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The 12th Goodguys PPG Nationals - Turn It & Burn It!The Car Show Concourse Meets The Autocross Road Course At The 12th Goodguys PPG Nationals In Columbus, Ohio. From the November, 2009 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Johnny Hunkins Photography by Johnny Hunkins, Robert McGaffin
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Once upon a time, a gearhead had to make a tough choice when he got to a certain fork in the road with his hot rod: Do I build it for show and spend my weekends polishing paint, or do I go to the track and wring it out? Perhaps you're at a stage in your involvement with the hobby where that question no longer seems valid, and the losing side of that equation has long since been stashed away in the proverbial attic with other ancient regrets. The fundamental choice of "show" or "go" is one we face early on in our hot rodding life, but the Goodguys folks say, "Why not do both?" Many years ago, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association realized their attendees were increasingly interested in muscle cars. That makes a lot of sense, considering the changing demographic of the average show entrant. While street rods are still a prime force, muscle cars now make up a significant part of the Goodguys event roster. And something else became clear too: Muscle car owners not only drive their cars, they like to beat on them too. Nevertheless, until recently, hard-core muscle car lovers could only dream about beating on their hot rods in a show type of environment. The best they could hope for was a top showing at Goodguys' Street Machine of the Year competition, held every July at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. Two years ago that changed when Goodguys introduced an exciting wrinkle in the program: the Street Challenge Autocross. Prior to that, detractors referred to Pro Touring machines in derogatory terms because they were substantially perceived as street-rodded muscle cars. What happened next surprised everybody. Once the autocross was introduced to most of the Goodguys venues (those of which were large enough to handle them), not only did muscle cars line up to run the circuit in the hundreds, but street rod guys also wanted in on the action. When the Street Challenge... When the Street Challenge Autocross is in session at the Goodguys PPG Nationals, it's standing room only. Call us crazy, but fast-moving cars will get our attention a lot quicker than non-moving cars. These muscle car fans agree too. So that begs the question, when you meet the fork in the road and make that decision to be a car show guy, an autocross wiz, a drag racer, or an open-track freak, do you ever really abandon your other car dreams? For the folks we saw at the Goodguys Street Challenge Autocross, the answer is clearly a resounding "No!" For their part, Goodguys does a great job surrounding the muscle car enthusiast with every single thing a muscle car lover needs. If they don't have it, you probably don't need it. That especially holds true now with the autocross-tires, suspensions, chassis, brakes, wheels, safety gear, you name it, you can equip a serious track predator with stuff you can find at a Goodguys show. It's not just paint, chrome, upholstery, and sheetmetal, although there is certainly plenty of that too. In the final analysis, however, a Goodguys show-and the PPG Nationals in particular-is just good family fun. You won't find Jell-O wrestling, wet T-shirt contests, bouncing cars, or windshield-shattering stereos. Of course, when the occasional burnout contest starts spontaneously after hours, the local authorities do a great job looking the other direction, which is an added bonus. This year, we were impressed with the strength of the muscle car hobby and the fine showing in Columbus. We met a lot of new friends and reconnected with old ones, and that's something that we always look forward to at the PPG Nationals. Should have Been A Contender!
Unfortunately, there are only five finalist spots for the Street Machine of the Year competition and if it were up to us, we would've chosen Brad Riepe's '68 Plymouth Roadrunner to be in that elite group. We know very little about the 'Runner except that it's got a 599ci Pro Stock Hemi that Riepe claims 1,300 hp on. Handling credentials come via a Viper suspension, Wilwood brakes, a custom four-link Dana 60 rear, and a five-speed trans (most likely a Richmond, given the horsepower).  Celina Williams, a 36-year-old...  Celina Williams, a 36-year-old marketing consultant from Cornelia, Georgia, was there to support her husband, Brian, and his sweet-running '67 Camaro. It has an all-aluminum 427-ci LS7, DSE Quadralink rear suspension, Baer brakes, RideTech TigerCage, Tremec five-speed, Moser 12-bolt, and a Paul Atkins interior  We can't ever get enough Chevelles,...  We can't ever get enough Chevelles, and this '66 owned by Mike Hammond was looking good running the autocross. Power comes from a 499ci big-block, and feeds a five-speed Tremec. Wilwood brakes do the stopping with help from Toyo tires on Intro wheels.  If you're looking for a deal...  If you're looking for a deal on a starter project car, the Goodguys car corral is a great place to start. Mopars are typically priced out of our range, but this killer '73 Dodge Satellite was in mint condition with perfect paint, nice interior, and working A/C for just $8,500 (OBO). Trust us, these cars are going to be big!  Celina Williams, a 36-year-old...  Celina Williams, a 36-year-old marketing consultant from Cornelia, Georgia, was there to support her husband, Brian, and his sweet-running '67 Camaro. It has an all-aluminum 427-ci LS7, DSE Quadralink rear suspension, Baer brakes, RideTech TigerCage, Tremec five-speed, Moser 12-bolt, and a Paul Atkins interior.  We can't ever get enough Chevelles,...  