BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Street rods, muscle cars and classics had their day in the sun, as 60 of the most beautiful vehicles paraded down the Beech Bend drag strip following an awards presentation for the Soffseal Show-n-Shine, part of the final day of the 10^th  annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA.  The sixty cars were selected from among more than 1,300 cars and trucks that entered the event.

            “Choosing the top sixty vehicles from among such an outstanding field was very difficult,” said Reunion Co-Event Director Eileen Daniels.  “These cars bring back memories for both their owners and for the thousands who came to the Reunion to see them.”  Daniels along with her late husband Bob Daniels worked with the NHRA almost since its inception in 1951 and helped organize the Show N Shine portion of this event since they started in 2002.  “I hate to sound like a broken record, but they just don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore,” said Daniels.

            “These vehicles are an important part of the history of hot rodding,” said Daniels.  “Their presence at the Reunion helps to bring together various parts of our sport, letting everyone see these historic icons.”

            This year’s Show N Shine winners are invited to the 58^th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, Aug. 29-Sept. 3 in Indianapolis, where they get the opportunity to parade their show cars in front of thousands of NHRA fans. One champion will also be selected for the Bob Daniels Award given at Indy.

            In addition to the Best 60, Kerry Stone of Pona, Ill., and immaculate 1937 Ford was honored with the annual Gary Anderson Attention to Detail Award, created in the memory of the late founder of SoffSeal and presented by his widow Donna.

            This year, Street Rodder Magazine and Painless Performance were on the prowl to find their own beauties. They presented 10 lucky car owners with the inaugural Painless Top 10 Award which enters them into a nationwide pool of show cars and the chance to make it on the cover of their magazine.

The Painless Performance/Street Rodders winners are: Tom Venzia’s 1941 Willys (Dayton, MD); Jean and Kert Lancaster’s 1930 Model A Coupe (Warner Robbins, GA);  Rick Duffin’s 1961 Chevy Super Sport (Mansfield, TX); Jack Ostrander’s 1955 Nomad (Waterford, MI); James Reading’s 1951 Chevy (Shepherdsvill, KY); Bill Kuntz’s 1933 Ford (Salem, IN); Carolyn Smith’s 1947 Ford Woodie (Mansfield, TX); Oscar and Jane Gamble’s 1932 Ford Roadster (Paducah, KY); Jason Graham’s 1930 Ford Model A Coupe (Portland, TN); and Dave Pennington’s 1933 Ford Tudor Sedan (Germantown, OH).

This year’s Soffseal Show-n-Shine Best of the Best are:

