Goodguy's 4th Annual Del Mar Nationals

There are three things you can pretty much be sure of when attending the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals: fine rides, beautiful weather, and huge crowds. The fun-filled happenings start Thursday and run straight through till Sunday afternoon. This year's event happened to be the fourth annual at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is located on the Pacific Coast just north of beautiful San Diego, California. The fairgrounds are spacious, clean, and convenient considering the huge crowds that seem to gather at exactly the same time each day. To help the spectators out, there's a never-ending string of motorized trams that travel from the event to the parking lots and back. This is a convenience other large events, that shall remain nameless, should take note of. Once through the gate, the clean, cool air clears your mind for the sensory overload to come.

It's hard to image cars cruising through such large crowds in a relatively small area, but attendees do love seeing the mix of cars slowly rolling down the main street of the event. We do too, but there is so much going on at this show that it's hard to stay in one area for long. This year the swap meet section had an ingenious mesh tarp stretched over the area that kept the slow-moving shoppers from getting too sunburned. Thanks to whoever came up with that idea. Mixed into the swap section was a collection of cars for sale that was sure to have just what you were looking for. We spied high-end street rods, untouched originals begging for a new life, and some great "older" and unfinished projects. If you make it out of there alive, and your wallet's still intact, the food, cold beer, and Mecum Collector Car Auction are just around the corner.

Other cool attractions can be found in designated parking areas where groups of specialized vehicles are gathered. Goodguys sets aside special areas for these fine rides with appropriate names like "Homebuilt Heaven," "Deuce Doin's," "Good Wood," "Young Guns," "Muscle Reunion" (featuring '60-72 musclecars), and "Wide-White Way." Parking for these spots is very limited and open to anyone that fits the bill, but you must be there early Saturday morning to get a space.

Once the sun starts getting to you (Yea right, like that's ever going to happen!), there's the option to duck into one of the buildings housing everything from the finest show cars this event has to offer, to a plethora of aftermarket vendors showing off some of the best parts money can buy. The fun doesn't stop once the sun goes down, either. The Hilton (the host hotel) hosts a T.G.I.F. party at 6 p.m. Friday night, and the "Dance the Night Away" shindig at 8 p.m. Saturday. What about the kids you ask? Goodguys takes care of everyone that comes through the gate, including kids. Starting Saturday morning, kids can participate in the face painting fun, the Kid's Model Make and Take (which gets kids involved in building model kits, and is sponsored by Revell-Monogram), and the Monster Bus Rides (where kids can climb into a true monster truck made from an old school bus and be driven around a twisty-turny track, all the while being accompanied by the sound of a well-built small-block).

So, once again, we thank the entire Goodguys organization for putting on one of our new favorite shows to start the season off with. Now check out the real reason we all get up so early on a weekend, the cars. See ya next year!