THE SNAKE PIT
Greetings Fellow Club Members:
Wow…it’s been a long winter! We sure had our fair share of snow here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I think spring has finally arrived…I’m ready for it! So ready that I took the VIPER for a 150 mile cruise this past weekend! The sun was shining and I was flying. It was a great day in PA!
The last week of February Ginger and I were in Florida for a bit of business and pleasure. It was good to get a break from the snow. While in Hollywood Florida we dined at the restaurant of Ivan Ho, President of the South Florida Region. Ivan’s restaurant, “Argentango Grill,” is located in Young Circle in Hollywood. Good food, warm atmosphere, great place! If you’re ever in that area, stop in and at least introduce yourself to Ivan. He welcomes any VCA member to visit his establishment. You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks to those that came out on March 19 for the “After the Holidays” party at Emerson’s Pub in York. There were 26 members and guests in attendance. Four folks were even brave enough to bring out their VIPERS. It was great to see (hear) them pulling into the parking lot. After a great meal, an informational meeting was held, followed by the presentation of gifts to Rege and Donna Kort, past president and secretary/treasurer respectively. VOI 8 pictures were on display which seemed to spur some interest about VOI 9. At the close of the evening, door prizes were awarded to several lucky members.
In reviewing the “Schedule of Events” within this newsletter, I can see that we are in for a busy VIPER season. We have an event, and sometimes two, scheduled for every month from now through October.
“All-Chrysler Nationals” in Carlisle is fast approaching. If you haven’t already registered, please do so soon. Hotels in the Carlisle area fill up quickly so reserve your room now! With the help of some sunshine, maybe we will have more VIPERS registered than ever before. Lunch will be served under the VIPER tent for those in attendance. There will also be a variety of VCA shirts for sale under the tent. We hope to see you there!
On September 8 th I will be attending the VCA President’s Club meeting in St Louis. Information which I obtain at that meeting will be shared during the fall meeting.
October 15 th is the date of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon cruise and FALL MEETING. If you plan to participate in the Poker Run/Cruise, there will be a $50 per member/couple advance registration fee. Half of the $50 fee will go towards the “Prize Pot” and the remainder will go towards lunch in Wellsboro. We will begin the cruise at the Holiday Inn in Williamsport and head north to Wellsboro where we will visit the Grand Canyon, followed by lunch. After lunch, we will visit the PA Welcome Center (just across the PA NY border), which overlooks the Tioga-Hammond Dam. One more stop is planned before heading back to the Williamsport Holiday Inn where the last poker hand card will be distributed at an hors d’oeuvres party. Our FALL MEETING will take place during the hors d’oeuvres party which will be compliments of the club. After the party you can slither down the street in your VIPER, or, ride the shuttle to “The Villa” for dinner. If you are unable to make it for the cruise, please plan to join us for the party and dinner. For those that wish to stay in Williamsport on Saturday evening, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn, 1840 East Third Street. Call the Holiday Inn directly (1-800-369-4572) by October 1 st to reserve your room. BE SURE TO MENTION THE PA WV VIPER CLUB to obtain the club rate of $78.00. More information will be available as plans for this event are finalized. (FYI - Due to time constraints on Sunday, and the inability of acquiring adequate accommodations, the previously mentioned Corning NY/Finger Lakes portion of this weekend has been postponed. We will attempt to do that separately at another time.)
The PA WV web page is currently under construction. I apologize for the inconvenience. Check back soon!
If you have any ideas for a club event please let me know.
When attending club functions, please wear the name badges that are provided to you by VCA. Doing so will help everyone in attendance.
There are still some members that have not paid their dues for 2005. At this time dues are prorated. Members joining in the 2 nd quarter, April 1 through June 30, pay only $80. Please submit your payment to VCA as soon as possible. Membership forms can be found on the VCA web page.
As the VIPER season gears up, please drive carefully. I wish you all a safe and rewarding VIPER season.
I look forward to seeing you at a VIPER event real soon!
Regards,
Denny
Denny, Ivan Ho, Ginger We’re off to see the Wizard!
SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL 30 Covered Bridge/Lancaster Cruise – RESCHEDULED due to lack hotel space. Per the coordinator for this event, Jeff Freedman, the train collectors are in town that weekend. Jeff reports, “they come from all over the country and fill the motels/hotels for 30+ miles away.“ We have rescheduled for September 17th.
MAY 7 9 th Annual Tator’s Dodge & NY/CT VCA VIPER BBQ – spend a day with the “Viper Wizard” himself at Tator’s Dodge, South Salem NY – 10 AM-4PM. You MUST RSVP by April 20 th as space is limited. To register, call 914-763-3136 or email tatorsdodge@msn.com If you live in the Harrisburg area and are interested in traveling with a group, contact Ed Rist @ 717-921-8911 orelrist@xo.com
MAY 13-14 2005 Viper Club of America Northeast Region Zone Rendezvous at Raceway Park, Old Bridge, NJ. Held in conjunction with the Mopar Nationals and the Vipers will be given customary preferences.
