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Mopar Nats, Columbus, OH. August 12th-14th

I saw two guys wearing that shirt and neither would fess up to being you!
Sorry,week of anniversary and better-half had other ideas. Did sneak away on Sat A.M. for a little gunpowder time.

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Look, there are quite a few complaints from folks not going or going but disappointed about the Mopar Nats. I get it and understand but for me I adjust accordingly. If you're looking for it to be like Carlisle then you would disappointed. I mean Carlisle does their show so amazingly it makes other shows look like crap.

Here's what I hear from the Debbie downers at the Nats.

- Gates don't open until 7am so there's a long line waiting to get in.
.....My solution, I get there by 6am at the H Gate to be in line early and to avoid being on the Refugee Rd part of the waiting line (sometimes heated battles occur out there due to line cutting). I'll take my breakfast on the go and wait until I'm positioned in line to eat it. I'll also bring something to keep me occupied to kill the time that entails something to do with my swap parts, etc. Or just strike up a conversation with fellow Mopar guys also waiting in line and out of their cars.

- There's no indoor plumbing bathrooms in the swap area.
....Boo Hoo, grin and bear it. Hold your breath, get in and out fast.

- They don't let you stay on the grounds overnight, can't camp on the grounds.
.....Well this is a tough one (not for me) but maybe camp at the adjacent park next to the A Gate entrance. I dunno, maybe get a hotel, leave for the day, have a cold room and a hot shower, get dinner, take in the Mopar action just about anywhere within 20 miles of the track instead of being stuck on the grounds waiting for morning to come. Bonus, if you wait until after 5pm and leave out the A Gate exit you get to see the burnouts. This would be Friday & Saturday only from my experience.

- There's no showers.
.....Beside Carlisle is there an all Mopar show that has showers on the grounds? I haven't seen any. Again a hotel would resolve that.

Okay bottom line, this is a huge all Mopar event. So why bitch & complain about it? Why stay home when you can take in some Mopar greatness?

I love the Mopar Nats and defuse all of the negative talks about how this show is dying, sucks and running into the ground. Oh and BTW swap spaces sold out this year.

Thanks :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
If we don’t support it it will be gone then we will really cry.
 
I've been 20 or so times and I don't think it's changed much over the years...still great!
 
Some very valid points have been brought up concerning the Nats and shows in general in the postings. As others have posted, it is all about what you make the show to be. We have been attending the show since 1987 and I have only missed one show due to a work obligation, but we were still there vending without me.

The show has changed over the years, but for the most part, it is the same show as it was 25 to 30 years ago. It has only gotten a bit smaller, but very few shows can claim an actual increase in participation. Even the local cruise in events are not drawing the crowds that they were pulling ten years ago.

Having seen the Brice Road activities first hand in its prime, there is no way that a community will allow such activities go on in 2019 and the future. How many other events have you encountered that the attendees are out laying massive burnouts in public and private areas. The Nats has been very fortunate that the local communities have allowed such activities to go on.

I do not know of any show of any brand or manufacture that offers what the Nats has going for it. Although certain elements may not be for everyone, but if your car person, this show has a tremendous opportunity to find something that will appeal to you.

There are numerous areas that I would like to be seen and addressed by the Nats staff and the track. Everyone wants to compare the Nats to Carlisle. Other than supporting the same brand, the two have very little in common. Carlisle Promotions is a business that was created to develop and maintain car shows and events. It employs something like 45 full time employees and on the weekend in which an event is taking place, there is another 250 plus part time employees that they employee to pull the show off. For the Nats, the show is put together and maintained by Jimmy Belinda and his immediate family. They have to contract out the track and the grounds for the equipment and support staff. There is also a small group of volunteers from car clubs to individuals that donate their time to assist in making the show possible. Unless you have ever been involved directly to putting on such an event, the scheduling and time involvement is greater than you can even imagine.

With that said, my take away is to get out and support the shows, the show staff, the owners who bring the cars out and the vendors setting up in the swap meet and the racers. Look at how many decent size shows are now nothing but a memory. It does not take too many bad happenings or rumors to send an event into a death spiral. I can actually report that the swap meet spaces and the gate attendance was up this year for the Nats which is a good thing.

On a final note, I just want to THANK everyone who has called, text, emailed or stopped by our setup during the Nats. The storm was something in my 30 plus years of doing this that was to that severity. Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt as it was a very bad situation. The product and cars can be replaced and repaired, but we only have this one life to live.

Thanks,
Richard
 
Look, there are quite a few complaints from folks not going or going but disappointed about the Mopar Nats. I get it and understand but for me I adjust accordingly.
"Adjust accordingly"... very good advice. My only complaint has been the fact that new Challengers, Darts and "Chargers" are allowed to participate. They seem to own about a 30% share of the field. That being said, I adjust accordingly. I just walk past those to look at the Cudas, Bees and Savoys. I'll be there every year, because I love it and I don't want it to go away.
-Jack
 
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