3000GT/Stealth Wiki - User contributions [en]

3S National Gathering

2018-04-11T05:48:57Z

Alan92rttt: /* 2017 3S National Gathering */

[[Category:National Gathering]]
[[Category:Gatherings]]
[[Category:History]]
{{Infobox gathering
| event_name=3000GT/Stealth National Gathering
| event_image=File:3SNationalGathering2004.jpeg
| event_caption=2004 National Gathering (photo by Alan Sheffield)
| first_meet_date=August 9, 2002
| first_meet_location=Elkhart, IN
| latest_meet_date=June 21-26, 2016
| latest_meet_location=Indianapolis, IN
| max_attendance_count=234
| max_attendance_event_year=2005
| committee_members='''Original''':<br>Jeremy & Tiffany Gleason<br>
'''Current''':<br>Lori Sheffield<br>[[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]]<br>
'''Previous''':<br>Bob Melton<br>[[Bridge_(Bridget_Dillon)|Bridget Dillon]]
| locations=Bowling Green, KY<br />Elkhart, Indiana<br />Indianapolis, Indiana<br />Memphis, Tennessee<br />Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<br />St. Joseph, Michigan<br />St. Louis, Missouri<br />Stevensville, Michigan
| website=http://www.3sng.org
}}
The 3S National Gathering (3SNG) is the largest annual event for the Mitsubishi 3000GT and Dodge Stealth platform in the world.

The origin of the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering can be traced back to the DSM Shootout in August of 2001. Two members of the 3S community, JeremyG and TiffanyG, had just purchased a [[:Category:1991|1991]] Pearl White [[:Category:Dodge_Stealth|Dodge Stealth]] the month prior to the shootout and were attending their first car event ever. Not long after, Jeremy and Tiffany met many other 3000GT/Stealth owners, including: XWing, [[Hans@GZP_(Hans_Ertl)|Hans91GT]], Trevor, RacerX, [[Dave_Best|Dave Best]], 3SX (now 3SX Performance), Matt Monett, [[Suthnr_(Eric_Bowden)|Eric Bowden (SUTHNR)]] and several others. A conversation started between them about gatherings. Eric Bowden told Jeremy about the [[East_Coast_Gathering_(ECG)|East Coast Gathering]] and Jeremy mentioned how cool it would be to have a national event just for 3000GT and Stealth owners and their cars. They discussed the idea of having many racing events, a car show, and more. The ultimate goal each year would be to find a “Best All Around” 3000GT and/or Stealth. Eric wished Jeremy luck.

Not long after, a thread started on [[3000GT_Stealth_International_(3SI)|3000GT/Stealth International]] discussing national car events and how awesome it would be to hold a nation-wide event just for the platform. Many people voiced their opinions and thoughts on the matter, but no one had volunteered to take on the task of making it a reality. After giving it more consideration and several weeks of persuasion and discussions, Jeremy talked Tiffany into giving it a try. The only stipulation that they made was that the event needed to be held in their hometown in order to make the undertaking less work and to minimize the risk. Together they made a post asking if anyone minded if they took lead on the project. After no objections the 3/S National Gathering was on its way of becoming real.

Making a gathering of this size was completely new territory to both Jeremy and Tiffany. They had no idea what to expect or how many might attend, as they were new to the community, only had the opportunity to meet a few other 3S owners at the DSM Shootout, and had never attended any other 3000GT/Stealth Gatherings. At the time, they were hoping to be able to get at least 50 cars show up.

After they had announced their plans with the dates for the first National Gathering set, the topic became a huge conversation piece throughout the community (much to their surprise). Several people stepped up to help, including those who Jeremy and Tiffany had never met. One volunteer was Matt Saskin (3SI member msaskin), a then 17-year-old from California who was willing to design the website and registration form for the event. He made the drive from California and arrived several days early to help with the final steps. Without Matt’s help, the first National Gathering would have been very difficult for Jeremy and Tiffany to pull off.

__TOC__

= The History of the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering =

== 2002 3S National Gathering (Elkhart, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''August 9 - August 11, 2002'''
[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|400px|2002 3SNG Logo]]

August 9, 2002 had arrived, the small town of Elkhart was in awe as ''nearly 180 Dodge Stealth and Mitsubishi 3000GT’s'' invaded the small town. This was such an amazing sight! Never before had this many 3000GT and Stealths been together in the United States. Although the event didn’t go 100% smooth (registration was a disaster, all the events started late, and they were way too many events scheduled in such a short amount of time) it was still the talk of the town and the 3S community for the next several months.

The official vehicle and participant registration statistics from the 2002 3S National Gathering recorded:

[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_1.gif|thumb|300px|2002 3SNG Banner #1]]
[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_2.gif|thumb|300px|2002 3SNG Banner #2]]
'''Vehicles'''
: Total Registered: 178 (from 29 US States + 2 from Canada)
: Car Show: 136
: Car Wash: ~100

'''Participants'''
: Guests: 114
: Autocross: 46
: Road Course: 15
: Drag Race: 59
: Drag Spectators: 240
: Car Show Spectators: ~400

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2003 3S National Gathering (St. Louis, Missouri) ==
:Dates: '''July 9 - July 13, 2003'''
[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Logo]]

On the final day at the banquet it was announced that the 2003 National Gathering would be held in Saint Louis, MO. The [[Chapters|local chapter]] was to plan and run the event with guidance from Jeremy and Tiffany anytime they needed it.

The event was well planned and they had made many improvements to the event. It was considered a success and fun was had by all. The event was changed to 5 days so all events could be more enjoyable. The NG was also taken to the next level by having the events held at Gateway National Park. Having the events at a nationally known track set a new standard for all future locations. The event ended up hosting 183 cars.

[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_1.gif|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Banner #1]]
[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_2.gif|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Banner #2]]
Although the event was a success, after a meeting with the sponsors, a decision was made that the only way this event could be a total success in the future was if a committee was founded and the same people ran the event year after year. After being asked by the sponsors, Jeremy and Tiffany decided to continue planning the event with the help of a committee. They asked John Monnin and [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]] to help them form the first National Gathering Committee. This meeting shaped the future expectations of the National Gathering.

The 4 of them spent the first couple of months discussing what changes needed to be made to make this event a “national” event that could be admired by all car groups. They came up with the decision that 2004 would be held in Indianapolis, the racing capital of the world, July 14-18. Many plans were made to make this new location much bigger and better than ever.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2004 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''July 14 - July 18, 2004'''
[[Image:2004_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|200px|2004 3SNG Logo]]

All the racing events we held at Indianapolis Raceway Park. A special behind the scenes tour of Indianapolis Motor Speedway was also added to the year’s activities. This included special tours of the entire track, press box, etc. We also made arrangements for the [[Dodge_Stealth_Indy_Pace_Car|“Official Car” of the 1991 Indy 500 (the Yellow Dodge Stealth)]] to be brought out on display so everyone was able to see the car that had been in storage for many years. The event was a huge success and to this day is considered to be the best 3/S National Gathering ever. The event also broke a new record with 198 cars.

Due to the success of the event and with only major problem being Mother Nature bringing rain during the drag races, the committee was comfortable with moving the event further away from home. They made the decision shortly after the end of NG04 to move the event to Memphis, TN. The dates were chosen and locations and official hotel were set but due to circumstances out of their control, this location could not happen. This information came extremely late in the planning process. A new location had to be found as soon as possible. After contacting a few other locations the committee decided to move closer to home in Michigan, but utilize a nicer drag strip. That is how Saint Joseph came about.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2005 3S National Gathering (St. Joseph, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''July 20 - July 24, 2005'''
[[Image:2005_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2005 3SNG Banner]]

The 2005 event was designed to be more of a social setting, and “getting back to basics” while still keeping the racing events high-quality locations. It was also decided to move the car show to the beach and turn the banquet into a picnic at a park instead of at a banquet hall. As the planning was happening Jeremy and Tiffany decided this would be their last event. The event was planned and ended up being a record setting year both on and off the tracks. The car show at the beach was a huge success and enjoyed by all!

Also, a milestone of NG05 was Jeremy’s dream of crowning a “Best Overall 3/S” was also added as a competition. This ended up being the largest event to date with 234 cars!

Following the 2005 National Gathering, and for the first time ever, no future plans were made for the National Gathering. A thread was made on 3si asking if anyone was interested in taking over the event. Hundreds of posts and several months later, no one stepped up. Instead of just letting the event die, Jeremy and Tiffany decided they would lead for one more year but that it would have to be their last. John also had announced this would also be his final year on the committee as well. Alan decided to stay on and help form a new committee to ensure the event would continue. During the planning of this event, a new committee was also being founded.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2006 3S National Gathering (St. Joseph, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''June 14 - June 18, 2006'''
[[Image:2006_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2006 3SNG Logo]]

Resuming their positions on the committee, Jeremy announced that the 5th annual 3S National Gathering would be taking place once again in St. Joseph, MI <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/5th-annual-3-s-national-gathering-details-inside-297728/ 2006 National Gathering Announcement] (October 21, 2005)</ref>. The 2006 National Gathering had a respectable 183 cars in attendance. All events ran with no rain for the first time since the first National Gathering.

