Planning May Madness 2001

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Ron Duncan and I, as part of the Las Vegas TDR Chapter ("Desert Rattlers"), are beginning to plan May Madness 2001 for the Las Vegas area. We will work with John Holmes to learn as much as we can, and use his talents and time as available. First we are finding out what key events we can include as more or less "turnkey" modules because we can't spend 2 hours a day each for 9 months like John and Polly have done without compensation.

We anticipate a dyno day, drag race evening, Colorado river cruise, and a plug in one day type event portion at a dealership. We will try to identify a good size RV park and hotel that will "tolerate" us and take reservations one-on-one, first-come-first-served. More will be added as possible and if funding is available to make reservations. This means early registration is critical. We will have to figure out how the money will be handled securely and what insurance we might need. We need volunteers.

We can't expect any funding from Dodge and TDR HQ doesn't have resources to help beyond notices in the magazine. If we get any help from these sources, great, but initial plans will be without such assumptions. We will try to work on a $100 registration cost and will see how much can be included for that cost. A number of attractive "modules" require deposits and insurance. The whole thing is a lot bigger and more work than any of us can imagine. I got a few clues from John today, and somehow it has to be kept manageable or it won't take place.


[This message has been edited by Joseph Donnelly (edited 08-29-2000). ]

 

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JD,

I'd definately like to get ahold of the RV Park to make advanced reservations. Pls e-mail or post Joe.

 

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Forrest, thanks for the interest. This is just the beginning of planning. We don't have the dates, park, etc. selected. Volunteers are needed now. Of course, most of those will be from So. NV due to geographical logistics. It is NOT YET time to look for any answers or not-yet-known information, please. Keep tuned #ad


Rest assured, folks, that as things develop we will post them. We will post as soon as we have identified key things like RV parks, hotel, where to send money, how soon registration funds are needed to defray costs for deposits, etc.

There is no stockpile of salaried (or in any way compensated) personnel or of funds. #ad
This show has to stay in the black all the way along, or it is not going to happen #ad
I cannot front the money as John sometimes did, and hope Dodge or some sugar daddy might pay later.

Who wants to volunteer? #ad
That's how Ron and I are involved. One thing about our non salaried status--we reserve the right to ask for help and to tell whiners where to go. #ad
Our customer service department is run by Helen Waite. If you have a complaint, go to Helen Waite. #ad


Rant mode off. Thanks for volunteering. [anyone who wants something just volunteered to get it for everyone. hehehe]

We REALLY want this to be a success and a worthwhile continuation of the fine tradition started by John Holmes.
We just don't have the infrastructure he developed over the years. Dodge is not making it any easier with their lack of commitment--that is why John had to back away. Dodge MIGHT decide to help with money, so might a dealership. We might be able to get money from the vendors and vendor lecturers to pay for the space they are going to use--see the point, nothing is free. Money lubricates and runs Las Vegas, and we AIN'T GOT NONE. . . yet. I'll post when and where to send large dollars after the setup is in place to take money and securely handle it. MM'00 cost $50,000. At 300 registered, that would be $167 each to duplicate the event! We are going to try for $100 each and so we have to "streamline," "right-size" or whatever is the current management buzzword for making do with less resources.

Lets make MM'01 a great meet! Who _doesn't_ like to visit 'Vegas #ad


Joe

[This message has been edited by Joseph Donnelly (edited 08-28-2000). ]

 

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i know i would sure like to come to mm01 if the dates work out. so count me in!

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I had to put in for my vacation time at work way back in April. The company I work for had to be different than the rest of the world and begin its fiscal year on June 1st. #ad
That means my vacation bid back in April is for the following June all the way until the end of May, 2001. I had no way of knowing back then whether or not there would be a 2001 May Madness, and I just had to guess as to which week it might be. So, I took off May 19th-28th, 2001. If your dates fall in that time frame, I'm there, but I'd still like to go to Canada if Scott1 gets something going. Hopefully it won't conflict with this.
How about vendors? I'm sure you can count on Mag-Hytec and Mr. Bob's Distributing (Roadmaster), and Northwest Custom.
I think we can live without a dinner banquet and a standup comedian, that would help keep the cost down.
Andy

[This message has been edited by Andy Perreault (edited 08-28-2000). ]

 

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I'd like to throw in a few comments and thoughts on a possible May Madness 2001 in Las Vegas.
First is how important it is to get something going now! It will be impossible to duplicate the wonderful event John and Polly Holmes have made possible in Minden. There just is no time and a huge lack of experience. The next TDR (issue #30) will be closing it's doors for any new material very soon. If this thing is a go, it will be crucial to get an announcement and registration form submitted in the next couple weeks! To do this we have to commit to the events we know we can pull off. Other things can be added if enthusiasm, money and time permits.
Joe and I have figured the only way to get this done is go "modular". Meaning not to micro-manage every detail. OK, a few examples:

Drag Racing. Join in on the fun of a scheduled bracket racing event at the Las Vegas Speedway or get the Speedway to put on and event in our honor... ... Could you imagine a diesel night at the drags? Local folks (unwary PSDs) would come to play! Remember, in bracket racing you don't even have to thrash your truck, just get in a bracket you can handle and don't break out!
Hopefully the Speedway would run the event with a minimal guarantee of participation. Pay on an individual basis. That's a module.

