Norwalk Buick Racedays is in need of support!!!

[coach]

Hey Guys,
Bill Wills, one of the Promoters of the event, held a participant meeting after the car show on Saturday. It is sad to see the turnout go down year after year and for no good reason. There weren't even nearly the amount of people at the dyno sessions on Friday or Saturday that posted interest in going.
The final word is this...If we do not get more people to attend the event...it will be gone. The amount of cars from this forum that live within 2 hours drive of that track is incredible. I hear dozens of guys walking around saying..." Oh I didn't bring the car...we just drove up to check it out." Whats the point??? So what if your car is not perfect...no one cares. I drove 3 hours to get there and help in any way I could at the dyno and car show later in the day, and yes, my car is tore down. If it were running...it would have been there for the 6th year in a row.

We need attendance guys. The track is raising prices, the Car show could use more cars.
Bill asked what could be done to draw more attendance. It is in the works to make the track a 2 day event instead of just one day. This should make it worth driving to race over 2 days vs. the 1 day. The show may get moved to the track also.

They are also trying to keep the Arby's in the loop. It was suggested a Friday evening and Saturday evening cruise in.
I really like that idea. The dyno wraps up about 4:30, so we would have nothing going on and have to decide on which to attend.
This gives us time to eat and get back for a 6:30ish till ??? Cruise in.

Post up your ideas please...THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!

I am posting this to help Bill and Roberta. I do not want to lose this event...

Thanks
Coach

 

[87 Drop top]

My first year attending a Buick race day event, wow I was impressed, didn't make it to the track, or dyno session, not that I would race my car, or even be concerned with putting it on the dyno, that's better left to the guys with the right equipment. But the show on sat at arby's was a great time for me and my sons! I think the show at restaurant was at a great setting, something to eat, and all around great time. Even won a 2nd place plaque for the first show I entered! I don't want to see this go away, great people, including Rick with the white gnx " xray", what a great guy. Also very impressed with the folks who put it on. U can count on my attendance in the future!

 

[ryan george]

Note sent to Roberta....thx.

 

[BobbyBuick]

Every event is declining.This is one that is held up by true professionals.I went up sunday and it rained the whole way turned around and came home.I have attended the race for about 13 years now.Maybe combining an Olds,Pontiac or Olds Cadillac Buick event
I have a Pontiac and they rock Norwalk on an event all there own however they have suffered a decline also.
I think the weather forecast had alot to do with the loss of support this year

 

[coach]

Every event is declining.This is one that is held up by true professionals.I went up sunday and it rained the whole way turned around and came home.I have attended the race for about 13 years now.Maybe combining an Olds,Pontiac or Olds Cadillac Buick event
I have a Pontiac and they rock Norwalk on an event all there own however they have suffered a decline also.
I think the weather forecast had alot to do with the loss of support this year

I was in Kevin's trailer with you on Sunday.

 

[detroitbadboy]

I would hate to see this event go away, as I only live a couple of hours from Norwalk and it is an awesome facility to race at top notch. I have gone to this event for the last 6 years with and without my car. The only reason we did nt go this year was a failed headgasket on Saturday night see my post in xtsm racing. Maybe Buick,OLDS PONTIAC or B.O.P. race would bring more racers and spectators or even poss. combine it with a GM Performance race. Just my couple of pennies. I rememer when we would have a 16 to 20 car field in tsm lotta fun but alot of guys moved onto tso and some just moved on period Kevin Bolger great guy fun racing with you Phil anoher awesome fun tsm guy Sam and Toni also fun competition the yellow bananna and there are several others I enjoyed rcing with lots of fun sorry I don't remember all names someime the cars stick out more than the drivers.

 

[turbo6mike]

I think having the event week before the turbobuick.com nationals did hurt the event some. I talk to a few people at the car show and they didn't know about the dyno at Buschurs so maybe putting everything together might help spread the word. I hope things pick up or they work something out because its a great event at a great track.

