A Rockin’ Look back at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals Presented by Bridgestone

If you somehow missed the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals Presented by Bridgestone this year, here’s a rockin’ video recap courtesy of Route 2 Media.

This year’s event featured well over 6,000 cars and a massive crowd under picture perfect weather. You’ll see first hand why the Goodguys Nationals is so special! Cue the music!

Free Collector Caps to All 25th West Coast Nationals Registered Participants! Plus More!

Coming to the 25th Silver Anniversary West Coast Nationals August 26-28 at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds? We sure hope so! As a special token of appreciation, Goodguys along with Flowmaster Mufflers are offering this FREE collector’s cap to all registered participants who enter a 1972 or earlier vehicle in the show & shine!

The handsome black cotton cap will look great on your head! The cap fits most head sizes thanks to a Velcro strap in back. Stitched with multi colored patterns, the cap will commemorate the silver anniversary event.

If you’re looking for something extra special to commemorate the special event, check out this spectacular 25th Anniversary West Coast Nationals collectible tee shirt (below)! The special shirt, available in Small through 4X (black only) will only be sold at the event. Once they’re gone they’re gone so buy yours early!

A Look Ahead to the Goodguys 1st WIX Filters Speedway Nationals at Indianapolis Motor Speedway!

The inaugural Goodguys WIX Filters Speedway Nationals, September 16-18 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is just weeks away! The first event of its kind ever to be held on the hallowed grounds of the Speedway will be staged throughout the infield, garage area, Gasoline alley as well as the scenic plaza. The event will feature over 3,000 rods, customs, classics and muscle cars, plus vendor exhibits, an autocross performance course, swap meet, track cruise and much more!

Just the thought of being part of the first major rod & custom event to ever be held at the ‘Brickyard has many senior staff members buzzing with anticipation. “We consider it an honor to hold an event at IMS,” said Harry Daviess – Goodguys VP of Event Operations. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a shrine, the most hallowed ground in American motorsports. To be able to bring an event here means so much to Goodguys, our event participants, our sponsors and our fans. It has already created an unprecedented buzz in our industry.”

Daviess admits the estimate of 3,000 participant cars might be conservative . “We could see as many as 3,500 to 4,000 for the inaugural event,” he said. The event will be spectacular on many levels including a track cruise around IMS, Autocross, swap meet and cars for sale, live entertainment and the crowning of the Goodguys 2011 Gearstar Hot Rod of the Year and much more.

Over 1,500 cars are already pre-registered as of July 25th. Make sure you get pre-registered today so you don’t miss the most historic Goodguys event ever held!

Registration will be held right at the Speedway Thursday 9/15 9am-6pm, Friday 9/16 8am-6pm, Saturday 9/17 7am-3pm and Sunday 9/18 8am to NOON. If you’d like to poke around the officical event website click here:
http://www.speedwaynats.com/

See you in Indy!

650+ Photos of the 2011 Heartland Nationals now available for viewing and purchase!

Visit –
http://heartlandnats.com/photo​s/purchase-photos

All photos taken by the Goodguys Gazette Crew. Spread the word, order a print!

A look back at a festive 4th of July weekend with Goodguys!

The 20th Heartland Nationals held over the 4th of July weekend at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines reminded us of how lucky we are to be American’s and how much pride we take in our country, our classic cars and our freedom!

Our friends at Route 2 Media were on scene all weekend capturing the sights and sounds of the warm and sunny summer weekend. Goodguys is proud to present this special video rewind. Enjoy!

Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle Welcomes Goodguys for Chicagoland Nationals Kick Off Party!

The Goodguys PEAK Chicagoland Nationals celebrates its 5th birthday this year on a brand new date August 12, 13 & 14 at Chicagoland Speedway! The event gets off to a festive start Thursday, August 11th with a special 40 mile hot rod cruise out to Hot Rod Chassis & Cycle for the official Chicagoland Nationals Kick Off Party! The cruise leaves registration at 4pm sharp!

Known nationwide for turning out award winning traditional rods, customs and motorcycles, the guys at Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle know how to throw a party! Food, live music with rockabilly bands, drinks, shop tours and more await you.

