Tampa Poker Run Pics
02-22-2009, 10:33 PM
#1
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Tampa Poker Run Pics
I took a few pics today. The blue Miata is pdexta's. IDK on the red one.
When we were slowed down in traffic I took a couple of shots out the window. The BMW M3 had a GT4088 in it as a DIY setup and was strong.
When we were slowed down in traffic I took a couple of shots out the window. The BMW M3 had a GT4088 in it as a DIY setup and was strong.
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02-23-2009, 10:08 AM
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Robert,
First of all, they advertised it on a bunch of different forums for about three months and had about 120 signed up. 63 cars showed up, but since both driver and passenger paid if there were passengers there were 96 players.
Each person paid $20 and signed a waiver that said "This is not a race" and "obey all traffic laws." It also said something about "not holding the organizers liable" for some reason. When they paid and signed they got a wrist band and a slip of paper. The wrist band also was their proof of paying so they could have lunch at the end. The slip of paper was for recording their card draw at each waypoint. Everyone also got turn-by-turn course info for all five legs of the run.
They started the cars in groups of ten with only one minute between groups. Each group had a leader who was already familiar with the route. The interval should have been longer between groups, because at the very first waypoint they had three groups backed up at once trying to get their cards. Five minute intervals would have been sufficient to stop this.
They also should have chosen waypoint locations with better layouts for cars coming and going. They should have had the cars stay in line "drive-thru" style to get their cards. Instead, everyone had to park and get out and stand in line. A corner gas station doesn't handle 30 cars at once in addition to their regular traffic, especially when they are parked haphazardly all about. A simple long, wide, flat road shoulder would have been sufficient. Or a business with a reasonably sized parking lot that might be closed on weekends would have done nicely.
At each station, the dealer would fan out a double deck of cards and you would choose one. Your card would be recorded on your slip and returned to the deck. They would then affix a sticker to your slip for verification purposes. For that, a rubber stamp would have worked as well. Since driver and passenger both paid, they would both get a draw and each had their own slips.
Problems: Somebody decided that the Mustang guys would be in the first group. Really smart. 1 - Mustangs don't corner. 2 - There were a couple of 65+ year old geezers tagging along in their group with their wives riding shotgun. 3 - The group behind them had energetic young guns in it with an Evo X, SRT-4s, a 600hp turbo M3, a 928 Porsche with a crazy driver, a GT-R, etc. 4 - The Mustangs in the first group were ridiculously slow getting back on the road at the first waypoint and half of them were left behind. The second group leader (our group) went ahead and pulled out. By the time we left the second waypoint we were the lead group (without really driving very fast). We just had a sense of urgency about us at the waypoints.
(I am digressing severely)
The last waypoint was back where it all started (a local fab/dyno/tuning/cryo shop). They had lunch for everyone who had a wristband. Burgers and dogs on the grill, etc. No wristband = $5 to eat. People hung around and talked about their experiences of the day and popped their hoods and talked shop for awhile.
The organizers stood up in the back of a pickup truck and addressed the crowd. They said that the best hand they had seen thus far was four sixes. Could anyone beat that? They couldn't. First place scored $800. I think second was a full house for $300 and third was three Jacks for $100.
The organizers mentioned a bit about their shop and pointed out their employees and thanked everyone for coming.
Anything I missed?
First of all, they advertised it on a bunch of different forums for about three months and had about 120 signed up. 63 cars showed up, but since both driver and passenger paid if there were passengers there were 96 players.
Each person paid $20 and signed a waiver that said "This is not a race" and "obey all traffic laws." It also said something about "not holding the organizers liable" for some reason. When they paid and signed they got a wrist band and a slip of paper. The wrist band also was their proof of paying so they could have lunch at the end. The slip of paper was for recording their card draw at each waypoint. Everyone also got turn-by-turn course info for all five legs of the run.
They started the cars in groups of ten with only one minute between groups. Each group had a leader who was already familiar with the route. The interval should have been longer between groups, because at the very first waypoint they had three groups backed up at once trying to get their cards. Five minute intervals would have been sufficient to stop this.
They also should have chosen waypoint locations with better layouts for cars coming and going. They should have had the cars stay in line "drive-thru" style to get their cards. Instead, everyone had to park and get out and stand in line. A corner gas station doesn't handle 30 cars at once in addition to their regular traffic, especially when they are parked haphazardly all about. A simple long, wide, flat road shoulder would have been sufficient. Or a business with a reasonably sized parking lot that might be closed on weekends would have done nicely.
At each station, the dealer would fan out a double deck of cards and you would choose one. Your card would be recorded on your slip and returned to the deck. They would then affix a sticker to your slip for verification purposes. For that, a rubber stamp would have worked as well. Since driver and passenger both paid, they would both get a draw and each had their own slips.
Problems: Somebody decided that the Mustang guys would be in the first group. Really smart. 1 - Mustangs don't corner. 2 - There were a couple of 65+ year old geezers tagging along in their group with their wives riding shotgun. 3 - The group behind them had energetic young guns in it with an Evo X, SRT-4s, a 600hp turbo M3, a 928 Porsche with a crazy driver, a GT-R, etc. 4 - The Mustangs in the first group were ridiculously slow getting back on the road at the first waypoint and half of them were left behind. The second group leader (our group) went ahead and pulled out. By the time we left the second waypoint we were the lead group (without really driving very fast). We just had a sense of urgency about us at the waypoints.
(I am digressing severely)
The last waypoint was back where it all started (a local fab/dyno/tuning/cryo shop). They had lunch for everyone who had a wristband. Burgers and dogs on the grill, etc. No wristband = $5 to eat. People hung around and talked about their experiences of the day and popped their hoods and talked shop for awhile.
The organizers stood up in the back of a pickup truck and addressed the crowd. They said that the best hand they had seen thus far was four sixes. Could anyone beat that? They couldn't. First place scored $800. I think second was a full house for $300 and third was three Jacks for $100.
The organizers mentioned a bit about their shop and pointed out their employees and thanked everyone for coming.
Anything I missed?
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02-23-2009, 10:17 AM
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BTW, the organizer said he was going to mix it up next year (this was the third annual). He said the first group was going to start the course in one direction and the second in the other. They would cross somewhere in the middle. That sounds complicated for the drive-thru arrangement at the waypoints. Cars would start coming at the third station all at once from two directions??? Might be fun to see other cars going the other way, though.
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02-23-2009, 11:15 AM
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My son is going to be in Texas for 2 years so I plan on taking my car from Florida to Texas next year in April to visit him. Since I'm going to be leaving the missus behind, I will be able to do as I please.
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