 

[forcefed3.8's]

The event needs a shot in the arm. The track is one of the nicest tracks in the country. I think the dyno event combined with a car show would draw some interest. You have to think most people can do 1 maybe 2 events a year. BG, BPG, and the TB nats are all within easy driving distance for me. There needs to be a reason to pick on over the other. We need vendor support as well. What RC puts on in NC is awesome, that is a huge draw. The dyno at Buschurs is awesome. Most people have never been around dynos, race cars, etc, and with the availability to get some pulls on your own car, I think it would be a good draw if the word is spread.

 

[TurboTGuy]

Not to be a downer, but we've just experienced the total shut down of the only two tracks available to anyone north of Tucson AZ.

At least you have somewhere to go.

Here's to all the guys not supporting Coach's efforts.......

Today, it's all good....... 6 months from now, with no support. or with EVERYONE'S support, it can and will go away in a heartbeat.

Get your sheet together boys.

It's gone in the wink of a paid for government do gooder's oversight.

It's a county paid, gotta justify his job guy that's gonna shut you down, the elected guys will "defend" you to the end......

Ask us AZ guys.....

 

[we4Mateo]

I think bringing in Pontiac and Olds into most of the events is a good idea. I like BOP events and much easier to get a crowd. Plus, the TRs really stand out when not just racing other TRs all the time.

 

[coach]

Not to be a downer, but we've just experienced the total shut down of the only two tracks available to anyone north of Tucson AZ.

At least you have somewhere to go.

Here's to all the guys not supporting Coach's efforts.......

Today, it's all good....... 6 months from now, with no support. or with EVERYONE'S support, it can and will go away in a heartbeat.

Get your sheet together boys.

It's gone in the wink of a paid for government do gooder's oversight.

It's a county paid, gotta justify his job guy that's gonna shut you down, the elected guys will "defend" you to the end......

Ask us AZ guys.....

Um...what the hell are you talking about?!?!
We are in absolutely no danger of the track going anywhere. Don't bring "the govt" and "elected officials" into my thread. They have absolutely nothing to do with it...at all.
Norwalk Raceway is Summit Motorsports Park. It is the largest and most prestigious track in the USA.
This thread is about individual support from guys on this board, as well as the GS and V8 Buick boards. It is without question one of the cheapest events you can attend and the payouts are near the Top compared to its competition.
No more posts about the govt or politicians...got it.

We know this for sure. The Dyno is cool. How cool and to who remains to be seen. A two day track event would be a huge move forward in getting racers to travel so they have 2 days to run vs just 1. Moving the car show to the track is only logical if there is racing for two days. If the dyno sessions have to be over by 4:30, I suggest the evening cruises at Arby's to keep them in the loop. Even on Saturday...the guys who are not racers will leave the track after being there all morning and afternoon to freshen up before dinner. The hardcore racers will stay at the track more then likely, but a good majority will head out to eat and can gather back at the Arby's for the evening. This keeps everybody that is currently involved with the event active and there really isn't anything going on that will force someone to go to one vs. the other kind of thing.
It also fills out the entire weekend. Instead of gathering in the hotel parking lots...we use the Arby's.
I will support every aspect of the event and help in anyway. We need more to commit to the same. Spread the word...

 

[mturbo87]

Need to have it a 3 day event, open it up to Buick, Pontiac ,Olds. And Buick cars powered by Gm. Keeping it all Buick raceday Sunday. There are a lot of people who live in this area who would attend to tune / race there cars. Traveling to Norwalk for all the hardcore racers from all over the country is not a priority anymore due to economy. And our cars are getting old and so few.

 

[TurboTGuy]

Um...what the hell are you talking about?!?!
We are in absolutely no danger of the track going anywhere. Don't bring "the govt" and "elected officials" into my thread. They have absolutely nothing to do with it...at all.
Norwalk Raceway is Summit Motorsports Park. It is the largest and most prestigious track in the USA.
This thread is about individual support from guys on this board, as well as the GS and V8 Buick boards. It is without question one of the cheapest events you can attend and the payouts are near the Top compared to its competition.
No more posts about the govt or politicians...got it.
...

