Future of the SC Shootout

Pat DiPersia

SCCoA Admin
I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss the future of the SC Shootout. First, a big thank you to everyone who has helped along the way, especially Chris Wise who started the SC Shootout, Dave and Connie Dalke for taking on almost the entire organization and planning of the Shootout for years, the Neiberts and Oatways for helping in planning and onsite work, the Smith's for many Saturday lunches, Sally for years of pictures and helping scout the KY location, those on the Shootout committee, sponsors, attendees, and on and on. So many people to thank, and I know I'm forgetting some/many. Folks were always happy to donate in any way to keep the Shootout alive, whether it be time or money. Thank you!

Brian, David and I formally took over the Shootout in 2013. With the help and input from others, we changed things up here and there. We added in the tent area and moved to a catered dinner Saturday night. At the same time, we’ve slowly seen attendance decrease. It’s inevitable, unfortunately – they’re not making any more SCs or XR7s. It’s been talked about over the years to open the event up to other clubs and/or cars. That’s likely the way the event would need to go.

However, Brian, David and myself feel it is time to turn over the reins. We’ve had a great time planning and participating in the Shootout from year-to-year, but we have decided that we can’t give the amount of time that’s needed to make the Shootout a big event again. We’re happy to turn over our knowledge of the event in terms of contacts, back-end info, etc. Whatever would help the next person or group run the Shootout, if it continues. We’re also not married to the format or location of the Shootout. If another event takes its place in the Fall (Or another time of year), that would be great, too. It may simply be that the Shootout has run its course.

To that end, I will be formally dissolving the Shootout entity as of 12/31/2018. Thank you again for your participation all these years, and hope to see you all at a future event!
 
It has been a good run, but I will definitely miss it. Thanks to everyone that has made this event work the past 16 years (2003-2018).
 
I will step up tp the plate

So here is my offer to start with.. I did do the "Mid west Bash" a few years ago and we did have a good turn out for something just starting. With this being said I know that I could bring something off again if that is what is needed. I would be open to ANY help OR IDEAS from ANYONE. I do have a dyno place and the track will work with us as well. The track would set aside a part of the place for us to do our thing and then mix us into their normal racing as the day goes by. This will keep the cost down for the track and it is a good ihra track with gas, tech, and everything else we need. The dyno is at a speed shop and we could have the place for dyno all to ourself. So this is all good things and we can make this happen any time of the year.. The place has a lot of hotels and plenty of cruise spots to go to on any night we want..
I am throwing this out there and would like to hear back from others as to what we all want to do.. No one wants to see the shoot out fall away so lets get talking and get this thing back on the tracks for another twenty years or so.... Just a side bar, there is always the chance to invite another club to join in BUT still keep each group sperate in the racing/dyno/ and other ideas.....Rich
 
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I posted this on Facebook but not everyone has Facebook.

I agree with Kurt and Brian in that it sucks the event is going away. I was really hoping to see the event make it 20 years. Just 4 more years. I've been to them all and I really enjoy going each year.

So, that brings up a question. Would SCCoA still pay for the track if the event was to continue with someone else or another group?

Saturday lunch could be on everyone if lunch is not donated (aka Smitty). We move the banquet to a restaurant just like it has been in years past.

I say simplify some items and make a run at it.

Thoughts?
 
The SCCoA has never paid for the track in its entirety. The SCCoA does make a very sizable donation to the event though, and would be happy to continue a donation should an event come along that makes sense to do so. Someone else would need to coordinate though as the SCCoA never did anything more than write a check to the SC Shootout.
 
So here is my offer to start with.. I did do the "Mid west Bash" a few years ago and we did have a good turn out for something just starting. With this being said I know that I could bring something off again if that is what is needed. I would be open to ANY help OR IDEAS from ANYONE. I do have a dyno place and the track will work with us as well. The track would set aside a part of the place for us to do our thing and then mix us into their normal racing as the day goes by. This will keep the cost down for the track and it is a good nhra track with gas, tech, and everything else we need. The dyno is at a speed shop and we could have the place for dyno all to ourself. So this is all good things and we can make this happen any time of the year.. The place has a lot of hotels and plenty of cruise spots to go to on any night we want..
I am throwing this out there and would like to hear back from others as to what we all want to do.. No one wants to see the shoot out fall away so lets get talking and get this thing back on the tracks for another twenty years or so.... Just a side bar, there is always the chance to invite another club to join in BUT still keep each group sperate in the racing/dyno/ and other ideas.....Rich

A generous donation of your time energy and effort Rich. Thank you. Let me ask you two quick questions if I may. First, geographically, where exactly are we talking about? And second, the track with the gas, tech and everything else that we need. When you say tech, what does that mean for our quicker, street legal, drive them regularly cars without mandatory safety equipment, i.e. roll bars and such?
 
hope this covers it

A generous donation of your time energy and effort Rich. Thank you. Let me ask you two quick questions if I may. First, geographically, where exactly are we talking about? And second, the track with the gas, tech and everything else that we need. When you say tech, what does that mean for our quicker, street legal, drive them regularly cars without mandatory safety equipment, i.e. roll bars and such?

