Event Coverage Your Most Memorable Hot Rod Event

Three very vivid memories of car events, which is surprising since I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.

First was the 1977 Nationals in St. Paul. It was the very first Nationals I'd ever been to, and my Dad took my little brother and I. This was the year before the car was finished, so we were "spectators", but I still remember many of the cars: Peiknik's custom 34 vicky, a white 34 coupe called the "Koolaid Kid", and a friendly Minnesota fella with a black 34 five-window that told us all about his car. The theme is obviously 34's since Dad was building a 33 tudor then.

Next is the first Rod Run we attended out of town with the finished sedan. The 1979 River City Cruisers show in Clear Lake, Iowa. I can still remember sitting at the awards presentation/dinner and Dad receiving a best-of-show. The award was not a regular trophy, it was an assembled and mounted Monogram Big Deuce.

Third is the 1992 Nationals, the year of the flood. My wife and I were spectators, but my little bro and his wife had their A coupe on the grounds. I remember walking from the backside of the fairgrounds through the huge downpour, wading through the horsebarn area in water up to my waist, and making it into the vendor building where the roof drains were overflowing and spilling on the floor inside. (I remember talking with Old Man Brookville about forgetting the A roadster bodies and making 32's instead. He said it'd never happen, they were too complex/expensive to do.) Then later going out front after the rain ended and watching the cars being pushed to higher ground. Lots of oil changes performed right there on the grounds that day. Millions of $$ in damage.

 

TROG. Every one I have ever been to. Hands down.

Andy

 

The "Revolution" show in Austin at the power plant is my fave. It was just magic, the stunning tall stacks and fab art deco structures will never be duplicated. The field of entries was so special.

 

Like Alchemy, I have 3.

First would be the Merc/Deuce Reunion here in Wichita 1984. My parents took us and for me it was the first chance to see in person cars that I had seen in the magazines. I would say it was my first experience of a large national show. A really cool part was seeing a lot of the cars cruise around town in the evenings.

Also the 2000 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular. The 20th Anniversary, very cool show in the hometown of the KKOA.

And lastly the 2016 GNRS. My first trip to California and first experience of a "big time" indoor show. Very humbling to be among some of the greats, as well as to attend a show I had wanted to see since I was a kid. An amazing experience for me and thanks to @finkd and @Voodoo Jim for inviting me along.

 

In recent times it would be the Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green that is because my son and friends are with me.
Every year seems to be our best one

If I have to think back I would say it would be when I was a kid and we went to Gatlinburg Tn.
This was before the shows were moved to Pigeon Forge.
We were in dad's 66 Corvette (which is mine now) nit was dad and mom and I(I had to sit between the seats).

That was the year that they turned the fire hoses on the crowd.

There are others that are really memorable as well

 

Oakland Roadster Show 1971 and 72 later known as the Grand National
Winter Nationals 1973
Those stick in my memory bank more than any.

 

Gatlingburg,Tennessee in the early 70's has to rate highest on my list as my first rod run and my all time favorite.

I remember how we looked forward to going every year and it seemed like the greatest car show in the world,most the cars at that time were restorods and predated all the fads of graphics and there were no rat rods,everyone tried to build as nice of a car as they could. HRP

At that time the town was busting at the seams with hot rods and the town welcomed us with open arms.

I thought I had died and was in hot rod Heaven.



I've been to some huge events since that time in my life but I can still smell the aromas and sights the fall days in the Smoky Mountains gad to offer. HRP

 

Driving down to the first Rodder's Journal Hot Rod Revival with my dad for the weekend. I've been going to car shows with my dad since I was a kid, but it was the first time the two of us went out of state and stayed a weekend for something like that. Plus my dad having the opportunity to see so many awesome cars, many of which he remembered from the little pages when he was a kid, just made it a really special event for the both of us.

 

2 come to mind, the first Back to 50's I attended and the Nationals at IRP, car show and vintage drag racing, either a NSRA or Good guy deal. I had forgotten how loud the fuel dragsters were, sitting on that aluminum grandstand, they make the stands and ground shake.

 

Number one has to be our trip to Bonneville with the Rolling Bones group(2013) Number 2, probably our first long trip to the Road Agents show in East Hartford( about 2003)

 

March Madness Barkersfield CA. 2013, 2014 and 2017 and many more to come I hope.

 

Bonneville 1991. On my way back from Pebble Beach, Packard 12 in tow, a new bride riding shotgun. Watched Al Teague set a wheel-driven record that year from the top of a motor home coutesy of some folks I never met prior. Nicest people on earth were found at the event, all of them and must have met dozens. Teague shifted into top gear right in front of us. The sound is playing in my head as I type this.

