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NSXPO 2017 Bidding and NSXCA General Information

Joined
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With plans well under way for NSXPO 2016 (admittedly it will be tough to top 2015 but the organizers are working their butts off to try!), the NSXCA would like to welcome all regions interested in hosting NSXPO 2017 to submit a bid. Here is a general outline of what we like to see in a bid:

1. A good overview of the event, a vision of how you would like it to happen.
2. Target date
3. A feasibility study of the area, which includes but is not limited to:
a. Which track(s) are you looking into renting?
b. What are your chances of actually getting the track rented on your targeted dates?
c. A survey of different hotels for possible use as event HQ, including rates.
d. A description of the area where the event will be held, including the expected weather that time of the year, airline and airport accessibility, presence of good driving roads, etc.
4. A tentative schedule of events.
5. Proposed organization of event leadership, and planning committee. It is reasonable to expect that whoever submits the proposal, he/she/they will take an active role in the planning of this event, and are committed to making this happen.


Ideally, we would like to have a bid awarded before NSXPO 2016 is held so we may announce during the annual Banquet. Copies of prior proposals are available for the asking, both awarded and not awarded, so you may have some guidance in submitting a bid.

Additionally, I am always personally available to answer any questions. I have been on the Board of Directors since 2004 and have attended every NSXPO since 2001 to date other than in 2014 - when Acura made us change the date of NSXPO to.................my wedding date!

You may be thinking - "Bob has been on the Board since 2004 - how did he get the job (thankless as it is) and how can I get on the Board?"


Good questions.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the posts on Prime and social media, the emails, NSX Driver and conversations with your fellow members. Each year there is an election (except for 2015 for reasons that are unimportant). Each year I post on Prime and since 2004 have either snail mailed all NSXCA members or emailed all members about the election. Amazingly, virtually every year the "election" is uncontested and often results in vacancies due to no one stepping up to volunteer.

Every so often I hear from a member that they were unaware of the election process. I find this hard to believe because even if someone is not on Prime we do email every member in the database and believe our email list is 99% up to date. I also know that my posts on Prime about the annual election are being read but also are being ignored. Historically, here are the "results" of my annual announcements on Prime:

Prime posts about NSXCA Elections:

2005 – 479 views – no replies
2006 – 648 views – no replies
2007 – 508 views – no replies
2008 - 768 views – one reply
2009 – 315 views – no replies
2010 – 397 views – no replies
2011 – 1,068 views – no replies
2012 – 328 views – no replies
2013 – 852 views – no replies
2014 – 242 views – no replies


Now I am not criticizing anyone for the lack of a reply in any given year (actually in every year except for 2008) but I do find it hard to accept criticism that someone was unaware of the election process. We will be doing one again in 2016 and the notice will again be posted here, on social media and in an email to all current NSXCA members. And, yes, you do need to be a member to vote.

So why should anyone be a member of the NSXCA?

The simplest answer is for the friends you will make who share the same passion you have for the NSX. We are not doing anything significant in life, we are not working toward peace in the Middle East, we are not curing cancer and we are not affecting the 2016 presidential election. We are just a diverse group of owners and enthusiasts who have at least one thing in common - we love our Acura NSX.

But why do I need to join?

Quite honestly, you don't "need" to join. You won't lose the title to your car, you will still enjoy your NSX and life will go on without the time space continuum being affected one iota. However, you will miss out on the opportunity to meet others who could impact your life. Cars come and go oftentimes but friendships last, and meaningful friendships last a lifetime.

But Bob, how do you know this?

One example is my story. I am lifelong New Yorker. In 2001 I watched the Trade Center, two towers that my father spent 7 years building, come down killing thousands. My sister was an FDNY EMT and was lucky to survive with minor injuries. I owned an NSX since 1999 and saw something about an event called NSPXO being held of all places in Wisconsin. I felt I needed to get out of New York if only for a few days. I signed up and drove with a bunch of people I had never met. I had not even seen another NSX on the road in my two years of ownership.

I met an amazing group of people. Many of whom remain my closest friends. So much so that when my father passed away in 2005, his funeral was on Christmas Eve morning. I have a very small family. There were 11 family members related to me at the funeral. There were 24 of my NSX "family" members as well. Two dozen NSX owners who gave up their Christmas Eve morning to be away from their families to support me and mine. And most of them had never met my dad.

I have these friendships because one day in 2001 I spent $40 to join something called the NSX Club of America and have the opportunity to drive to something called NSXPO. And did I mention I had to drive to Wisconsin!?!?

