Good Guys 2nd Annual Nashville Nationals - Music City Mayhem

For the past two years, country music has taken second stage for the weekend while an endless caravan of hot rods, customs, and classics invade Music City, Nashville, Tennessee, for the Goodguys Nashville Nationals. Across the Cumberland River, in the shadow of downtown Nashville, lies LP Field, home to the Tennessee Titans and ground zero for the biggest car show in Nashville. This year's event grew tremendously from the year prior, and it's only a matter of time until the LP Field reaches capacity with such a picturesque setting on the river.

In addition to the usual show 'n' shine and cruise-in, the event kicked off Friday with an autocross course sponsored by Air Ride Technologies where participants could test their machines against the clock in a combination of acceleration, slalom, and braking maneuvers. By the end of the weekend, best time in the autocross was presented to one of own Top 100 winners, Mark Coleman and his silver '53 F-100. Needless to say, we were at the Nashville Nats for the fourth installment of our STREET RODDER Top 100 program presented by Turtle Wax.

While we were out scouting the 10 best cars at the event, the Goodguys staff was also on the prowl, giving out more than 80 special awards throughout the weekend ranging from Best Ford in a Ford to Timberland PRO's Homebuilt Pick. With some of the finest cars in the Midwest represented, it wasn't easy for either party to fulfill its award requirements, but by the end of the weekend, the winner's circle featured a great collection of vintage tin.

A special addition to this year's festivities was an area set aside for award-winning automotive designer and builder Bobby Alloway of Louisville, Tennessee. Every significant hot rod, musclecar, and street machine he's ever built was displayed among the trees and shade, including longtime customer George Lange's 2004 Street Machine of the Year '57 T-bird, '56 Crown Vic, and the radical twin-turbo '67 Mustang that was profiled in Hot Rod magazine. A row of flamed cars greeted showgoers at the reunion area, including Gai Wilson's purple and flamed trio. Eclipsing almost 2,000 cars in only its second year, the Nashville Nats is growing at an exponential rate, and next year's show promises to be even bigger.