 

1) Road Agents show in 2004 in East Hartford, CT --- still miss this event, it was the best. Great tunes, great cars, hot babes, friends, food, cars, etc.....miss that event in a major way...."everything old was new again"...

2). Meltdown drags (2016) Took my father there last year for a fathers day present...drove from MA to Byron and back in 6 days....I think we may have been the only folks there from MA last year....Hands down, the best drag racing I've ever seen, class act all around, the Honor Guard for the National Anthem, the hospitality, etc....great event. This year I know of a group of guys going from MA and RI now! probably will be going again!

3). GNRS in 2007, 75th anniversary of the '32 ford ---- wow, I've got to say, I remember going in the building with all the deuces was like going to church....It's still hard to describe, but, to me, it was more than looking at cars, it was looking at history and the foundation of my life/"sickness"/ obsession.

 

The Race of Gentlemen in Pismo. I have never had that much fun at any event. Good times with great people.

 

Joey, I too went to that reunion at Great Trail in 07. Had a great time.
My best events take me clear back to 1969-70 at dragway 42 in Ohio. 16yrs old, I even got my first speeding ticket on the way home.
All the big names competing in altered, gassers and slingshots and later funny cars.
Nothing even comes close to those days. Even compared to the day I won the RPU at the Street Rod Nationals.

 

I was about 14-15, this was in the late 90's-early 00's dad stuffed my little brother, and I in the Dakota and we drove to Indy for the Goodguys. We spent the whole weekend there. I wandered off after seeing this pit crew girl with ginormous fake jugs wearing a bikini and got a pic with her. I think it was the same trip and we went to the swap meet area, and I saw a 32 Ford 3 window coupe, just the body and frame, for sale I asked the guy he said he wouldn't take anything less than $22,000. My dad asked if he meant $2,200, and the guy was like "You couldn't buy the ash trays for that much". Overall it was a good weekend

 

The Hunnert Car Pileup 2003 was quite an experience for me.

 

Bonneville World Finals in October of 2004. Set the G/BFR record and got into the 200mph club. Drove the roadster from Pomona to Bonneville. Pulled over by the police just outside Vegas at 5:00am. Still not sure why. Prepped the car and went 209mph on the first pass. My Dad passed away in 2001. Had his ashes packed in my chute on the record run.

 

The rainy Hot Rod Revolution in Santa Rosa (2009 I believe) Finally meeting Norwell and Sir Ryan was an added bonus. Being surrounded by 70 other well executed rods was the bee's knees.

 

a little show we put on here in Tacoma back in the day called HOT-ROD-A-RAMA... great time

 

Street rod haters may want to shield their eyes.
Two high mark events among many.
My first Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton in the mid 80's, I was like a kid in a candy store.
1997 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour.
Left Portland for the big sendoff shindig at the Petersen Museum.
Ultimate destination was Mt. Clemens (north of Detroit) Michigan.
Overnight stops/shows in:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Grand Junction Colorado
Denver Colorado
Goodland Kansas
Overland Park Kansas
St. Louis Missouri
Springfield Illinois
Lansing Illinois
Mt. Clemens Michigan
Wow was that ever fun, return trip home, not so much!

 

Mopars at the Mansion or the first Hunnert Car Pileup in Sycamore.

 

My lap on Indianapolis motor speedway in 2005 with my 41. Bonneville in 2007,Snowman

 

I have to agree. I have to think back to some drag racing events I went to in my teens to get to anything as close as this. Despite the bad weather and the shortened event, this was still an unbelievably great event, I sure am glad we went.

 

Wow, that is awesome!!

 

Gatlinburg 1970. New car (my avatar), new wife, first major rod run I attended ( it was almost new), first time in that beautiful town. I haven't been to a more memorable event since.

 

it would have to be Andy's picnic in Crow Canyon Park in 1975. young folks need to realize that back then HOT ROD shows were few and far between, and this was a pretty big deal for me since it was the most old cars I had ever seen in one spot. posted pics a couple years back of the 1977 event: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/andys-picnic-crow-canyon-park-1977-old-pics.402226/

 

Without a doubt the 50th LA Roadsters show in Pomona.
Probably the largest ever with roadsters from around the world.
Pomona Fairplex was completely full with thousands of cars and a huge swap meet.
Terrific organization by the LA Roadsters, free to roadster owners with a free BBQ Sat night.
And then there was Stephany!

 

My high school [Jr year] buddy Rick and I went to the drags in Madras, Oregon summer of '65. Never been to the races before. We stood at the starting line and watched as Bill Ireland sheared off all 5 lug studs on the left side of his Ford Thunderbolt on launch.
Being there, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Never been the same.