STAP 2013: Cleveland, Ohio! (June 27th-30th)

[a_d_a_m]

CVN voted, now everyone can attend...I know you're wondering about the name, aren't you? Well...the plant is still closed but we always had a good time there so we decided to honor its memory this year.

Spend
Time
Around
Panthers

SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. I'M STILL IRONING OUT A COUPLE DETAILS, MMMMK?
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THURSDAY
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Arrive any time you want! You wanna go see the Rock Hall? Do it! You wanna cruise to Summit Racing? Go for it! You wanna hit Cedar Point? By all means! You wanna get drunk by the pool and pass out in a deck chair? Sure!

In the evening, probably around 9pm, anyone who wishes to can meet up for dinner at Dino's Restaurant, located adjacent to the hotel and on the same property.
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FRIDAY
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Friday's itinerary will begin with a brunch at Melt Bar & Grilled (http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com) in Mentor...
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/46/5d/94/melt-bar-grilled.jpg

Since 2006, Melt has been a growing franchise - it started as a small west-side restaurant and quickly grew into a regional carbohydrate tour-de-force. Boasting some of the biggest, craziest sandwiches - as well as at least 150 beers, Melt has been featured on several national food programs (http://meltbarandgrilled.com/media-buzz/feature-appearances/), and been awarded tons of...well, awards, I guess!

After brunch, we'll waddle out to our cars and get on the Cleveland Shoreway (OH-2) and head downtown. We're going to tour the Steamship William G. Mather. That's right, a real CLEVELAND STEAMER! Then we'll walk down to the Cleveland Police Museum, which is pretty damn close and FREE! Tour that real quick, then drive through downtown Cleveland and head south to West Salem, home of the 'seasoned' Dragway 42 (http://www.dragway42.com).

http://www.maviefolle.com/wp1/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/DRAGWAY42START2.jpg

D42 is an IHRA-certified 1/4-mile dragstrip that has previously accommodated the Panther community in 2009 for one of our regional meets. It will be test and tune night - I'm still attempting to negotiate our own staging lane as they provided us with one in 2009. No guarantees on that, but it'll be open regardless! Concessions will be open, and grilling is allowed on site if you bring yer own grill.
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SATURDAY
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Saturday begins with most of us shaking hangovers and lounging by the pool. Hey, wasn't Friday busy enough?!

Anyway, if you went to STAP10, STAP11, or Motor City Madness, you may have also attended RZPLA at Rizzo's house. Well, Andy and I, as well as others, agreed that it was a good time to relax and talk to everyone and spend some time away from and outside of the cars. So we're going around the corner to a_d_a_m's d_a_d's house for an afternoon cookout. What's it look like? Well...here's the backyard...
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w110/jackiegleason/5C817886-7A18-47CD-B91C-245BF3666557-2605-000002710A413687_zpscd284e5f.j pg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w110/jackiegleason/2BB3EA26-71AC-49FC-A86C-99A359281430-2605-000002710103A963_zps93fea792.j pg

Let's just say he takes a lot of pride in having a parklike backyard and I think you guys will enjoy what I believe is a perfect mix of shade and sun.

Bring chairs. Andy and I will provide burgers and dogs, as well as some chips 'n' stuff. Dad might kick in too, I don't know. I'll have a few cases of house beer but if you want something fancy, or liquor, make sure to hit the liquor store!

On Saturday night, we'll be heading out to tropical and picturesque Painesville Township, the home of Lake County Speedway (http://www.lakecountyspeedway.com), a NASCAR-sanctioned 1/5-mile paved oval with Figure-8 racing.
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/6a/d0/7c/filename-painesville.jpg

Not only will we be spectating a Saturday night showdown on one of the shortest ovals ever, but 10 lucky Panther owners will be pacing the field (2 cars per feature)! More info to come on how the lucky cars/drivers will be chosen, but expect at least one of each of the following: dragstrip performance, best-of-show, most factory-appearing, planners' choice.

After the evening's festivities and before heading back to the hotel, everyone (yes, all cars) will be out on the track for a group picture in the figure-8 crossover (the "X" of the track). Got a camera/tripod? Good at taking night pictures? We could use you...


Entry will be $10 per adult, $5 for each child ages 6-12 or adult over 65, free admission for children under 5.

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SUNDAY
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Go the hell home, or enjoy Cleveland s'more!


More info, including lodging stuff, here: http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=95&page=1







Yes, this meet started on CVN (as did the last two STAP meets). Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, is welcome to attend this meet...regardless of whatever they drive now. If you're part of the community here, you're welcome to attend.

[Mr. Man]

:hmmm: hmmmmm interesting

[a_d_a_m]

I have been doing meets since '08 and I can tell you that I have one hell of a helper on this one and we've been really trying to make this the best one.

[HiHoSilver]

I will defiantly be at one event at least. By the way, Melt is the best.. damn, looks like im going to have to order that for dinner tonight

I will tell my little brother too, he has a 95 CV

[a_d_a_m]

Sounds good!

[HiHoSilver]

Adam, the MM up and running yet?

[a_d_a_m]

It's sitting in the garage on the trickle charger waiting for this week of rain to be over with. I'll probably put it on insurance and start driving it in a week or two.

I have to fix the blend door actuator and put on my underdrive pulleys too.

[Bruce Wayne]

I'm going to miss St.Thomas Assembly plant. Maybe we can all meet there again someday, Ford still owns the property, Let's have a Canadian reunion!

