The Louisville Nats

35th Homecoming for an Event Worthy of its Stature...

To twist an old phrase, "The more things stay the same the more they change." There was a lot that was the same at this year's National Street Rod Association's 35th Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals(R) held annually at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC), Louisville, Kentucky, and a little that was different. Often billed, and rightly so, as the world's largest automotive participation event, who could (or would?) argue with 335 manufacturers displaying their wares covering a record 490,000-square-foot of vendor space (indoors and outdoors) combined with 11,524 registered street rods. (Although, we disputed the registered count as in our minds there were 11,523.) To our chagrin it was pointed out that the 2004 NSRA Giveaway car, a '30 Ford roadster pickup (featured in July 2004 SRM and built by Gary Mussman of Cornhusker Rod & Custom in Alexandria, Nebraska) was won by Richard Geis from Zoar, Ohio. And what does that mean? Upon winning he was given entry number #11,524, hence the new registered vehicle count. I guess it's fortuitous to be lucky in attendance and pay attention.

Since the Nats is an event that is the definitive happening in our hobby you will read the "takes" on this year's event from not only the SRM staff, but also from several guest writers who include the man who founded this publication along with Tom McMullen--Tex Smith. Also on our guest list is Larry O'Toole (editor, Australian Street Rodding) who has been involved in the world of rodding, literally the world, and has traveled the world over, including coming to our NSRA Nationals for many, many years.

With all kidding aside, this year's Nats was spectacular on several fronts. But let's be up front and get one subject out of the way immediately. The talk all week and most likely will be referred to for years to come was the weather! Weather? Louisville in August oftentimes is synonymous with heat, humidity and torrential downpours. (In the South that means buckets of rain coming at you from several directions all at once. What I often refer to as "Forrest Gump" rain.) With this is a level of physical discomfort that we pilgrims from the West Coast just don't understand, like, or tolerate very well. This year was different, but first let me set the stage.

Coming into this year's Nats the big talk was construction. Not the kind of construction we rodders adore, but rather the kind we wish to circumnavigate. It wasn't about rods, it was about buildings. For those who have been to the Nats you understand just how big, big is when you visit the South and East Wing exhibit halls. It turns out the KFEC is in the midst of a two-year project set to be finished in the summer of 2006, but in the meantime rodders and spectators alike had to cope with the new construction. As it turns out, while the construction is most definitely magnificent in size and scope, it was of little inconvenience to rodders and spectators alike. In fact, it was somewhat fascinating to view the construction as it kept on-track while the Nats went about its business.

That brings us to the topic of conversation for the four-day event--weather. If you were to get a group of street rodders in one room it is pretty safe to say that you couldn't get them to agree on anything. Not anymore! The weather going into the Nats on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday was pretty much, "been there, done that." But come Thursday, how about 72 degrees with a light breeze and blue skies? Did we mention that there wasn't so much as a percentage of humidity and it remained cool and dry? You ask about Friday? Well, it was even nicer. I am not sure how it could have been nicer, but it was, and for the first time in all my Nats adventures it was a pleasure to be outside looking at the cars and talking to people.

Getting inside to the well air-conditioned buildings was the furthest things from anyone's mind. In fact, we heard more than one exhibitor tell us they thought the crowds were down when in fact they were up. The crowd was outside enjoying the cars and talking to those vendors because of the weather. We also spoke to vendors like Johnny Freund, owner of Hunter's Custom Automotive out of Nashville, Tennessee, who is always outside in the manufacturers midway and has seen it all when it comes to Nats weather. Johnny told us how people would stick around his booth until 7 p.m. to talk and, to his delight, purchase product. (Normally the vendors inside and out shut down for the day at 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.)

What did the staff notice other than the great weather? Well, there was most definitely a younger crowd on the grounds. While we are sure some were there because of their cars, we also think the younger set found this interesting and, hopefully, these will be the rodders and rodding families of the future. No question there were more baby strollers seen between the cars than in many a year!

Another very popular segment of the Nats is the new product section. It first came about as a result of a conversation with the late Jim Ewing of Super Bell Axle Co. and Joe Mayall of StreetScene. This section to this day is still Joe's purview and he will tell you that over 3,299 new products developed with the street rodder in mind have been debuted at this event. That's impressive.

This year was no different with 162 new products entered in the three categories. In the "Up to $100 category" the House of Kolor from Picayune Mississippi took home the honors for its computer software that lets you design your own paint scheme. (We played with this and it was very interesting, as well as informative and fun.)

Next in the "$101 to $500" category and taking the honors was the in-line brake pressure multiplier from Engineered Components Inc. out of Vernon, Connecticut. Owner of ECI and developer of this product is Ralph Lisena who was quick to give credit to a customer who gave him the idea while at a past National. The brake pressure multiplier was also the recipient of the coveted NSRA Safety Award.

Last up in the "$501 and Up" category was the air suspension system for straight axle rods from Cen-Pen Speed Shop/Worm, Inc. from Grantville, Pennsylvania. This product has been a long time in the making and should prove to be a winner.

To say that these were the only "winners" would be a gross misrepresentation of just what you can see while visiting the new product section. With over 160 new products to look at it's unimaginable that a rodder can't find one or more items that suits his latest or future project very well.

Several other areas that are continually growing and a sign that rodding is both growing in scope and numbers. Mopar Country (in its twenty-ninth year) with 140-plus cars on exhibit is one showing that you don't need a Ford to be kool! Five Mopar street rods were honored and they were: Jim and Margo Brill (Ithaca, NY) with their yellow '32 Plymouth coupe; Jim and Jody Copeland (Bradford, PA) and their yellow '32 Plymouth coupe; Jimmy Bach (Belleville, IL) and his black '34 Dodge pickup; Don Cavicchia (Martins Ferry, OH) and his black '34 Plymouth tudor sedan; and Randall Harrison (Lakeland, FL) and his red '36 Plymouth coupe.

The "29 Below" sponsored by Vintage Air with nearly 100 under 30-year- old rodders in attendance with their rides is another very popular area and bodes well for the future of rodding. The young rodder program was initially introduced in 1986 at the Nats in Oklahoma City.

United Parcel Service is another big sponsor of the Nats, especially since Louisville is its commercial hub. For the fourth year it has sponsored the "UPS Commercial Way" that selected three commercial vehicles that make outstanding street rods. The three honored were: James Meyers (Belle Cross, LA) for his '40 GMC COE; Pat Stilger (Louisville, KY) for his blue '37 Ford pickup; and Dan Zuelke (Baton Rouge, LA) for his yellow, orange and purple '48 Thames.

Since the earliest days of rodding it has always been about rodders and their clubs. As such there are two awards that should be looked upon as "special among the special." The Club Participation and the Association Participation award are given annually to the club and association with the greatest number of members in attendance with their rods. The Memphis Street Rods of Memphis, Tennessee, had 31 members in attendance representing a total of 12,000 miles driven in their street rods to the Nats. This same club is also celebrating their thirty-fourth year as a Volunteer Club working registration. The Association Participation award was presented to the Wyoming Street Rod Association who had 10 members drive a total of 14,000 miles to the Nats. They, too, are involved with the volunteer spirit as their Worland, Wyoming-based association celebrated their eighth year volunteering as the Gate Crew.

Once again, we would be remiss if we didn't give a great big attaboy to the Michigan Hot Rod Association out of White Lake, Michigan, for manning the Rod Repair Shop for the thirty-third year. The MHRA has been making repairs since 1972 and has logged over 200,000 miles going to the growing list of national meets providing this necessary service to rodders at no cost to the participants. Along with the MHRA there are numerous sponsors and other clubs who make this possible, but there are three that should receive recognition for having been there the whole time--Super Bell Axle Co., Walker Radiator and Total Performance.

Well, that about does it for this year. The NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, had more cars than you could possibly see, enough exhibitors to literally build several cars at once and not repeat a part and, of course, the weather. It's a sure bet we will never see that mild of an August day in Louisville again. But that's okay. Louisville is, well, Louisville and that's what we have all come to expect. Anything else is too confusing. Just keep those street rods coming.