1.      Street Rod – Dave Pennington, Germantown, OH – 1933 Ford Sedan

2.      Street Rod – Ray Sanders, Paducah, KY – 1948 Riley RMA

3.      Street Rod – Tommy Veasey, Bradford, TN – 1937 Ford Sedan

4.      Street Rod – Oscar & Jane Gamble, Paducah, KY – 1932 Ford Roadster

5.      Street Rod – Bobby & Sherry West, Maryville, TN – 1939 Chevy Master 85 Sedan

6.      Street Rod – Mike Lowhorn, Palmyra, IN – 1941 Willys Coupe

7.      Street Rod – Dan Blankenship, Murray, KY – 1933 Ford Coupe

8.      Street Rod – JR Drake, Hickory, NC – 1932 Ford Roadster

9.      Classic – Dennis Smith, Bowling Green, KY – 1966 Chevy Corvette

10.  Classic – Jerry Andres, Floyd Knobs, IN – 1962 Chevy BelAir

11.  Classic – Mick Price, Atwood, IL – 1962 Chevy Bubbletop

12.  Classic – Jim Boburka, Pittsburgh, PA – 1969 Chevy Convertible

13.  Classic – Larry Eaton, Glasgow, KY – 1969 Chevy Chevelle

14.  Classic – Royce Keown, Morgantown, KY – 1956 Ford T Bird

15.  Classic Chevy 1955-57 – Roger Minard, Bowling Green, KY – 1957 Chevy 210

16.  Classic Chevy 1955-57 – Mike McAllister, Elberfeld, IN – 1955 Chevy 210

17.  Classic Chevy 1955-57 – Rodger Weibe, Louisville, KY – 1956 Chevy 210

18.  Classic Chevy 1955-57 – Joe Holderman, Georgetown, KY – 1957 Chevy 150

19.  Custom – Truman and Vanda Morgan, Burkesville, KY – 1955 Chevy Convertible

20.  Custom – Don Clevenger, Batavia, OH – 1940 Ford Coupe

21.  Custom – Ted Novicki, Greenwood, IN – 1963 Ford Falcon

22.  Hot Rod – Scott McCallum, Pendleton, SC – 1932 Chevy Sedan

23.  Hot Rod – Bob and Vicki Ramsier, Harned, KY – 1932 Ford 3 Window Coupe

24.  Hot Rod – Darrel Turner, Milford, OH – 1932 Ford Roadster

25.  Hot Rod – Herb Jenkins, Murfreesboro, TN – 1948 Ford Coupe

26.  Muscle Car – Charlie and Denise Caldwell, Painesville, OH – 1965 Dodge Coronet

27.  Muscle Car – Mike Johnson, Rochester, NY - 1970 Plymouth Road Runner

28.  Muscle Car – Jerry K Porter, Mt. Washington, KY – 1971 Plymouth Baracuda

29.  Muscle Car – Chuck Martin, Arlington, TN – 1969 Chevy Camaro

30.  Muscle Car – Ken and Susan Sander, Bryan, OH – 1964 Ford Custom

31.  Muscle Car – James Marcrum, Alvaton, KY – 1966 Chevy Nova

32.  Muscle Car – Keith Reyer, Toney, AL – 1967 Chevy Camaro

33.  Pro Street – Carry Gottschack Sr., Petersburg, MI – 1967 Chevy II

34.  Pro Street – Barry McFadden, Nicholsville, KY – 1948 Ford Anglia

35.  Pro Street – Bill Henry, St. Cloud, FL – 1941 Willy Coupe

36.  Pro Street – Gary England, Portland, TN – 1967 Chevy Nova

37.  Pro Street – Jack Ostrander, Waterford, MI – 1955 Chevy Nomad

38.  Rat Rod – Nathan Zirkle, Hundred, WV – 1928 Chevy Truck

39.  Rat Rod – Ben Smith, Evansville, IN – 1946 Chevy Truck

40.  Rat Rod – Ronald Wix, Springfield, TN – 1940 Willys Coupe

41.  Rat Rod – Robert Turner, Bowling Green, KY – 1940 Willy Coupe

42.  Rat Rod – Keith and Elaine Vincent, Quality, KY – 1921 Willys Coupe

43.  Trucks – Larry and Brandi Davis, Louisville, KY – 1972 Chevy C10

44.  Trucks – Morris Carraway, Bartlett, TN – 1970 Chevy C10

45.  Trucks – Larry Walker, Bowling Green, KY – 1953 Chevy Truck

46.  Trucks – Shannon English, Glasgow, KY – 1949 Chevy 3100

47.  Trucks – Timmy Keown, Morgantown, KY – 1971 Chevy Truck

48.  Trucks – Bob Merchant, Elizabethtown, KY – 1958 Chevy Apache

49.  Memory Lane – John Ridgeway, Milford, OH – 1946 Mercury 2dr Coupe

50.  Memory Lane – Bill Stebbins, Louisville, KY – 1971 Dragster FED

51.  Memory Lane – Kroona and Sandberg, St. Paul, MN – 1948 Anglia

52.  Memory Lane – Kroona and Sandberg, St. Paul, MN – 1973 Buick Opal GT

53.  Memory Lane – George Reese, Scotts Depot, WV – 1948 Anglia 2 Door

54.  Memory Lane – Butch and Linda Szollosy, Mt. Hope, NJ – 1957 Chevy 210

55.  Memory Lane – Porter Shrader, Vinegrove, TN – 1960 Dragster FED

56.  Street Gasser – Tom Venezia, Dayton, MD – 1941 Willys 441

57.  Street Gasser – Sherwin Kiesshauer, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – 1965 Dodge Coronet

58.  Street Gasser - Joe Chapman, Milford, OH – 1941 Willys Coupe

59.  Street Gasser – Jerry and Frances Adams, Auburndale, FL – 1948 Ford Anglia

60.  Open Class – Bill and Carolyn Griffin, Brevard, NC – 1963 Chevy Nova

61.  Open Class – Lowell Grooms, South Fulton, TN – 1963 VW Beetle

62.  Open Class – Emily Thorpe, Glendale, MD – 1962 Chevy Impala

The Hot Rod Reunions are produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, located in Pomona, Calif. The Hot Rod Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sites, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.  The Reunion includes a wide variety of activities and events, including:

• NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Top Fuel, Supercharged Gassers, classic Funny Cars and Super Stocks.
• Street rod “show and shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars.  “Memory Lane” held  a display of nostalgic race cars.
• Cacklefest grand finale, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the “old days.”
• Swap meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations