Snap-On Tools “No Compromise Tour”

The Snap-On Tools “No Compromise Tour” is coming to a Goodguys event near you! At select events this summer, the Snap-On team will have a way cool midway display offering hot rodders an up close look at their award winning tools and services.

One of the highlights of the Snap-On display will be the super trick 1957 Chevy Nomad “Glo-Mad.”

Built for Snap-On Tools by Alex Evans and the team at Chop Shop Customs in Asheville, North Carolina “Glo-Mad” is a totally customized vehicle that features unique designs and accents that are actually fabricated from real Snap-On Tools!

The Snap-On Tools No Compromise Tour will be on the midway at Goodguys National events this summer in Rhinebeck, NY, Columbus, OH, Norwalk, OH, Joliet, IL and Kansas City, KS. Make sure you stop by and see the “Glo-Mad” and all of the other exciting products and services available from Snap-On Tools.

Snap-on is a leading U.S. designer, manufacturer and marketer of tools and equipment to professional tool users and automotive enthusiasts. It was founded in 1920. Snap-on is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. For more visit www.snapon.com

For a closer look at the Glo-Mad check it out here

Goodguys Ad Agency Wins Prestigious Hermes Creative Award!

For the last 22 years Goodguys has been represented by the Herbert, Holden, Slater & Beim advertising agency based in Pacifica, CA. H, H, S & B has exclusively purchased all advertising on television and radio ads Goodguys has ever placed!

We are proud to share the press release below with all Goodguys world wide. H, H, S & B submitted a comic strip-style print ad which beat out the competition. We congratulate them on their success and thank them for all their service over the years!

HHS&B Wins Prestigious Hermes Creative Award!
PACIFICA, CA–Herbert, Holden Slater & Beim was awarded the Gold Hermes Creative Award for a spadia style newspaper advertisement that was combination comic strip. It ran in the San Jose Mercury News and also in other Bay Area Newspaper Group publications.

Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional materials and programs, and emerging media technologies. There were over 3,700 entries from throughout the United States and several other countries. Entries came from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies, web based innovators and freelancers. Winners were selected from 142 categories in seven forms of media and communication efforts- advertising, publications, marketing/branding, integrated marketing, public relations/communications, electronic media and pro bono.

Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production, web and free-lance professionals. The Association oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence. AMCP judged are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.

Hot Rod of the Year Title Up For Grabs in Indy!

The Goodguys 2009 Hot Rod of the Year award will be selected this year at the 21st Hot Rod Nationals, June 12, 13 & 14 at O’Reilly Raceway Park just outside Indianapolis, IN. Below is a complete description on what the award criteria calls for and how to enter:

Award Criteria:
Open to hot rods 1948 and earlier. It makes noise; it’s regularly street driven and has a mean attitude! No cream puffs! Remember – The true spirit of hot rodding is for the owner to enjoy driving his hot rod!

How to Enter:
Cars interested in competing for this award should report to the “Hot Rod of the Year” staging area, Friday, June 12th at ORP at 9am sharp (North tower area at O’Reilly Raceway Park). You will be signed in, receive a special window sticker and be given route maps for the day’s festivities.

The HROY Competition:
After everyone is signed in Friday morning, the hot rods will leave ORP and visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take the special Indy Track Cruise. From the Indy Motor Speedway, the cars will tour up Highway 31 for approximately 45 miles to Jim Richardson’s spectacular “A Summer Place” – a real working 50s-era town on his private property! You won’t believe how cool this place is! It features a nostalgia gas station, a vintage diner and a movie theater showing 50s movies! Lunch will be available to all who participate. To check out our destination, visit http://www.asummerplace.org. From the Summer Place in Sharpsville, the cars will head back to O’Reilly Raceway Park and immediately report to the drag strip staging lanes. All HROY candidates will participate in a 1/8th mile heads-up drag & brag fun run on the IRP quarter mile. Times and speeds posted during the 1/8th mile drag & brag fun run will not determine the overall winner as the runs are simply a way to help establish that the Hot Rod of the Year is a true hot rod fully capable of smoking the tires and romping through the 1/8 mile!

