Mopars at the Valley Oct 8th
Well I'm sorry you guys were seeing those forecasts. My phone app said no chance of rain at all from Thursday on. I double checked online as well through Sat. night and it was the same. I get it, it's a tough call sometimes. I'm not calling out anyone in particular here, people can do whatever they want with their time and money and if the weather looks bad there's nothing you can do. I'm just bummed because many of these Mopar-only events used to be so packed and fun and now they're barely worth going to.
Not sure exactly why attendance and car counts at these meets are so low these last few years but I imagine some of it has to do with lingering effects of the pandemic and some is the graying of the hobby. Honestly, there really were no 'younger' people there on Sunday. At 53 I'm probably still a kid to most of these guys. But to my point - if the gray hairs are out racing or showing or just attending why not everyone else?
Over the years I watched Mopars at ETown go from one of the best meets of the year to nothing. I still went at the end because I knew once it was gone that was it. When I first started going in the '90s it was awesome. The swap meet was the best and the racing was non-stop all day. The last one wasn't even worth the drive. ETown closed the next year.
We just have to keep in mind we are the driving force behind these events and attendance helps the tracks stay viable. It's become a Catch-22 though. Can't help the weather but I do think a lot of people stop going to these things because they hear it's going downhill or whatever. If less people show up every year eventually these events will just cease to exist because no one cares and they are a losing proposition for the places that put them on. I know some local guys who absolutely could have made the trip just like I did but for whatever reason just chose not to. You ask them why and they have no real answer. I don't get it.
In the beginning of the year I check the schedule of all the events that I want to attend and put them on my calandar. Unless I have a conflict or the weather does not cooperate, I'm going to be there. Just wish more people would make it a priority to attend ahead of time.