First National Gathering = success


dbk

dbk

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Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,283
Metro Detroit
Well, it's 1:32 A.M, and the first national meet is now over. Everyone is sleeping off the party at Camilo's, and getting ready to go back home.

I think it was a tremendous 4 days. Everyone had alot of fun, and we truly had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will quite literally never see that again. What we all walked through, discussed, and lived for the past few days is finished for good in mere weeks. I won't try and pretend I wasn't actually getting choked up just walking through Wixom. The GT, the team behind it, and the facilities that create it have been such a huge part of my life for the last few months, and the finality of walking through for the last time, knowing these unbelievable cars will stop being built...wow.

Of course, it was so great to meet everyone, put faces to names, see the cars in real life, and set the table for the future. While we won't always have the Saleen Special Vehicles tour, or the Wixom Final Assembly, and we won't always gather the entire Ford GT team, we'll always have this camaraderie and grow it in the future with even more owners. I can't even begin to think of how many great and unique people I met this week.

Again, I have to thank my main man GT Joey for being the unbelievable voice for the gathering. He's the man. And of course Jerry DeYoung and his/our good friend Alex Borla for making so much of this possible. Daniel Bonyhadi for getting us the good stuff, which is no surprise. Brian Depenbrock for all the banners and all his other contributions. And everyone at Ford and SSV for a GREAT show.

So....where we goin next year?:biggrin

P.S, and now, I'm going to collapse :wink
 
I agree, it truly was a unique once in a lifetime experience. Thanks Dave, for all the sacrifices you have made over the past months putting this all together. It'll take me hours to upload all the photos from my camera to my computer when I get home. It’ll take a lifetime to enjoy all the new friends we met the rally.

What a great car, what a great group of owners. See you at the next one.
 
Roaring Success!!!

What an incredible week this was! DBK and GTJOEY - you guys REALLY know how to throw a party! You didn't leave a stone unturned - I can't think of anything else that we could have done this week that would have added any more to the event. We toured the plants, we met the people who build the cars...we met the people who designed and engineered tha cars...and, it was very obvious, these folks were as excited about the cars as the owners are.

We surrounded Ford WHQ, we completely took over the Ford Conference and Events Center (with DBK's GT centerstage on a revolving turntable, flanked by the "Daisy" Cobra concept roadster, and the Shelby GR-1 concept coupe), and we partied downtown with Camilo (it felt like I was back in college at art school).

It was really nice to meet so many forum members, connect a face and a name with a screen name, look at all the cars, and see how everybody is enjoying them. Getting to hang out with the infamous Bony and Awsum GT was a lot of fun - they were intent on seeing and doing everything, and I'm pretty sure they did. Thanks for everything you guys contibuted to the event, too!

I hope all of you had a great time in Detroit - we were pleased and honored to have you here.

Jeff Burgy
 
I'll echo the comments above, especially the one regarding not knowing what else could have been done to add to it. The Ritz was the perfect Rally HQ, the owners and the Ford and SSV people were so honored to be in each others presence. Camilo was so gracious, as was everyone who was burdened with accomodating us, signing everything, smiling for every picture.

I've got over 300 pictures, and I'm sure there are those with even more (AwesomeGT for one! I tried to keep up with him at Wixom and ran out of memory!) I'll work on picking some out for posting on the flight home.

Thanks again to DBK, GTJoey, SuperB, AwesomeGT, Bony, Sam the Jeep Man and everyone else who helped set this most memorable week up! :thumbsup
 
Ditto...

BigsGT said:
I'll echo the comments above, especially the one regarding not knowing what else could have been done to add to it. The Ritz was the perfect Rally HQ, the owners and the Ford and SSV people were so honored to be in each others presence. Camilo was so gracious, as was everyone who was burdened with accomodating us, signing everything, smiling for every picture.

I've got over 300 pictures, and I'm sure there are those with even more (AwesomeGT for one! I tried to keep up with him at Wixom and ran out of memory!) I'll work on picking some out for posting on the flight home.

Thanks again to DBK, GTJoey, SuperB, AwesomeGT, Bony, Sam the Jeep Man and everyone else who helped set this most memorable week up! :thumbsup
Click to expand...

I will miss you guys... Please keep in touch!

Jennifer
 
i dont know what to say... DBK it was a pleasure... GT JOEY .. thank you..

it was once in a lifetime.. IMHO it cannot be duplicated...

special thanks to JAMAL and to DBK and to GENE ( YOU KNOW).........

AHHHHHHHH it was just simply awesome.... to my pals in NC and in TORONTO etc etc..

all very nice people.....


JOE :cheers
 
I appreciate knowing about Saturday's events, I've got hundreds of photos to edit from all of Saturday; no idea yet how many i'll put online, but definately more then a few.

in the mean time; here's one of the GTX-1's.

BTW, it was nice to see so many of the GT's cruising Woodward later in the evening :)

-Isaac
 

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DITTO...DITTO..DITTO AND a special thanks to DBK and GTJOEY for really getting this thing done....THANK YOU....ala "Apocalypse Now"...."when I was there I wanted to be home...when I was home I wanted to be back there...the more they made it like home, the more i missed it..."
 