It was re-announced during the banquet that future 3S National Gatherings would be headed up by a new committee and that this would be the last year that Jeremy and Tiffany Gleason would be on the committee.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2007 3S National Gathering (Stevensville, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''July 11 - July 15, 2007'''

The new 3S National Gathering committee, which consisted of five members (Josh from Ohio, Alan and Lori from Michigan, [[Sixsixfour_(Christy_Pensinger)|Christy from Georgia]] and Peggy from Colorado, announced that they wanted to keep the National gathering in St. Joseph for one more year. The idea was that this would allow the new committee to get a foothold on how to run the event, and because the tracks in St. Joseph were known to be extremely easy to work with and only required minimal pre-planning <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/3763000-post2.html 2007 National Gathering Location Inquiry] (June 18, 2006)</ref>.

The 2007 National Gathering has since happened and is in the history book. No official attendance numbers have been released but as far as we can tell, the event was enjoyed by all.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2008 3S National Gathering (Memphis, Tennessee) ==
:Dates: '''June 17 - June 22, 2008'''
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

The committee for the 2008 3SNG consisted of Lori Sheffield, Alan Sheffield ([[Alan92RTTT_(Alan Sheffield)|Alan92RTTT]]), Peggy Schafale (Peggy), Josh Anker and Christy Pensinger (Stlth664/cty) <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f13/ng08-official-announcement-390567/ 2008 National Gathering Announcement] (September 5, 2007)</ref>. New to the program this year was an inclusion of an extra day to allow for a 'Driving School' event hosted by Race On.
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG Logo]]

The 7th annual 3S National Gathering had a basic registration cost of $100. Some of the events available were drag races ($45), AutoCross ($35), an invite-only road course event ($120), the newly added driving school ($360), and a banquet event with mansion tour ($35).
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG Banner]]

Venues this year included the Memphis Motorsports Park, which is regarded as one of the most popular and versatile racing facilities in the country (hosting upwards of 200 events per year, including the best that NASCAR and the NHRA have to offer). The drag races were held at the NHRA Drag Strip Facility; home of the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NOPI Nationals, the Super Chevy Show, the BTE Million Dollar Drag race and the Pro Street Car World Finals. This facility is considered one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit. Lastly, the banquet was hosted at Graceland, which included an after-hours tour for NG participants only. Platinum tickets were available for those that wanted to see Elvis After Dark, both jets and the auto museum.

Keith (Mobo) Upton, a community member and owner of Performance Imagery, provided professional photography for the event this year as well.

In August of 2008, the 3SNG moved their website from www.3SNationalGathering.com to www.3sng.org.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2009 3S National Gathering (Memphis, Tennessee) ==
:Dates: '''June 16 - June 22, 2009'''
[[File:2009_3S_National_Gathering_Logo_Ron.jpeg|thumb|250px|2009 3SNG T-Shirt Logo by 3Sfever]]

Similar to the year before it, the 2009 3S National Gathering was once again hosted in Memphis, Tennessee <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/ng09-mega-post-451409/ 2009 National Gathering Announcement] (February 17, 2009)</ref>. The race events were also held at Memphis Motorsports Park. A participant package was available for $100, which included access to the drag races, autocross and road course. A weekender package was also available for $60.

Just after the 2009 3S National Gathering, Alan Sheffield initiated a website redesign contest for 3sng.org. The prize was to be announced, and would be voted on by other members of the community. Around April 2010, the 3SNG website was redesigned to the blue, yellow and white theme.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2010 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 22 - June 27, 2010'''
[[File:2010_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Back.jpg|thumb|250px|2010 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

In the first time since 2004, the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering returned to Indianapolis, IN. Different from 2004, however, was that the track events were held at the O'Reily Raceway Park. The schedule for the gathering included a day for registration (June 22nd), a road course (June 23rd), an autocross (June 24th), drag races (June 25th) and to conclude the week: a day for a car show, banquet and award ceremony (June 26th) <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/ng10-mega-thread-481846/ 2010 National Gathering Announcement] (December 18, 2009)</ref>. The car show was held at the most popular tourist location in Indianapolis, the world-famous Monument Circle.

A full registration for the event ($120) included a t-shirt, access to all events, the banquet and car show entry. A special weekender registration was available as well for $80, which also included a t-shirt, a drag race spectator pass and access to the banquet and an entry to the car show.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2011 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 21 - June 26, 2011'''
[[File:2011_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2011 3SNG Banner]]

Returning for a second year in a row, the 2011 3S National Gathering would once again be at the O'Reily Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=1701 2011 National Gathering Announcement] (October 20, 2010)</ref>.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2012 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 19 - June 24, 2012'''
[[File:2012_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2012 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

For three years running, the 2012 3S National Gathering was held in Indianapolis, IN. Different this year was that the track events were held at the Lucas Oil Raceway Park <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=7703 2012 National Gathering Announcement] (February 15, 2012)</ref>.

In the past 5 years, the 3S National Gathering has hosted over 1000 3/S car’s. Close to 45 of the states have been represented and many world records have been broken. The event has helped shape current 3/S gatherings and has also helped make many new friends throughout the years.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2013 3S National Gathering (St. Louis, Missouri) ==
:Dates: '''July 9 - July 14, 2013'''
[[File:2013_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2013 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[File:2013_3S_National_Gathering_Preview.jpg|thumb|250px|2013 3SNG in St. Louis, MO]]
After much speculation and anticipation about where the next 3S National Gathering would be held, the NG Committee Chairperson, Lori Sheffield, announced that the 2013 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering would be held during the week of '''July 9th - 14th 2013''' at the Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, Missouri (specifically in Collinsville, IL) <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=9559 2013 National Gathering Announcement] (August 20, 2012)</ref>. This gathering will mark the first return of the event to the St. Louis area in nearly a decade.

==== Registration ====
Registration officially opened on April 9th, 2013. With it came a revamped website created by [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]] and an updated gallery of photos from previous 3S National Gatherings.

Prices were also announced with discounts offered for those that register prior to June 9th (one month before the date of the event). Registration before June 9th starts at $100/person, while those that wait until after June 9th will pay around $125/person.

For the first time in years, the 2013 3S National Gathering did not offer a "Weekender Package." Committee member Alan explains that the weekender package was discontinued because no one was using it (less than 10 people in 2012). Further 3SNG Committee Chair Lori corroborates this, explaining that keeping the weekender package was problematic due to the insurance costs remaining the same and because it required the National Gathering to take a hit on each registration that used it.

==== New Events: Dyno Day & Go Karts ====
Brand new to the 3S National Gathering in 2013 will be the inclusion of a Dyno Day ([[Xwire_(Robert_Von_Morgan)|xwire's]] [http://www.morgansmotorsports.com/ Morgan Motorsports]) and Go Karts ([http://www.polepositionraceway.com/st-louis/ Pole Position Raceway]).

==== Event Schedule ====

{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:200px;" | Event
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/9/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/10/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Dyno Sessions (morning)<br />Drag Races (evening)
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/11/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Road Course<br />Go Karts
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/12/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| AutoCross
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/13/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show<br />Banquet
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/14/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
|}

==== Sponsors ====
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* '''Go Karts''': Clone ECU (Brett)
* '''Dyno Sessions''': Bill Buell (bbuell)
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT Stealth Supply
* '''Banquet''': Ground Zero Performance

===== Gold Sponsors =====
* Monochrome (Greg)

===== Associate Sponsors =====
* 3000GT/Stealth of Europe (3S of EU)
* [[DuTTch_(Mark_Gunter)|DuTTch]] and [[Spydergirl_(Jan_Gunter)|Spydergirl]]
* Maddog Performance

<br style="clear:both;" />

== 2014 3S National Gathering (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ==
:Dates: '''June 24 - June 29, 2014'''
[[File:2014_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2014 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[Image:NG14-Pittsburgh_International_Race_Complex-BeaveRun.jpg|thumb|250px|Pittsburgh International Race Complex - NG14]]
The official date and location has been announced for the 2014 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=13845 2014 National Gathering Announcement] (March 14, 2014)</ref>. NG14 will be hosted during the last week of June 2014 at the [http://www.pittrace.com/ Pittsburgh International Race Complex] (formerly known as BeaveRun) near Big Beaver, Pennsylvania and at Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.

=== Location ===
Built in 2002 and praised as one of the most beloved road courses on the east coast, the six acre Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race) has a little bit of something for everyone.

Some of the attractions at the world-class race complex include a 16ft wide, 1.53 mile, 12-turn road course, as well as a 26ft wide, 0.82 mile, 17-turn FIA Pro Karting track. The complex also has a large vehicle dynamics testing area, which is perfect for hosting autocross events.