The track is Great Lakes dragaway. it is just south of Milwaukee, wisc. We can work out the tech side of this, but if it is a full blown drag car it will need to pass normal tech, unlike what we now do.
Now to put this all into a plan, when we did the Midwest bash this is how it was set up. the hotel was on I94 & hy 20. down the road,all freeway is the drag strip, less than 10 miles.. Now the dyno is going the other way again freeway and about 10 miles as well. The cruise place is also freeway and about 6 miles away. Now all of this is what we did last time so everything is open for change if need be. the track is willing to work with us as they have in the past. the speed shop is also willing to give us the whole place for the day...
So does this help you?? if not please ask me again or any one feel free to call me at 414-333-3888.....Rich
 
Start working it Rich! I have no issues getting donations again for the lunch if that is what we still want to do and instead of Brian or one individual cooking, come cook your own food or something like that!

Either way it will more than likely be the same core group of folks that show up no matter where it is held! This has been proven in the past and survey's that were had didn't change anything. I have seen post on FB saying that it is a shame the Shootout is ending, but it is those same ones that say they haven't been in a number of years..........hello you are part of the reason it is ending duh!! People need to show up, even it you get to this event every other year at least you have some sort of commitment. I understand life events get in the way and things happen, but to say it has been a long time since you have been to a Shootout is the very reason attendance is down and causing this evolution.

Lets face it this is a small group of T-Bird enthusiast and no many companies are making after market parts for out cars, but if we as a whole can't come together just once a year, it says a lot about the level of commitment you have for this platform. if you want 50 events a year and 100's of companies making parts and go fast goodies and accessories, then perhaps you should look at a different vehicle to start with.

OK rant over. I am with you Rich, if you need anything let me know.

Smitty
 
Just have to talk myself into driving through CHICAGO. And that WAS my home town for many years. I would certainly enjoy running at Greatlakes dragway. I still remember the Radio ads on WLS: SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY. And they were not talking about Kurt back in the 60's.

Mike.....
 
Nothing but gratitude to everyone who gave their time and energy to the Shootout, so this is disappointing news. Whether it's the same format or something new like the Epic Drive, I hope we're able to keep meeting each other as a group. Like most things, the people are what made the Shootout so much fun.
 
It kind of tore me up to read this post from Pat.
I have met and enjoyed the company of to many of you to name and I like to consider y'all (to use a Kentucky phrase) to be my friends. I only connected with you once a year mostly and it never seemed as if a year had passed.
I really want to thank the past organizers and volunteers for providing this event. I looked forward to it every year and it gave me a deadline to work to on the car improvements.
The reasons for a lack of participation of late is a subject for another thread.
I am made happier to hear that Rich has stepped up to put an event together in Wisconsin. Coming from Toronto, home of the busiest highway in North America (it's true, look it up), driving through Chicago should be not so bad.
I hope that we will all support and help Rich to make this new event successful. I really want to have a place to meet up with old friends in the future. And defend the Track Champion title.

I guess now I need to make my car NHRA legal.
Alan
 
It kind of tore me up to read this post from Pat.
I have met and enjoyed the company of to many of you to name and I like to consider y'all (to use a Kentucky phrase) to be my friends. I only connected with you once a year mostly and it never seemed as if a year had passed.
I really want to thank the past organizers and volunteers for providing this event. I looked forward to it every year and it gave me a deadline to work to on the car improvements.
The reasons for a lack of participation of late is a subject for another thread.
I am made happier to hear that Rich has stepped up to put an event together in Wisconsin. Coming from Toronto, home of the busiest highway in North America (it's true, look it up), driving through Chicago should be not so bad.
I hope that we will all support and help Rich to make this new event successful. I really want to have a place to meet up with old friends in the future. And defend the Track Champion title.

I guess now I need to make my car NHRA legal.
Alan


Bad thing about moving to any track with nhra rules half of us can't run our cars. I personally have no desire to ever put a roll bar in my car.
 
let me worry about the track.

Bad thing about moving to any track with nhra rules half of us can't run our cars. I personally have no desire to ever put a roll bar in my car.

Let me sit down with them and see what can be worked out.. Some of the safe stuff we may be able to work around. Lets see what I can do before we dump on this idea... I will get working on it to see what we can get away with....Rich
 
some thing to help here....

Great lakes is an "IHRA" track not nhra, so that might also help with the roll bar deal... let me work on this....Rich
 
here is where we are now...

unless you go faster than 11.50 or faster than 135 mph there is nothing needed.. now some of this will also let you go 150mph before it goes into play.... so how many guys are going to fall into that window besides Brian, Mike S myself, or maybe Corey or Casey if they come?? I will keep working on getting this even better for us.....Rich
 
Let me sit down with them and see what can be worked out.. Some of the safe stuff we may be able to work around. Lets see what I can do before we dump on this idea... I will get working on it to see what we can get away with....Rich

Good deal just keep us posted.. Around here I think it's 11.80 or faster requires a cage 7.49 in theb1/8th
 
unless you go faster than 11.50 or faster than 135 mph there is nothing needed.. now some of this will also let you go 150mph before it goes into play....

I will be quicker than the 11.50 by about .5-.7 sec but shouldn't hit the 135mph I wouldn't think.

Smity
 
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