Amazingly the dues for the NSXCA remain only $40 per year today in 2016. Our quarterly magazine, NSX Driver, has improved in quality of graphics and content each year and does cost money to print. Additionally, a magazine does not write itself and we are always welcoming content in the form of articles, photos, bios, etc. for publication.

We also encourage each region to hold events whether it be a holiday party, a poker rally, a river run or even a membership drive. We have funds available to help underwrite these events. We have your funds available because that is a benefit of being part of the club. We cannot afford to pay for your entire event but little things such as underwriting the cost of a dinner, donating a go pro for a raffle prize, assisting with contractual needs ( the NSXCA is a corporation and I sign contracts for events each year such as with NSXPO) and being able to give access to membership lists so you can send out an email blast letting your regional members know of an event.

We also have the opportunity to get together and do important events like we have in the Northeast with Kids' Day at Watkins Glen. For many years we were able to assist Camp Good Days and Special Times, a residential camp for children afflicted with and affected by cancer, near Watkins Glen. We held car shows at the camp and took the children for laps around Watkins Glen. And over the years we raised close to $75,000 from just our small group of Northeast members. We helped these wonderful and amazing children and they have affected our lives in ways we could never adequately describe.

But why doesn't the Board organize events for us?


We do. It's called NSXPO - our national event. Otherwise, it is not possible logistically to organize and manage a holiday party in a region when we do not live there. Our Board of Directors consists of Brian Urlage (President) in Ohio, May Lee (VP) in California, Westin Williams (Treasurer) in Arizona and myself (Secretary) in New York. We may be able to assist in our own regions but we do rely on the regionally elected reps to be the "go to" persons and then the reps communicate with the Board for guidance and financial assistance (if requested and warranted).

Now I realize that this post is extremely longggggggg but I hope that at least some of you will take the time to read through it and perhaps gain some insight in the thankless volunteer work being done by the NSXCA. And please remember that we are a small club and that is due to the fact that the NSX is special and only a small number of people have the enjoyment of owning one due to its limited production. We are not the BMW Club or the Porsche Club and could never approach their membership numbers. In any given year we have between 15-20% of the owners as members which is a respectable percentage but given the number of actual cars on the road it is a small pool from which we can dip into for volunteers to organize and run events.

So what do I get if I become a Board Member or Regional Representative?


Another good question. You do get to hear the complaints when not enough events are being organized or when anything goes wrong. You do get to spend a lot of time on the events that do get planned, including NSXPO, and try to coordinate your personal lives with the time needed to pull off a successful event. You do have to pay the same amounts as everyone else does to attend an event including travel, hotel and meals. You do not get a salary. You rarely get thanked.

But you do get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped fellow NSX enthusiasts get together, see old friends, make new ones and share at least the one thing we all have in common and the one thing upon which we can all agree - WE LOVE OUR ACURA NSX!

This year our country is in for a fight with the presidential elections. There is enough bickering and vitriol going around to make you want to tune out and wish it would all go away. Headline news is more and more aggravating and concerning each and every day.

And then there is a car. A car that Motor Trend called the "best sports car ever made" when it came out. And in reality it's just a car - - - but it is a car our members own and love.

So we continue with our little car club called the NSX Club of America. And we hope you continue with us.

If you got this far, I sincerely thank you for reading this post.

Bob Ondrovic
Secretary (2004 to date)
NSX Club of America
Member since 2001
 
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Thanks, Bob, for your passion and tireless work.
 
whew.............read the whole thing..............working up in NorCal with the help of Les to spread the word..............we got a great bunch of guys here in the Bay Area but knowledge of the NSXCA's existence/benefits is low...........looking to help improve that.
 
We get a quarterly magazine? I guess mine got lost in the mail...........
 
We get a quarterly magazine? I guess mine got lost in the mail...........

PM me your real name, snail mail and email addresses so I can check on it (and the status of your membership).

(And, yes, I know you Jim but for those reading and having a similar inquiry I wanted to at least post a way for everyone to let me know of similar issues.)
 
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Nice....
Bob... Thank You for all you do. (definitely not thankless)

Now, if people can take away or action just one thing from this, the NSXCA and everyone else wins...
So,
Pay your 2016 NSXCA membership, or help organize a local event, or help with NSXPO or attend NSXPO, or a local event. Even if it is just coffee and NSXs. Get to know your local NSXCA members. Everyone has knowledge that needs to be shared and enjoyed.
Meeting with Ted Klaus (NSX Gen 2 Development Chief) at NSXPOs, he has stated that he is so impressed with the NSXCA organization. He told me he loves to share his passion with our passion.
When that NSX Driver magazine comes shows up in the mail, you will not be disappointed. The highest quality publication that has stories about and written by, people you know. I typically have to fight my wife over it when it arrives and I only get it once she is done.
You will not be disappointed. Share the NSX ownership passion..