The Selection Process:
Five HROY finalists will be selected from the overall pool of entrants. The five finalists will then be displayed at the Adam’s Mark Hotel Saturday night, June 13th where the overall winner will be announced during a special ceremony.

The Prize:
The winner of the Goodguys 2009 Hot Rod of the Year award will receive a special milled billet aluminum award, a full color photo feature in the Goodguys Gazette and Goodtimes Yearbook, national bragging rights and travel accommodations to attend the 2009 season-ending Southwest Nationals, November 20, 21 & 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Pictured below: the 2008 Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year – Cale, Bridgett & Carlee Kern’s ’32 Ford Tudor of Bedford, Indiana

Street Challenge Autocross Comes to Pleasanton!

For the first time ever, the Street Challenge Autocross will be held at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds in conjunction with the 16th Summer Get-Together May 30 & 31. The Autocross will be held both days of the event at a special course set up in the paved lot adjacent to the swap meet. The Autocross is free for all Summer Get-Together event participants.

Competition will be divided into three categories; Street Rod (1954 & older), Street Machine (1955 & newer) and a vendor class (vendors and sponsors only).

What is an AutoCross?
AutoCross – Probably the least expensive means to get involved with motorsports. AutoCrosses are held most weekends around the country. AutoCrosses are held in big, wide open parking lots. A course is set up using orange pylons, and a driver then negotiates the course, as quickly as possible. Each car is timed, and hitting cones will result in time penalties. AutoCross events are “Time Trial” style competitions; there is no wheel to wheel racing involved, as cars are sent out one at a time. In general, a course is laid out using traffic c cones; time penalties will be charged for disturbing cones. (Penalty is 2 seconds per cone). Just bring your registered/street legal vehicle to the Street Challenge tech area at the event to get inspected and you are ready to run.

Who can participate?
Any registered participant of a Goodguys event can run the Autocross – for free! Pleasanton AutoCross hours are Saturday 9am to Noon and 1pm to 4pm and Sunday 9am to 2pm.

Rules and Regulations for the Goodguys Street Challenge AutoCross:
1. All Street Challenge AutoCross participants must be Goodguys event participants. The Goodguys registration number will be the AutoCross entry number.
2. The AutoCross entry number must be displayed and easily read.
3. Participants must use DOT approved tires with a minimum of 200 tread wear.
4. No passengers or drivers under the age of 18. Passengers must sign the same liability waiver as driver.
5. Helmet use is not required. The course design will attempt to keep speeds below 35 M.P.H.
6. Participating cars must pass a basic safety inspection that will include, but may not be limited to, the following:
A. Functional seatbelts.
B. Proper brake pedal pressure and travel.
C. Sufficient throttle return spring and secured battery.
D. All lugnuts in place and tight.
E. Hubcaps are to be removed.
F. Valid driver’s license & Proof of insurance.
G. Registered – Street legal vehicle.
H. All loose items to be removed from vehicle.
(Floor mats, items hanging from rearview mirror, cassettes, CDs, and glove box, console, trunk items.)
7. No unsafe driving will be tolerated. Show management will have COMPLETE discretion to deny anyone participation in the AutoCross for any reason.

Meadors Takes Goodguys Racing ’69 Camaro to Career Best Run in Sacramento!

Sacramento, CA, 4/25 – The Goodguys Racing, Red Line Oil and Comp Cams-sponsored ’69 Camaro Pro Mod coupe driven by Marc Meadors of Danville, CA was back on track this past weekend going for glory at the annual Funny Car Fever event at Sacramento Raceway Park. The Goodguys Racing Team was on hand to compete in the special 8-car exhibition field promoted by the popular West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association.

Coming off his first-ever career Pro Mod win at last month’s Super Chevy Sunday event in Fontana, California, Meadors again raised eyebrows as he and the team were able to qualify for the eliminator field in the #6 spot with a conservative 7.009 @ 185.31 on the tricky track surface.

