REGISTRATION and TRACK FACTS

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
Our original Convention thread is so long now, a lot of important information is now buried and hard to find. I'm starting this thread so we can outline information on the registration process and info about the layout of the race track. I'm going to put some letters or info in capital letters because I feel it's important. Please read the info carefully.

http://www.348409natlconv2.com/

REGISTRATION: I stated before that I'm trying to keep the registration as simple as possible. Probably all registrations will be guys so I'll direct the conversation to that point.
The registration for this event is $130 and that includes the Sunday Brunch ticket. If your wife and any child 21 years or younger that come with you...there is no extra charge unless they want to attend the Sunday Brunch and then the fee for that is $25 for each person. I am charged by the plate so that is why this additional fee is required. All registered participants will be issued a plastic 348 409 National Convention wrist band at the registration tent. At the registration tent...we will encourage you to put them on then and wear them all weekend. We will be able to recognize each other that way. YOU MUST WEAR THE WRIST BAND TO GET INTO THE SUNDAY BRUNCH. We will have a couple of guys at the door to make sure everyone that enters has their wrist band ON. SORRY...NO EXCEPTIONS. In 2004, I did not have any banquet police officers checking this...I guess I'm too trusting...but after that banquet I have to pay for about 25 extra meals that I had not been paid for. Please remember to do this. You have to be a registered participant to attend the Sunday Brunch. No exceptions for this also. There are no restrictions on cars.....you don't need to bring one or you can bring 5!! I don't care...we are not going to police something like this!!!

If you chose to race, you will need to purchase a tech card from the track and it is $25 per day. Obviously, if you don't race...it will not be needed.

REGISTRATIONS.......I hope the website will be fully functional. It's been a slow process. I'm asking everyone to just download the form and fill it out and either list your credit card information or just enclose a personal check. And please do it as soon as possible. I HAVE TO HAVE ALL REGISTRATIONS IN MY POSSESION BY SAT., SEPT 20 so I can process them. I will probably be in Great Bend and will not have access to my shop computer. If you can't have it to me by the 20th, we will take your registration at our tent. BUT THE EARLY REGISTRATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY WILL BE ATTENDUNG THE SUNDAY BRUNCH. We can adjust a little at the last minute but that isn't fair to the caterer and I would rather not pay for 50 more meals that we need!!!

Registration tent: We will have the event t-shirts and embroidered ball caps for sale. The dual 4 409 t-shirts will be available in ash and black and the Hayden profit t-shirt will be available in ash. We will have red, black and tan ball caps for sale also. Hayden will have some pictures that he sells and autographs. We will have remote credit card machines for any purchases that you want to make.

SRCA RACE TRACK: The track is run by all volunteers. They only have 4 forms of income...the gate, the NHRA tech cards, concession stand and they rent out pit stalls to the local racers on an annual basis. The gate is self-explanatory. They are giving us a $20 3-day pass. You will pay them as you enter. The concession stand is food and drinks that you buy. If you race, then the $25 per day tech card will need to be purchased.
The rented pit stalls is a little more difficult. All racers and show cars in trailers..proceed straight south to the second runway which is the pits. Turn right (west) and about half way down the pits on the north side...you will see the ET shack and scales. The numbered pits stop about there. We can park in any pit WITHOUT A NUMBER PAINTED IN IT. WE CAN NOT PARK IN ANY PIT THAT DOES HAVE A NUMBER PAINTED IN IT!!!! We will mostly have the whole west half of the pits. I will try to have someone at the entrance to help guide you thru the process.

SWAP MEET: For the racers and show cars that park in the pits, feel free to have parts at your pit stall. For all others bringing cars or parts for sale, we will park you in the grass between the race track and the pits and probably closer to the grandstand stands so you should have more people visit your space. Pickups with 18' foot or so trailers are acceptable. NO COMMERCIAL TRUCKS OR TRAILERS WILL BE ALLOWED. Swap meet vendors will need to be registered like every one else.

GOLF CART RENTALS: Golf carts will be available for rent. The rate I was quoted was $35 per day. Jacobs Golf Carts...620-793-5803. I'm not sure how they will handle the transaction for each individual but I will call them tomorrow and see what they suggest. Pat...409newby..said they told him today that we may need a sticker from the race track. I will check on that also.

