Saturday, May 9, 2009

The Show At Madison

Well now, there are shows, and then there are shows. To say the least, the Madison show was a true experience. I would have to think long and hard before driving 2.5 hours one way to do it again.

First, I gotta say that the folks running this show were excellent hosts, very friendly and right there willing to assist. Great folks! And in spite of threats, there was no rain - in fact, it was quite sunny and warm all day. And the organizers put a lot of effort into marking classes and having things ready. They get an "A" for effort, and another "A" for enthusiam. And an "A+" for congeniality.

OK, so now we get to the dark side. You knew I would.

One of the more minor problems was in the classes, themselves. For the most part they were straightforward enough, but a bit lopsided - one vehicle in one class, while another class had about ten. A class for Mustangs, but no class for Camaros. Things like that. But they had 4 classes for cycles, and there was only one cycle in each of two classes - the other two classes had none. So, I would recommend a little work to improve the classes.

Another problem - from what the participants were telling me, the turnout was much smaller this year because of the voting system used, and because there were only two trophies per class last year. So, many folks did not return. Note that in the Madison area, to get a good showing requires a lot of traveling for most participants, and they don't like to travel THAT far just to be subject to a complex ballot system and reduced chances of winning. And in spite of word that there would be three per class this year, there were only two, again. A lot of folks were disappointed.

And that brings us to the BIG ONE - the major problem that I certainly hope they will consider changing next year. The balloting system.

I will attempt to describe it, so you can understand.

Everyone gets a bucket to put in front of or on their car. And everyone gets a bag full of tags, each with a class number marked on it, and a list of the classes.

Participants must carry the list and the tags around as they vote, and when they choose their favorite in a class, they drop the tag with that number into that vehicles bucket. If you do NOT bring the list along, you will not know what class a vehicle is in.

At counting time, the organizers go from vehicle to vehicle, open the bucket and count the tags that each vehicle received, and put it on their tally sheet.

Now, if that is not complex enough, there are other issues that make this system untenable:

1) Every time a breeze came up, buckets went flying all over the lot. Whose is whose? were tags lost in the wind?

2) A lot of folks object to putting anything, even buckets, on their vehicles. And if you put it on the ground, the 50% of voters who are seniors are simply NOT going to bend over to ground level just to put the tag in the slot of your bucket

3) Everyone could see who voted for whom. Contrary to what some folks in D.C. may think, voting should always be a private thing, to avoid hard feelings and/or intimidation

On the bright side, the fine folks who put on this show already knew it had shortcomings, and actually requested that folks let them know what they could do to make it better next year. And that, my friends, is a sign of better shows to come. One of the organizers said he would obtain a copy of "The Complete Car Show". If he does, I am reasonably confident the show will be improved next year, and worthy of the trip. With any luck, they will keep me abreast of changes they will be making so that I, in turn, can pass that info on to all of you.

Oh, one more minor point - except for my car CD player, there was no music. Robert Sanborn volunteered to sing, but that idea was quickly stifled. Personally, I like music at car shows. Even more now, since running my player all day left me with a dead battery. Good thing I finally thought about bringing my battery booster pack along...

If anyone who went to this, or any other car show would like to comment on the shows, simply use the COMMENT button below my posts, or send me an email at ptwoodycrew@aol.com. A number of organizers have already commented that they are beginning to rely on the feedback you folks provide through HotKarz. So don't be afraid to tell 'em what you think. Just make sure that profanity in absent, and personal attacks are not included.

Bill

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Thursday, May 7, 2009

FYI

You may notice that a couple of shows in the calendar are scheduled as WalMart shows - such as the one in Auburn. You should not plan on those shows - rumor has it that WalMart is no longer permitting car shows at any of their stores nationwide.

I'll be attempting to find out more, and if a WalMart show gets a new "location", I'll let you know that.

If anyone out there has more info on this, I would appreciate any updates.

Bill

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Shows & Events 2009

I am pleased to announce that HotKarz now has 83 Maine shows and events on their SHOW & EVENTS page, and 30 ME cruises on the CRUISE page. Will be attempting to incorporate them all into the calendar shortly - the shows and events are already on the Calendar - I only need to add all the cruises. Unfortunately, it is increasingly difficult to get info on NH events and cruises. But I will keep trying.

It looks like I may be getting up to Madison, after all, provided the weather outlook looks good. Right now it does, but this is Maine, and that can change quickly.

As for the voting for the HotKarz BEST OF THE BEST Awards, some of you folks need to get crackin' and get folks voting. One individual has received votes from all over the country, including AZ, OR and VA. Looks like he has a BIG family. So get the word out, and have YOUR friends and relatives vote. Anyone from any point on planet Earth may cast a vote. And, yes, you can even vote for yourself.

Bill

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Progress

HotKarz.com now has all the cruises we know of, posted on the CRUISES page. If anyone knows of any we have missed, anywhere in Maine or NH, please let us know.

We also have many more shows and events listed on the EVENTS page, but there are plenty more to be added. I think we have just about every Maine show through early August. Again, if we have missed yours, please let us know and get the info to us by emailing me at ptwoodycrew@aol.com

I hope to get the rest of the events up this week, and everything added to the CALENDAR page.