Coach,

It wasn't my intention to bring "the govt" and "elected officials" into your thread, that's just how it went down here. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

The point I was trying to make is that without the support of the (insert brand/affiliation here) community, there is a real danger posed to the future of those individual events. It's extremely important for as many of us as possible to remain connected to, support and participate in our hobby as often as possible.

Good luck with the event.

 

[coach]

Coach,

It wasn't my intention to bring "the govt" and "elected officials" into your thread, that's just how it went down here. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

The point I was trying to make is that without the support of the (insert brand/affiliation here) community, there is a real danger posed to the future of those individual events. It's extremely important for as many of us as possible to remain connected to, support and participate in our hobby as often as possible.

Good luck with the event.

OK, I understand. I just did not want it to turn into a debate. This is a constructive thread on how to help preserve one of the best Buick events in the country. I didnt mean to jump on you in any way.

Thank you for your concern.

 

[VETKILR]

Very interesting read and i do agree the event should get support as its been around a long time and at one of the best tracks in the nation.

Some comments her are highly flawed but posted by people who havent run events before, it is to be expected.

Several years ago i was asked by what i consider to be one of the major Buick parts suppliers if not the biggest to have an organize a BOP event at a track preferably in the Midwest as well as Deep South. Chicago, Gateway, Bristol were some of the choices. I made contacts with Pontiac Tri Power Nats who are run by a husband and wife team who are local to Norwalk and also the gentleman from Mississippi who runs the Olds Nats at Norwalk.

Pontiac is the biggest single brand event at Norwalk and honestly is what the GS Nats used to be in the prime years say 89 to late 2000s. They dont need any financial support or backing because they have Ames and others putting big prize money as well as for show cars etc. When you have 500-600 race cars and almost the same in car show you are doing well in this economy. Statistic wise we are looking at only the Mopar Nats in Columbus as a bigger event. Pontiac wants really nothing to do with anyone because they are stable and have a great event. Olds guys as in Dick Miller does not want to merge with anyone either. BOP events were fun when Jim Haas had them and with right track and promotion and sponsors and press coverage they can be successful.

Norwalk should do better in the fall. Many people I heard did not have their cars ready at all plus September is usually cool and dry in Ohio.

Social media is a big promotional tool. If Brian does the dyno session again in the fall id be happy to promote it once again. This time i felt bad i wasnt able to do as good of a job as i normally can do , since i have had an increase in workload working an average of 12-14 hrs a day for 6 days a week.

Something drastic has to be done to bump up the car count at all Buick events they are all suffering. We have more than ever and what hurts most is aging owners, lack of new Buicks coming out (New GN is rumored now through GM grapevine to be 2015 still cant confirm), cars getting older and people just saying they are wanting something new because they have been in this so long. It took me a solid year to organize all the Turbo Regal and TTA engineers along with Jim Chaudrue for BPG in 2011. To get Precision Turbo as a donor for 2011 and 2012 took almost 5-6 months of daily phone calls and emails. But i do this daily for a Honda and Buick/GMC dealership and sometimes in sales it takes cultivation to get the ultimate goal.

Hopefully this proves what Roberta, Bill, and other event organizers already know: its not easy to get people to help out with an event and keep it going, far more work then most people think that is for sure. If you have ideas for events step up to the plate and HELP OUT! It easy to whine and complain from the sideline. Everyone can do that. But the best truly step up and make a great event.

We will see what we can do for the fall and i think what Coach and a few others are doing is admirable. Few people are like that in life. Its sad but true. I do hope this event stays around as its only an hour west of my house.

