Re: Nats location for 2013
Here are my thoughts on nats in general not to include specific location.
Challenges any nats face
Who will organize it find hotels, track, events, trophies, etc. This is a huge job and not many people will step up and volunteer
Tracks are generally expensive. BG was around 4k if I remember right. 100 trucks is still $40 each and I don't ever see a syty nats bringing 100 trucks racing.
Lets face it syty's are more budget friendly now, older, maybe not as reliable. With that brings a new bred of owners that might not have the same disposable income and/or time available to dedicate to a national event. I don't see a nats truck count setting a new record EVER. Those days are gone.
I think what has happened in the past and partially due to the first point about organizing is the same location was used many times. Why not hotels were known, track known, location known. From an organizing stand point it makes things that much easier to do.
I am just one of many people here and my vote/opinions don't mean anymore than anybody elses but I will say this is the first nats I have missed in over 10 years.
For me it was a decision based on cost -vs- fun. I was looking at 1200 miles each way. Driving my stock ty is $500 in gas, 2 days each way or very very long 1 days. So 4 days of travel.
Nats basically centers around 1 day of racing with a day before hand hanging out. So 2 day event, with only 1 day of activities.
So I was looking at 6 days of being gone, $500 gas bill, another $400 or so in hotel, $300 in food, $150 for event..... $1400 weekend for what I call a 1 day event. And that is driving my stock ty, if I was to trailer the black typhoon the expense goes higher.
With that said moving nats to MY backyard doesn't make sense either except for ME. :tup:
The US is big and anywhere we move it will have issues.
Considering active members willing to travel to a nats is dwindling and nats is not a cheap event to fund I see our best chance is to double up with other groups or events to help split the cost. As some may have noticed I did a "pro-touring" event about a month ago with QBNKiller. That event had some major sponsors, entrance fee was $40 for a shirt, meal and 2 full days of various racing. For me it was 100 miles away. I hate to say it but I had more racing fun at that event than I have at ANY nats and my truck was broke for the drag racing. What was missing was more syty friends. Yes you do find other car friends and guess what guys, we all share the desire to burn gasoline its not that bad.
I've made arrangements already and working on having syty specific trophies for next year to give out and plan to invite everybody. $40 entrance fee, I have to organize a few trophies and the event planning is done, aside from trophies its a non issue for me to organize.
My point here is not to advertise this new event, turn it into nats, etc. The point is teaming with another group of some sort cuts our cost in half for the event, our planning now gets reduced, and chances of having other activites to add to appeal of the event and bring more people goes up. Selecting that group has to be done carefully. Teaming up with the "Former DUI Defendants Group" may not be the best choice.
My last topic is I think 4-5 people who are interested should volunteer as a team to setup nats and just make it happen. Voting just adds lots of debate, normally gets no where. In the end those that are organzing it have to make decsions, the rest of us get to sit and throw stones and complain.
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