If you have not yet voted for your favorite 1st place winners for BEST OF THE BEST, please go to www.hotkarz.com/bestof.html and get your votes in for both the Wells and Waldoboro shows last weekend.

Meanwhile...

Madison is coming up on Saturday. As of right now, the weather looks "iffy". If the weather looks good, I will likely show up. Otherwise, it's just too far to go to sit in the rain. I can do that right here in Limington.

If you haven't pre-registered for Bonny Eagle yet, you may want to do so from their website .

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Bargain Wheels

If you or someone you know is looking for a great deal on a 6 passenger family vehicle, I just reduced the price of our near perfect 2004 Chrysler Pacifica All Wheel Drive. At $5995, it is now at about $3,000 below the dealer price. All leather, mechanically perfect. Beautiful, safe car. Check it out at www.hotkarz.com/pacifica.html Best of all, you can put part or all on a credit card so you need not pay it all off at once.

And with summer coming, I also have a great deal on a 24' motorhome at www.hotkarz.com/camper.html for just $4995 - valued at around $8,000.

Bill

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Contest Pix

I have all the 1st Place pix up for the BEST OF THE BEST contest. Check them out at www.hotkarz.com/bestof.html and vote for your favorites. Remember - only ONE vote per email address for EACH show. There are two shows up, so you may vote once in each.

For the contestants, I wish you luck.

I have added several shows to the events page - I hope to have the rest up in a couple days, and include them in the calendar. Same thing with the cruises. Check back at www.hotkarz.com for the updates.

For many of you, the show in Madison is coming up this Saturday. It promises to be a great show, weather permitting. As I write this, it is doubtful I will be going - it's 2 1/2 hours drive each way. But we'll see...

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Galleries

I have the general galleries up for both Wells and Waldoboro shows. Visit www.hotkarz.com and click on galleries. I'll try to get the 1st place winner pix up tomorrow.

Bill
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Long Weekend

Just got back from Medomak School in Waldoboro - I thought it was a very well run show. Well organized by a lot of dedicated, pleasant folks. Yesterday we attended the 1st Annual Messiah Church Show in Wells. And that was another very well run show, particularly since it was their first - and hopefully not their last. It was especially wonderful to once again nob around with old friends we have missed over the long winter months. That is the best part of car shows!

The one comment I heard at Medomak was disappointment that there was only one class for all three styles and 45 years of Mustangs. Perhaps if y'all ask nicely, maybe next year they will give Mustangs the same consideration they give the Corvettes and Motorcycles.

The one problem that plagued both shows was uncontrolled spectators, manhandling vehicles, and kids running amok. At Wells, for example, one kid picked up a handful of dirt and threw it on a 1938 Plymouth. This is precisely why car show organizers should pass out Code of Conduct cards for spectators. And if they do not have any, I will gladly send some. There simply is no need nor excuse for spectators disrespecting our rides because they are not fully aware of the rules.

Lastly, a problem that is not the fault of the show, but of the contestants, and irked a lot of folks, especially at Medomak are those contestants who come, register, slop up votes, then leave before the awards. At Medomak, the show rules clearly stated that you must be present to win. In such a case, any contestant who garners votes, then leaves, has dealt every other contestant in his/her class a legitimate opportunity to win. And it leaves the show organizers with a bunch of uncollected trophies - wasted money.

Folks, if you are not going to stay for the awards, at least have enough class to not register, and collect votes that will only get tossed out. It is no different from crashing a party, eating the food, and not even bothering to thank the host. It is rude and crude. And a number of folks did that at both shows this weekend.

Last year, HotKarz made a LETTERS page for each show, where you, the readers, could post your comments. I will be doing the same again this year, so you, the folks, can have a voice. So, feel free to email me at ptwoodycrew@aol.com at any time with your letters concerning any show that you attend. Just be sure there are no personal insults to anyone, and no foul language.

At the Wells show I had to do WAY too much running around, getting pix of the 1st place vehicles for inclusion in the HotKarz Best of the Best Contest. So today, we did things different - we asked all 1st place winners to drive up and have their pic taken. Aaah-h-h. MUCH better! And that is how it shall be done in the future - after the award presentation is over, any 1st place winner who wants to vie for the Best of the Best Awards should get their vehicle, drive it to a designated spot to have their picture and name taken.

Those pix, show by show will be posted on HotKarz (the link will be on the Home Page at http://www.hotkarz.com/ ). Anyone from anywhere in the world may click on the email link at the bottom of the page and email their vote for the vehicle they think is best - ONE from each show. At the end of the summer, the three vehicles that receive the most votes will win.

MEANWHILE, there is a new FUNNY up on the Funnies page. Check it out at www.HotKarz.com, Especially those of you who know Robbie Russell...

I have a lot of picture pages to start building - pix of the shows, the winners, and the HotKarz contestants. I won't get them ALL done tonight, but I'll get some finished. Check in at the homepage and check on the links for the galleries to keep up-to-date on the pix.

Bill

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