|
|
9th Annual Camaro Nationals - Double TimeThe All-GM Nationals & 9th Annual Camaro Nationals From the February, 2009 issue of Chevy High Performance By John Nelson Photography by John Nelson
|
|
Summertime is show time, that happy intersection of good weather, time off from work, and a sweet-running piece of Chevy muscle rarin' to hit the road. On the other hand, you've all heard the saying that two out of three ain't bad, right? East Coast weather during the weekend of June 25-26 was wet, to say the least, a precursor to the flood-inducing downpours that followed. On the other hand, those who braved the elements to travel to the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Fairgrounds were rewarded with not one, but two shows: the All-GM Nationals and the American Camaro Association's Camaro Nationals. The two shows, which are run separately even as they share the Carlisle venue, make for a varied experience. The All-GM Nationals, now in its sixth year, was marked by a greater GM presence, including an appearance by Chevrolet's Scott Settlemire. Scott was on hand to answer questions about all things GM, though the vast majority of the questions were about another GM attendee, namely the concept Camaro. The most astute questioner, in our book, wanted to know about the aerodynamics of the concept car, which Scott quickly compares to a brick. Tantalizingly, he says this area will need work before production, while never officially confirming that the car will see production. Put baldly, the American Camaro Association's Camaro Nationals is the biggest gathering of F-bodies on the planet, pulling in more than 500 entries. The ACA runs everything from People's Choice awards to concourse judging; accordingly, the rides run the gamut, from delivery-day perfect restos to restomodded drivers to rough-and-ready hot rods. The showgoers were as varied as the Camaros, coming in from 23 states and Canada. In fact, Dean Babin from Welland, Ontario, drove his '69 Camaro to the show-with his wife and two small children in car seats-for the second year in a row. If that's not Camaro commitment, we don't know what is. As it turned out, this commitment showed itself throughout both events. Rain, shine, or three-dollar-a-gallon gas, you can't keep a good gearhead home on the couch. They came, they saw, they brought lots of cool Chevys. Check it out  It wouldn't be an All-GM show...  It wouldn't be an All-GM show if a few G-bodies didn't make the scene. Robert Williams' '86 Monte Carlo SS is a nice example of the breed.  Fins, anyone? Ellis Miller's...  Fins, anyone? Ellis Miller's '59 Impala (left) and Ed Thomas' '60 made us want to skip the plane ride, put on some Sinatra, and take the long way home instead.  There was plenty to eyeball...  There was plenty to eyeball in the manufacturers' midway; this gent is checking out Alston Chassisworks' new '62-67 Nova bolt-on front clip.  The Camaro Nationals provided...  The Camaro Nationals provided classes for just about every F-body fan, including those brave enough to undergo the rigors of 1,000-point Bow Tie judging.  Glenn DeHart made the Carlisle...  Glenn DeHart made the Carlisle scene with his very clean '71 Monte Carlo. We'd drive it.  What else can we say? We love...  What else can we say? We love this shirt!  Rick's First Gen brought out...  Rick's First Gen brought out Wayne Guinn of Guinn's Engineering and Trans-Am vet Jerry Thompson-who helped develop the piece-for its cross-ram seminar. The stage was full of prototype cross-rams, and the seats were full at each session.  Some of us have a weakness...  Some of us have a weakness for rubber-bumper second-gens, and James Robinson's Yellow/Orange '78 Camaro caught our eye.  Tom McGinnity came out with...  Tom McGinnity came out with camaropacecars.com and brought along his newest acquisition, this unrestored '67 Pace Car. Dig the add-on fender flares!  I could tell you when we're...  I could tell you when we're gonna build the new Camaro, but then I'd have to kill you. -Chevrolet's Scott Settlemire  Chevrolet's Scott Settlemire...  Chevrolet's Scott Settlemire has a fancy GM title, but we prefer to call him "All-Around Good Guy and Camaro Cheerleader." Scott graciously fielded every question thrown at him, especially the multitude of "When can I buy a new Camaro?" queries.  For the hard-core set, Bruce...  For the hard-core set, Bruce Larson displayed the '68 USA-1 Nitro Funny Car. This 1,500hp, 427ci beast ran low 7s back in 1968 and '69. Wild.  Tim Beachley came to Carlisle...  Tim Beachley came to Carlisle in his '78 Monza wagon, showing us another example of a cool ride rarely seen.  Unfortunately, they wouldn't...  Unfortunately, they wouldn't take a check.  If Mom's wagon had looked...  If Mom's wagon had looked like Christine Reedy's '93 Caprice, we suspect that our trips to school would have been much cooler, and probably faster.  William Westhafer's GM ride...  William Westhafer's GM ride of choice is this immaculate '74 Nova hatchback,...  ...and Bill was only too happy...  ...and Bill was only too happy to give us an inside look.  Continuing the pace-car theme,...  Continuing the pace-car theme, GM included the '82 Indy 500 Pace Car as part of its display.  The rain came in force on...  The rain came in force on Sunday's show finale.  Darell Trumpower's '70 Chevelle...  Darell Trumpower's '70 Chevelle shows a unique twist on the blower-through-the-hood theme.  Contrary to the number she's...  Contrary to the number she's holding, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's Kristin Coledo ended up Number One when she was crowned Miss All-GM Nationals. (Photo courtesy of Carlisle Events.)
|
|
|