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The Goodguys 15th Annual Southeastern Nationals- Roddin' At The RacetrackThe 15th Annual Southeastern Nats From the April, 2009 issue of Street Rodder By Jim Rizzo
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Looks like I dragged along... Looks like I dragged along a bit of liquid sunshine to the event this year, but it didn't dampen the spirits of the thousands of participants or spectators that enjoyed a weekend filled with cool cars and like-minded folks. All we SR staffers love Goodguys events and all have favorites we vie for when planning our travel assignments each season. Well, I was lucky enough to snag the Southeastern Nats in this last go-round, and I was pretty excited since I'd missed it for the past four or five seasons. Charlotte's a great place for a street rod gathering, and Lowe's Motor Speedway a perfect venue--boy, was it great to be back. Though after a rather damp Great American nationals up in Pennsylvania the month before, I kinda felt as though I'd dragged a bit of liquid sunshine along with me. Luckily, throngs of great folks and their awesome cars and trucks weren't about to let a bit of rain dampen their fun! Walking through the rows of hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classic trucks was a familiar enough experience. But getting to look around at the banked oval, expansive grandstands, and multi-story suites of the super speedway after missing so many seasons was refreshing, and the quality of vehicles was just as outstanding as I'd remembered! Thousands of awesome automotive works of art filled the infield, everything from Model As and Deuce roadsters to muscle cars and cool commercials. And though the weekend started out a bit on the damp side the gathering still featured well over 2,000 hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and classic trucks through '72. There were countless vendor and exhibitor booths and a good-sized swap meet for automotive related parts and a car corral with a bunch of potential projects for sale too. As is the case with all Goodguys get-togethers, there's also lots of fun available for the whole family with the Street Challenge Autocross, the Richard Petty Ride-Along, tech seminars, and of course, the always popular racetrack cruise. All in all, the Goodguys Southeastern Nationals were a blast--those that are regulars know it as fact, those that aren't, you don't know what you're missing! That said, let's take a look! Turtle Wax Tech Tips
You only have to look at all the filth you cleared off the windshield with your wipers to imagine what your paintwork goes through. Bodywork is in the front line though, it's constantly attacked by grit, tar, oil and road grime. With this in mind, we asked the car care professionals at Turtle Wax for some tips on how to care for our cars and here are a few. Recommendations:
* Look out for chips--the front of the car and sills are prone.
* Remove any bird droppings as soon as possible
* Use a Chipstick to stop rust in chips or scratches  I've always had a soft spot...  I've always had a soft spot for '39-40 Ford sedans, but Doug Wayne's classy '39 is about one of the nicest I've seen in a long while. Doug's '39 is powered by the tried and true 350/350 combo and rolls on a quartet of polished Americans.  Phil and Liz DeMarco didn't...  Phil and Liz DeMarco didn't let a bit of rain cloud their prospects for a fun weekend and motored to the Southeastern Nats behind the wheel of their way-cool '30 A coupe. The couple's full-fendered, Deuce-grilled, dual-quad SBC powered hot rod is a neat car that has a perfect traditional look.  On a more contemporary note,...  On a more contemporary note, there were plenty of cool '60s and '70s cars on hand at Lowe's as well. This awesome '59 Impala belongs to rightfully proud Ron and Cathy T (sorry, their last name fell victim to a stray raindrop) from Richmond, VA, and gets its motorvation from a stout ZZ4/700-R4 combination and its attitude from a perfect rake and a set of big-diameter five-spokes.  You know, it took me a while...  You know, it took me a while to figure out what Adam Cigliano's '28 A was lacking--but with a bit of concentration I finally decided that it could use a bit of a chop `n' channel job.  Now for something completely...  Now for something completely different, like Steve McKinley's phantom '27 Pontiac roadster. This is what can happen if a fun lovin' hot rodder has an abundance of imagination, sheetmetal, and a spare Pontiac straight-eight hangin' around. Steve and his son had a ball cruisin' the racetrack infield all weekend, and the crowd (myself included) just loved the unique exhaust note provided by the roadster's homemade eight into one header!  