But the real fireworks came in Saturday’s opening round of eliminations. Stuck in the track’s infamous left lane (a historically treacherous racing surface with a tricky bump about half way down) Meadors charged straight down track to record a career-best run, clicking off a 6.429 @ 218.04 mph. Despite the heroic effort, Meadors came up just inches short of defeating his fellow competitor Jay Diedrich who ran a 6.443 at a slightly faster 222.56mph. Despite the narrow loss, the magnitude of Meadors’ run in the track’s bad lane was not lost on the event organizer’s who called it “perhaps the run of the day.”

While it’s never easy leaving eliminations early, the Goodguys Racing Team is now supremely confident they can compete with the West Coast’s fastest Pro Mods under any conditions at any track. “I’m really proud of this team,” said a smiling Marc Meadors in the pits after the event. Jason Bunker, Jeff Accacian, Andy Ferreira and ‘Six Pound’ Billy Fereira are some of the best in this business. These cars are monsters. Harnessing their brut strength and finessing them down tricky track surfaces is not easy. We will be a handful at the next event.”

Next up for the Goodguys Racing team is the PSCA California Nationals May 15-16-17 in Fontana. For a look at the team, including photos, team news and more, visit www.meadorsracing.com

The New Awards are Here!

The all new milled aluminum, anodized Goodguys awards are here! The awards you see pictured come in a variety of different colors and are hand made right here in Pleasanton by Pleasanton Tool & Manufacturing. All Terrific 12 award finalists picked throughout the year will recieve one of the special awards as well as select Builder’s Choice award recipients.

Do you have a rod, custom, trick truck, muscle car, street machine or muscle machine you think is worthy of a Terrific 12 or Builder’s Choice award? We look forward to seeing it! For a complete look at all 2009 Terrific 12 awards and how your car or truck can be selected, click here

AAA Brings Greenlight Initiative to 16th Summer Get-Together!

AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah is coming out in force to the 16th Summer Get-Together, May 30 & 31 at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds. AAA will offer participants an up close look at their Greenlight Initiative Showcase which features the latest breakthroughs on alternative fuel technologies. At the Greenlight Initiative Showcase display, located on the grass just west of the exhibition hall near the Goodguys big rig, fans will have the opportunity to talk to experts about how to drive “greener”, learn about alternative fueling stations in your area, check out energy-efficient green vehicles and see a veggie-oil powered car! They are also offering membership upgrades, insurance rate quotes, and new members who join AAA at the event will get a FREE water bottle!

The Greenlight Initiative Showcase is just one of many attractions of the 16th Summer Get-Together which welcomes all years, makes & models of American powered cars and trucks. This year’s event will also feature a Street Challenge Autocross for the first time ever at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds. Vendor exhibits, indoor vintage race car display a giant swap meet, car corral, model cart show and an arts & crafts show will also be featured.

AAA members click here to learn more about AAA Fun Family Day at the 16th Summer Get-Together!

49 States in 9 Days! In a ’32 Ford!!!!

Los Gatos, CA – Fifty nine year old San Francisco Bay Area native Dave Schaub is going on the trip of a lifetime this fall. The Los Gatos, California resident and founder of Schaub’s Meat, Fish and Poultry located in Palo Alto, California will set out Tuesday, September 8th to drive his 1932 Ford hot rod roadster through all 49 continental United States in just nine days. That’s 9,800 miles in just 216 hours. For every mile he travels, Schaub is encouraging followers and supporters to donate a penny or more to the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.

An experienced adventurist with many years of cross country hot rod journeys under his belt, Schaub is supremely confident he can go the distance. “I’m doing this because people said it couldn’t be done and I’ve always wanted to find a cool way to help some kids in need,” he said. “It’s going to be hard. It will be the ultimate reliability run to test the mettle of me and my machine. I got excited about the whole concept a few years ago through the Iron Butt Association – a group of motorcyclists who bill themselves as the ‘World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders’. They’ve organized several long distance rides around the country for motorcycles, but through all of my research I haven’t been able to find anyone who has done all 49 states in a car in nine days. When I get road weary, I will turn my thoughts to the kids. I’m hopeful that will give me the added boost to pull it off.”