Don’t miss this special happenin! If you can’t make the cruise, just come on out and join the party! Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle is located at 59 Factory Road, Addison, IL 60101. If you get lost you can call ‘em @ (630)-458-0808.

Click here for details.

DRIVE! Magazine’s Courtney Halowell has passed away

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Courtney Hallowell who passed away yesterday at a young age. Courtney had a distinguished career in automotive and motorcycle journalism most recently serving as the editor of DRIVE! Magazine.

Halowell made his mark in automotive journalism at a young age on the staff of Mini Truckin’ magazine. He went on to serve as editor or associate editor of many industry publications such as motorcycle magazines, World of Rods and DRIVE!

Beckett Media Group’s Editorial Director Travis Noack, Halowell’s coworker and dear friend remembered Halowell as “A man who made me laugh, smile and strive to be the best at everything I did. Courtney and I shared a love and passion for custom trucks and hot rods and the passion for making magazines. The memories I have with Courtney and his humorous nature I will always hold close to my heart. R.I.P. TITO”

Goodguys last saw Courtney this Spring in Del Mar where he competed in the Editor’s Shootout AutoCross. As usual he was cracking jokes and razing his peers. His passion and dedication to our industry were unwaivering. He did a lot to further our industry’s cause with his tireless work publicizing cars and car culture through the pages of so many magazines.

All of us at Goodguys are thankful to have known Courtney. He will be sorely missed.

Goodguys 2011 Best New Product Winners!

One of the many event highlights at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone in Columbus was the Best New Product Awards and display area. This year’s display showcase was full of ground breaking new products from aftermarket and street rod performance companies. In all over 70 companies entered products!

The Goodguys Best New Products Program is held annually in Columbus for companies that are exhibiting at the event. This year’s winners were announced during Saturday’s night’s gala awards ceremony in front of a packed house! And the winners are…

Engine & Transmission – Spectre Performance – Cowl Induction Airboxes
Suspension, Tires, Wheels and Brakes – Ironworks Speed & Kustom – Ironworks Tri-5 chassis
Body, Glass and Interior – Billet Specialties – Draft Select Edition Steering Wheel
Electrical Components & Accessories – Lokar – Drive-By-Wire Electronic Throttle Control Assembly
Paint and Car Care Products – Rad Rides by Troy – Rad Rides Metal Protector
People’s Choice – Woody’s Hot Rods – New Steel Tri-5 Body
Best Inside Booth Display – Clayton Machine Works
Best Outside Booth Display – WIX Filters
Best Non Automotive Booth – Ultimate Floors by Rhino

Congratulations to all!

Speed by Spectre’s Cowl Induction Airbox

Ironworks’ Tri-5 Chassis

The new “Draft Select Edition” steering wheel from Billet Specialties

Lokar’s “Drive by Wire” Electronic Throttle Control Assembly

Rad Rides’ new Ultimate Metal Protector

The all new, all steel Tri-5 body from Woody’s Hot Rods

Best Indoor Booth Display – Clayton Machine Works

Best Outdoor Booth Display – WIX Filters

Best Non-Automotive Booth – Ultimate Floors by Rhino

24th Pacific Northwest Nationals serves up Goodtimes in Puyallup this weekend!

The Northwest’s favorite summer rod & custom event, the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals rumbles into the scenic Puyallup Fair & Expo Center this weekend July 22, 23 & 24. The event features over 2,500 1972 & earlier rods, customs & classics, vendor exhibits, indoor car show, Builder’s Choice awards by Art & Craig Morrison, a giant pin stripers brush bash, a swap meet & cars for sale corral, Friday Night Drags at Pacific Raceways, nightly stage shows and parties, cruising – you name it it’s happening at the 24th Pacific Northwest Nationals!

Over 2,500 1972 & earlier rods, customs and classics will be on display throughout the weekend

The action gets started Thursday as the Kingsmen will host the annual Poker Run Thursday July 21st. The Poker Run leaves registration (at the fairgrounds) at 11am sharp and will visit hot rod shops and other points of interest around the area. Following the Poker Run, the traditional barbecue kickoff party will take place at the Fairgrounds!