Following the 2013 3S National Gathering held in St. Louis, which was the furthest west the National Gathering has ever been, Pittsburgh will officially be the furthest east that the 3S National Gathering has ever been.

=== Events ===
[http://www.pittrace.com/ Pittsburgh International Race Complex]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Go Karting'''</span> An entire eight hours of outdoor, gas-powered go-karts that are equipped with 9.5hp Honda 4-cycle engines, capable of up to 45mph. Pitt Race's Go Kart track is .82 miles long (limited to the first 100 paid drivers)
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Pace Lap'''</span> Prior to a driver's meeting and tech inspection, road course participants will be allowed to take a pace lap around the track
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Road Course'''</span> Hosted on Pitt Race's 12-turn, 1.53 mile, 16ft wide world-class track (limited to the first 50 paid drivers)
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Auto Cross'''</span> Taking full advantage of Pitt Race's vehicle dynamics testing area

[http://www.pittsburghracewaypark.com/ Pittsburgh Raceway Park]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Drag Races'''</span> Originally planned to be 1/8 mile [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syo0RJFOH8 flashlight drag-style] runs, which later became full 1/4 mile runs at Pittsburgh Raceway Park

[http://thelube.com/ Quaker Steak & Lube]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Car Show'''</span> While consulting with the Visitor's Bureau, the NG14 committee looked at many large venues for the 2014 3S National Gathering's car show. Ultimately, the committee decided on Quaker Steak & Lube for this year's car show

[http://www.hibeaverfalls.com/ Holiday Inn Beaver Falls]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Swap Meet'''</span> A chance to buy and sell parts from fellow community members and vendors in the rear parking lot of the main hotel
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Banquet'''</span> Awards and speeches from and for members that attend the 3S National Gathering
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Raffle'''</span> A huge raffle with prizes from the participating sponsors

Considered, but Unconfirmed
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Poker Run'''</span> Originally planned, but may be cancelled or will need to be organized independently

==== Event Schedule ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Welcome Meeting
| 7pm - 9pm <br />9:15pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Go Karts <br />Swap Meet <br />Registration Day 2 <br />Welcome Meeting Day 2
| 9am - 5pm <br />7pm - 8:30pm <br />8pm - 9:30pm <br />9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Pace Lap <br />Road Course <br />Drag Races
| 8:15am <br />9am - 1pm <br />7pm - 11:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/27/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| AutoCross
| 9am - 5pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/28/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show <br />Banquet
| 11am - 2pm <br />6pm - 9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/29/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
| -
|}

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': Pampena Motorsports
* '''Go Karts''': Clone ECU (Brett)
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT Stealth Supply
* '''Banquet''': Four40 Designs <span style="color: gray;">(formerly Broomfield Racing)</span>

==== Gold Sponsors ====
* 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* Fabberge

=== Additional Announcements ===
Early registration for the 2014 3S National Gathering [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=13882 officially opened on March 21st, 2014]. Admission and event prices were originally set to increase after May 15th, 2014, but was courteously extended to May 30th, 2014. The NG14 utilizes a completely revamped registration system software created by [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield (Alan92RTTT)]], which allows members to select and pay for the events they wish to participate in.

To read more and provide feedback, please visit the development thread [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?p=12678 here].

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2015 3S National Gathering (Bowling Green, Kentucky) ==
:Dates: '''June 23 - June 28, 2015'''
[[Image:2015_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2015 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[Image:NG15-National_Corvette_Museum_Motorsports_Park.jpg|thumb|250px|National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park - NG15]]
Just weeks after the completion of NG14, the 3SNG committee made a surprise announcement that the 2015 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering would be held at the brand new '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Corvette_Museum National Corvette Museum]''' in Bowling Green, Kentucky<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=14489 2015 National Gathering Announcement] (July 18, 2014)</ref>. The grand opening of the track was scheduled for August 2014, which made the track less than a year old by the time the gathering took place.

Additionally, the NG15 car show joined Cars & Coffee at Griff's Deli on Saturday morning.

==== Changes Since 2014 ====
* Unlike the 2014 3S National Gathering, there was not an official plan for Go Karting this time around.
* "Touring Sessions" were offered on the road course this year for $50. This allowed attendees to get a preview of the course at a controlled speed.
* The schedule was a little more relaxed in 2015, with the introduction of a "free day" on Friday, where no official events were planned.

==== Event Schedule ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/23/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Drag Races <br />Welcome Meeting
| 1pm - 3pm <br />6pm <br />9:15pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Road Course
| 9am - 5:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| AutoCross
| 9:30am - 5pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| <span class="gray">No events planned</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/27/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show<br>Banquet
| 8:30am - 10:30am <br/>6pm - 9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/28/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|}

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': <span class="gray">TBA</span>
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* '''Banquet''': Four40 Designs <span style="color: gray;">(formerly Broomfield Racing)</span>

==== Gold Sponsors ====
* Chromed ECU

==== Associate Sponsors ====
* DuTTch & SpyderGirl
* Gonzo Hydrographics

=== Additional Announcements ===
In addition to releasing the location for NG15, Lori also announced the induction of a brand new member to the official National Gathering committee. The new committee member is the September 2009 3SI Ride of the Month winner: [[Bridge_(Bridget_Dillon)|Bridget Dillon]] (a.k.a. bridge). She is a long-time member of the community that has been a dependable volunteer at previous gatherings. It was announced that Bridget will be in charge of sponsor relations.

Registration for the 2015 3S National Gathering [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=15328 officially opened on March 29th, 2015]. Early registration, which includes slightly reduced ticket prices, ended on May 31st, 2015. After this date, the price to register increased $20 for normal tickets ($100 to $120), and $10 for guests ($50 to $60). Ticket prices for individual events (Autocross, Road Course, etc) were also expected to increase after early registration. The price per hotel room at the official hotel was $69/night.

On June 14th, just weeks prior to the event, Lori announced that the National Gathering needed over an additional $3,000 to upgrade from renting only the west track to renting the full track instead for the scheduled road course. To help achieve this, Lori started a thread and invited members to donate via PayPal in hopes of being able to upgrade before the deadline. Despite 12 members banding together to donate $1,500, it was not enough, and Lori refunded all of the donations. That said, the NG15 had access to the west track only.

=== Results ===
Attendance was said to be lower than previous years, which cast some doubt as to whether there would be another 3S National Gathering in 2016. Due to the relatively low attendance count compared to earlier years, the NG committee reportedly cut costs where they could, including using basic gray t-shirts, handing out certificates instead of trophies, not renting a video display during the banquet, and opting out of offering refreshments and goodies during registration like they had in the past. Lori also mentioned that the original plan for the NG15 banquet was to include museum admission tickets for those that attended, however the decision was made to not include them in the end.

<br style="clear:both;" />

== 2016 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 21 - June 26, 2016'''
[[Image:2016_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2016 3SNG Logo]]
The 2016 3S National Gathering was held in Indianapolis, Indiana.<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=16368 2016 National Gathering Announcement] (April 2, 2016)</ref> The return to Indianapolis in 2016 marked the 25th year anniversary of when the Dodge Stealth was slated to be the pace car of the Indy 500. The festivities took place at multiple locations around Indianapolis, with the AutoCross happening at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, the Go Karts at Fastimes Indoor Karting, and the Road Course at Putnam Raceway Park. Registration for NG16 officially opened on April 6, 2016 and according to the NG committee, this was the most difficult 3S National Gathering to plan thus far.

=== Location ===

'''Indianapolis, Indiana'''

For the first time in the history of the 3S National Gathering, Lori [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=15662 made the announcement] on July 5th, 2015 that the next 3S National Gathering would be held in 1 of 3 potential locations: Indianapolis, Michigan, or Pittsburgh. In order to determine the location, the 3SNG created a [http://3sng.org/ng16_poll.php voting page] where interested parties could pay $25.00 per vote in order to lobby for the location of their choice. Each person could vote as many times as they wanted, and therefore pay $25.00 each time.

According to the voting rules, if the location you vote for gets selected, your payment would become non-refundable and the full amount that you paid (plus an additional 10%) would go towards your registration fees for NG16. If your location was not selected, you would have the option of applying your voting payment towards your registration for the new location, or receive a full refund.

The voting remained open until July 31st, 2015. At that point, the voting closed and an post was made a few days later with the final tally:
{| class="wikitable"
! Location
! # of Votes
! # of Unique Voters
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Indianapolis
| 99
| 22
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Pittsburgh
| 77
| 20
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Michigan
| 22
| 5
|}

Indianapolis was the clear winner, making it (and Putnam Park) the official location for the 2016 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering.

