well this years nats are over.it was a very good week for us.cold and rainy to start but on thursday it broke and we got some runs in.car ran mid 10.20"s.entered the gamblers race.started to go rounds and then we were in the finals with my friend steve reynolds.we were going to run and that gn crashed.well by the time they would've got it cleaned up the track would've been gone so we split the cash.cool.car ran hi 10.teens.track was hookin good.best of 1.39.made 3 runs on friday.then on sat ran a best of 10.16,132mph.did'nt think it would be good enough for q16 so i went for the brackets.(yeah i no i should've paid the $50 bucks)started going rounds,even had my 2nd 0.000 reaction time in eliminations.get a bye into the finals and win.way cool.then after picks we go to get the winnings.boy was i suprised.i got a plack and a ticket for the turbobuicks.com nationals in south carolina.i think?? no cash??not that i was thinking of a big payout but something would've been ok.this was the first time at the nats that they did"nt have any sponser money.that's what i was told.wtf.i no attendance was way down but i won more in the 11 car gambler race.maybe they should have gambler race on saturday instead of the brackets.this is/was the premier buick race of the year.why does'nt the club see this.i'm not sure what the track charges for rental but if 200 people buy race/spectator tickets,i would think think that figure would be $30,000 or more.rental would'nt be that much.i'm not trying to put a black mark on the nats,i respect that it should be run as a business,but would like resect as a racer showing up for a show for the spectators.i am wondering if the gamblers races are the only draw for the bracket racer there.talked to quite a few and that's what the opinion was.i'm going to have to think long and hard if i go back next year.thanks for reading my vent post.lol
Dan That is a total shame. This is the reason we stopped going 10 years ago. I know no one is going down there to get rich, but it is an insult to me to drive down that far and get NOTHING in return. I really enjoy racing at the Buick events to and seeing everyone, just have to see them at the other events. Oh, by the way, great runs with the car.
Dan, I won't get into all the details........but the GSCA is a business and not a not-for-profit club......I guess you just learned this out...........there are many other stories and once you rub people the wrong way...they don't come back especially when there are other events where you are treated with respect and kindness.
I agree that the GSCA and the Nat's are a business and I have nothing against that. I do have a problem with them offering NOTHING to a class winner! It's ultimately their decision as to what to offer the winners in each class (minus sponsors donations), but how long do they think they can retain this business with payouts like that? My guess is that they are headed down a spiraling drain hole that they may never get out of.... and that would be a total shame! It costs a lot to build a car to run in the faster classes like B1 and winners rightfully expect a little payback when they win! Business or not ... there is no excuse for this.. NONE! If there is not enough cash in pre-registration, raise the fees for the faster classes and offer a larger payout. The guys that want to run for fun can, and the guys that are more serious can expect a moderate payback if they win or even make it to the finals. I know attendance is down, money is tight, etc, etc, yada yada... I really don't want to hear it. It's the same for a business as it is for the rest of us. The people that really want to attend will and if fees are a little more with a bigger reward at the end people will still race. Car count may suffer, but with fewer cars comes a greater chance of winning also. Offering nothing to the winners is NOT the way to sustain status-quo or build the program back up! This type of thing will be the nail in the coffin for the GSCA Nationals if not corrected quickly. Maybe the club should return to it's roots and go back to being a car show/get together? Steve
i feel for all the bracket winners....... i started this thread about the payouts http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=237796 scott
It has been this way for years!!! "They" say that they rely on sponsorship dollars for the pay outs. Doug has done a great job in the past few years for the racers in the Super-16. When I won in '06 the payout was "ok" I had made it to the semi-finals in '05 and got some money, when I made it to the semi's in '07 I got ZERO......The guy next to me that made it to the semi's in brkt 4 or 5 got like $75 bucks. (you ever see paying spectators run to the fence to see those cars run?) The guy working the table/tent told me that, "IF YOU RACERS GOT SOME SPONSORSHIP MONEY FOR THEM THEN THERE WOULD BE PAY OUTS!" IF it is a bussiness (which I know it is) then it should not be mine or any other racers(or "customers") responsability to "get sponsorship dollars"... The biggest problem is NO WHERE will you find payouts listed BEFORE the nationals. I didn't take my Regal this year, but normaly do for the "fun of it" not because I think I'll make money, but everybody expects to get something if they win! I guess if it was posted in advance that there was NO payout then less racers would pay the entryfees to show up? o No:
We all realize that most of us myself included will never make a dime drag racing. That said it is nice to at least have the opportunity to win some money when you do compete. I wouldn't beat on my car every weekend at my local track if I didn't have the "opportunity" to win some money. Just my $.02 worth. I watched Dan race Saturday and it was nice to see someone from the board win B-1. Congrats Dan on your win. :beer Alan
In the mid 90s I won bracket 2 (many rounds!, lots of cars back then) in my red SunCoupe 455. Got a placque that's all. No $$$. Then someone was filiming and interviewing the winners and they started to film me and they asked to talk about my car. When I said it was a Skylark not a GS, they walked away. I went over to my car put my street tires on and drove 13 hrs home.......