Friday through Sunday the action heats up at the Fairgrounds as the event will be in full swing! If you’re looking for some Friday Night excitement check out the nitro-fueled Friday Night Nostalgia Drags at nearby Pacific Raceways in Kent! Headlining the evening’s program is a special Nitro Funny Car match race between Bucky Austin and Mark Sanders! The vintage front-engine dragsters of the Northwest Top Eliminator Association will also be part of the evening as well as five eliminator classes! For a look at the full weekend schedule, click here:

http://www.good-guys.com/pdf/11-622/WeekHapsPuyallup11.pdf

24th Pacific Northwest Nationals
July 22-24
Puyallup Fair & Events Center:
General admission: $18
Kids 7-12 $6
Event Hours:
Friday 8am – 5pm
Saturday 8am-8pm
Sunday 8am-3pm
Vehicle Registration Fees:
Weekend registration (rods & customs through 1972) $75 (includes the car & two people)
Sunday only registration $40 (includes the car & two people)
-Registration is located at the fairgrounds
Friday Night Drags @ Pacific Raceways:
General Admission: $20
Kids 7-12: $6
Race Fee: $35
Drag Event Hours: Gates Open @ NOON, Tech at 1pm, Time Runs 2pm, Eliminations 5pm. Funny cars run at 7 and 9pm.
Swap Meet & Car Corral:
Swap Meet Spaces: $55
Car Corral Spaces: $45

For More visit www.pacificnorthwestnats.com

Morrison’s Ready for Pacific NW Nationals Builder’s Choice picks

Art & Craig Morrison of Art Morrison Enterprises will be on hand this weekend to select the coveted “Builder’s Choice” awards at the 24th Pacific Northwest Nationals at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center as well as exhibit on the midway showing off their latest chassis and suspension components from the Morrison factory in Fife, WA. The Morrison’s are always at the leading edge of performance chassis innovations so make sure and ask them what’s new!

This year’s awards, milled from solid aluminum were exclusively designed using the latest CAD technology and will be distributed to only ten cars at the event! “We are looking for cars that stand out in terms of overall engineering and finish,” The Morrison’s said. “Obviously we will be paying attention to the chassis and suspension improvements (regardless of mfg.) and vehicle engineering just as much as the exterior finishing of the vehicle.”

The Builder’s Choice parking area at the 24th Pacific Northwest Nationals will be held Saturday, July 23rd with all other special areas in the “Sillyville” plaza – a large open air space located on the backside of the fairgrounds.

Funny Car Match Race Highlights the Puyallup Friday Night Vintage Drags!

The Northwest’s quickest and fastest Nitro Funny Cars are coming to the Goodguys Friday Night Drags, July 22nd at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington! Goodguys are proud to announce a special, one night only match race between “The Northwest Hitter” Bucky Austin and “Mr Explosive” Mark Sanders! Austin and Sanders will make two runs during the evening filling the air with nitro fumes and lighting up the night sky with header flames!

Mark Sanders’ “Mr Explosive” Chevy Nova

The giant evening also features an 8 car blown alcohol dragster show from the Northwest Top Eliminator Association as well as five eliminator classes! We’ve also expanded the event hours and moved the entire program up two hours to accommodate the large eliminator fields in hopes of finishing the event prior to the 10pm track curfew.

Bucky Austin’s Plymouth Arrow

If you’re a registered participant at the 24th Pacific Northwest Nationals in Puyallup make sure and bring your rod, custom or muscle car out to the drags! After you’ve paid your adult admission to the drags, your event window sticker will get your ride inside Pacific Raceways to the show car parking area!

Here’s a look at the classes to be run that evening along with the new event hours:
Eliminator Classes (NHRA Heritage Series Rules Apply):
Hot Rod I ’54 & Earlier – 7.50-11.99
Hot Rod II ’54 & Earlier – 12.00 & Up
Street Machine I ’55-’72 7.50-11.99
Street Machine II ’55-’72 12.00 & Up
Comp (NOS & Electronics OK) 7.50 & Up
New Event Hours:
Gates Open -NOON
Tech Opens – 1pm
Time Trails – 2pm
Final Eliminations – 5pm

For technical racing questions, contact John Drummond (johnd@good-guys.com)

For a look at the 24th Pacific Northwest Nationals, visit www.pacificnorthwestnats.com

Dynamat’s Whitaker Featured on Hot Rod TV This Saturday

Just a heads up to Goodguys members and fans of Hot Rod TV on Speed Channel! This Saturday, July 16th @ 3:00 EDT tune in as Dynamat’s Scott Whitaker and “Gibson Custom” of Nashville collaborate on a special Les-Paul guitar inspired by the Dynaliner coupe built by Scott’s “Speed King Garage”.