=== Changes Since 2015 ===

* There were no drag races at NG16 due to cost
* The NG partnered with [http://www.1010thsmotorsports.com 10/10th Motorsports] for the Road Course, which helped the NG save some money
** This partnership increased the complexity of registration, where those that registered received a URL for a discount to register for the road course through 10/10th Motorsports
* The registration fees for NG16 dropped $25 per person compared to NG15

There were early talks of:
* Splitting registration prices up into smaller components that can be purchased separately: a general registration fee, t-shirt option, banquet option, pace lap option, autocross, drag races, road course, car show option, along with some other options that have always been included (like ride-alongs for anyone registered, spectator fees, etc.)
* The return of a pace lap; however, instead of running one lap like in previous years, the group may have been able to run at least two

=== Event Schedule ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
! Location
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/21/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Welcome Meeting
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/22/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| AutoCross
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Lucas Oil Raceway Park
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/23/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Go Karts
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Fastimes Indoor Karting
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| <span class="gray">No events planned</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Road Course
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Putnam Park Raceway
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Road Course <span class="gray">(optional)</span> <br />Departure
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Putnam Park Raceway
|}

Notably missing from this year's "official" schedule was the car show and awards banquet. No announcements were made on whether these would take place, however a free day was planned on Friday, 6/24, where no events were scheduled.

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance

Very few posts were made about sponsors in 2016. An announcement was eventually made that 3SX Performance had stepped up to fill the Title Sponsor role, and that the event would be renamed to the 3SX National Gathering.

=== Prices ===

* Registration Fees:
** Early Registration (Before 5/28/16): $75.00/person, $25.00/car
** Late Registration (After 5/28/16): $100.00/person, $35.00/car
* Hotel Room: $93.50/night

Similar to previous years, the NG16 offered a discount for early registrations. The cut-off date was May 28, 2016 to receive this reduced rate, however due to the other 3S-related events and holidays happening that weekend, the early registration cut-off date was extended to June 5, 2016. Compared to the previous year, registration fees had dropped $25 per person due to the partnership on the road course with another group.

=== Results ===

Just two days after NG16 concluded, Lori announced that long-time National Gathering committee member, Bob Melton, had [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=16544 decided to step down] from his position on the committee. His role was to provide on-site assistance on the week of the NG.

Additionally, in her announcement, Lori made mention of the low turn-out of NG16 (with 23 registrations as of June 2016) and she offered to take the bulk of the blame. Lori went on to say that she plans to make it up to everyone at NG17.

<br style="clear:both;" />
<hr />

'''References'''
<references />

3S National Gathering

2018-04-11T05:48:13Z

Alan92rttt:

[[Category:National Gathering]]
[[Category:Gatherings]]
[[Category:History]]
{{Infobox gathering
| event_name=3000GT/Stealth National Gathering
| event_image=File:3SNationalGathering2004.jpeg
| event_caption=2004 National Gathering (photo by Alan Sheffield)
| first_meet_date=August 9, 2002
| first_meet_location=Elkhart, IN
| latest_meet_date=June 21-26, 2016
| latest_meet_location=Indianapolis, IN
| max_attendance_count=234
| max_attendance_event_year=2005
| committee_members='''Original''':<br>Jeremy & Tiffany Gleason<br>
'''Current''':<br>Lori Sheffield<br>[[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]]<br>
'''Previous''':<br>Bob Melton<br>[[Bridge_(Bridget_Dillon)|Bridget Dillon]]
| locations=Bowling Green, KY<br />Elkhart, Indiana<br />Indianapolis, Indiana<br />Memphis, Tennessee<br />Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<br />St. Joseph, Michigan<br />St. Louis, Missouri<br />Stevensville, Michigan
| website=http://www.3sng.org
}}
The 3S National Gathering (3SNG) is the largest annual event for the Mitsubishi 3000GT and Dodge Stealth platform in the world.

The origin of the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering can be traced back to the DSM Shootout in August of 2001. Two members of the 3S community, JeremyG and TiffanyG, had just purchased a [[:Category:1991|1991]] Pearl White [[:Category:Dodge_Stealth|Dodge Stealth]] the month prior to the shootout and were attending their first car event ever. Not long after, Jeremy and Tiffany met many other 3000GT/Stealth owners, including: XWing, [[Hans@GZP_(Hans_Ertl)|Hans91GT]], Trevor, RacerX, [[Dave_Best|Dave Best]], 3SX (now 3SX Performance), Matt Monett, [[Suthnr_(Eric_Bowden)|Eric Bowden (SUTHNR)]] and several others. A conversation started between them about gatherings. Eric Bowden told Jeremy about the [[East_Coast_Gathering_(ECG)|East Coast Gathering]] and Jeremy mentioned how cool it would be to have a national event just for 3000GT and Stealth owners and their cars. They discussed the idea of having many racing events, a car show, and more. The ultimate goal each year would be to find a “Best All Around” 3000GT and/or Stealth. Eric wished Jeremy luck.

Not long after, a thread started on [[3000GT_Stealth_International_(3SI)|3000GT/Stealth International]] discussing national car events and how awesome it would be to hold a nation-wide event just for the platform. Many people voiced their opinions and thoughts on the matter, but no one had volunteered to take on the task of making it a reality. After giving it more consideration and several weeks of persuasion and discussions, Jeremy talked Tiffany into giving it a try. The only stipulation that they made was that the event needed to be held in their hometown in order to make the undertaking less work and to minimize the risk. Together they made a post asking if anyone minded if they took lead on the project. After no objections the 3/S National Gathering was on its way of becoming real.

Making a gathering of this size was completely new territory to both Jeremy and Tiffany. They had no idea what to expect or how many might attend, as they were new to the community, only had the opportunity to meet a few other 3S owners at the DSM Shootout, and had never attended any other 3000GT/Stealth Gatherings. At the time, they were hoping to be able to get at least 50 cars show up.

After they had announced their plans with the dates for the first National Gathering set, the topic became a huge conversation piece throughout the community (much to their surprise). Several people stepped up to help, including those who Jeremy and Tiffany had never met. One volunteer was Matt Saskin (3SI member msaskin), a then 17-year-old from California who was willing to design the website and registration form for the event. He made the drive from California and arrived several days early to help with the final steps. Without Matt’s help, the first National Gathering would have been very difficult for Jeremy and Tiffany to pull off.

__TOC__

= The History of the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering =

== 2002 3S National Gathering (Elkhart, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''August 9 - August 11, 2002'''
[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|400px|2002 3SNG Logo]]

August 9, 2002 had arrived, the small town of Elkhart was in awe as ''nearly 180 Dodge Stealth and Mitsubishi 3000GT’s'' invaded the small town. This was such an amazing sight! Never before had this many 3000GT and Stealths been together in the United States. Although the event didn’t go 100% smooth (registration was a disaster, all the events started late, and they were way too many events scheduled in such a short amount of time) it was still the talk of the town and the 3S community for the next several months.

The official vehicle and participant registration statistics from the 2002 3S National Gathering recorded:

[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_1.gif|thumb|300px|2002 3SNG Banner #1]]
[[Image:2002_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_2.gif|thumb|300px|2002 3SNG Banner #2]]
'''Vehicles'''
: Total Registered: 178 (from 29 US States + 2 from Canada)
: Car Show: 136
: Car Wash: ~100

'''Participants'''
: Guests: 114
: Autocross: 46
: Road Course: 15
: Drag Race: 59
: Drag Spectators: 240
: Car Show Spectators: ~400

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2003 3S National Gathering (St. Louis, Missouri) ==
:Dates: '''July 9 - July 13, 2003'''
[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Logo]]

On the final day at the banquet it was announced that the 2003 National Gathering would be held in Saint Louis, MO. The [[Chapters|local chapter]] was to plan and run the event with guidance from Jeremy and Tiffany anytime they needed it.

The event was well planned and they had made many improvements to the event. It was considered a success and fun was had by all. The event was changed to 5 days so all events could be more enjoyable. The NG was also taken to the next level by having the events held at Gateway National Park. Having the events at a nationally known track set a new standard for all future locations. The event ended up hosting 183 cars.

[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_1.gif|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Banner #1]]
[[Image:2003_3S_National_Gathering_Banner_2.gif|thumb|250px|2003 3SNG Banner #2]]
Although the event was a success, after a meeting with the sponsors, a decision was made that the only way this event could be a total success in the future was if a committee was founded and the same people ran the event year after year. After being asked by the sponsors, Jeremy and Tiffany decided to continue planning the event with the help of a committee. They asked John Monnin and [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]] to help them form the first National Gathering Committee. This meeting shaped the future expectations of the National Gathering.