Sponsors will also have an opportunity to get involved. Schaub’s black ’32 Ford roadster, built in South San Francisco by the Roy Brizio Street Rods shop, will be wrapped in a vinyl cover by Yak Graphics from San Jose to carry sponsor logos and signage. Schaub made it clear that he’s paying for the gas, food and lodging out of pocket. All private donations he receives will go directly to Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.

His plan is to launch from Needles, California and head southeast. Once he gets to the Deep South to the Florida panhandle, he’ll drive up along the eastern seaboard, going through New England at night before heading back west picking off the Northern states along the Canadian border one by one. His biggest day will see him pick off 12 states in one day’s drive time. As he approaches the eastern edge of Washington state, he’ll head north through British Columbia before hitting his final destination and 49th state with a stop in Southeast Alaska in the small town of Hyder.

To authenticate his journey, Schaub will keep a time stamped receipt for gasoline and other items in each state he visits. He will use a GPS satellite device known as “SPOT” which will allow Internet users to track his progress in real time on Google Maps through his website.

An official send off party/press conference honoring Schaub’s pending feat will be held Friday, August 21st at the Goodguys 22nd West Coast Nationals hot rod show, held at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds.

To donate funds, see the route map, or to ask Dave a question or simply send him well wishes, visit www.49in9.com

Website produced and donated by Jacob Stansky at XO Pandora Web Designs

Supernova A Big Hit at Street Festival!

The Goodguys/Air Ride Technologies “Supernova” Grand Prize Giveaway car has been making some serious rounds this spring. This past weekend it was one of the featured vehicles at San Francisco’s annual Japan Town Festival, one of city’s largest annual outdoor festivals. The car was shown to thousands of new folks and made quite an impression as big crowds gathered around the car throughout the entire weekend!

The car has also been extensively featured in several national magazine’s in the last few months, grabbing the cover feature of the June Muscle Car Power as well as a great tech/build article in the May 2009 Popular Hot Rodding.

Supernova is hot, hot, hot! The car will be officially given away to a lucky finalist on Sunday, July 12th as part of the 12th PPG Nationals in Columbus, OH. For complete giveaway rules, click here:

http://www.good-guys.com/join/giveaways.aspx#nova

Cullen, Greening to Select Columbus Builder’s Choice Awards

Jesse Greening and Zane Cullen, two of hot rodding’s star builders and former Goodguys Trendsetter award winners will be on hand at the 12th PPG Nationals July 10-12 in Columbus to select the coveted Builder’s Choice awards. Both Greening and Cullen will be onsite throughout the weekend in Columbus to hand pick ten awards each for a total of 20 Builder’s Choice awards at the biggest Goodguys event of the year.

Greening, who opened Greening Auto Company in Cullman, Alabama with his father Jeff in 1999 was the 2006 Goodguys Trendsetter. Cullen, a San Francisco Bay Area native and president of Cotati Speed Shop in Cotati, CA was named the 2004 Goodguys Trendsetter. Both builders have stamped their mark on the hot rodding industry and shown remarkable versatility building cutting edge hot rods, customs as well as new age muscle machines.

The Columbus Builder’s Choice special parking area will be open for participants Friday, July 10th and Saturday, July 11th. All cars considering a run for the Goodguys/Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year and the Goodguys/Air Ride Technologies Street Machine of the Year are required to park in the Builder’s Choice area both Friday and Saturday.

Great Kansas City Hotel Deal!

The Country Inn & Suites, located within walking distance of Kansas Speedway, has offered Goodguys members attending this fall’s Midwestern Nationals (Sept 4, 5 & 6 at Kansas Speedway) a special rate of $109 per night – a great deal for a great hotel!

