2005 Rendezvous?

Well, the dust from Knotts and Carlisle for 2004 has settled. How about a mid-America east-meets-west rendezvous for 2005? There must be something happening in the heartland next spring that we could all home in on.

"If you build it, they will come..."

This sounds like a good plan George. You should head it up. What state do you think would be best?

Well, for the national events that we've gone to in the past, Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, Kansas City, St. Louis and Dallas all worked well, although Dallas is, admittedly, an unfair stretch for the Canadian folks. Oklahoma City or some place neat in Colorado would be equally nice.

In fact, Chicago would be OK, too, considering the access from almost all directions in Canada.

Maybe we could tie it in with a National Park or a scenic ride somewhere. Charles Kuralt judged the Beartooth Scenic Highway the best in America - I think it roams through Wyoming and Montana out to Yellowstone.

This came up previously.
speedsterowners.com/forum/readmsg.asp?t=2444
The geographic center of the conterminous 48 states is Lebanon, Kansas.
I guess the largest nearby city would be Kansas City, Kansas(or Missouri).

BD

There is an event called Sandwich. I know there is another event with the same name (west coast?), but this one is just across the border from St Louis. It believe it is co-sponsored by the Chicagoland Replicar Association and a partner club in St. Louis. It is a rather small event, but we could change that. This would definitely qualify as "heartland."

They have shows around in different places but the goodguys nationals show might work as a platform. Des Moines, Kansas City, and several other places.

If you really wanted to do something cool the Black Hills of South Dakota is really a neat place and if you planned it for the july 3 fireworks show it is by far the best fireworks show I have ever seen. It is at Mount Rushmore and has accompanying music.....if you haven't ever been to this show you have missed out big time.

Gordon:

Thanks for thinking of us northerners. I like the idea of a middle meeting place - it would have to be more than a two day weekend though, but think of the great caravans that could be planned.

It would be like the night scene from Field of Dreams, with cars streaming into Iowa (that would be heaven).

Bob

I like the geographic center in Lebanon, KS
That sounds cool, now that mine is out of the shop

Robert (and others....)

Like the "Field of Dreams" in some Iowa cornfield, how about a hundred or more Speedsters decending on Oklahoma City and lining up down Jim Ward's street? That's pretty central......Imagine what the neighbors would think.........

How about Sturgis, S.D. when the Harley's roll into town. You barley malt lovers will find lots of company!

Bruce

Any location in the midwest would be cool for me......it would be incredible to get a 100+ turnout, but maybe we won't be able to get that many people to drive that far? We could also use the St.Louis Run and Gun show put on by Kitcar magazine?

Stan are you going to say anything about that spelling...LOL

We have driven through the Black Hills a few times (and the Badlands as well) and each time I think, man I need to bring my Speedster out here when I'm done with it. Some really fun roads and really cool scenery.

Kansas City sounds perfect,and the Kansas Speedway for location not a bad idea.

Lots of good ideas here.

Speaking of Jim Ward, does anyone know how he is?

Bob
>>>>>>>>>>>>

My thoughts are to suggest that again we gather at the East and West Coast Knotts and Carlisle shows to attract additional owners to a closer to home venue.
Then, in 2006,have the 2006 Nationals in Overland Park near Kansas City.
Last year, the National T' Bucket Alliance held their three day Nationals at the Double Tree Hotel and the facility went all out for them!
Alan M.

My second thought would be to have the event some what reasonably close to the actual Iowa " Field Of Dreams".... Watching the movie is a unique experience!

Alan

Our cars, on a nicely cut field, would be a field of dreams for many people. And since I look a lot like Kevin Costner, I want to play the lead role.

Ron

Editor note: Ron does not look like Kevin Costner. He looks more like Phylis Diller after an all night orgy/drinking binge.

Interesting enough, Ron senior looks like his family's milkman, who was a one-eyed, half-brained, Hungarian sewage taster, while Ron junior looks like our dad....I wonder why?

