Breaking news,Gasser Reunion.

[Fathead Racing]

Gasser Reunion will be held at Norwalk Raceway Park in 2010. This is the Email I received today.


Hi Ray,

It was great having your 409 group at the 2009 GASSER Reunion. Zap me your mailing address and I'll send you a copy of the recent issue that featured the event. Working on the DVD.

For 2010, we're moving to Norwalk (see attached image). We outgrew Thompson. Love the staff but we knew it was time to leave 'home'. Like teenagers sad about leaving home, if you're going to grow, you know you need to go.

We now have 250+ paved pit spaces with electricity, showers and room for everyone of the 409'ers.

Check out the attached image and give me a shout.

Ernest McIntyre, editor
GASSER Magazine
(520) 529-1423




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Regards, Ray
Fathead Racing.

 

[Fathead Racing]

More on Norwalk Gassers.

My reply and his followup.


Hi Ray,

We're not the Goodguys. The reception you received at Thompson will be duplicated and/or surpassed at the 2010 GASSER Reunion. Jim Curtis' approach to running an event and welcoming a group is our approach. I loved having the 409'ers at the GASSER Reunion. It took me back to the Sixties. I didn't want a stone crusher and a 409 was but a dream. I had to settle for 327s.

You're right---The mix of GASSERS and 409'ers was indeed like "carrots & peas". Whatever I can do to make the Norwalk-experience work for you and your group, I'll do. It's how we live our lives.

Magazine + in the mail tomorrow. I'm headed to the California Hot Rod Reunion at 1:30 AM! Bakersfield is a long drive from Tucson.

Ernest


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray" <paydayray@roadrunner.com>
To: "Ernest McIntyre" <ernestmcintyre@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:21:41 PM GMT -07:00 U.S. Mountain Time (Arizona)
Subject: Re: 2010 GASSER Reunion


Ernie.

It's great to hear from you. I'm disappointed to hear that Thompson Raceway Park will be losing the Gasser reunion for 2010. The Thompson raceway is my home track. I can only hope that the people at Norwalk are as accommodating as the good folks at Thompson. I have been in touch with Ken Edgar the owner of Thompson Raceway Park and he neglected to mention that the Gasser Reunion would not be returning for 2010. This puts a interesting spin on things. The 409 group elected to not hold their next meet at Norwalk due to the poor reception we encountered in 2008 at the Blue suede cruise. I hope they are more flexible with the Gasser group. To date the 348/409 club has been looking for a venue for our 2010 meet. The 409 race group, myself included, were really impressed with the Thompson track. The track prep made for some of the best times ever for quite a few racers! We were also thrilled with the almost unlimited access to the track for time trials. You have to tell me more about the schedule at the Norwalk track and how the 409 group will fit in. I will make this news available to the good members of 348/409.com. I have heard nothing but good things from my fellow racers about teaming up with the Gasser crowd, I think the 409 cars and the Gassers go together like "carrots and peas" I will be looking forward to reading the issue, thank you for your generous offer.

 

[Fathead Racing]

More on Norwalk.

Last Email, starting to sound interesting if we can get a lot of runs in! This doesn't necessarily mean that we would have to ride in with the Gassers, Maybe we could still go to Thompson but be the "Big Dogs" there!




"If it works for you, we'll reserve an "Area 409" for your group, including guys who bring their cars but don't intend on racing.

Mags + in the mail. Should reach you no later than Monday."

Ernie

 

[petepedlar]

Hey Ray...... stupid question from the west coast..... where the he!! is Norwalk????

Dave

 

[Dond409]

here it is!!!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=norwa...41.244772,-81.89209&spn=2.275694,3.504639&z=8

 

[jim_ss409]

Norwalk is about sixty miles west of Thompson. It's a big track with a ton of parking so room wouldn't be a problem.

I don't think Thompson, or any other track will do a weekend for our little group alone so we're probably going to be teamed up with some event no matter where we go. I think we fit in well with any kind of nostalgia event.

 

[dynoray]

No pesky gassers at any track.we fit in perfect with them! they loved the W engine cars!!! So much for the Thompson vote,i will really miss going back there,had a super time! we went to Norwalk in 07,it was good as well. i hope we can get something together for next year. Yes,and Jim Phantom409,Norwalk has a nice setup and there were gassers when we were there in 07,it worked out good right? also,the midwest Nostalgia group was there too.it was an excellent nostalgia weekend.we also made an unlimited amount of runs too!

 

[dq409]

2,402 miles east of of Portland !!!

KC is 1,838 miles,,

Bakersfield,,,,,, 858 miles !!!!!

 

[PAINTJOHN1]

No pesky gassers at any track.we fit in perfect with them! they loved the W engine cars!!! So much for the Thompson vote,i will really miss going back there,had a super time! we went to Norwalk in 07,it was good as well. i hope we can get something together for next year. Yes,and Jim Phantom409,Norwalk has a nice setup and there were gassers when we were there in 07,it worked out good right? also,the midwest Nostalgia group was there too.it was an excellent nostalgia weekend.we also made an unlimited amount of runs too!

I agree with Ray: The gassers were a perfect fit.The 348-409 group complimented the gasser program and gasser group fit well with our program..We both fit in,no getting in the way of or out doing each other.I feel that whatever track we go to,we should stick with the gasser group because it all worked so well.I prefer Thompson,but I'll go wherever to help make this get together another successful one. John

Thats my 2 cents and I'm stickin' to it. .