Simply put, this was an outstanding event, incredible considering this was the first event. Thank you David, Joey, all those that helped to make this something all of us will always remember. I'll pitch we pick Florida for an event in Feb or March, great time of year there, lots of race tracks and
baby-but smooth roads. This would be a good break for the winterized GTs to stretch their legs. Lots to do for the whole family.
 
Got back to Phoenix a couple of hours ago. What a great 4 days. Thanks to all of you that put this together. It will be a tough act to follow.
 
Rally

Speechless... Unwinding after arriving home last night and I am still wired!! Must have been all the "Test Drives" LOL

Enjoyed meeting everyone and appreciated the hospitality!!

I must thank TT Joe (Piko6) for the chance of a lifetime working and tuning on his 1000hp plus GT!!

To DBK and Joey and all the people behind the scenes, you did a fantastic job and if there is anything I can do for you in the future just pick up the phone and call!!!

To all the people we met and shared the joy of this past week with I know I am not the only one when I say "Thank you Ford" for creating the GT!!!
 
Just got back. Car ran 1500 miles flawlessly and 24 MPG to boot!! Got harrassed at US customs . They made me open all the compartments. (I think they were more curoius than anything)

Truly awesome event. Many thanks and Kudos to Dave, GT Joey and all who helped and participated. Best car event I have attended. Made many new friends and everyone was great!! Can't say enough!! You guys are real !!
Thanks to Saleen, The guys at Ford. I can really see now how passionate they are about the GT. Makes owning it even more special!!
 
To add to the above THANK YOU's... Dave & all you did a great job. So nice to visit with all the great people from around the globe. I have made some great freinds.

GT Joey always a hoot, see you soon.

And to all the wife's for puting up with our fun.

Steve
 
First

Words are insufficient for expressing the "high" I felt being in the midst of the "true believers". I am simply amazed at the enthusiasm, joy, and fun everyone had on all sides; owners, builders, vendors, et.al. Thanks to GT Joey, Dave Bannister, "Bony" and so many others who made this one of the most memorable events I have every attended. I think we should nominate these guys in the next U.S. Presidential election!!! Maybe they could get something done for the whole nation. Can't wait for the next event!!! It may be costly for though, as my enthusiasm caused me to buy two more cars while I was in Detroit. I hope to see all my new friends soon!
 
At the top of my list of people I've run out of superlatives to describe is Florida Chris. I think anyone who was in Detroit has the same opinion. What an unbelievable guy, and someone I owe profusely for all he's done for me, probably more than he'd want me to elaborate.


Florida Chris said:
I agree, it truly was a unique once in a lifetime experience. Thanks Dave, for all the sacrifices you have made over the past months putting this all together. It'll take me hours to upload all the photos from my camera to my computer when I get home. It’ll take a lifetime to enjoy all the new friends we met the rally.

What a great car, what a great group of owners. See you at the next one.
Click to expand...
 
T+1

Just got in. Car ran great and followed Gordon through the long ride. Had a great time this week. Sorry I didnt snap a picture of DBK sleeping sideways in Saleens lobby - that is my only regret!

Thanks DBK and GTJOEY. This was truly a once in a life time experience. You guys in less than 8 months pulled off a fitting commerative event for the team at Ford and was able to rally the true fans of the car.....

Many new friendships started this week on top of this lifetime opportunity that will continue through the course of ownership of this car and others......

It was great putting faces to the names and better yet connecting to the team that built this monster (and the new teams modifying them)


MAD IN NC
 
rally

Thanks DBK, GT JOEY!! we just got into Houston....awesome time...I don't know how anyone could out do this one!!
 
Thanks for a great event...

Thanks to all who put this together. Truly and event that reflected the people behind the car. The designers, the builders, the owners. :thumbsup How great it was we could all meet and mix for a few days. Truly remarkable. Kudos’s to GT Joey and DBK for all the behind the scenes work. Great stuff. I learned so much and got to meet some awesome people. Steve Saleen is one class act. The design and build team are incredible…how great to have met them all. I’ve done many car events over the years – but this one has to be on of the best. Heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

By the way…MAD and me – FB GT40 - left Dearborn at 6:05 AM this morning…he peeled off around Raleigh, NC and I made it to Folly Beach, SC (930 mile trip) in 11 hours 45 minutes. (drive time) The GT is incredible.

Thank you “Valentine…” and the GT team.

Where next? I’m in!

Gordo.
 
Great event, great to be home again. I'm exhausted.

I think we should get all the Florida people together in a month or two for a one day blowout. :biggrin

What do ya think? We can do it at my place, but I'm not printing banners or listening to any Avacado stories :biggrin
 
Thanks Dave and GTJOEY and all the rest that made this historical event happen. You guys went above and beyond what we could have expected. Thank you for letting me hang out with everyone even though I am not an owner. The folks from here, the Ford guys and the SSV folk are an absolute joy. This event was almost like a family reunion because everyone was just as pleasant and accomidating as could be!

Next year we should rent out Michigan International Speedway for a day. Just an idea in lieu of the tours. If anything it would be cool to see Joe's twin turbo peg the speedo :biggrin



Great meeting everyone :cheers

Keith
 
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