CONVENTION DVDs: Well, I finalized the contracts for the Convention DVDs today!!!! This is by far the largest expense of this whole event!! It's the same company that did it for me in 2004. Those of you that have that DVD will know what I mean. Their customers include ESPN when they come to town, The KC Royals, and YEN.......Yankees Entertainment Network!!
We will have 2 camera men on site all 3 days. The film they use is all high definition this time. We will try to capture everything possible. The racing of course, the Sunday Brunch, all the cars at the event, we will have interviews with car owners and attendees. Not to mention any names but the Kiwis from down under are prime targets!!!!
The 2004 Convention was a "static" display.....meaning the cars were just parked in the motel parking lot for a couple of days and then the big day at the KCI Expo Center. That DVD is 1 1/2 hours long with the last 30 minutes being the seminar that Lamar put on for us. This year will be much more action packed. When I talked with the producer this morning, he said we can get 2 1/2 hours of film on a single DVD. After editing, if needed, we might need a 2-pack set. The price stays the same.
Like in 2004, registered participants will have a form that they can fill out and prepay and the DVD will be sent at no charge. I will offer the same to members of the forum. This obviously helps me greatly. The DVDs should be ready to ship in 4 to 6 weeks. Just in time for your own Christmas present!!!

The 2004 DVDs sold for $39.95 so obviously inflation and prices have escalated. This year will have raised our price to $40.00!!!!!!!!!! I just like round numbers better. I want to keep this real simple for the forum members that can't attend. The 2014 DVD is $40 and if you want a $2004 DVD also, it is just $20. Just PayPal me either $40 or $60 and I will know what you want. PayPal will have your shipping address so I will have all I need. The cutoff date for ordering these on line will be Fri., Oct.3...the week after the Convention. Just email your PayPal payment to 348409natlconv2@turnkeymail.com. If you live in Missouri, you must add 5.6% sales tax.

I'm hoping to make this event as much fun as possible!!!! I'm sure I am leaving some information out but if I do...I will add it back to this post. I want to keep all the important information in one place. If you have any pertinent questions, please ask. I want to keep this thread "clean" and just stick with what we are discussing here. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!
 
Last edited:

jbschneeweis

Well Known Member
Thanks for the good info Phil. Looks like I jumped the gun on the registration form & downloaded it when it had the 2 different prices on it. I mailed it in on 8/16/14 & only paid the $125.00 rate plus 2 additional banquet tickets. So I owe you an additional $5.00 for registration. Do you want me to mail you the additional $5.00 or can I pay it to you when we arrive? Also is the banquet & brunch the same thing? Can we purchase additional brunch tickets there if needed. I have some friends coming down from Chicago who I might need to buy some tickets for. Thanks.

Joel
 

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
As I write this, I'm still receiving calls and emails about friends not wanting to pay the registration fee. One long time friend told me his friend was not really a 409 guy but just wanted to come anyway.

In setting this Convention up, I had to come up with a certain number of registrations that I thought would be realistic and divided that number into the costs involved with this event. It's not right to print private information in such a public place but the costs to do this event are into 5 figures. So much is spent on things you probably never imagine. I set up an LLC to keep this separate from my main business. That was a good chunk of change. Everybody likes to pay with credit cards now so that took a different machine at the shop and renting 3 wireless remotes to have at the registration booth for registrations, t-shirt and hat sales. That amount was $525. There are a lot of these kind of amounts that I've paid. The registration fee of $130 will not support the costs of doing this unless I have an unbelievable amount of persons showing up. I'm picking up just about $5000 worth of t-shirts and ball caps this week which we will sell trying to help cover our fixed costs. This isn't necessarily about the money.....I will be ecstatic if I come close to breaking even!!! This is a labor of love for the many friends I've met in this business and thru the forum for our fabled W engines.

