Turkey Rod Run

The Biggest Post Thanksgiving Car Show Around – The 2024 Turkey Rod Run

“Something for everyone” is often an over-used marketing slogan, but in the case of the 2024 Turkey Rod Run at the Daytona International Speedway the event lives up to that moniker. The 2024 version was massive – more than 5,000 show cars (no trophies, no window cards with owners’ names); 1,000 or more vehicles of all shapes, sizes and conditions for sale in the Car Corral, and 1,500-plus vendors in the swap meet.

The annual Thanksgiving weekend event has grown from a small gathering of cars in a hotel parking lot in the mid-Seventies to the current four-day event that draws thousands of show cars, for-sale rides and a massive swap meet that fills the Speedway infield.

 

Show cars run the gamut from Sixties’ slab-sided land yachts to vintage VWs, from lowriders to blown pro-street muscle cars, from antique classics to trucks of all shapes. The same holds true for the Car Corral. One consistent trend this year was overly optimistic pricing. On the high side for the most part, but “sold” signs were not uncommon.

The swap meet had everything you can think of, and some stuff you couldn’t imagine ever attracting a buyer. Vendors ranged from well-known industry suppliers to empty-the-garage stuff displayed in the back of an old pickup. And living up to the something-for-everyone vibe, a car-show favorite – kettle corn, of course – was available in the food vendor area.

If you’ve never made it out to Florida’s first and biggest post Thanksgiving Day car show, add it to your list. Daytona Florida is not a bad place to be in late November, you get to be on the infield of Daytona International Speedway and surrounded with cool cars and hot rodders! A nice way to wrap up your Thanksgiving weekend. For more info, check out the Turkey Rod Run.

Photos by: Dave Doucette

Dave Doucette is a long-time Goodguys member with a career in newspaper, magazine and website journalism. He was one of the founding editors of USA TODAY, editor of two daily newspapers and co-owner of a magazine publishing and trade show company. He owns and operates Real Auto Media. His first car was a 1947 Ford; he has owned Camaros, Firebirds, El Caminos and a 1956 Chevy that was entered in shows from California to Florida before being sold last year. He was one of the original Goodguys Rodders Reps and served as president of two classic Chevy clubs. Doucette grew up in South Florida, avidly following the racing exploits of local hero Ollie Olsen and, of course, Don Garlits. He remembers riding his bicycle to Briggs Cunningham’s West Palm Beach factory to peak through the fence at his Sebring and LeMans racers.