MnChallengers.COM

MnChallengers car club President Steven Benson describes the club, it’s history and events, and the Dodge Challengers members own. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis – St. Paul, MN Challengers is open to Dodge Challenger owners, new or old. Filmed during fall of 2011, a B5 Blue Challenger R/T is featured in road footage- and in the studio. Produced and filmed by Joel Schnell – Photographer on a Canon 5D MKII. Music by Nathanael Lew.

Minnesota Challengers from Joel Schnell Photographer on Vimeo.

MnChallengers at Mystic – Saturday January 21st

WHAT: MnChallengers at Mystic
WHERE: Mystic Lake Casino
WHEN: Saturday January 21
TIME: 6pm
WHO: MnChallengers Club Members

DETAILS: MnChallengers at Mystic Lake Casino! January 21st at 6pm. All paid members are invited to join in festivities. We will meet in front of the buffet area a little before 6pm. We should not have to wait in line. We will have reserved seating in the buffet area. We have room for around 40 people. We have 35 people on RSVP (1/20/2012). We will have dinner together as a group. Afterwards we can spread out in the casino, do a little gambling, then meet up again for Bingo. We will meet in front of the bingo room a little before 8pm. We will have reserved seating in the Bingo room.

NOTES: Park anywhere at the casino. Come early if you like. MnChallengers will meet at 6pm in front of the buffet room.

RSVP: Please RSVP with interest in the buffet, bingo or both so we can make sure we have enough space for the club.

Mystic Lake Casino
2400 Mystic Lake Blvd
Prior Lake, MN 55372
952-445-9000

REFERENCE:
Mystic Lake Casino
Mystic Bingo
MAP

Mopar Cruise for MS – Sunday November 13th

WHAT: Mopar Cruise for MS
WHERE: St James Minnesota
WHO: Anyone driving a Mopar
WHEN: November 13th 2011
TIME: 10am to 5pm

DETAILS:
A fellow Mopar fanatic, Ron Engel, has been disabled with MS and needs some cheering up. His doctor has reached out to his friends to see if they could give Ron a ride in his favorite car, a 1972 Dodge Demon. Al Meehan from Midwest Mopars has stepped up to the task and has invited MnChallengers along for the ride. Al’s son Max has a ’72 Demon and will be giving Ron a ride. What better thing to do than lead a cruise with a bunch of Mopar fanatics following behind him for a cruise.

We will meet at O’Reilly Auto Parts near Buck Hill in Lakeville. We will leave the lot at 10am and cruise down to the city of Saint James Minnesota. We will make a lunch stop along the way. We will meet up with Al Meehan at a Dairy Queen near Saint James at 1pm. We will then cruise to the nursing home in Saint James to surprise Ron Engel with a ride in his favorite car, the Dodge Demon.

With daylight savings starting this weekend, it will get dark early. We will leave Saint James around 3pm and drive back to the cities. We should get back to Lakeville around 5pm.

LETTER FROM MIDWEST MOPARS:
I’m wondering if you guys would want to drive along with us on this deal. Recently we received a call from a Dr. Lindy C. Eatwell of St. James, MN with a special request. One of his patients, 63 year old Ron Engle, also of St. James is suffering with MS and his time is now very limited. He was disabled with MS in Feb 2003 and has been confined to a nursing home since March of 2009. His condition has deteriorated to the point now where he is largely immobile. Dr. Eatwell has gotten to know Ron very well over the years and besides finding out that Ron was a Vietnam Vet discovered that he is also a “dyed-in-the wool” Mopar fan. He was very active with his cars and trucks in the past and misses them greatly.

Dr. Eatwell reached out to us in hopes that he could set up a surprise for him and arrange for Ron to ride in his favorite car, a Dodge Demon. Before Ron was stricken with this debilitating disease he was in the process of restoring his prized 1972 Dodge Demon – it is in pieces now as I understand it. As it turns out, my 20 year old son Max (who is in the ROTC at the University of Minnesota while attending the University of St Thomas) has a restored 1972 Demon and jumped at the opportunity to do something for him as a future fellow serviceman.

