Important NATS '08 Information

[MikeRenz]

Hi Everyone. The Nationals committee members have been getting pm's and emails regarding status of the 2008 Nationals, in lieu of needing to plan travel/vacation schedules to be able to attend.

So here is some important Nationals Information:

• There will NOT be a Nationals in 2008. Sorry everyone, but there is just too much needed change in progress to make NATS '08 happen. Sure, we could slap together a meet, and call it NATS, but for reasons to be explained below, it will not be happening.

• The Nationals committee is undergoing restructuring. Many of the OG committee members have officially stepped down from their positions. Much credit goes to everyone who helped for so long, as the event wouldn't have survived for 10 years without them. New members will be chosen/appointed within the next couple months....to help rejuvinate the event and bring some fresh ideas to the table!

• Nationals is not going to die off and never come back

• Everyone who has attended NATS or looked at the pictures, has noticed a decline in attendance...part of the reason for skipping '08 is to reorganize and bring the event back in much bigger & badder form. A lot of late night parking lot time in '07 was dedicated to discussing the future of NATS, and talk has continued through current day....getting all the ideas down and organized is now on the plate.

• More board/member participation in NATS events will be used/requested to make the event that much more of a owner-driven event.

• Someone by the name of Renz has accepted lead chairperson for the committee. Don't worry, this doesn't mean i'm making all the decisions...simply that i'll be the main goto guy for questions/answers.

• Everything information-wise regarding NATS will be much more readily availabe in the upcoming months.

• Any problems/concerns/questions you have, please air them out in this thread. Please also understand that we're just getting our hands dirty for the first time here trying to pick up where the last NATS left off. Many of the committee members are/will be new to the table. I've helped out a tad in the last 2 events, but haven't been the lead yet. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Hey Mike if you need some help let me know :tup:

 

[Raist103]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

need help mike let me know

btw a closer nats would bring in a lot more people since 70% is eastern side sytyer's anyways. not saying nj or pa but not 24hrs away maybe 12

 

[MRKING]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

With the Michigan Homecoming and the Southern Shindig in orlando FL , 08 still has some syty action lined up . :tup:

 

[ZMann]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

What's the chance of getting Robert and his Sy over here again, maybe in 09 or 10? That would/should bring a nice gathering.

 

[natsforever]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

It sounded like Robert thought he could get a better deal on shipping, next time(from the same company). It sounded like he wanted to return to NATS, but I don't know what year.

 

[JSM]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Anders (roberts wrench b!tch) has posted they had plans to come this year. Nats or no nats.

You have to remember there is more than cost to shipping though it took us 3 months of planning, and his truck was "missing" from his hands for almost 4 months. So a lot more than just putting a shipping label on it has to happen.

 

[natsforever]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

I thought it was this year but I didn't want to say that in the post without being sure...

I don't remember him posting 'Nats or no Nats'. That's good news. I was worried that talk of no Nats this year would mean no 'Bad Ass truck' in the US, this year.

 

[phoonTy]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

You know me Renz, I'm down for whatever help you need. :tup:

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

I was one of those asking about the Nats. I was a little sad to hear about it not happening in 08. I am look forward to attending the next Nats. I guess I will have to get my SyTy fix by attending one of the regional meets this year.

 

[Syclone#1992]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Well, with out getting everyone all riled up, I really think there has to be some thought put into this event.

- The main problem is location, from what I heard and who I talked to at Homecoming, we need to put serious thought into the location of this event. Everyones backyard is a good thought, but the people planning the event NEED to be somewhat close or have people in the area helping.
- On the thought of location, why not Bowling Green or somewhere in between Michigan and Florida. I think Jeff Scott rented Bowling Green out before, maybe he could give us some insight on the track and facilities! How nice would it be to have Homecoming in the Spring, NATS near the end of summer, and Shindig in November (where its warm)? Thats three centrally located events.

- We have to center this around where the trucks are, the trucks are getting older now, many don't run and many have high mileage. We have to find out where most of the trucks are located (East coast, Florida, and Midwest seems to be where most of the interested parties live. \

- Another fact is that we as a community need to get on the same page. PERIOD. We need to establish a committee that stays dedicated to these trucks and handles the money! Lots of this stuff has to do with funding! We need to fund raise, get sponsers, donations and get on the same page money wise, so registration and turn out is decent, and we can get people to come. Wouldn't it be nice to pre-pay a car hauler for the Florida or East coast guys to get the trucks in one place? Lets establish a fund, to make this stuff happen. We all need to step up to the plate or these trucks will be a dying cause.

- I am willing to help out, as I am sure many others are too. Since NATS isn't happening, I hope most people will seriously consider going to Homecoming 2008! Maybe there we can have a meeting of the minds, to throw some ideas and start to plan NATS 2009!

Any thoughts?

 

[MikeRenz]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Another fact is that we as a community need to get on the same page. PERIOD.

thus, not rushing to make make nats '08 happen.

And yes, there are other large events available to people to attend in '08 so not having NATS once isn't going to kill anyone. :lol:

Serious consideration needs to be made regarding big annual meets. Having a large meet in your back yard every year makes most people not as motivated to make it to other large meets, especially ones that occur in the same year.

Yes, homecoming had a pretty large turnout. But look at where those trucks showed up from. We rolled in pretty deeply from the NE, and MI has a ton of trucks hiding. How many of those MI trucks show up at NATS? How many showed up at NATS before there even was a homecoming?

You have to sit back and look at facts - NE people are more willing to travel. Probably becuase we all hate where we live and enjoy getting the hell out once in a while. FL people love their sunny ass state and don't venture too far from home. They have hundreds of trucks nestled within a couple hundred miles of themselves, so they don't have as much motivation to travel FAR to hang out w/ the people/trucks that they don't get to see ever - its a shame, but you can't blame them all that much.