The comfortable brand new hotel is located inside the popular Village West shopping/entertainment center which features the area’s best restaurants and family activities. Call now to book your room for the Goodguys Midwestern Nationals!

Country Inn & Suites
1805 N. 110th Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66111
Phone: (913) 299-4700

http://www.countryinns.com/kansascityks

Goodguys Rate: $109 per night plus tax

Stolen Truck and Trailer Alert!

STOLEN TRUCK AND TRAILER – LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP
Stolen from the secured yard of Spectre Performance in Ontario, California at approximately 2:30AM Saturday April 11th.

2002 Freightliner FL70 Toterhome with 38’ 5th Wheel Trailer
License Number: 2QPN682/ Trailer License Number: 4DG4349
Color: Black with Speed by Spectre Logo on side of trailer in silver. Silver Spectre logo on Tailgate and on front of windshield. (both truck and trailer were originally white before being wrapped).

One of the items in the trailer was a custom built 1970 El Camino, recognizable by the following attributes:
Custom Show Car (Built by SoCal Speed Shop for the TLC show “Hard Shine”
Vehicle has been seen/used last year at many of the Goodguys and NSRA events as well as Hot Rod Power Tour and Hot August Nights
License Number: 93 873 F (black/yellow lettering California Lic Plate)
Color: Black
Fabricated Raw Aluminum Lip, Spoiler, Bed Cover, dash and inner door panels
Spectre Logo on Windshield, aluminum lip and inside vehicle
Unique Engine Setback with late model LS7 motor
Complete roll cage that exits out the back window into the bed area
19” Aluminum Wheels with Baer brakes
Inner headlights replaced with air intake inlets

If you should happen to see or hear of either of these vehicles, please contact the Ontario, California Police Department or Spectre Performance directly at the following numbers:
Ontario Police Department – 909-986-6711 – Reference file # 090400687
Spectre Performance – 1-800-821-4868 Mike Morrow x329 / Cell 949-338-1612
Amir Rosenbaum / Cell 408-858-2228
Patricia Eames 1-800-821-4868 x334

Summer Cruise Schedule Announced!

Four fun-filled cruises will be offered this summer to those rodders who like to get out and drive their hot rods! Southwest Division Rep Don Grant and his wife Nelda are leading two cruises this summer doing a jaunt to Colorado in June and up to Puyallup in July. Two more exciting cruises are planned for the Midwest region including the “Navigatin’ to Nashville boogie in June and the popular “Cruise to Columbus” in July which takes rodder’s from the Heartland Nationals in Des Moines over to the 12th PPG Nationals in Columbus.

All four cruises have stops at various points of interest along the way and everyone is invited to join in on the fun. To see all the details and download the cruise flier click here: http://www.good-guys.com/events/cruises.aspx

Rhinebeck Event Update!

Rhinebeck, NY – For the last seventeen years, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has brought the East Coast Nationals, the region’s largest hot rod and custom car show to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY. Traditionally held the second weekend in September, the event has been moved to June 26, 27 & 28th this year in hopes of better weather.

The event had been rained on at least partially, for fourteen of seventeen prior years. “We had to do something,” said Event Director Sparky Ferris, a resident of Poughkeepsie. “We wanted to find a fair weather window with warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours. We felt we owed it to both event participants and spectators to do whatever we could to make the event more comfortable.”

This year’s East Coast Nationals will have everything the auto buff and gear head could ever want. Cars for as far as the eye can see will fill the palate of any serious auto aficionado. As many as 2,000 1972 and earlier cars and trucks are expected. An automotive parts swap meet will join a special “cars for sale corral” where automotive treasure hunters can seek out hard to find parts and buy and/or sell the car of their dreams. For those who prefer their hot cars on a smaller scale, as in miniature version, model car giant Revell-Monogram will sponsor a model car show, complete with a “Make and Take” program where youngsters can build a model at the event and take it home with them.