The 4 of them spent the first couple of months discussing what changes needed to be made to make this event a “national” event that could be admired by all car groups. They came up with the decision that 2004 would be held in Indianapolis, the racing capital of the world, July 14-18. Many plans were made to make this new location much bigger and better than ever.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2004 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''July 14 - July 18, 2004'''
[[Image:2004_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|200px|2004 3SNG Logo]]

All the racing events we held at Indianapolis Raceway Park. A special behind the scenes tour of Indianapolis Motor Speedway was also added to the year’s activities. This included special tours of the entire track, press box, etc. We also made arrangements for the [[Dodge_Stealth_Indy_Pace_Car|“Official Car” of the 1991 Indy 500 (the Yellow Dodge Stealth)]] to be brought out on display so everyone was able to see the car that had been in storage for many years. The event was a huge success and to this day is considered to be the best 3/S National Gathering ever. The event also broke a new record with 198 cars.

Due to the success of the event and with only major problem being Mother Nature bringing rain during the drag races, the committee was comfortable with moving the event further away from home. They made the decision shortly after the end of NG04 to move the event to Memphis, TN. The dates were chosen and locations and official hotel were set but due to circumstances out of their control, this location could not happen. This information came extremely late in the planning process. A new location had to be found as soon as possible. After contacting a few other locations the committee decided to move closer to home in Michigan, but utilize a nicer drag strip. That is how Saint Joseph came about.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2005 3S National Gathering (St. Joseph, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''July 20 - July 24, 2005'''
[[Image:2005_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2005 3SNG Banner]]

The 2005 event was designed to be more of a social setting, and “getting back to basics” while still keeping the racing events high-quality locations. It was also decided to move the car show to the beach and turn the banquet into a picnic at a park instead of at a banquet hall. As the planning was happening Jeremy and Tiffany decided this would be their last event. The event was planned and ended up being a record setting year both on and off the tracks. The car show at the beach was a huge success and enjoyed by all!

Also, a milestone of NG05 was Jeremy’s dream of crowning a “Best Overall 3/S” was also added as a competition. This ended up being the largest event to date with 234 cars!

Following the 2005 National Gathering, and for the first time ever, no future plans were made for the National Gathering. A thread was made on 3si asking if anyone was interested in taking over the event. Hundreds of posts and several months later, no one stepped up. Instead of just letting the event die, Jeremy and Tiffany decided they would lead for one more year but that it would have to be their last. John also had announced this would also be his final year on the committee as well. Alan decided to stay on and help form a new committee to ensure the event would continue. During the planning of this event, a new committee was also being founded.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2006 3S National Gathering (St. Joseph, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''June 14 - June 18, 2006'''
[[Image:2006_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2006 3SNG Logo]]

Resuming their positions on the committee, Jeremy announced that the 5th annual 3S National Gathering would be taking place once again in St. Joseph, MI <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/5th-annual-3-s-national-gathering-details-inside-297728/ 2006 National Gathering Announcement] (October 21, 2005)</ref>. The 2006 National Gathering had a respectable 183 cars in attendance. All events ran with no rain for the first time since the first National Gathering.

It was re-announced during the banquet that future 3S National Gatherings would be headed up by a new committee and that this would be the last year that Jeremy and Tiffany Gleason would be on the committee.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2007 3S National Gathering (Stevensville, Michigan) ==
:Dates: '''July 11 - July 15, 2007'''

The new 3S National Gathering committee, which consisted of five members (Josh from Ohio, Alan and Lori from Michigan, [[Sixsixfour_(Christy_Pensinger)|Christy from Georgia]] and Peggy from Colorado, announced that they wanted to keep the National gathering in St. Joseph for one more year. The idea was that this would allow the new committee to get a foothold on how to run the event, and because the tracks in St. Joseph were known to be extremely easy to work with and only required minimal pre-planning <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/3763000-post2.html 2007 National Gathering Location Inquiry] (June 18, 2006)</ref>.

The 2007 National Gathering has since happened and is in the history book. No official attendance numbers have been released but as far as we can tell, the event was enjoyed by all.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2008 3S National Gathering (Memphis, Tennessee) ==
:Dates: '''June 17 - June 22, 2008'''
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

The committee for the 2008 3SNG consisted of Lori Sheffield, Alan Sheffield ([[Alan92RTTT_(Alan Sheffield)|Alan92RTTT]]), Peggy Schafale (Peggy), Josh Anker and Christy Pensinger (Stlth664/cty) <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f13/ng08-official-announcement-390567/ 2008 National Gathering Announcement] (September 5, 2007)</ref>. New to the program this year was an inclusion of an extra day to allow for a 'Driving School' event hosted by Race On.
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG Logo]]

The 7th annual 3S National Gathering had a basic registration cost of $100. Some of the events available were drag races ($45), AutoCross ($35), an invite-only road course event ($120), the newly added driving school ($360), and a banquet event with mansion tour ($35).
[[File:2008_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2008 3SNG Banner]]

Venues this year included the Memphis Motorsports Park, which is regarded as one of the most popular and versatile racing facilities in the country (hosting upwards of 200 events per year, including the best that NASCAR and the NHRA have to offer). The drag races were held at the NHRA Drag Strip Facility; home of the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the NOPI Nationals, the Super Chevy Show, the BTE Million Dollar Drag race and the Pro Street Car World Finals. This facility is considered one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit. Lastly, the banquet was hosted at Graceland, which included an after-hours tour for NG participants only. Platinum tickets were available for those that wanted to see Elvis After Dark, both jets and the auto museum.

Keith (Mobo) Upton, a community member and owner of Performance Imagery, provided professional photography for the event this year as well.

In August of 2008, the 3SNG moved their website from www.3SNationalGathering.com to www.3sng.org.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2009 3S National Gathering (Memphis, Tennessee) ==
:Dates: '''June 16 - June 22, 2009'''
[[File:2009_3S_National_Gathering_Logo_Ron.jpeg|thumb|250px|2009 3SNG T-Shirt Logo by 3Sfever]]

Similar to the year before it, the 2009 3S National Gathering was once again hosted in Memphis, Tennessee <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/ng09-mega-post-451409/ 2009 National Gathering Announcement] (February 17, 2009)</ref>. The race events were also held at Memphis Motorsports Park. A participant package was available for $100, which included access to the drag races, autocross and road course. A weekender package was also available for $60.

Just after the 2009 3S National Gathering, Alan Sheffield initiated a website redesign contest for 3sng.org. The prize was to be announced, and would be voted on by other members of the community. Around April 2010, the 3SNG website was redesigned to the blue, yellow and white theme.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2010 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 22 - June 27, 2010'''
[[File:2010_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Back.jpg|thumb|250px|2010 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

In the first time since 2004, the 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering returned to Indianapolis, IN. Different from 2004, however, was that the track events were held at the O'Reily Raceway Park. The schedule for the gathering included a day for registration (June 22nd), a road course (June 23rd), an autocross (June 24th), drag races (June 25th) and to conclude the week: a day for a car show, banquet and award ceremony (June 26th) <ref>[http://www.3si.org/forum/f24/ng10-mega-thread-481846/ 2010 National Gathering Announcement] (December 18, 2009)</ref>. The car show was held at the most popular tourist location in Indianapolis, the world-famous Monument Circle.

A full registration for the event ($120) included a t-shirt, access to all events, the banquet and car show entry. A special weekender registration was available as well for $80, which also included a t-shirt, a drag race spectator pass and access to the banquet and an entry to the car show.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2011 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 21 - June 26, 2011'''
[[File:2011_3S_National_Gathering_Banner.gif|thumb|250px|2011 3SNG Banner]]

Returning for a second year in a row, the 2011 3S National Gathering would once again be at the O'Reily Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=1701 2011 National Gathering Announcement] (October 20, 2010)</ref>.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2012 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 19 - June 24, 2012'''
[[File:2012_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2012 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]

For three years running, the 2012 3S National Gathering was held in Indianapolis, IN. Different this year was that the track events were held at the Lucas Oil Raceway Park <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=7703 2012 National Gathering Announcement] (February 15, 2012)</ref>.

In the past 5 years, the 3S National Gathering has hosted over 1000 3/S car’s. Close to 45 of the states have been represented and many world records have been broken. The event has helped shape current 3/S gatherings and has also helped make many new friends throughout the years.

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2013 3S National Gathering (St. Louis, Missouri) ==
:Dates: '''July 9 - July 14, 2013'''
[[File:2013_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2013 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[File:2013_3S_National_Gathering_Preview.jpg|thumb|250px|2013 3SNG in St. Louis, MO]]
After much speculation and anticipation about where the next 3S National Gathering would be held, the NG Committee Chairperson, Lori Sheffield, announced that the 2013 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering would be held during the week of '''July 9th - 14th 2013''' at the Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, Missouri (specifically in Collinsville, IL) <ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=9559 2013 National Gathering Announcement] (August 20, 2012)</ref>. This gathering will mark the first return of the event to the St. Louis area in nearly a decade.

==== Registration ====
Registration officially opened on April 9th, 2013. With it came a revamped website created by [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield]] and an updated gallery of photos from previous 3S National Gatherings.

