Long Weekend

(NOTE: Due to "rain-outs", the Super Cruise Balloting schedule has changed.)

Yes, this has, indeed, been a long weekend. It started early Saturday morning at the Sanford show, followed by Moonlight Madness in Rochester NH, then the Sunapee NH show today.

So, forgive me if I have not updated since Friday night.

The Sanford show was rather dismal, weather-wise. And in other respects, as well. When we arrived, we were told to park anywhere. And that is exactly what everyone did, making it nearly impossible to vote for cars by class. Just when you found a car to vote for and wrote it in, at the other end of the strip you would find a better one in the same class. It was a morning of endless walking back and forth, trying to judge fairly. Many folks just gave up in frustration. The Elks said they did not have the manpower to put up signs for classes - well, maybe they need to hold a membership drive instead of a car show. Just how much "manpower" does it take to put up signs showing the classes? I'll bet even I could manage to do that.

To make things worse, there was only one, small trophy for each class. Trophies, themselves, have no real importance, but it is the "something" that makes it worthwhile for car folks to spend a lot for gas, polish, and their time just so some organization can fund their pet projects at our expense. Trophies are the "reward" for the time, effort and expense we go to. While most of us do not covet them, we do enjoy the competion, and recognition of our efforts. And organizers should remember that they cannot earn a dime from a show without us car folk, so they really need to show a little appreciation for what we put into it. Organizers like the Sanford Elks do not bother with that - it would seem their only concern is how much money they can make from us, while putting back as little as possible. When organizers put so little thought and effort into their show, it is a slap in the face to those who make the show possible - the car folks.

That's fine, for them. But they will not get any of my money in the future. My loyalties extend to those who are loyal to us, and give as good as they get. If they do not care about my efforts to come to their show, spend megabucks building, hours polishing and then $4.00 per gallon to travel, then I do not care about their efforts to take my money. Simple.

As a side note, and I know this is a personal thing, but it always irritates me to see a kit car out of a Cracker Jack box winning Best of Show. That's too much like buying the trophy. And a kit car took those honors at Sanford, which is a REAL slap in the face to those dedicated souls that actually labored for years over their cars, preserving authentic cars for posterity. It takes no dedication to buy or build a car from a kit. It rates right up there with giving your fiancee a ring you got out of one of those Penny Arcade trawler games. Just my opinion. I know it is not shared by all.

So, off we went to Rochester NH for the "Moonlight Madness". And that was even a bigger disappointment. Nothing the organizers promised seemed to materialize. No NESN, no nuthin'. We never saw any of the organizers until it was almost over, when they walked around handing out dash plaques - but if you were not with your car at the time, you did not even get that. They told us early on via email that awards were at 6. Well, at 6:30 they came around (with the dash plaques) and when I asked, they said "awards at 7:30".

The MC with the microphone was on a DIFFERENT STREET, so the car people could not hear anything. And at 7:00, they gave both trophies to two local boys, without the car folk even knowing the trophies had been given out already - we were still waiting for 7:30!

I must admit, the first trophy was deserved by the fellow with the 444. But the trophy for "Best Modified" went to a primered, nearly unmodified Ford, owned by a local fellow. Meanwhile, there were at least 20 far superior modified vehicles that received not even a word of recognition - 2 Mercs, a Tbird, a 31 Ford and "Ol' Blue". By the time I returned to my own car, I heard at least a dozen people say it was rigged in favor of locals. Of that I have no doubt. It is no wonder they call it "Moonlight Madness", as a person would have to be a lunatic to give that "show" a second chance - unless, of course, you are a well-known local boy, on first-name terms with the organizers.

I must admit, I was so frustrated by these two back-to-back disappointments that I almost canceled my plans to go to the Sunapee Show today. And the weather that was promised only dampened my spirits further, no pun intended. But my sweet wife decided we needed to go, in the hopes that the Sunapee show would "rescue" an otherwise doomed weekend. She assured me it would not rain.

So, we went. And for two hours we drove through some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen. But as we approached Sunapee, it stopped! And later, the sun came out and it was just beautiful.

The Lion's Club had everything planned and laid out just right. They had a poor choice of classes (some classes had NO entries, and several only had one), but at least they were laid out properly. And the "ushers" knew exactly where to put you. More than that, the organizers were actually friendly - something we had not seen much of on the previous day.

The Sunapee Show was a judged event. And I must admit that, even though we took home a 1st place, I would be the first to say that the judging ability of the judges could be improved. In more than one class, the appropriate trophies were not awarded to the vehicles that earned them. Now, it could be said that is a matter of opinion, but it is not. When peers judge, that is opinion. But in a judged event, it is not based on opinion, but on points. And on a points basis, some of the vehicles that should not have won were still able to take the awards. For example, 25% of the points were awarded for "under the hood", and 25% for "interior". Yet in one class, the car that took 1st place did not even open his hood, and his interior was not top-notch. And a competitor in that class that was a superior vehicle in every aspect, inside and out, got 2nd place.

But for the most part, judging wasn't all that bad - but next year they should find people who know cars a little better, and have no bias. There is nothing wrong with a judged event unless the judges are not qualified. There is nothing more frustrating than to hear a judge say, "Wow, I had a Camaro like that when I was a kid," then promptly "vote" for it because of that bias. Judges must be knowledgeable, and must leave their bias home.

But the weak spot in their show was how they ran (or didn't run) Best of Show. Anyone could pick up one, two or twenty ballots. There was no regulation at all. I told Robin that someone would take advantage of that and cast many votes, and a vehicle that had no chance of winning in an honest vote would likely take home the trophy.

Well, there were about two dozen vehicles that COULD have legitimately claimed Best of Show, but the car that took the trophy certainly was not one of them. Not even close. Just an ordinary, unimpressive '66 Mustang that was not even able to win in his own class against 3 other Mustangs! Yet, he took Best of Show. What's wrong with that picture?

Next year, the Lion's would do well to ISSUE ballots to people - only one per person, rather than leave them on the table to be picked up in quantity by anyone desperate enough to win.

All in all, on a scale of 1-10, I would have given Sanford a "3". Moonlight Madness would have received a "0". Sunapee would have ranked about a "7". And I don't give an "7" lightly. I only gave my wife an "8" when we got married - just below God, who is the only one to ever get a "9" :o)

By the way, the next time you see Stan Page, please loan him a wrench...

Don't forget to check out the latest "Funnies".