An earlier but still contemporary...  An earlier but still contemporary styled rod is this impeccable bright red '29 A sedan belonging to Severn, MD's Tom Nolan. By the looks of it, Tom's A will rival any late-model in the comfort, power, and ride department while still retaining its hot rod roots--kudos, Tom!  Into every life a bit of rain...  Into every life a bit of rain must fall, but that didn't put the brakes on the fun for the thousands of Goodguys and gals that braved the moisture. Hey, like one chap said, they get wet when you wash `em, don't they?  Rodding's a gas, and it's...  Rodding's a gas, and it's quite apparent that Crawfordville, Florida's Gary and Debbi Deason think so, too! The couple's '55 Chevy 210 gasser is, well, a gas.  Holy cow, a fenderless highboy...  Holy cow, a fenderless highboy with wide-whites! All kidding aside, Robert Hamke's Deuce looked great wearing white, and red for that matter. This Flathead-powered roadster found a spacious parking spot on the fringes of the swap meet area and still managed to draw a crowd throughout the weekend.  Speaking of the swap meet,...  Speaking of the swap meet, there always seem to be good ones at Goodguys gatherings. This one was tough for me as I found a few items I would have loved to have snagged; unfortunately, airline baggage restrictions prevented me from parting with my meager stash o' cash.  Yet another full-fendered...  Yet another full-fendered hot rod caught my eye as I made my way around the infield. Billy Kootz's High Point, NC-based '29 sedan is awesome, and I'm hoping my own A sedan project ends up as nice! By the way, have they passed a new rule requiring wide-whites when running full fenders?  Goodguys gatherings are always...  Goodguys gatherings are always a great place to pick up some "show specials" to help one along with a project or two and the Southeastern Nats was no exception--there were a ton of vendors on hand and I did manage to at least do a bit of window shopping! Good thing my wife Candy wasn't with me that weekend--they woulda had to pry her out of the Total Performance display King-T!  Joe Atwell did a heck of a...  Joe Atwell did a heck of a job sewing together this neat '46 Dodge pickup. Hammered and channeled pickup cabs (and shortened beds) are a perfect way to get into rodding on the cheap, and they're a blast to drive, too!  Jeff and Tyler Berry's Bristow,...  Jeff and Tyler Berry's Bristow, Virginia-based Deuce roadster definitely has attitude doesn't it? The severely chopped windshield, hot rod rake, and lack of brightwork gives this baby a really aggressive look--I love it.  It was a pleasant surprise...  It was a pleasant surprise running across Brent VanDervort's suede sedan (I love that car), though being a hometown hot rod hero I shoulda known he'd have his hot rod at the show. For those not familiar with the name, Brent's the founder and driving force behind Fat Man Fabrications located right there in Charlotte, and it's a safe bet that a huge percentage of the rods in attendance were running Fat Man components!  Sunday's Winner's Circle was...  Sunday's Winner's Circle was an outstanding collection of beautiful rods, customs, and hot rod trucks. I snapped this image of a few of our Street Rodder Turtle Wax Top-100 winners just as they began to line `em up for the award ceremony.  Ron Sander's '59 Ford Galaxie...  Ron Sander's '59 Ford Galaxie hardtop is an awesome custom and a year and model we don't see nearly enough of. Ron's rad ride is powered by a 302/C4 combo that we imagine provides more than enough power to motivate this baby.  These Chevys were over in...  These Chevys were over in the car corral, and I made myself stay away, because there was an ATM machine close by and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself.  It may not be a sight conjured...  It may not be a sight conjured up by the thought of a hot rod, but Don Fitzgerald's '52 Nash Rambler is definitely cool. This bright red beauty has been skillfully "rodstored" and outfitted with a healthy SBC.  As I said earlier, the swap...  As I said earlier, the swap meet was full of cool wares, and as I wandered around looking at all the neat parts on display I ran across this inline-powered sedan. I have to admit that I still have no idea what the engine is--my guess would be a dressed '40s Ford truck as it looks similar to the Flathead six that was in my '48 F-1 years ago. No matter, it was nice to see a V-8 alternative in an old-school hot rod.  Turtle Wax Presents Street...  