Prices were also announced with discounts offered for those that register prior to June 9th (one month before the date of the event). Registration before June 9th starts at $100/person, while those that wait until after June 9th will pay around $125/person.

For the first time in years, the 2013 3S National Gathering did not offer a "Weekender Package." Committee member Alan explains that the weekender package was discontinued because no one was using it (less than 10 people in 2012). Further 3SNG Committee Chair Lori corroborates this, explaining that keeping the weekender package was problematic due to the insurance costs remaining the same and because it required the National Gathering to take a hit on each registration that used it.

==== New Events: Dyno Day & Go Karts ====
Brand new to the 3S National Gathering in 2013 will be the inclusion of a Dyno Day ([[Xwire_(Robert_Von_Morgan)|xwire's]] [http://www.morgansmotorsports.com/ Morgan Motorsports]) and Go Karts ([http://www.polepositionraceway.com/st-louis/ Pole Position Raceway]).

==== Event Schedule ====

{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:200px;" | Event
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/9/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/10/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Dyno Sessions (morning)<br />Drag Races (evening)
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/11/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Road Course<br />Go Karts
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/12/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| AutoCross
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/13/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show<br />Banquet
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | 7/14/2013 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
|}

==== Sponsors ====
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* '''Go Karts''': Clone ECU (Brett)
* '''Dyno Sessions''': Bill Buell (bbuell)
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT Stealth Supply
* '''Banquet''': Ground Zero Performance

===== Gold Sponsors =====
* Monochrome (Greg)

===== Associate Sponsors =====
* 3000GT/Stealth of Europe (3S of EU)
* [[DuTTch_(Mark_Gunter)|DuTTch]] and [[Spydergirl_(Jan_Gunter)|Spydergirl]]
* Maddog Performance

<br style="clear:both;" />

== 2014 3S National Gathering (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) ==
:Dates: '''June 24 - June 29, 2014'''
[[File:2014_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2014 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[Image:NG14-Pittsburgh_International_Race_Complex-BeaveRun.jpg|thumb|250px|Pittsburgh International Race Complex - NG14]]
The official date and location has been announced for the 2014 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=13845 2014 National Gathering Announcement] (March 14, 2014)</ref>. NG14 will be hosted during the last week of June 2014 at the [http://www.pittrace.com/ Pittsburgh International Race Complex] (formerly known as BeaveRun) near Big Beaver, Pennsylvania and at Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.

=== Location ===
Built in 2002 and praised as one of the most beloved road courses on the east coast, the six acre Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race) has a little bit of something for everyone.

Some of the attractions at the world-class race complex include a 16ft wide, 1.53 mile, 12-turn road course, as well as a 26ft wide, 0.82 mile, 17-turn FIA Pro Karting track. The complex also has a large vehicle dynamics testing area, which is perfect for hosting autocross events.

Following the 2013 3S National Gathering held in St. Louis, which was the furthest west the National Gathering has ever been, Pittsburgh will officially be the furthest east that the 3S National Gathering has ever been.

=== Events ===
[http://www.pittrace.com/ Pittsburgh International Race Complex]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Go Karting'''</span> An entire eight hours of outdoor, gas-powered go-karts that are equipped with 9.5hp Honda 4-cycle engines, capable of up to 45mph. Pitt Race's Go Kart track is .82 miles long (limited to the first 100 paid drivers)
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Pace Lap'''</span> Prior to a driver's meeting and tech inspection, road course participants will be allowed to take a pace lap around the track
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Road Course'''</span> Hosted on Pitt Race's 12-turn, 1.53 mile, 16ft wide world-class track (limited to the first 50 paid drivers)
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Auto Cross'''</span> Taking full advantage of Pitt Race's vehicle dynamics testing area

[http://www.pittsburghracewaypark.com/ Pittsburgh Raceway Park]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Drag Races'''</span> Originally planned to be 1/8 mile [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6syo0RJFOH8 flashlight drag-style] runs, which later became full 1/4 mile runs at Pittsburgh Raceway Park

[http://thelube.com/ Quaker Steak & Lube]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Car Show'''</span> While consulting with the Visitor's Bureau, the NG14 committee looked at many large venues for the 2014 3S National Gathering's car show. Ultimately, the committee decided on Quaker Steak & Lube for this year's car show

[http://www.hibeaverfalls.com/ Holiday Inn Beaver Falls]
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Swap Meet'''</span> A chance to buy and sell parts from fellow community members and vendors in the rear parking lot of the main hotel
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Banquet'''</span> Awards and speeches from and for members that attend the 3S National Gathering
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Raffle'''</span> A huge raffle with prizes from the participating sponsors

Considered, but Unconfirmed
: <span style="display:inline-block;width:100px;">'''Poker Run'''</span> Originally planned, but may be cancelled or will need to be organized independently

==== Event Schedule ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Welcome Meeting
| 7pm - 9pm <br />9:15pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Go Karts <br />Swap Meet <br />Registration Day 2 <br />Welcome Meeting Day 2
| 9am - 5pm <br />7pm - 8:30pm <br />8pm - 9:30pm <br />9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Pace Lap <br />Road Course <br />Drag Races
| 8:15am <br />9am - 1pm <br />7pm - 11:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/27/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| AutoCross
| 9am - 5pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/28/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show <br />Banquet
| 11am - 2pm <br />6pm - 9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/29/2014 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
| -
|}

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': Pampena Motorsports
* '''Go Karts''': Clone ECU (Brett)
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT Stealth Supply
* '''Banquet''': Four40 Designs <span style="color: gray;">(formerly Broomfield Racing)</span>

==== Gold Sponsors ====
* 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* Fabberge

=== Additional Announcements ===
Early registration for the 2014 3S National Gathering [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=13882 officially opened on March 21st, 2014]. Admission and event prices were originally set to increase after May 15th, 2014, but was courteously extended to May 30th, 2014. The NG14 utilizes a completely revamped registration system software created by [[Alan92RTTT_(Alan_Sheffield)|Alan Sheffield (Alan92RTTT)]], which allows members to select and pay for the events they wish to participate in.

To read more and provide feedback, please visit the development thread [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?p=12678 here].

<br style="clear:both;" />
== 2015 3S National Gathering (Bowling Green, Kentucky) ==
:Dates: '''June 23 - June 28, 2015'''
[[Image:2015_3S_National_Gathering_T-Shirt_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2015 3SNG T-Shirt Logo]]
[[Image:NG15-National_Corvette_Museum_Motorsports_Park.jpg|thumb|250px|National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park - NG15]]
Just weeks after the completion of NG14, the 3SNG committee made a surprise announcement that the 2015 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering would be held at the brand new '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Corvette_Museum National Corvette Museum]''' in Bowling Green, Kentucky<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=14489 2015 National Gathering Announcement] (July 18, 2014)</ref>. The grand opening of the track was scheduled for August 2014, which made the track less than a year old by the time the gathering took place.

Additionally, the NG15 car show joined Cars & Coffee at Griff's Deli on Saturday morning.

==== Changes Since 2014 ====
* Unlike the 2014 3S National Gathering, there was not an official plan for Go Karting this time around.
* "Touring Sessions" were offered on the road course this year for $50. This allowed attendees to get a preview of the course at a controlled speed.
* The schedule was a little more relaxed in 2015, with the introduction of a "free day" on Friday, where no official events were planned.

==== Event Schedule ====
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/23/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Drag Races <br />Welcome Meeting
| 1pm - 3pm <br />6pm <br />9:15pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| Road Course
| 9am - 5:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| AutoCross
| 9:30am - 5pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| <span class="gray">No events planned</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/27/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Car Show<br>Banquet
| 8:30am - 10:30am <br/>6pm - 9:30pm
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/28/2015 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Departure
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|}

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance
* '''Drag Races''': <span class="gray">TBA</span>
* '''Road Course''': Morgan's Motorsports
* '''Autocross''': Maximal Performance
* '''Car Show''': 3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forum
* '''Banquet''': Four40 Designs <span style="color: gray;">(formerly Broomfield Racing)</span>

==== Gold Sponsors ====
* Chromed ECU

==== Associate Sponsors ====
* DuTTch & SpyderGirl
* Gonzo Hydrographics

=== Additional Announcements ===
In addition to releasing the location for NG15, Lori also announced the induction of a brand new member to the official National Gathering committee. The new committee member is the September 2009 3SI Ride of the Month winner: [[Bridge_(Bridget_Dillon)|Bridget Dillon]] (a.k.a. bridge). She is a long-time member of the community that has been a dependable volunteer at previous gatherings. It was announced that Bridget will be in charge of sponsor relations.

Registration for the 2015 3S National Gathering [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=15328 officially opened on March 29th, 2015]. Early registration, which includes slightly reduced ticket prices, ended on May 31st, 2015. After this date, the price to register increased $20 for normal tickets ($100 to $120), and $10 for guests ($50 to $60). Ticket prices for individual events (Autocross, Road Course, etc) were also expected to increase after early registration. The price per hotel room at the official hotel was $69/night.