BTW> owning the NSX is only half the experience...
 
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Job description of the NSXCA Board of Directors (including Regional Representatives)

***PLEASE NOTE EVERY POSITION, ALBEIT ELECTED, IS UNPAID***


The NSXCA Board of Directors is composed of 4 elected officers and 6 regional representatives elected by members of their region. All board members serve 3-year terms.

No specific qualifications are required to serve on the Board of Directors, although a 3-year commitment, energy, maturity and enthusiasm are extremely desirable. The Board also benefits by its members having leadership experience and practical business and organizational skills. A brief description of the responsibilities and expectations of the positions up for election this year, as described in the Bylaws, follows.

President: The President of the Corporation shall be the Corporation’s chief executive officer. He or she will preside at all Corporation meetings, including meetings of the Members and of the Board of Directors. His or her title shall also include that of Chairman of the Board where necessary or desirable. He or she will coordinate the affairs of the Corporation. He or she will call meetings as prescribed in these Bylaws. He or she will have general signature authority over all Corporate actions and accounts except where such authority is specifically granted to someone else or is otherwise denied to the office of the President.

Vice-President: The Vice President will be responsible for such duties as are assigned to him or her by the President. In the absence of the President or in the event of the President's death, disability, resignation, or disqualification, the Vice President will perform the duties of the President. His or here title shall also include that of Vice Chairman of the Board where necessary or desirable.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies, debts, obligations and assets of the corporation. He or she will receive all monies of the Corporation and deposit them in a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. He or she will control and supervise the assets of the Corporation and the payment of debts and obligations. The Treasurer shall give bond, at the expense of the Corporation, when and in the amount designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will publish a full and complete report of the financial status of the Corporation at the annual meeting of Members and at the end of each term. The Treasurer will cause to be maintained double entry books of account which will reflect the full and correct financial status of all receipts, disbursements, balances, assets, and liabilities of the Corporation. All checks and other orders for payment of monies of the Corporation will be signed by the Treasurer or such other officer(s) as designated by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will submit his or her books and records to an Auditing Committee or a Certified Public Accountant designated by the Board of Directors at the end of each fiscal year. The Treasurer will make the books and records available for inspection by any Member or his or her agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time subject to the limitations set forth below. The Treasurer will provide a list of Members whose dues are sixty days overdue to the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will maintain the names and addresses of Members as dues payments are received.


Secretary: The Secretary will keep, or will caused to be kept, the minutes of all meetings of Members, any Board Committees, and the Board of Directors. He or she will issue notice of all meetings in accordance with the Bylaws. He or she will tabulate, publish and record the result of all votes. The Secretary shall have custody of the Corporate Seal. The Secretary shall retain copies of Corporate correspondence and shall maintain the official records of the Corporation. The Secretary will make the records of the Corporation available for inspection by any Member or his or her agent or attorney for any proper purpose at any reasonable time subject to the limitations set forth below.

Regional Representatives: The regional representatives are the members' spokespeople to the Board of Directors. Each region will be responsible for assigning one regional representative from its regional membership to the Board of Directors. The regional representatives' responsibilities include, but are not limited to, presenting the regional meeting minutes and financial statements to the Board of Directors, notifying the Board of Directors about events and activities, maintaining close contact with the leadership of their region, bringing concerns of their members to the attention of the Board of Directors and communicating and enforcing club policies as they relate to the clubs' regions as specified by the Board of Directors. While not specified in the Bylaws, Regional Representatives are also responsible for administering the Regional Funds allocated by membership. This includes submitting requests and records to the national Treasurer.
 
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Awesome post Bob. I appreciate the time you put in to this.

We are working daily to bring more value to being a member. It is very tough to negotiate a discount for a small club like ours. membership has doubled ( almost tripled ) in the past year or so. Which is amazing. We want to keep that rolling. The more people we have the more benefits I can negotiate for the club. As always, If you have any questions / comments for me send them to [email protected]. I am available and will answer any question / comment / suggestion I can in a timely manner. If I do not have the answer then I will get you to the person in the club that can help.