We can't ever get enough Chevelles, and this '66 owned by Mike Hammond was looking good running the autocross. Power comes from a 499ci big-block, and feeds a five-speed Tremec. Wilwood brakes do the stopping with help from Toyo tires on Intro wheels.  If you're looking for a deal...  If you're looking for a deal on a starter project car, the Goodguys car corral is a great place to start. Mopars are typically priced out of our range, but this killer '73 Dodge Satellite was in mint condition with perfect paint, nice interior, and working A/C for just $8,500 (OBO). Trust us, these cars are going to be big!  Dustin Foust, a 22-year-old...  Dustin Foust, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student from Greenville, Indiana, built this '70 Mustang for Mark Jacobi. It's packing a 550hp Ford 460 big-block, a Tremec six-speed trans, Heidt's suspension, BFG rubber, Budnik GTX wheels (18s and 20s), and Wilwood brakes.  Jesse Greening of Cullman,...  Jesse Greening of Cullman, Alabama, didn't make the cut for the final five in the Street Machine of the Year competition, but he put in a great effort with his '71 Camaro. Jesse used DSE suspension components all around and Baer brakes inside custom wheels of his own design. An LS1 engine and six-speed Tremec make up the powertrain.  Seen elsewhere in this issue...  Seen elsewhere in this issue is PHR's Project Fast Lane Fairlane, which was helping to represent the Bowler Transmission folks in the Vendor's Autocross Challenge at Columbus.  James McLeod of Hudson, Florida...  James McLeod of Hudson, Florida owns this sleek '69 Mustang fastback, which packs a 5.4L mod motor and six-speed trans. Cornering duties are handled by Heidts' front and rear suspension, SSBC brakes, and BFG rubber. The car was assembled by Time Machines out of Florida.  Meet Sheila Defer and Chris...  Meet Sheila Defer and Chris Bethel of Hilliard, Ohio. We met them around 11:30 Saturday morning just as it started to sprinkle. They wanted directions to the bar, and we drew a blank. We struck up a conversation, and headed indoors when the rain became torrential. Four hours later, we were like best friends. Later that evening, we all got together for burgers at Thurman Café in Columbus (a big thumbs-up if you're in town). Chris brought out his '66 Mustang fastback 2+2, which he's owned for 18 years. Doing all the work himself, it took Chris 13 years to complete it.  Back in June, we gave a shout-out...  Back in June, we gave a shout-out to all our readers that we would be in Columbus for the Goodguys show, and Larry Belcher of DeLand, Florida, took us up on the offer. Riding through the show, Larry called out to us, and pointed to his PHR T-shirt. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Larry is a Laguna nut too. He regularly sends us old Laguna magazines and hard-to-find parts. We posed Larry next to Chuck Church Jr's beautiful '67 Chevy II. Running on methanol, the 421ci small-block has pushed the little Nova to a best of 9.48/140 on motor. Church Boys Racing of Bristolville, Ohio, built this stunning machine. Check out the Church Boys Racing website at www.churchboysracing.com.  Bill Jelinek of Route 66 Motorsports...  Bill Jelinek of Route 66 Motorsports (New Lenox, IL) is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. We found him demonstrating his new line of car care products which is sold under the Route 66 Motorsports banner. Here, Bill shows off the capabilities of their new "Pedal To The Metal" metal polish on a piece of billet aluminum (a 16 oz. bottle is just $14.95). This stuff really works! Check it out at www.rt66motorsports.com.  This wicked-looking '69 Charger...  This wicked-looking '69 Charger belongs to Street Machine of the Year finalist Tom Boldry of Shawnee, Kansas. Yeah, you bet it's got a Hemi-472 inches worth. Other goodies that help it carve up the track include a Magnum Force K-member, Keisler five-speed, and Wilwood brakes. Tom reckons it's putting out about 600 hp.  This interesting '68 Mustang...  This interesting '68 Mustang was brought all the way from Sacramento, California by Scott and Laura Taylor. It's got a sideways-opening hood that covers a 490ci Ford "Shotgun" semi Hemi making around 705 hp off the juice. A full Art Morrison chassis and Air Ride suspension allow for unparalleled suspension tuning. A 4-inch "channel" job takes the look to the next level. Incredibly, the Taylor's Mustang didn't make the final five cut either.  Our keen interest in Chevelles...  Our keen interest in Chevelles extended to the car corral area, where one guy was offering up this '68 SS clone for a whopping $32,000. With a rather ordinary big-block and a pretty straightforward restoration, it might be worth $22,000 on a good day. There were no takers, but at least the seller copped to it being a clone.  Every year, the Goodguys PPG...  Every year, the Goodguys PPG Nationals is the scene of the grand giveaway. We have run several stories on the Air Ride Technologies SuperNova over the past year, so it should be no stranger to you. Yes, they really do give these things away, and this year Allen Naylor of Athens, Alabama, won it in a special key drawing of semifinalists from prior Goodguys events. Allen is the owner of Naylor Performance Transmissions in Athens, and he vows to show it, drive it, and have fun with his new SuperNova.  Detroit Speed & Engineering...  Detroit Speed & Engineering is leading the pack when it comes to practicing what they preach. Take their complete suspension packages for GM A-bodies for example. For every system they design and bring to market, they build a proof-of-concept project car which becomes the test bed for that system. All the parts you see on their display rotisserie are installed on their '65 Malibu project car, which we'll be featuring in an upcoming issue. Manual Trans Racers Unite!
