First ever Midwest Suzuki meet!! Mark your calendars now!!

sx4rocious · Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:56 pm

I posted this in the Gallery thread also, but I thought I would start a new thread about it anyway... So please consider coming as it really sounds like it could be fun!! Also, it sounds like the Terre Haute option is what works best for everyone, so I'm thinking this will be the way we go. I'll be posting more details as the come up both here and in the SX4, GV, Sammy, and various two wheeled Suzuki forums also. Stay tuned!!

MAY 24th, 2014

So this is the date. I have two options so far for the whens and wheres...

Option #1: Lake Shelbyville in Shelbyville Illinois.

http://lakeshelbyville.com/

For the start of the meet, this area would provide a couple really nice larger parking lots and picinic shelters to meet up and check out each others cars and get to know one another. There is a beautiful scenic view of the lake with a rather nice beach if you and your family would fancy a swim, or if you own a boat or personal (Suzuki ) watercraft, there is now horsepower limit. The beach area is clean and family freindly with playgrounds and grills and such for the picinic part. There is also a rather nice shower house with PRIVATE showers to change after the swim for the next portion of the meet. There is a dam at one end of the lake with a road to drive over it that would provide some awesome photo oportunities as well. Given this is Memorial Day weekend, there will be activities around the lake also.

OR

Option #2: Thompson Motorsports in Terre Haute Indiana (Suzuki motorcycle shop)

http://www.thompsonsmotorsports.com/index.htm

I know they don't really cater to the Suzuki automotive crowd, but they do have a pretty good supply of Suzuki swag to add to our collections and the store itself is pretty nice. It's also very easy find and it's surrounded by a decent mall and just about every type of restaurant you can think of. It has easy interstate access and a HUGE parking area for the aformentioned greetings. Another good reason is that it sits directly in front of: http://www.crossroadsdragway.com/Cro...gway/Home.html and traditionaly has some pretty good racing that weekend. If you come up the night before (Friday), for like $20, you can purchase unlimited times runs on the 1/8th mile if you wish. This area is also very close to about 5 or 6 rather nice hotels if you wish to make a weekend of it.

And lastly, I tried to come up with a fun and reasonably inexspensive way to end the night. After a scenic cruise of about 45 miles, I thought maybe we would all end up here: http://www.earlann.net/fairviewdrivein.html at an original 50's and 60's drive in movie theater. The admission last year was $6 a person, or $20 for a car for a first-run double feature. All the sound for the movies is actually broadcast through FM frequencies that you play through your car stereo. Some of us would have better sound this way than if we went to an Imax! I go to this place several times every summer. I know the family that owns it (it's a very mom-and-pop type place) and I have never really had this much fun for such a low cost. We may have to get there early as it is usually rather busy, but they allow you to bring a grill and outdoor sports equipment (first ever Suzuki cornhole tournament anyone?) for a nice and relaxing time. Please beware though, that they start the movie after dusk (about 9:30 EST) so sometimes it runs until VERY early the next morning. If you drive some distance to attend the meet (and I hope you do) it might be a good idea to leave after the first movie, or plan on staying the night nearby.

So this is what I'm looking into so far. I'm doing my best to try and add something for everyone, make it family-friendly, and lastly, inexpensive. I would love your ideas and thoughts on this before I start calling around and scheduling things. Plus, I couldn't decide which place to meet, so I need everyone's input!

And one last question... I've been approached about making this a non-specific SUZUKI meet by some people in other forums. Does anyone have any objections to this? I'm thinking Kizashi, Gran Vitara, and Samurai as well as a couple of the two wheeled guys just to try and add to the attendance.

Let me know what you all think!! Yes, that is, in fact, a Squirrel driving a Ferrari...

BxKizashiS · Mon Mar 24, 2014 1:02 am

Nice!! i wanna go!!!.. ima try and take that week off

sx4rocious · Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:57 am

That would be awesome!! I am hoping for a good turnout, but I'm being realistic. Given this is the first one that I know of, I'd be happy with 10 participants and I think I would do cartwheels if we had over 20. I have 5 from the SX4 forums that say they will make it so far, so who knows?

SamirD · Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:34 pm

Dude!! You need to get in touch with Steve at Ray Suzuki (Chevrolet) in Fox Lake to see if he'll donate swag. Swag will get them coming!

I don't know what my schedule is like for that month yet, but it sounds like a blast. Drive-ins are a HOOT! I loved doing an event at a local one in HSV--had the 2nd biggest turnout they ever had at the place.

sx4rocious · Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:51 pm

might have to make a phone call\email later! Thanks for the tip! We'd love to have you come up\down (depending on where you are at the time LOL) I love this particular Drive in. I've been going since I was a kid. The first movie I ever saw there was "Eddie and the Cruisers" back in the very early 80's!

sx4rocious · Thu May 08, 2014 10:51 pm

OK so I've been doing a really poor job of posting info about this on the other forums, so I thought I would simple link to the clubsx4 thread that contains more information. I really hope some of you guys can make it!

http://clubsx4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6159

SamirD · Fri May 09, 2014 6:39 pm

Ah, so it's in Terre Haute. Hmmm...4 hours away one way.

sx4rocious · Fri May 09, 2014 9:57 pm

SamirD wrote:Ah, so it's in Terre Haute. Hmmm...4 hours away one way.

four hours is nothing in a Kizashi!! (there, you now have no excuse not to be there!!)

Apparently the Travelodge has pretty good rates. There's a couple SX4 guys staying there for the event. Might be a good time!

SamirD · Sun May 11, 2014 12:18 am

It would be with the wife. She can't take long drives. And she hasn't been able to do a car meet with me. I don't want to press my luck unless I can just come down solo, and I really don't want to do that either.

sx4rocious · Thu May 15, 2014 8:07 am

new info in the SX4 club thread!! Check it out, we made it a whole weekend thing now with a complete schedule. It should be a blast with 7 confirmed cars so far and it's still 2 weeks away!