Lake Meade dinner/cocktail cruise. Sign up with registration. If there is enough interest we can reserve the whole boat. If not, we will reserve the spaces needed. That's another module.

Dealership/TDR day. A much more complicated module.

Dyno and Vendor day. Silver State Motor Sports (again at the Speedway) has a dozen bays and three or so lifts. This would be a great place to have the vendors so we could buy, install and test all the gottahaveits. Again a more complicated module.

Eats. Probably no big costly banquets but the casinos have huge buffet rooms that could absorb us with little difficulty and a minimum of notification. Pay as you go.

RVs. It won't be too hard to find a nice (huge) park in a good location. Make your reservations as soon as possible. You will be on your own. Hopefully we can get some free or cheap dry RV parking at the speedway. Seems like the Speedway could end up being the center of activity. A simple module.

Hotels. We will have to pick a reasonable Hotel in a good location to keep folks together or you can pick your own favorite Mecca. Make your own reservations. Simple module.

A Truck Run through some great desert scenery is a simple module. Possibly stop for a picnic.

Ok, that's what Joe and I have been talking about. Keep it as simple as possible!
I repeat, just talking, ideas, thoughts!
Maybe, just maybe, with some help we can pull this off.
Thanks,
Ron




[This message has been edited by Ron Duncan (edited 08-28-2000). ]

 

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Ron and I are pushing forward! He found a hotel/RV park with over 200 rooms and 200 RV spaces that is happy to work with us. The rooms will be around $60 and RV spaces around $16. He identified a riverboat cruise at around $35. We are working on getting a dealership involved for that "module. " Here is an "interim approximate tentative" agenda:

Thursday May XX: Dyno day or tour
Thursday evening: Boat cruise
Friday: dyno day, or tour
Friday evening: boat cruise or dragstrip
Saturday: show-n-shine, seminars, vendors "hall of gottahavits" at dealership
Saturday evening: banquet, Las Vegas-buffet style

The "tours" will be led by volunteers and each tour might include one or more local attractions such as Redrock canyon, Valley of Fire, Mount Charleston, shopping mall, Southern Nevada historical museum, Liberace museum, Ethel M candy factory, Hoover Dam, Pahrump winery, etc. Choices depend on participant and volunteer preferences, and on available time.

Each participant will pay for individual dyno runs, boat cruise/dinner, entrance fee at the dragstrip, fees for museums, etc. That way you pay for what you want to attend, not for what you don't want. We will sort out how many folks need to participate in something like the RV park or boat cruise in order to "command" it and "exclude" non-Rammers #ad
(about 75 people per boat, for example). The RV park will let us stay in a group, at least, and not force us to be scattered throughout the park.

We anticipate that the registration fee will include enough for the custom event T shirt, two box lunches, buffet banquet, and infrastructure such as a few monster umbrellas, tables, chairs at places like the dyno shop where these things will be needed in the 'Vegas sunshine. With this modular approach, we hope to keep the basic registration around $60, the cost of last year's MM to us (including banquet), and less than the $98 of last year's National meet in Columbus, IN. Take that as a hope and goal, don't send money. . . yet! #ad


Vendors will be at the dealership module on Saturday and performance vendors may elect to attend the dyno days and discuss/sell stuff there too. The dyno man (Mike Arnett) will offer the opportunity for before-and-after comparisons so you can verify the power gain from that fancy [censored] you just bought!

Obviously this event is still in the infancy of planning. I have not gotten any frantic calls from would-be volunteers yet. Is my phone working? E-mail broken too? Take your time and hurry up to volunteer your expertise. "We-uns" will love you for it. #ad

 

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Hey Joe & Ron,

Count me in also! This sounds fantastic. I'll try to help out where ever I can. Push a broom, throw a mop, lick an envelope, whatever..... Let me know!! #ad


Sparky

 

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Joe

I'll be there. I know you would not be the same without my advice.

Barry H

 

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Joe,

Count me in, and I'm sure Roy at Mag-Hytec will come too. I'll step up and volunteer in this area. Beat the bushes for vendors, since their support is vital to the event. Not handle the Vendors at MM, but be the contact man to give them info, get a committment and sign them up to attend.

Bob--Mr. Bob's Distributing #ad

 

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Thanks, Mr. Bob. John Holmes will also help by telling me more about how it has been done, contact list etc. Should be able to get a nice complement of vendors. I know some of them like Roy, BD, TST, Dunrite, etc. but not all of them. We want a full representation and your help is appreciated. Piers at BD has also offered to help, so lets see what we can work out.