On June 14th, just weeks prior to the event, Lori announced that the National Gathering needed over an additional $3,000 to upgrade from renting only the west track to renting the full track instead for the scheduled road course. To help achieve this, Lori started a thread and invited members to donate via PayPal in hopes of being able to upgrade before the deadline. Despite 12 members banding together to donate $1,500, it was not enough, and Lori refunded all of the donations. That said, the NG15 had access to the west track only.

=== Results ===
Attendance was said to be lower than previous years, which cast some doubt as to whether there would be another 3S National Gathering in 2016. Due to the relatively low attendance count compared to earlier years, the NG committee reportedly cut costs where they could, including using basic gray t-shirts, handing out certificates instead of trophies, not renting a video display during the banquet, and opting out of offering refreshments and goodies during registration like they had in the past. Lori also mentioned that the original plan for the NG15 banquet was to include museum admission tickets for those that attended, however the decision was made to not include them in the end.

<br style="clear:both;" />

== 2016 3S National Gathering (Indianapolis, Indiana) ==
:Dates: '''June 21 - June 26, 2016'''
[[Image:2016_3S_National_Gathering_Logo.jpg|thumb|250px|2016 3SNG Logo]]
The 2016 3S National Gathering was held in Indianapolis, Indiana.<ref>[http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=16368 2016 National Gathering Announcement] (April 2, 2016)</ref> The return to Indianapolis in 2016 marked the 25th year anniversary of when the Dodge Stealth was slated to be the pace car of the Indy 500. The festivities took place at multiple locations around Indianapolis, with the AutoCross happening at Lucas Oil Raceway Park, the Go Karts at Fastimes Indoor Karting, and the Road Course at Putnam Raceway Park. Registration for NG16 officially opened on April 6, 2016 and according to the NG committee, this was the most difficult 3S National Gathering to plan thus far.

=== Location ===

'''Indianapolis, Indiana'''

For the first time in the history of the 3S National Gathering, Lori [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=15662 made the announcement] on July 5th, 2015 that the next 3S National Gathering would be held in 1 of 3 potential locations: Indianapolis, Michigan, or Pittsburgh. In order to determine the location, the 3SNG created a [http://3sng.org/ng16_poll.php voting page] where interested parties could pay $25.00 per vote in order to lobby for the location of their choice. Each person could vote as many times as they wanted, and therefore pay $25.00 each time.

According to the voting rules, if the location you vote for gets selected, your payment would become non-refundable and the full amount that you paid (plus an additional 10%) would go towards your registration fees for NG16. If your location was not selected, you would have the option of applying your voting payment towards your registration for the new location, or receive a full refund.

The voting remained open until July 31st, 2015. At that point, the voting closed and an post was made a few days later with the final tally:
{| class="wikitable"
! Location
! # of Votes
! # of Unique Voters
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Indianapolis
| 99
| 22
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Pittsburgh
| 77
| 20
|-
! style="padding-right: 10px;" | Michigan
| 22
| 5
|}

Indianapolis was the clear winner, making it (and Putnam Park) the official location for the 2016 3000GT/Stealth National Gathering.

=== Changes Since 2015 ===

* There were no drag races at NG16 due to cost
* The NG partnered with [http://www.1010thsmotorsports.com 10/10th Motorsports] for the Road Course, which helped the NG save some money
** This partnership increased the complexity of registration, where those that registered received a URL for a discount to register for the road course through 10/10th Motorsports
* The registration fees for NG16 dropped $25 per person compared to NG15

There were early talks of:
* Splitting registration prices up into smaller components that can be purchased separately: a general registration fee, t-shirt option, banquet option, pace lap option, autocross, drag races, road course, car show option, along with some other options that have always been included (like ride-alongs for anyone registered, spectator fees, etc.)
* The return of a pace lap; however, instead of running one lap like in previous years, the group may have been able to run at least two

=== Event Schedule ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! style="width:180px;" | Event
! Times
! Location
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/21/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Tuesday</div>
| Registration <br />Welcome Meeting
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/22/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Wednesday</div>
| AutoCross
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Lucas Oil Raceway Park
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/23/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Thursday</div>
| Go Karts
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Fastimes Indoor Karting
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/24/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Friday</div>
| <span class="gray">No events planned</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| <span class="gray">-</span>
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/25/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Saturday</div>
| Road Course
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Putnam Park Raceway
|-
! style="text-align:left;vertical-align: top;padding-right: 10px;" | 6/26/2016 <div style="font-weight:normal;">Sunday</div>
| Road Course <span class="gray">(optional)</span> <br />Departure
| <span class="gray">-</span>
| Putnam Park Raceway
|}

Notably missing from this year's "official" schedule was the car show and awards banquet. No announcements were made on whether these would take place, however a free day was planned on Friday, 6/24, where no events were scheduled.

=== Sponsors ===
* '''Title''': 3SX Performance

Very few posts were made about sponsors in 2016. An announcement was eventually made that 3SX Performance had stepped up to fill the Title Sponsor role, and that the event would be renamed to the 3SX National Gathering.

=== Prices ===

* Registration Fees:
** Early Registration (Before 5/28/16): $75.00/person, $25.00/car
** Late Registration (After 5/28/16): $100.00/person, $35.00/car
* Hotel Room: $93.50/night

Similar to previous years, the NG16 offered a discount for early registrations. The cut-off date was May 28, 2016 to receive this reduced rate, however due to the other 3S-related events and holidays happening that weekend, the early registration cut-off date was extended to June 5, 2016. Compared to the previous year, registration fees had dropped $25 per person due to the partnership on the road course with another group.

=== Results ===

Just two days after NG16 concluded, Lori announced that long-time National Gathering committee member, Bob Melton, had [http://www.3sgto.org/showthread.php?t=16544 decided to step down] from his position on the committee. His role was to provide on-site assistance on the week of the NG.

Additionally, in her announcement, Lori made mention of the low turn-out of NG16 (with 23 registrations as of June 2016) and she offered to take the bulk of the blame. Lori went on to say that she plans to make it up to everyone at NG17.

== 2017 3S National Gathering ==
:Dates: '''To be announced...'''
No location or date has been announced yet for the 2017 3S National Gathering. This section will be updated as soon as new information becomes available.

=== Committee Changes ===
The 3SNG is currently looking for volunteers to fill the following positions:
* '''On-Site Assistant'''
* '''Sponsor Liaison'''
* '''Marketer'''
* '''Graphic Designer'''

If you are interested in helping the National Gathering with any of these roles for 2017, please get in contact with Lori.

<br style="clear:both;" />
<hr />

'''References'''
<references />

File:Cover 2009.jpg

2013-09-19T21:34:14Z

Alan92rttt: 2009 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

2009 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

File:2010 cover.jpg

2013-09-19T21:32:33Z

Alan92rttt: 2010 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

2010 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

File:Calendar Cover 2013.jpeg

2013-09-19T21:26:06Z

Alan92rttt:

2013 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

File:2011 cover.png

2013-09-19T21:25:45Z

Alan92rttt: 2011 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

2011 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

File:Cover 2012.jpg

2013-09-19T21:24:06Z

Alan92rttt: 2012 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

2012 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Calendar Cover

File:Calendar Cover 2013.jpeg

2013-09-19T21:21:07Z

Alan92rttt:

3S National Gathering

2012-08-15T18:38:36Z

Alan92rttt:

3S National Gathering

2012-08-15T18:27:17Z

Alan92rttt:

3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forums (3SGTO)

2012-08-09T04:21:51Z

Alan92rttt: Undo revision 3002 by Stealthify (talk)