Rather than Max, my daughter Amanda and I showing up with two or three cars I’d like this to be something more (for Ron and the other residents) and show up with as many cars as possible. I know – people are normally reticent to drive their babies in the rain let alone mid-November when weather could easily be ice and snow. There is some urgency in the matter so we plan to do this rain, snow or shine on November 13th at 2pm. More details to follow shortly.

The Pleasant View Nursing home staff in St. James is very excited to do this for one of their residents and especially for Ron. They have made preparations to get him from his special wheel chair into the Demon where Max will take him for a short ride escorted by many other muscle cars. I’ll probably get the St. James police involved too.

Boyd Huppert of KARE 11 is going to cover the story and run it in his Minnesota Land of 10,000 Stories segment as well. There will be something going up on the club’s website and Facebook in the next few hours too.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Al

MnChallengers – Swag

You want it, we got it. Jackets, patches, hoodies, shirts, can coolers, stickers. We’ll have it all at Mopars in the Park. See Steve Benson or Mike Hewitt and we’ll get you what you need.

Jacket with Sewn Patches – $135
Patches Only – Large $60 or Small for $10
Jackets Only – $40
Hoodies – $25
Full Zip Sweatshirts – $35
Shirts – $15
Can Coolers – $20
Stickers – 1 for $4 or 3 for $10

NOTE: Large patches are sold out. We will place the next order when 6 pre-orders are received.

01) Stacy Hanson
02) Ron Olson
03) Linda Scharffbillig
04) Scott Woolley
05) Bill Conrad

MnChallengers Store – Club Stickers

Club stickers have arrived from VinylDecals.COM and they did a fantastic job. Stickers are a great way to promote the club. They’re also a great way to raise money for the club. Please buy some for your cars, your fridge, your cooler, your toolbox and anything else you can think of. Pricing below.

$05 Small: 3-inch MnChallengers logo, die cut, black on white sticker
$05 Medium: 5-inch MnChallengers text, cut vinyl sticker
$10 Large: 16-inch MnChallengers text, cut vinyl sticker

Fall Cruise to Elmers – Sunday October 16th

WHAT: Fall Cruise to Elmers
WHERE: Green Mill in hastings
DATE: Sunday October 16th
TIME: 9am

DESCRIPTION: Scenic River Run from Hastings to Elmers

DETAILS: We will start the cruise at Green Mill restaurant in Hastings. We will start the drivers meeting at 9am and leave for the cruise at 9:15 am. We will take WI 35 from Prescott to Diamond Bluff, to Hagar City, to Bay City, to Warrentown, to Maiden Rock, to Nelson, to Fountain City then Elmers. Anybody that does not want to have a lengthy stay at Elmers can break out early for a cruise back. We will head back up WI 35 to Nelson, cross the river to Wabasha and take Hwy 61 to Lake City, to Red Wing, to Coates. Cruise will take an estimated 3-1/2 hours. We will have some fun stops along the way.

REFERENCE:
Green Mill Map

Fury Appreciation Day & Campfire Cruise – Oct 1st

WHAT: Fury Appreciation Day & Campfire Cruise
WHERE: Fury Lake Elmo
DATE: Saturday October 1st
TIME: Fury Meet 11:30am / Cruise 3:30pm

EVENT SCHEDULE BREAKOUT:
Fury Appreciation Day: 11:30am – 3:30pm
MnChallengers Cruise: 3:30pm – 5:00pm
MnChallengers Campfire: 5:00pm – 7:00PM

DETAILS:
The Frozen North LX club has set up an appreciation day at Fury in Lake Elmo. Since Fury also supports MnChallengers, we thought it would be a great idea to tag along and join in on the festivities. We’ll get to meet Fury’s Lake Elmo crew. We’ll also get to hang out with our friends in the Frozen North LX club.

