BG turnout

Under Pressure · #1 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2007, 09:15 PM

if you ask me it was about half the crowd as last year. opinions?

sack himself · #2 (**permalink**) May 19th, 2007, 11:12 PM

we debated that all weekend, i thought it was a poor turnout. there was plenty of heads up cars, but the bracket turnout was low, the pits had lots of empty spaces and the stands were not nearly as full as usual. The vendor turnout was especially poor.

vader87 · #3 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 01:13 AM

I was afraid of that! By the time I get to go to one, 2009, there will not be anymore.

TURBO 6 · #4 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 08:56 AM

My fourth year going and it didn't seem to be a poor turnout at all. The vendors and the swap meet wasn't what it used to be.

chris2316 · #5 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 10:33 AM

I Think It Was Definitely Off!

scot w. · #6 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 03:23 PM

On thursday there was deffinatly not as many people there as last year on thurs. It was like a goast town and we got there at 1:00 and were charged $20 to get in and then find out they shut the racing down at 4:00, That sucked! and the food prices are down right ridiculous! $4.00 for a soy bean hamburger! yuk! The leat the vendors could do is use regular hamburger meat!and not as many vendors as in the years past. This may be the last time for me going to BG. .....................

jdpolzin · #7 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 04:05 PM

That really sucks!!! I havent had a chance to go yet. Hopefully there will be one next year! The vendors and the prices of their products definately have an effect on turnouts of the crowd. You would think the growing popularity of our cars would bring more of a crowd to an event like this one?!

Mike Licht · #8 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 04:13 PM

wed and thus were way down. We had 290 at the tech session thursday night which was also a bit down from about 350 last year but there was a fish fry going on at the track that night too at the camp ground that quite a few attended. Friday and Sat were close to last year IMO. We has lots of traffic in our vendor display but vendor count was way off. We will need to give serious thought to coming back if this trend continues. we will likely attend a few other events as spectators or with the race car to see if there may be a good alternative.
Mike

jdpolzin · #9 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 04:23 PM

Mike, please dont give up on us guys!! You are one of our major vendors, we need as many as we can get!! ------Jeremy

Quiky One · #10 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Licht

wed and thus were way down. We had 290 at the tech session thursday night which was also a bit down from about 350 last year but there was a fish fry going on at the track that night too at the camp ground that quite a few attended. Friday and Sat were close to last year IMO. We has lots of traffic in our vendor display but vendor count was way off. We will need to give serious thought to coming back if this trend continues. we will likely attend a few other events as spectators or with the race car to see if there may be a good alternative.
Mike

I attended but never shook your hand! Every time I walked by you were helping someone or selling a part.

My dad and I were talking about the turnout and we both agreed the turnout was lower but the people there seemed genuinly enthused.

Jason

2QUIK6 · #11 (**permalink**) May 20th, 2007, 08:33 PM

My first year was the 25th anniversary year, so the 2 years following that were not quite like the 25th, but to me the last 2 yeasr 26th and 27th seemed about the same attendance wise.
Many thanks Mike for the great tech sessions!

d0n_3d · #12 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 12:35 PM

Attendance was indeed down from the previous 2 years...too bad because we had GREAT weather almost the entire week.

GSX-PKV · #13 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 12:58 PM

This was our 19th GS Nationals and we thought it was perfect! I first took my WE4 there in 89 and it was fun, but in the 90's it was too crowded to get any runs in. Many of those Buick owners have traded in their cars and moved on to the new "flavor of the month" car wise, leaving true blue Buick fans left to enjoy the event. This was just right, size wise. Everyone there I spoke with was having a great time.

Vendors will always become few and far between because you can order anything you want online. Swap area parts people can sell their stuff on ebay with less hassle and they can get more money so that's going to also be something you see less and less of. At last years Buick Horepower Indy event there were no vendors to speak of and no one selling used parts so the Nationals is like a shopping mall compared to that.

Dusty Bradford · #14 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 01:01 PM

I can remember having to get into staging and wait for over an hour to run. This year the staging was barely backed up to the turn in the lanes. I'd say turnout was way down.

mec108 · #15 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 01:44 PM

I thought this year was going to be "THE BIGGEST BEST EVER"

JayC · #16 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mec108

I thought this year was going to be "THE BIGGEST BEST EVER"

It always is.. every year. Just wait.

sack himself · #17 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 02:48 PM

gas prices probably didn't help any either, but i fear that the whole community is slowly dying out. the hardcore people will always be there but the fringe people probably won't be back.

BillyRValentine · #18 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 04:01 PM

Everyone is a critic.

It doesn't have to be the biggest, all that it needs to be is a wonderful venue for folks to have a good time at. I would venture to say for the amount of folks there vs. the amount of complaints actually voiced that it must have been a pretty decent event. I saw some folks in person for the first time and got to meet some pretty cool cats even after starting out on the wrong foot (I owe you a few beers Jason W.). I got to meet Shane, Patrick, Melissa (Grumps daughter.), Otto, Brian Cotton and many others. I saw many more smiles that frowns at least until race day. I hope next year will be even better. There were a few snafus with the track being that the second round started before I wanted it to as I wanted the VHT to set in some more before starting the second round. I will have a cure for that next year and hope that Sully still loves me.

Jim C.

Under Pressure · #19 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 05:45 PM

Im not a critic i was just asking for opinions. All i know i have been going for the last 13 years and this was the low # of people in ener seen. come on people support these events before they are lost forever . My 2 cents

BillyRValentine · #20 (**permalink**) May 21st, 2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Under Pressure

Im not a critic i was just asking for opinions. All i know i have been going for the last 13 years and this was the low # of people in ener seen. come on people support these events before they are lost forever . My 2 cents

My response wasn't aimed at you chief. It was just a general statement. No harm no foul. I do hope that it continues to be a good event.

Jim C.