Hot rods, customs, classics, and race cars through '72 filled up O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, for three days of drag racing and car show cruising. The car show, held the second weekend of June, contained more than 4,000 entries along with hundreds more who entered to compete in the first Goodguys/VRA heads-up drag racing since the Fuel & Gas Finals in November. Classes ranging from 250-mph front-engined nostalgia Top Fuelers and Funny Cars to "Geezer Gassers" and the always-popular gear-banging Nostalgia Super Stocks kept the crowd entertained all weekend long.
We were on hand at the Hot Rod Nats for the third installation of the STREET RODDER Top 100 presented by Turtle Wax. Remember that you can log on to our Web site, www.streetrodderweb.com, throughout the year to check out the past and present Top 100 inductees for 2007, and, beginning in October, vote for the Street Rod of the Year. In addition to our own 10 cars, Goodguys gave away more than 75 awards throughout the weekend, ranging from Corey Zenz's '37 Ford pickup for Young Guy's Pick to Randy Sacksteder's Best Appearing Race Car winner.
The Goodguys/DuPont Hot Hues Hot Rod of the Year is also announced at Indy every year, and Larry Brunkala's black '32 Ford five-window coupe was the winner for 2007. Eligibility for the Hot Rod of the Year requires competitors to drive a pre-plotted 130-mile trek through suburban Indianapolis, as well as an eighth-mile dragstrip trial run and a lap around the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Picture-perfect weather and record attendance made the 2007 Hot Rod Nationals one for the books. If cool cars and drag racing action gets your blood pumping, head on over to O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis next June and we'll see you there!
A vintage drag show 'n' shine...
A vintage drag show 'n' shine wouldn't be complete without a Gasser Gathering.
Bob Hill had his Newburgh,...
Bob Hill had his Newburgh, IN-based '32 Ford roadster on hand to take part in the Deuce Cruise event.
Throughout the weekend at...
Throughout the weekend at the Goodguys19th annual Hot Rod Nationals, more than 250 cars battled in 12 different classes.
Hot Rod of the Year finalist...
Hot Rod of the Year finalist Larry Roller and his immaculate three-window coupe pounded the pavement at both the speedway and the dragstrip on Friday as part of the Deuce Cruise.
Robert and Alan Stellmacher...
Robert and Alan Stellmacher fill up their respective door-slammer coupes with 110-octane fuel.
Dave Schaub came all the way...
Dave Schaub came all the way from Los Gatos, CA, to take his Chevy-powered roadster for a ride around the paved oval speedway.
Greg Henry's Warrenville,...
Greg Henry's Warrenville, IL-based chopped and channeled 1930 Model A coupe runs a warmed-over '51 Merc flathead.
Turtle Wax presents Street...
Turtle Wax presents Street Rodder Top 100
Springfield, IL, was well...
Springfield, IL, was well represented by Gary and Brenda Bryan and their custom '51 Chevy convertible.
Here's another convertible,...
Here's another convertible, this time from Richmond, IN, belonging to Bill and Kathy Dwyer and in the form of a 1939 LaSalle.
John and Susie Cooper's Avon,...
John and Susie Cooper's Avon, IN-based '29 Ford roadster, El Tiki, was built to emulate the custom roadsters from the early '60s, and as such contains no parts newer than 1962.
Doug and Jan Gigstead and...
Doug and Jan Gigstead and their gold '40 Ford coupe headed south from their Sturgeon Bay, WI, home to attend the Goodguys Indy show and received a Top 10 pick for their trip.
Tim Shutters' '60 Buick LeSabre...
Tim Shutters' '60 Buick LeSabre has clocked 48,000 miles on the original Nailhead engine, while the paint and interior has recently been refinished.
Turtle Wax presents Street...
Turtle Wax presents Street Rodder Top 100
Black on black is a good way...
Black on black is a good way to describe John Myra's '29 Ford sedan.
Dave White made the trek to...
Dave White made the trek to Indianapolis from his home in Plainville, CT, in his recently completed '56 Pontiac Safari wagon.
Powered by a late-model 350...
Powered by a late-model 350 Chevy combo, Bruce Vath's '36 Ford five-window came down from Cincinnati, OH, to enjoy the Hot Rod Nationals.
Dan Cornett's slammed Henry...
Dan Cornett's slammed Henry J was causing quite a stir in the Pro's Pick section on Saturday.
In conjunction with the 75th...
In conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the '32 Ford, a special Deuce Cruise took place Friday morning, beginning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Study Gary Brown's '27 Essex...
Study Gary Brown's '27 Essex roadster carefully and the amount of craftsmanship displayed throughout the car will become evident.
Study Gary Brown's '27 Essex...
Study Gary Brown's '27 Essex roadster carefully and the amount of craftsmanship displayed throughout the car will become evident.
This low '61 Chevy belongs...
This low '61 Chevy belongs to Kalamazoo, MI's Jack Siegel.
Patrick Hampton's "No Air...
Patrick Hampton's "No Air Ride"-equipped '48 Chevy sat low thanks to the help of a few "modifications."