 

[MRHP]

I did not make it, but I would think we would be a great fit with gassers. Everybody likes gassers.And if you don't, keep quiet! I hopefully will have a gasser in my stable soon, so I am a little one sided on the subject.

 

[rstreet]

I attended the 2008 Norwalk event and observed some of what Ray referred to. But Ernest said in his first sentence "we're not the goodguys." I believe that Jim C is correct that we will have to be teamed up with somebody. As long as we have a "staging" area for our group we should be ok. I'm ready to go back to Thompson personally as I liked the area, the announcers and area accommodations. I do believe they had way more cars there than they anticipated. I wonder if that had something to do with the gassers decision?
robert

 

[dq409]

I did not make it, but I would think we would be a great fit with gassers. Everybody likes gassers.And if you don't, keep quiet! I hopefully will have a gasser in my stable soon, so I am a little one sided on the subject.

And a 409 powered GASSER is the ultimate Gasser !!!

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

Norwalk possibilities

I enjoyed both Norwalk (Blue Suede Cruise) and last year's Thompson event. I might have missed Ray's Norwalk announcement, but what were the dates?

Judging by the voting to date, those Ohio tracks seem to be favored, and it might be that we can have a second showing in the Fall of 2010 (right after Labor Day) at KC. Some of us will be able to make both. Some just one. I don't want it to fragment the group, but will go along with whatever everyone can do. I feel for you West Coast guys, both are a long way. Perhaps there's someplace out West for you guys, if someone puts that together?

I am in for either Thompson or Norwalk, they are both pretty close to Cleveland Hopkins Airport for those that want to fly in. I might try to put something together for KCIR as well. Again, not trying to diffuse things, just heat things up a bit. We should be able to get good numbers at both.

Cheers!
TomK

 

[dq409]

I feel for you West Coast guys, both are a long way. Perhaps there's someplace out West for you guys, if someone puts that together?
Cheers!
TomK

OK,,, so lets delete most of the states between us so we can be closer! Who needs Kansas, Wyoming or the Dakotas or any of those other waste land states anyways???

I don't know what the interest would be to have a West Coast event but there are many good races that we could grab on to.
Maybe a poll is due for a site this side of the Rockies!!!

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

I enjoyed both Norwalk (Blue Suede Cruise) and last year's Thompson event. I might have missed Ray's Norwalk announcement, but what were the dates?
Tom, the dates are July 2-3-4. One nice thing about Norwalk, tents are allowed in the camping area (for people on a budget), also they have showers.

 

[Dick MacKenzie]

I don't know what the interest would be to have a West Coast event but there are many good races that we could grab on to.
Maybe a poll is due for a site this side of the Rockies!!!

I going to be redundant here, I've said this before. The polls only give you an idea of where people want to go. You will find everyone wants to go to the closest place to their home (I would ). What makes things happen is someone talking charge and putting in the effort to make calls and arrangements with the event site manager like Ray and Jim did for the Thompson event. If you want a west coast event make it happen. I think it would be cool! It would give me an excuse to get on a plane and travel west for a few days.

 

[PAINTJOHN1]

Hey guys,this was just posted on the Gasser Meet at Norwalk.By the way,the Gasser Meet at Thompson with the help of our 348-409 guys was the #1 top 10 meet with under a thousand cars in the country.Pretty neet to have been a part of that. John

http://www.cruisintimes.org/cruisin...ts-park-norwalk&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

 

[Fathead Racing]

Give me time to organize!

Well guys, it's time to commit! I have to start making a list of racers and show cars that will commit to making the Norwalk 409 shootout the best ever. I don't think we will get a better offer for 2010 than the Gasser Magazines invitation to attend the Norwalk event as their guests. By teaming up with the gasser event all we have to do is show up, what better circumstances could we ask for? I have the editor of the Gasser Magazine Ernest McIntyre asking me for permission to include our group logo on the event Teeshirt right now if I let him know if we are committed, lets go! Those who will be attending let it be known by posting now so I can tell Ernest how many of us to expect. Looks like we can expect to make this an annual thing! Norwalk is a great track. This will be a "must be there event". bang

 

[rstreet]

John:
Thanks for that gasser find. We now know why the Gassers left Thompson. The facilities were overwhelmed. Remember the lines and remember the rig parking issues. The change is simply a business decision and that's all.
I personally don't believe that we are big enough to "be the card event" either even at Thompson. I also don't think we will have anywhere as big of a car count if we went to KC as we did at Thompson.
Two options appear to be available now. a) Join the Gassers at Norwalk b) Research a compatible group to go to Thompson with. Is there another group out there as Ray so appropriately phrased it "peas and carrots".
Dick is probably correct that there might have to be a west coast event teamed up with a west coast "peas and Carrots" compatible group and some of us may be fortunate enough to fly out. I know how long it takes to trailer something out west, even with a GPS(Ray), and our truck driving member will agree for sure.
Or we could rewrite history and geography as Washington is currently trying to do and eliminate some states/areas between us. DQ I'm still rolling at that one!!
robert

 

[Fathead Racing]

Jeeze Robert, you just beat me to the post today, my post should have been right after yours, It would have fit better! If we do in fact decide to make this years event at Norwalk with the Gassers we all need to either have a vote as to the logo I will submit to Ernest to place on the event teeshirt or you all can leave that up to me? Let me know. Let's make this happen!