MRC\'s Visit to Sevenstock 2009

clive · November 04, 2009, 10:24:52 PM

Our visit to Sevenstock 2009

As some of you know this year we finally got ourselves out the Sevenstock 12 which had always been an ambition, after all Sevenstock inspired Rotorstock and it’s natural that we wanted to see the stateside version of our own event,

As you will see from the opening picture, on our way to Irvine we got a taste of things to come when around 80 miles out we came upon the first of many Repu’s that we would see at the event,

I went in the night before to help and meet the Bernie and the boys set up for the next day, BTW, Bernie who I had previously met was a great help to me when I was faced with how to organize Rotorstock 1, and didn’t have a clue where to begin, plus the next day I was pleased to finally meet Dan, and for those who don’t know, Dan and Bernie are Rotary news.com .

Sevenstock is held literally in the car park at the Mazda North American HQ and there is a huge car park across the road that acts as a holding pen so the cars can be lined up in Generation order to put the show together as you will see in the pictures, I have tried to put together a before during and after of the event.

First thing we noticed was that apparently, unseasonably it was hot and when I say hot I mean, damn hot, indeed when the boys down from the Las Vegas club tell you its too hot for them, that’s hot.

Shame was this meant that a lot of people had obviously parked up and scurried off where the sun wouldn’t get em, which meant that while I found lots of people to talk to many were missing, however I will thank the Americans that are reading this for making us real real welcome,

Going to Sevenstock once again proved to me what a small community our worldwide Rotary world is, as I found that while talking to one American he had been over for a Cosmo meet in Germany earlier this year and had met Phil Blake who is Ultraman here on MRC and lives in Guildford and later talked with people who had met Kees, who comes over for Rotorstock every year from the Netherlands.

As you can imagine running Rotorstock for the last six years it was inevitable that I would draw comparisons between Americas Premier Rotary event and Europe’s Premier Rotary event, so Sevenstock was interesting in that you will see looking at the pictures, that yes the event had many absolutely “wow” Mazda race cars and “wow” Old school cars, "but" both Lisa and myself actually came away very very proud of the cars that you guys here on MRC have conceived, produced and show each year at Rotorstock because overall as a show of “normal” road cars you guys collectively put on a better show with more variety of modded RX-7/8 models.
That surprised both of us!

Attending Sevenstock also proved just how far between us we have moved our community along and formulated Rotorstock into being a full Show and Go event each year to showcase the Rotary, rather than just a static event,

I was however shocked to hear that Import Drag Racing is now stone dead in America as I looked at Import Drags for our template for Racing Japanese cars here in the U/K for the very first time at Rotorstock 1, something I feel MRC should be very proud of because we, and we alone introduced proper Drag Racing for Japanese cars here in Europe.

Apparently Drift came along a killed import Drags almost overnight!

One big rumor I brought back was that despite the recession that was on the lips of almost everyone I spoke to, many still believe that there will be another RX-7 powered by the 16X

Back at the hotel we met up with fellow Rotary enthusiasts and once again we were over the moon with the warm welcome we received from many and on a personal note it was a great honor to meet Takaharu \'Koby\' Kobayakawa who for those who do not know is literally the god father of the 3rd Gen and without him you would not have the RX-7 you have today,

I hope you enjoy the many many pictures below and if any of you get the chance to go and meet our Rotary cousins, go for it, would I go back some day, you bet ya.

See here for pics - all 272 of them!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Clive3010/Sevenstock2009#

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BlitzBoy · November 05, 2009, 09:11:51 AM

cool pics Clive, luving the race cars present!!!!

Clarky · November 05, 2009, 09:31:07 AM

What a nice trip, i too just love the race cars, great pictures

Bulla · November 05, 2009, 10:14:57 AM

Great write up:Thumbs-up

Nik da Greek · November 05, 2009, 10:29:44 AM

Yeah, some great pics in there, Clive. I love all the old skool cars, and especially the Repu pick-ups. Loads of FCs, too. It certainly shows up what you were saying though about a lot of their cars being comparatively humble, especially externally. I think a lot of UK cars would not be disgraced in such company. I half expected it to be loads of Fat & Furious stylee nasty things with Troy Lee decals all over them, but they\'re actually quite understated a lot of them.

