Motorsport Auto's 2010 West Coast Nationals

[Arne]

This is at least thread number 3 on this topic. I'm going to merge them all. We don't need this many threads cluttering the forums.

[AndysPlit]

This is at least thread number 3 on this topic. I'm going to merge them all. We don't need this many threads cluttering the forums.

Thanks!

[Greg@TheZStore]

Hello Forum Members:

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the West Coast Nationals (WCN). First, I apologize for the tardiness of this posting. I had to confirm some details regarding this year's event. Secondly, please forgive the length of this post, but I wanted to be sure that you had all the background on why the 2010 WCN had to be changed.

The primary reason for going to a one-day event was a conflict of scheduling with other Z-related shows and the SCCA. For those of you not familiar with the West Coast Nationals, it has traditionally been a 3-day event, consisiting of a kick-off party, an autocross, a show-prep day and sale, a banquet, and the West Coast Nationals car show. When we started holding the WCN in 1996, we purposely picked a mid-Spring date to avoid date conflicts with other Z events. This year's schedule presented some challenges.

Our autocross is capably run by the SCCA. This year, the Southern California chapter that provides the timing equipment, course management and instructors for our autocross will be conducting an SCCA National event around the time of our traditional last-weekend-in-April schedule. Therefore, SCCA was not available to run our autocross. Since the autocross has been a major and popular part of the WCN, going forward with the weekend without the performance portion of the program would be disappointing to many.

Further, we subsequently discovered that Grassroots Magazine's "Walter Mitty" event in Atlanta was presenting Datsun (particularily the Z) and BRE as the honored marks. The "Mitty" is being held about the same time our show was scheduled. Many regular WCN attendees, particularily from the midwest and east coast, were having to choose between events. Not (in my opinion) a healthy situation for the Z hobby.

Finally, the Z Nationals is being held this year in Nashville at Nissan headquarters to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Z. I feel this is an important event, and did not want our show to detract in any way from this celebration.

With these considerations in mind, we decided to modify our event for 2010. We are having a one-day party on the Saturday, April 24th (our traditional April weekend) as a thank you for all WCN supporters. There will be a complementary bar-b-q, available dyno runs, our regular garage sale, and the "informal car show" that always breaks out when a couple of hundred Z-cars get together. Final details will be up on our website next week.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding regarding the extraordinary circumstances that forced a change to this year's WCN. I hope you'll enjoy the party.

[Montezuma]

Okay, a class move by a class guy, Thank you Greg for taking the time out of you busy schedule to write such an informative post. I for one will be up there early for the garage sale. You got a great staff especially Abraham. We look forward to 2011 then too. What about the Raffle? Love the Raffle, I win something cool every year.

[Zealous]

Thanks Greg, I really appreciate you taking the time to update the community. Hope to see you there if I can free up that weekend.

[Bonzi Lon]

Hey Bonzi' date=' We would love to have you along. FYI, there is current planning for an event to blow the mind in July... "The First Iron Butt Challenge".... 9 mountain passes, 5 @ 11,000ft... one day 500 some miles. Interested? It's not too far from Kansas, eh?

Cheers, Mike[/quote']

Sure sounds like lots of fun, lack of oxygen, constant carb adjustment, bad seats, climbs and twisties, moon scape, drop-offs, rock falls. I'm a flatlander! Just too much at this time. I'm still recooperating from a broken back and have Branson at 750 rd trip and Nashville at 1500 as 'must do' events this year. Hopefully by next year things will be better.

Never been to California, wonder what the traffic is like?

Bonzi Lon

[psdenno]

Never been to California, wonder what the traffic is like?

Bonzi Lon

Lot's of smooth wide highways, speed limit signs are merely posted as a suggestion, and no traffic congestion..... Wait a minute, that's Utah.

Dennis

[Kathy & Rick]

Kathy and I would love to attend a West Coast Nationals, but as Dave

(Zs-ondabrain) said, spending a ton to trailer a Z for a one-day event

would be too much to undertake. In our case, on a retirement check.

Even if we traded our timeshare time for something near the venue.

Maybe the thing to do is next year or the following, try to formulate a plan

that takes in about 3 or 4 shows up or down the coast in one trip. In that

way we could, more efficiently and economically, meet and interact with

many of our Z friends in several places on the other side of the country.

All Z Best,...................................Kathy & Rick

[zlady]

Been showing my car for 10 years and really enjoyed attending the New Hampshire, Syracuse, Daytona Beach and Cleveland conventions while driving my car to each show....well cheated a little with the auto train for Florida.:classic: Riding with my Z friends made it very enjoyable.

Anyway, I have always wanted to attend the Motorsport show but there is no way I could afford the money or time to get the car there from the east coast. So instead last spring I found cheap airline tickets and flew out without friends (they just don't plan in advanced much..) to see the show.

Even without my cars (yes, I was missing them)..but I enjoyed seeing the work and details of what other Z lovers have done to their cars. Hearing their stories and learning also what worked or didn't for them.

Though I was only out there for 4 days there was alot to see and do. I was adopted by the fun Arizona Z club and the San Diego Z club. We all had a blast. Drives thru the National Parks, a visit to the Datsun Heritage Museum, etc......

I strongly recommend seeing this show even without your car no matter what size or how many days it is.

As for the California drivers (not stereotyping here) but............that was entertainment all by it's self. It was the first thing I notice leaving the airport with the rental car. They are crazy......their style is to speed, not look ahead in traffic, and slam on the brakes because they are about to hit a jam. Almost saw a Z in one of our caravans get taken out but he took the shoulder and the car behind him missed.

Check out my photo gallery link if you wish to see the weekend of fun from last spring.....it was all about enjoying other peoples rides that trip.

[AndysPlit]

I'm glad there will be some sort of event this year at Motorsport.

However, I have a feeling it's going to be a cluster-****. Now I'm not suggesting it's not going to be fun......I can just see the turnout exceeding the confines of the lot and general vicinity. I say this learning that there will be no street closures??? This should be interesting.

In terms of Motorsport's reasoning behind this years plans, I'll save those thoughts perhaps for another time. All I can say is if they really wanted this to happen the way we would all have liked, it could've been made possible elsewhere, another time, etc.

I've been a supporter of their business and events for a long time. I will continue to do so. See ya guys there.

[bartman]

I'll be there. I created an event on Facebook for the 'Gathering of the Z's': http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=115690625117845. I'm also planning on going to Irvine 'Cars & Coffee' before heading over to MSA http://irvine.carsandcoffee.info/. If you haven't been before it's a great event and it would be nice to see lots of Z's there. There's also another Z event after the MSA show called So Fresh Car Meet: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115642135121390.

So take your Z out for the day!

[motorman7]

I'm also planning on going to Irvine 'Cars & Coffee' before heading over to MSA http://irvine.carsandcoffee.info/. If you haven't been before it's a great event and it would be nice to see lots of Z's there.

Wow! I took my '70Z to the Cars & Coffee show before the MSA event. It really is an incredible showing of cars. And they LOVED my Z! You wouldn't believe how many times I overheard people say, "that car must be worth over $100K" as they were walking by.