[Brad54]

Hey guys, I'd like to get your opinion on this.

Next May 11, 2013, I will be doing a traditional hot rod & custom show, vintage drag race and swap meet called The Gear Jam, at the Atlanta Dragway.
It'll be anchored by the NE Georgia Swap Meet, that had over 155 vendors this month for the October show... I'm anticipating nearly 200 vendors by May's show.

The criteria for the car show is a pretty straight-forward formula: Pre '64 traditional-styled hot rods, customs and trucks. No billet, no modern-looking wheels, paint, graphics and interiors.

For the drag racing, the cars will have to look the part--no modern looking wheels, no modern "Nostalgia" cars like gassers with huge wings and aero noses, no EFI, etc. etc.

The classes I am planning right now are:
Gasser
Front Engine Dragster
Altered/Comp Coupe
Nostalgia Super Stock
Hot Rod

Qualifying in the morning, and a heads-up Quick 8 elimination after lunch, with everyone who didn't make the Quick 8 getting to run heads-up against the car in their class closest to their ET. Everyone won't be in it for the money, but everyone will get to make passes for the whole day, with evenly matched competition.

I went to the Atlanta $10000 race this weekend, and they had a lot of muscle cars competing in the drag race... I'm as sick of '69 Camaros as anyone, but it was cool to see the early Pro-Stock style Vegas, Monzas and Pintos... And I didn't mind seeing the later Nostalgia Super Stocks, a friend's retro-style '70 Challenger that was an IHRA record holder in the early '70s, etc.

So at another friend's suggestion, I'm thinking of adding a "Muscle Car" class to the drag racing program ONLY, with the same kinds of criteria... no Pro Mod, no Outlaw cars, etc. Just muscle cars running like they would have back on a Sunday in '72, just like they were still running gassers and FEDs.

There used to be a pretty hard line between street rods and '50s-up cars, and that's gotten blurred to the point of being non-existent now. There's definitely a hard line between hot rods and muscle cars... but even that's gotten fuzzier over the years.

I definitely want the show field to be traditional hot rods and customs, without billet street rods... Good Guys and NSRA do enough of those shows already. There's nothing wrong with them, it's just not the market I'm aiming for.
I thought I'd get everyone's take on having muscle cars in the race ONLY... not on the show field. It'd make for a fuller race show... and who doesn't like watching drag racing?

Maybe us? I dunno... what are your thoughts guys? (and girls)

-Brad

[bigdog7373]

I think by the show rules you've made you are cutting out a ton of cars that would make the show better. Just about every hot rod I've seen has a newer interior and wheels. I can't even think of more than 3 cars on this site that fits into your rules. I'm sure these kinds of cars are out there, no doubt about that, but you're really limiting the show down to one specific thing. It makes me imagine a show just flooded with rat rods, which are cool cars but after like 5 of them it's just blah. Just my opinion and something to think about.