Whitaker visits Gibson Custom with his ’32 coupe hoping to match up the world of vintage cars and guitars. The show portrays the ability of Gibson Custom to produce highly personal, unique instruments of super high quality.

The show is an exciting opportunity to see the inner workings of Gibson Custom and how they can jump on a truly custom project that incorporates unique design and parts. Be sure and tune in!

Covington’s “Innovator” Wins Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year

Columbus, OH – When Clover, South Carolina’s Alex Covington envisioned his dream ride, it was a 1967 Nova he could use as a daily driver. His vision quickly changed after he selected the Roadster Shop’s Jeremy and Phil Gerber to execute the build. The Gerber’s vision for the Nova was a hi-tech, low slung futuristic street machine combining an American classic with cutting edge innovation and masterful build quality. Soon after, project “Innovator” began.

Covington’s faith in the Roadster Shop’s ability to deliver a top quality car was rewarded when “Innovator” won the Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year award Saturday evening, July 9th at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone in Columbus, Ohio.

When Chevrolet’s Clare MacKichan designed the world’s first Nova concept in 1961 he was quoted as saying “There was no time for experimentation or doodling around with new ideas from either the engineers or from us in design. It had to be a basic-type car.” One can only imagine the sheer pleasure he’d get from seeing what the Roadster Shop pulled off with his production model.

Phil Gerber (left) of the Roadster Shop hugs Alex Covington after being announced as winner’s while lead builder Jeremy Gerber looks on

Every panel on Covington’s Nova has been reworked and redesigned. The top was chopped ¾ of an inch, the fenders were re-shaped and sloped, new body lines and wheel well openings were made and a new rocker panel profile continues around the entire vehicle. The headlights and grill assembly are completely redesigned and hand fabricated as are the tail light bezels. The PPG white is complimented by custom satin accents of charcoal, sliver and bright yellow.

Power is generated via a 700hp GM LSX in a completely handmade engine bay with machined panels and custom intake. Inside the cabin is handmade dash and console assembly, full roll cage and race buckets covered in black and white leather. Illuminated headliner and floor inserts are as futuristic as it gets.

“Innovator” rides on a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis with a 3 link rear suspension and Watts linkage. Afco remote reservoir shocks cushion the ride. Giant Baer brakes provide extreme stopping power on-track or on the street. Eric Brockmeyer designed the custom center lug 7-spoke wheels.

The car’s maiden voyage came Friday morning during the Street Machine of the Year AutoCross competition. Having never been driven on pavement, tension was high in the Roadster Shop camp but anxiety quickly turned to confidence when Innovator streaked to a 35.3 second lap time. It would hold up as the fastest lap in the entire competition!

The top five finalists for the Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street machine of the Year, the most impressive crop to date, included Joe Brown, Lafayette, LA (1967 Mustang), Alex Covington, Clover, SC (1967 Nova), Gerry Kerna, Cranberry Township, PA (1962 Chevy II), Matt Lazich, Austin, TX (1969 Mustang) and Alex Stoner, Scottsdale, AZ (1970 Mustang).

Over 300 East Coast Nationals Photos Now Available for Viewing & Purchase

View over 300 official event photos taken by the Goodguys Gazette staff at the 2011 East Coast Nationals!

Full Gallery Here

Hurry, Special July 4th pricing good on all photo sizes and photo gifts!

PPG’s Cristina Fronzaglia named 2011 Woman of the Year

Columbus, OH – PPG’s Cristina Fronzaglia was named Goodguys 2011 Woman of the Year during a special ceremony at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone in Columbus, OH. Fronzaglia’s ascension from a sales trainee to Manager of Marketing and Communications of PPG’s Refinish division combined with her acute sense of color and taste, her creativity and boundless energy as a promoter of our industry made her an easy choice for the prestigious honor.

