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This thread is to post up pictures, videos, or even stories and memories you might have of years past with being a SyTySoGT owner and enthusiast.
Lets kick it off with some old SyTy Nationals footage from 2000. This was the 3rd annual SyTy Nationals held in Kansas City, Missouri and I was the lead event coordinator along with lots of help from Ian Turgeon, Gary Shanock, Chris Pearson (who had lead the previous 2 SyTy Nats), Norman Mah and a few others. I remember starting 1 year before the dates with using the already established contact lists and reaching out to any vendor possible to make this the biggest event I could. There were some late nights spent putting stuff together and prepping for the event. I remember working at University of Central FL at the time and printing the 200 attendee packets at work. I kept going into the office and grabbing binders of paper so I could print off the hundreds of copies I needed to fill all the packets. My biggest goal was to get GM to show up with a few trucks. I sent them formal letters asking for them to attend. It took quite awhile to get a response but they finally agreed to bring out 3 trucks to the event - the PPG Syclone, the "Syclone II" (Lap 1 of America truck and test mule for xfer cases) and the "Typhoon II" which basically was a supercharged GMC Jimmy. I remember being on the phone with the GM rep and him telling me that if any of the trucks were to get damaged, I would be liable and paperwork was on the way for me to sign.
Both Ian and myself basically stuffed the attendee packets near to the last minute of us having to pack and leave. The bed of my truck was full of boxes and raffle prizes and we set off for KC. We went basically non-stop till around St. Louis were we stopped to actually eat real food at a Dennys at about 3am. We figured we were only a few hours out from KC, so we jumped back in the truck and hauled ass. 23 hours later from Orlando to KC, we rolled up to the Double Tree.....and realized we just arrived 1 day earlier than we anticipated. I begged the desk clerk to give me our discounted rate, parked the truck sideways across 3 parking spots, walked into the room and fell on the bed and was out.
KC 2000 was I believe the largest SyTy event to date with number of trucks (Chicago 2002 being the next largest). I think the official count was 102 or 105 trucks (?) and well over 200 people because we ran out of the 200 packets we put together. When GM arrived with the trucks, I ran out to the front of the hotel and begged to let me drive the PPG around to the back lot. The GM rep was reluctant, but granted my wish....one of the biggest highlights Ive ever had with SyTy.
Lots of crazy shit went down over the 3 days. Blue hair dye, razor scooters with fire, defacing Double Tree property with SoCal SyTy decals - which years later were still confirmed to be existent in certain areas, cruising to Hooters, watching tons of trucks blaze down KCIR which no longer exists today..... I also got to drive the "Syclone II" which was a Busch Motor and told was "detuned" down to 700hp. I goosed it in the parking lot and got a bit of tire spin to which the GM rep quickly told me not to do it again if I wanted to continue driving....
I remember Gary Shanock having thousands of dollars stuffed in his pockets from collecting registration money.
Hard to look back and think this was 17 years ago now. Time definitely flies by.
Lets kick it off with some old SyTy Nationals footage from 2000. This was the 3rd annual SyTy Nationals held in Kansas City, Missouri and I was the lead event coordinator along with lots of help from Ian Turgeon, Gary Shanock, Chris Pearson (who had lead the previous 2 SyTy Nats), Norman Mah and a few others. I remember starting 1 year before the dates with using the already established contact lists and reaching out to any vendor possible to make this the biggest event I could. There were some late nights spent putting stuff together and prepping for the event. I remember working at University of Central FL at the time and printing the 200 attendee packets at work. I kept going into the office and grabbing binders of paper so I could print off the hundreds of copies I needed to fill all the packets. My biggest goal was to get GM to show up with a few trucks. I sent them formal letters asking for them to attend. It took quite awhile to get a response but they finally agreed to bring out 3 trucks to the event - the PPG Syclone, the "Syclone II" (Lap 1 of America truck and test mule for xfer cases) and the "Typhoon II" which basically was a supercharged GMC Jimmy. I remember being on the phone with the GM rep and him telling me that if any of the trucks were to get damaged, I would be liable and paperwork was on the way for me to sign.
Both Ian and myself basically stuffed the attendee packets near to the last minute of us having to pack and leave. The bed of my truck was full of boxes and raffle prizes and we set off for KC. We went basically non-stop till around St. Louis were we stopped to actually eat real food at a Dennys at about 3am. We figured we were only a few hours out from KC, so we jumped back in the truck and hauled ass. 23 hours later from Orlando to KC, we rolled up to the Double Tree.....and realized we just arrived 1 day earlier than we anticipated. I begged the desk clerk to give me our discounted rate, parked the truck sideways across 3 parking spots, walked into the room and fell on the bed and was out.
KC 2000 was I believe the largest SyTy event to date with number of trucks (Chicago 2002 being the next largest). I think the official count was 102 or 105 trucks (?) and well over 200 people because we ran out of the 200 packets we put together. When GM arrived with the trucks, I ran out to the front of the hotel and begged to let me drive the PPG around to the back lot. The GM rep was reluctant, but granted my wish....one of the biggest highlights Ive ever had with SyTy.
Lots of crazy shit went down over the 3 days. Blue hair dye, razor scooters with fire, defacing Double Tree property with SoCal SyTy decals - which years later were still confirmed to be existent in certain areas, cruising to Hooters, watching tons of trucks blaze down KCIR which no longer exists today..... I also got to drive the "Syclone II" which was a Busch Motor and told was "detuned" down to 700hp. I goosed it in the parking lot and got a bit of tire spin to which the GM rep quickly told me not to do it again if I wanted to continue driving....
I remember Gary Shanock having thousands of dollars stuffed in his pockets from collecting registration money.Hard to look back and think this was 17 years ago now. Time definitely flies by.