The bottom line is...I feel we will have a special event, that may never be repeated...at least by me, that will have value to every attendee, whether they have a 348 or 409 or not. As I stated early on...I'm hoping to have the largest number of 348 and 409 cars in one place in the last century!! All that depends on the registrations. I realize some are bringing friends to help with the driving or just want to come and see what the weekend is all about. Hopefully they will go home becoming 348 and 409 fans or just glad they made the trip. It's just like 3 or 4 guys jumping in the car and going to an NHRA or NASCAR race....you don't get in by just having the driver pay. Believe me...I'm no NHRA or NASCAR promoter....I'm just an individual who has loved the 348 409 business for many years!!! I hosted the first Convention in 2004 and never heard one negative comment about the event. If you go back and search all the threads about replacing Thompson this year....you could not get a consensus on where to have the event or even when. That's when Candy and I decided we would have one more. I still believe in the idea concept of togetherness. That's the main reason for hosting the Sunday Brunch. We are an internet family and while we may get to meet other members are local events.........the concept of a National Convention will get the most people together to further cement a lot of friendships. This is meant to be a special weekend for everyone.
I realize that the local crowd that comes to the track will pay the gate fee to SCRA and will be free to wander the whole track. Hopefully, they can meet some of us and get to know what we are all about and maybe become members of 348-409.com. But I don't have any control over that. I know Bill's friends from Chicago.......we sat right across from them at dinner at Dyersville, IA last summer. I don't expect them to register. But on the other hand, our Sunday brunch is for us......and that means those who have paid the registration fee. If everyone showed up with a friend or two and just wanted to pay the $25 brunch ticket.....this will quickly turn into a financial disaster!!! If someone can not come because of this....I'm sorry but I will understand your decision.

I hope this gives clarity to this issue. If not, please contact me.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in about 4 weeks!!!!

Phil
 

61BUBBLE348

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
Phil, this will be the event everyone will be talking about for years to come, I know I will be.

Christ, I am traveling 9,375 miles one way just to be there, what's a couple of hundred bucks per entry.

My only issue is I won't be in a 348 or 409 car, I will be in some shit box hire car, but either way I am going to have a bunch of fun.

See you all soon.

cheers
 

Dick MacKenzie

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
As I write this, I'm still receiving calls and emails about friends not wanting to pay the registration fee. One long time friend told me his friend was not really a 409 guy but just wanted to come anyway.


ranton.gif

I don't know how you deal with this situation without being rude! On one hand the guy can just not come to the Sunday portion of the event (ok, he's not a 348/409 guy), he can come to the track and see everything that will go on that weekend and I'm sure he'll have a wonderful time. On the other hand he wants to hang out with his buddy who is a 348/409 guy but doesn't want to pay the registration cost yet enjoy everything his 348/409 buddy gets.

You know! I like the logic behind that! The next time Joanne wants to go to the movies and picks something like 'The bridges of Madison County' I think I'll tell the lady in the ticket booth " I'm not into this kind of movie, I'm just here because my wife wants to see it! I'm going to sleep through 90 % of it anyway. :bore3 You shouldn't charge me to come in and sit with my wife!" :D Do you think that will fly?

I'm sure we all have friends coming who aren't died in the wool "W" engine fans like we are. My buddy, Skip, is making every effort to arrange his work schedule, family schedule and be able to be there with us and he has never owned a 348 or 409 powered car in his life! He's been at every Thompson event and loved them all that's why he's working so hard to make Great bend.

Come on guys! This is no small time event and the expense to get it going in not insignificant. Don't let your friends be cheapskates. They will have a ball!!
rantoff.gif
 

Eric Kozmic

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
Phil - Just e-mailed you the Registration form (to the address on the site) and used PayPal.

Can't wait to see & meet everyone later this month.

I'll be arriving sometime Thursday afternoon and will be sure to have some cold ones ready to go!
 

Iowa 409 Guy

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
Quoting Phil: "The bottom line is...I feel we will have a special event, that may never be repeated...at least by me, that will have value to every attendee, whether they have a 348 or 409 or not. As I stated early on...I'm hoping to have the largest number of 348 and 409 cars in one place in the last century!! All that depends on the registrations. I realize some are bringing friends to help with the driving or just want to come and see what the weekend is all about. Hopefully they will go home becoming 348 and 409 fans or just glad they made the trip."

Like Phil states above..."a special event, that may never be repeated.......I'm hoping to have the largest number of 348 and 409 cars in one place in the last century!!"

That is exactly what this is, and will never be repeated as he says.

