Expo 11 - Possible Event Location

[White Dragon]

We are starting to work on Expo 11 possibilities and I would like to gauge interest for one of the options we are considering.

We are looking at a 2 day weekend event at Willow Springs in California during the May – June timeframe. As part of this, there is an opportunity for us to work with HPD and take a tour of their facility there in California. There is also the possibility of HPD bringing and possibly tracking one of the Real Time Type R’s during the event along with bringing some other Honda racing cars. Honda Challenge would also be a part of the event where they would have qualifying and an actual points race incorporated into the event.

Please provide some feedback on if you would attend Expo 11 if the event was held at Willow Springs. Please keep all comments on topic and professional in tone.

Track web site: http://www.willowspringsraceway.com/home/home.asp
Honda Performance Development’s web site: http://racing.honda.com/hpd/

A little about HPD (taken from their website)
Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) is Honda's racing company within North America and is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 1993, and located in Santa Clarita, California, HPD is the technical operations center for Honda's high-performance racing programs. HPD is the single engine supplier to the IndyCar® Series and leases engines for prototype sports car racing in the American Le Mans® Series (ALMS) and European Le Mans Series (LMS). HPD specializes in the design and development of race engines, chassis and performance parts and providing technical/race support. We are proud to now offer parts to Honda and Acura grassroots motorsports racers, and look forward to expanding our products and services in the near future.

Wes

8/30/10 2:50 pm
Thank you everyone for your feedback thus far and I would like to see the healthy conversation continue. My next step is to develop a tentative schedule, price per driver, and minimum number of drivers required to make the event happen. Once I have those three items figured out, we can talk specifics. I also hope to have a date identified shortly after as well.

As soon as we know more information, I will share it here on ITRCA.

[Doespike]

I think this is an amazing opportunity for us

I'm in wherever Expo 11 will be....as a driver.

[B18CXr]

I would love to drive that track.

Expo 1 was at Buttonwillow so driving to the west coast for Expo 11 will not be an issue.

[itrsteez]

CA would make one gnarly roadtrip.... likewise if the masses are in then so am I. When the 2011 calendars hit we should see if we could do infineon/thunderhill/bwillow as well if they're within a few days.

Plus you wouldn't have to listen to the CA guys complain.

[get RIGHT]

This brings a to my face.

[itrsteez]

what a convoy it would be, might be time for everybody to stock up on spare distributors.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... samond,+ca

[CivicBeater]

Just FYI for east coast guys. If time's a factor. Shipping your car out there and driving it back is easily doable. Not all that expensive and saves a couple days of sitting in your car. My uncle does this with about 15 guys and motorcycles every year.

[00TypeR1071]

Hell yeah!!!

If it is in May or early June then I'm definitely game for it.

My wedding is on July 2nd so anything 2 weeks prior that date I would not be able to make it.

[itrsteez]

Just FYI for east coast guys. If time's a factor. Shipping your car out there and driving it back is easily doable. Not all that expensive and saves a couple days of sitting in your car. My uncle does this with about 15 guys and motorcycles every year.

Taking a few days off with the tards and driving to CA could be some memorable stuff.

Granted it will require a week off work and a nice fuel budget, but with proper planning it could be excellent.

[CivicBeater]

Just FYI for east coast guys. If time's a factor. Shipping your car out there and driving it back is easily doable. Not all that expensive and saves a couple days of sitting in your car. My uncle does this with about 15 guys and motorcycles every year.

Taking a few days off with the tards and driving to CA could be some memorable stuff.

Granted it will require a week off work and a nice fuel budget, but with proper planning it could be excellent.

hmmm Miami to Southern Cal. It will take a week to just get there and back.

[B18CXr]

Charlotte to LA = 36ish hours 2,600ish miles

I've done it quite a few times

[itrsteez]

hmmm Miami to Southern Cal. It will take a week to just get there and back.

We can put the focus in my name this time.

Safe to say after 2 days of driving I will be pissing a new shade of green from riding the bull.

[98spec022]

3k miles one way? Sure!

[beastnatch]

That would be sweeeeet! I'd drive down. Made it there in only 16 hours before.

[Hooch'n]

That would be sweeeeet! I'd drive down. Made it there in only 16 hours before.

i might need to start keeping a car someplace on west coast... wtf.

I am DOWN... I should have my comp. license for honda-challenge...oh, snap

[coolhandluke]

We are starting to work on Expo 11 possibilities and I would like to gauge interest for one of the options we are considering.

We are looking at a 2 day weekend event at Willow Springs in California during the May – June timeframe.
As part of this, there is an opportunity for us to work with HPD and take a tour of their facility there in California.