A few things stand out as being just wrong though....one being that white FC cab in pic 11 onwards, the one with the 80\'s yank-tank bumper and chrome Racing Beat wheels

. It redefines hideous for me, just foul. Looks like a boat with wheels. Also really horrid is that blue RX-8 in pic 148 with the big smiley face bumper and all the double chins...errmm, WTF! Finally; "Welcome to Camp Zoom-Zoom" :Tongue1!? Oh dear.....

clive · November 05, 2009, 12:02:38 PM

Quote from: Nik da Greek;652582A few things stand out as being just wrong though....one being that white FC cab in pic 11 onwards, the one with the 80\'s yank-tank bumper and chrome Racing Beat wheels .

Ahh, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for me this car was one of the cars of the whole event as it was a Racing Beat car that they built to commemorate their Gen 2 land speed record at Bonneville,

The car was accualy a hard top that they made into a convertable as none were avaliable at the time and the wheels, that can\'t be seen properly due to my poor camera, bear the legend "Bonneville LSR RX-7" "Racing Beat America" and were specialy cast by Enkle,

Bearing in mind this was 80\'s I think the car actualy looked even more sports car like that the stock car, like I said beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I thought the car looked great in the flesh :burnout

BlitzBoy · November 05, 2009, 12:05:52 PM

the car would actually look nice if it wasnt for the black bits lol

Laeeq · November 05, 2009, 12:21:02 PM

Great write up indeed and some awsome awsome looking old school motors. :Thumbsup!

Nik da Greek · November 05, 2009, 02:07:52 PM

Quote from: clive;652609Ahh, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for me this car was one of the cars of the whole event as it was a Racing Beat car that they built to commemorate their Gen 2 land speed record at Bonneville,

The car was accualy a hard top that they made into a convertable as none were avaliable at the time and the wheels, that can\'t be seen properly due to my poor camera, bear the legend "Bonneville LSR RX-7" "Racing Beat America" and were specialy cast by Enkle,

Bearing in mind this was 80\'s I think the car actualy looked even more sports car like that the stock car, like I said beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I thought the car looked great in the flesh :burnout

That\'s me told, then :Giggle. But as you say, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder and whilst I can appreciate what the car represents in terms of signifcance and heritage, uniqueness, performance, etc, it\'s still nasty and very much stuck in its time. IMHO!

In much the same way, I find Ferrari Enzos a hideous overblown styling nightmare, and people tend to tell me I\'m talking nonsense on this one, but I simply don\'t care how phenomenal a performance the car can boast, nor how rare or aspirational it may be, it looks like the bsatard love child of an F1 car and a guppy fish, and I hate it :Giggle

clive · November 05, 2009, 02:10:29 PM

Quote from: Nik da Greek;652640I find Ferrari Enzos a hideous overblown styling nightmare,

Now that I will agree with 100% :wiggle

seanp · November 05, 2009, 04:49:28 PM

Great write-up and great Pics Clive.

Can\'t believe the only R3s (you took piccies of anyhow) are so hard-core modified race-prepped ones? Just what *is* under the bonnet of 161,162 and more so the battleship-grey monster R3 198?

Old Skool very cool! (Noticed the 10th anniversary edition FB(?) -- makes me wonder did they do 20th, 30th? We all know the recent 40th of course

)

Moonwrap · November 05, 2009, 07:01:54 PM

Wow! So many amazing cars there... Looked like a lot of fun!

shaunwil · November 05, 2009, 09:34:30 PM

Awesome. Looks like a great trip and some awesome photos !

Shaun

seanp · November 09, 2009, 12:34:13 AM

Well, my query re: the R3 is well and truly answered (and as I suspected), here:

http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/sema-2009-4-rotor-mazda-rx-8/

Yes, folks -- a four-rotor RX-8 R3!

clive · November 12, 2009, 11:51:35 AM

I have just had a guy mail me from America who went to Sema and he has sent the you tube clip of the RX-8 4 Rotor pictured below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Fgi1OQqao

Heard this at Sevenstock, awesome !

Also because we have our own "JET PILOT" in Jon here on MRC Lisa had me take this picture,(open it and you will see why)