So the New Year’s Day Memorial Lap started out as sort of a way for Dave Woodman, a car guy, to bust the balls of his buddies who were too good to drive their cars if the weather wasn’t perfect. In it’s 6th year, it’s now a great excuse to get out and have a great time in your hot rod, muscle car, classic, exotic or whatever. Last year more than 300 cars participated, and it’s free. Just show up! Details are below.
But if it’s free, how do they make money for charity? That part is easy. They literally pass a hat around. Put it as much or as little as you want, and you are good to go. The charity changes each year, and this year it is going to the family of Dallas Sheese who has struggled with the expenses of cancer treatments this year and who just lost Dallas this month.
This year the event is sponsored by IndyRPM, a group of enthusiasts who want to give back, and its truly amazing how much this thing has grown in just a few years. The first year Woodman, who drives a 1995 Mustang every day regardless of weather, called out his buddies to bring out their cars for an afternoon drive over the winter. Since New Years day traffic is light, he figured that one would be a good day because then they could all stay together and really have a cruise. He must be a good smack talker, because he got 27 people to participate the first year and it’s been growing ever since. The first year was so good that he thought there was a way they could use this to help charity, and each member of IndyRPM now nominates a cause and then the group votes on it. Super cool.
Three years ago, participants raised money so a boy with Tourette’s syndrome could go to Disney World. The next year, they paid for a mother and father to go back and forth to St. Louis to see their 10-year-old son, in need of a lung transplant and undergoing treatment for cystic fibrosis.
The drivers meet at 1 p.m. near a Target at I-465 and 38th Street on the Westside, where they start with lunch at Chili’s, then start their engines at 2:30 p.m.
The entire tour is super smooth and organized, and we’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Big Mike from Ridetech is going to be attending, and will be there with one of the Ridetech’s stable of cool cars. We have heard that a lot of other cool machines are going to attend and they expect more than 300 cars. Lets see if we can help make that even bigger!
We are calling on all BangShifters within a couple hours of Indy to come together and participate. What do you have to lose? In a couple weeks you’ll be bitching because the weather sucks and there is not racing going on. Screw that, get out there this week and get the first cruise of 2015 in the books!
In 2012 the weather was beautiful, last years was cloudy but not horrible, and according to the forecast it’s going to be sunny and cold on Thursday for New Years Day. Sounds like perfect convertible weather!
Go, participate, and then send us photos and video!
Here is a video from 2012.