:thud:

There is also the possibility of HPD bringing and possibly tracking one of the Real Time Type R’s during the event along with bringing some other Honda racing cars.

Honda Challenge would also be a part of the event where they would have qualifying and an actual points race incorporated into the event.

Excellent idea!


Wes, it's a drive, but I'm there...driving. I love all of these ideas. A lifetime opportunity if you ask me and I will do whatever I can do get interest.

[Erik95LS]

as long as it's later than the 2nd half of may and prior to august I'm in for sure!

[opie]

I can all but guarantee that I won't be driving, but I think this is great! I'd love to see the caravan out west!

[EG6-DC2]

This would be awesome! I know there would be a few of us from AZ that will attend

[cheezthis]

We need to see what our realistic turnout for an event in California would be, so thanks for everyone chiming in so far.

To pull this off, not only would we need many of our midwest and east coast regulars, but we would also need many on the west coast to step up and fill in the gaps.

Please keep the comments going...be honest. Thanks!! It's a great opportunity, but only if we can bring the numbers.

[R-box]

Break out your readin' glasses!

Wes, this is a great idea - especially the possibility of HPD and RealTime?!?! :faints: That being said, if it doesn't work out, I'll still be attending no matter where it is! You can count on us west coasters to harass the people we know out here. It'd be really awesome to get a good turn out from the east coast - that crew is amazing! I love visiting you guys every chance I get, so to have people come out would be :warm fuzzy feeling: haha.

CA would make one gnarly roadtrip.... likewise if the masses are in then so am I. When the 2011 calendars hit we should see if we could do infineon/thunderhill/bwillow as well if they're within a few days.

The gnarly road trip is one of my favorite parts of Expo... California may be too close for my liking... LOL Nah, I lub it! I love the idea of hitting up another track, if possible, too - would make extra sense for you east coasters.

Shipping your car out there and driving it back is easily doable. Not all that expensive and saves a couple days of sitting in your car.

But-but... a couple days of sitting in your car is ama-za-zing! And sleeping in it every night is even moAr ama-za-zing!

Taking a few days off with the tards and driving to CA could be some memorable stuff.

Granted it will require a week off work and a nice fuel budget, but with proper planning it could be excellent.

I don't think we spent as much on fuel this year as we thought we would... I have the receipts here, I should add them up. Sleeping in our cars REALLY helped keep the cost down and allowed us to drive til we felt like crashing, haha.

i might need to start keeping a car someplace on west coast... wtf.

I am DOWN... I should have my comp. license for honda-challenge...oh, snap

You can keep it at my house, lol.

This would be awesome! I know there would be a few of us from AZ that will attend

Yeah, some of our local friends would also be down for this, thus upping the numbers! Plus, we have people from NM and Utah who couldn't make it this year, whom I bet would show up; the NM people have a good crew too, maybe some of them would also go. If this is a go, it'll be up to Yums to harass the Cali peeps into actually driving-attending Expo, haha. I could always go attend one of their meets before then and try to up the numbers, as well as jump onto some of their local forums.

Not to mention: anyone coming from the Southern states/heading through Phoenix, or other crews passing through Flagstaff, would have us locals to turn to for places to stay (I'm assuming), etc. I know my backyard can hold many-a-cars and my living room floor can hold many-a-peeps!

[TurboLS]

I'm in, as a driver, and also as a sponsor!

Who knows, if the site does well, I may be able to afford more than just a breakfast

[R-box]

I'm in, as a driver, and also as a sponsor!

Who knows, if the site does well, I may be able to afford more than just a breakfast

Mm... but breakfast was good! And then we all ate the leftovers throughout the day. Thanks!

[cheezthis]

I'm in, as a driver, and also as a sponsor!

Who knows, if the site does well, I may be able to afford more than just a breakfast

Mm... but breakfast was good! And then we all ate the leftovers throughout the day. Thanks!

Yep, the breakfast worked out great for everyone. I enjoyed it!

[CONEV8R]

I had such an awesome time at Expo 10 (my first Expo), that I said I would be in for 11 no matter where it was. That still holds true. While, being that I'm from the east coast, something closer would be more convenient (especially if I kill the car again, LOL). Mid-Ohio would be phenomenal. I would sign up today if it were held at Mid-Ohio!

However, with Willow Springs, timing is a bit more of an issue, seeing as it's about a 3,000 mile one-way drive. The biggest issue I can see with having the event at any Coastal track, be it west coast or east coast, is losing a lot of the attendance from the extremely far away people. I think that someplace more centrally located within the country is probably best for attendance, since nobody would have to drive 3,000+ miles each way.

But, I'm in either way, whether it's Willow Springs or Mid-Ohio, depending on when it is, and how it coincides with school.