This club/event is no longer the one and only game in town. Seems like it continues its money grabing attitude without any regard to the paying customer. If you are unhappy with the club or event......TAKE YOUR MONEY elsewhere. Go to where they are glad to have you and your car and bend overbackward to satisfy your every need while your there. I rather see someone bendover backwards to make my day pleasent, then to just take my money and bend me over. :shock: :shock: :shock:
It is also extremely expensive to race at this event and I dont understand why If there is no payout.. What is the mysterious 50$ registration fee for, also is Q-16 still 45$ where does that go?
Anyone with any kind of business sense knows that if you keep that kind of crap up, in a few years you might as well throw in the towel. We need as many Buick events as we can get but if this keeps up how long do you think the paying customer will stand for it before they go elsewhere. Maybe they just don't give a **** anymore. :spank:
That's what I've done....take my money/car elsewhere. $400 in gas money alone makes it difficult to justify. BPG paid only winner/r/u in Q16 a few years ago so semis got me nothing. Then they changed the rules so my JAGUICK couldn't run in Q16. Nice. Need to encourage people to come not drive them away. I think the issue is that if the weather is iffy they could lose $$$ so they shy away from posting payouts in advance. I say post the payouts and they will come.....as long as they are decent. But in this economy, it's a risk that they apparently not willing to take.
Q-16 was 50 and went directly to the payout, semi's got 250 this year and thanks to Doug behind the wheel I got that. Also the bump was around bottom 10's this year so im pretty sure you would have made it with those 7 second runs, it was nice seeing some good passes again!
Just got back from the Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso raceway in Calif. with John Everette. We wrenched on Digger Dan's AATF car. John drove. Talk about work, we didn't have time to walk around till Sunday afternoon, but what an experience! Some of you guys have as much money in your Buick's as the Dragster's but that was a hugh event. The owner made $1500 just to qualify. If Buick's events can't make it on their own then you might open it to all "GM only" and have payouts in each division. Then run each GM Division winners in a final run off for one champ of the meet for Quick 16, or any classes you can afford to pay out. You are right we need to do something but track rental and all that comes with it is expensive. Buick will never be big enough to make the pay offs we would like on our own, and we will never be able to have pay offs for the non pro classes. So if you want pay offs organize your own meet and see how much work it really is. I would be willing to help but I live in Calif. so guess where that race would be!
Q-16 paid just fine. I don't expect to be money ahead by winning a race, but winning Q-16 paid for my gas down and back, my hotel stay and food. That's a big win in my book for a relatively small event. My hat's off to Doug & the crew, and the sponsors of Q-16. I'm more than happy with the Q-16 pay out that I recieved. (Sure, more would be great, but I was well satisfied) That being said I would not have been happy to win B1 and get nothing. Like I said before, there is NO excuse for that, even in this poor economy. Steve
Jim You came thru with your promise of head porting. YOU showed class and put something out there. Even if I only get 1 head! :TU: Had a great time. Got home 1/2 hour ago
well thats ok then,,,,I appreciate the compliment .... But I actually was killing myself the whole time.. my car would not pull to the shift light in 3rd or 4th gear. I aborted every run.. I must have an ignition gremlin went 7.25 2 weeks earlier at home shutting off early... this car is going to drive me to drink..
My 9375 dominator is driving me crazy, I spent one afternoon of the event at quickfuel trying to get it sorted it out. I cant begin to imagine what your dealing with I get dizzy looking under your hood. Glad your making progress and that you haven't ditched the buick motor.