CA/west coast....there are some guys that make the trip to NATS, but not many. CO people do make the trip...but cali is just so much further away from anything. CA people seem to suffer from the same disease FL people do - notwantingtodrivetoofarfluenza. thats just how it is.


Now...i'm personally all for moving the location of nationals around, as i get sick of doing the exact same thing, seeing the same damn scenery during a long ass drive, and not getting to explore new people/places. I don't mind having to do some extra legwork, or recruiting locals to new NATS hotspots....but the general NATS attending population has to be on board with this also. I'll setup some polls regarding different views of the NATS so that we can start to get a clearer picture of what will get more people/trucks/fun back into the event.

 

[Six-is-Enough]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

:stupid: Couldn't say it any better. War Nats 2009!:tup:

 

[JSM]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Just to respond to the question asked.

Yes I have rented bowling green for a private event. We had a blast and as far as facilities goes the track has everything needed and then some (amusement park is part of it for kids, as well as campground). The only track I know of to have covered bleaches, not that you would need them for rain but nice to get out of the sun.

There is plenty of room for autocross also.

I will agree 100% in that those that organize it should be close by. Too hard to setup food, etc when your 1k miles away.

Now on to my opinions:

KC is central to the US, but close to almost nobody. Having grown up in the northwest and my first nats driving 2k miles each way to KC for most people on the west to drive to nats just isn't possible without killing 1-2weeks of vacation which for most is all they get in a year. 3 days driving each way (normal driving). 6 days driving 3 day event just hard to justify even being in KC which is why the west coast attendance is minimal. Some fly out, but in that case won't really matter where it is then.

I would say 70% of the active members are east of mississipi. I always wanted to map the ACTIVE members and find a central location to those people.

Northeast has a fair amount of members, FL does also, Texas has a few, rest lay in middle of all that. My best guess on central to those people is bowling green. Probably a reason the buick nats and several other car nats are located there.

In the end though nats has gotten smaller by people every year, so unless something is changed the trend will most likely continue. Time to make some changes.

 

[phoonTy]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Let's just make it super far for everyone! Nats XI, Denver '09. :tup: :lol: :lol: j/k.

I agree, seeing new places is definitely cool! Whether or not we have a running truck by '09, Nadine and I plan on attending, with our little one. What better way to get her/him addicted to SyTys? :lol:

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Now...i'm personally all for moving the location of nationals around, as i get sick of doing the exact same thing, seeing the same damn scenery during a long ass drive, and not getting to explore new people/places. I don't mind having to do some extra legwork, or recruiting locals to new NATS hotspots....but the general NATS attending population has to be on board with this also. I'll setup some polls regarding different views of the NATS so that we can start to get a clearer picture of what will get more people/trucks/fun back into the event.

That's what I'm hoping to see, not a stationary NATS, but a rotating one. Different city every year. There is enough major cities and SyTy's hiding in all of them to make this work. :tup:

 

[sharkbait]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

need help mike let me know

btw a closer nats would bring in a lot more people since 70% is eastern side sytyer's anyways. not saying nj or pa but not 24hrs away maybe 12

my :2cents: also

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Serious consideration needs to be made regarding big annual meets. Having a large meet in your back yard every year makes most people not as motivated to make it to other large meets, especially ones that occur in the same year.

Yes, homecoming had a pretty large turnout. But look at where those trucks showed up from. We rolled in pretty deeply from the NE, and MI has a ton of trucks hiding. How many of those MI trucks show up at NATS? How many showed up at NATS before there even was a homecoming?

I will have to put my :2cents: initally, I was only willing to drive about 10-12 hours to meet. I had hope to one day make it to the Nationals. I went to the 2 Pittsburg meets and had a blast. It pissed me off when Pittsburg meet was cancelled and it motivated me to make the Nationals. I wish I had attend the Nationals earlier. It was even better than the Pittsburg meets. Atleast for me the regiaonal meet, got me interested in the National meet.

You have to sit back and look at facts - NE people are more willing to travel. Probably becuase we all hate where we live and enjoy getting the hell out once in a while.

I think those willing to travel depends more on luck than anything else. Some people (situations) are just more willing to travel than others.

 

[Loeryder]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

It's gonna be all about the price point.

"What are you willing to pay for Nats?" should be the next poll


Beechbend in Bowling Green was more money the KCIR and less flexible.
Gateway Intl in St Louis costs more for a private track rental than the Nats has grossed in 2+ years.
I can't imagine what a track rental in Vegas or SoCal is, but I am guessing it's high.

Perhaps moving the event will bring in more trucks, maybe, maybe not.
If in fact it does not then where does the money come from?
There are very few vendors who support the Nats by little more than a donation of a door prize.
Without financial support and backing it is tough to just say hey we can move from city to city, track to track every year.

One way to surefire cut the costs down is to share the track rental.
Every year it has been suggested to partner up with the SS groups, another turbo crowd, or god forbid the S-Series Nats.
Chitown Nats was not an exclusive track rental, and while it did suck waiting and waiting, I think we still did a fair share of racing.
With todays low numbers it makes perfect sense to do away with the exclusive track rental and cut costs substantially there.

I went to BG when Jeff rented the track and it is an AWESOME facility and there is lots to do in that town. They have the Corvette plant and museum to distract us and I think every stop light in town had a vette sitting at it. Can you say road kills?

I am game for wherever it goes. I will be there!

 

[JKsSyclone]

Re: Important NATS '08 Information

Although Im sad there will be Nats08 I think it will be for the good of the event. I think BG,Ky would be a great place for it but I really like the idea of alternating from east coast to the west coast every year so we get to see trucks from all over the country. Have it in Bowling Green in '09, Denver 2010. Just an idea.