I am not on here nearly like I used to be but I have dedicated my normal extra time selling parts here to being the NSXCA President. I felt it was most important when I accepted this position in November of 2014.

Brian
 
Thank you Bob, and the entire Board, the regional reps, and fellow owners, and members of the NSXCA. I echo so many of Bob's thoughts on the benefits of NSX ownership, when it comes to the people. My wife is definitely not a car person, but the people that she has met, through our ownership of the NSX, she's thrilled to call her friends. That says a lot!!! Thank you Honda/Acura, for building this car, and allowing us the many side benefits of ownership!!!
 
Great post Bob! As a member of a group of six hard working individuals who hosted NSXPO 2015, I learned directly the importance of the NSXCA to the success of NSXPO and it's important role of creating adhesion of NSX owners across the country.

In many ways the NSX community and NSXCA has stagnated over the past decade. With the introduction of the new NSX, and an ever evolving ownership base, I think the club has a prime opportunity to reinvigorate the club and prepare it for the next twenty five years of NSX. The increase in membership that Brian cited I think is a positive sign for the NSXCA and one that should be capitalized on. When the club was formed a year before I joined, the founder created an e-mail exchange service that connected members. This was a valuable tool for sharing the passion of this special vehicle. Although the way we communicate and share this passion over the years has changed, the need of the club to provide the platform for enthusiasts to communicate and the infrastructure required to host large events such as NSXPO still applies!

best regards,
-- Chris Willson
NSXPO 2015 Event Chair
 
Through the combined efforts of the NSXCA and its volunteers, since 2001 thousands of hours have been spent and over $1,000,000 has been spent on NSXPO. Much of that expense was covered through the generosity of corporate sponsors such as Acura/American Honda as well as our vendors who greatly helped minimize the cost to our members to attend this national event.


NSXPO 2001 - Road America - Wisconsin

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NSXPO 2002 - Texas Motor Speedway - Texas

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NSXPO 2003 - Infineon Raceway - California

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NSXPO 2004 - Watkins Glen - New York

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NSXPO 2005 - Firebird Raceway - Arizona

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NSXPO 2006 - Sebring Raceway - Florida

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NSXPO 2007 - Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course - Ohio

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NSXPO 2008 - Pacific Raceway - Oregon

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NSXPO 2009 - Mosport - Toronto, Canada

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NSXPO 2010 - Spring Mountain Motor Ranch - Las Vegas

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NSXPO 2011 - New Jersey/Pennsylvania - New Jersey Motorports Park

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NSXPO 2012 - Colorado

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NSXPO 2013 - Virginia/North Carolina - Virginia International Raceway

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NSXPO 2014 - Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course - Ohio

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NSXPO 2015 - Palm Springs - Thermal Club

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ahhhh feeling the nsxpo love......to all of the "doers"/ volunteers/ that have sustained our club throughout the years, and to the membership that gets to enjoy the fruits of their labors....Cheers!
 
Another question I have heard:

"Hey Bob, it seems like there are a lot of secret discussions which we are not privy to. Why?"

Yes, there are discussions we have that are not public. Many of these involve the higher ups at Acura and Honda. We do have access to many of the top NSX designers, engineers and executives including private email and phone numbers. We are not able to share that information publicly and many of our discussions are not for public knowledge when they happen. Needless to say, when we do contact them we are always asking for a favor for our club members and we may gain knowledge of things going on with the NSX that cannot be disclosed.

Over the years that has meant that we have been able to see an NSX 2.0 prototype at Honda in Ohio in 2014. We had an NSX day declared by Marysville, Ohio's mayor for NSXPO 2014. We had one of 7 NSX's at NSXPO 2015 in Palm Springs - over one week before the media and public debut of the 2017 NSX. We have had Ted Klaus attend NSXPO and give us private access to the car. We have had Shigeru Uehara (and shame on anyone who does not know who he is) attend NSXPO. We have had Acura sponsor the NSXCA at 6 American LeMans races per season across the country during the two years they campaigned the Acura in the ALMS. Those races provided our membership with a hospitality tent, corral parking, food and beverages and the cost to Acura was $300,000 just to host 50-75 NSXCA members at each of the races where we were hosted. I was fortunate to attend 5 of them over two years at Laguna Seca, Sebring and Lime Rock.

These types of activities came about through private negotiations with Acura and Honda and often had sensitive information being shared because Acura has a great deal of respect for the NSXCA.

But Bob, why can't I just show up and hang out with everyone. I'm not a member but I live nearby these events.