Turtle Wax Presents Street Rodder Top 100Mooresville, NC's Dan Richardson's got one hard-core hot rod pickup on his hands. Dan, a fabricator by trade, sewed together a true Top-100 winner if you ask me. The no-nonsense pickup is powered by a vintage 1952 331 Hemi backed by a three-speed manual trans nestled between the rails of a custom chassis. The pickup's in the weeds stance and the traditionally dressed Hemi (complete with log-style manifold) is one cool ride and more than deserving of a Top-100 pick.  Talk about a cool custom!...  Talk about a cool custom! Johnie Dale knew exactly what he was looking to achieve when he tackled this rare '42 Chevy. A cool traditional sled was what he was after, and that's exactly what he ended up with. The coupe's been treated to a 4-inch, filled quarter windows, a full shave, and filled bumpers. Power for the coupe is provided by a stout 350 backed by an overdrive automatic and a 9-inch. This baby is one cool coupe and a Top-100 winner for sure.  Speaking of cool custom touches,...  Speaking of cool custom touches, Darryl Rodgers' '32 roadster has `em in spades. Darryl's classy ride sports a molded front apron, a neat custom dashboard, and a custom-made hood assembly sporting water jet-cut Chevy-style hood louvers to name just a few. This baby is filled with lots more in the way of custom touches--but you'll have to wait for its full color feature to see more, so keep your eyes peeled!  Whoa, somebody turned on the...  Whoa, somebody turned on the way-back machine. John Bauer's cool coupe looks like he just rolled in from the Auto-Rama! This Sierra Gold beauty is a true traditional rod in the `60s show circuit style and sports a '57 283, plenty of rolls n' pleats (stitched by his lovely wife Bonita by the way), and a full complement of vintage SW gauges and a '40 steering wheel. No need to ask why this awesome coupe made the Top-100, as it woulda made the cut no matter who was doin' the picking.  Well, here's yet another cool...  Well, here's yet another cool commercial that rates a Top-100 pick for sure: Heath Higley's homebuilt hot rod. Heath, along with his best pal--who just happens to be his dad Buddy Higley--did it right when they bolted together this baby. A 350-cube SBC topped with a trio of two's provides motorvation, and a beefed up 12-bolt gets the power to the pavement. The pickup rides on a dropped axle up front and a coilover/four-bar out back, and creature comforts include lots of rolls n' pleats.  This classy Top-100 winner...  This classy Top-100 winner is the pride and joy of Laurel Park, NC's Paul Duval. The Chevy's flawless cabrio body is from Downs Manufacturing, and deserved a powerplant of equal quality, so Dave went with a ZZ4 small-block topped with Corvette tuned-port injection. The cabrio's smooth as silk cream finish is accented with powdercoated artillery wheels adding a dash of class to one sophisticated street rod.  Ed Frock is the rightfully...  Ed Frock is the rightfully proud owner of this fine Ford. Fat fendered '46 to `48s are cool cars, and Ed's really caught our eye. Powered by a reliable and plenty powerful 5.0-litre backed by an AOD overdrive trans makes it a great driver, and Mustang II IFS helps it handle like late-model. Ed spent plenty of time and elbow grease to get this baby looking so good, and he did such a fine job that it truly deserves the Top-100 pick it garnered.  Larry Shoaf has built way...  Larry Shoaf has built way more than his share of beautiful street rods in his day, but this way-cool '27 Chrysler roadster is a hoot! Larry found the body, or should we say what was left of the body, in the woods and dragged the Swiss cheese-like sheetmetal back to the shop for an extreme makeover. The majority of this track-inspired roadster has been fabricated by Larry from scratch, and the only way to give this Mopar-powered gem its due is in a full feature, so look for this Top-100 winner in a future issue.  Well, if the name Higley rings...  Well, if the name Higley rings a bell, it's because we happened to pick a father and son duo for Top-100 honors this time around, and we have to admit that we didn't even know it when we did! Buddy's sedan caught our traditional eye from quite a distance--it just had the look of a winner and we couldn't resist. Buddy's chopped sedan sits on a Deuce frame and is powered by a 350/350 combo and features a dropped axle, hairpins wide whites, and a hot rod black paint job--just how we like `em!  Jeffery James' way-cool roadster...  Jeffery James' way-cool roadster puts the T in T-bucket if you ask us. From the roadsters baby (300-cube) Nailhead, to its white wall-shod Radir Tri-Ribs this baby is a true Top-100 contender. Jeffrey had just recently purchased the roadster the way it sits, and its trip to the Goodguys Southeast Nats was his first trip out with his new pride and joy. Glad you made the trek through the rain, aren't you Jeffrey?
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