|
|
Spring Show-N-Go at Paradise - Web ExclusiveMay 14, 2010 By Tommy Lee Byrd
|
|
The Southeast is known for... The Southeast is known for all sorts of racing, and this sedan certainly leans toward the dirt track side of the spectrum. With big meats on all four corners and a heavily sliced body, the '36 Chevy looks like it should be sliding through turn four, but James Wood likes to keep it on the pavement these days. Back in 2006, B.B. Brown approached Otto Timms, the owner of Paradise Drag Strip in Calhoun, Georgia about putting a nostalgia drag event together. The track opened in 1961, so it has tons of history in its roots, including high-level match races, and some of the fastest Super Stock racers in the Southeast. Paradise Drag Strip was originally a quarter mile track, but these days it's used only as an eighth mile for safety reasons, and the Show-N-Go event is held twice a year-one in the spring and one in the fall. With a car show, lots of heads up racing and an enormous swap meet, the Paradise Show-N-Go is a must-go event. There are no particular classes for the racing portion of the show, giving it a laid-back feel with lots of action on the track. The Spring 2010 event was held on May 8th, and it was one of the biggest events yet. In fact, B.B. said they would've had trouble finding room for any more participants, so it may be time to devise a new plan for parking. With all the cool activities, mixed with a great track crew that truly enjoys watching these old machines do their thing, the Paradise Show-N-Go is sure to grow even more.  With a satin gray finish and...  With a satin gray finish and a slightly lowered stance, this '40 Ford pickup looks tame, but packs a fuel injected small-block Ford engine for power. Simple styling makes this pickup a sleeper on the street.  The swap meet opens at 7 a.m.,...  The swap meet opens at 7 a.m., so it's smart to get there early and scope out the good deals, like this '34 Chevy sedan body, which had a marked price of $1,150. We're betting a grand would've bought it, and though it had some rust, it would make a very cool beater.  You'll always see a few dragsters...  You'll always see a few dragsters at the Show-N-Go, and this one was on the market. It's nicely restored with a traditionally-dressed and Hilborn-injected small-block Chevy between the rails. If only drag cars were still this simple!  With a mixture of steel wheels...  With a mixture of steel wheels and slotted mags, this Plymouth gasser has the right look and got plenty of attention at the show. Add a pair of fender-well headers, plenty of vintage decals and hand-lettering to the list of details, and you have one cool hot rod.  Mark Westbrook owns this '30...  Mark Westbrook owns this '30 Model A and hails from Rossville, Georgia. The un-chopped Tudor sits just right over a pair of stock 'rails, with a simplistic small-block Ford resting just ahead of the recessed firewall. Mark is a member of the Bullet Hill Gang car club.  It's hard to beat the classic...  It's hard to beat the classic look of a bright red Deuce roadster, especially when the stance and the wheel and tire combination is spot on. Chad Adams owns this fine example, and hails from Calhoun, Georgia.  Historic drag cars are plentiful...  Historic drag cars are plentiful at the Show-N-Go and the Hemi Hurricane Willys has been a regular at Paradise Drag Strip since 1965. Bunky Bobo campaigned this car in the '60s, running a 426ci Hemi that came out of a factory Super Stock Dodge. It's beautifully restored and never fails to draw a crowd.  Bobby Harrison owns this '48...  Bobby Harrison owns this '48 Chevy Fleetline, which has the mild custom look nailed. Rolling on wide whitewall radials and '56 Fiesta caps, the deep blue Chevy has all the right ingredients for a great custom. The skirts and spot lights certainly help the cause.  We didn't catch the name of...  We didn't catch the name of this coupe's owner, but he definitely had a good time on the historic drag strip. The stretched Model A has a Z'd frame and a channeled body, and the small-block Ford had no trouble lighting up the Firestone cheater slicks.  Covered in a flawless coat...  Covered in a flawless coat of bright red paint, Johnny Kaylor's '61 Chevy bubbletop has all the right stuff. Start with a red and white, rolled and pleated interior, move to the chrome Keystone wheels and make your way around to the engine bay, and you'll quickly realize this Impala's cool factor.  