Per Larry Milonas (NJ VCA VP and NorthEast Director At Large):
This is a brief description of our race agenda for our upcoming zone rendezvous. Note the competition runs on Friday’s autocross will be with the SRT cars, to even the playing field. In addition, we will be using our own Vipers for auto cross on both days. There we will be tons of drive time on both days, and on Friday it will be set so that you can participate in all events even though it might appear that some events are running simultaneously. You can juggle your race times easily between all sessions.
Friday May 13 th Saturday May 14 th
Auto Cross 9:30 – 4:00 Auto Cross 10:00 – 3:00
Practice runs 9:30 – 1:00
Competition Runs 1:00 – 4:00 Drag Racing as part of Mopar Nationals
Drag Racing 11:00 – 4:00
Drag School 11:00 – 12:00
1/4 mile runs 1:00 – 4:00
Friday we will have a BBQ lunch at the track. Friday evening we will have a shuttle bus running from the hotel to an excellent Italian restaurant (smart casual) in nearby New Brunswick. I recommend taking the shuttle and leaving your Vipers safe in the hotel garage.
We will have lunch at the track again on Saturday in the Winston Cup suite overlooking the starting line. Saturday evening, immediately following the track events, we will caravan to a nearby beer and burger joint.
Hotel Info: The NJ Region, has blocked out a number of rooms at the Hilton East Brunswick for members of all the participating regions. Rooms have been blocked out for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (May 12-14, 2005) at a single rate $99.00 per night plus tax. Call 1-800-HILTONS to make your reservation and be sure to mention the Viper Club of America.
For a registration packet call 800-998-1110, or, f or further information contact Larry Milonas @ 609-430-0100 or lmilonasjr@tradeoes.com
JUNE 11 Bucks County PA Cruise – plans are to meet at the home of club member George Lankas, located near New Hope, PA. We will begin the Delaware River Cruise in New Hope, continuing through northern Bucks County. Lunch is planned at the Cascade Lodge located near Kintnersville, PA on the banks of the Delaware. A $10 per person advance fee will be assessed to cover the cost of lunch. Advance fees should be sent to: Ginger Kurzejewski, PO Box 32, Mansfield, PA 16933. Be sure to indicate which function the fee is for. For additional information and directions contact George at 215-598-7838 or george_lankas@merck.com
JUNE 19 50 th Annual Father’s Day Car Show – Oakmont , PA 10am to 4pm at Riverside Park
Contact Rege or Donna Kort at 724-316-9343 (cell) or rt10@wcsauers.com for further information.
JULY 1 VIPER Play Day at BeaveRun Road Course, Big Beaver PA - Space is limited, so register soon to be one of 30 cars to take your VIPER for a ride without worrying about a speeding ticket! The Ohio Region has reserved the BeaveRun road course at BeaveRun MotorSports Complex for the entire day. $300 entry fee per car. Contact Rege Kort at 724-316-9343 (cell) or rt10@wcsauers.com for more information.
JULY 8-10 CALLING ALL VIPERS! “All-Chrysler Nationals” in Carlisle PA. Car show and luncheon on Saturday, July 9th. 10 AM -? Last year’s event was a sight to behold! Show goers were able to cast their eyes upon 48 snakes coiled around the VIPER Club tent in the infield. All three generations, and nearly every color were represented. Let’s try to add at least a dozen more snakes to the line-up this year. Get your reservations in soon as Carlisle area hotels fill up early. Further information on this event, including directions, can be found at www.carsatcarlisle.com.
AUG 18 Pocono Track Day w/ NJ Regional Club
For further information contact Larry Milonas @ 609-430-0100 or lmilonasjr@tradeoes.com
AUG 21 Flood City Corvette Club 3 rd Annual Cruise/Fly-in Johnston PAAirport - Antiques-Classics-Corvettes- Motorcycles-Trucks-Special Interest . See additional details online at www.floodcitycorvette.com
AUG 27 3 rd Annual US/Canada Quaker Steak & Lube Viper Cruise- In – The Ohio Region has invited us to join them for this event in Erie, PA , on Saturday August 27 th - 11am to 1pm. Lunch followed by a cruise. Contact John Wojnar at 330-351-3515 (cell) or john.wojnar@lmco.com for additional info.
SEPT 17 Covered Bridge/Lancaster Cruise – More information will be released as it becomes available.
OCT 15 Pennsylvania Grand Canyon Cruise & Fall Meeting – See the information regarding this event included in the letter on the reverse side. Additional information, including brochures and directions, will be available at “All-Chrysler Nationals“ in Carlisle.