After the Fury event we’ll head out on a 45-60 minute cruise ending with a stop a club members home for a campfire. Below is a description of the Fury portion of our event taken from the FNLX event invite.

FURY APPRECIATION DAY:
“Fury’s rolling out the red carpet for us, cleaning out the main pad, plus additional parking for overflow. They’ll also be cooking up hot dogs, passing out cold beverages, and talking shop. Come down to thank our awesome club sponsors”

CRUISE & CAMPFIRE:
We will leave Fury at 3:30pm for a 45-60 minute cruise through Stillwater. The route is yet to be nailed down but it will be scenic and there may be a stop for ice cream. We will end the cruise at a members home in Stillwater for more socializing and a campfire.

REFERENCE:
FNLX Appreciation Day
Fury Lake Elmo

Cruise to Low Brow High Octane in Northfield

WHAT: Cruise to Low Brow High Octane in Northfield
WHERE: O’Reilly Auto Parts in Lakeville
DATE: Saturday September 24th
TIME: 3pm-6pm

DETAILS: Meet at O’Reilly Auto Parts in Lakeville on the NW corner of 35W and Hwy 46 (160th Street) at 3pm. Scenic cruise to Northfield. Reserved parking near Low Brow High Octane event. Enjoy the show, enjoy the art, enjoy some food at one of the local establishments. Scenic cruise back to Lakeville.

O’Reilly Auto Parts
16075 Buck Hill Road
Lakeville, MN 55044

REFERENCE:
Low Brow High Octane VI
Photos from 2010
Cruise Route

All Mopars at the Automotorplex – September 17th

Mopar enthusiasts in the midwest have been asking for a “Big” Mopar show later in the summer. Well now we have it. Bruno, the owner of the Automotorplex in Chanhassen, has agreed to host an ALL MOPAR SHOW at his facility. With space for over 450 cars, let’s show Bruno how many Mopar fanatics we have in the midwest.

WHAT: All Mopar Show at the Automotorplex
WHERE: Automotorplex in Chanhassen
DATE: Saturday September 17th
TIME: 9am – Noon
ADMISSION: FREE

DETAILS: MnChallengers will be hosting an All Mopar Show at the Automotorplex in Chanhassen on September 17th. The show will run from 9am to 12pm. This is a public event, open to anyone who owns a Mopar new or old, classic or custom. The show is FREE to participants and spectators. Miss Car Craft 2011 will be available for photos and sign posters at her booth. Local hot rod artist Nick Sinclair will also be onsite with art and t-shirts. There will be a prize raffle for participants and spectators. If you own a Mopar, you will not want to miss this annual event.

SPECTATOR PARKING: There will be spectator parking at the entrance into the facility from Audubon, in the grass at the top of the hill.

DISPLAY CARS: Display cars will be limited to Mopar Only.

TOP 21 AWARDS: Club representatives and sponsors will choose the Top 21 rides. Winners will receive custom 8×10 plaques.

DASH PLAQUES: We will have dash plaques for the first 125 cars.

PIG ROAST: There will be a Pig Roast after the show. The pig roast is open to all participants and spectators at $6 for a pulled pork sandwich, beans and a coke. That’s a good deal and we are very excited to bring some great food to our event. The pig roast is FREE to all paid members of MnChallengers and the first 50 members of Midwest Mopars that register.

NOTE: Please contact Steven Benson if you would like to be a sponsor for this event.

Automotorplex
8200 Audubon Road
Chanhassen, MN 55317
612-850-8398
MAP

SPONSORS:

Lehman’s Garage
O’Reilly Auto Parts
Dodge of Burnsville
RockAuto Auto Parts
MnChallengers
Midwest Mopars

Bernard’s Dodge

PRIZES:

Lions Tap
Minnesota Street Rod Association
Retro USA

PHOTO SLIDESHOW FROM OUR 2009 SHOW:

SHOW FLYER:

AWARD PLAQUES:

DASH PLAQUES:

SHIRTS:

ADVERTISED ONLINE ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:

