have toooo much to guzzle, I just curl up in the bed of his trailer, a few feet away from my car. You can't beat that!

I'm marking my calendar and hoping things go back to the way they were. One problem (and I don't plan ahead real well...) is that the University is in session, and I always drive the car out and back, so there's two days plus the time we spend together. If I had internet access I can generally hold people off -- maybe I will need to get a room nearby and bring my laptop?

Keep us posted as things continue to develop. I enjoy the comraderie, and hope we can all get together again. Maybe I'll bring a different car, who knows?

TomK

Tom.... Ann will have to stay in touch with her medical co. so she travels with an EVDO card for her laptop. You and her will be able to stay in touch with the outside world after all!!! You will just need Jim's trailer(or Denny's) to charge up. The rest of us don't care when we are with the group and with Ray's cooking
robert

 

[rstreet]

I think it might be worthwhile to help out on Saturday so that we can park together.

I can adjust my schedule if necessary to be there whenever necessary. And we know with my parking skills I take up two spaces anyway
robert

 

[Dick MacKenzie]

I also noticed... NO PETS I don't think Winston's gonna like that.

Winston isn't a pet! He's one of the guys! Just put a bow tie and bowler on him, they'll never know the difference.

BTW Jim, I just got the new issue of Super Chevy. Great article and great pics of you guys.

 

[jim_ss409]

I haven't seen the Super Chevy article yet. I'm hoping it'll get here soon.
Maybe I can get Winston a helmet and pass him off as a driver.

 

[rstreet]

rethinking Norwalk

I was thinking about Norwalk this morning after I posted. We all know that what we enjoyed last year will be difficult if not improbable to obtain with the format that BSC will be heading for as described by Tom. We enjoyed the late nights, enjoyed generally being "rafted" together and really enjoyed the quarter mile action Sat. by all of the active racers. I was trying to put that into this year's thinking and now I must say that the above fun just can't be there as it stands now. I wouldn't blame Steve,Carl, Denny,Jim,Allen and everyone else for not really being enthused about bringing the cars out when not sure of what to expect. Tommy Nolen has really summed the event up as I recall from being at a Pleasanton, CA. GoodGuys event. the organizer is about show cars and isn't equipped to do the race activities we also enjoy.
I would like to suggest a focus on an event similiar to last year at a suitable location and also for some of the members who know the proper people to bring in the "SuperChevy" type journalists to see the "stars and their cars". I don't mind if the event is a bit west of Norwalk to where the west coast members will be able to reasonable tow or to coordinate it after or before such an event that would be of interest to the racing members.
I don't mean to "ramble" because I always preach to my staff that a one page well written letter says more then a mega page article.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts guys
robert

 

[Toms63SSQB]

BSC Goodguys NOT

I am going to pull the plug on the 348-409 group getting together at Norwalk this fall at the Goodguys event. It just doesn't seem to be getting a lot of enthusiasm. We are going to need at least 20-30 members to show up to help with the event parking on Saturday and that really isn't setting too well with anybody. The Goodguys event isn't going to be ANYTHING like the BSC from last year, way too organized and for all practical purposes very little of the fun runs and only at some tbd time. I cannot pin this guy down to if we can even spend the night at the track. This is basically going to be a HUGE car show with some drag racing thrown in. Now with that being said, does anybody else out there want to try and have some sort of get together somewhere else? Iam all for that.

I personally will be going to the Goodguys event and hope to race in the nostalgia races. I only live 22 miles from the track If any body else is going to go we should try to get together, even if its only 3 or 4 of us.

 

[Dick MacKenzie]

I know June isn't far off but the Hot Rod Reunion is back in Bowling Green this year. I had a great time at Columbus last year. Plus there are lots of great cars to drool over.



Click the picture to go to the site.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Possibility

Hmmm. That is the weekend before I have to be in Chapel Hill, NC. I could drive there (Bowling Green, KY) then after that head to Carolina (assuming I don't blow her up!). No trailering for me, I like the freeway runs to these event .

Isn't BG where the Corvette Museum is? Sounds like a possibility, but is this more of a car show than a combination race/show event? Can you bring just plain ol' driver cars?

Best,
TomK

 

[jim_ss409]

Yeah, the Blue Suede Cruise doesn't sound like it's going to work.
I was at the Hot Rod Reunion last year when it was held in Ohio. It truly was a terrific event. I got to see a whole bunch of famous race cars from the 50's 60's and 70's. Many of the top 409 racers were there too. And they say that Bowling Green is a great setting. I'm going to be there.bang
The biggest problem is there's no chance we'd all get to park together. Some of us may get to park together if we get there early but it's hard to say for sure. That's not a huge problem though because we can just bring a chair and a beer and meet up somewhere for our evening bench racing sessions.
The other thing is there's no fun runs or test and tune runs. I think the only way to get onto the track is to enter into the racing.
If it's like Columbus, there's a car show going on as well. It's a great event, I'm not sure if it's EXACTLY right for our 348-409 get together, but it's pretty good.
I'm going to try and be in Bowling Green anyway, but if we come up with a better Idea for a get together I'll try to get there too.bang
Here's a link to some pictures from last years Hot Rod Reunion... http://gallery.competitionplus.com/main.php?g2_itemId=604795

 

[jim_ss409]

Tom, I've only been there once but I'd say it was more of a race event than a show event. But having said that I'd have to say it's also a pretty big car show. The car show seemed to be divided into two categories. They have a whole bunch of vintage race cars in one area and a general car show in another area. All of the cars seem to be from about 1973 and older. I think you can probably just enter your car into the general car show if you want to park in the pit area. Last year many of the show cars left at the end of each day but several stayed overnight.