Her interest in classic cars and hot rods hit high gear when she was appointed marketing communications manager for PPG Automotive Refinish a few years ago. Her new role included becoming the “go-to” person for promoting PPG’s line of custom colors and paint systems geared for rod & custom stylists, and classic automobile restorers. As she met and talked with painters, custom builders and restorers, her appreciation of their works of art and the talents that create them continued to grow. When she and the PPG team attend industry car shows certain vehicles strike a chord with Fronzaglia, especially early 70’s Chevrolet’s. She has fond memories of cruising with her father in his gold ’70 Chevy Impala.

As an avid jogger who runs daily, Cristina’s interest in personal fitness led to her tireless charitable work as a board member of Girls with Sole. It’s a unique, Cleveland area, community-based organization that fosters hope and healing for girls who have experienced abuse—first, by giving them a free pair of running shoes, and then offering activities and teachings that focus on exercise, nutrition, wellness and overall healthy living.

Fronzaglia embodies all that is good about the hot rodding industry. Goodguys as well as the entire automotive aftermarket is richer for her many contributions…

About the Goodguys Woman of the Year:
The Goodguys Woman of the Year award is presented annually in honor of the late Karen Bloechl (who was instrumental in the formative years of the Goodguys Association) and recognizes a female industry executive who serves to preserve the integrity and growth of the hot rodding industry. Past recipients of the Goodguys Woman of the year include: Margie Popp (1991), Ginny Lobeck (1992), Sue Brizio (1993), Maryann Harmon (1994), Karen Doe (1995), DeEtte Crow (1996), Jane Callison (1997), Gayle Stutts (1998), Judy Mullins (1999), Debbie Walls (2000), Jeannie Daly (2001), Donna Smith (2002), Debbie Lewis (2003), Jeanette Ladina (2004), Joyce Smith (2005), Barb Davison (2006), Stacy Tucker (2007), Lynn Nace (2008), “Landspeed” Louise Noeth (2009) and Janeen Webb (2010).

Fastlane Rod Shop Builds the Goodguys 2011 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year

Columbus, OH – Finding an original steel ’32 Ford 3-window coupe is not an easy task in the new millennium. Turning one of Henry’s deuce survivors into award-winning rolling art is just as challenging. For Phil and Debbie Becker of Dwight, Illinois both herculean tasks were made easier when they turned to Dave Lane of Fastlane Rod Shop.

Together, they built a regally refined, yet hot rod-stanced Mustard yellow ’32 3-Window that took home the Goodguys 2011 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year award at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone in Columbus, Ohio.

Lane, a throwback to the European coach builders of the 20th century has a unique build style. He only takes on one car at a time. He hires no outside help. He is truly an old school craftsmen who’s singular focus is to turn out the best product possible.

Lane gave the Becker’s deuce a subtle ¾” chop and repositioned the rear window, leaning it forward slightly for a refined look. The hood is pie cut and the spreader bars have been curved to match the body contour which required a complete reshape of the gas tank. All four fenders were cut and reshaped to Lane’s specifications in addition to handmade splash aprons. Once the metal was perfected, it was coated in a custom DuPont Mustard yellow mix. The rich dark chocolate leather upholstery designed by Becker, Lane and upholsterer Dave Shober was stitched at Shober’s Custom Hot Rod Interior’s in Sandwich, Illinois. Interior features include a downsized vintage Porsche steering wheel complete with an early Ford V8 horn button assembly, a redesigned ’34 Plymouth gauge panel built by Classic Instruments and many other refined subtleties.

The drive train is pure American hot rod with a tri-power 350 cubic-inch Chevy small block, Gearstar 700 R4 tranny linked to a Winter’s V8 quick change rear end. The handmade chassis features front and rear transverse leaf springs, hairpin front/ladder bar rear with Bilstein shocks on all four corners. The Dayton wire wheels (15x 4 ½ ” front, 17”x8” rear) were painted chocolate brown to match the interior. The throaty exhaust notes are delivered through Speedway Motors’ “Ram Horn” manifolds and a 2 ½” handmade steel exhaust system coated black by Jet-Hot.

