What's the difference between East Coast car enthusiasts and West Coast car enthusiasts?

I have personal experience with both. In my estimation:

West Coasters think a car event is worth burning vacation time. They commit and attend.

East Coasters will go to a car event as long as it doesn't burn vacation or conflict with ANYTHING else.

I didn't even get a single inquiry about TRV until about three weeks ago. I guess that should tell you something. It's still the only one.

The TRIII was canceled because so many people backed out. The TRIV still happened, but 65% of the "registered" attendees backed out the week prior.

I have lost between $500 and $800 per event over people not showing up.

I may still have T-shirts that are now worthless. But, I think I donated them to a homeless shelter a while ago. Either way......


As a result, I'm not going to spend any more time or money putting on an event in Florida, at least for now.

If someone would like to take over, please contact me. I am willing to allow the event to use S9 as a base, but I'm just not willing to put any more effort into the project.




Side note: I will be putting on one-day events in the Fall and Spring. They will simply be get togethers at my shop. Maybe some boating. Maybe some other stuff. We'll see.


I would like to see Florida have a solid 914 event and I'm willing to acknowledge that my management style might not have been the correct recipe for Florida/SE US.

Good luck, and call me if you're interested.

Joe, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. I'll send you a PM/good ol' fashioned phone call here soon.

Car events are a tricky thing, I help organize a Euro show every year that brings in a couple thousand, the key is discounts for preregistration (with payment) and sponsors that also pay in advance. Sponsors get booths in the main drag, right up front.

Although, this is the Midwest... we take time off work and jump through hoops to go to shows.

An event in Florida, in January or February may actually draw some of us Yankees...

I have received neither a single condolence nor a single offer to take over the Tropical Ramble.

It's sad.

I've seen it happen - the host working and not enough helpers. HotShoe pulled off a few mid U.S. events with Clay and others help, worked himself into retirement, and no one to help in later years. So, MUSR has been a has-been for a few years. The couple of years when staged in Arkansas were crazy fun, and close enough for a one day drive from Texas. When it moved to Chattanooga, it was a 2 day drive, and it's now a distant memory. Working and raising kids, I wasn't much help either.

Some of you retired people with time to kill need to step it up. I'm about 3-4 years away from that dream, and them I'm in like Flint!
Mini-Rant Over.

I'll admit I'm jealous of the West Coast events.

I drove all the way out to Arkansas for a MUSR many, many years ago. That was indeed a fun event.

914 owners like to drive their cars - the twistier the road, the better. I think there are more curves on the Dragon than in the entire state of Florida.
The southeast needs a spring event. There has to be a draw to get people to want to attend - perhaps an event in conjunction with the 24 Hours of Daytona or 12 Hours of Sebring (I imagine a lot of guys go anyway... just not in their 914). Camp on site. Enjoy the racing with other 914ers. Take a day drive to points of interest. Make it an event that others wish they had gone to.

PM Sent Joe. I've got ideas. No time or money, but ideas - I'll do my best.

I originally set up the event to coincide with the HSR event at Daytona, but that arrangement back fired for the TRIII when Daytona put on a 24 HSR race. The coupling of events went from complimentary to competitive when almost all of the participants dropped the Ramble in favor of the first 24 hour HSR race at Daytona.

I think the comment about requiring paid registration prior to the event is probably the correct course of action. People tend to follow through when they have money tied up in it.

It's the only way to run anything that has a cost. The year we have to cover costs for Okteenerfest out of my own pocket will be the last year we co-chair it. We make a lot of decisions based on the number of PAYED people, not just who says their coming.

Once MUSR got down to 6 cars, I decided it needed to take a break. Most of the people who were coming got bored with it, or were too busy with work, or kids, or just life in general got in the way. Maybe it will be back, but at this time I don't know.

It takes a lot of time and money by the event organizers to scout out driving roads, find the hotel, the banquet location, etc.... Even if the event makes money, the person who runs the event always ends up losing some money.

I do miss it, though.

People didn't get bored with it Clay. It just got boring. It was the same format year after year. Just in a different place. The last one was a flop because of the host? You need a host that actually likes people. Musr was not mainly about the drives, which is what a 914 event should be about. We've had much more fun at a simple day driving talimena with out any organization or itinerrary. I miss it too. Just seeing my 914 friends and being part of that line of cars on the road is what it's about for me.

Are we getting together this year.

I will put on a BBQ shop day at S9 one Saturday in October.

Thanks Joe.