Phil, I appreciate all the work Candy and you are doing to pull this together and hope you don't loose your a$$. You get what you pay for and I certainly hope people pony up the registration fee and go home happy they helped be a part of making this once in a life time event happen.
 

CASHguzzler409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
Thanks Phil for your setting up this " Once in a LIFETIME" " W " event, its not just your hard work we love, but your devotion to the 348-409 Forum and its
members. I just can't wait to meet everyone who attends.
:love1
 

awsumcars

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
Ditto here.....I'd like to see the whiners try to set up an event like this (then you'd see some real whining). Stupid ? How do I get the registration form?

Joel 2
 

Eric Kozmic

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 8
http://www.348409natlconv2.com/

Down about 1/2 page, there's a "REGISTRATION" button.

Hit the "MORE" button underneath.

From there, you can either print & mail (using snail mail) or save it as a "Word" doc & e-mail to Phil.

Either method was pretty simple.

I used PayPal for registering and a receipt is e-mailed to your inbox.

Phil couldn't have made it any easier. Thanks Phil!!
 

awsumcars

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
Thanks Eric....nothin' like a little patience and a little "help from your friends. I'm in and stoked.
 

Nuts

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Some more facts about the track for us staying at the track in RVs or other campers. Some of this may have been posted before but I thought an update was needed.

The PIT area is all paved. As posted before if the spot has a number it is rented for the season an not available. All pits have access to electricity there is a least plug in for 110. Some have 30 amp plugs and very limited 50 amp are available. There is a dump station with potable water at the track but not dumps in the pits. In addition to the PIT area there are two large grassy camping areas that also have electricity. One of these will not be available if it is wet (must flood ?) There are one or two "Bath Houses" he called them with showers, sinks and toilets he made these sound like they are well maintained and enclosed. So that will save me some embarrassments, no need to hang a bag off the back of the RV and shower in front of everyone. The dump station is close to the grass area if needed while you are there.

I have heard some talk about golf carts ? He said the track does not have carts and makes no arrangements for them. If Phil has done this he (Hank) knew nothing about them.

Not sure how all or any of this RV parking relates to what Phil has arranged for with the track and I hope I'm not throwing a wrench in the works !!!! :crazy:doh I can tell you they are very excited to have us coming and are looking forward to the event. I will be there a day early to help Phil with some stuff so if you have other questions about the camping give me a PM or call.

Getting Excited !!!
Bill and Linda
 

Nuts

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Speaking of helping Phil !!! As posted prior, we are looking for a couple of people who could come in a day early so that we can put some cars out at the local dealerships to promote the 348-409 International Convention. Race cars or show cars, if you could be available please PM me.

Getting close so help if you can
Bill
 

pvs409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
I will be there thursday afternoon with my 62 SS 409 Hardtop. which day and approximate time ?
Paul Stensland
 

MRHP

 
Supporting Member 1
I will be there Thursday, God willing. Let me know how to help. I can furnish my cell number to anyone involved so you can get a hold of me.
 

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
TROPHYS!!!!! Just picked them up today!!!!
Someone will go home with 2 of these!!! Trying to get Fatride off his Harley, postpone his Florida trip until next spring and bring the 60 to Great Bend!!!!

The 2 red trophys are for the class winners in HR1 and HR2. Those 2 winners will run for the Grand Champion trophy. I wanted something special and worked with the lady at the trophy shop. The cars they have on top are 32 Ford roadster, Honda Civic or some junk like that. None fit what we are. So......I still had a trophy that I won at Manhattan (KS) Raceway Park in probably 1967 with my 66 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. I have always saved it because of the car on top!!!! It resembles a 61 Impala bubbletop!!!!!! So I am donating my old trophy along with a set of cross flags from that trophy that we mounted on the backside.

I'm really happy with the results!!! Hope you all like them too!!!convtrophys1.jpg convtrophys2.jpg convtrophys3.jpg convtrophys4.jpg convtrophys5.jpg
 

k9hotrodder409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 15
VERY NICE PHIL !!!!!!

Too bad I can't run anymore (NEW HIP & ALL ) I would love to take one of them home for my antiquated trophy collection.:cool:
:crazy:dance3:flag
 
Top