t was great to be back in Louisville for the 53rd NSRA Street Rod Nationals, held August 4-7 at the massive Kentucky Exposition Center. With foul weather forecasted throughout the event, measurable rain was a “no-show,” and what little precipitation there was didn’t dampen anyone’s car or spirit.
As one can imagine, with so many Chevys present, every build style imaginable was on the grounds—Pro Street, Pro Touring, gassers, Day Two restorations, concourse restorations, survivors, and super high-end custom muscle cars made their presence known—enough variety for every enthusiast to admire their favorite form of Chevy. With a rolling 30-year cutoff, there were a good amount of pre-’92 G-bodies and third-gen Camaros spotted cruising the grounds and just hanging in their favorite spot.
If the sound of zoomies and “weed burners” igniting nitro methane are your thing, Randy Walls and his famous nostalgia Nova Funny Car, along with a number of other Funny Cars and fuel dragsters fired up twice a day for the Nitro Knockout just outside the South Hall. The unmistakable aroma of spent nitro offered showgoers a little taste of nostalgia by emulating what it was like in the golden era of drag racing. For us folks who were there the first time around, we just closed our eyes and imagined standing against the fence or in the pits at Lions, Irwindale, or OCIR on any given weekend.
It’s the NSRA Street Rod Nationals—rich in hot rod and street rod history—the granddaddy of all car shows. A place where the most eclectic and diverse cars from all over the country can be found. A place where that rare piece of trim can be purchased at the huge swap meet area. A place where hundreds of vendors offer ideas and the parts to get your ride to the next level of performance and looks. An event where hot rodders from all over the country make their yearly trek to take part in the greatest four-day car show on earth.