Under the Impala's hood is...  Under the Impala's hood is a well-dressed W-motor, topped with three Rochester's, finned accessories and white, VHT-coated headers. This Impala would've been top dog in the mid-'60s and it still ranks highly in our book!  What this truck lacks in traditional...  What this truck lacks in traditional flavor, it makes up with insanely fast E.T.'s and wheels-up launches. Power comes from an LS7 engine, which is basically stock, resulting in a low maintenance, fuel efficient and very fast hot rod.  The spectator count is always...  The spectator count is always high at the Show-N-Go and folks line the fences, just like they did in the old days. This nose-high Henry J was definitely a favorite among the gasser crowd, and it made several passes throughout the racing portion of the event.  Hap Chastain came down from...  Hap Chastain came down from Tennessee in this tidy '41 Chevy pickup. The two-tone color combination is a unique blend, and the Chevy rallyes add to the flavor of the simplistic truck, which features minimal body modifications.  Rolling on big-n-little Halibrand's,...  Rolling on big-n-little Halibrand's, this fenderless '33 Ford caught the eye of many hot rodders. With a blown big block Chevy and a nicely chopped top, the aggressive three-window coupe was hard to resist.  How about a '28 Ford Model...  How about a '28 Ford Model A Tudor body with a title for $4,800? We didn't see any rust, and the un-chopped sedan bodies have become a hot commodity for traditional rodders, so it seemed to be a fair price.  Trickum Chopper and Hot Rods...  Trickum Chopper and Hot Rods built this low slung hot rod and came up from Woodstock, Georgia to show it off and have a good time. The chopped and channeled sedan started as a '35 Plymouth, and power comes from a blown small-block Chevy.  Another dirt track car in...  Another dirt track car in attendance was this cool little roadster. It didn't do any drag racing, but it caught the attention of racing fans from all generations with its period-correct details.  Slammed to the pavement, this...  Slammed to the pavement, this rusty GMC pickup has all sorts of pinstriping and lettering to complement the look. A set of custom fender-well headers exits through large holes in the front fenders.  Eric Ondras brought out his...  Eric Ondras brought out his wicked '55 T-Bird and turned heads all day. With a straight axle, protruding rear slicks and vintage lettering, you can't deny the car's gasser status, and the missing front bumper adds to the style. Eric hails from Ranger, Georgia and he's a member of the Gear Eaters club.  Even though B.B. Brown stayed...  Even though B.B. Brown stayed plenty busy running this show, he still found the time to make a pass in his trusty Willys sedan. From what we've heard, B.B. is currently building a short wheelbase front engine dragster as well, so he definitely has the nostalgia bug.  With three rows of swap meet...  With three rows of swap meet vendors expanding the length of the track, there was nearly 100 vendors with all kinds of cool stuff. We even spotted a pair of four-hole Romeo Palamides wheels for $400-without question, a deal like that doesn't last long with a big group of keen hot rodders.  Tommy Jones loves nostalgia...  Tommy Jones loves nostalgia racing, and who can blame him? He has a killer Corvette gasser that runs in mid 7's in the eighth-mile and a wife that loves going racing almost as much as he does. The small-block powered Corvette has just the right amount of vintage flavor.  This '36 Plymouth coupe blends...  This '36 Plymouth coupe blends rat rod styling with a certain amount of dirt track racing influence. Denny Nash is the proud owner of the low-down coupe, and he hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee.  A '36 Chevy convertible is...  A '36 Chevy convertible is certainly a rarity and this one is simply flawless, with a slick coating of bright red paint and a perfect stance accompanied by a set of polished five-window wheels. Jim Ragland owns the bright red beauty.  Don Alexia came up from Dallas,...  Don Alexia came up from Dallas, Georgia with this satin black Model A sedan. The disc caps are a unique touch, as are the bright red accents, and the aluminum-headed small-block Chevy is sure to scream with this lightweight combination.
|
|
|