Quite simply, as with Amex the saying is: "membership has its benefits". Acura and Honda do events like these because of the close relationship we have with them. This is done for members of the Club only and is part of the benefits of paying $40 per year. I dare anyone to ask Acura to give them a 2017 NSX to be used at Thermal Raceway a week before the car is even unveiled to the media and public. We did. We got one. And our members were some of the first to experience a ride in one - with that ride being piloted by Peter Cunningham!

So, yes, we sometimes do things "secretly" because we have to. And despite having first access, we as Board members get no special treatment. I could have had a ride in the new NSX at Thermal. I withdrew my name so someone else in the club could win a raffle and get that ride. Instead, I spent the time hanging out of the back of an SUV taking photos of the new NSX being followed by 200 of our members - all in 102 degree heat.

I'm not looking for praise or sympathy - I volunteer my time and all Board members volunteer their time because of their dedication to our members. We just ask that you take a moment to learn what we do, why we do it and what can be in it for you.


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Bob I'm not sure a lot of folks know about the minimum height requirement for nsxca president and how that affected the club...........and also the clubs love of brisket and peach cobbler....
 
Bob I'm not sure a lot of folks know about the minimum height requirement for nsxca president and how that affected the club...........and also the clubs love of brisket and peach cobbler....

That's true. For 10 years the Club President had to be able to fit in the overhead bins on airplanes so we could save the expense in traveling by declaring him to be a carry on. There's no place like gnome.....
 
This noobie NSX owner and new NSXCA member says "thanks" and hopefully I'll be meeting some of you in person in Orlando. I understand how thankless a job it is to organize events.
 
I would like to echo my sincere thanks & appreciation to Bob for all that he has contributed to the NSX community over the years. I never thought that being asked by former NSXCA President Larry Bastanza to consider joining the Board would be the beginning of such a long & wonderful relationship with such a passionate group of fellow NSX owners.


I bought my Midnight Purple Pearl NSX a few days before Christmas in 2001, joined NSXCA in January 2002 & attended my first NSXPO in 2003 when it was held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Like Bob I cherish the many friendships made as a result of connections with people at the eleven NSXPOs in the U.S./Canada & the one NSX Fiesta in Japan that I've attended.


For anyone who is plum crazy about their car, plunk down $40, come to an NSXPO (even without your car it is still incredibly fun) & reap the benefits. There truly is no better investment in gaining such incredible access to all that NSXCA membership brings. And for those inclined, help make NSXCA better by writing an article for NSX Driver or volunteering your time to help at a local NSX event. We value your enthusiasm & energy & would love for it impact the rest of the community through your efforts.


May Lee a.k.a. Ms. Purple!!

NSXCA Vice President (since 2006)
 
[MENTION=5347]RSO 34[/MENTION] Is there a general rental price that the board for the NSXCA tries to stay within when it comes to renting a track during NSXPO? Are some tracks too expensive to rent? i.e. COTA
 
We have found COTA and Daytona to be too expensive. We try to keep the cost to our members to approximately 225-250 per day for a track rental. Our cost is much higher but it is subsidized by sponsors. Track insurance requirements are also factored in and the estimated number of students have to be taken into consideration. Generally a rental of $9,000-11,000 per day is feasible.

We could get COTA but I estimated we would need to charge our members approximately $850 per day. Some may be wiling to pay that, myself included, but it is not in the best interests of the overall membership to impose that high a cost on them.
 
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Thanks Bob for posting all this information on the NSXCA here. Also thanks for all your tireless and thankless efforts here on Prime and for the NSXCA.



We here in SoCal have a very active group. I have been organizing drives and other events for the last 5 years. The NSXCA has help with some funds for our Annual Late Summer Beach BBQ that we have had for the last 5 years. Since becoming the Southwest Regional Rep I have used that event to promote NSXCA membership and have added a Christmas light drive and dinner to the events that the NSXCA has help to fund. This year I have started monthly conference calls with others in our region to talk about hosting events that will promote NSXCA membership . We will be using funds from the NSXCA so that people see the benifits of joining the club.
 
kudos to all the local regional reps who work to provide perceived value to members.....many social clubs across the country have seen a decline in membership...the typical country club has seen declines ect....Its a tough psychological hurdle for some folks to pony up 40$/year ....but through the hard work and diligence of the local organizers I hope membership is seen as "valuable"
 
And from one of the many overseas NSXCA members, a big thanks to all the club organisers for their great efforts.
See you at NSXPO!
 
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