The entire build took just shy of two years. Becker explained the build process as “One of the true highlights” of his life and thanked Lane for building his dream. It was the 3rd Street Rod of the Year title for Lane as a builder.

The top five finalists for the Goodguys 2011 Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year included Dave & Sue Doll, Humphrey, NE (1932 Ford), Butch Downs, Colona, IL (1934 Hupmobile), Rodney Harris, Leighton, AL (1932 Ford), Phil & Debbie Becker, Dwight, IL (1932 Ford) and Dale Johns, Van Buren, AR 1933 Ford.

Covington’s “Innovator” Wins Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year

Columbus, OH – When Clover, South Carolina’s Alex Covington envisioned his dream ride, it was a 1967 Nova he could use as a daily driver. His vision quickly changed after he selected the Roadster Shop’s Jeremy and Phil Gerber to execute the build. The Gerber’s vision for the Nova was a hi-tech, low slung futuristic street machine combining an American classic with cutting edge innovation and masterful build quality. Soon after, project “Innovator” began.

Covington’s faith in the Roadster Shop’s ability to deliver a top quality car was rewarded when “Innovator” won the Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street Machine of the Year award Saturday evening, July 9th at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone in Columbus, Ohio.

When Chevrolet’s Clare MacKichan designed the world’s first Nova concept in 1961 he was quoted as saying “There was no time for experimentation or doodling around with new ideas from either the engineers or from us in design. It had to be a basic-type car.” One can only imagine the sheer pleasure he’d get from seeing what the Roadster Shop pulled off with his production model.

Every panel on Covington’s Nova has been reworked and redesigned. The top was chopped ¾ of an inch, the fenders were re-shaped and sloped, new body lines and wheel well openings were made and a new rocker panel profile continues around the entire vehicle. The headlights and grill assembly are completely redesigned and hand fabricated as are the tail light bezels. The PPG white is complimented by custom satin accents of charcoal, sliver and bright yellow.

Power is generated via a 700hp GM LSX in a completely handmade engine bay with machined panels and custom intake. Inside the cabin is handmade dash and console assembly, full roll cage and race buckets covered in black and white leather. Illuminated headliner and floor inserts are as futuristic as it gets.

“Innovator” rides on a Roadster Shop Fast Track chassis with a 3 link rear suspension and Watts linkage. Afco remote reservoir shocks cushion the ride. Giant Baer brakes provide extreme stopping power on-track or on the street. Eric Brockmeyer designed the custom center lug 7-spoke wheels.

The car’s maiden voyage came Friday morning during the Street Machine of the Year AutoCross competition. Having never been driven on pavement, tension was high in the Roadster Shop camp but anxiety quickly turned to confidence when Innovator streaked to a 35.3 second lap time. It would hold up as the fastest lap in the entire competition!

The top five finalists for the Goodguys 2011 Optima Batteries Street machine of the Year, the most impressive crop to date, included Joe Brown, Lafayette, LA (1967 Mustang), Alex Covington, Clover, SC (1967 Nova), Gerry Kerna, Cranberry Township, PA (1962 Chevy II), Matt Lazich, Austin, TX (1969 Mustang) and Alex Stoner, Scottsdale, AZ (1970 Mustang).

Maier, Bridgestone Win 1st Sponsor Shootout Autocross

Hayward, California’s Mike Maier won the Goodguys 1st Sponsor Shootout AutoCross in Columbus, Ohio today driving his wife’s blue ’66 Ford Mustang. The special AutoCross was a highlight during closing day of the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone at the Ohio Expo Center. Maier, representing his long time sponsor Bridgestone, defeated Kyle Taylor’s BF Goodrich sponsored ’70 Camaro in the final round to take home the $5,000 first prize.

The special event, run on a 12 car elimination ladder format attracted a national cast of drivers and muscle cars. As the competition heated up in front of a capacity crowd several key matchups unfolded including two husband and wife elimination races (Stacey vs Kyle Tucker and Mary vs David Pozzi).

At the end of the competition, Tucker and Maier stood toe to toe in what promised to be a titanic runoff. The final featured plenty of sub plots. It was a Ford vs Chevy, Bridgestone vs BF Goodrich and East vs West. When the dust settled it was Maier taking a hard earned win with a 32.442 to Tucker’s valiant 32.570 – his best run of the day.

