2024 GT Reunion post mortem

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

So, two months plus out from the event here is what I (think) I know:

• Anyone you count on will let you down, i.e. the transport company that was to be a sponsor proved to be unreliable. As a result, numerous cars committed to attend were not at the event. Fortunately, we didn't promote them early, so we didn't "bait and switch".
• Vendors will promise delivery and then claim all sorts of "issues" that prevent them fulfilling the order. "Sure, we sent the lanyards to the wrong address, but we can get them to you on Tuesday. Yeah, that works, the event ends Sunday"
• Butt pucker: Personally, on the hook for over $100K of commitments; hotel, guaranteed room count. Short? No problem, I pay the shortage. Dinners? Same, I pay. Track? Same, not enough cars, I pay.
• Merchandise? Well, I choked on the T shirt order. Played it safe. Safe saw us sold out of shirts Saturday AM. Could have sold three times the inventory we had.
• Other merch? Well, be sure to come to the estate sale my sons will have when I cash out. You will get cool stuff for 3 cents on the dollar IF they can find the stuff in the basement!
• Final accounting? So, I have still not been paid by a couple of vendors who I told "no worries, just send aa check when you get home". Looks like after investing over 100K, I will walk away with about $3,000. The goal was never to get rich; it was to have an event all could enjoy and not go upside down on the project. But as any good businessperson will tell you, less than 3% return on investment is poor business. Was it dumb? Yes. Would I do it again, hell yes! If I do, please promise to come to my funeral as my wife has told me in no uncertain terms "You will be dead" "I don't know, I guess he thought the pillow was a big marshmallow"

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

My bad, I didn't thank the volunteers who helped make this work. Registration, marshalling cars, loading/unloading people for the charity laps. people who helped at the trailer with merch and check ins. Teamwork makes the dream work. Thank you to all who helped. We raised a substantial amount for the PVGP charities and truly appreciate the help.

 

[Paul V]

Thanks for taking on all that risk Rick. Being it was the 60th anniversary, I would have expected other companies and the original manufacturer to step up to reduce that burden. That didn’t happen and it was still a great event.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Thanks for taking on all that risk Rick. Being it was the 60th anniversary, I would have expected other companies and the original manufacturer to step up to reduce that burden. That didn’t happen and it was still a great event.

Thanks for taking on all that risk Rick. Being it was the 60th anniversary, I would have expected other companies and the original manufacturer to step up to reduce that burden. That didn’t happen and it was still a great event.

Yes, we were disappointed that Ford and some other people in the industry did not participate. Ford claimed no interest as "we do not currently build a GT product" however they spent hundreds of thousands at Poad America in 2009 when they also "didn't build a GT product".

Some others who would have been a natural either declined or ghosted us such as Roush who had at least 35 cars attending powered by their crate engines.

Thanks to those who did attend and sponsor: Superformance, Safir GT40, ZF, Hi Tech Legends, Downforce Motorsports, Time Machines Motorsports, GOX USA, Croftgate Detail Products, Cobra Performance and of course Fran Kress. The artists that attended sold some artworks and took commissions; Gary Dausch, Steve Bowden and all the way from Brazil, Julio Cesar Caetano.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Yes, we were disappointed that Ford and some other people in the industry did not participate. Ford claimed no interest as "we do not currently build a GT product" however they spent hundreds of thousands at Poad America in 2009 when they also "didn't build a GT product".

Some others who would have been a natural either declined or ghosted us such as Roush who had at least 35 cars attending powered by their crate engines.

Thanks to those who did attend and sponsor: Superformance, Safir GT40, ZF, Hi Tech Legends, Downforce Motorsports, Time Machines Motorsports, GOX USA, Croftgate Detail Products, Cobra Performance and of course Fran Kress. The artists that attended sold some artworks and took commissions; Gary Dausch, Steve Bowden and all the way from Brazil, Julio Cesar Caetano.

And please note we were NOT asking for money from some of the invited vendors, we wanted participation. Ford would have been a natural, we asked for them to bring one of the 2015/2015 Lemans GTs....crickets. Despite having a friend who was a Ford employee and very important in the SVO era, etc. we couldn't even get the person in charge to tell us to go to hell! They really didn't see any value in supporting the people who keep their legend alive. We wanted them to bring a Mustang GTD to display, numerous people who attended have MULTIPLE Ford GTs and are the target market for them.

 

[David Garton]

After seeing the event and the participation of those that made it I wish even more that I was able to participate. Looked like a great time was had by those who made the trip. Thanks for taking on the task.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

I was amused by the article in the "Shelby American" the SAAC quarterly magazine where it was titled "Replica Reunion", and the point was repeated that only one FAV GT was in attendance. A friend from SAAC repeated that to me but my reply was "Well, that was one more than at your event". We didn't ask for the dates to clash and personally I was disappointed at not being able to attend the SAAC event

 

[Paul V]

It was a fun replica reunion then. The northeast SAAC event was at PittRace in 2023 in conjunction with the PVGP. There were a couple vintage Cobras and some 1960s GT350s. The majority were modern mustangs and replicas. All beautiful cars but also short on history.