MnChallengers.COM
300CForums.COM
6speedonline.COM
AutoMotorplex.COM
Autoswalk.COM
ChargerForums.COM
ChallengerForumz.COM
Challengertalk.COM
ClassicMoparForum.COM
CustomMagnums.COM
DodgeChallenger.COM
ForABodiesOnly.COM
ForEBodiesOnly.COM
FrozenNorthLX.COM
Lateral-G.NET
LXForums.COM
MinnesotaMotorhead.COM
MnGarageGeeks.COM
Moparts.ORG
Pro-Touring.COM
SRT10Forum.COM
SRT8OC.COM
SRTForums.COM

SPONSORS:

Lehman’s Garage

O’Reilly Auto Parts

Dodge of Burnsville

Bernard’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep

RockAuto Auto Parts

Sinclair Hot Rods

MnChallengers Race Day at Rock Falls – Saturday September 10th

WHAT: MnChallengers Race Day at Rock Falls
WHERE: Rock Falls Raceway near Eau Claire
DATE: Saturday September 10th
TIME: 8am – 3pm

DETAILS: Midwest Mopars invited us to join them for a race day at Rock Falls Raceway. While they have cancelled to reschedule for October 29th, this is still great opportunity for members of MnChallengers to meet up and have some fun. Race your Challenger head to head against other members. Or just hang out and cheer for your favorite cars. It doesn’t take much to race. Just make sure to have a helmet that meets requirements. Or borrow one from another club member. Please show your support for MnChallengers by attending this event. Feel free to invite your friends. The more the merrier.

MIDWEST MOPARS: Midwest Mopars have rescheduled their race day for October 29th. MnChallengers are still going on September 10th. We can go to Rock Falls a second time this year with Midwest Mopars but the weather gets pretty shaky in late October.

CRUISE: Sheldon Bryant and Dave Kreiner will be leading the club cruise from the TA Truck Stop in Hudson. The cruise will depart at 8:30am. Rock Falls Raceway is about an hour away from Hudson so this will be a great cruise.

CRUISE ROUTE: MAP

RACE RULES: Helmets are required for 13.99 or quicker. Seat belts and long pants are required. No shorts, nylon pants or tank tops allowed. All drivers must have a valid driver’s license. For those under the age of 18, a Minor Release must be obtained and signed by your parents or legal guardians prior to racing.

HELMETS: Bring a helmet or have a plan to borrow one from a friend at the track. Snell 2000, 2005 or 2010 required for 13.99 or quicker. That means you’re going to need one. Snell 95 and K88 helmets are expired and use of them is not allowed.

CONTACT: Dan Nielson at 763-755-7190

REFERENCE:
TA Truck Stop
601 Brakke Drive
Hudson, WI 54016
MAP

Rock Falls Raceway
N1790 1000th Street
Eau Claire, WI 54701
715-879-5089
MAP

MIDWEST MOPARS NEWSLETTER – FRONT PAGE – AUGUST 2011

Wanna Race?

For the last couple years several club members have made the pilgrimage to Marion SD to drag race at Thunder Valley Raceways. It is a small drag race track centered in the middle of picturesque farms. There are closer drag race tracks, but the drive and the scenery always made it feel like a small vacation to me. Not to mention the company of my friends in the club. This year we are trying something new. We are going to Rock Falls Raceway in Eau Claire Wisconsin. The drive is much shorter but because of the shorter drive there will be a lot more club members around for racing.

If you have not been drag racing with the club before, or ever, I highly recommend that you come. Not only will several long time Midwest Mopars members be there with their classic muscle cars, but also MN Challengers members with their new LX platform Challengers, and some new MWM members with their late model tuners. It is sure to be a blast for everyone.

Save the date Sept 10.
Racers, make sure to check out all the rules and regulations at the rock falls raceway web site. There are restrictions on what type of helmet can be used. So make sure that your helmet meets their requirements.

www.rockfallsraceway.com

If you have any questions about this call Dan Nielson at 763-755-7190.