So the 21st convention has come and gone and we are already preparing for the next get together next year in Denver, Colorado!!
This year we ended up with over 60 cars and 85 people who came from across the continent to join us in Minnesota for the past week! We are collecting pictures and links to videos to be linked on the Conv 21 page, so if you have any from your own travels just send us an email!
HOST HOTEL
Best Western Kelly Inn 100 4th Avenue South St. Cloud MN, 56301 Ph: 320-253-0606
With registration opening on Monday morning at 9AM, the Mallinson's have always arrived early to get items setup. Plus this is a vacation so we don't want to go to just any old food stop, so with the help of our resident biker we found Jimmy's and thoroughly enjoyed their PotatO' Wedges and awesome line of burgers!
MONDAY - JULY 16, 2012
REGISTRATION
The Convention registration packet includes our convention program, any goodies we are able to wrangle up, a dash plaque and badges / IDs which are your entry to all SHO events and allow you to receive our convention discounts! DO NOT lose this badge! Badges are not needed for access to special discounts and events during the week. Registration will be located in one of the meeting rooms at the host hotel, just look for the signs.
Ron has been leading a small band of golfers for the past decade thru each convention to a local course where they play each July. Tee times usually are not locked in until two-weeks prior to the convention, but usually they shoot for the 8-9 AM timeframe on Monday. Sometimes they also play a round on Tuesday afternoon if time permits. Anyone interested in Monday and/or Tuesday should contact Ron - ron.porter@gmail.com.
Last year the group that went out to a local gun range enjoyed it so much, they are doing a repeat! Check out the linked flyer for more details if you are curious to know more details.
RECEPTION
Following our welcome in the open area by the pool, we’ll be heading downtown to enjoy food from the local restaurants!
TUESDAY - JULY 17, 2012
CAR SHOW -$10 pre-registration / $15 day of show
Our car show is at the Host Hotel from 7:30am to 12:00PM and is $10 per car for pre-registrations OR $15 per car the day of the show. Most years, everyone is out and cleaning their cars by 7:00am and the SHOw is going by 7:30am as people continue to detail their cars. By having the car show as one of the very first things during the week, we can then go to the road course or drag strip; some drivers still end up cleaning their cars after the track events anyway, but at least this way we won't feel so bad about the rubber or road grime getting all over the car.
Judging starts by 9am and is usually done by 11:30am easily with our long time SHO Club members stepping in to offer their expertise at going over the cars. Our classes are broken down by generation of SHO: 1989 to 1991, 1992 to 1995, 1996 to 1999, & 2010 to 2012, 2013+. Trophies, which are based on the appearance of each individuals car, are handed out at our Thursday night banquet. So just because someone has a brand new 2013 SHO that is spotless, won't stop your 1989 from also getting a Gold award as well!
Don’t have a SHO, not a member? Bring that pride and joy auto of your life and enter the NON-SHO class which is awarded by popular vote! That afternoon, join us for tours of Minneapolis and downtown events!
AFTERNOON EVENT
We are planning tours of Minneapolis and are still working out the details, so stay tuned!
WEDNESDAY - JULY 18, 2012
TRACK DAY - Brainerd International Raceway - $200 per driver
Every year we include a track day at a nearby track and for 2012 we are going for Brainerd International Raceway! We will be having our group photo as well.
We will be running the 2.5 Mile Competition Road Course which is helping to keep the cost down as well as opens up the ability to us the drag strip at the end of the day for “arm-drop” style racing! For dinner there is a fantastic restaurant only 9 miles from the track that we recommend and will be including in our program!
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPT9zotnUcE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Q: A few people have sent in emails asking if it would be possible to do the longer 3.1 mile track this year at BIR.
A: Brainerd International Raceway is an amazing track in that it allows for two different track configurations, and when I started looking into it, the costs were high enough on the longer track that I only felt comfortable doing the 2.5 mile competition track at a cost of $200 per driver; which would allows us to break even at our traditional 41 drivers. After a discussion with the track manager, we can still do the longer course, but at a higher cost of course, those 41 drivers would now pay $280 per driver, which is the same as VIR was last year.
45 cars would be $260 per driver 50 cars would be $240 per driver 55 cars would be $220 per driver 60 cars would be $200 per driver
On June 1st if we have enough people committed to doing the track day, then I will call the track and convert it to the longer layout. Covering the cost is the only goal here. Our friends in MN even mentioned that some of the local clubs have done a split day, running the long course in the AM and the competition course in the PM.
If payment is a concern for you, please contact me directly over email or call 309-349-2800 to work out a plan, but at this point I am only looking for $200 of the track fee which would cover the current plan that we have in place, and IF we are able to convert to the longer track, then the final amount would be due later. The SHO track day IS OPEN to anyone that would like to attend, and anyone that wants to come for just the BIR Track day, can pay just the one track day fee (no reg fee) to join us.
If you have any questions on the convention, please contact me.
Thank you! Ken Mallinson SHO Club
DRAG RACE - Brainerd International Raceway - $15 per driver
Every year we work hard to include a drag race for our King of the Hill award, but we continue to see a decrease in the amount of attendance which makes it harder and harder to hold this event and cover the costs. This year we have reached an agreement with BIR that since we are not using the long straight away on the track, we can easily transition into the drag race at 5PM at a greatly reduced rate. We will not be using the timers, but instead doing it “arm-drop” style racing!
For dinner here is a fantastic restaurant only 9 miles from the track that we recommend and will be including in our program!
THURSDAY - JULY 19, 2012
MORNING EVENT
How often do you get the chance to take a tour of the Twin Cities? Take a limo winery tour or a trip to the Mall of America, and following that, come back to the host hotel for our annual Convention Banquet and awards!
Last year the group that went out to a local gun range enjoyed it so much, they are doing a repeat! Times are still to be determined! If you are curious, let us know by email and we'll keep you in the loop as we know more details.
BANQUET
Our traditional convention closing banquet will be in one of the banquet rooms at the host hotel, look for signs in the hallway pointing the way. The past couple years we have received some nice goodies from Ford that we have been able to hand out to everyone at the banquet, and we will be talking with them to see what other ways they can participate. Closing out the convention will be the announcement of following years convention!
We welcome everyone in the SHO Community to take our Convention Survey and let us know your picks and preferences of the conventions spots we have picked.
SHO CONVENTION 2012 #21