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Community]]
[[Category:3000GT/Stealth/GTO - 3sgto.org]]
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="clear: {{{clear|left}}}; margin-bottom: .5em; float: left; padding: .5em 1.4em .8em 0; background: none; width: {{{width|{{{1|auto}}}}}};" {{#if:{{{limit|}}}|class="toclimit-{{{limit}}}"}}
| __TOC__
|}
==Preface==
The story of [http://www.3sgto.org 3sgto.org] starts with 3si.org. The day to day operation of 3si had been run for alan92rttt for over 10 years. During this time the site has three owners. First was Eric Lotter one of the creators. Over time the financial needs of the site became more then he was willing to bear. He sold the site to eKool from Forum Foundry. eKool was no stranger to the 3S community he was a good friend of Matt Monet the owner of [[Dynamic racing]] and a former 3S owner. eKool did introduce advertising to the site but Alan and the other mods were left to run the site and eKool trusted their judgment. In 2008 eKool merged him company with Autoforums(AF) the company that now owns 3si. Shortly after the "merge" he was pushed out of the company. Unbenonst to anyone this would not be a good thing for 3si or it members.<br>
<br>
==The downward Spiral==
While all of this was happening 3si was growing and Alan continued to take care of the site. After AF Alan started to notice things he did not like. In the summer of 2010 after being scolded by AF for doing what he had to to protect the user of the site Alan knew he had to take action. <br>
<br>
==A new beginning==
Alan started the process to create his own site one that would be focused on the user/owner and their needs not how much money AF could get from the site. Taking his time as the summer progressed talking only to a very small group of people to make sure that word did not get back to AF Alan setup the new site. The hardest part of the process was the name. 3si has a great name its simple and to the point. The new sites name need to have that too, it had to be easy to remember. Wanting to make the non-us owners feel more at home Alan wanted to make sure that GTO was part of the name. He considered thing like 3000GT/Stealth/GTO International 3sgi.org but was advised that could cause some "trademark" problems with AF and it would be best to avoid it. After a lot of thought 3000GT/Stealth/GTO - [http://www.3sgto.org 3sgto.org] was chosen. Software was purchased, server space purchased and testing done. It was ready.<br>
<br>
Things we ready for launch. IN early September in preparation for the launch Alan stepped down as the administrator of 3si.org. It was a hard thing to do as it had been a large part of his life for the last 10 years but it was a necessary step. <br>
<br>
At this point their was one major thing left to deal with, the 3S community sponsors. Alan new that his actions would take traffic from 3si and that could hurt the the companies that had supported the 3S platform for many years. Hurting these companies was the last thing he wanted to do. If [http://www.3sgto.org 3sgto.org] it would need the support of the sponsors. After much thought Alan decided that he only had one option. Alan reached out to all of the 3S companies that were active 3S sponsors. Alan drafted and sent an email to the sponsors letting them know about the new site. In this email he offered them a deal on sponsorship they could not pass up. If they wanted it they would get the first 6 months free in thanks for their years of support for the community. Every one of them said "yes". The site was ready. The email to announce the site was ready. Alan had simple hopes for his new site he told his wife that if he had 200 members in 6 months he'd be happy.... <br>
<br>
==The Launch==
Alan drafted an email to be sent to the community to let everyone know about the new site. He had two email lists he could use. The one from the [3S National Gathering NG]] and one from 3SI that he had generated in 2008 with eKools knowledge and permission. In total almost 18000 emails. On September 10th, 2010 at 8pm EST the following email was sent. <br>
<br>
==The Email==
There are certain events that cause you to take a close look at your life - events that force you to evaluate your job, your friends and what you do in your spare time. The loss of my father was such an event.<br>
<br>
It's a bit scary to think that I've been the admin at 3SI for over 10 years now. When you say it, ten years doesn't sound like a long time but it is. Some of the members of this community couldn't drive when I started doing this.<br>
<br>
In the time I've been Admin I've seen three owners: Eric Lotter, John Gonzalez, and now autoforums.com.<br>
<br>
Eric, while he had good intentions, didn't have the time to manage the site so it just limped along for many years. In 2007, after probably receiving a lot of flack from most of the membership, Eric did the only thing he could think to do - he sold 3SI to John "eKool" Gonzalez.<br>
<br>
To some the sale was a curse, to some a blessing. John brought two things to the site, advertising and a good server. The new server provided speed and stability, the likes of which we'd never had. To some the advertising was an annoyance while to others it was a major point of contention. Many members felt that John was profiting off their content. And he was, but the server he provided was a good exchange. Other than dealing with sponsors, John left the moderation staff alone. I still had server access for anything we needed (the wiki for example). John trusted us and left the day-to-day operations to us. Communications were open and never confrontational even when angry members or sponsors contacted him. John trusted the moderation staff and that let things work well. Then "something" happened...<br>
<br>
Sometime in late August 2008, all of John's sites changed hands and we had new owners. Nobody told us about it - it just happened. We were owned by autoforums.com The initial meetings with the AF(Autoforums) staff were very rough and IMO a bit unprofessional. The moderation staff on 3SI has been around for several years and nobody from AF could even be bothered to introduce themselves. Had there not been a server outage I don't know when I'd have actually made contact with someone from AF. Over the last two years one thing has become clear: AF doesn't care about us as a community, all they care about is money. The advertising has become more intrusive, blatant and less focused (gay dating sites? really?) The last few months there have been several blatant examples that show how little they care. There ad system allowed two viruses which caused several members major computer issues. When the first virus hit I couldn't get a reply from anyone at AF because it was a weekend so to save members I set the forum to default settings. This action, while it probably saved several members, got this reply from autoforums:<br>
<br>
"Also in the future please do not switch the skin to a default option with no ads. The ads were not the problem in the first place. I know your heart was in the right place in thinking it would protect the members really it had no affect at all on safety. "<br>
<br>
Two things of note:<br>
<br>
1) They deny the virus came from an ad. Several very knowledgeable members have confirmed that the viruses were in the ads. These were viruses that users running adblockers never saw and viruses that magically went away once I made the change. For a change that "had no affect at all on safety" it sure did the job.<br>
<br>
2) This bears repeating: "do not switch the skin to a default option with no ads." The site ran for most of a day with no ads. That's what the real issue was. No ads = no money to AF.<br>
<br>
When we got hit by the second virus, One of their techs confirmed it came from an ad.<br>
<br>
The viruses are only the start. There have been several events that really drive home the kind of people that run and work for AF. Three former members have had their accounts reactivated because of sponsorships. At no point during the process did anyone from AF bother to ask us why the accounts had been deactivated to begin with, they just moved forward without consulting us. Think about the ramifications of this kind of action to the security of buyers on 3SI. To me it says pay a sponsor fee and you can post no matter how much you've scammed people in the past.<br>
<br>
While I do not know the exact figures, based on what I have been told they make a lot of money from 3SI. If the information I have is correct, the sponsors alone pay enough in the course of a year to keep the site running for the next decade. Add to that all of the Google, inline, sidebar, and between-post ads and they make a lot of money. Based on the ad revenue alone there is no need for paid memberships, yet they gleefully take money for annual and lifetime paid memberships.<br>
<br>
With all the money coming in they give nothing back to the community. They could sponsor events; they could give prizes to the ride of the month/year. Hell Eric did that on his shoestring budget. To AF It's all about the money in their pockets. They really don't care about us beyond how much money our activity earns them.<br>
<br>
We should not tolerate being treated in this manner. We deserver better.<br>
<br>
I am resigned as Admin of 3si.org because I can no longer support the way they are taking advantage of the community.<br>
<br>
In my opinion, this community needs a home that is focused on it and where income beyond what is required to run the site will be funneled back into the community. We deserve a site where paid members are actually supporting the site, not lining corporate "fat-cats'" pockets, and a site where the 3S business advertising isn't buried under all the other ads. We should be able to surf without feeling the need to load Firefox and ad block just to be safe. Most importantly, we need a site where the needs of the community come first. If this sounds like the kind of site you want to support please join me at http://www.3sgto.org. I hope to see a majority of you there. I know it'll take time to build it, but if we all pitch in together, I believe we can replace 3si with a site that is much less corporate, much less bullshit, and much more community-based. I really hope you'll make the decision to help me.<br>
<br>
<br>
Alan "Alan92RTTT" Sheffield<br>
3SGTO.org Owner/Operator<br>
alan@3sgto.org<br>
<br>
==The "Oh Shit!" Moment==
As previously mentioned Alan expected that the site would take time to build its new membership... Boy was he wrong! Within an hour of the email being sent over 100 people had joined 3sgto. By the time midnight rolled around the site was pushing 200 members. By the middle of the 11th problems arose as the membership pushed close to 1000. The base setting were not set to keep up with this kind of influx of people. Alan spent most of the day tweaking and nudging the site through its birth pains to make sure it did not crash completely. The response was far better than had been expected. <br>
<br>
The registrations on the forum were not the only response. Hundreds of people replied to the email with thanks and support. <br>
<br>
The result of the 1st day was over 1300 registrations and several hundred emails of support and wishes of success. <br>
<br>
==Where are we now==
With the road has been rocky www.3sgto.org is running smoothly now with over 3000 registered members. With the growth of the site far exceeding Alan's plans within the first year the site moved from shared hosting to a VPS if the growth continues a larger VPS or a dedicated server will probably be in its future. Thanks to the support of the community and the sponsors 3sgto has sent prices to 10 3S events, was the autocross sponsor at the [[3S National Gathering]] for 2011 and 2012. Alan has started www.3sg.org an to house 3S related content and sites free. He has brought back content from the original [http://wwwboard.3sg.org 3si message board], [http://3000gt.com.3sg.org/ 3000gt.com] one of the original 3S sites and the [http://www.3sg.org/3sg_list.php Multi-site Classifieds Index].

3000GT/Stealth/GTO Forums (3SGTO)

2012-08-08T22:02:22Z

Alan92rttt: Created page with "Category:History Category:Community Category:3000GT/Stealth/GTO - 3sgto.org {| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="clear: {{{clear|left}}}; margin-bottom: .5em;..."