[a_d_a_m]

Ford doesn't want people on the property and I bet it's sold within 5 years.


In other news, we are officially OVER 40 people RSVP'd at this time.

[bindingposts]

I will be in attendance for this. I probably met some of you guys in Louisville. We get way louder outside, and the hotel never tells us to "quiet down".

[DOOM]

Looks like its going to be an awesome meet!

[a_d_a_m]

I will be in attendance for this. YES.


We get way louder outside, and the hotel never tells us to "quiet down". YES.












(plus, there's a pool)

[pantheroc]

Sounds like a great time. Checking schedule.

[a_d_a_m]

I've just updated the itinerary: we are officially COMPLETE other than negotiating privileges at the dragstrip.

Saturday night is going to be a BLAST.

[a_d_a_m]

Someone on CVN asked.....

How are we choosing who gets to pace ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE!

At this point, the categories will be as follows (subject to change without notice, naturally), and organized as follows (not necessarily in this order):

1. Fastest e.t., fastest r.t. (obviously determined at the dragstrip - timeslips will be used! If you don't have a timeslip, it doesn't matter how many people saw it. Get your F'n slips!)
2. Furthest distance driven (Google Maps used from the attendee's home address to the address of the hotel), best Whale (group vote)
3. Best Box, best Aero (both categories are group votes)
4. Group choice (group vote of ALL cars), wildcard (random drawing)
5. Adam's choice, Andy's choice (picked on a variety of criteria: looks, performance, the owner/driver/occupants simply displaying a really good attitude that reflects the spirit of the meet)


To give as many people a chance to be on the track as possible, if one car wins more than one category (i.e. fastest r.t. and best Whale), that car shall only be eligible for ONE category to be picked by that car's owner. Furthest distance driven will be a trump category and not up for discussion.
Example #1: Billy wins best r.t. at the dragstrip, as well as furthest distance driven. His car will automatically be chosen as the furthest distance driven, and the first runner-up on reaction time will be awarded a pace position.

Example #2: Julie wins best Whale by group vote, as well as best overall car. Julie shall have the choice of whether she wants to take to the track as the best Whale or the best overall car. In this example, she chooses to be best overall car. The "best Whale" category winner will go to the first runner-up.

[FastMerc]

This sounds like fun, I may be back from Vegas in time for this.

[a_d_a_m]

Itinerary updated: GLBC removed from Saturday afternoon's festivities due to parking/cost/under 21 concerns. :D

[a_d_a_m]

Update: We will have our own staging lane at Dragway 42

[StainlessWorks]

Add this event to your itinerary if possible :) , it's our annual Stainless Works (http://www.stainlessworks.net) Car Show and factory tour.

http://www.stainlessworks.net/media/Banners/images/auto-aviation-show.jpg

http://www.stainlessworks.net/auto-aviation-benefit

[a_d_a_m]

I think we'll have a SW car or two in attendance. Maybe we can squeeze it in, or at least a few of us can come down early!

[a_d_a_m]

Here's a shortened itinerary with approximate times...and I've added the SW show to Saturday morning; we'll squeeze it in as best we can! :D

Thursday:
arrive whenever
9:00 PM: dinner at Dino's (adjacent to hotel)
10ish PM: parking lot shenanigans, USAF Thunderbirds flyover?

Friday:
10:30 AM: meet in the hotel parking lot
10:45 AM: convoy to Melt
11:00 AM: brunch at Melt
12:30 PM: convoy to Crawford Auto/Aviation Museum
1:00 PM: tour Crawford Auto/Aviation Museum
3:30 PM: convoy down Chester to downtown Cleveland, en route Dragway 42
4:30 PM: test and tune at Dragway 42
9ish PM : convoy back to the hotel, potential stop at Sheetz in Mentor for gas/beer/snacks/to piss off the ricers that hang out there http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/default/laugh.gif
10:00 PM: hotel shenanigans

Saturday:
9:15 AM: meet in parking lot for a convoy to Stainless Works for those who wish to
10:00 AM: Stainless Works Auto/Aviation show + factory tour
12:00 PM: convoy back to the hotel
12:45 PM: convoy to a_d_a_m's d_a_d's house
1:00 PM: cookout/tunes/etc.
5:30 PM: convoy to Lake County Speedway
6:00 PM: watching the festivities at Lake County Speedway + 10 cars pacing the field (to be determined by event planners)
10ish PM: hotel shenanigans

Sunday:
11:00 AM: checkout and depart, or hang out. I've got the day off, anyone wanna hang?

[ShadyLurker]

Looks like a lot of fun man. Wish I wasn't working..

[a_d_a_m]

If anyone is planning to attend, and is into Autocross - there is an Autocross event at Geauga Lake Park on Sunday the 30th. It is $45 to run unless you're an SCCA member. GLP is right down the road from our hotel...

[DWSTANG67]

Sounds like a fun weekend i have to check my work schedule

[a_d_a_m]

There might be a CVN guy coming from NH along I-80 if that helps.

[a_d_a_m]

I had to update the itinerary (http://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2691879#Post2691879). Apparently the jerks at Crawford decided to post a press release a couple weeks ago announcing a closure for the day we were going to be there. So instead, we're going to do a Cleveland Steamer and then beat a dead horse. Click that link for more info if you're planning on attending.