Despite the dire economic picture we constantly read and hear about, Goodguys, based in California has seen a rise in attendance this spring with some shows up as much as ten percent in total attendance from last season. Goodguys President Marc Meadors has a theory as to why. “People are staying closed to home and seeking more affordable entertainment it seems,” Meadors said. “A family of four can come to a Goodguys event like the East Coast Nationals and $100 not only gets them all into the show, but there’s money left over for lunch. You simply can’t do that at today’s major sporting events or amusement parks. The cost of a movie is $10-$12 and it only lasts two hours. For $17 you can come here and spend an entire day looking at the cars, shopping on the midway, listening to great live music and watch people all day long. It’s great fun!”

The Goodguys 18th East Coast Nationals is open Friday, June 26th and Saturday, June 27th from 8am to 5pm and Sunday, June 28th from 8am to 3pm. General admission is $17. Kids 7-12 $6. Kids 6 and under are FREE.

To buy tickets online or to register your ’72 or earlier rod, custom or classic, click here:

http://www.good-guys.com/events/eventDetails.aspx?eventid=09-606

Street Rods Needed in Puyallup to Escort Wounded Warriors!

Goodguys is looking for a few good men….The wounded warriors from Ft. Lewis army base in Ft Lewis, Washington need a ride in your hot rod! The Wounded Warriors will be joining Goodguys event participants and the Kingsmen car club of Tacoma to take part in a special poker run to be held on Friday, July 24 in conjunction with the Goodguys 22nd Pacific Northwest Nationals at the Puyallup Fair & Event Center.

This is a special opportunity for soldiers injured in combat who would like to take a ride in a hot rod, go on the poker run and then come back to the event and enjoy the festivities.

If you’re a registered participant in the Pacific NW Nationals and would be willing to take a wounded warrior in your hot rod on the poker run, please contact Larry Andren at Android314@comcast.net or 253/841-1786. All those interested should submit their name and contact information to Larry Andren no later than June 20th, 2009.

Race entries pouring in for 21st Hot Rod Nationals @ O’Reilly Raceway Park

Even though it’s over 60 days away, the Goodguys 21st Hot Rod Nationals June 12-14 at O’Reilly Raceway Park is shaping up to be one of the year’s best vintage drag races. Pre entries have been pouring in from around the country including a wide range of nostalgia top fuel cars and nostalgia funny cars with many more expected to enter the fray as the event draws closer.

Dale and Kat Suhr’s potent “Orange Crate” from Waterloo, Iowa will return to defend their event top fuel title as will 2008 Blue Suede Cruise top fuel winner Kevin Brewer. Brad Green’s Arkansas based “Speed Merchant’s” entry will attend along with Jim Didio’s Howard Haight Driven New York based entry. The fun loving “Backyard Guys” top fueler of North Carolina’s Art Dromgoole is also confirmed. Coming from the West Coast will be Jim Cullen and Denver Schutz’ Fresno based “Raisin Express II” and Brendan Murray’s handsome “Runnin’ Wild” entry from San Jose, CA.

A solid cast of Nostalgia Funny Car’s will include Paul Romine’s new Mustang entry, along with Danny Miller’s “Rear Gears” Maverick, John Dunn’s “Dunn & Gone” Duster, Steve Nichols in the Mill Road Boys ’70 Camaro, the “Violator” entry of Sean & Mike Bowens, and Randy Walls’ “Super Nova” will make the tow from California. Goodguys has not yet gotten pre-entry confirmation from the popular Midwest based trio of Justin Grant’s “Wonder Wagon” Barracuda, Kyle Wurtzel’s “Motown Shaker” Vega and Troy Martin but phone calls and e-mails are being exchanged with the Terrific Trio and it looks like two of them are 90% certain to attend.

Also on the Indy playbill is the featured Fuel Altered match race between Rich Guasco’s “Pure Hell” which is coming out of retirement for the 2009 season and Dave Hough’s “Nanook” entry. The AA/FA’s will run all three days of the event.

The Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals is the country’s largest vintage hot rodding event bringing over 4,000 1972 & earlier hot rods & customs and over 300 ’72 & earlier vintage drag racers together at O’Reilly Raceway Park. The event also includes hundreds of vendor exhibits, a swap meet & cars for sale corral, nightly parties at the Adam’s Mark hotel, model car show, Hot Rod of the Year competition as well as the popular Street Rod Shootout! To download a drag racing registration form and to see the race classes/payouts and on-track schedule click here: http://www.ggvintagedragracing.com

The Goodguys Forum is Here!

The all new Goodguys Forum, an interactive online message board, is up and running! This is your chance to interact with Goodguys members and enthusiasts worldwide! Share your photos and stories, talk about your favorite cars and events – it’s all free and live 24 hours a day 7 days a week!

In total, the Goodguys Forum features 13 different sections with the hottest topics. Some of the different sections include General Discussion, Bench Racing, Goodguys Events, Autocross, Vintage Drag Racing, as well as individual sections to talk about rods & kustoms, muscle cars, trucks, late models and even a Land Speed Racing section!

Are you planning a road trip to any Goodguys shows? This is a perfect place to invite other rodders to join in! Registration is simple and participation is fun. Simply click the “New? Register Here” button on the Forum welcome page and get talking!

Log on to http://www.goodguysforum.com and get started today!

Hot Rod of the Year Title up for Grabs at 21st Hot Rod Nationals!

The Goodguys 2009 Hot Rod of the Year award will be selected this year at the 21st Hot Rod Nationals, June 12, 13 & 14 at O’Reilly Raceway Park just outside Indianapolis, IN. Below is a complete description on what the award criteria calls for and how to enter:

Award Criteria:
Open to hot rods 1948 and earlier. It makes noise; it’s regularly street driven and has a mean attitude! No cream puffs! Remember – The true spirit of hot rodding is for the owner to enjoy driving his hot rod!

How to Enter:
Cars interested in competing for this award should report to the “Hot Rod of the Year” staging area, Friday, June 12th at ORP at 9am sharp (North tower area at O’Reilly Raceway Park). You will be signed in, receive a special window sticker and be given route maps for the day’s festivities.

The HROY Competition:
After everyone is signed in Friday morning, the hot rods will leave ORP and visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take the special Indy Track Cruise. From the Indy Motor Speedway, the cars will tour up Highway 31 for approximately 45 miles to Jim Richardson’s spectacular “A Summer Place” – a real working 50s-era town on his private property! You won’t believe how cool this place is! It features a nostalgia gas station, a vintage diner and a movie theater showing 50s movies! Lunch will be available to all who participate. To check out our destination, visit http://www.asummerplace.org. From the Summer Place in Sharpsville, the cars will head back to O’Reilly Raceway Park and immediately report to the drag strip staging lanes. All HROY candidates will participate in a 1/8th mile heads-up drag & brag fun run on the IRP quarter mile. Times and speeds posted during the 1/8th mile drag & brag fun run will not determine the overall winner as the runs are simply a way to help establish that the Hot Rod of the Year is a true hot rod fully capable of smoking the tires and romping through the 1/8 mile!

The Selection Process:
Five HROY finalists will be selected from the overall pool of entrants. The five finalists will then be displayed at the Adam’s Mark Hotel Saturday night, June 13th where the overall winner will be announced during a special ceremony.

The Prize:
The winner of the Goodguys 2009 Hot Rod of the Year award will receive a special milled billet aluminum award, a full color photo feature in the Goodguys Gazette and Goodtimes Yearbook, national bragging rights and travel accommodations to attend the 2009 season-ending Southwest Nationals, November 20, 21 & 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Pictured below: the 2008 Goodguys Hot Rod of the Year – Cale, Bridgett & Carlee Kern’s ’32 Ford Tudor of Bedford, Indiana

2009 Vintage Drag Racing Season Set to Launch!

The Goodguys Vintage Drag Racing Association is stoking up the fires and is ready for launch! Goodguys will hold three of the Midwest region’s biggest events this year featuring a full compliment of action in thirteen classes of competition for race cars through 1972 vintage. Racing will be held in Nostalgia Top Fuel & Funny Car, Competition classes, Gasser classes as well the popular “Geezer Gassers” and the Midwest Nostalgia Super Stock Association. A special highlight this season will be a fuel altered match race series between Rich Guasco’s “Pure Hell” and Dave Hough’s ‘Nanook.”