I like Alan's idea of repeating the Knotts/Carlisle meets again in 2005 and possibly going with a National meet in 2006. I'm unsure if a National meet would attract alot of people, just too far for many to travel unless they trailer and few have the equipment to do that. Co-meeting with events like Carlisle and Knotts is the way to go because they are the largest replica meets in the country and they attract alot of spectator traffic, provide most of the administrative support, attract the media, expose other vendors, have wider public visibility, etc. I would be up for co-coordinating another Carlisle Speedster meet in 2005 but need to see what my free time will be like now that I'm heading off to work again today (after 15 months of semi-retirement).

Keep in mind, if someone decides to run a Speedster-only National meet they start to get into issues like liability insurance, charging fees, reserving/paying for space, food, administration, hats, shirts, etc., etc. etc. It'll take alot more than the Carlisle and Knotts events to make it a success. Just too much work for me but would probably be on target planning and logistics-wise if someone wants to take it on for 2006. IMHO.

Re: Jim Ward........

I haven't yet gotten a reply to a recent email, but according to his web site he's doing pretty well, under the circumstances. I just lifted this from his journal entry for 5/31/04 (hope he doesn't mind):

"I hope all of you had a safe, fun, and relaxing, crispy creme filled holiday weekend. Still feeling good here, just some more tests and little issues to deal with... nothing for a survivor. And mail?... other than one letter I have shut off mail up until now., taking a cyber fast. "

I guess we all need to do that once in a while.......maybe if I took a cyber break, too, I could get done some of these projects I'm way behind on.....

gn

Gordon:

Thanks for the update on Jim.

As for the meets, two Spring regional ones are nice, but what about something this Fall, or is one a year enough?

We eastern guys could plan something around the September Zippo Vintage Grand Prix in Watkin's Glen, perhaps?

Bob

Run and Gun for 2006 would be a lot like the knotts and carlisle show, but in a central location....I agree however that it is a long way and maybe undoable for to many people. You may get a few people from the west and a few from the east, and end up with less then you had at either event. "If you build it to far away they won't come" thats the running joke in Iowa. The field of dreams is still there, but next year??? One of these years they will give it up.

Steve,

I went to a run and gun a few years ago and it was Cobra-city - drag strip, autocross and show. Have you been to one lately? Maybe things have evened out in recent yeras?

The 'run' part I can understand, but the 'gun' part scares me a little.

I agree with Bruce Stumpp sin=nce he agrees with me so, I again agree with Bruce .... Are you with me so far? :!)
Anytime a group can ride the shirt tails of another event we avoid the insurance etc etc. It is my understanding that, at the next NJ Replicar Club meeting, it will be brought up that we offer to once again combine both groups as it works and why change it if it "ain't broken!" Somehow the Sunnyside pulled close to 80 dinner out of a hat nearly all at once. I will eventually look into another larger hotel a 1/4 mile from the Ramada but a bit more cost wise that has an in house bar pool etc.

I suggest that we return to the East and West coast events ...My wife and I will try to find the time to fly out Knotts in '05

Makes sense, Alan.

I'm in for the East/West thing for '05. As Alan mentioned, now that we've got one under our belt, we can tweak the festivities and I can adjust my weekend also.

BD

Next year at Carlisle it would be cool to have a site set up for live camera footage of the Speedsterowners tent.

Ahh a web cam!
I can imagine the "full moons" during the Carlisle Days!

I'm in for Carlisle next year. I don't have a webcam, but I have a helmet cam.....

Alan, did you check your Farmers' Almanac to see what phase the moon would be in about the end of the third week of next May? You were talking about heavenly bodies, right? You didn't mean....or did you? What kind of impression would one's ass make on a side curtain? Do you think the police would be tolerant and turn a blind eye to this kind of highjinks? If I laughed so hard that I had the big one, a myocardial infarction that is, do you think the EMT's would be respectful of my indignity and cover my buns before loading me into the meat wagon? Am I thought now. Yes.
John H.

I came to the "moon conclusion" after pondering what a bunch of big kid speedter owners might do with time to spare at Carlisle :~)

Thats the idea and it might provide some online entertainment for those who can't come to the show.......Theron do you have any idea how hard it would be to have a live feed to the site for these types of shows???? Now that would be a cool feature to add. If its difficult we could set up a camera that takes a picture every 30 seconds and then drops out the old picture, kind of like the NCL.com website does from their cruise ships.