Kevan
Full Access Member
Hey everyone!
At Mopar Nationals 2007, I got the pleasure of meeting a few of the folks from the Viper Club of America and having nice discussions about the engines, the future of the Viper program, and the VCA and VTCOA groups.
Last week I was invited to the Regional VCA meeting here in Columbus. Sam Goldfarb (the guy who looks like Santa in the pic) asked me to come down and sit in on the meeting to see how they do it, offer suggestions, and just kinda let them in on how we do it on THIS side.
The VCA was pretty impressed that we had almost 40 trucks at Nats this year, with no formal 'club' or corporate sponsorship. I explained, "We're good like that." LOL
They are very thorough and have a great calendar setup. They plan events 1-2 years in advance (sometimes more!). I'm still trying to figure out the structure, but I'm getting better.
What I got from the meeting regarding the VCA and VTCOA:
- We're gonna let Dodge take care of all the SRT stuff. Combining the 4, 6, 8 and 10's would be a massive undertaking, esp. on a national and international level. Dodge has the money and resources; they've got the job. LOL
If it's an SRT-labeled event, plan on seeing ALL of the SRT models represented.
- Sticking with the common demoninator- the engine- we're going to try to work the trucks into some regular Viper-specific events. It's going to be a little like a partnership at first. Think of it as dipping a toe in the water to see if it's cold, or if Stinker has already pee'd in it.
We need to try a few 'cruises' and 'meets' first to see how it all logistically works out. Start small and work bigger.
- Turnout is the key. When we do these events with the VCA, the more Viper-powered vehicles we have there, the better.
- Events will range from simple GTG's in restaurant parking lots to poker runs to full-on track days. A little bit of something for everyone. Like us, the Viper guys *love* to drive their vehicles.
- Separation will remain. VCA will be it's own thing; VTCOA will remain solo as well. Combining them would be very complicated and a big mess. It's easier to work as two entities.
I hope to build on this and keep this 'brother & sister' setup working to everyone's advantage. The VCA seems to be into it, so let's make the most of their gracious offer!
(That means no belching contests, Boomer!)
I had a really nice time at the meeting today and learned a ton. Huge thanks to Sam for inviting me. I really appreciate that. Hopefully I helped a little with the info for future events.
Here's a nice group pic before the Vipers blazed out of there:
Note the tall goofy guy in the back.
At Mopar Nationals 2007, I got the pleasure of meeting a few of the folks from the Viper Club of America and having nice discussions about the engines, the future of the Viper program, and the VCA and VTCOA groups.
Last week I was invited to the Regional VCA meeting here in Columbus. Sam Goldfarb (the guy who looks like Santa in the pic) asked me to come down and sit in on the meeting to see how they do it, offer suggestions, and just kinda let them in on how we do it on THIS side.
The VCA was pretty impressed that we had almost 40 trucks at Nats this year, with no formal 'club' or corporate sponsorship. I explained, "We're good like that." LOLThey are very thorough and have a great calendar setup. They plan events 1-2 years in advance (sometimes more!). I'm still trying to figure out the structure, but I'm getting better.
What I got from the meeting regarding the VCA and VTCOA:
- We're gonna let Dodge take care of all the SRT stuff. Combining the 4, 6, 8 and 10's would be a massive undertaking, esp. on a national and international level. Dodge has the money and resources; they've got the job. LOL
If it's an SRT-labeled event, plan on seeing ALL of the SRT models represented.
- Sticking with the common demoninator- the engine- we're going to try to work the trucks into some regular Viper-specific events. It's going to be a little like a partnership at first. Think of it as dipping a toe in the water to see if it's cold, or if Stinker has already pee'd in it.
We need to try a few 'cruises' and 'meets' first to see how it all logistically works out. Start small and work bigger.
- Turnout is the key. When we do these events with the VCA, the more Viper-powered vehicles we have there, the better.
- Events will range from simple GTG's in restaurant parking lots to poker runs to full-on track days. A little bit of something for everyone. Like us, the Viper guys *love* to drive their vehicles.
- Separation will remain. VCA will be it's own thing; VTCOA will remain solo as well. Combining them would be very complicated and a big mess. It's easier to work as two entities.
I hope to build on this and keep this 'brother & sister' setup working to everyone's advantage. The VCA seems to be into it, so let's make the most of their gracious offer!
(That means no belching contests, Boomer!
) I had a really nice time at the meeting today and learned a ton. Huge thanks to Sam for inviting me. I really appreciate that. Hopefully I helped a little with the info for future events.
Here's a nice group pic before the Vipers blazed out of there:
Note the tall goofy guy in the back.
