Goodguys' Del Mar Nationals

10th Anniversary Of Sun, Sand, Surf, And Street Rods!

From the August, 2010 issue of Street Rodder

By Brian Brennan, Eric Geisert

Getting to a point where you can have a 10th anniversary of something is a big deal. The Goodguys organization has cause to celebrate, as they've just wrapped up 10 years of Del Mar Nationals held at the historic Del Mar Fairgrounds, a scant 20 miles north of San Diego.

When Goodguys first came to the 340-acre facility in 2000, which houses a well-known horse racing track that was frequented by pre-war Hollywood stars like Bing Crosby, attendees were impressed by the beach vibe (the show parking is only 1,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean) and the vintage Spanish architecture but, in the ensuing decade, the event has grown to be one of the major must-go shows in the country.

As with most any other Goodguys-prepped event, these Nationals had special parking areas set aside for pickup trucks, rods that are driven a significant distance, homebuilt rides, and muscle cars, but the Good Wood section is, for this particular show, a show within a show and a great crowd pleaser.

The Good Wood area is for woodies-from the '20s to the '50s, and one-off bodies are accepted, too, as long as there is some wood to be found on the exterior. A total of 58 vehicles showed up, which made for an impressive showing. Some were restored and some were quite obviously modified, but everyone hung out together, compared notes, and listened to the band that was set up under the portico.

Out on the far edge of the grounds is where the Street Challenge Autocross was in full swing, offering two days of cone dodging to a group of enthusiasts who take this stuff pretty seriously. Anyone can enter and drive the course, but a walk through the staging area will tell you there has been some heavy investment made in more than a handful of these competitors. Fun to watch, the racing runs about 30 seconds per car to cover two laps of the twisting course, and then it's onto the next racer.

But the major draw of the weekend, besides having more than a few thousand street rods cruising around, is when the Goodguys get down to picking their Truck of the Year, Muscle Car of the Year, Kustom Rod of the Year, and their Street Rod D'Elegance award. "Magnatude," the name given to Jerry Magnuson's Muroc roadster (designed by Chip Foose and with a hand-fabricated steel body by Marcel's Custom Metal), won the Street Rod D'Elegance award, beating out some formidable competition. Topped with an intercooled MagnaCharger (the company Magnuson owns and operates), the roadster is powered by an LS1 and features Kugel IFS and IRS suspension, hidden headlights in the fenders, Jim Griffin upholstery, and a 17x7 and 20x10 Foose wheel combination.

If there was ever an event that encapsulates the Southern California hot rodding lifestyle, the Del Mar Nationals would probably be it. Great weather, nice location, awesome cars-what more can you ask for?

Tech Tip
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