[This message has been edited by Joseph Donnelly (edited 08-29-2000). ]

 

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Sounds GREAT, you can defiantly count me in. Joseph I emailed you.

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Mike Clay
2001 HO,6 speed QC,2500,4x4Dark Garnet Red,ISSPRO E&B gauges on A Pillar, Rhino Nerf Steps Lit, NW Custom rocker panels, Jacobs E-brake, all options except leather, Reese 20k hitch. Towing a 30' Gulf Stream Sea Hawk 5th Wheel triple slide. The Mule

 

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What say we "all" ante up $100 for registration to insure a "great" event in 2001, and if there's any $$ left over, can be applied to the 2002 MM event? (IF we can keep Joe outa the casinos). #ad
#ad


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2001 TRUCK-COLOR=DRIFTWOOD--SURE AS HELL LOOKS SILVER TO ME, AND NOTHING LIKE THE COLOR REPRESENTED IN THE DC BROCHURE!

[This message has been edited by frijole (edited 08-31-2000). ]

 

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We have a local dealership that is eager to participate! Their space is limited so activities will be centered at the host hotel/RV park. They will provide display trucks and handle registration, etc. The other activities would be attached modules. .

We have a good candidate hotel/RV park that also is happy to work with us, a not too common situation in LV.

I am waiting to hear back from the Speedway when is a good Friday night, meaning the test-and-tune drags won't be crowded (they get crowded just before big bracket or other drag meets).

I will post the names of the dealership and hotel/RV park, and the dates when finalized. Right now the second weekend in May looks most promising, but that could change.

[This message has been edited by Joseph Donnelly (edited 08-31-2000). ]

 

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HEY, dont forget to add the famous disclaimer "100% double your NO money back gurantee"!!! I like the ideas above and agree that any left overs be used to fund the next event (a nice kitty for each year would ALWAYS be gud but..... ). I could be used as the "seed" to keep the MM going.

Just my unwanted/unneeded/unqualified 0. 015$ worth.

SOTSU!!
\\BF//

PS: if I can assist I will do what I can & hope to attend next year (try, try agn).

 

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Joe is the official poster in this adventure but he is up in Winnimucca NV, looking for sheep #ad
. I think he wants to kill one or all of them. Maybe he'll use his 500 hp Ram to attrack them Ewes?
#ad
Ba Ram Ewe #ad

Happy hunting, Joe!

The race track says Friday the 18th would HAVE to be the day for the drags, as it is the only day they have nothing going on the following Saturday. "Ideal", says they. If they have a big race on Saturday, Friday night is a packed mad house.
The RV Park & Hotel we have in mind will also cater to us during that time frame. BTW, it has 200 RV spaces and 300 rooms and is very close to many more. This place built a huge parking structure far beyond it's present needs. It's a possibility a huge covered parking area may be available for unlimited vendor space. The vendors would be able to park close to their stalls. Also the RV park gets a lot of Speedway buisness due to their very large pull through spaces. Could be handy? Those race dudes pull some huge trailers!
Things are moving... .....
Fun little things come up:
Like a new $5 (U. S. ) entrance fee to Lake Mead to go on the dinner cruise... ...
Same thing for a nice caravan through Valley of Fire, except after the Lake fee, you have the Valley of Fire (State) fee.
Red Rock Canyon is real pretty but, yep, also a fee.
Mount Charleston and Lee Canyon Ski Area would be pretty and free!
Any how it sounds like the date will probably (hopefully) be the 17th, 18th and 19th...
More to come,
Ron


[This message has been edited by Ron Duncan (edited 09-01-2000). ]

 

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Joe & Ron,
I am a fairly new member and I live up here in Salt llake city. I have been trying to find out if there is a SLC chapter but I might have to suffice with Las Vegas. I am very interrested in going to the MM01 if the dates work for me. I am an interstate truck driver and I can try to get home for the event. On the registration fee, is it required early or can it be done close to last minute? Put me down for a tenative yes on attending. If I pay and don't go, is there a refund available? or non refundable?
i admire you for all your hard work, sounds like a good time in the desert ( I am a desert rat-proud to say) #ad
)
Let me know,
thanks
Eric

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2001 QC 2500 4x4 bronze W/two tone Driftwood, 24valve HO 6sp. Westin side bars, fender flares, Spray on bedliner, soon to get shell Painted to match and Bf Goodrich AT Tires

 

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Hey Joe and Ron, I can setup some type of radio communications with the local ham group out there since I'm part of LVRA (Las Vegas Repeater Assoc. ) we have a repeater system that reaches into Utah and Calif. Let me know if you could use this.

Rory

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Rory
97' 3500 CC 4x2
Cummins,TSTed Auto, Bright
White / Spruce  Int.