By Larry Mohney
As I am writing this most states are reporting not opening
sport events to the public until July! If it is like the restaurant segment
many of the businesses found a very low turnout after re-opening. Are people
afraid to come back out for fear of getting the virus from a crowd?
In my own state (Missouri) we have opened early for
motorsport events and the local dragstrip has reported a brisk business from
people just wanting to get out and enjoy their sport again. People were
starting to sit in the stands again but sitting in groups away from each other
or in groups of people they know.
It may take a time for re-adjustment socially to get acclimated
to this new environment. Whether you believe the threat or not it is there for
many and our country has taken a huge hit!
Will our sport continue?
Yes, I believe people enjoy it too much and it is a social
release (hobby) that makes them feel good. I encouraged all of our enthusiasts
to spend their time at home with their families and work on their trucks. From
the social media posts I see many took that suggestion along with reports from
shops and manufacturers that orders continued to come in during the pandemic.
Now is the time to come out of the homes/garages and come to
the shows with caution! Please protect yourself especially if you are in the
high risk category, social distancing/no hand shaking and common sense keep us
all healthy! Most of our rural enthusiasts are used to dealing with dirty
conditions, animals and virus conditions so we know what to do to stay clean
and healthy.
It will not keep us from enjoying the truck crowd at shows,
talking to each other about what we did to our trucks! Plus watching some of
the high-end vehicles race or pull down the tracks. The trucks shows resemble
very much a county fair for those who enjoy their trucks and diesel vehicles.
So what can you or your customers do to their trucks during
lockdown and on limited funds for many during these difficult times?
There are too many to even list but evaluate your truck for
detailing and repairs that will elongate the truck’s life. Anybody would
appreciate their truck lasting longer since new ones are really expensive right
now.
At many of our events in the Show-N-Shine it is the
detailing inside and out that makes a truck win the prizes. So many work on the
outside but leave the inside or don’t even clean the engine compartment, it
makes a big difference! Many different products and accessories are available
for shop or home use.
Making a diesel last longer is one word – maintenance! Many
put that off thinking a diesel lasts longer than other vehicles, it does if proper
maintenance is done on a regular basis. Check not just fluids and filters but
simple hard parts such as belts, gaskets/leaks, suspension, brake system,
batteries/wiring and fuel pumps!
DIESEL Motorsports already held 3 events before the pandemic
hit and we plan on 3-4 more depending on the states we can hold them for 2020!
Plenty of time to prep your truck no matter at what level and come out to play.
Most people bring their families, meet new people and talk about what they did
to their truck this past winter.
If you don’t fell comfortable competing with your truck then
you can just park it and hang out with it, it will still draw people to it.
Competing is easier than most think, many times racing ET Bracket is not about
going fast but estimating your time the same going down the 1/8 or ¼ mile
truck. The majority of the trucks don’t even break 90 mph in ET racing. It is
about the same as leaving on the on ramp for the freeway.
Pulling is about the same in the beginning workstock class,
if you can pull a 5,000 lb trailer then you can pull down the track. The sled
has different computer settings in conjunction with the moving weight box so it
controls the distribution of weight during the pull. If you have pulled a
trailer with your truck then you would find this a fun challenge.
Many street trucks try their truck on the dyno competition
for highest horsepower for their OEM brand. Completely safe and run by
professionals running their dynos with your truck up on the rollers. Yes, many
competitions are won with lower horse power because not that many of their
brand of OEM truck showed up. We have had many prizes passed out for trucks
under 400 hp. The best of show for highest horsepower does range from 900-1600
hp depending on the location of the show in the country.
Many of the trucks enter the Show-N-Shine with multiple
categories for a prize or the best of show! The judging is done based on
overall appearance, suspension, wheels/tires, motor/performance, interior, and
exhaust. There are 7 categories you can win prizes so this is an easy way to
compete at truck shows even if your truck is a everyday driver.
The truck show venue is all about showing your truck and
talking to people you have met at other shows or online through social media
channels. They all love their trucks so you have a lot in common with everyone
there. Diesel truck shops bring their trucks to show so locals can learn about
their services and view the quality of the trucks.
Many shops tell me they don’t have show setups to display.
You don’t need much, a foldup table from one of the box stores, tablecloth (I
used a black shower curtain once), business cards, a couple of trucks, a popup
from a store (10’ x10’) and yourself or a couple of friends to pass out cards.
It is an easy way to display your goods, throw a few give-aways on the table or
some extra parts you have at the shop. ALWAYS bring your portable toolbox in
case a customer needs a quick repair to compete along with a few parts that
always break.
It is an easy way to meet new customers and talk to existing
friends/customers in a leisure manner while enjoying or competing in the show.
I know many of you are starting to go crazy waiting to get back to normal
conditions but be patient and care for the ones who may need your help.
DIESEL Motorsports will keep on putting on diesel events in
the future, some things may be different for safety precautions or conditions
at the park but be assured we will try our best to make it fun.
Just a few more weeks . . . relax and enjoy your time and
family.