The events include:
The 21st Hot Rod Nationals, June 12-14at O’Reilly Raceway Park @ Indianapolis
The 8th Blue Suede Cruise, August 28-30 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH
The 2nd Goodguys Nostalgia Nationals, October 16-18 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY

Goodguys/VRA will also present five Friday Night Hot Rod Drags programs. The Friday Night Hot Rod Drags will be held July 10th at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, OH, July 25th at Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA, August 14th at Spokane Raceway Raceway Park, September 18th at Route 66 Dragstrip in Joliet, IL and October 30th at the new Zmax Dragway in Charlotte, NC.

“We’ve got a solid lineup of vintage drag racing events,” said Goodguys President Marc Meadors. “We have something for everyone from the 250mph top fuel guys down to 13-second door cars. We’re looking forward to continuing our long and tradition-rich heritage in producing the country’s best in vintage drag racing entertainment.”

To get registered and to see a complete lineup of racing classes, payouts and event schedules visit http://www.ggvintagedragracing.com



Street Rod d’Elegance Award Goes Back Home to Indiana

Marvin Bok’s exquisite ’39 Ford convertible captured the Goodguys 2009 Street Rod d’Elegance award at the 9th Del Mar Nationals Sunday, April 5th at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Built by Ben York’s Roseville Rod & Custom in Northern California, Bok’s Auburn, Indiana based convertible has been popular on the show circuit so far this year.  It was selected by Chip Foose himself for the Chip Foose Design of Excellence Award at the Grand National Roadster show prior to sweeping the d’Elegance title here in Del Mar. The car exudes class and sophistication in every aspect. From the European style tan leather interior to the candy “Cabernet” PPG paint to the handmade chromed brass brightwork, Bok’s convertible catches the eye from any angle. It also sports the subtleties we’ve come to expect from the Roseville Rod & Custom shop. The car’s beltline was pie sectioned 1 ¾” and the windshield laid back 1 ½” for a smooth, speedy look. The convertible top was chopped 2 inches. But the convertible’s dash is perhaps its most striking feature. The dash template is from a ’40 Ford but has been tastefully reconstructed to house the large oval speedometer from a 1935 Oldsmobile. The Roseville crew custom fabricated the entire dash including the tach and other gauges to match the vintage Olds speedo. Under the hood is a throaty 4.6 liter supercharged Ford pumping sweet notes through the polished stainless exhaust. It rides low and smooth (make that really, really low) on an Air Ride equipped TCI chassis with polished and chromed suspension components. The shiny chrome wheels with solid centers and classic Ford V8 insignia were made as one off designs by Evod Industries. Another aspect of the car that catches the eye is the large stock ’39 Ford rear license plate. It was hand painted to match the interior of the car. Bok collaborated closely with the Roseville team throughout the duration of the build which took some two and a half years to complete. “To start out on a project like this and see it through was an amazing experience,” Bok said as he accepted the award. “I’ve had street rods before but nothing like this. To have a car you built as a vision and dream to be appreciated like this is more than I can put into words.” The Goodguys Street Rod d’Elegance award is meant to honor an elegant and masterfully built 1948 and earlier street rod. The finalists for this year’s award included Mitch Lanzini (’33 Ford), Jerry Kugel (’32 Ford “Muroc” Roadster), Marvin Bok (’39 Ford Convertible) Tom Smith (1936 Ford), and Charles Tachdjian (’32 Ford Roadster). Look for a full color feature spread on Bok’s award winner in the July issue of the Goodguys Goodtimes Gazette. Click the photo below to enlarge it