When we spotted this '70 Nova-which belongs to Ed and Angela McConnell of Hilliard, Ohio-we had to take a closer look. The stance was nailed, the look was clean and understated, and the 396ci big-block underhood closed the deal. As we approached, we also took note of the super Spartan interior (no carpet, but really clean), and the five-speed manual trans. Then we saw the UMTR decal on the core support and said "Bingo! That explains everything." The United Manual Transmission Racers (UMTR) association is a regional racing association based mostly in Ohio. They hold heads-up drag racing events strictly for manual transmission cars. It's hard core. It's for real street cars, and it's the way drag racing ought to be. We've always wanted to cover one of their events, but the timing hasn't been right. All we can say is that a UMTR race is one of the most exciting grassroots drag racing events you'll ever see, and they're mostly in Ohio. Congrats to Ed and Angela for trotting out this sweet Nova for us to drool over! 2009 Street Machine Of The Year When the dust settled, Barry... When the dust settled, Barry Blomquist of Onalaska Wisconsin the Street Machine of the Year competition was won by. His '62 Corvette was built by the Roadster Shop and features a turnkey LS7 with Kinsler injection in front of a T-56 six-speed transmission.
Barry Blomquist
Onalaska, WI
1962 Chevrolet Finalist
Tom Boltry
Kansas City, MO
1969 Dodge Charger Finalist
Nathan Powell
Birmingham, AL
1969 Camaro Finalist
Devan Gussmeyer
Salt Lake City, UT
1968 Mustang Finalist
Bryan Frank
Scotts Bluff, NE
1969 Pontiac Muscle Car Awards • 12th Goodguys PPG Nationals
Miscellaneous Awards Chevy Muscle
Doug Smith • Aurora, IL
1971 Chevelle Class Act
Ron Duttan • Staten Island, NY
1970 Challenger Classic Trophy Dash
by Classic Instruments
Scott and Laura Taylor • Sacramento, CA
1968 Ford Mustang Cool Camaro
Harold Chapman • Austin, TX
1969 Camaro convertible Cool Convert
JW Grodt • Springfield, VA
1960 Impala Cool Cruiser
Bill Kingwell • Munhall, PA
1965 Buick Riviera FlowMaster
American Thunder Award
John Holt • Lebanon Junction, KY
1968 Firebird Ford in a Ford
Mark Jacobi • Floyds Knobs, IN
1970 Mustang Ford Muscle
Paul Chemlovsky • Galena, OH
1968 Torino GT convertible Homebuilt Heaven Pick
Zach & Brenda Straits • Staunton, VA
1961 Ford Starliner Host Club Pick
Thomas Brumley • Findlay, OH
1963 Dodge Wedge Air Ride Low, Smooth, Cool Pick
Cindy Alloway • Louisville, TN
1962 Corvette Meguiars Magnificent Masterpiece
Bill Sefton • Scottsdale, AZ
1969 Mustang Mighty Muscle
Tom Ferrell • Concord, NC
1969 Camaro Mighty Mustang
Bob Zobel • Charleston, SC
1969 Mustang Mopar Muscle
Chuck Kuhn • Hilliard, OH
1966 Plymouth Belvedere II Mother's Pick Award
Jerry and Gary Rice • Royston, GA
1969 Camaro Sexy Sedan
Wesley Crum • Mount Vernon, OH
1964 Chevy Biscayne Slick & Smooth
Brent Elson • North Sioux City, SD
1966 Chevelle Slick '60s Pick
Don Clark • McKinney, TX
1967 Nova Sooo Low Pick
Art and Sandra Ramey
Mansfield, OH • 1962 Chevy Vintage Air Young Guy's Pick
Ryan Martinez • Wauseon, OH
1969 Camaro Trendsetter Builder's Choice Awards
Douglas McDonald • Baldwin, GA
1967 Camaro Tom Wahl • Lakeville, MN
1962 Ford
Jason Stavola • Mooresville, NC
1969 Camaro Billy Morgan • Jefferson City, TN
1962 Chevy Impala Jeremy Mason • Buford, GA
1967 Camaro Muscle Car Of The Year Award
Bob and Brenda Yost • Elyria, OH
1969 Camaro Vendor's Street Challenge
Autocross Award
Kyle Tucker, Detroit Speed
Mooresville, NC
1970 Camaro
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