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July 16, 2008
NOPI Nationals Cancelled!
By John Coyle
Editor
Yup, it’s true. Our buddies over at SoundDomain have confirmed with NOPI headquarters that the giant September 15th Atlanta event—billed as the "Largest Car Show in the World"—has been canceled. Here’s the text of the press release:
"It is with great regret that NOPI Motorsports, LLC has suspended operations for the summer and fall 2008. This will include NOPI Drag Racing Series, NOPI Drift Series and the NOPI NATIONALS Motorsports Supershow. The company is undergoing an organizational restructuring in light of severe adverse affects of a disappointing spring season. The economy and unfavorable weather resulted in underperformance of all spring events. Michael Meyers, president of NOPI Motorsports, reports that NOPI Motorsports is working with its clients and sponsors to minimize the uncertainty going forward. This is a reflection of the economic times in which we currently live. The countrywide economic and industry downturn has caused a slowdown and tightening of belts. This affects everyone and companies, at all levels, and NOPI Motorsports is no different."
NOPI won the CarDomain People’s Choice Award for "Best Car Show" last year, and everyone here hopes the restructuring helps the company get back in the black. Stay tuned to SoundDomain for all the news regarding the IASCA World Finals.
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Reality Check
Jan 2, 2009 at 5:35 am
All of you lonely self absorbed have no life individuals are to blame for what is happening in this country, the economy runs by buying and selling of goods so money will flow thru the different channels, I thought you might want to know, not thru attending a car show, so if you want these car shows to continue to prospur then buy things, quit looking at the cars; heres a novel idea: (build one)spend thousands of dollars, max out your credit cards in doing so and then refinance your house by pulling out all of its equity and then dump all of that in the car and when your done, you will be in the same boat as NOPI, so instead of worrying about a car show and all of the hype behind these shows, maybe you should spend some of that time and money with the ones that truely matter, like your wife and kids.
Reality check
Nopi Supporter
Sep 11, 2008 at 12:29 am
I’d like to start by clarifing a few things, before we move on. First, Motorsport Nationals (M N for short) is being run by a different group of people than Nopi. The M N people were involved in the Nopi shows, but they are not Nopi employees. They are taking a HUGE risk in having a car show in the wake of Nopi’s cancellation, but if we can get behind them it will be good for all of us.
Next, my opinions. The market for most car-related things is slim right now, why are we thinning it out by having multiple shows? The nonopi people should throw their support behind M N, just like the rest of us. The goal with this show has been to experience everything that the tuner market is; show cars, drag racers, drifters, road race, and time attack. This is not about one type of car, or one angle of the tuner scene, but rather it is about gathering together as car nuts to celebrate what we love. Horsepower.
For history’s sake, let’s look back at what has made our culture. In the beginning there was the Volkswagen Beetle. The 1600cc beetle has been more heavily modified than any other car since. And it continues to be, too. Nopi’s beginnings seed with this car. The Beetle is the first car to have a multitude of aftermarket parts for it, mostly German. Nopi was a gas station and garage that began importing the parts and modifying the cars. The first Nopi Nationals show was essentially a beetle show. Fast Foreward to 2002, when The Fast and the Furious debued.
This movie, along with the growing subculture of people modifying their sport compact cars blew up that summer, and huge numbers of people were buying into it. The products in the movie saw anywhere between 50% to 500% increase in sales the next year (that’s a LOT of NOS). The next year saw the advent of the Nopi Drags and soon Race Wars (or however the race series was called). The rest, as they say, is history. Read it in the back issues of Super Street, Sport Compact Car, Eurotuner, Turbo, Performance Audio and Sound, and Modified Mag, just to scratch the surface of the publications on our sport.
I’m not saying all good things come to an end, there are over 100,000 of us out there, and we can take this as far as we want with it. I say, let’s get behind Motorsport Nationals and show everyone who is watching that we can meet, and support the industry!
Dennis Rollison
Sep 7, 2008 at 2:57 am
I will be attending with my 2006 Corolla S…..I placed 2nd last year….who knows what will go down this year!
Gary
Sep 5, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Look at the show that is replacing the NOPI Nationals in Atlanta the same weekend.
http://www.motorsportnationals.com
It will be an awesome event!!
Nate
Aug 21, 2008 at 3:43 am
It’s not canceled, just renamed!!! Same guys that put it on before and same stuff… http://www.motorsportnationals.com
PAL
Jul 22, 2008 at 6:34 pm
This really sucks, once I started attending this show I just skipped all of the local shows up here in CT, NOW WHAT, where am i gonna get my trophies from? Always had something to look fwd to in Sept NOPI and the SS Tour before the crappy NewEngland wether would set in………Hell I even went on the 98,00,02,03,04,05,06 Tours since it was the closest to a Canonball Run for SportCompacts that you could get not 2 mention the 3 NOSPEEDLIMIT laps on the ATL Speedway…….every year the show got BIGGER AND BIGGER so how it came to this, has to be something more than the weather and economy.
sykes
Jul 20, 2008 at 8:12 pm
looking for somthing to do september 20,2008
check out http://www.nonopi.com
do it big!!!!!
smuggler
Jul 19, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Well I have been thinking that sometihng like this was going to happen with NOPI in the next couple of years but not this year. The last 3 years the local shows have been smaller and smaller and the lack of venders and booths has been really felt at these shows and even at Nationals. Last year while there were a bunch of venders at Nationals it felt like it was 25 to 50% less then years before. Also the fact that even the SuperStreet Tour was cut in 1/2 last year and made into only a one day event seemed to spell and end to the NOPI events as we knew them.
I do feel that NOPI has gotten away from their core supporters. It was all about the show cars and the Tuner “lifestyle” but now it is all about the drag races and drift series. If you watch NOPI Tuner Vison you will spend 50 to 65% of the show watching dragging or drifting. Another 25 to 30% about some model and what she really wants out of life and at best youll see a highspeed walk through of like 3 show cars.
The only reason Nationals was still a great show the past 2 or 3 years is the fact that it is so HUGE!!! It was so big that if 1/2 of the cars werent there then you would still have a hell of a show.
I hope NOPI pulls it all back together, I really do. We need all the big shows and events we can get and lossing NOPI is a huge kick in the head for the show cars and even those drift idiots.
TrueJDMGuy
Jul 17, 2008 at 6:51 am
Looks like Hot Import Nights is going to take over now, I am sure they will step it up.
Bobby G
Jul 16, 2008 at 11:38 pm
To the first commenter who wasn’t brave enough to leave his name: If you’ve been on here long enough, then you know that the CarDomain’s People’s Choice Awards are voted on by members, not CarDomain staff.
Anonymous
Jul 16, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Such a sad loss. :yawn: I mean, without NOPI, :yawn: what else will the ricers do. :zzzzzz:
HowMeApYa
Jul 16, 2008 at 9:12 pm
dang, what a surprise…..well time to start planning other shows in my area!
anyone know of shows in the dc/md/va area?? in August thru September 2008?
Anonymous
Jul 16, 2008 at 8:10 pm
peoples choice, cardomain, and award…to the reality of no NOPI show due to not even being successful. Hmmmm. Alot like hyping a honda you say? maybe a gt-r. Can’t forget the evo.Who is this “people’s choice” and where was the voting line…Reality is beautiful.No surprise. Bush is president after all.
i_luv_dusty
Jul 16, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Wow, that’s sad to hear. NOPI shows are some of the most fun car shows I attend!