“It feels good,” said Maier as he congratulated Tucker after their race. “This entire group of drivers is awesome. Every corner was critical today. It was close.” In the semi’s, Maier unleashed the race’s best lap clicking off a smooth 32.318.

Maier’s Mustang features a newly installed Roush Yates Nationwide 358ci NASCAR engine backed by a NASCAR spec 4-speed manual gearbox from C&R Racing. The engine is cooled by a custom radiator from C&R Racing. For the Sponsor Shootout, the car utilized a slightly new front suspension from Maier Racing, including shocks from JRI and a newly designed tubular A-arm/coil over set up. The rear suspension is also of Mike Maier’s own design which uses a laid over coil over in the trunk, with a Watt’s Link and Torque Arm.

The Goodguys Sponsor Shootout AutoCross will return in 2012 here in Columbus

Goodguys Nationals Underway in Columbus!

The 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone is underway here at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus! The biggest and most exciting Goodguys event of the year has everything the automotive enthusiast could ever want!

For a look at the complete weekend schedule click here

If you’re not here you need to be!

Event Spectator Hours:
Friday 7/8 – 8:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday 7/9 – 8:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday 7/10 – 8:00am to 3:00pm

General Admission: $18
Kids 7-12 $6
Vehicle Registration Prices (Registration is at the Fairgrounds inside the Lausche building):
3 days – $75 (includes car & driver)
Sunday only – $40 (includes car & driver)

Swap Meet & Car Corral Info:
Both car corral spaces and swap meet spaces are $65 at the event. For more information, visit:

http://www.jeffjohnsonmotorsports.com

Friday Night Drags, July 8th!
Located at: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, OH
Event Hours: Gates Open 2pm, Tech at 3pm, Time Runs 4pm, Eliminations 7pm
Admission: $20 Adults, Kids 7-12 $6
Race Fee: $35 (includes car & driver)

Brian Finch Gets the Green Light for Gateway Classic Mustang

Nashville’s Brian Finch will be behind the wheel of Gateway Classic Mustang’s factory test car as they aim to win the 1st Goodguys Sponsor Shootout AutoCross, Sunday July 10th here in Columbus, Ohio. Finch will be driving Gateway’s bright yellow ’68 Mustang Coupe – a car he’s very familiar with. Actually, his competitors are equally familiar with Finch as he’s one of the driver’s who strikes fear in the eyes of Goodguys AutoCross regulars. His natural driving talent is unparalleled.

An I.T. Director at CEVA Logistics in Nashville, Finch, 41, has no professional training behind the wheel of an AutoCross car. In fact, the first time he competed in a Goodguys AutoCross was the very first Goodguys Nashville Nationals six years ago. He ended up winning the Street Machine class that weekend and has yet to be defeated! He’s won the Street Machine class 6 consecutive years at the Goodguys Nashville Nationals AutoCross!

Finch has branched out in recent years to compete at Pro Touring events, winning this year’s ‘Run to the Coast” and even promotes his own event, “Run to Music City” in Nashville. He’s been invited to drive in the Optima Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational the last two years running and will return this fall for his 3rd attempt.

The Gateway Classic Mustang ’68 coupe test car he will drive Sunday is stout. It features the patented Gateway Performance Suspension including a coilover/strut front suspension with a 3-link coilover suspension out back on Afco shocks. The wheels are Vintage Wheel Works 5 spokes (18×9.5” front and 18×12” rear) on BF Goodrich KDW rubber. The car runs custom Baer brakes designed specifically for Gateway Performance Suspension featuring 6 piston calipers and 13-inch rotors.

Powering around the cones is easy, thanks to a 560hp Roush 368cid Ford linked to a Keisler 5 speed and factory 9 inch rear housing 3:89 gears.

So there you have it folks! Over the last 6 weeks we’ve previewed all 12 teams that will compete in Sunday’s Goodguys Sponsor Shootout AutoCross. The event will starts at 9am Sunday, July 10th as part of this weekend’s Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals presented by Bridgestone. Make sure and grab your spot on the fence! It will be history in the making!