 

[coach]

Thanks Tony,
I have run several events including The Super Street Nationals at Conneaut Lake Park from 1992-1996. It use to draw over 1000 street machines every year. I got out of it because there was never any "new blood" stepping up to help out and take the show to higher levels.
Buick Racedays is def at a cross roads of sorts. Bill and Roberta are working their fingers to the bone trying to get the best hotel rates, the best track rate, the best payouts, and anything else that will keep it going.
It just really bothers me to meet people every year who show up...BUT LEFT THEIR CAR AT HOME!!! What's the point??!?!?!! Your free attendance at the Arby's car show or the dyno did the event no good. The racing has been rained out for the last two years. It's been 3 years since I actually have gone to the track. Last year and again on Sunday...I went straight home due to weather. We cannot help that, but come on guys...get in your damn cars and show up. Pay the $10 bucks for the show. Who cares if your car isn't the best. It's all about participation!!!
You can drive it in the pits, park it, and go watch the races...you don't have to race it.
We should have had no less then 2 dozen turbo cars parked all around the dyno sessions on Friday and Saturday as well as 2-3 dozen in the car show....not 3-4 at the dyno and 8 in the car show. We had more then that for a lunch meet in Pittsburgh last summer. We had better turn out in Sept or we may not have another chance to support it. There were 35-50 of us at the meeting that heard...it's really in need.

 

[xXch0dyXx]

We made our appearance for the first time this year, and had a great time. Would have been better if nature agreed, but nothing you can do about that. I think having the show at the track could draw more people, or even the show/dyno session being in the same place (if that is an option). I knew about the dyno, but there wasnt mcuh time to head over there if you stuck around for the awards and drawings at the car show...

Will attend again next year

 

[Pat Adkins]

Everytime I think about (or plan on) going to norwalk it rains. I wish they would push this back about a month (sometime in june).

 

[coach]

Everytime I think about (or plan on) going to norwalk it rains. I wish they would push this back about a month (sometime in june).

Last year it was in June. Rain is unavoidable.

 

[ryan george]

Coach (not to pick on you at all), how many guys did you invite that are non-racers, new to GN's, want to dip their toe in the race water, or someone you think you can 'convert' to a racer, etc? Your note above about 'new blood' is the point I'm trying to make. If you look at the posts leading up to these events, it's mostly the same crew, the guys that have been around a long while, or racing a long time but maybe new to turbo buicks. Then you get there and no one new shows up and everyone wonders why?

Ok here's my story, I showed up on Fri around 11:30 or so, with my '87 GN. There was only 1 other GN there at the time and he was on the dyno. Thought I'd be able to meet new people, learn alot, and then go racing that evening. Spoke with Red several times, introduced myself to Mike R who is part of Reds group (very nice guy), Brian L, who I was hoping to spend more time with as I'm hoping to someday do more upgrades with his help, and introduced myself to Cal (cool guy). Wanted to introduce myself to you, but you seemed to always be in conversation. Anyhow, I floated from group to group trying to listen in on conversations. Not one person introduced themselves to me, and I only saw 1 person wander over to look at my car (by this time I think there were 2 other t types and the white gnx showed up, white camaro had left). Red said they were racing that night. His group ended up leaving and I couldn't catch up with them to see when they were going to the track. You invited everyone to the Brown Derby at 6:30, so I knew that group wasn't going to race. So, here I am trying to socialize and I feel like a fool as I'm standing around by myself half the time or trying to walk into conversations. So, Red's crew leaves. Only 1 car on the dyno in the 2-3 hours I was there. (I was actually hoping to put mine on the dyno but Red said I'd probably be disappointed with what I think it'll do as that type of dyno reads low horsepower. Never been on a dyno before so just decided to pass (no, wasn't asked if I wanted to put it on the dyno)). I sat in my car for a little while thinking of whether to grab lunch, or what to do. I think it was between 2 & 3 o'clock. So, I figured my options were to go the track and wait hours till Red and team show up or...head home. None of the other cars were getting ready for the dyno, so I figured everyone must have been doing that on Sat. I headed home.

Side note, have had my GN for 20+ years. It's in pretty good condition (though not close to the sharpness under the hood of the guy that was on the dyno!). And it's not overly fast, probably due to my tuning abilities. I have very limited racing experience and have only gone to test n tunes in the past.

To sum it up, I think there are probably plenty of newbies out there that would come to these events if maybe there was a little encouragement. Pls don' take this note the wrong way as it has taken me some time to type this up due to not wanting to get slammed for some reason. Just take it for what it's worth, no response needed. Thanks.